Anyone got confirmed news Re Fiat Ducato build delays

royandsharont

royandsharont

Joined
May 14, 2021
Posts
2,057
Likes collected
3,611
Location
East Yorkshire, UK
Funster No
81,218
MH
ADRIA Twin 640SLB
Exp
Since 2012
Hi, I am awaiting a new Adria PVC which should have been here last October but keeps on getting put back on a monthly basis. Now end of June and I don’t believe it will come then if I’m honest. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if it finally arrived in 2023!

Trying to get any information of the true delay situation from the manufacturers, let alone information that you can trust to be correct and up to date, I am finding impossible. Nothing on the news for Europe but some in America Re shifts being closed at factories there from 2 to 1 a day, but that is about Stellantis car plants I believe.

The delays all appear to revolve around Stellantis production in Italy at their Sevel plant but still none the wiser as to specifically why. Saying the Pandemic repeatedly does not do it for me now.

I would just like to get some honest understanding of why the monthly delays continue and I think all Fiat based manufacturers are pretty much the same.

I wanted to start this Thread for comments from anyone who has got confirmed news or information, rather than rumours and speculation, although if my experiences are the same as others no one will be able to confidently add an update, but here goes 👍🏻

Regards in advance if anyone can add anything
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Steve-N said:
Except UK A&E ambulances are quite often on Mercedes chassis (thankfully)
Click to expand...
SWAST has bought a lot of Fiat ambulances partly because of the narrow lanes in the south-west. There was a batch in 2022 and another batch has just arrived near Gloucester for delivery to Exeter shortly
 
Upvote 0
Dave7 said:
Seems a different reason from brand to brand
Click to expand...
Elddis made it simpler. They simply refuse to talk to customers at all, and tell their dealers almost nothing. Ours told us nothing, then sometimes sent out a generic note containing duff information We had a CV80 on order for 12 months with the dealer guessing May 2023 - 18 months - so got a nearly new 2022 Wildax Solaris instead.
 
Upvote 0
royandsharont said:
Hi, I am awaiting a new Adria PVC which should have been here last October but keeps on getting put back on a monthly basis. Now end of June and I don’t believe it will come then if I’m honest. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if it finally arrived in 2023!

Trying to get any information of the true delay situation from the manufacturers, let alone information that you can trust to be correct and up to date, I am finding impossible. Nothing on the news for Europe but some in America Re shifts being closed at factories there from 2 to 1 a day, but that is about Stellantis car plants I believe.

The delays all appear to revolve around Stellantis production in Italy at their Sevel plant but still none the wiser as to specifically why. Saying the Pandemic repeatedly does not do it for me now.

I would just like to get some honest understanding of why the monthly delays continue and I think all Fiat based manufacturers are pretty much the same.

I wanted to start this Thread for comments from anyone who has got confirmed news or information, rather than rumours and speculation, although if my experiences are the same as others no one will be able to confidently add an update, but here goes 👍🏻

Regards in advance if anyone can add anything
Click to expand...
Ordered my Ducato from S&L motorhomes in October 21. It arrived in January 22 then had build delays due to importing items from the EU and received the completed van in September 22 the same week as I was off to Spain in it for a month.
 
Upvote 0
We thought our Adria delayed delivery took a long time but not as bad as some of you poor people. We ordered ours in October 2020 for delivery in April 2021 and it finally came in in September 2021. Fiat are also very slow in supplying warranty parts to U.K. dealers. We were glad we had a fixed price when we are ordering as their price now is over 25% higher
Bob

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
I’m hoping for some news (😮🤔) by the time of the motorhome show later this month - we ordered Rapido van last Feb for what should have been around next month delivery but that was put back at the Oct show to ‘towards the end of this year!’ 😡

It’s a shame the Ducato seems a good van conversion base as Fiat do not deserve the business from us camper/motorhomers what with the continuing delays and Airbag ECU problems - and it might cost them in the long run with Ford Transits taking the slack ….. (at this rate, my eventual van conversion might actually be on the Transit base!)
 
