Buying British - Is it being a true patriot or a fool?

[eddie]

Actually on a serious note the Van Bitz exhibition unit is on a Fiat chassis and is now 17 years old, it was a bespoke build for us by Benimar and that does get used twice a year when it goes to the NEC. To be fair it never misses a beat and has done 12,000 miles!

 

[thebriars]

I've had 5 new caravans:

One French caravan, owned for 5 years, never a single problem.

4 British caravans, all leaked within the first year. 3 of these needed major repairs before end of first year, one was a write-off due to damp after 4 years, and one of the 4 was rejected at under 6 months old as not being fit for purpose.

OH and I have had 14 new cars, most of them Japanese. Only one British one, and that was replaced free of charge after 6 months after spending an average of a day a week being repaired.

Did I look at a British motorhome this time?

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

[thebriars]

Actually on a serious note the Van Bitz exhibition unit is on a Fiat chassis and is now 17 years old, it was a bespoke build for us by Benimar and that does get used twice a year when it goes to the NEC. To be fair it never misses a beat and has done 12,000 miles!

Its a Benimar, what do you expect.

 

[Coolcats]

Who says it has to. So one of our most famous brands say JCB, buys metal from China to make its iconic machines, but according to you..because most every raw material is sourced from outside the country, it's not British. Yorkshire Tea is as British as JCB See this post

I guess Marketing can twist it what ever way they would like it, but as it is brought in from 20 different places excluding yorkshire its hard to say it is a Vritish product as it is Grown in Africa and India, blended in the UK.......anyway I prefer PG coming from Essex

 

[thebriars]

Stop it. The teas are a blend. A blend of teas from around the world. Yorkshire tea, blended by ENGLISH men and women to perfection. It's as English as I am. It's ENGLISH TEA .

Come off it! Its as English as you are???? Never, its Yorkshire, a class above.

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[Diabalo]

Seeing you are in Kent, WHERE have you got it all tucked up for the winter ?
We are looking for somewhere off the A2/M2 to park our new Hymer (6.74m long)

Try Woolmans Wood behind Rochester Airfield, it is earmarked for redevelopment but you will get 6 months or more.

 

[DL42846]

But they wobble! and the French drive anything and have crap cars!

I have never noticed any wobble. I presume your talking about Merc's. That's a new one on me. Yes the French cars are crap. I gave up with them years ago. When Renault wanted 1500€ just for the part to replace the clock in the car, and that was a few years back. And when my Renault had to go in to the main agent for a three hour job to change a light bulb. We have gone either Japaneses or German.

 

[Jim]

I guess Marketing can twist it what ever way they would like it, but as it is brought in from 20 different places excluding yorkshire its hard to say it is a Vritish product as it is Grown in Africa and India, blended in the UK.......anyway I prefer PG coming from Essex

PG, when they sweep up in Yorkshire tea houses they send that to PG

 

[eddie]

I have never noticed any wobble. I presume your talking about Merc's. That's a new one on me. Yes the French cars are crap. I gave up with them years ago. When Renault wanted 1500€ just for the part to replace the clock in the car, and that was a few years back. And when my Renault had to go in to the main agent for a three hour job to change a light bulb. We have gone either Japaneses or German.

I do try to buy German, I bought a Porsche 911 which I loved but got fed up with bits being nicked off it, and I also had a Mercedes GL420 4x4 which Merc had back seven times in the first year trying to make the gearbox work! a V8 4.2 litre engine dropping from third to first tends to stop pretty quick, even when you don't want or expect it to! The gearbox had seven gears which it randomly used from time to time lol

After that? I went back to my first love Toyota Landcruisers, best car in the World in my opion

 

[StephDeLux]

an example one British manufacturer's answer to winterising water tanks is to fit stick on electric blankets that can't be used off hookup - priceless. Europeans just route the hot air ducting against the inboard tanks so if you're using the heating your water tanks won't freeze - simples.

