Well done. I agree.stick with what you know.I’ve just updated our 16 year old autotrail with new curtains etc .we are 70 years old so hopefully it will see us out (as my grandmother would say )enjoy
You've done the right thing, damp problems in chaussons, garage door damp issues and water ingress, brittle door locks on lockers etc , had one and learnt from experience, probably very good ones out there, unfortunately ours was not one of them xx
Its nice to see other peoples take on what van layout works for them, we like the fixed bed , mainly as we get up at totally different times , glad to see sense prevailed, at least for now
Good morning ! We do like the fixed beds , but being compact and drop down gives a little more living space , we didn’t want to go bigger , but one day a fixed bed will be better, but as we travel so much , our compact is spot on, which we have seen by looking at changing , it’s a keep and upgrade ❤️ ( for now 😂 ) thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts 🙂
Interesting vlog guys. Fully understand why you decided to stick with what you have. Quality is everything! When Nicola and I were looking back in 2022 we looked at so many layouts ,brands etc before settling on the Wildax brand. It was then deciding which model. We looked at Chausson and it was an amazing van but the model we saw didn't have the finish that we have with our Constellation 3XL. It won't get the same amount of use as you guys but once Nicola has retired it will hopefully be fully utilised for 2 or 3 months at a time. Stay safe guys. Sid and Nicola, Rugby
Hi Guys ! So lovely to have met you all xx yes the look around has made us realise what we’ve got does work so well 🙂❤️ just a few diy upgrades to sort , and off to Europe in August ! ❤️🙂 safe travels xx
Are you on MotorhomeFun? Best you do, a search, those automatics are mentioned a lot. They are trouble waiting to happen. And the Welcome? Our friends have one the same. Insulation leaves a lot to be desired, the storage in the bathroom was sooooo cold, even when in Spain, he had to insulate the garage wall behind it. Keep looking.
Thanks so much for sharing this, very interesting and helpful 🙂 we have read about the comformatic gearboxes and they seem problematic don’t they … interesting about the insulation too , our van is very well built … plenty to think about 🙂❤️
We were looking at used only which as I understand the traders have to deal with that under the margin scheme, with used , the price on the screen is what you pay and the vat element can’t be claimed by the buyer 👌🙂❤️🎄
Glad you made the right decision to keep your van,unfortunately it seems the newer models on all vans have deteriated in quality,that's the impression we get.our van is a 2013 Rapido 791 FF and the newer ones are not a patch on ours.our friends van,not mentioning the name or model has plastic rear springs!!! Can you believe that! Hang on to the one you have for as long as you can.
Rear plastic springs ? Oh dear ..! And yes , the build quality has gone downhill hasn’t it , some new ones at the NEC had lots of broken catches, misaligned cupboards and doors , along with cheap finishes , such a shame for high value items !
Sat outside Belgian vet for our pet passport appointment great vlog and thanks for all the great advice and I am sure you will make the choice that's best for you regarding your motorhome
thule step broken so stopped on route at Belgian factory where a very nice lady asked what we were doing in their car park, showed her the broken bits, she went away and came back with replacement parts,for free and said to follow the one way system out ,she didn't say never come back 😂😂😂
Glad you decided to keep the quality Guys. As you are eeking out storage space I wondered if you had considered parking your wonky oven that you don't use. Seems an ideal space for the powerbank and cooky gadgets.
We really like that suggestion , we do plan a day where we remove everything and work out what we haven’t used , don’t need, a full declutter , but yours is a cracking suggestion 👌🙂👍
We had a Chausson, 18 months old with 1200miles on the clock. One year later at hab check 100% damp and a year to get "fixed", 2 weeks later water was running across the floor and it was leaking from the otherside. Luckily, on finance and able to hand back. Now we have a new Swift and couldn't be happier
Good choice I love it too yes it’s not auto no garage but it’s good quality and you can make improvements.You two are so down to earth and honest it so refreshing. Happy travel xx 🐾🐾🐾🐾 My update I found my gas/bunker keys in the peg bag …another senior moment 😊
Hi both 🤗 really interesting vlog and we have thought about changing our van at times, but we love the old style sturdy builds as well, like you we would be breaking things left, right and center! You've got a brilliant van, it's robust enough for almost full time living and it looks comfortable, definitely the right decision to love it!! ❤❤
Hi Paul ! We had one years ago , the biggest issue is when travelling in Europe you can’t use the aires , even the free ones , so it would not suit our extended travels 🙂
Interesting video, we have had. Two motorhomes, then in 21 downsized to a Campervan ,which we loved , tomorrow we pick up a Consort Pace ,when we sold the three year old van we only lost 1500 on the purchase price ,
They do hold value don’t they , dealers can be a little low on offers , we made a bit on our first one 👌🙂 our A class is only 6.3 M long so gets to go to quite a lot of places 🙂 good luck with the new one 👍
Hi Rich ! Welcome aboard , we are very happy with the seat covers , we got them from here motorhomeessentials.com/product/seat-covers/ They are really good, but need to be held firmly in place , as they can slip a little 🙂
I think you made the right decision.Sometimes it’s better what you have,than maybe regret after the deal.Stand by what you decided.Stay safe,take care.J
When we watched your video, we were practically shouting at the screen …”Don’t do It”. We’ve got German van and our last 3 all German vans. Once you start looking, you get very disappointed regarding the quality of other brands. It’s all in the quality, we love your videos, keep it up,
Good morning guys ! Thanks so much for watching and commenting, really appreciated, our Dethleffs will be staying with us, you are spot on, simply looking has persuaded us to keep and upgrade ! We must’ve heard you shouting 😂👌❤️
@@redsgotravels you probably heard me because II too am Welsh and from your neck of the woods. It’s lovely to see you on your travels . You will get great satisfaction when you make adjustments to your van. If you need any suggestions people are quick to advise you on you tube, you only have to ask..
We do love the dethleffs , and after looking will stick with what we have for now, a large chunk of change to upgrade doesn’t really give that much more , but appreciate the recommendation, they are great vans aren’t they ! ❤️
Hi both, we’ve recently changed our Swift Escape 694 for a Swift Bessacar 597 comes with huge garage , separate shower and single beds which can be made into one king size bed, yes it’s 8.1m long but having that huge garage has really changed it for us, like you said bikes, power packs, awning, thermal screen cover, walking boots, wet gear, spare wheel and still loads of space for more.
Thanks for taking us along on your shopping trip! And thank you commenters for drawing attention to the issues with Chaussons! Your priorities for a moho are so similar to ours so it's really good to hear your experiences and why you considered upgrading but I agree, if you've got a solid unit, you can make adjustments. I know you were saying that you were very glad of the compact size of your Globebus in the little Scottish Island roads and it sounds like you've done the right thing staying compact and investing in what you have. I've been looking for Globebuses with the rear lounge layout that we'd like, to see what we are looking at for our savings plans, and they are really rare, there's often only one or two for sale across the whole UK, so I think you've got a keeper there! Would love to hear about your upgrade and tweaking plans for your bus in future videos.
We are definitely keeping it now ( for the time being 😂 ) some upgrades done, more to do , we will of course vlog them too ! 🙂❤️and the globebus is a great range too x
You’ve dodged a bullet with them vans. Comformatics when they go wrong are very expensive. Look at the threads on motorhome fun. I just couldn’t trust it especially with the miles you do. I had dealers giving low exchange rates because of it. Have a look at Adria vans for quality with 9speed automatic if you do go for it. Good luck and hope to meet on the road again 👍
Hey Craig ! Great to hear from you ❤️🙂 we shall be keeping our trusty old Dethleffs , decision was made simply by looking at other vans ! Not worth the chunk of money for very little gain 🙂👍 thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts 🙂
We have had out Carthago Chic C ,line for 8 years from new. Prices have gone up in the last 8 years and if looking to change to a newer year buy we would have to pay a lot of money to have the same if we bought like for like. So when you look at your van, yes things need TLC/replacing and cost to do. You are in control. Everything can be replaced if it breaks and things do. Just before we set off to Spain last month the mother board on the fridge /freezer went, £250 but thats small compared to say £30K to change and then the mother board could go on the new van. Unless there is a big I NEED item ie Garage for scooter say, stick with a reliable van you know . We have added no end of things over the years, Lithium, extra solar Alarm Tracker Inverter wired up The van has Air suspension - Thoee do not come on a new van so thats more cost once traded. Good luck happy travels
Good evening ! Some really great thoughts there , and so much sense in keeping what you got and upgrade slow and steady , as you say it is expensive swapping vans for sure 👌❤️
I went for a new 2024 Knaus on the VW Crafter chassis, had to go for the automatic. Wouldn't suit you as it has a fixed bed and probably a bit big (7m) for your needs. It does have a nice sized garage though, which is so important as I intend to spend at least half of the year on the road when it comes back from the Solar specialist. I'm very excited for you, it's great fun looking around other vans.
