AT Apache 700 - alternatives?

[Chris]

There is a lovely Hobby twin axle in the for sale section on here.

I reckon it’s an absolute cracker.

Go have a look.

Here it is

SOLD - Hobby Toskana 750 Exclusive NEW PRICE £43,500

Further price reduction 46,000 pounds Luxury TAG Axle German Motorhome in excellent condition stored under cover from new must be seen. Full service history engine and habitation carried out every 12 months all paperwork present 14,100 miles to date for sale £48000 New Price £47,000 ONO West...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

That has got a nice lounge and a great payload.

 

[Apache]

If it helps , we have an Apache 700 which we purchased new in 2015. The dealer had one coming in so we only waited two weeks.
We have had some issues, which I consider to be minor, a drawer front fell off which we fixed ourselves, a plastic rod inside the dinette cushion started poking out the end , fixed under warranty and the reversing camera died , again fixed under warranty. Otherwise we’ve been very pleased with it , all problems easily sorted , maybe we’ve been lucky ?

 

[russ the rambler]

Here it is

SOLD - Hobby Toskana 750 Exclusive NEW PRICE £43,500

Further price reduction 46,000 pounds Luxury TAG Axle German Motorhome in excellent condition stored under cover from new must be seen. Full service history engine and habitation carried out every 12 months all paperwork present 14,100 miles to date for sale £48000 New Price £47,000 ONO West...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

That has got a nice lounge and a great payload.

blimey that does look nice, need to think about all this...

 

[Cliffdale]

To add to the above. We bought the 700 a couple of years ago. A couple of minor snagging issues but fixed immediately by marquis Devon. Pay load is good. And for a family of 4 you definitely need a rear lounge. Budget in an awning to almost double the space, especially if you are on tour and it’s raining!

For 2 of us on tour we loaded 450kg

Of goods

 

[Cheshirecat57]

One thing you do say russ the rambler is that its a 2020 model
Bear in mind that there is a new Ducato for Fiats 2020 model so this one will be on an “old shape” Fiat

I think that makes a new left over 18/19 model
Brownhills did have one floating around

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[russ the rambler]

i hear

I think the main thing to bear in mind is that neither the dealer or the maker gives a flying f%%%k about you and your family once they have sold something. They have a procedure, (code named piss them about for long enough and they will give up). that means, all the stress is absorbed by you, they just follow procedure and watch your miserable experience unfold with the certain knowledge that you are stuck and there is no lasting consequence to them, they just keep going.

You are buying a lump of iron, wood and plastic, bollocked together as cheaply as possible by the cheapest means possible. You either enter this arena of buying regret, with a new purchase, a virgin vehicle, pregnant with problems yet to be discovered or...

A second hand jobbie with all of that crap, a thing of the past, and just 'what you see is what you get' decisions to make.

No way would I buy a new van again, I would find the best used example I could find, rip out all the upholstery and flooring, get it deep cleaned and replace anything looking a bit knackered.
These things aren't alive they are just metal, plastic and wood, buy it, gut it, make it your own, all nice hygienically new bits and accept that the base vehicle may develop a few probs that are easily solvable. Unlike a stroke after your expectations have been poleaxed by a saga of frustration and disappointment.

I am about to take my own advice by the way...

i can imagine that is true - i thought the extra cost of a new van would buy me some hassle free years. If I get a new kitchen fitted i dont expect anything to go wrong for a long time, but the posts on here lead me to question that assumption

 

[irnbru]

Its no wonder these manufacturers are prepared to turn out rubbish with this sort of attitude. Have you ever gone through the stress, time, effort, cost, lost holiday time of rejecting a new motorhome or caravan? I have!

Hmmm ! So YOU have experienced a bad experience , does it mean the majority of new owners have? Its posts like YOURS that give manufacturers bad names. By all means state your case but open your eyes to theres been more than YOUR van made and other happy customers.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

irnbru you are correct in what you say above, indeed 2 or 3 satisfied AT700 have contributed to this thread
I personally had a disaster with my experience of an AT, so I can only respond to the question based on that
Challenge to the OP is that really satisfied “customers” in ANY retail arena tend to stay quiet, ...

