Lunar Arriva
hello people,
thinking of purchasing a lunar arriva, has any body got or have had one, just wondering how you got on with the user payload, nose weight etc one dealer said it was ample for a small van I am not so sure and would rather learn from others experience than my own.
regards john
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It seem you upgrade the axle 50 kg, which means payload goes up to 164 kg,
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So its same axle ,change plate ,pay a few bob job done
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Done some more digging and this scam is rife, why cannot they do this to start with seems very shifty to me, the last British van I purchased was in 1980 and vowed never to that again, it seem's it will be the last British van I owned, just fancied a change, think I will stay with the foreigners.
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Well we managed with one for 7 years touring here and abroad fir over 120+ nights per year without too much trouble. Even carried 2 normal sized non electric bikes in it. Hardly had a problem with it. Only reason we part exed it was due to the poor insulation and we wanted to do more winter touring in the UK.
It is a bit narrower but we are small in size. Obviously able to tow it with a 1600 Kia Cee'd.
We were happy with the Ariva and it gave us better value than some other bigger vans we've owned.
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The NCC have a basic formula for calculating user payload.
Payload(kg) = 10×L+10×N+50 where L is body length and N is number of berths. Uk manufacturers use this minimum unrealistic. An upgrade is often possible up to axle load spec but might be very little. Probably one reason that I see very few two berth caravans on site.
I had an upgrade included on purchase for our 3 berth side dinette with the option of a 4th bunk so, without optional bunk I have 243kg payload but without the upgrade 143kg
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So has anyone answering the Op actually owned or used a Lunar Ariva? Thought not.
Btw our current van has a payload of 183 kgs and is a 2 berth, quite a bit more than some bigger vans.
Op why are you considering an Ariva? Comparing it to a German van isn't really a comparison. Buy German if you want top grade but its a bit unfair on the Ariva to compare the two.
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"Op why are you considering an Ariva?"
It's not so very long ago that hooker started a thread saying he was thinking of buying a motorhome, and asked a rather loaded question about club sites. Obviously someone who likes to keep his options open!
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WN, you sound rather like one of Hooker's usual posts there.😀
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I did really consider a camper but her looked at the bed and said no way, so I moved on to motor home and looking at our holiday destinations this year Cornwall, northwales , Cumbria it would have been a nightmare moving about so it was back to the caravan, never really took much notice of user payload has I weighed it every time I loaded it and so long has it was below 1200kg I was happy, but now I find I was playing with 360 kg user payload which probably made it easy, so my foray into a new van has ended at the moment, if I had put a mover and leisure battery in, payload may have disappeared. I do like the arriva pity they do not put a larger capacity axle or give you the choice. So it looks like new beds and upholstery for the old girl.
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We`ve had three including an Ariva with hardly any issues now on a Clubman!
The Ariva was a smashing small van this one never had to go back to the dealer apart from a service in the three years we owned it. Most caravans have a low payload and the Ariva is not particularily poor,as with most vans heavier items go in the car. Though narrower than most vans the seating is the same length as most two berths longer than many fixed beds so you can stretch out and watch the tele. Wardrobe is about average and the kitchen area fine, the bathroom is however small and this is where site facilities are probably best used. As regards equipment they have just about everything a larger caravan has. This is a good go anywhere touring caravan there are few roads and sites that will trouble you.
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Bought an Ariva one year old in 2013 have been using it since then.Great van ,small but you get used to it,great on narrow roads,even had Grandson and his fiance stay with us using awning with an annex.Have towed with 1.6 diesel cars currently towing with a Kuga .
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I have not read defensive posts David. Tigi was apparently happy with the three they owned. I had one from March 2012 until December 2017 and was happy with it and indeed bought another. Yours, I agree, seems to have been a total disaster.
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It's the size that attracts me, it is the payload that concerns me, if I fit a motor mover with a battery could you still manage, at the moment I carry car spare wheel as well but could do something different with that.
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I have a mover fitted and have weighed everything that goes in the van,as there are only two of us all the heavy stuff goes in the car.Must admit to never having it weighed though.We find the van great just had a week in Somerset and didn't use the awning because of the weather and we are still talking,but we do get on well.
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Do you actually need a motor mover? It's not compulsory. We never had one. Obviously if you do need one then that will cut into the payload on any van you buy.
If AD thought my post was defensive then he is mistaken. I know some Lunar owners have had problems. We have one now and it has a problem that needs attention but the Ariva was a smashing little van, probably because they didn't cram luxury items in that weren't in our view needed. Even had the microwave taken out so I could use the space for a glove and hat cupboard.
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Just watched a video on YouTube "lunar factory " does not look good lunar should take it down.
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