Having done the NEC show in 2013 then various local shows we decided to hire a 6.5m van then a few months later a 7.5m van with config that exactly suited our future needs. I then retired in 2015 and a few months later saw the updated 7.5 version. Bought it and SWMBO been happy ever since. 9 yrs later we still like it and the model has gone through at least two internal revisions.
Glad to hear! Maybe you could be the exception to the ‘forever Motorhome’ ?? Thanks for watching and commenting and here’s to another 9 years of happy motoring holidays!
@TroggyPB we ordered ours at the NEC too in Feb 2022. We promised ourselves that we were there only to look but came away having ordered a Chausson 640 (with special offers). It was the first MH we explored internally. We then looked at most others and came back to that 640. We liked the layout, and it has suited us ever since.
Really enjoy this informative channel. Already placed my vote last week. As regarding motorhome and campervan layouts, I am a "One man and his dog", at present and I took my brother with me to give a value second opinion when I was looking, and I also have been around shows. In the end, we found the Elddis 135, 5.99 meter model with a rear garage door under / in the bed or in larger dinning area. I sat in the van at a show for a while to get a feel, plus other layouts, and I have also checked towing limits, as I plan to put a towbar on it for a trailer up to 2 Tonnes max limit. Again, my brother and I went near 200 miles to but a motorhome , which he bought to fit a towbar, and when he went to get the towbar fitted, it was found it could not have one fitted to tow any real weight, only 750kg. He then bought a 7.5 meter large van and great tow limit, and planned to tow a 12 foot trailer for antique fairs. The combination unit was too big to get in places. The moral is, if one wants to tow, know the limits before one purchases. Apologies for a long comment.
Really great advice! Knowing your train weight is crucial if looking to tow anything. It’s easily found on the slam panel under the bonnet. The bottom figure is normally the gross train weight. There are also maximum length limits to consider too. Thanks for watching and commenting
We are collecting a Consort Pace ,shortly , our second campervan ,after two motor homes, the first a Swift Sundance, lots of niggling problems, the a Swift Esprit 462, this had shallower cupboards, a sunroof, electrically operated, hopeless, less storage ,and in summer the heat generated through the sunroof when travelling was so annoying , we love rear lounges, ,this new purchase ticks all our boxes.great podcast
Thanks for your kind words of support and congratulations on the new ‘van’! Have to say I’ve looked in a few Consort models and been very impressed. I keep meaning to speak to them as a British manufacturer. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it after a few trips away. Thanks again for commenting
Great podcast as always. Our 'mistake' was to buy a motorhome from a company on another planet. Or it felt that way with 3 separate train journeys to get there. Baring in mind we need to do this (twice) for every hab check or warranty work. We ordered our MH at the NEC in Feb 22. So, the lesson here is to consider the distance, and travel arrangements needed when needing to go back to the supplier. And, if not keen on intergalactic travel, perhaps compromise on choice by sourcing a MH closer to your home world.
That’s very very good advice! And easily overlooked especially at a show like the NEC show and being new to it. Did you try and get a local dealer to do the hab check or an AWS workshop to step in?
@MotorhomeMatt it's a Chausson Matt, so only a Chausson dealer will do for the damp check. Not the hab check I know but whilst there and all that. Also, being a Chausson it has needed quite a bit of warranty work and I think we all know the limitations on that. On a positive note, the dealer is Highbridge, who have been pretty good, so can't complain.
We have several Chausson motorhomes in our hire business. This restriction is a real pain isn’t it. Highbridge are only 40 minutes from us and we have had reasonably good experience of their great team. Their need to have the vehicle for a week is really inconvenient and expensive for us so on several occasions we have gone to Elite or River. Arrive, hab check done and home in a day, saving us over £1000 in lost revenue. Thanks again for replying.