 

[Allanm]

What is it with the U shaped lounge you like so much?
There are other layouts that will seat 4 or more comfortably
We had a U shaped lounge in our old Swift. It could sear 4 comfortably or six at a push, not so comfortably but we weren’t keen on it after a while.
Our new van has “face to face” seating. Two side sofas seating 2 each with plenty of space and the cabchairs swivel round to make comfortable seating for 6 with a fixed, but fold up table.
Bear in mind if you use a motorhome for travelling around ( as opposed to caravan type use) you won’t be sitting around all day.
I know you say you have spent years looking for the right layout, but there are plenty of people who thought that when they bought their vans, only to find that when they actually used their vans, things didn’t work out how they thought they would.
There are lots of different layouts available and having an alternative will give you a much greater choice of vehicles.

 

[The Wino]

hmm...looks interesting, i might look at that at the weekend.

do you know a ball park figure to replace the mattress in the overhead bed, plus all the upholstery / foam on the seats please? just so everyone can have a bed that no one else has slept in. The driver seats could stay

and then, say for example the awning gets stuck and i cant extend it. How much would it cost to get that repaired? I'm not a DIY man at all - if i tried to repair an awning myself it would probably end with the fire brigade being called out

Why are people so funny about the beds having been used do they demand a new mattress if they stay in a hotel?

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[Stonemags76]

As your first van, I think second hand may be the way forward. As has been said, despite all your research, very few get it right first time, and the financial hit on a new van is far greater than a used one.

 

[Mark and Mindy]

As your first van, I think second hand may be the way forward. As has been said, despite all your research, very few get it right first time, and the financial hit on a new van is far greater than a used one.

Totally agree with this as we've just had the same problem, although we were lucky with our trade in figure plus it was a pre-reg van conversion so not actually a new van, what looked great on paper and great while trying the van out at a couple of shows didn't work out in reality, we collect the next one on Saturday and these 2 weeks have been the longest ever!

 

[russ the rambler]

Yes I'm heading for a second hand apache 700 I think. Only choice is whether to go for about 5 years old or about 10 years old. Budget for a 5 year old van is about £40k I guess. I will post on the at Facebook group soon, but if anyone knows of a roughly 5 year old Apache that fits my budget then do let me know. Private sales are fine as well as trade

 

[pelican]

Russ, russ the rambler

Don't forget that this is all of the mastic they use during the production phase; not much to keep the water out eh!!

(Screenshot from the Autotrail Production Video):

View attachment 317004

About time autotrail commented on this

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Yes I'm heading for a second hand apache 700 I think. Only choice is whether to go for about 5 years old or about 10 years old. Budget for a 5 year old van is about £40k I guess. I will post on the at Facebook group soon, but if anyone knows of a roughly 5 year old Apache that fits my budget then do let me know. Private sales are fine as well as trade

A brand new one could be had for £55k
Personally no way would I give 40k for a 5 year old one- just my preference

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[russ the rambler]

Thanks maybe a bit too high then

 

[GPW]

If you would not buy an Auto Trail Apache 700 (for whatever reason) then what would you buy instead please?

I would personally be heading for the 2019 Switft 604 escape, and you would too if you had a look around one. Best C-class layout I've seen and build quality is IMO far better: no wood framing.

 

[rb62]

Bit of a double edged sword but you may find that the payload on the older vans is less than the newer ones due to the lighter construction materials used!

 

[tonka]

Thanks maybe a bit too high then

Fyi .
My 2012 was part ex at £30k and resold by dealer a few weeks later at £36k..
2012 onwards will get you the later Euro 5 engine (black dashboard).

 

[Gellyneck]

Our new van has “face to face” seating. Two side sofas seating 2 each with plenty of space and the cabchairs swivel round to make comfortable seating for 6 with a fixed, but fold up table.

Number of seat-belted seats may be an issue for OP though?

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[NorthernSands]

Gellyneck No. of seat belts is something I was going to mention. It's an important factor.

russ the rambler We have an old '80's 6 berth Hymer that has that layout (for sale, only £2K!!). It's a great layout, even for just the two of us, but you do compromise on garage space. We looked at a newer (read ~2000) Hymer with a U-Shape lounge, but a bigger garage: we sat in it and immediately banged our heads on the lockers! If there is four of you, do be mindful of how much storage space you'll need and how that compromises the internal areas.

We were dead set on a U-Shape lounge for our new one, but after realising how small it makes the garage when not banging heads on lockers, we went with a fixed rear bed and a bigger front lounge (a mid-'90's Hymer E700). In terms of build quality, I'd say the habitation on the '80's Hymer is much better than the '90's, which in turn is better than pretty much any other MoHo we've looked at (from a large range of manufacturers and of varying ages). We spent a very productive couple of days at a second hand Moho dealership that had ~100 models in stock; different manufacturers, classes, layouts and ages. It was very productive and really helped us make a decision.

