Buy British, why not?

[PaddyM]

I think we're back to the mini or Aston Martin question again. Maybe the previous poster ought to have said no practical affordable everyday modes of transport but just used the word car. I like classic cars but admit they're hobby vehicles .

The Emira is both practical and affordable and British , hence I’ve ordered one.

 

[The Wino]

The Emira is both practical and affordable and British , hence I’ve ordered one.

Not if you're taking broken fence panels to the tip like we just have!. Affordable depends on what you can afford but theres also the question of what it's worth to you. Is it going to be your only car? I wouldn't fancy leaving it in a lot of areas at the roadside or overnight in town when we often get a taxi back.

 

[PaddyM]

Fence panels id break up and burn on raised veg beds ( for the ash ) , i do this quite often with pallets etc .
It will be my only car though wife has an SUV , i drive a car similar to the Emira and touch wood its never been touched , though i get a lot of people taking photos of it or selfies beside it . I’m not being glib but there are truly no pockets in shrouds , we are here for a mere heartbeat in the grand scheme of things .

 

[The Wino]

Fence panels id break up and burn on raised veg beds ( for the ash ) , i do this quite often with pallets etc .
It will be my only car though wife has an SUV , i drive a car similar to the Emira and touch wood its never been touched , though i get a lot of people taking photos of it or selfies beside it . I’m not being glib but there are truly no pockets in shrouds , we are here for a mere heartbeat in the grand scheme of things .

I totally agree on spending your cash on what you want. I fancy a yacht not something really posh about a 33 footer . But I wouldn't justify it as spending money on it as a form of transport similar with my car in the garage its a 94 mini ( not a BMW one) only done 21k miles in good nick its a bit of fun not a serious mode of transport. There are no volume everyday car manufacturers British owned and in Britain there are some small scale outfits but even they are largely foreign owned .

 

[PaddyM]

I totally agree on spending your cash on what you want. I fancy a yacht not something really posh about a 33 footer . But I wouldn't justify it as spending money on it as a form of transport similar with my car in the garage its a 94 mini ( not a BMW one) only done 21k miles in good nick its a bit of fun not a serious mode of transport. There are no volume everyday car manufacturers British owned and in Britain there are some small scale outfits but even they are largely foreign owned .

I use my sports car as my daily dive , i refuse to let it become a garage queen , my neighbour owned a McLaren 720S , £225K of car , it got washed every dry Sunday , was driven for ten minutes and then put back in the garage , he estimated it cost him £25 per mile to drive , he worked in Manchester , round trip of 50 miles , £1250 miles per commute , he NEVER took the McLaren . beautiful garage queen however

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[The Wino]

I use my sports car as my daily dive , i refuse to let it become a garage queen , my neighbour owned a McLaren 720S , £225K of car , it got washed every dry Sunday , was driven for ten minutes and then put back in the garage , he estimated it cost him £25 per mile to drive , he worked in Manchester , round trip of 50 miles , £1250 miles per commute , he NEVER took the McLaren . beautiful garage queen however

I think theres a lot like that although if you use it as a daily drive the depreciation is likely to be a cure for dry eyes! One of my friends has a tr6 and uses it lot's they did a trip overland to Greece and back the other year. He still has a daily drive though.

 

[Old Gibber]

I would disagree totally with this. If you re finding travel very uncomfortable then you re doing something wrong. Our shower is better than some hotels and definitely better than a lot of campsites. Our insulated box has everything we need, is roomy and draughtfree. and unlike many hotels etc we can have it the temperature we want it.

You have totally misunderstood my response. Perhaps you ought to go back and look at the context in which my reply was made.

 

[Old Gibber]

My Elddis caravan cost me the best part of 2 grand to repair damp after only three years. My daughter's Elddis caravan leaked after three years (2 years ago). Solid construction it's called. She had to have corner pods fitted where the square wooden frame stresses the rounded corners. Bad design and common problem. Having said that, they look a lot better construction now than mine 20 years ago.

My Elddis caravan started falling apart after just one week's use. After a further 2 weeks use, numerous serious faults were evident and I rejected it. That was 3 years ago, so no the construction is still awful.

 

[Old Gibber]

My V6 Vectra B was built in Belgium and that showed in the build quality compared with most other Vauxhalls of the same era built in the UK. I know, Clarkson despised all Vectras, but mine was one of the best cars to drive I ever owned or borrowed even Merc and Beemers. Sad to see it go.

I bought a new Vectra 2 litre when they came out, and it was back in the garage for an average of a day a week for six months until I totally lost patience with the thing. Three weeks after a formal letter of complaint I ended up getting the then brand new V6 2.5 litre model completely free of charge. As you say it was a brilliant car. I kept it for 6 years.

 

[wp1234]

It’s a personal experience thing but my first Autotrail was Ok , the second and third rubbish . My next van a Rapido A 9 Series was a much better van but then I moved to Italian / Hymer Group Laika which in my opinion was a much much better van . So would I buy British again …. NO not until I see some positive proof of quality control improvements .