I entirely get the problem of RV toilet tanks - they hold a vast amount. - My son and his partner hired an RV and drove across Canada, they’d been using the van for a long time 😂and it was full, - they got to Montreal and parked in an urban area on a hill, somehow he pressed the wrong button and it dumped the entire contents under the van - once started - there was no stopping it.. The mess ran down the hill and there was a school at the bottom, - He tried to clean up as best he could with a broom and spade but there was little to be done. It was the sweetcorn which did it. ☺️
Hi Matt and Keith, thanks for the video! As a new motorhome owner I’m afraid to say you scored a bulls eye with number 1, layout. Like you we got a rear lounge camper van conversion and after our first trip away I thought we need a rear fixed bed with a garage! I’m too scared to tell the wife but I know it’s wrong. As I’m listening you’ve just mentioned the rule of three, and agree with that too! I’m beginning to suspect you know what you’re talking about 😂
Our campervan has a rear lounge, which we chose after renting a van with a fixed/high rear bed. We liked the rental except for the layout, which didn't work for us. Renting first can save a lot of money on buying a layout that is wrong for you.
Deep breath, flowers, dinner, brochures. Done. What could possibly go wrong? Good luck! Thanks for commenting and for your kind words of encouragement. I’ve had an embarrassing number of motorhomes, a dealership, plus I’ve hired out 100’s, bought and sold 100’s, repaired too many and we store them too! And traveller 10,000’s miles in many. UK and USA. But I still don’t always get it right! Thanks for watching and commenting. Let me know what happens for you next…
22:5322:53 I carry house bricks. BBQ stands and weighing down the airer. You can carry slightly less water if you're worried. 3 nights minimum stay and If you're on a longer trip schedule in 'admin' days, washing, shopping etc. Check out public holidays If you're in Europe, got caught out this year with two public holidays on a Wednesday and Thursday followed by a 'bridge' day on the Friday. Not a space to be found in Germany, most of the French sites were full too. Finally found space near Colmar.... Nice site but all a bit more stressful than it needed to be.
That’s great advice! We had the same in Belgium. Everywhere was heaving due to a public holiday!! We had no idea. Love your admin day thought too. Must admit we don’t have a day for this but I can appreciate the logic on a long trip. We do plan in the tasks like shopping particularly when remote somewhere. Thanks for commenting and for sharing your thoughts. 🧡
Good question! Design? Load capability? On a motorhome the front is always much heavier due to cab and engine so more capability over the rear axle. But this of course isn’t the case with a caravan. An overloaded rear end can be very dangerous on a caravan. Knowing and understanding this is so important. I had quite a few comments at the recent shows from people thanking me for this advice as they had not considered it before. Thanks for your comment
@@MotorhomeMatt Around 35 years ago, this reminded me, that I was towing a young cow, heifer in a horse / cattle box to a cattle market. I was quite happily driving at around 50mph on a straight, and the tow was fine. A few miles later, the animal decided to possibly take a look out the back, and the trailer was snaking a bit at 40mph on a straight. After this, I just took it a bit more steady for the rest of the journey. The car was a 2 litre Ford Sierra, and I was well within my tow limit. In those days horse / cattle boxes were open inside and no partition to stop animals walking about in the box. Best keep the weight over the axle, slightly over the nose of the trailer.
Hi, I was concerned that the information on Mercedes warranty wasn't quite right in this episode as I have gone through the process of extending the warranty on my Sprinter. I've emailed MM to raise my concern with the content as people are not informed of what action they need to take and are missing out on cover they are entitled to. I asked MM to get in touch but I've had no response. If anyone has purchased a new Mercedes in the UK and been told that it has 2 year warranty that's incorrect. MM has yet to respond (it's been over two weeks) but please, do not accept that vehicles only have a 2 year warranty.
Thanks Susan I did get your email and apologies for not replying. It’s just been so so busy! I did email Mercedes for comment but had no comment. I also asked a dealer for comment and they confirmed 2 years on imported vehicles. I am sure there is some confusion here but to revisit as a podcast topic would take a serious amount of time which this summer I have not had chance to invest. However, it’s on the list to look at in the future
@@MotorhomeMatt Hi, Thanks for responding. I bought from a main dealer who are still insisting that my van has two year warranty despite the fact that I have changed to three years with Mercedes. This is the problem as the places that people trust to give the information have got it wrong. I know as I've been through the process of extending the warranty on my van. I do hope others will not accept the 2 year response given. Would be great to see you cover this (assume you have contacted Mercedes UK as I have also found that authorised dealerships/garages get it wrong too - they just tell you what's o their system. It's getting to who own and can correct the system that takes the effort. :)
And it’s worth a lot of money too if you have to claim! Leave this with me. It will take some time but it will be worth the effort for anyone buying a new Mercedes based motorhome. Thanks again for commenting
What do you think of the Carthago Liner for Two, with the lounge at the back, still with storage, and a big bed that drops down over the captains chairs at the front. It seem like the best of both worlds, I just need them to strengthen the rear storage so it will fit two superbikes to travel around Europe. Though, as the info says that can have 450Kg within it, you're saying that shouldn't be used to that level as it's behind the rear axle?
