Elddis Xplore 554 ?
We are looking to buy our first brand new 4 berth caravan and would like to keep to our budget of about 20k, also we would like it be on the lighter side and was wondering what peoples thoughts were ?
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It's not what we think as your the buyer and it has to meet your needs and they will be different from others. don't rush into it and if you like this van keep going and having another look, and spend an hour in it and see if it will be comfortable for you. Even pretend to use the bathroom and see if it's big enough, is there enough cupboard space for all your pots and pans and crockery and clothes and shoes, the list goes on and on. More important is the tow vehicle big/heavy enough to tow it and have you the licence to tow it.
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We were hoping to hear the opinions of an owner as we cannot get out looking obviously and are currently in between caravans which is frustrating to say the least .
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There is an Eldiss section on Caravan Talk forum (excellent forum) and no doubt the likes of Faceache will have Eldiss owners areas. However it is difficult to advise without knowing what you need, and what you would like to have in a caravan. Other than low weight you do not indicate your needs and preferences.
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Hello JudenSteve
We are former Elddis owners.
Ours was a 2016 dealer special based on their Avante/Affinity models, so we can't speak for current build quality, styles and towing weights.
Our experience of the Elddis brand was - lovely to look at, towed great, quite light and well equipped inside but was beset with manufacturing faults....years 1,2 & 3 services all had excessive damp readings with the latter being 60% and then we had cracks in the front and rear panels, the skylight came loose due to poor application of adhesive, the front locker came off in my hands...all well documented faults.
Note that Elddis warranty is/was only 12months for items such as front and rear panels.
If the van you are considering has Whale heating please note that in the first two years we had a new control panel and boiler pcb plus if it's blown air the Whale system is quite intrusive noise wise.
We've had a Sterling , Elddis & Adria from new. The Elddis was going to be our last van but had the most manufacturing faults.
We consulted with a caravan service engineer on our storage site as to the brand they found the least work/faults on, then when pointed to the Adria brand we actually asked owners when away. I'm not trying to sway you away from Elddis but £20k is a good chunk of money so you do right asking for opinions.
We decided to ask a caravan engineer, as for us they could be more objective than say an owner who was lucky and had no faults so loved the brand or owners like us who had plenty of faults.
Keep on researching and be lucky!
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We bought a 2016 Affinity 550 new that year, as our retirement caravan. We also had to endure the consequences of some serious structural design and workmanship problems.
We also learned the hard way about the 12 month warranty for front and rear panels. We had been taken in by the 'comprehensive 10 year damp warranty' and naively assumed our expensive new caravan would be trouble-free.
There are plenty of Eldiss caravans on the road so surely they can't all be as bad as the one we had? I guess they may be ok if you're lucky.
We now have a Knaus Starclass with which we're very happy.
Good luck!
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brand new 554 explore 2017 first trip flooded waist pipes not conected bed brackets broke new front window had tobe fitted as it sucked in and out with the heat repaired faults my self as i worked on trucks BUT have waited sinceAPRIL 2021 for control panel for dometic fridge got intouch with elldis got fobed off as much yous as a chocolate tea pot having seid this i like van and will keep it for good few years or untill next problem
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We have Xplore 554se 2020 model.
Easy to tow. I'm 6ft 1 , wife 5ft 11 , facilities were closed during Covid restrictions, so operated as self contained unit up and down west coast of Scotland.
Good shower, wash room, and internal services.
Heating can be noisy .but very effective.
We took possession in sept 2020 .Covid restrictions caused factory shut down mid build.At 2021 service water ingress found through front window. No sealant .
Quickly rectified by dealership.
No frills, but we love it.
Kitchen good.
Bed good
Fridge good size with freezer compartment.
(Shower drains to oposite side of van and can be sluggish if not perfectly level.)
Overall I would say good value for money.
Dangerous D
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