To be fair, only a minority of Europeans apply the method you describe: Hymer, Carthago, Eura-Mobil and all the super-expensive ones. Probably one or two I don't know.

But Dethleffs and Bürstner for example, use electric elements to prevent the waste water tank from freezing. Carado does not even offer heating of said waste water tank. Adria is no good either. Hobby goes the electric way for most of its models. Most French are just as laughable on that regard.

I don't think the problem is British. It is not a country-related problem.

Regarding the construction methods, I think the big divide is between companies who make both caravans and motorhomes and companies that are specialized in motorhomes.

The companies who also make caravans tend to build their motorhomes like caravans. Big mistake in my opinion, but they are generally more affordable and suit a large part of the clientele who intends to use their MH only in warm weather. If you're going to put your MH in storage for the winter, buying a winterized MH would be a waste of money.

Of course, Hymer did it the other way. They build their caravans like their motorhomes, using the same PUAL construction.

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[bigtwin]

At 0934:

I actually don't mind the problems, it gives me something to do

At 0939:

Who said I wanted sympathy, I'm just sharing my issues so hopefully anyone else will be forewarned what to look out for, and also the solutions that can be found, surely that is what a forum is for I'm not being paid to post and actually have better things to do, but I am learning so much from others experiences and knowledge I wanted to give a bit back

Fixed it for you peterc10?:

.................... Do try to remember what you said a couple of minutes ago.

Ian

 

[Chris]

After that? I went back to my first love Toyota Landcruisers, best car in the World in my opion

I had an LC5 from new in about 2006 and loved it.

Then I stopped jet skiing and thought I would go back to a car. The wife was disgusted she loved the Land Cruiser.

Now I can’t afford another.

They are fantastic.

 

[596]

I do try to buy German, I bought a Porsche 911 which I loved but got fed up with bits being nicked off it, and I also had a Mercedes GL420 4x4 which Merc had back seven times in the first year trying to make the gearbox work! a V8 4.2 litre engine dropping from third to first tends to stop pretty quick, even when you don't want or expect it to! The gearbox had seven gears which it randomly used from time to time lol

After that? I went back to my first love Toyota Landcruisers, best car in the World in my opion

Funny that, I have Porsches including a 911 and also just bought a new Land Cruiser, must have similar tastes Now about your van, I've watched the video love the bed and the well thought out gadgets but need more space, what else is there?

 

[TheBig1]

I had an LC5 from new in about 2006 and loved it.

Then I stopped jet skiing and thought I would go back to a car. The wife was disgusted she loved the Land Cruiser.

Now I can’t afford another.

They are fantastic.

my next LC is going to be an amazon.

 

[eddie]

my next LC is going to be an amazon.

Toyota won't import the V8's now sadly

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[596]

Toyota won't import the V8's now sadly

You buy them RHD in Gibralter and ship them over

Authorised Specialised Distributors | TGS

TGS is Toyota official direct sales supplier to the UN, International Humanitarian Aid and Conservation Organisations worldwide.

www.toyota-gib.com

 

[TheBig1]

Toyota won't import the V8's now sadly

just like motorhomes, a personal import is easy enough

 

[596]

2 x RHD available here

 

[DL42846]

I had an LC5 from new in about 2006 and loved it.

Then I stopped jet skiing and thought I would go back to a car. The wife was disgusted she loved the Land Cruiser.

Now I can’t afford another.

They are fantastic.

I'm in the same boat. Can't afford one these days. They can get stuck though.

 

[596]

I'm in the same boat. Can't afford one these days. They can get stuck though.

Anything can get stuck with an idiot driver

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[Northernraider]

Nope I buy what's the best quality at the price I'm willing to pay.
Maybe Britain once made good stuff ....although I need convinced, but we built crap cars , crap caravans and crap motorhomes German was always much better.....electronics definitely better with Japanese , motorbikes ....japanese , clothes ...well I think most of them are foreign too.