Same here we have a Knaus Sun TI 700 MX and absolutely love it we’ve looked at others and have decided nothing matches this so we’re keeping it , same thing things break but we’ve repaired everything, it’s taken us all over Europe and the UK Decided we love it and it’s had everything done, upgraded everything to suit us so why change 😊 Ours will probably see us out it’s a 2017 but we’re a lot older than you two 😊 Enjoy 😊
Hi Janet ! 💖👌 it’s surprising what simply looking at other vans does, we quickly realised the chunk of money to upgrade was really a step backwards 💖 Knaus is a lovely brand 👌🙂 safe travels x
Hey lovelies glad you decided to keep your van the newer motorhomes just don’t seem to have the build quality, I think you would spend your life looking for parts !! 🤨Redders has put the van through its paces by dropping it into some massive sink holes and it survived nicely so think you made the right choice 😝😍 xxx
😂🤭 it’s certainly been some places hasn’t it … and a few it shouldn’t have been 🤣 ( was trying to forget that ) … it’s a keeper, a few upgrades to sort .., be all ready for the festival ! Xx
I agree you like what you have and as you say it's solid . It's like everything else these days they don't make them like they used to .and for an astronomical price . I think you have made the right decision .❤👍🏴🇬🇧
Very interesting to read everyone’s comments. We are awaiting delivery of a 22plate carthago. I am so pleased to see everyone thinks German engineering is good. Like you say Corrin, the Germans are not as fancy as other makes but fingers crossed we will have bought a solid vehicle. Thanks for sharing
Weve recently started watching some of your videos, not really into van life type you tubers but you two come across as ordinary people, rather than looking for disciples to follow you !! We agree with the comments re the quality of the Chausson, albeit a very good looking (internally) motohome, We recently considered changing our Adria 670SLT but struggled as you have to find an affordable replacement of similar quality, so wont be changing anytime soon ! Best wishes and enjoy your retirement from the job, i certainly am doing LOL ! Dave and Yvetter
Hi guys ! So glad to have you join us ❤️ the quality has definitely dropped and the prices increased and keeping what we have is definitely the way forward ! Glad you are enjoying retirement 🚒 I haven’t looked back ! Still waiting on the final pension remedy tho ! 👌❤️
@@redsgotravels i retired around 13 years ago, so was on the original scheme, thankfully, so ended up on the final salary scheme as i didnt opt out. when you decide to look for a new bus, check out the Adrias, we never imagined going for single beds, but to be honest it was one of our better decisions ! The bathroom right across the back is a major bonus for us! a quick question, which 'knock off' MaxxAir fan did you go for? best wishes dave and yvette
Hi guys ! Apologies for the late reply, you got out when it was good then ! Also thanks for the advice ref the Moho’s 👌 the fan we got is this one , which is recommended 🙂 www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156197286654?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=u0dw640pqsm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=fj4U-7TgTm2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Oh young Redders's , well done for doing a body swerve . You've got a brilliant van , you've enjoyed it , we've enjoyed it , and you've still got £22,000 in the bank . We're all winners . Love from the old Redders's xx.
Hey ole Redders , wise words once again 👌 yes, we will be loving and upgrading our current van , Mrs Redders has a few jobs lined up already 😂 take it easy, young Redders 💖
I would say no matter the make or model there is always something that needs fixing or replacing & the more the miles mount up then there is more chance something will break. So if you like your van & the layout suits then sticking with what you've got is the best way?
Hey Chris ! It’s a huge bed too, we’ve certainly seen a few vans and this gave us many reasons to keep ours ❤️.. thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts 🙂
good decision re keeping existing van, could i suggest that you underseal the chassis it looked like surface rust when you had the problem with the steadys that broke.
Good morning Graham ! Thankyou 🙂👌 the Chassis is alko , so fortunately no rust issues , the steadies are connected to the section where the tow bar attaches under the van , the tow bar although solid has rust over it, so it’s a big tub of waxoyl coming out soon ( underside of my Triumph Stag is coated in it ) , I’ll give it a wire brush and coat it up 👌❤️ time for some tlc and upgrades 🙂
We have a 2003 Challenger Eden 602, like you, we once thought about buying a new one recently, but decided against it, despite ours being old it still remains as solid as a rock and all its original fittings/fixtures all work as they did the year it was made. The only thing to go wrong recently after all these years is one washer in the bathroom tap that needed replacing and a new water pump. When we visited a motorhome dealers, the vehicles on show all had broken clips on draws/doors and blinds that had issues along with broken fridges etc. Yes it would be nice to have a more modern cab area, but we just could not compromise on the build quality of the caravan side of things. We found the new models tended to also make more creaking/rattling noises on the test drive, whilst our solid wood cupboards make no noise at all when on the go. So we decided to keep with the old as it will last our life time needs.
Hi Guys ! ❤️ there is a lot to be said for having an older van with great build quality , ours is solid , bits do go wrong, but we use it a lot more than average, but fortunately most fixes are diy friendly 🙂 we noticed the build quality of the newer ones at the NEC show.., 😬
Interesting vlog, I spent two years looking and settled with a tri-axle Dethleffs over 8m on a 08 Reggie plate. It's huge and finding sites up in Scotland that accommodate that size of van, not easy. However, I love it. Like you say, they are solid but I just know ours will last and satisfy our needs having lots of grandchildren, all eager to go with gran and grandad. You mentioned Markinch in this vlog, hopefully you visit in your next vlog as it is where I grew up. I just adore Fife and love living here. Can't wait for your next vlog 😊
Good morning Steven ! Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Dethleffs are a solid van, we’ve looked at a few different ones and the result is to keep and upgrade what we have ! ❤️👌 it’s lovely that your Grandchildren go away with you , making happy memories 🙂 we went to Markinch to pick up a guitar , one similar to what Stuart Adamson played, as Big Country were my fave band in the day ! 🏴👌❤️
Yeah the grand kids are great but I still love just getting away with my dearly beloved. It's rare to meet someone who appreciates the natural beauty that surrounds us all. Suppose that's what I enjoy about you guys, it feels so natural and are just enjoying the moment. We have a huge garage on the big old bird we have but to me it's a curse, the more space you have, the more unnecessary clutter you carry. There is no perfect van but I do understand your dilemma considering you guys practically live in yours. Keep on doing what you do really love it. Steve and Heather😊
@stevenrayment8334 aww thank you for the kind comments 💖 it is tricky , but a huge declutter would free more space , we will definitely keep our Dethleffs and upgrade as we go 🙂👌 safe travels ahead 🙂
Hey Howard , not a lot can be taken , we’ve decided to keep and upgrade 🙂❤️ maxxfan, new roof vents, service , replace steadies ( ooops 😂 ) we’ve added more solar , so we think best bet is to live it , keep it and travel more ❤️
I thought Chausson which are French I think were meant to be good. I was surprised by the water damage by the kitchen sink. I have a small Hymer with a garage and like it. The build quality is pretty good too.
I have randomly came across your channel while sitting having a glass of wine just outside York...nothing strange about that i hear you say..until I say I'm actually from Markinch 🤣...what are the chances lol, I could even tell where you were up Balbirnie as the video was playing, im currently looking for my first campervan and there are so many options to explore, I hope you find what you are looking for, cracking video 👍
You are absolutely right not to buy the Chausson. We went from a Dethleffs to a Chausson (same model) which was big, loads of room, great bathroom, wardrobe we called "Narnia", but build quality was not good. We are now back to a Dethleffs in the form of a Sunlight. Good decision reds. 👍
We have a 2010 Chausson Welcome 14. We've looked at newer vans .... I wouldn't have one for exactly the same reasons. Our one is made of solid, the new ones are made of flimsy.
We love our 2018 640. We wanted spacious inside, and the 7 year guarantee. Bought secondhand 3.5 years ago and still worth what we paid amazingly. We do have top of range so lots of nice extras inc winter pack, and although it was ex rental, was in great condition.
Stick with what you have, better the devil you know. We have a Defleffs. French bed, there are times, where if we changed, would change to single beds at back, make up to a large double, with a huge garage underneath. ❤ xx
Hi Susan ! Yes the Dethleffs is a great brand , and shopping around made us realise we were better off keeping what we have , I’m sure we will change at some point, but we’ve decided , not just yet 🙂❤️
what you have to think about is it doesn't matter what you buy or how much money you spend motorhomes are not meant to be lived in full time. Things are going to go wrong thinks are going to break.ive had my swift bolero 722fb for 6 year's now I've replaced the Aldi boiler 3 times at £2500 a time.im now having to replace the shower room walls because they have cracked.but i love the bolero so im not going to replace it.
It’s a balance isn’t it ! We don’t live in ours full time, but use it more than average.. things do break , always something , but usually diy friendly ❤️
I haven’t got a van but watch lots of UA-camrs and some have new vans. Even they have problems so if you are considering changing think hard and long about it.
Hi guys ! Lovely to hear from you after meeting you a few weeks back 🙂❤️ hope you are both keeping well and enjoying your travels 💖 we have a few upgrades planned , and up plate will give us peace of mind …. Xx
We had the same thing,only we were thinking of a caravan,and are motorhome did sell only before completion it fell through at the last minute so we pulled it off the market and kept it, motorhomes are a bit pricey right now and you have to think for the money are you getting a lot more for the money,in the end we thought no
Good decision to keep yours. We changed our van to a Carthago a few months ago (not new) and love the quality build. We have just booked a diesel heater to be fitted and a max air fan. Would you believe the van already has air con but no good for off grid, which we too do a lot off. Enjoy your travels!!
