Would we recommend a make of Caravan or Motorhome
CERTAINLY NOT!.
Seventeen years of two new caravans and two motorhomes ,we would never recommend a make due to problems with all. Considering all these vehicles and fittings were supposed to have been signed off by quality control. The faults and shoddy workmanship we have encountered have been appalling.
Comments
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so, any clues as to what to avoid, based on your experiences?
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Most of those items are components fitted to many makes of cvan/MH. In those cases it's the manufacture of the parts that is lacking in design and quality control rather than the manufacturers of the vans being at fault.
Of far more consequence is the build quality of the finished product and that is sadly lacking in every brand I've experienced.
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TW - whilst not disagreeing with you, we must have been lucky, then. I have no real complaints about the build quality of our Bailey Barcelona which we bought new nearly three years ago and I would certainly buy another one (but they seem to have omitted it from the 2018 range). As you say, any faults we have experienced (sticking window blind, sub-standard bed mattress) have all been down to third party suppliers. Nothing has dropped off or failed (so far!) - even after extensive use and the only thing I can think of that was down to build quality was the sealant around the shower tray failing about six months ago which was due to insufficient support around the edge of the tray.
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You may have been lucky, R&R, or I may have been unlucky. My experience includes a lot of makes but not a Bailey. Maybe that's your answer.
The components supplied by third parties shouldn't affect our opinion of a van manufacturer, as you realise.
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I'm not entirely in agreement with that TW. I think it's up to the manufacturers of the c'vans and Mhs to put pressure on the suppliers of the parts to up their game as people tend to just remember the make of lv that has caused them the problem, so it's the manufacturers reputation that is largely at risk.
Having said that I personally would overlook a problem say with a Whale pump and not hold it against he manuf.
We have had intrinsic problems with 2 Swifts and tend to now steer clear of them, probably unjustly, as they may now be fault free.
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Maybe van manufacturers should demand and ensure that the component parts from third parties are of better quality but my point is that you can't blame one constructor in particular for a faulty component when those components are common to almost all makes of van.
It's the component manufacturer at fault, not the van builder - albeit they could bring pressure to bear - but unless the van constructor is at fault it's not a valid reason to vilify one particular brand of van. Vilify all of them by all means as they mostly deserve it but not just one.
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No, don't recognise that Tinny, it's up to the main contractor (manufacturer) to ensure that their sub contractor (component supplier) provides the item to the correct specification including quality. In my industry we used to visit sub contractor premises and witness tests etc.. I can't imagine that a major car manufacturer would put up with shoddy or substandard sub contractor parts.
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I'm not disputing that, One, but it's unrealistic to name and shame one van builder when they're all in the same situation, using the same bits, and all doing the same thing in a see-no-evil kind of way. Blame 'em all or none at all.
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I would expect these faults should be picked up during a pre delivery inspection at the dealer and rectified before the vehicle is supplied to the customer.
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No, you simply pays you money and takes your chance. More buyers appear to write in about some makes more than others probably due to the larger numbers sold by certain manufacturers. One of the vital things is to thoroughly check your purchase before final payment, preferably by a visit prior to the PDI Check and then again on collection.
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Actually TW I do blame them all. We've all heard about faults in vans/mhs and that encompasses nearly every manufacturer, which is why I said that I didn't entirely agree with you. We know that a faulty component may not be noticeable at PDI and it may manifest itself some months later but nevertheless the majority of buyers will only remember that they had a fault in a Bailey or Swift or whatever which is why the manufacturer should demand higher standards from their suppliers.
When I ran my own company I wouldn't deal with suppliers whose poor service or parts gave my company a bad name. Unfortunately we seem to live in an era of dwindling number of suppliers as mergers take place.
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No, I wouldn't recommend a make unless I had a sound understanding of what the potential buyer requires. I find the dealer is more important than the manufacturer as it is the former who ensures the van is right before you take it away and deals with any subsequent problems.
There are some makes I wouldn't recommend.
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I would, it'd be a Hymer caravan.