It is a fantastic motorhome. At this price point there are many more options including as you state a lovely rear lounge with large amounts of storage underneath. If the garage is rated at 450kg then I would say yes use it but be mindful if you put something very heavy above in the lounge that is part of the weight on the rear axle. The garage max weight is usually referencing a weight behind the axle. Hope that makes sense and thanks for commenting. One last question… are you lucky enough to be buying a Liner for Two? 🏆
@@MotorhomeMatt I'm looking at that or the Le Voyageur 8.5 CL ( not sure if eterna or heritage ). In many ways I'm leaning towards the Carthago, as I really like the 'four room' concept and the spacious lounge and kitchen, but, I like a number of features like drone view of the Le Voyageur. I'm thinking of just asking Carthago to find a way to add those items in to their technology pack. On that, at that price point what other players in this space do you think I should consider? I'm also looking at track day organisers who can take car of storage and transport of my bikes, so I don't have to haul them around with me.
I’d say a consideration is location of supplying dealer for any after sales work. The Le Voyager range are stunning. I assume you’ve also explored brands like Laika, Niesmann Bischoff, Carthago and Morelo?
@@MotorhomeMatt There are a couple there I haven't looked at, will most certainly see what they offer. EDIT-That was a quick check. The one key advantage the liner for two has for me is the layout with the lounge in the rear. It does look like there is a Morela Palace with that option, but its starting price is where I can fully option an Iveco liner.
@@MotorhomeMatt What is your view of buying vs leasing a motorhome, such as a fully optioned liner for two. After I ticked all the boxes it came out just shy of GBP$300k. Doable up front, but, can it/does it make more sense to 'lease' that over 10yrs at which stage you drop it off and take hold of the new model? Is this something motorhome manufacturers or dealerships do?
Yea I thought I’d buy from one of the best known British branded companies and have bought a four year old van and am having a nightmare! The list of broken items I’m seeking the work being done is being blamed on me as new damage! Any advice on dealing with a builder and seller of motorhomes who are not playing fair?
Make a list Sit and discuss with the dealer Try and agree together a way forward If not then an intermediary may be required. Without knowing all the details it’s not possible to give objective advice. Drop me a message if you have time and I’ll be happy to advise. You can do that at mhmp.info/askmatt
Swap and change dependent on your next trip, if on a site or wild & wonderful 🤷♂️ gas or electric, we don't take both. You can manage with gas just as well as plug in. Take it all out and leave it in the garage !
That sounds like an interesting idea but a hassle to me. We keep gas on board and we carry a portable power pack and hookup cable. Must admit this year we’ve hardly used a hookup. But that’s due to most of our trips being shows and it’s an additional £200 for the weekend!
@MotorhomeMatt Sorry only meant we ditch the kettle, air fryer and microwave etc for less weight. Never felt the need to buy a power pack yet in nearly 2 years, we manage on 2 x 11kg lpg bottles, they last forever, did 9 nites off grid on nc500, nearly 2,000 miles round trip, and only started 2nd bottle on last day 🤷♂️
Loving the RV 💩 story, despite the fact that it reminds me of my experience ... We rented an RV in the USA, and spent our last night at a fully serviced pitch at a camp site in Palm Springs. We had to return the RV with an empty loo, so before we left I put the hose on the RV outlet and into the hole-in-the-ground. I opened the gate and, for a second or so, all was well. At this point I should mention that the site was on the side of a hill, with concrete pitches and a concrete path all the way down. We were near the top. You're probably way ahead of me by now ... ... so, 1 second after our waste started glugging along the hose, the hose detached itself from the RV! So the net product of our last few days in the van was now filling our pitch and, due to our position and the effect of gravity, slowly making its way down the hill and past all the other pitches. I did what I could, closing the valve and washing down with a water hose, but that just diluted the colour of the downhill river to a light brown. 💩💩💩🌊🏞️ We left the site PDQ! p.s. in my defence, the bayonet fitting of the end of the hose was still secure on the side of the RV; what happened was that the hose came away from the fitting!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 That is horrendous! I can see you now frantically realising what has happened and then trying to close the gate at speed! Oh dear! Thanks for sharing! Have you seen the film RV? Classic!