Ooh...now I'm not a big social media user but I just Googled to see if you have a Patreon I can join...From what I've seen there is sounds like you have a new little secret to share soon!! 🤫🥰🎉 How exciting!!
Good evening ! So many nice to have isn’t there , an auto would be fab , along with a garage , but it’s a balance between change / upgrade .. make do … we’ve got a good van , so we think we will continue to upgrade ( for now ) 😂
Good choice. Was writing as I was watching. So pleased when I got to the end that you had decided to stick with yours. Great quality. It may be a squeeze with 3 doggies though🤣
Its always reassuring to realise youve already got the van you need. All vans have compromises but build quality is way more important than fancy looks. Some of the brand new vans (in excess of 100,000) are terrible build quality its also worth finding something solidly built.
@@redsgotravels yes I’ve seen a handle be pulled off a floor storage locker on a brand new van because the lid wasn’t cut square to the hole 😳 and it was sent out to be sold that way! Im sure the dealers could tell a few horror stories but their livelihoods depend on it! Shame really it seems since covid the build quality has dropped dramatically in the rush to meet demand i suspect. Best buy second hand these days with all the issues ironed out.
Good decision I was so looking forward to watching this video so I watched it whilst preparing dinner :) I think the two vans you looked at just seemed a bit grimy and scruffy those cracks and faults should have been sorted out and I think if they were in better condition you would have felt more positive but they wouldn't last the test of time for sure, German all the way for me we have a Westfalia Sven Hedin on order on the MAN platform which as we know is a VW Crafter also it's an automatic which I think is just a must have, autos are so good we ordered in January and probably won't get it until end of August possibly September but we fancy some winter escapes especially up to Scotland :) love your videos you two are fun together.
Hi guys ! Thanks so much 🥰 yes the vans were definitely in need of tlc and played a part in our decision 👌🙂 I bet you can’t wait to get your van , amazing times ahead 💖❤️🏴
Hi Janet ! Our first van was a 2011 autotrail , it was reliable ( fiat diesel ) we had problems with the diesel heater , plastic trim becoming brittle and not available, so depending on the year , as with all vans bear this in mind , not because it’s autotrail , but because like all vans they have issues … autotrail is a good make , just ensure mot , habcheck and servicing record , I think there is an autotrail owners club on fb too ! Happy hunting 🙂
The Chausson you looked at was the model we were going to buy at the NEC show just before covid hit - it's an awesome layout however, when we went looking again after covid the models we saw had not aged well. The fake leather peels off, the catches as you demonstrated fail and the drop down bed has been know to have issues. I would also point out that "welcome" is the entry level model, "Titanium" is better specified and given the use you would have given it would have been more comfortable. We spent 2 years looking and swift caught our eye as a great layout, less issues than most - ended up with an Elddis, not even on our radar but too good a deal to turn down. You've had great use out of yours, upgrading it is a great move and if and when you change it sticking with a German brand is a wise move.
Morning Andrew ! Thanks for sharing your experience, the post Covid vans were undoubtedly rushed through to meet demand, and there is a lot to be said for the German brands , we’ve decided to keep what we have for now, persuaded by seeing the alternatives and cost to change 👌❤️🙂
I’ve followed you for a while but don’t usually comment. I agree with your choice. We have an old Elddis Suntor 6 berth. But the build is all solid wood. No laminates. It will always be what it is. We’ve looked at new vans. And yes they’re initially attractive. But the materials are all fake and won’t be looking good in 10 years. All the bits that brake in an old van can be fixed. They’d still brake in a new van. But you’d be 10’s of thousands worse off.
Hi Steve ! Thanks for commenting, really appreciated 👌🙂 a lot to be said for the older solid vans, looking at other vans made us realise exactly what you’ve said … and many of the new vans we saw at the NEC weren’t made to last , all quite flimsy .. safe travels 👌❤️
Hi Steve, we are looking for what might suit us as a first motorhome and the Elddis Suntor was top of our list until I saw the Redders Globebus and found out there's a rear lounge model in the range! That said, they are like hens teeth to find so we might need to keep the Elddis in mind. Would you mind me asking if you travel with it in the winter at all? How have you found the insulation if so?
German all the way. We’ve had ours rattled within an inch of its life on the roads in Hungary. We’ve not even lost a knob and we live full time 👍 plus it’s warm in winter 👍
OMG I haven't been this anxious for a while, worried that you had bought one of them two vans. Unless you've already done so, do some research on the Fiat comfortmatic gearbox and you will see that they are dogged with problems. The Chaussons have massive damp problems, and the drop down beds tend to not drop when you need them. Burstners have a problem with the floors delaminating, hence what you found with the shower perhaps. As you've decided, put some money into yours and enjoy your travels.
Good evening ! You’ve just summed up what we’ve done in a nutshell ❤️😂 the upgrades have begun 🙂👌 lovely to hear from you and thanks for sharing your thoughts ❤️
Totally with you there. I forgot to mention our friends drop down bed often hasn't. And Comformatic..... likely not to spend 9 months away in the van in a year!
@@redsgotravelsWe used to get Fiat Ducatos in for repair with Auto gearbox problems all the time, this was from say 2011 onwards, very unreliable tbh, the Fiat manual gearbox is pretty much bullet proof, and in the long run it’s better being a pain changing gears manually than the van dead at the side of the road because the auto box solenoids have packed in!, the Mercedes Autoboxes are bullet proof, sadly Fiat are not I’m afraid.
The dogs make a difference too (as well as Redders), like you we need a practical, solid van. I’ve done almost 20,000 miles and 400 nights and this van in less than 2 years, it needs to be a workhorse not a show home (and we all know that they don’t looks like that when your in them a lot!). Some of the newer vans look pretty but wouldn’t withstand heavy use or dogs - good decision team.
What have you got Claire? We're starting to look at what might work for us and want solid and suitable for dogs. Would be good to hear your experience. ❤
@@TheMinimalistTherapist I have an Autosleeper Kingham - a van conversion. It’s my third AS and they are solid and comfy rather than modern. British van in the medium price range. Very much a 2 person van - a fixed bed which works for us. We have 2 lounge spaces - a front sofa (most Euro vans have a dinette) and a fixed French bed. One dog is often on the bed during the day and as humans, we have two spaces too so if hubby is in sports mode, he goes to the rear which suits me well… We have done 20,000 miles in less then 2 yrs in it and I’m well passed 350 nights. I travel more than half the time on my own and it’s so easy to drive.
Hi Both, Really glad you made the right decision if you had traded your home in you would have been saying goodbye to your best forever friend 😢🫣 you have lots more travelling with your true friend all the best Lin 💖👍🦋🙂 PS. & your 2 beautiful furry babies would have been to sad
Simply buy a storage box for the back. The manual auto is more an issue for town driving where you stop start a lot. Tbh the A class driving environment is unmatched with the large windscreen. I would never downgrade to another design it would always have to be another A class. The other improvements you can make like a diesel heater and compressor fridge I have those on my 1992 A class along with 800 watts of solar and off grid air con. I was surprised how compact the length is that is certainly another bonus :)
We have a back box , and have freed up more internal space, so it’s a lot easier now 🙂 the A class layout is certainly very comfortable and we are upgrading what we have , thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated 🙂
long time you two heard from me ;-) this conversation , just today.... wish i was there and discuss togheter whit you two, today i was a whole day out, to gent, looking for a fiat scudo, 18 years, 100000km, really i don't now what to do... for you, if you have to pay £20000 for the other one, like you say... invest 1/2 of that money on the good camper you have good travels hé , i keep following 🙂 ps: i'm thinking to call the seller in gent tomorrow and spend my savings on the ;-) old car
Good morning ! It’s a mixed bag of reviews for sure , luckily we have been persuaded by looking around to keep our solid old Dethleffs ❤️🙂 we saw lots of New vans at the NEC and there was a lot to be desired in the finishing touches too 😬
Personally we think you have made the better decision, we sold our first MH an older and robust build after owning it for 18mths, because it developed damp, what a mistake, 2 more motorhomes later the second a new one, which was a rubbish build, no 3 a Bailey Autograph, lovely van but we were looking to sell recently, Motorhome Depot and dealers are offering us 14k less than what we paid 2 years ago Our very first motorhome is still going so it would have been cheaper to keep it. Wish we had made the decision you both have made, they don't make them like they used to. Wishing you many more years out of your home on wheels. ...Andrea
Morning Andrea ! 💖 there is a lot to be said about the older vans isn’t there ! So glad we decided to keep ours , time to upgrade what we have … dealers can be a bit cheeky with offers for sure … safe travels x
Keep your German-made motorhome. I was looking myself recently, and a couple I spoke to said buy German. The only thing I would have to have is an automatic; I don't like manual gears. Other than that, yours is lovely. Built like a tank 👍
Hey Andrew ! The Dethleffs is a great make, it’s had its issues, but most were wear and tear , and luckily Diy friendly 🙂❤️ the cruise control is a poor man’s auto 👌😂
Well done U2 great decision you have a great well built German van. I’m sure the two you looked at nearer enough stick to what you know It’s a great looking van compact economical okay? It’s a manual I ain’t drive a swift Kontiki 669 tag axle 3 L engine. I bought it brand-new nine years ago. My wife was alive then but sadly after 43 years of marriage I lost her to Alzheimer’s nearly 2 years ago now but I’ve kept the van and love it to bits. I know it’s too big for one person it’s done 21,000 miles has all the bells and whistles, just love it sadly just getting back into it. Do what you’ve Gotta do enjoy what you do carry on what you’re doing carry on loving what you’ve got it’s great quality put your max fans in I have one above the island bed fantastic did it myself cut the hole in the roof made a cardboard template excellent I would like a self-levelling suspension. Wonder if they will do a deal on two anyway I’m waffling look on the bright side my road tax is £165 a year for the manual the automatics are getting upwards of £400 a year love what you do so glad so so glad you’re keeping it lovely beautiful motorhome take care xx Graham
Good morning Graham, so sorry for your loss ❤️ I bet you had some lovely trips in your motorhome and it’s lovely to hear you are getting back out there 🙂 really appreciate your thoughts , it’s a big decision and we realise what we have is a great van, it doesn’t fully suit , but to change is a lot of money with not much gain, it’s time for the upgrades to begin ! We wish you safe travels and hope to see you on the road one day .. ! 💖🙂🐾🐾🐾
@@redsgotravels I'm a single fella with 2 Frenchies so don't need as much day space for me a garage and fixed bed is non negotiable but like you kitchen can be small.