Foodstuff is different , I wont pay extra to buy local produce although if the b word happens we will all have to do that

 

[Blue Knight]

To be fair, only a minority of Europeans apply the method you describe: Hymer, Carthago, Eura-Mobil and all the super-expensive ones. Probably one or two I don't know.

But Dethleffs and Bürstner for example, use electric elements to prevent the waste water tank from freezing. Carado does not even offer heating of said waste water tank. Adria is no good either. Hobby goes the electric way for most of its models. Most French are just as laughable on that regard.

I don't think the problem is British. It is not a country-related problem.

Regarding the construction methods, I think the big divide is between companies who make both caravans and motorhomes and companies that are specialized in motorhomes.

The companies who also make caravans tend to build their motorhomes like caravans. Big mistake in my opinion, but they are generally more affordable and suit a large part of the clientele who intends to use their MH only in warm weather. If you're going to put your MH in storage for the winter, buying a winterized MH would be a waste of money.

Of course, Hymer did it the other way. They build their caravans like their motorhomes, using the same PUAL construction.

That's a good post. I like your style

 

[Northernraider]

I thought that was a help the aged bus at first ??

 

[Northernraider]

To be fair, only a minority of Europeans apply the method you describe: Hymer, Carthago, Eura-Mobil and all the super-expensive ones. Probably one or two I don't know.

But Dethleffs and Bürstner for example, use electric elements to prevent the waste water tank from freezing. Carado does not even offer heating of said waste water tank. Adria is no good either. Hobby goes the electric way for most of its models. Most French are just as laughable on that regard.

I don't think the problem is British. It is not a country-related problem.

Regarding the construction methods, I think the big divide is between companies who make both caravans and motorhomes and companies that are specialized in motorhomes.

The companies who also make caravans tend to build their motorhomes like caravans. Big mistake in my opinion, but they are generally more affordable and suit a large part of the clientele who intends to use their MH only in warm weather. If you're going to put your MH in storage for the winter, buying a winterized MH would be a waste of money.

Of course, Hymer did it the other way. They build their caravans like their motorhomes, using the same PUAL construction.

My burstner had full double floor all tanks onboard and heated by the aldi heating system , as did my frankia and my hymer ( truma)

Had 4 British caravans they were pants

Parents had several British motorhomes they were pants

 

[Northernraider]

When buying something like a Motorhome my first priority would be reliability and quality. You can't tell if something has been made in GB. All the components are generally sourced from abroad.
One thing I wouldn't buy though is something on Fiat, Citroen or Peugeot base. Reliability is rubbish. They are designed to sit on your drive and be used once or twice a year.

Hmmm the majority of motorhomes are on those bases

6 out of 7 I've had have been fiat and all reliable enough
Current one is on 106000 miles

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[JonHG]

Charity begins at home but what is British these days, Iconic Mini is German, Aston Martin is owned by Ford etc.. Vauxhall is General Motors. Buying an inferior quality product is not doing them any favours, they need to be persuaded to up their game! Buy what suits you best then when travelling you can support the local economy. Travelling here we buy Welsh Lamb, Scottish beef (and whisky!), in France of course cheese, wine and coffee!
From someone old enough to know better, young enough (at heart) not to care.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

Since when has buying a FIAT van been patriotic?

 

[thebriars]

The companies who also make caravans tend to build their motorhomes like caravans.

Its a big stretch of the imagination to think that my Elddis caravan was actually "built", jerry built maybe.

 

[Ninjabob]

I own a motorhome business called Van Bitz and we specialise in motorhome security and specialist installation of Lithium batteries, fully integrated power systems, multiplexed inverter/charging systems, etc

And advice on all aspects of the RFU ?

 

[eddie]

2 x RHD available here

i wrote a 2015 (I ordered it when I found out Toyota were stopping importing the V8 Amazon) and wrote it off last Summer

We replaced it with a 2019 Invincible which whilst being under powered, is, technically years beyond the Amazon sadly.

I still think anything less than V10 sadly lacking so it’s immaterial

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