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[tonyandcarol]

We have owned 2 British built vans and both have had damp problems.that is the main reason we won't buy a British van we have heard far to many horror stories about damp in British vans We went for a NB Flair and there is no comparison between them. Much superior build quality no wood to get damp and rot fully winterised.

 

[Folkranger]

I think it may be an out of date theory based on British manufacturers chucking vans out before fixing them after delivery.
I had a brand new Rapido 650ff and got shut for a 2007 Rapido 7099f which is so much better built and after replacing a few things it’s better than a new Rapido in my eyes.
Amateur reviewers looking at new vans would be more interesting if they reviewed a manufacturers new release against the same manufacturers similar layout from say 10 years ago. I honestly think that all the manufacturers do is cut corners to make more profit. After all every van has a bathroom, bedroom and kitchen and lounge area.
An example, my new rapido had windows that opened outwards whereas the older one has slide windows where they might get damaged say by the hab door opening, Internal fittings are the same. Dometic make shelves and door fittings for its fridges designed to break. In my older van they were made of soft plastic which is impossible to break. Interestingly none of the old fittings fit the new fridge which is the same size externally.
I was quoted by Rapido £340 for a bathroom door handle! My new fridge which I was forced to replace due to the cooler matrix not being made now my Dometic, cost me £2500.
Ladies and gentlemen we are the fools for buying new vans. A 10 year old van costs half as much so even with a few things to sort you end up with a van that will last for years. WE should stop falling into the cheap and nasty trap set for us by manufacturers.
My Rapido 7099f cost £34000 at top end of the hike last year. Ive had a new clutch and fridge costing £4000 to sort. I should get most covered on the warranty but Serenity Leisure has the usual caveat filled warranty. ( avoid if you want serenity in your life and a Moho that’s been checked prior to delivery) Bottom line is that for £40000 I have a fab motorhome, well built FSH with 13000 miles on it ( yes 13 000 miles only) and a motorhome which I love to bits. Its like living in an arts and crafts refectory. NO rattles or squeaks and tons of storage and space. Think! You can poilish a turd but what’s more important is was the motorhome constructed with quality ingredients? Sorry.

That pushes a lot of buttons for me. I've updated motorhomes 3 times to get different layouts, newer style etc. and each time the overall quality has fallen. I would say mainly due to trying to keep the weight down to sell at sub 3.5T. Which was actually a con because the latest two could not run practically at 3.5T and have to be plated higher to be legal so they may have well put some heavier stuff in and made them more durable.

 

[jongood]

You have totally misunderstood my response. Perhaps you ought to go back and look at the context in which my reply was made.

This is the first bit.

What an odd thing to say. A motorhome never gives you the same lifestyle as at home. The bathroom is just one example. You either accept walking to the shower block on a cold wet morning or make do with a lesser shower, and having to empty the loo fairly frequently. Completely different to going into the en-suite on a morning.

This is what you were quoting

I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone chooses a lesser lifestyle choice when buying a MH than what they enjoy at home, why travel and accept discomfort it makes no sence.

Im struggling to see how Ive got this wrong?

 

[Folkranger]

My Elddis caravan started falling apart after just one week's use. After a further 2 weeks use, numerous serious faults were evident and I rejected it. That was 3 years ago, so no the construction is still awful.

To be honest we loved our 1990s Elddis furicano and the build quality then seemed quite good. The problem was the water ingress that we had on the last three of our caravans (all bought new). At the time, "Which?" did a review that found masses of damp problems on British vans and very few on Continental models.

 

[Folkranger]

Really? having had VW transporters none have ever broken down a couple of BMW, did break down but it’s the sort of fault that happens to most modern cars (ignition coils) we also have had a number of golfs and no issues there. Probably the vehicle with least issues is the lotus Evora it runs like clockwork and very reliable.

"Which?" review put VW as one of the more unreliable brands. ((Bottom was Land Rover)

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[Folkranger]

It’s a personal experience thing but my first Autotrail was Ok , the second and third rubbish . My next van a Rapido A 9 Series was a much better van but then I moved to Italian / Hymer Group Laika which in my opinion was a much much better van . So would I buy British again …. NO not until I see some positive proof of quality control improvements .

I am sure British vans are built for the manufacturers perception of their market. i.e. down to a price and down to a weight. That woulld be acceptable to me if they were simply less lavish or even a bit less solid furniture, but It's hard to accept bad quality design where the panels are doomed to leak and when they do it rots a wooden frame. Yes I know they are dropping wood for sandwich construction so maybe they'll get better by default.

 

[Ian.s]

We seriously considered buying a new british motorhome to export use and eventually sell in NZ (very restrictive rules for what you can register) but having re-examined a few they just don't offer what we want in terms of layout or quality.

Tbf there are crap foreign mhs as well but you can also buy at an upper level that is only available in UK from RS which don't have the layout/configuration we want.

RS are a bespoke manufacturer and you can have any layout/configuration you desire

 

[Folkranger]

Elddis won a few design & best value-for-money awards - albeit years ago. My 10 year old Elddis is wonderful - never leaked anywhere always reliable. Would never part with it - well, not yet anyway.