@@MotorhomeMatt The worse bit, in my mind, was that anyone who wondered who had caused the light-brown stream only had to follow it uphill to its source! And yes, I've watched the movie several times! I always flinch at the exploding waste hose section! The last time was in our campervan, on the TV that we bought from your shop :)
We received a letter from Swift a couple of weeks ago warning us against driving our van with the sky view window open and also to check if the retaining screw has not loosened. We have never done this and in fact we seldom open the sky view window even when parked as we prefer to open the side windows. We did check the small retaining screws and found 2 had indeed had loosened. We also noticed a crack emanating from the sky view lock which think has occurred due to the 2 screws being loose and wind lifting slightly the sky view slightly. Needless to say Swift say they are not responsible even though they have sent out the notice and suggesting we obtain a a screw pack kit from their dealers which apparently is not available at present
You keep asking us to leave our questions but when we do you don’t cover them so not much point, have raised a very serious issue with you in detail twice only to be ignored.
We try to include a selection in the podcast and I do try and reply where I can add value to a question in person. Could you resend it as I cannot find it from your UA-cam user name. Not all messages are appropriate for the general podcast. But I’m happy to receive yours at mhmp.info/askmatt Do reference this thread too Thanks
@@MotorhomeMatt it was regarding the Fiamma bike racks failing & falling off the back of certain Auto-Sleeper Motorhomes because they are bonded rather than being mechanically fixed through the bodywork with bolts & strengthening plates as they usually would be. Feel I raised quite valid questions about insurance & responsibility if the motorhome you are driving suddenly has a bike rack fail & if you are liable in such a situation? I’m also curious to know what fiamma thinks of their bike racks being bonded to motorhomes rather than the specifications they suggest, it’s all very concerning. I’m sure this would be an interesting topic to other listeners of the podcast bearing in mind most of us have bike racks fitted.
I will also add that we get lots of questions and only include 3 per episode, so often it can be quite a few weeks or even months for them to feature in an episode. We include almost all but it is not instant.
@@MotorhomeMatt Okay well due to the seriousness of this issue hopefully you will cover it. I know you have connections with Fiamma as I believe you visited their factory on a podcast a while back so it would be really good to know their thoughts. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
Sorry guys was interested in the title but you just blathered on too long and I got fed up waiting for the real subject matter. You seem like nice guys so I hope you take this as constructive feedback 😉
Not sure it’s constructive but thanks for watching nonetheless! Are you prepared to suffer more blathering in another episode? You do know you can skip and watch speeded up? Minimizes the blathering potentially? 🤣🤣🧡
Having done the NEC show in 2013 then various local shows we decided to hire a 6.5m van then a few months later a 7.5m van with config that exactly suited our future needs. I then retired in 2015 and a few months later saw the updated 7.5 version. Bought it and SWMBO been happy ever since. 9 yrs later we still like it and the model has gone through at least two internal revisions.
Glad to hear! Maybe you could be the exception to the ‘forever Motorhome’ ?? Thanks for watching and commenting and here’s to another 9 years of happy motoring holidays!
@TroggyPB we ordered ours at the NEC too in Feb 2022. We promised ourselves that we were there only to look but came away having ordered a Chausson 640 (with special offers). It was the first MH we explored internally. We then looked at most others and came back to that 640. We liked the layout, and it has suited us ever since.