Upvote 0
DerryW said:
Very nice. Shouldn’t it have the new rear concave panel, or is that only on the Matrix
Click to expand...
Believe that's only the Matrix for now, imagine they're running out the previous stock. I did see a compact SC with the cleaner rear end, but I'm happy with it as is.
 
Upvote 0
Passed a tramsporter with two black Ford chassis cabs on it today heading towards the Swift factory.
 
Upvote 0
Just told by a dealer the other day that some of their recent Ducato arrivals had reverted to the manual handbrake rather than the intended electric one ☹️

I also saw some of their latest arrivals had come with the Ford chassis. I must admit I didn’t like the look of the very big front end in comparison to the much sleeker new Ducato. They did say it looked worse on the PVC models but the chassis was good, if a little narrower.
 
Upvote 0
Blofeld said:
SWAST has bought a lot of Fiat ambulances partly because of the narrow lanes in the south-west. There was a batch in 2022 and another batch has just arrived near Gloucester for delivery to Exeter shortly
Click to expand...
Driving nth bound across the M5 bridge over the river Avon, if you look left you'll see 1000's of vehicles parked up at the docks awaiting onward delivery. Quite a few 100 Fiat/Peugeot/Citroën vans (basically all the same except badging)
The ones destined to become ambulances are factory painted in the bright yellow.
This still leaves several 100's in all the other colours, so I wonder if there are delays in dispatching vans here as well, ie the ship arrives with loads of vans, and then they sit at the docks for weeks before onward transport to the van convertors ?

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Quote Steve-N "This still leaves several 100's in all the other colours, so I wonder if there are delays in dispatching vans here as well, ie the ship arrives with loads of vans, and then they sit at the docks for weeks [in the salt air] before onward transport to the van convertors ?"

Just like Fords in the 1960s & 70s stored on Dagenham marshes!

Are you sure you want to buy a 'new' camper that was born into that atmosphere??
 
Upvote 0
royandsharont said:
Just told by a dealer the other day that some of their recent Ducato arrivals had reverted to the manual handbrake rather than the intended electric one ☹️
Click to expand...
I thought the electric parkbrake was only fitted as standard to the techno plus variant, and I can see van conversion companies ordering anything above the basic spec ?

I'm very 🤞 the electric brake option will be on my long awaited new van.
(the manual handbrake lever fouls the driver seat when you rotate it on my 19MY one 😠)
 
Upvote 0
rod_vw said:
Quote Steve-N "This still leaves several 100's in all the other colours, so I wonder if there are delays in dispatching vans here as well, ie the ship arrives with loads of vans, and then they sit at the docks for weeks [in the salt air] before onward transport to the van convertors ?"

Just like Fords in the 1960s & 70s stored on Dagenham marshes!

Are you sure you want to buy a 'new' camper that was born into that atmosphere??
Click to expand...
I get that, but it's no different to driving on UK winter salted roads, which a good wash resolves?

I'm led to believe its only the UK that salt roads which is why our roads are full of pot holes (salt dissolves bitumen !!)
That's why the rest of Europe and Scandinavia have 'winter tyre rules'

Incidentally I have lots of fond memories of Dagenham marshes (and those where Thamesmead is now built) as I grew up near there (but now in Gloucestershire)

Steve
 
Upvote 0
Steve-N said:
I'm led to believe its only the UK that salt roads which is why our roads are full of pot holes (salt dissolves bitumen !!)
Click to expand...
Germany doesn't salt their roads, they have a strong Green Party they object to it because it kills trees.
I'll let you make up your own mind on that one. :giggle:
 
Upvote 0
That's interesting, I do quite a lot of consultancy work with Scottish land owners, during winter, salt is not allowed to be used on moorland tracks and paths as it causes significant environmental damage to fauna.
They only use plain grit

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Ridgeway said:
Cracking van but was part of the deal to tide us over until this one arrives. Have the option to trade it back or sell it so it’s up for sale now. 2021 Carthago C-Compactline with 8k miles on the clock, LHD as well 😄 free weekend in Switzerland thrown in.
Click to expand...

I assume your van is registered in Switzerland, so would need to be imported into UK?
 