We saw a Chausson at the Newark Show and thought how flimsy everything looked inside. Stick to German made so much better, great decision yo keep your van.
Good morning ! The Dethleffs are a great brand aren’t they , along with the other German brands , by looking we realised what we have suits us very well, a lot of outlay would see very little gain, so it’s a keep and upgrade 🙂❤️🐾🐾
I can't understand why the dealer put two motorhomes on display with obvious faults, and at £55,000 each. If you want that kind of money these faults should have been attended to before going on sale. I think that when you saw these faults you started to realise what you had and decided to keep your van and leave a large chunk of cash in the bank. We have the Chausson Welcome 610 and it is a great van, which replaced an earlier van that did not have storage. Those locks on the garage door are £56 to replace and probably why the dealer hadn't done them.
Hi ! It was interesting to see them as they were , but £55 k was a bit keen for our liking , particularly with the faults , it certainly swayed us rapidly back to keeping what we know ❤️🙂… we will upgrade and have a declutter 🙂
Dealers always offer much less than it is worth. Can't help with your decisions. But I think German are better built. If you decide to uprate in future go with VWE van weight engineering. Great company cheaper than SVTECH. Good look in your search.
You where right not to buy the chausson,they are not good quality.i have an 2011 dethleffs esprit it's built like a tank, very solid.all new motorhomes seem so fragile.
Thankyou, the Dethleffs is certainly solid, we saw quite a few different brands at the NEC , although new, broken catches , misaligned cupboards etc 😬 … 🙂
It's your money you can only decide, Mines an old mo ho, But I trust it, My motto, Better the devil you know, Thanks for the vlog guys keep them coming 👍
Hey Paul ! Thankyou , can’t beat the oldies by the seem of it , we will keep and upgrade ours , not much out there that takes our fancy without a sizeable outlay 👌❤️🙂
my advice after permanently living in and travelling in a MH for 11 and a half years , stay away from an automatic. They are useless on wet/damp grass, snow/ice/frost and loose gravel surfaces on an incline . Cheers and good luck
Well done. I agree.stick with what you know.I’ve just updated our 16 year old autotrail with new curtains etc .we are 70 years old so hopefully it will see us out (as my grandmother would say )enjoy
Hi Viv ! Spot on 💖🙂 we certainly will ! We wish you many years of happy travels xx
Appreciate your videos. Have a coffee on us! Our doggos send wags!
Aww Thankyou so very much xx 🐾🐾🐾🥰
You've done the right thing, damp problems in chaussons, garage door damp issues and water ingress, brittle door locks on lockers etc , had one and learnt from experience, probably very good ones out there, unfortunately ours was not one of them xx
Hi Simon ! Seems to be a common theme on Chaussons from the comments, we’ve decided to stay with what we’ve got and begin upgrading to suit ❤️🙂
Its nice to see other peoples take on what van layout works for them, we like the fixed bed , mainly as we get up at totally different times , glad to see sense prevailed, at least for now
Good morning ! We do like the fixed beds , but being compact and drop down gives a little more living space , we didn’t want to go bigger , but one day a fixed bed will be better, but as we travel so much , our compact is spot on, which we have seen by looking at changing , it’s a keep and upgrade ❤️ ( for now 😂 ) thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts 🙂
Glad you've decided to keep your van, it's poles apart from the rubbish on the market today!! Another cracking vlog 👌
Aww Thankyou so much 🙂 yes , the upgrades to our current van have begun ❤️🙂
Interesting vlog guys. Fully understand why you decided to stick with what you have. Quality is everything! When Nicola and I were looking back in 2022 we looked at so many layouts ,brands etc before settling on the Wildax brand. It was then deciding which model. We looked at Chausson and it was an amazing van but the model we saw didn't have the finish that we have with our Constellation 3XL. It won't get the same amount of use as you guys but once Nicola has retired it will hopefully be fully utilised for 2 or 3 months at a time. Stay safe guys. Sid and Nicola, Rugby
Hi Guys ! So lovely to have met you all xx yes the look around has made us realise what we’ve got does work so well 🙂❤️ just a few diy upgrades to sort , and off to Europe in August ! ❤️🙂 safe travels xx
What made you choose Wildax if you don't mind sharing your thoughts?
We had a chason welcome....4 words.....keep what you have.....love your van😊
A wise 4 words indeed 💖❤️ Thankyou so much for watching and commenting 🙂
I like your way of thinking. You can fix & repair your motorhome as things break or need repairing. Like you said, it’s a solid built unit.
We do love our van , and this little look has made us appreciate what we have ❤️🙂 thanks so much for watching and commenting 🙂❤️
Right decision for sure.Your van is lush and plus you've not long had it. Invest in it as you said and enjoy more adventures.
Aww Thankyou 💖💖❤️🙂
Glad you are keeping the old girl, we love our old Bolero, it's solid and dependable..Martin Sarah n the Boyz🐕🐕
Hi Guys ! After our look around, it’s a keeper, just need to begin a few upgrades .. and of course finish what I’ve started 😂
Are you on MotorhomeFun? Best you do, a search, those automatics are mentioned a lot. They are trouble waiting to happen.
And the Welcome? Our friends have one the same. Insulation leaves a lot to be desired, the storage in the bathroom was sooooo cold, even when in Spain, he had to insulate the garage wall behind it.
Keep looking.
Thanks so much for sharing this, very interesting and helpful 🙂 we have read about the comformatic gearboxes and they seem problematic don’t they … interesting about the insulation too , our van is very well built … plenty to think about 🙂❤️
Hello. We are Funsters. Our automatic is great. Touch wood.
❤️❤️
This is really helpful, thanks for the recommendation of Motorhome fun. ❤
Surely having a fixed bed would give you a far bigger garage?
A compressor fridge is a must.
It would , but we like the drop down style , it’s all compromise I guess 🙂 … still pondering 🤔👍
Could have done with more discussion on VAT.
We were looking at used only which as I understand the traders have to deal with that under the margin scheme, with used , the price on the screen is what you pay and the vat element can’t be claimed by the buyer 👌🙂❤️🎄
Glad you made the right decision to keep your van,unfortunately it seems the newer models on all vans have deteriated in quality,that's the impression we get.our van is a 2013 Rapido 791 FF and the newer ones are not a patch on ours.our friends van,not mentioning the name or model has plastic rear springs!!! Can you believe that! Hang on to the one you have for as long as you can.
Rear plastic springs ? Oh dear ..! And yes , the build quality has gone downhill hasn’t it , some new ones at the NEC had lots of broken catches, misaligned cupboards and doors , along with cheap finishes , such a shame for high value items !
Sat outside Belgian vet for our pet passport appointment great vlog and thanks for all the great advice and I am sure you will make the choice that's best for you regarding your motorhome
Good morning ! So glad to have helped ❤️ say hi to Lieve from us ! 🐾🐾 thanks so much for watching and commenting 🙂
what a lovely lady she is
She certainly is , and so easy to sort isn’t it ! Safe travels 👌❤️🐾🐾
thule step broken so stopped on route at Belgian factory where a very nice lady asked what we were doing in their car park, showed her the broken bits, she went away and came back with replacement parts,for free and said to follow the one way system out ,she didn't say never come back 😂😂😂
Amazing , which place was that you stopped at ? Really nice of them 👌❤️
Glad you decided to keep the quality Guys. As you are eeking out storage space I wondered if you had considered parking your wonky oven that you don't use. Seems an ideal space for the powerbank and cooky gadgets.
