new motorhome collected 12 days before we go away! brave or stupid?

[TerryL]

The OP said it was a "new to them" van, not a brand new one, so I would hope that any bugs had been sorted by the previous owner. 'Tis why we bought 2 yrs old.

But there again, it might have been a "Friday afternoon" van that they'd had enough of and moved on.............................

 

[deemac]

The small black box looks like the Striiebackninternal movement sensor

 

[Hel999]

thankyou everyone for your advice. Its been a bit too cold to be outside exploring the van today so we will probably just get chance to have a quick night away next weekend to make sure everything works (or we know how to work it) before we set off on the long trip.

i have actually discovered its previous owner on a FB group so that should help things

 

[Hel999]

yay log book arrived yesterday - I am so shocked at how quick DVLA is these days. Swapped it over electronically on thursday when we collected it and it arrived yesterday.

Re registered the Strikeback and Growler to us with VanBitz who were so helpful too so all is good and all set.

 

[Allanm]

If your new Autosleeper is 3 years old, all the bugs should have been ironed out and fittings secured properly by now, assuming the previous owners used the van a lot.
We bought a new Autosleeper in 2013 and had numerous minor problems in the first few months, none stopped us using the van though, but the kitchen waste pipe coming apart and flooding under the Sargeant control panel and electrics, twice, was a bit annoying!
Our latest van was bought new on 12th October, we packed it up on 13th and started a 2000 mile trip on the 14th
Nothing broke or went wrong, and we are currently on our second trip, 800 miles in and all is again perfect.

If it was my new Autosleeper, I would check all the internal waste pipe joints are secure. For some reason, they are just a push fit. I took all mine apart and glued them after the second flooding.
It seems quite a common occurrence with these vans.
Anyway, good luck with the new van.

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[Hel999]

If it was my new Autosleeper, I would check all the internal waste pipe joints are secure. For some reason, they are just a push fit. I took all mine apart and glued them after the second flooding.
It seems quite a common occurrence with these vans.
Anyway, good luck with the new van.

Thankyou for the tip. I will task hubby with checking them all this weekend.

started a 2000 mile trip on the 14th
Nothing broke or went wrong, and we are currently on our second trip, 800 miles in and all is again perfect.

ooh where is your trip to? we might see you on our travels.

 

[Allanm]

......................

ooh where is your trip to? we might see you on our travels.

We live in France, first trip was to the UK to visit family, then home again. They are spread out a bit, we managed 2100 miles till we got home. Current trip is again to the UK, bit of sightseeing, visiting family and helping our youngest daughter sort her new house, a bit more sightseeing then Christmas in a rented cottage in Suffolk, then up to Warwickshire, South Wales then home.
Doubt we will get near Huddersfield though!

 

[Stretto Boy]

I think you will find it has the same 80w solar panel as that fitted to our 2017 AutoSleepers Broadway.

 

[Hel999]

I think you will find it has the same 80w solar panel as that fitted to our 2017 AutoSleepers Broadway.

no it has a much smaller 30w one so hubby has just taken delivery of a 100w one. just need it to stop raining so he can fit it.

 

[Stretto Boy]

no it has a much smaller 30w one so hubby has just taken delivery of a 100w one. just need it to stop raining so he can fit it.

I’m sure the 80w one should have come as part of the Premium Pack.

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[Hel999]

I’m sure the 80w one should have come as part of the Premium Pack.

i think they changed it in 2016. here is the 2015 brochure which states 30w on winchcombe with premium pack and the one on ours is really tiny. http://www.auto-sleepers.com/media/2014/12/MERC-COACH-WEB-BROCHURE.compressed.pdf

i really do wish it had been an 80w though

 

[Barclaybasher]

Why do folk worry about solar input?

I lived on a boat in the 70s and 80s, no hook up, no solar - just lpg gas or diesel charge from the engine

...........just used less power - no problem, carry a spare battery if you're worried

 

[Stewart J]

We took delivery of a new van on 6 th January 2017, packed it and left home on 13th for 3 months in Portugal and Spain, yes we had a few minor snags but nothing major, mind you it is a German van so well screwed together.