I mistrust awards. Full analysis yes, but not awards to new untested gear. Also, value for money should be based on the brand's reliability score and not just the price of the latest offering.

 

[Folkranger]

Different vehicles built for different buyer demographics/markets. Both will get you from A to B but one will get you the girl, the other will give you cramp, your choice

When I was a young buck I couldn't get an Aston Martin but I still got the girl. Now I can afford the Aston Martin but my cramp stops me buying such a car.

 

[Folkranger]

RS are a bespoke manufacturer and you can have any layout/configuration you desire

If you can afford there (probably justified) prices

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[Folkranger]

Folkranger wrote: "My Elddis caravan cost me the best part of 2 grand to repair damp after only three years. My daughter's Elddis caravan leaked after three years (2 years ago). Solid construction it's called."

It's an acronym. Soggy Or Lets In Damp. I had the kitchen floor replaced in a three year old Elddis moho.

My daughter's problem included the floor

 

[Folkranger]

We had a VW California for a long time before moving to a PVC. I wonder how much droends on volume manufactured. The scale of manufacturing meant the california finish was really excellent, all moulded trim and panels etc, no carpet trim. A big advantage was the VW manufacturers warranty, supported dealer wide. If Fiat partnered with van converter(s) and offered the same support I think they'd get a reaaly good market share and likely they'd force other converters and dealers to up their game.

I'm confused. I thought that Fiat had the biggest market share and VW the smallest.

 

[rosalan]

The quality of British vans is our own fault. Several attempts to build quality vans in this country have ended with bankruptcy due to our unwillingness to pay the price, Bentley for example. Then flexibility of design with Auto Sleeper who will not build a van with a garage, although their build quality seems fine, so I bought a foreign van. Yet another British van, had such a serious fault with damp, that although they have gone to great lengths to totally eradicate the problems, the history remains in peoples minds for a long time.
Do not blame the manufacturers, they build what we are willing to pay for. As for German (now American owned) Hymers, several owners of new vans have pointed out to me their quality concerns, including leaks.

 

[Ian.s]

Ive been lucky enough to own a few motorhomes over the years. Some top line German manufacturers included. I have very recently returned again to RS and am delighted with it. The build quality is without doubt the best I've had and the service from RS just superb. I have no doubt I will be sticking with them in the future

 

[Otter Spotter]

The quality of British vans is our own fault. Several attempts to build quality vans in this country have ended with bankruptcy due to our unwillingness to pay the price, Bentley for example. Then flexibility of design with Auto Sleeper who will not build a van with a garage, although their build quality seems fine, so I bought a foreign van. Yet another British van, had such a serious fault with damp, that although they have gone to great lengths to totally eradicate the problems, the history remains in peoples minds for a long time.
Do not blame the manufacturers, they build what we are willing to pay for. As for German (now American owned) Hymers, several owners of new vans have pointed out to me their quality concerns, including leaks.

Interesting that since the yanks took over Hymer group, quality has gone down allegedly, but take a look at the problems the RV constructors are having in the States with quality there falling through the floor and after service from dealers even worse than here.

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[Coolcats]

"Which?" review put VW as one of the more unreliable brands. ((Bottom was Land Rover)

Without seeing the which report and what the ratings are for and what vehicles I couldn’t possibly comment other than to say we have had no issues with the past 5 we have owned.

 

[pandas]

The quality of British vans is our own fault. Several attempts to build quality vans in this country have ended with bankruptcy due to our unwillingness to pay the price, Bentley for example. Then flexibility of design with Auto Sleeper who will not build a van with a garage, although their build quality seems fine, so I bought a foreign van. Yet another British van, had such a serious fault with damp, that although they have gone to great lengths to totally eradicate the problems, the history remains in peoples minds for a long time.
Do not blame the manufacturers, they build what we are willing to pay for. As for German (now American owned) Hymers, several owners of new vans have pointed out to me their quality concerns, including leaks.

But you wouldn't buy a chocolate fire guard even if it was cheaper.

 

[pandas]

British manufacturing within the Automotive sector can be brilliant - there is a programme on Channel 4 about the manufacture of the Jaguar F Type which is a good illustration. Unfortunately the motorhome industry over here is still very much a cottage industry.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/how-to-build

 

[jongood]

RS are a bespoke manufacturer and you can have any layout/configuration you desire

Ok, the broad brief is an A class with a bigger screen than the Elysian on a 6 cylinder MAN truck or coach chassis with a manual gearbox and a large garage.

 

[CazPaul]

The quality of British vans is our own fault. Several attempts to build quality vans in this country have ended with bankruptcy due to our unwillingness to pay the price, Bentley for example. Then flexibility of design with Auto Sleeper who will not build a van with a garage, although their build quality seems fine, so I bought a foreign van. Yet another British van, had such a serious fault with damp, that although they have gone to great lengths to totally eradicate the problems, the history remains in peoples minds for a long time.
Do not blame the manufacturers, they build what we are willing to pay for. As for German (now American owned) Hymers, several owners of new vans have pointed out to me their quality concerns, including leaks.

There is a massive difference between leaks and damp though

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