We really like that suggestion , we do plan a day where we remove everything and work out what we haven’t used , don’t need, a full declutter , but yours is a cracking suggestion 👌🙂👍
You have done the right thing. The Chausson looked so cheap in build. It seemed so expensive for the year.
Good morning ! ❤️ the German brands are a solid build for sure 🙂 let the upgrades begin ( slowly ) 😂
We had a Chausson, 18 months old with 1200miles on the clock. One year later at hab check 100% damp and a year to get "fixed", 2 weeks later water was running across the floor and it was leaking from the otherside. Luckily, on finance and able to hand back. Now we have a new Swift and couldn't be happier
Oh wow, that was a lucky escape , that really is poor, so glad to hear you were able to get rid of it 👍❤️
Good choice I love it too yes it’s not auto no garage but it’s good quality and you can make improvements.You two are so down to earth and honest it so refreshing. Happy travel xx 🐾🐾🐾🐾 My update I found my gas/bunker keys in the peg bag …another senior moment 😊
Aww thank you ! So glad you found your keys too 🙂❤️ I do it all the time 😂
Your dog looks very cute love him
Aww thank you ❤️💖🐩🐩🐩🐾🐾🐾
Hi both 🤗 really interesting vlog and we have thought about changing our van at times, but we love the old style sturdy builds as well, like you we would be breaking things left, right and center! You've got a brilliant van, it's robust enough for almost full time living and it looks comfortable, definitely the right decision to love it!! ❤❤
Aww thanks guys ! 💖💖 hope you are settling in well into your new home, looks amazing xx
@@redsgotravels we are thanks, still can't believe it's ours 🤩❤️
💖💖💖
Can I please make a suggestion try a caravan you can get into smaller towns
Hi Paul ! We had one years ago , the biggest issue is when travelling in Europe you can’t use the aires , even the free ones , so it would not suit our extended travels 🙂
Hi ya wise decision keep what you have & make it better regards Peter
Thanks Peter , a few upgrades planned already 🙂❤️👍
Interesting video, we have had. Two motorhomes, then in 21 downsized to a Campervan ,which we loved , tomorrow we pick up a Consort Pace ,when we sold the three year old van we only lost 1500 on the purchase price ,
They do hold value don’t they , dealers can be a little low on offers , we made a bit on our first one 👌🙂 our A class is only 6.3 M long so gets to go to quite a lot of places 🙂 good luck with the new one 👍
Recent subscriber here , enjoying your videos , 😎
Could I ask where you got your sheepskin seat covers from ? Are you happy with them? Thanks Rich 👍
Hi Rich ! Welcome aboard , we are very happy with the seat covers , we got them from here motorhomeessentials.com/product/seat-covers/
They are really good, but need to be held firmly in place , as they can slip a little 🙂
I think you made the right decision.Sometimes it’s better what you have,than maybe regret after the deal.Stand by what you decided.Stay safe,take care.J
Morning John ! Thankyou, as we look back, yes it’s a relief …. Time to get fixing and upgrading ❤️🙂
When we watched your video, we were practically shouting at the screen …”Don’t do It”. We’ve got German van and our last 3 all German vans. Once you start looking, you get very disappointed regarding the quality of other brands. It’s all in the quality, we love your videos, keep it up,
Good morning guys ! Thanks so much for watching and commenting, really appreciated, our Dethleffs will be staying with us, you are spot on, simply looking has persuaded us to keep and upgrade ! We must’ve heard you shouting 😂👌❤️
@@redsgotravels you probably heard me because II too am Welsh and from your neck of the woods. It’s lovely to see you on your travels . You will get great satisfaction when you make adjustments to your van. If you need any suggestions people are quick to advise you on you tube, you only have to ask..
UA-cam is an amazing place for info and help, our subscribers are a lovely bunch ❤️🙂🏴
Great choice !
Some nice vans out there , but it makes you appreciate what you already have 🙂❤️
Take a look at what the brand you trust can offer - take a look at Dethleffs T6762, 7m, garage, large washroom, drop down bed - and solid build
We do love the dethleffs , and after looking will stick with what we have for now, a large chunk of change to upgrade doesn’t really give that much more , but appreciate the recommendation, they are great vans aren’t they ! ❤️
Got to the end of your video. 3rd comment. Love our dethleffs too. Glad you still love yours. ❤
We do indeed x ❤️❤️
I don't blame you I would have done the same x x
Certainly the best decision 👌❤️🙂
Hi both, we’ve recently changed our Swift Escape 694 for a Swift Bessacar 597 comes with huge garage , separate shower and single beds which can be made into one king size bed, yes it’s 8.1m long but having that huge garage has really changed it for us, like you said bikes, power packs, awning, thermal screen cover, walking boots, wet gear, spare wheel and still loads of space for more.
Good evening ! Some great suggestions there 🙂 … it’s a balancing act , a bigger garage would be nice for sure 🙂 thanks so much for sharing ❤️
Thanks for taking us along on your shopping trip! And thank you commenters for drawing attention to the issues with Chaussons! Your priorities for a moho are so similar to ours so it's really good to hear your experiences and why you considered upgrading but I agree, if you've got a solid unit, you can make adjustments. I know you were saying that you were very glad of the compact size of your Globebus in the little Scottish Island roads and it sounds like you've done the right thing staying compact and investing in what you have. I've been looking for Globebuses with the rear lounge layout that we'd like, to see what we are looking at for our savings plans, and they are really rare, there's often only one or two for sale across the whole UK, so I think you've got a keeper there! Would love to hear about your upgrade and tweaking plans for your bus in future videos.
We are definitely keeping it now ( for the time being 😂 ) some upgrades done, more to do , we will of course vlog them too ! 🙂❤️and the globebus is a great range too x
You’ve dodged a bullet with them vans.
Comformatics when they go wrong are very expensive. Look at the threads on motorhome fun.
I just couldn’t trust it especially with the miles you do.
I had dealers giving low exchange rates because of it. Have a look at Adria vans for quality with 9speed automatic if you do go for it.
Good luck and hope to meet on the road again 👍
Hey Craig ! Great to hear from you ❤️🙂 we shall be keeping our trusty old Dethleffs , decision was made simply by looking at other vans ! Not worth the chunk of money for very little gain 🙂👍 thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts 🙂
1991 hymer here everything works been faultless great van
German engineering 👌❤️
We have had out Carthago Chic C ,line for 8 years from new. Prices have gone up in the last 8 years and if looking to change to a newer year buy we would have to pay a lot of money to have the same if we bought like for like. So when you look at your van, yes things need TLC/replacing and cost to do. You are in control. Everything can be replaced if it breaks and things do. Just before we set off to Spain last month the mother board on the fridge /freezer went, £250 but thats small compared to say £30K to change and then the mother board could go on the new van. Unless there is a big I NEED item ie Garage for scooter say, stick with a reliable van you know . We have added no end of things over the years, Lithium, extra solar Alarm Tracker Inverter wired up The van has Air suspension - Thoee do not come on a new van so thats more cost once traded. Good luck happy travels
Good evening ! Some really great thoughts there , and so much sense in keeping what you got and upgrade slow and steady , as you say it is expensive swapping vans for sure 👌❤️
I went for a new 2024 Knaus on the VW Crafter chassis, had to go for the automatic. Wouldn't suit you as it has a fixed bed and probably a bit big (7m) for your needs. It does have a nice sized garage though, which is so important as I intend to spend at least half of the year on the road when it comes back from the Solar specialist. I'm very excited for you, it's great fun looking around other vans.
Wow your van sounds lovely, I bet you can’t wait to start travelling in it 👌❤️ we will hold for now, but always good to look 🙂
Same here we have a Knaus Sun TI 700 MX and absolutely love it we’ve looked at others and have decided nothing matches this so we’re keeping it , same thing things break but we’ve repaired everything, it’s taken us all over Europe and the UK
Decided we love it and it’s had everything done, upgraded everything to suit us so why change 😊
Ours will probably see us out it’s a 2017 but we’re a lot older than you two 😊
Enjoy 😊
Hi Janet ! 💖👌 it’s surprising what simply looking at other vans does, we quickly realised the chunk of money to upgrade was really a step backwards 💖 Knaus is a lovely brand 👌🙂 safe travels x
Hey lovelies glad you decided to keep your van the newer motorhomes just don’t seem to have the build quality, I think you would spend your life looking for parts !! 🤨Redders has put the van through its paces by dropping it into some massive sink holes and it survived nicely so think you made the right choice 😝😍 xxx
😂🤭 it’s certainly been some places hasn’t it … and a few it shouldn’t have been 🤣 ( was trying to forget that ) … it’s a keeper, a few upgrades to sort .., be all ready for the festival ! Xx
@@redsgotravels 😂😂😂 it’s all put down to experience !! 😆😆🤪 yay festival 🎉🎉🎉🥳 xxx
See you soon ! Xx
I agree you like what you have and as you say it's solid . It's like everything else these days they don't make them like they used to .and for an astronomical price . I think you have made the right decision .❤👍🏴🇬🇧
Certainly some “interesting “ materials being used , keeping the weight down, but not the cost down 😬 ❤️🙂
Good luck with the best choice for the dogs and yourselves. Needing room for them to travel is important. Drop down beds we love in ours. Good look 😊
Hey Pam ! ❤️👌 we’ve decided to keep what we have, a chunk of money doesn’t get us a lot more , we’ve realised this one suits us well xx
Very interesting to read everyone’s comments. We are awaiting delivery of a 22plate carthago. I am so pleased to see everyone thinks German engineering is good.