With you Matt on the MRI scanner I’ve had 15 in the last 24 years as I had a brain tumour removed they are chlostrophobic😊
Oh blimey and there’s me moaning! I trust all is well now for you? Thanks for commenting
Really enjoy this informative channel. Already placed my vote last week. As regarding motorhome and campervan layouts, I am a "One man and his dog", at present and I took my brother with me to give a value second opinion when I was looking, and I also have been around shows. In the end, we found the Elddis 135, 5.99 meter model with a rear garage door under / in the bed or in larger dinning area.
I sat in the van at a show for a while to get a feel, plus other layouts, and I have also checked towing limits, as I plan to put a towbar on it for a trailer up to 2 Tonnes max limit. Again, my brother and I went near 200 miles to but a motorhome , which he bought to fit a towbar, and when he went to get the towbar fitted, it was found it could not have one fitted to tow any real weight, only 750kg. He then bought a 7.5 meter large van and great tow limit, and planned to tow a 12 foot trailer for antique fairs. The combination unit was too big to get in places. The moral is, if one wants to tow, know the limits before one purchases. Apologies for a long comment.
Really great advice! Knowing your train weight is crucial if looking to tow anything. It’s easily found on the slam panel under the bonnet. The bottom figure is normally the gross train weight.
There are also maximum length limits to consider too. Thanks for watching and commenting
We are collecting a Consort Pace ,shortly , our second campervan ,after two motor homes, the first a Swift Sundance, lots of niggling problems, the a Swift Esprit 462, this had shallower cupboards, a sunroof, electrically operated, hopeless, less storage ,and in summer the heat generated through the sunroof when travelling was so annoying , we love rear lounges, ,this new purchase ticks all our boxes.great podcast
Thanks for your kind words of support and congratulations on the new ‘van’! Have to say I’ve looked in a few Consort models and been very impressed. I keep meaning to speak to them as a British manufacturer. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it after a few trips away. Thanks again for commenting
Great podcast as always. Our 'mistake' was to buy a motorhome from a company on another planet. Or it felt that way with 3 separate train journeys to get there. Baring in mind we need to do this (twice) for every hab check or warranty work. We ordered our MH at the NEC in Feb 22. So, the lesson here is to consider the distance, and travel arrangements needed when needing to go back to the supplier. And, if not keen on intergalactic travel, perhaps compromise on choice by sourcing a MH closer to your home world.
That’s very very good advice! And easily overlooked especially at a show like the NEC show and being new to it. Did you try and get a local dealer to do the hab check or an AWS workshop to step in?
@MotorhomeMatt it's a Chausson Matt, so only a Chausson dealer will do for the damp check. Not the hab check I know but whilst there and all that. Also, being a Chausson it has needed quite a bit of warranty work and I think we all know the limitations on that. On a positive note, the dealer is Highbridge, who have been pretty good, so can't complain.
We have several Chausson motorhomes in our hire business. This restriction is a real pain isn’t it. Highbridge are only 40 minutes from us and we have had reasonably good experience of their great team. Their need to have the vehicle for a week is really inconvenient and expensive for us so on several occasions we have gone to Elite or River. Arrive, hab check done and home in a day, saving us over £1000 in lost revenue. Thanks again for replying.
I've cast my vote for the podcast, thanks
Really appreciate it thank you
I entirely get the problem of RV toilet tanks - they hold a vast amount. - My son and his partner hired an RV and drove across Canada, they’d been using the van for a long time 😂and it was full, - they got to Montreal and parked in an urban area on a hill, somehow he pressed the wrong button and it dumped the entire contents under the van - once started - there was no stopping it.. The mess ran down the hill and there was a school at the bottom, - He tried to clean up as best he could with a broom and spade but there was little to be done. It was the sweetcorn which did it. ☺️
Oh no! Not the sweetcorn?!
Have you seen the film RV? Hilarious
Hi Matt and Keith, thanks for the video! As a new motorhome owner I’m afraid to say you scored a bulls eye with number 1, layout. Like you we got a rear lounge camper van conversion and after our first trip away I thought we need a rear fixed bed with a garage! I’m too scared to tell the wife but I know it’s wrong. As I’m listening you’ve just mentioned the rule of three, and agree with that too! I’m beginning to suspect you know what you’re talking about 😂
Our campervan has a rear lounge, which we chose after renting a van with a fixed/high rear bed. We liked the rental except for the layout, which didn't work for us.
