Tour of Germany and MH dealers

[funflair]

If you come across a gas strut for our front passenger seat, keep us in mind please. Tx

Hi Nigel

I was looking but could not see anything for toes seats, swivels for later ones yes.

Martin

 

[funflair]

Right, where did we get to before I had to get ready to go to the party (more later on that)

The chassis had just come into the building and the floor was going on and they start laying in pipe work and wiring and fixing on the lower lockers on the Flair models.



This is a Flair on the IVECO with the drop down chassis extension showing and the space into the double floor.

The furniture is pre built and sits at the assembly point waiting to be fitted.

thank goodness somebody knows what they are doing at this stage as there are pipes and wires everywhere.

 

[sallylillian]

Didn't take any photos in the Vario factory as I didn't think it would be right so you will have to make do with this. Broken Link Removed

This is the Star 800 that we saw in the showroom, on a Merc Sprinter as you can see, it's a touch smaller than our Flair but only 0.5 metre on the length and about 200 mm in the height but it seemed to have a lot less space in the garage and underfloor which it doesn't have being on the Merc, I also can't help but think that the big Mercedes dashboard takes up a lot of space compared to the IVECO. The interior is Quality but this one not to our taste, I like this better. Broken Link Removed

But not sure about the price!!.

Twice the option maxed Flair!!!!

 

[sallylillian]

Looks like you had a great time Martin, how did you get on at Durrwang, anything cooking?

 

[funflair]

Looks like you had a great time Martin, how did you get on at Durrwang, anything cooking?

Hi Michael

Had a good look around but very few Flairs, quite a few Arto's.

Martin

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[funflair]

Of course it's not all about factory tours and motorhomes, there was the big party last night and now coffee and cake.

 

[funflair]

Back to the tech bits.

This is more furniture going onto the floor.

This time we missed the bit where all the panels are fitted so hence the jump to something that resembles a finished motorhome, although there is still a fair amount of internal fitting and tidying to do.

Hopefully you have enjoyed this little insight into how a motorhome is built, it would be good to see some Funsters here next year.
There is a video that we saw the first showing of last night, it is the build process from start to finish in fast forward so I will post when it is released on YouTube.

Martin

 

[Southdowners]

Really interesting - thanks for posting! Would love to go next year.

 

[funflair]

Really interesting - thanks for posting! Would love to go next year.

Worth doing for sure, I think it will just keep getting better, Niesmann camping who are a big Concorde dealer just over the road from the N+B factory have also had an open weekend the last two years, all the Concordes, Hymers and Vantur panel vans are open for the duration of the weekend and they have a sale of old and redundant showroom stock.

Martin

 

[funflair]

A few vans for sale at the factory if you want to know what you can get for your Euro here in Germany.




This one for the Hymer fans.

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[Gorse Hill]

Well today was the official start of the open weekend, it starts off with a jumble sale of old/surplus parts which range from alloy wheels, furniture, shower trays, Windows etc right through to some small and quite dos cure parts.

Following this at 1:30 they did an English speaking guided tour of the factory production facility, they were producing both Fiat/Arto and IVECO/Flair models.

View attachment 82024 These are the rolls of aluminium that will become side panels when are pressed and bonded onto the blue foam insulation, the N+B vans are alluminuim inside and out and have no wood in the structure of the body. The alluminuim rolls are coloured White, Silver or Champagne.

View attachment 82025 These are the blue styrofoam panels that the alluminuim gets pressed onto, the grooves in the foam will be vertical in the walls and will act as drainage channels in the unlikely event of any water ingress.

View attachment 82027 The side wall panel is now been pressed together and has been cut out on the CNC machine, this one is a Flair 920.

View attachment 82028 The wall is now stood up and the fitting out has started, the big bracket is for the drop down front bed fixing point.