Like you say Corrin, the Germans are not as fancy as other makes but fingers crossed we will have bought a solid vehicle.
Thanks for sharing
Oh wow ! Bet you can’t wait xx
Weve recently started watching some of your videos, not really into van life type you tubers but you two come across as ordinary people, rather than looking for disciples to follow you !! We agree with the comments re the quality of the Chausson, albeit a very good looking (internally) motohome,
We recently considered changing our Adria 670SLT but struggled as you have to find an affordable replacement of similar quality, so wont be changing anytime soon !
Best wishes and enjoy your retirement from the job, i certainly am doing LOL !
Dave and Yvetter
Hi guys ! So glad to have you join us ❤️ the quality has definitely dropped and the prices increased and keeping what we have is definitely the way forward ! Glad you are enjoying retirement 🚒 I haven’t looked back ! Still waiting on the final pension remedy tho ! 👌❤️
@@redsgotravels i retired around 13 years ago, so was on the original scheme, thankfully, so ended up on the final salary scheme as i didnt opt out.
when you decide to look for a new bus, check out the Adrias, we never imagined going for single beds, but to be honest it was one of our better decisions ! The bathroom right across the back is a major bonus for us!
a quick question, which 'knock off' MaxxAir fan did you go for?
best wishes
dave and yvette
Hi guys ! Apologies for the late reply, you got out when it was good then ! Also thanks for the advice ref the Moho’s 👌 the fan we got is this one , which is recommended 🙂 www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156197286654?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=u0dw640pqsm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=fj4U-7TgTm2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Oh young Redders's , well done for doing a body swerve . You've got a brilliant van , you've enjoyed it , we've enjoyed it , and you've still got £22,000 in the bank . We're all winners . Love from the old Redders's xx.
Hey ole Redders , wise words once again 👌 yes, we will be loving and upgrading our current van , Mrs Redders has a few jobs lined up already 😂 take it easy, young Redders 💖
I would say no matter the make or model there is always something that needs fixing or replacing & the more the miles mount up then there is more chance something will break. So if you like your van & the layout suits then sticking with what you've got is the best way?
Hey Tim ! Nailed it in one ❤️👌 that’s exactly what we’ve decided , our Dethleffs is a keeper after our little look about 🙂
From watching this video your bed drops down over the cab instead of the seating/dining area. I think that trumps the van you were considering
Hey Chris ! It’s a huge bed too, we’ve certainly seen a few vans and this gave us many reasons to keep ours ❤️.. thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts 🙂
good decision re keeping existing van, could i suggest that you underseal the chassis it looked like surface rust when you had the problem with the steadys that broke.
Good morning Graham ! Thankyou 🙂👌 the Chassis is alko , so fortunately no rust issues , the steadies are connected to the section where the tow bar attaches under the van , the tow bar although solid has rust over it, so it’s a big tub of waxoyl coming out soon ( underside of my Triumph Stag is coated in it ) , I’ll give it a wire brush and coat it up 👌❤️ time for some tlc and upgrades 🙂
We have a 2003 Challenger Eden 602, like you, we once thought about buying a new one recently, but decided against it, despite ours being old it still remains as solid as a rock and all its original fittings/fixtures all work as they did the year it was made. The only thing to go wrong recently after all these years is one washer in the bathroom tap that needed replacing and a new water pump. When we visited a motorhome dealers, the vehicles on show all had broken clips on draws/doors and blinds that had issues along with broken fridges etc. Yes it would be nice to have a more modern cab area, but we just could not compromise on the build quality of the caravan side of things. We found the new models tended to also make more creaking/rattling noises on the test drive, whilst our solid wood cupboards make no noise at all when on the go. So we decided to keep with the old as it will last our life time needs.
Hi Guys ! ❤️ there is a lot to be said for having an older van with great build quality , ours is solid , bits do go wrong, but we use it a lot more than average, but fortunately most fixes are diy friendly 🙂 we noticed the build quality of the newer ones at the NEC show.., 😬
Interesting vlog, I spent two years looking and settled with a tri-axle Dethleffs over 8m on a 08 Reggie plate. It's huge and finding sites up in Scotland that accommodate that size of van, not easy. However, I love it. Like you say, they are solid but I just know ours will last and satisfy our needs having lots of grandchildren, all eager to go with gran and grandad.
You mentioned Markinch in this vlog, hopefully you visit in your next vlog as it is where I grew up. I just adore Fife and love living here.
Can't wait for your next vlog 😊
Good morning Steven ! Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Dethleffs are a solid van, we’ve looked at a few different ones and the result is to keep and upgrade what we have ! ❤️👌 it’s lovely that your Grandchildren go away with you , making happy memories 🙂 we went to Markinch to pick up a guitar , one similar to what Stuart Adamson played, as Big Country were my fave band in the day ! 🏴👌❤️
Yeah the grand kids are great but I still love just getting away with my dearly beloved. It's rare to meet someone who appreciates the natural beauty that surrounds us all. Suppose that's what I enjoy about you guys, it feels so natural and are just enjoying the moment.
We have a huge garage on the big old bird we have but to me it's a curse, the more space you have, the more unnecessary clutter you carry.
There is no perfect van but I do understand your dilemma considering you guys practically live in yours.
Keep on doing what you do really love it.
Steve and Heather😊
@stevenrayment8334 aww thank you for the kind comments 💖 it is tricky , but a huge declutter would free more space , we will definitely keep our Dethleffs and upgrade as we go 🙂👌 safe travels ahead 🙂
Think you are right in keeping the van. Suggest you have a diesel heater fitted, apparently a simple fix 👍😎
Hey Mark ! Yes, totally, not much gain for a sizeable outlay , and a diesel heater is something on our mind 👌❤️🙂
Can you dismount your add-ons when the time comes to sell? Or more trouble than it is worth?
Hey Howard , not a lot can be taken , we’ve decided to keep and upgrade 🙂❤️ maxxfan, new roof vents, service , replace steadies ( ooops 😂 ) we’ve added more solar , so we think best bet is to live it , keep it and travel more ❤️
I thought Chausson which are French I think were meant to be good. I was surprised by the water damage by the kitchen sink. I have a small Hymer with a garage and like it. The build quality is pretty good too.
The German builds certainly have a good reputation for sure 👌❤️
I have randomly came across your channel while sitting having a glass of wine just outside York...nothing strange about that i hear you say..until I say I'm actually from Markinch 🤣...what are the chances lol, I could even tell where you were up Balbirnie as the video was playing, im currently looking for my first campervan and there are so many options to explore, I hope you find what you are looking for, cracking video 👍
🤣how random ! And what a small world … ! Glad you enjoyed the vlog, happy hunting and of course , welcome 🤗
You are absolutely right not to buy the Chausson. We went from a Dethleffs to a Chausson (same model) which was big, loads of room, great bathroom, wardrobe we called "Narnia", but build quality was not good.
We are now back to a Dethleffs in the form of a Sunlight.
Good decision reds. 👍
Hi Sarah ! 💖 yes the build quality on the Dethleffs is amazing , we had a look about and decided ours is a keeper xx safe travels ❤️
We have a 2010 Chausson Welcome 14. We've looked at newer vans .... I wouldn't have one for exactly the same reasons. Our one is made of solid, the new ones are made of flimsy.
👍spot on , the new ones do seem to be a bit lacking don’t they , saw so many at the NEC with broken bits and misaligned cupboards and doors 😬
I’m shouting out for the Chausson, we absolutely love ours, a 2019 640 Ford , so much space. ❤
Hey Lynne ! It did look nice, but after a search around, we have decided to keep and upgrade ! ❤️❤️🙂
@@redsgotravels 👍🏻 that’s great, it’s a lovely van 😊❤️
Thankyou 🙂❤️
We love our 2018 640. We wanted spacious inside, and the 7 year guarantee. Bought secondhand 3.5 years ago and still worth what we paid amazingly. We do have top of range so lots of nice extras inc winter pack, and although it was ex rental, was in great condition.
Used / ex rental is a great way to go, motorhomes don’t tend to lose much , but from new they tend too … sounds like a great van 👌❤️
Stick with what you have, better the devil you know. We have a Defleffs. French bed, there are times, where if we changed, would change to single beds at back, make up to a large double, with a huge garage underneath. ❤ xx
Hi Susan ! Yes the Dethleffs is a great brand , and shopping around made us realise we were better off keeping what we have , I’m sure we will change at some point, but we’ve decided , not just yet 🙂❤️
what you have to think about is it doesn't matter what you buy or how much money you spend motorhomes are not meant to be lived in full time. Things are going to go wrong thinks are going to break.ive had my swift bolero 722fb for 6 year's now I've replaced the Aldi boiler 3 times at £2500 a time.im now having to replace the shower room walls because they have cracked.but i love the bolero so im not going to replace it.