Renting first can save a lot of money on buying a layout that is wrong for you.
Deep breath, flowers, dinner, brochures. Done. What could possibly go wrong? Good luck!
Thanks for commenting and for your kind words of encouragement. I’ve had an embarrassing number of motorhomes, a dealership, plus I’ve hired out 100’s, bought and sold 100’s, repaired too many and we store them too! And traveller 10,000’s miles in many. UK and USA. But I still don’t always get it right! Thanks for watching and commenting. Let me know what happens for you next…
Absolutely yes! It’s obvious and very boring advice but it’s true isn’t it! Thanks for commenting.
22:53 22:53 I carry house bricks. BBQ stands and weighing down the airer. You can carry slightly less water if you're worried.
3 nights minimum stay and If you're on a longer trip schedule in 'admin' days, washing, shopping etc.
Check out public holidays If you're in Europe, got caught out this year with two public holidays on a Wednesday and Thursday followed by a 'bridge' day on the Friday. Not a space to be found in Germany, most of the French sites were full too. Finally found space near Colmar.... Nice site but all a bit more stressful than it needed to be.
That’s great advice! We had the same in Belgium. Everywhere was heaving due to a public holiday!! We had no idea.
Love your admin day thought too.
Must admit we don’t have a day for this but I can appreciate the logic on a long trip.
We do plan in the tasks like shopping particularly when remote somewhere.
Thanks for commenting and for sharing your thoughts. 🧡
Agree with axle loading advice but why do manufaturers have all the space at the back? Garage, under bed etc.
Good question! Design? Load capability? On a motorhome the front is always much heavier due to cab and engine so more capability over the rear axle. But this of course isn’t the case with a caravan. An overloaded rear end can be very dangerous on a caravan. Knowing and understanding this is so important. I had quite a few comments at the recent shows from people thanking me for this advice as they had not considered it before.
Thanks for your comment
@@MotorhomeMatt Around 35 years ago, this reminded me, that I was towing a young cow, heifer in a horse / cattle box to a cattle market. I was quite happily driving at around 50mph on a straight, and the tow was fine. A few miles later, the animal decided to possibly take a look out the back, and the trailer was snaking a bit at 40mph on a straight. After this, I just took it a bit more steady for the rest of the journey. The car was a 2 litre Ford Sierra, and I was well within my tow limit. In those days horse / cattle boxes were open inside and no partition to stop animals walking about in the box. Best keep the weight over the axle, slightly over the nose of the trailer.
Blimey that’s a scary story! Don’t have that challenge with my caravan. I make sure she’s strapped in and can’t walk around 🤣🤣
Voted, Good luck 👍🏼
Brilliant thank you! Very kind of you
The bed can't of been that bad Matt, coz you said in the next motorhome you had 3 kid's!😂.Glad your ok, you two are a great combination.
Haha we now have 4! 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for your kind words and for commenting.
Hi, I was concerned that the information on Mercedes warranty wasn't quite right in this episode as I have gone through the process of extending the warranty on my Sprinter. I've emailed MM to raise my concern with the content as people are not informed of what action they need to take and are missing out on cover they are entitled to. I asked MM to get in touch but I've had no response. If anyone has purchased a new Mercedes in the UK and been told that it has 2 year warranty that's incorrect. MM has yet to respond (it's been over two weeks) but please, do not accept that vehicles only have a 2 year warranty.