As has been mentioned, with four of you, definitely get an awning. A safari room would be even better!

One other thing you could do is try and hire one that's like the one you want. It'll give you a better idea if the layout would work.

Happy hunting!

 

[thebriars]

Hmmm ! So YOU have experienced a bad experience , does it mean the majority of new owners have? Its posts like YOURS that give manufacturers bad names. By all means state your case but open your eyes to theres been more than YOUR van made and other happy customers.

Frankly some deserve a bad name! Our first new caravan had a major damp repair down one side after just one year, three years later it was a write off and we lost thousands. Second new caravan had a damp repair after 1st year, third one, a new Trigano lasted 5 years with no problems until we sold it. 4th one had water pouring through the roof within an year, then had a major repair inside to overcome a design fault. Finally the last one was so bad it got rejected, but it took 5 months and a solicitor as the dealer would not even talk to us.

Please don't lecture me until you've had the sort of experiences with crappy new British caravans I've had!

 

[thebriars]

Hmmm ! So YOU have experienced a bad experience , does it mean the majority of new owners have? Its posts like YOURS that give manufacturers bad names. By all means state your case but open your eyes to theres been more than YOUR van made and other happy customers.

Frankly some deserve a bad name! Our first new caravan had a major damp repair down one side after just one year, three years later it was a write off and we lost thousands. Second new caravan had a damp repair after 1st year, third one, a new Trigano lasted 5 years with no problems until we sold it. 4th one had water pouring through the roof within an year, then had a major repair inside to overcome a design fault. Finally the last one was so bad it got rejected, but it took 5 months and a solicitor to get a resolution as the dealer would not even talk to us. All of these failed British makes also make motorhomes.

Please don't lecture me until you've had the sort of experiences with crappy new British caravans I've had!

 

[irnbru]

So you've been unlucky thebriars . As ive already said theres no doubt many happy owners out there. You rarely hear of the good on forums. Most stay quiet and happy.

 

[thebriars]

So you've been unlucky thebriars . As ive already said theres no doubt many happy owners out there. You rarely hear of the good on forums. Most stay quiet and happy.

...or most just accept the deplorable situation that exists. The caravan manufacturer sent out an engineer to come and look at my last van. It was 5 weeks before he arrived because he was fully booked doing similar inspections, and then it turned out he lived just 20 minutes away.

I agree most stay quiet.

Indeed someone was quite happy to buy my rejected caravan after it had been passed through two other dealer with none of the repairs done by either of them. At a year old he was happy to pay just £4k less than a new van even knowing it had several serious structural faults and a plethora of more minor ones.

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[Jaws]

quality of build

If your intent on buying new, unless you going bespoke and can project manage the whole build, I think ALL makes are somewhat suspect.
As mentioned else where on here, I have said to the point of being a total bore, nothing after 2007 !
The BEST build quality we have had was a 1987 Hobby.. Head and shoulders above every thing else..
Our present van is a 2007 Autotrail Chieftain SE on a Ducato chassis and apart from the oddity that is a Sargent system, and a few things simply wearing out ( can gets a LOT of use ) it has been excellent and I would not hesitate to buy Autotrail again

 

[woodstock]

If your intent on buying new, unless you going bespoke and can project manage the whole build, I think ALL makes are somewhat suspect.
As mentioned else where on here, I have said to the point of being a total bore, nothing after 2007 !
The BEST build quality we have had was a 1987 Hobby.. Head and shoulders above every thing else..
Our present van is a 2007 Autotrail Chieftain SE on a Ducato chassis and apart from the oddity that is a Sargent system, and a few things simply wearing out ( can gets a LOT of use ) it has been excellent and I would not hesitate to buy Autotrail again

 

[woodstock]

Apache 700 2012 £32000

 

[Blue Knight]

I agree most stay quiet.

Yep, I would agree entirely on that point. I maintain an unhealthy interest in the number of Autotrails being reported as faulty/damp/rejected across the various forums and I think the problem is underreported and by quite a bit too.

There's a few people out there who do post-up their problems as a cry for help but I reckon that most stay quiet as they remain too embarrassed to admit that they have just spent £70,000 on a new van which has transpired to be a poorly built lemon.

 

[russ the rambler]

Apache 700 2012 £32000

did you mean to add a link please?

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