It’s a balance isn’t it ! We don’t live in ours full time, but use it more than average.. things do break , always something , but usually diy friendly ❤️
There is a place in wrexham that fit diesel heaters called autoterm mid range heater 4kw for around £1200 not chinese i had one fitted they are brill
Hey Tony ! That’s a great price and certainly very interesting 🙂👍 Thankyou
I haven’t got a van but watch lots of UA-camrs and some have new vans. Even they have problems so if you are considering changing think hard and long about it.
We’ve decided to stick and upgrade ! ❤️🙂 thanks for watching and commenting 🙂
Good decision, you can easily add a diesel heater and up rate your weight, an Auto is very nice but you still have cruise at least.
Hi guys ! Lovely to hear from you after meeting you a few weeks back 🙂❤️ hope you are both keeping well and enjoying your travels 💖 we have a few upgrades planned , and up plate will give us peace of mind …. Xx
We had the same thing,only we were thinking of a caravan,and are motorhome did sell only before completion it fell through at the last minute so we pulled it off the market and kept it, motorhomes are a bit pricey right now and you have to think for the money are you getting a lot more for the money,in the end we thought no
A sound decision for sure 👌 prices have gone a bit high again 🙂
Good decision to keep yours. We changed our van to a Carthago a few months ago (not new) and love the quality build. We have just booked a diesel heater to be fitted and a max air fan. Would you believe the van already has air con but no good for off grid, which we too do a lot off. Enjoy your travels!!
Sounds lovely 👌 diesel heater and maxx fan is a great addition ❤️ safe travels and enjoy xx
Ooh...now I'm not a big social media user but I just Googled to see if you have a Patreon I can join...From what I've seen there is sounds like you have a new little secret to share soon!! 🤫🥰🎉 How exciting!!
❤️❤️😂we do indeed xx
Automatic and garage sounds like a good trade. Definitely need storage. Auto as you know so much easier to drive.
Good evening ! So many nice to have isn’t there , an auto would be fab , along with a garage , but it’s a balance between change / upgrade .. make do … we’ve got a good van , so we think we will continue to upgrade ( for now ) 😂
Good choice. Was writing as I was watching. So pleased when I got to the end that you had decided to stick with yours. Great quality. It may be a squeeze with 3 doggies though🤣
😂 he’s only little 🐾🐩 ❤️
Right decision guys….
Thankyou 🙂 it’s been non stop upgrading since 😂
My main observation about the vans you were looking at is their lack of lockers/storage. The drop down bed means there is no space for them.
There is so much choice and variation out there , it really is a minefield, so glad we decided to keep and upgrade ❤️👌
good !!!!!!
Bad day bob ? 😂
Its always reassuring to realise youve already got the van you need. All vans have compromises but build quality is way more important than fancy looks. Some of the brand new vans (in excess of 100,000) are terrible build quality its also worth finding something solidly built.
We saw quite a few new ones at the NEC and the build quality and finish wasn’t particularly good .. 😬
@@redsgotravels yes I’ve seen a handle be pulled off a floor storage locker on a brand new van because the lid wasn’t cut square to the hole 😳 and it was sent out to be sold that way! Im sure the dealers could tell a few horror stories but their livelihoods depend on it! Shame really it seems since covid the build quality has dropped dramatically in the rush to meet demand i suspect. Best buy second hand these days with all the issues ironed out.
Second hand is the way to go , new prices are astronomical, and as you say really have been rushed out 😬
Good decision I was so looking forward to watching this video so I watched it whilst preparing dinner :) I think the two vans you looked at just seemed a bit grimy and scruffy those cracks and faults should have been sorted out and I think if they were in better condition you would have felt more positive but they wouldn't last the test of time for sure, German all the way for me we have a Westfalia Sven Hedin on order on the MAN platform which as we know is a VW Crafter also it's an automatic which I think is just a must have, autos are so good we ordered in January and probably won't get it until end of August possibly September but we fancy some winter escapes especially up to Scotland :) love your videos you two are fun together.
Hi guys ! Thanks so much 🥰 yes the vans were definitely in need of tlc and played a part in our decision 👌🙂 I bet you can’t wait to get your van , amazing times ahead 💖❤️🏴
@@redsgotravels Can't wait to get it we will go on fab adventures :)
Amazing ! Winter in Scotland = no midgies ! Bonus 🏴❤️
Looking to buy a van in a couple of months any opinions on auto trail ?
Hi Janet ! Our first van was a 2011 autotrail , it was reliable ( fiat diesel ) we had problems with the diesel heater , plastic trim becoming brittle and not available, so depending on the year , as with all vans bear this in mind , not because it’s autotrail , but because like all vans they have issues … autotrail is a good make , just ensure mot , habcheck and servicing record , I think there is an autotrail owners club on fb too ! Happy hunting 🙂
The Chausson you looked at was the model we were going to buy at the NEC show just before covid hit - it's an awesome layout however, when we went looking again after covid the models we saw had not aged well. The fake leather peels off, the catches as you demonstrated fail and the drop down bed has been know to have issues. I would also point out that "welcome" is the entry level model, "Titanium" is better specified and given the use you would have given it would have been more comfortable.
We spent 2 years looking and swift caught our eye as a great layout, less issues than most - ended up with an Elddis, not even on our radar but too good a deal to turn down.
You've had great use out of yours, upgrading it is a great move and if and when you change it sticking with a German brand is a wise move.
Morning Andrew ! Thanks for sharing your experience, the post Covid vans were undoubtedly rushed through to meet demand, and there is a lot to be said for the German brands , we’ve decided to keep what we have for now, persuaded by seeing the alternatives and cost to change 👌❤️🙂
Yeah we seen that caravan last Friday
Did you buy it ? 👍
Nice😊
Thankyou 🙂
I’ve followed you for a while but don’t usually comment. I agree with your choice. We have an old Elddis Suntor 6 berth. But the build is all solid wood. No laminates. It will always be what it is. We’ve looked at new vans. And yes they’re initially attractive. But the materials are all fake and won’t be looking good in 10 years. All the bits that brake in an old van can be fixed. They’d still brake in a new van. But you’d be 10’s of thousands worse off.
Hi Steve ! Thanks for commenting, really appreciated 👌🙂 a lot to be said for the older solid vans, looking at other vans made us realise exactly what you’ve said … and many of the new vans we saw at the NEC weren’t made to last , all quite flimsy .. safe travels 👌❤️
Hi Steve, we are looking for what might suit us as a first motorhome and the Elddis Suntor was top of our list until I saw the Redders Globebus and found out there's a rear lounge model in the range! That said, they are like hens teeth to find so we might need to keep the Elddis in mind. Would you mind me asking if you travel with it in the winter at all? How have you found the insulation if so?
Thought Redders was going to be regenerate when he got into the shower
😂 I can hear the music 😂
😂😂😂😂 You win the comments section ❤ Love this!
😂
German all the way. We’ve had ours rattled within an inch of its life on the roads in Hungary. We’ve not even lost a knob and we live full time 👍 plus it’s warm in winter 👍
They are pretty sturdy aren’t they ! Although we’ve had a few repairs along the way ! Safe travels 💖
OMG I haven't been this anxious for a while, worried that you had bought one of them two vans. Unless you've already done so, do some research on the Fiat comfortmatic gearbox and you will see that they are dogged with problems. The Chaussons have massive damp problems, and the drop down beds tend to not drop when you need them. Burstners have a problem with the floors delaminating, hence what you found with the shower perhaps. As you've decided, put some money into yours and enjoy your travels.
Good evening ! You’ve just summed up what we’ve done in a nutshell ❤️😂 the upgrades have begun 🙂👌 lovely to hear from you and thanks for sharing your thoughts ❤️
Totally with you there. I forgot to mention our friends drop down bed often hasn't.
And Comformatic..... likely not to spend 9 months away in the van in a year!
Totally agree, those Fiat auto boxes are not great tbh.
@Brucecarmaintence71 it doesn’t read good does it 😬
@@redsgotravelsWe used to get Fiat Ducatos in for repair with Auto gearbox problems all the time, this was from say 2011 onwards, very unreliable tbh, the Fiat manual gearbox is pretty much bullet proof, and in the long run it’s better being a pain changing gears manually than the van dead at the side of the road because the auto box solenoids have packed in!, the Mercedes Autoboxes are bullet proof, sadly Fiat are not I’m afraid.
Why not swap your fridge for a compressor fridge, defo recommend
Good morning ! It’s on our list of upgrades 💖🙂 thanks for watching and commenting
The dogs make a difference too (as well as Redders), like you we need a practical, solid van. I’ve done almost 20,000 miles and 400 nights and this van in less than 2 years, it needs to be a workhorse not a show home (and we all know that they don’t looks like that when your in them a lot!). Some of the newer vans look pretty but wouldn’t withstand heavy use or dogs - good decision team.