Thanks Susan I did get your email and apologies for not replying. It’s just been so so busy! I did email Mercedes for comment but had no comment. I also asked a dealer for comment and they confirmed 2 years on imported vehicles. I am sure there is some confusion here but to revisit as a podcast topic would take a serious amount of time which this summer I have not had chance to invest. However, it’s on the list to look at in the future
@@MotorhomeMatt Hi, Thanks for responding. I bought from a main dealer who are still insisting that my van has two year warranty despite the fact that I have changed to three years with Mercedes. This is the problem as the places that people trust to give the information have got it wrong. I know as I've been through the process of extending the warranty on my van. I do hope others will not accept the 2 year response given. Would be great to see you cover this (assume you have contacted Mercedes UK as I have also found that authorised dealerships/garages get it wrong too - they just tell you what's o their system. It's getting to who own and can correct the system that takes the effort. :)
And it’s worth a lot of money too if you have to claim! Leave this with me. It will take some time but it will be worth the effort for anyone buying a new Mercedes based motorhome. Thanks again for commenting
Also just voted. good luck
Thank you really appreciate it
What do you think of the Carthago Liner for Two, with the lounge at the back, still with storage, and a big bed that drops down over the captains chairs at the front.
It seem like the best of both worlds, I just need them to strengthen the rear storage so it will fit two superbikes to travel around Europe.
Though, as the info says that can have 450Kg within it, you're saying that shouldn't be used to that level as it's behind the rear axle?
It is a fantastic motorhome. At this price point there are many more options including as you state a lovely rear lounge with large amounts of storage underneath. If the garage is rated at 450kg then I would say yes use it but be mindful if you put something very heavy above in the lounge that is part of the weight on the rear axle. The garage max weight is usually referencing a weight behind the axle. Hope that makes sense and thanks for commenting.
One last question… are you lucky enough to be buying a Liner for Two? 🏆
@@MotorhomeMatt
I'm looking at that or the Le Voyageur 8.5 CL ( not sure if eterna or heritage ).
In many ways I'm leaning towards the Carthago, as I really like the 'four room' concept and the spacious lounge and kitchen, but, I like a number of features like drone view of the Le Voyageur.
I'm thinking of just asking Carthago to find a way to add those items in to their technology pack.
On that, at that price point what other players in this space do you think I should consider?
I'm also looking at track day organisers who can take car of storage and transport of my bikes, so I don't have to haul them around with me.
I’d say a consideration is location of supplying dealer for any after sales work. The Le Voyager range are stunning. I assume you’ve also explored brands like Laika, Niesmann Bischoff, Carthago and Morelo?
@@MotorhomeMatt
There are a couple there I haven't looked at, will most certainly see what they offer.
EDIT-That was a quick check. The one key advantage the liner for two has for me is the layout with the lounge in the rear. It does look like there is a Morela Palace with that option, but its starting price is where I can fully option an Iveco liner.
@@MotorhomeMatt
What is your view of buying vs leasing a motorhome, such as a fully optioned liner for two.
After I ticked all the boxes it came out just shy of GBP$300k.
Doable up front, but, can it/does it make more sense to 'lease' that over 10yrs at which stage you drop it off and take hold of the new model?
Is this something motorhome manufacturers or dealerships do?
Yea I thought I’d buy from one of the best known British branded companies and have bought a four year old van and am having a nightmare! The list of broken items I’m seeking the work being done is being blamed on me as new damage! Any advice on dealing with a builder and seller of motorhomes who are not playing fair?
Make a list
Sit and discuss with the dealer
Try and agree together a way forward
If not then an intermediary may be required. Without knowing all the details it’s not possible to give objective advice. Drop me a message if you have time and I’ll be happy to advise. You can do that at mhmp.info/askmatt
Swap and change dependent on your next trip, if on a site or wild & wonderful 🤷♂️ gas or electric, we don't take both. You can manage with gas just as well as plug in. Take it all out and leave it in the garage !
That sounds like an interesting idea but a hassle to me. We keep gas on board and we carry a portable power pack and hookup cable. Must admit this year we’ve hardly used a hookup. But that’s due to most of our trips being shows and it’s an additional £200 for the weekend!
@@MotorhomeMattWe've never paid for a hookup. For a short trip we just use gas; for a longer trip we take a powerpack so we have the flexibility.
@MotorhomeMatt
Sorry only meant we ditch the kettle, air fryer and microwave etc for less weight. Never felt the need to buy a power pack yet in nearly 2 years, we manage on 2 x 11kg lpg bottles, they last forever, did 9 nites off grid on nc500, nearly 2,000 miles round trip, and only started 2nd bottle on last day 🤷♂️
Loving the RV 💩 story, despite the fact that it reminds me of my experience ...
