Eriba touring vans eg 430
We re looking at investing in an Eriba 430 as an alternative to our current Sterling Eccles Topaz two berth. Partly to achieve a smaller, lighter outfit to tow and also one with a lower roof profile when not in use so it could be more easily screened if stored at the front of the house.
Any thoughts / comments from current or past Eriba owners please . It would be smaller I think in terms of storage and also lacks an oven/ microwave compared with what we have now. On the plus side you can have a bike rack on the front.
Are they v expensive to insure/ service?
Thank you.
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I am on my 5th Eriba. Over 20 years I have owned 4 Touring models of which two were 430's, a 2001 and a 2017. I am a moderator on the Eribafolk forum, which I would advise you join.
Compared to "normal" caravans they are fairly trouble free, but you pay a heavy price for a little van. Everything on an Eriba is an extra and you can soon run up a purchase cost of £35K+.
Once you get you head around being organised then the only thing you will miss is a bathroom. The 430 has one, but it is really a loo with a small basin. You will not be able to shower in it.
To tow they are a dream. We towed our last 430 with a 1.5 petrol Audi A3 and it delivered 32-40mpg. This was a 1200kg axle model which had a 300kg+ payload. You can now get a 1300kg axle.We never ran out of storage space or payload.
To service they cost no more than other vans, but you must have the yearly water ingress test done by Eriba every year for the first 6 years. This will cost you about £160 and will ONLY be done by the supplying dealer.
I must add that the actual quality of the vans is not what it used to be and Eriba are living on past reputation. The main issue is the cabinetwork. A shift to lower density plywood did have a big effect on the build quailty of vans from 2013 for the next decade. It is to soon to say if the latest "blinged up" models will be the same.
Last year we decided we wanted a little more space, but we do not want a far larger car and wanted to stay with pop-tops. As much as I love the shape and style I was not prepared to buy another Touring. My head and not my heart won the argument and I went for the other pop-top the make, the Feeling. On the continent these far outsell the Touring models. In 2022 we spent 6 weeks in NL and visited many dealers. The common opinion amongst the dealers was why buy a Touring as they are over priced and lack the build quality of the Feeling.
We are very please with our Feeling 425, same layout as a Troll 530. We have a full size permanent bed, large dining area and similar size bathroom to the Tourings. It sits lower to the road and has a theoretical payload of 500kg. We still tow with the same Audi and return 30 - 36mpg.
To insure they are no more than a normal van of similar value. The only thing is some companies will only insure CRIS registered vans and Eriba's are not registered. At present the insurance for my 2022/23 Eriba Feeling 425, £28K new for old, £1K personal effect, £2K equipment, £500 awning, legal cover, 30 days Europe, £150 voluntary x/s costs £212 with Lifesure.
If you log onto the Eribafolk forum I post under the same username so you can PM me if you wish to talk in depth.
Colin
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There you are. I did reply and deleted it because I knew Colin would say it better than I could.
I had a 420 Touring and we toured far and fast very happily for 12 years. I simply did not want to haul a big white bungalow around. Comfortable the modern bungalows on wheels may be, but they are not for me. An Eriba Touring has style and panache. It turns heads. They are different. I like to be different.2 -
Dear Colin and Eurotraveller from Cornwall,
Thank you so much for your encyclopaedic reply Colin and for your additional comments as well from Cornwall. The detail you have given is very useful. We are still unsure but at least what you have written has not put us off!
Will keep mulling. As you say, the price tag is a factor.
Best wishes,
Hillangel.
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