Hi Claire ! 👌💖 spot on, it’s our second home , it gets a lot of use, bits do go wrong, but it’s holding up well … it’s a keeper ❤️🙂
What have you got Claire? We're starting to look at what might work for us and want solid and suitable for dogs. Would be good to hear your experience. ❤
@@TheMinimalistTherapist I have an Autosleeper Kingham - a van conversion. It’s my third AS and they are solid and comfy rather than modern. British van in the medium price range. Very much a 2 person van - a fixed bed which works for us. We have 2 lounge spaces - a front sofa (most Euro vans have a dinette) and a fixed French bed. One dog is often on the bed during the day and as humans, we have two spaces too so if hubby is in sports mode, he goes to the rear which suits me well… We have done 20,000 miles in less then 2 yrs in it and I’m well passed 350 nights.
I travel more than half the time on my own and it’s so easy to drive.
@@clairewilliams3549 Thank you so much! That's really useful 👍 Happy travels!
Hi Both, Really glad you made the right decision if you had traded your home in you would have been saying goodbye to your best forever friend 😢🫣 you have lots more travelling with your true friend all the best Lin 💖👍🦋🙂 PS. & your 2 beautiful furry babies would have been to sad
Hi Lin ! Nailed it 👌💖 we’ve decided to keep and upgrade , looking around certainly made us realise that 🙂🐩🐩🐩
Simply buy a storage box for the back. The manual auto is more an issue for town driving where you stop start a lot. Tbh the A class driving environment is unmatched with the large windscreen. I would never downgrade to another design it would always have to be another A class. The other improvements you can make like a diesel heater and compressor fridge I have those on my 1992 A class along with 800 watts of solar and off grid air con. I was surprised how compact the length is that is certainly another bonus :)
We have a back box , and have freed up more internal space, so it’s a lot easier now 🙂 the A class layout is certainly very comfortable and we are upgrading what we have , thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated 🙂
Burstners 16-19 suffer with floor problems. And floor has to be replaced.
Hi Kim ! It was a bit springy for sure , bet that’s a huge job, glad we decided to keep ours 💖
Good decision. Three poodles though?! 😱😊
😂🐩🐩🐩🐾🐾🐾 three times the fun ! Oh and three times less space 😂
@@redsgotravels 🤣🤣🤣
🐾🐾🐾👌
long time you two heard from me ;-) this conversation , just today....
wish i was there and discuss togheter whit you two, today i was a whole day out, to gent, looking for a fiat scudo, 18 years, 100000km, really i don't now what to do... for you, if you have to pay £20000 for the other one, like you say... invest 1/2 of that money on the good camper you have
good travels hé , i keep following 🙂
ps: i'm thinking to call the seller in gent tomorrow and spend my savings on the ;-) old car
Hey ! How’s you ? Keeping our Dethleffs and upgrading is the way, nothing we saw was worth the money to change ours.. hope you get the one you want 🙂👍
Chassaun no no had one mate had one both leaked like colanders poorly put together 😢😮
Good morning ! It’s a mixed bag of reviews for sure , luckily we have been persuaded by looking around to keep our solid old Dethleffs ❤️🙂 we saw lots of New vans at the NEC and there was a lot to be desired in the finishing touches too 😬
Personally we think you have made the better decision, we sold our first MH an older and robust build after owning it for 18mths, because it developed damp, what a mistake, 2 more motorhomes later the second a new one, which was a rubbish build, no 3 a Bailey Autograph, lovely van but we were looking to sell recently, Motorhome Depot and dealers are offering us 14k less than what we paid 2 years ago Our very first motorhome is still going so it would have been cheaper to keep it. Wish we had made the decision you both have made, they don't make them like they used to. Wishing you many more years out of your home on wheels. ...Andrea
Morning Andrea ! 💖 there is a lot to be said about the older vans isn’t there ! So glad we decided to keep ours , time to upgrade what we have … dealers can be a bit cheeky with offers for sure … safe travels x
Keep your German-made motorhome. I was looking myself recently, and a couple I spoke to said buy German. The only thing I would have to have is an automatic; I don't like manual gears. Other than that, yours is lovely. Built like a tank 👍
Hey Andrew ! The Dethleffs is a great make, it’s had its issues, but most were wear and tear , and luckily Diy friendly 🙂❤️ the cruise control is a poor man’s auto 👌😂
Well done U2 great decision you have a great well built German van. I’m sure the two you looked at nearer enough stick to what you know It’s a great looking van compact economical okay? It’s a manual I ain’t drive a swift Kontiki 669 tag axle 3 L engine. I bought it brand-new nine years ago. My wife was alive then but sadly after 43 years of marriage I lost her to Alzheimer’s nearly 2 years ago now but I’ve kept the van and love it to bits. I know it’s too big for one person it’s done 21,000 miles has all the bells and whistles, just love it sadly just getting back into it. Do what you’ve Gotta do enjoy what you do carry on what you’re doing carry on loving what you’ve got it’s great quality put your max fans in I have one above the island bed fantastic did it myself cut the hole in the roof made a cardboard template excellent I would like a self-levelling suspension. Wonder if they will do a deal on two anyway I’m waffling look on the bright side my road tax is £165 a year for the manual the automatics are getting upwards of £400 a year love what you do so glad so so glad you’re keeping it lovely beautiful motorhome take care xx Graham
Good morning Graham, so sorry for your loss ❤️ I bet you had some lovely trips in your motorhome and it’s lovely to hear you are getting back out there 🙂 really appreciate your thoughts , it’s a big decision and we realise what we have is a great van, it doesn’t fully suit , but to change is a lot of money with not much gain, it’s time for the upgrades to begin ! We wish you safe travels and hope to see you on the road one day .. ! 💖🙂🐾🐾🐾
good move keeping the van .better the devil you no than the devil you don,t👍
Thankyou, yes it’s a lot of money for so little gain, time to upgrade ❤️
I find at funny how what everyone wants in a van is so different....
It is isn’t it, I guess different stages of life, kids, pets and to be honest so much choice out there , it can get confusing ! 😂
@@redsgotravels I'm a single fella with 2 Frenchies so don't need as much day space for me a garage and fixed bed is non negotiable but like you kitchen can be small.
🐾🐾aww , I bet the Frenchies share the bed too 😂 ours is drop down and really confuses our lot when they can’t climb abroad 🤣
@@redsgotravels more like i share it with them 🤣
@colinadams1987 😂🐾🐾
We saw a Chausson at the Newark Show and thought how flimsy everything looked inside. Stick to German made so much better, great decision yo keep your van.
Good morning ! The Dethleffs are a great brand aren’t they , along with the other German brands , by looking we realised what we have suits us very well, a lot of outlay would see very little gain, so it’s a keep and upgrade 🙂❤️🐾🐾
yours will still be worth that in 2 years...
They do seem to hold their value for sure ❤️👌🙂
I can't understand why the dealer put two motorhomes on display with obvious faults, and at £55,000 each. If you want that kind of money these faults should have been attended to before going on sale. I think that when you saw these faults you started to realise what you had and decided to keep your van and leave a large chunk of cash in the bank. We have the Chausson Welcome 610 and it is a great van, which replaced an earlier van that did not have storage. Those locks on the garage door are £56 to replace and probably why the dealer hadn't done them.
Hi ! It was interesting to see them as they were , but £55 k was a bit keen for our liking , particularly with the faults , it certainly swayed us rapidly back to keeping what we know ❤️🙂… we will upgrade and have a declutter 🙂
Dealers always offer much less than it is worth. Can't help with your decisions. But I think German are better built. If you decide to uprate in future go with VWE van weight engineering. Great company cheaper than SVTECH. Good look in your search.
Amazing , thanks so much for the information, VWE do seem very good x
Great decision. Today's build quality just isn't there. 👍
It’s really not is it , seems to have been a post Covid rush 😬
You where right not to buy the chausson,they are not good quality.i have an 2011 dethleffs esprit it's built like a tank, very solid.all new motorhomes seem so fragile.
Thankyou, the Dethleffs is certainly solid, we saw quite a few different brands at the NEC , although new, broken catches , misaligned cupboards etc 😬 … 🙂
It's your money you can only decide, Mines an old mo ho, But I trust it, My motto, Better the devil you know, Thanks for the vlog guys keep them coming 👍
Hey Paul ! Thankyou , can’t beat the oldies by the seem of it , we will keep and upgrade ours , not much out there that takes our fancy without a sizeable outlay 👌❤️🙂
my advice after permanently living in and travelling in a MH for 11 and a half years , stay away from an automatic. They are useless on wet/damp grass, snow/ice/frost and loose gravel surfaces on an incline . Cheers and good luck
Thanks Mike, they do seem to have quite a few drawbacks and problems don’t they , thanks so much for commenting , really appreciated 🙂❤️
@@redsgotravels you're welcome and happy travelling . If you have any questions you think I might be able to help with , just ask .
@mikedakin2016 amazing , Thankyou ! Safe travels 🙂👌❤️
@jimbob-robob I did, I nearly knocked the tv off the wall
I'd stick with your German build quality 🇩🇪👍
Hi Elen, I think that’s what we’re going to do 🙂❤️ , surprising when looking at different vans how we kept coming back to our own 👌🙂