We rented an RV in the USA, and spent our last night at a fully serviced pitch at a camp site in Palm Springs. We had to return the RV with an empty loo, so before we left I put the hose on the RV outlet and into the hole-in-the-ground. I opened the gate and, for a second or so, all was well.
At this point I should mention that the site was on the side of a hill, with concrete pitches and a concrete path all the way down. We were near the top. You're probably way ahead of me by now ...
... so, 1 second after our waste started glugging along the hose, the hose detached itself from the RV! So the net product of our last few days in the van was now filling our pitch and, due to our position and the effect of gravity, slowly making its way down the hill and past all the other pitches.
I did what I could, closing the valve and washing down with a water hose, but that just diluted the colour of the downhill river to a light brown. 💩💩💩🌊🏞️
We left the site PDQ!
p.s. in my defence, the bayonet fitting of the end of the hose was still secure on the side of the RV; what happened was that the hose came away from the fitting!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
That is horrendous! I can see you now frantically realising what has happened and then trying to close the gate at speed! Oh dear!
Thanks for sharing! Have you seen the film RV? Classic!
@@MotorhomeMatt The worse bit, in my mind, was that anyone who wondered who had caused the light-brown stream only had to follow it uphill to its source!
And yes, I've watched the movie several times! I always flinch at the exploding waste hose section! The last time was in our campervan, on the TV that we bought from your shop :)
Biggest mistake Buying a brand new Swift 570 Bessacarr nothing but aggro latest being the sky view front panel
Sorry to hear you’re having problems. Is your issue it blowing off in transit? Thanks for commenting
We received a letter from Swift a couple of weeks ago warning us against driving our van with the sky view window open and also to check if the retaining screw has not loosened. We have never done this and in fact we seldom open the sky view window even when parked as we prefer to open the side windows. We did check the small retaining screws and found 2 had indeed had loosened. We also noticed a crack emanating from the sky view lock which think has occurred due to the 2 screws being loose and wind lifting slightly the sky view slightly. Needless to say Swift say they are not responsible even though they have sent out the notice and suggesting we obtain a a screw pack kit from their dealers which apparently is not available at present
You keep asking us to leave our questions but when we do you don’t cover them so not much point, have raised a very serious issue with you in detail twice only to be ignored.
We try to include a selection in the podcast and I do try and reply where I can add value to a question in person. Could you resend it as I cannot find it from your UA-cam user name. Not all messages are appropriate for the general podcast. But I’m happy to receive yours at mhmp.info/askmatt
Do reference this thread too
Thanks
@@MotorhomeMatt it was regarding the Fiamma bike racks failing & falling off the back of certain Auto-Sleeper Motorhomes because they are bonded rather than being mechanically fixed through the bodywork with bolts & strengthening plates as they usually would be. Feel I raised quite valid questions about insurance & responsibility if the motorhome you are driving suddenly has a bike rack fail & if you are liable in such a situation? I’m also curious to know what fiamma thinks of their bike racks being bonded to motorhomes rather than the specifications they suggest, it’s all very concerning. I’m sure this would be an interesting topic to other listeners of the podcast bearing in mind most of us have bike racks fitted.
I will also add that we get lots of questions and only include 3 per episode, so often it can be quite a few weeks or even months for them to feature in an episode. We include almost all but it is not instant.
@@MotorhomeMatt Okay well due to the seriousness of this issue hopefully you will cover it. I know you have connections with Fiamma as I believe you visited their factory on a podcast a while back so it would be really good to know their thoughts. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
What a 💩 storey Matt, love the way thing's pan out, but trial and error makes us all a better motorhomer in the long run 🤣
Ha ha and this story made the grass grown much more densely 🤣
Sorry guys was interested in the title but you just blathered on too long and I got fed up waiting for the real subject matter. You seem like nice guys so I hope you take this as constructive feedback 😉
Not sure it’s constructive but thanks for watching nonetheless! Are you prepared to suffer more blathering in another episode? You do know you can skip and watch speeded up? Minimizes the blathering potentially? 🤣🤣🧡