Since 1980, 2 x pre owned Trophy, 5 x new Sprite, Trophy, Bailey, Bailey, Eccles.( no major problems with any ).
Since 2001, 5 x new T.E.C. 1 X GEIST, 3 x Hymer.
The Hymer is probably the " Marmite " of caravan makes,
I don't like Marmite but the Hymer takes some beating.
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Weve had an autosleeper, an autotrail miami (comfortmatic gearbox broke) a new at apache (flimsy rattley and cheap only kept it 6months) and an at arapaho , then had a two year break and bought an old hymer caravan ...... Older than all the motorhomes yet the quality is far superior ..... Love it lol
but would probably still have the miami if the gearbox hadnt have konked out the older model of autotrailt seemed of better build quality if the hymer motorhomes are as good as the caravans then when i return to motorhoming itll be a hymer for me i think or maybe a hobby cheers mrs bc0 -
sometimes the converter is as fault when installing a perfectly sound 'component' (fridge/heater) due to the compromises made to squeeze the said unit into the space the 'designers' have allowed.
Truma have very specific installation insteuctions with regard to space allowed around the unit (to prevent overheating) and the length of pipe runs etc...
much of this is ignored by converters who are desparate to get a quart in a pint pot.
poor installations can be as much of a problem for the customer as the inherent quality (or lack of it) in the component.
however, naff drawer runners, catches, cheap switches, paper thin wallboard etc, etc, all contribute to low 'quality' and are predominantely drive by price.
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.....or it it that many of the current vans concentrate more on getting the weight down than putting in the quality? I notice that your more recent caravans are the Hymers and your older vans were the ones with no problems.
(P.S. Wow. Twenty caravans is a lot to have owned - if I've counted correctly (unless I've misunderstood). We're on our 5th van since 1990 - and one of those was stolen after 12 months. I wonder if anyone can beat your 20?)
David
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only those owners will know Micky.....
however, id rather have a smaller compact lighter van that is totally bomb proof than a larger, flimsy one where the components are sourced to a price.....and it shows.....ye gods, does it show.
anyone can build a van with a good payload on a 4,5,6 tonne chassis...
the skill is to build a robust one, with decent payload on a 3.5t one....
some vans seem to acheive the weight parameter but at what cost to build?
some appear to have the build but next to no payload.....
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We'd recommend one. Cotswold Windrush. We have had two, still got our original one. Dry as a bone. Quality fixtures and fittings. A mere 33 years old. Good luck trying to find one!
Our little MH is fantastic quality as well VW Autosleeper. A youngster, only 15 years old.
The moral of the tale is if you have money to burn, buy new, take a chance on it falling apart, (the odds are high.) If you fancy longevity and peace of mind over flash tat and gadgets, it's the way to go.
Some of the top end MHs look extremely well made, just need the cash to afford one!
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Hi all,
It's actually 15 'vans DSB, I'm sorry if the 5 x threw you.
Reasons for so many was, because we could. We've been very fortunate, we've spent too much on caravans but it's a pastime we very much enjoy all year round and have done for many years.
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I suppose it depends on what you mean by a recommendation. I would be happy to discuss with anyone the pros and cons of the caravans and one motorhome I have owned. Interestingly the three Swift stable caravans I had from new over a period of about 15 years were all excellent and I would be happy to recommend them. But that was then and I have no idea what the current ranges are like. Motorhomes are more complicated beasts and perhaps not at as straightforward to either recommend or not but either way I would be happy to discuss with anyone interested in my views.
David
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We've caravanned since the late 1960s and have had 7 new 'vans in that time. Most had problems of one form or another including a major structural failure with an Avondale. The only exception is the Fendt, our last 'van and one that we still have after 8 years. It still looking good and is fault free.
In the last 7 years we've had 3 new motorhomes, 2 x Adria, 1 x Burstner. No faults with any of them. I'll let you draw you're own conclusions.
What I would add is that in my opinion some people can make mountains out of mole hills but clearly the UK manufacturers have a lot to learn from those in mainland Europe.
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