Upvote 0
I waited almost 12 months for a Fiat Ducato, Westfalia Amundsen 540d, once I had placed the order I was told that I would be getting the ALL new MK8 Fiat Ducato. I chose white, manual gear box and bog standard engine, on delivery in March 2022, I was informed that Fiat had prioritised white vans to meet the demand of commercial customers. Customers who had ordered metallic paint, auto's and anything else other than standard, as far as I am aware are still waiting.
When I collected my van, the list price had gone up by almost £14000, my contract was honoured but the dealer tells me now that they will only estimate a final cost as the prices are so unpredictable.
I also considered a second hand 540d but the price difference (at that time) and the lack of used vans made it a no brainer.
Sit tight.
 
Upvote 0
Lenny HB said:
The importer would have to pay 20%VAT.
Click to expand...
Shame but thanks Lenny.

We bought a new Hymer Feb 21 (dealer order Jan 21) and still have absolutely no idea when we might get it, other than the clearly rubbish estimate on the Hymer portal which currently sits at April/May this year.

Its particularly frustrating for us because we part exchanged our previous van at the time, doh!

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
sussexlad said:
Shame but thanks Lenny.

We bought a new Hymer Feb 21 (dealer order Jan 21) and still have absolutely no idea when we might get it, other than the clearly rubbish estimate on the Hymer portal which currently sits at April/May this year.

Its particularly frustrating for us because we part exchanged our previous van at the time, doh!
Click to expand...
I hope you have been paid for the previous van.
 
Upvote 0
Steve-N said:
Driving nth bound across the M5 bridge over the river Avon, if you look left you'll see 1000's of vehicles parked up at the docks awaiting onward delivery. Quite a few 100 Fiat/Peugeot/Citroën vans (basically all the same except badging)
The ones destined to become ambulances are factory painted in the bright yellow.
This still leaves several 100's in all the other colours, so I wonder if there are delays in dispatching vans here as well, ie the ship arrives with loads of vans, and then they sit at the docks for weeks before onward transport to the van convertors ?
Click to expand...
I passed over the Portway Bridge on the M5 this week and saw the same. Yes, there were a bundle in EU Ambulance Yellow and loads of white vans. These white ones could also be earmarked for PTS Ambulance's. These are usually white with the hi-viz Battenberg decals on each side.
I’ve experienced long delays with my order and from what I can tell from those that have finally had vehicles arrive on a Sevel built chassis or vehicles for sale in dealerships, they are not high GVW’s, they are manuals and possibly L2 wheelbases. My ordered vehicle is at 4400kgs, auto and L3 lwb chassis cab plus some other factory options. My latest build date from FIAT is mid April, if built then I can’t see it going on the road until June / July, almost 2 years after it was ordered. Very frustrating 😡
 
Upvote 0
Spoke to our dealer today ( my monthly catchup re our Carado order last March ) he informed me that he had been to Carado (Hymer group) a short while ago and had seen that they had quite a stock of chassis, ( although they had a shortage of RHD vehicles ) He seemed confident after checking his system that we should have our van in April .......:unsure:
 
Upvote 0
Dave7 said:
Yes
The beginning of October 21
When ordered were told it would be march April 22 🙈
Click to expand...
Ordered mine (Ducato PVC 160hp Auto Heavy Chassis) from a dealer pre order in August 21 for projected April 22 delivery. Arrived 2nd Dec 22. So I suppose it may hinge amongst other things when the Dealer got their pre order in.
 
Upvote 0
dash300 said:
Ordered mine (Ducato PVC 160hp Auto Heavy Chassis) from a dealer pre order in August 21 for projected April 22 delivery. Arrived 2nd Dec 22. So I suppose it may hinge amongst other things when the Dealer got their pre order in.
Click to expand...

That seems to be the main variable in the waiting game.
 
Upvote 0
Offagaingr8 said:
Picked our 8 series Ducato up Thursday, spec as ordered, digital dash, keyless entry, electric hand brake and Auto.::bigsmile:(y)
Click to expand...
Plenty there to go wrong then. ;)

Seriously ......sounds exciting and all set for Spring sunshine.
(Daffs are flowering in my garden and blue tits have been inspecting the nest boxes. Oh such joy!).
 
Upvote 0

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top