TO BE CONTINUED

Very interesting, thank you, not that I can afford one but never the less Informative

 

[Judge Mental]

Vantur panel vans

Can't find anything on these..
Can you explain please Martin

 

[funflair]

Can't find anything on these..
Can you explain please Martin

Sorry vantourer

Martin

 

[JockandRita]

Really interesting - thanks for posting! Would love to go next year.

Likewise here too.

This is more furniture going onto the floor.

What's that reservoir on the top right Martin. Is that the antifreeze for the Aldi heating system?

Thanks again for the info and images.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[funflair]

Likewise here too.

What's that reservoir on the top right Martin. Is that the antifreeze for the Aldi heating system?

Thanks again for the info and images.

Cheers,

Jock.

Well spotted Jock, indeed it is the Alde expansion tank, this must be a 920 island bed version as the tank is right at the back of the van in the wardrobe by the side of the bed.

Martin

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[JockandRita]

Well spotted Jock, indeed it is the Alde expansion tank, this must be a 920 island bed version as the tank is right at the back of the van in the wardrobe by the side of the bed.

Martin

Oh, I do like that.

Best viewed with the sound on mute.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[sallylillian]

Well spotted Jock, indeed it is the Alde expansion tank, this must be a 920 island bed version as the tank is right at the back of the van in the wardrobe by the side of the bed.

Martin

Sorry Martin, it will be an Arto with the tag, also the Flair shower is on the other side, and the expansion tank on the LF is in the wardrobe as you say, but on the other side in the additional wardrobe behind the toilet.

 

[funflair]

Sorry Martin, it will be an Arto with the tag, also the Flair shower is on the other side, and the expansion tank on the LF is in the wardrobe as you say, but on the other side in the additional wardrobe behind the toilet.

Ha Ha thanks Michael quite correct, I am doing it on my phone and looking at thumbnails poor excuse I know.

Martin

 

[funflair]

Over the road from the N+B factory is Niesmann camping who are a big Concorde and Hymer.

A few offers on Hymer, I don't know how good these are as it not something I look at particularly.



I think these are all new 2015 vans.

Edit except for the 2016 Exis

Martin

 

[TheWM]

'Dad' can I come with you next time please..?!!

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[funflair]

'Dad' can I come with you next time please..?!!

Only if you've been a good boy.

Dad

 

[Hagstrom]

Hi Martin and Jen,

Hope you're not getting seduced by the siren voices of the N&B factory salespeople and considering buying a new one on the basis that we only live once!

Norman & Ros

 

[sallylillian]

Or according to some knowledgeable and eminent doctors, "the first human being who will live to 1000 years, has already been born". My wife hopes its not me!

 

[funflair]

Hi Martin and Jen,

Hope you're not getting seduced by the siren voices of the N&B factory salespeople and considering buying a new one on the basis that we only live once!

Norman & Ros

Well tis true, the only live once bit anyway.

Everything seems to be getting bigger and we fancy going down to 8 metres, N+B are going to introduce a Flair 820, actually they said they had made one but scrapped it as the layout didn't work so they are doing something different , don't know what though.

Sometimes we fancy a change on the why not you only live once no pockets in shrouds basis, but then we can't find a van that gives us what we want and the one we have is a great van so why change just for the sake of it.

Martin

 

[funflair]

Lovely sunny day today in Koblenz went for a bike ride up the Mosel to Alken lunch outside in shorts and T shirt, nice autumn colour in the vines.



Martin

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[Southdowners]

Well spotted Jock, indeed it is the Alde expansion tank, this must be a 920 island bed version as the tank is right at the back of the van in the wardrobe by the side of the bed.

Martin

It could be the 830 - it's the same layout as ours

 

[funflair]

It could be the 830 - it's the same layout as ours

Well it's certainly an Arto not a Flair like I said.

Martin

 

[funflair]

Still motorhome related, decided to get some new Gel batteries while in Germany EXIDE G80/ES900 picked them up just outside Munster £125.26 each UK price about £150 online plus £10 each delivery.

Then drove 10 miles to a lovely yachthafen Stellplatz for £10 a night inc lecky at the side of the Dortmund-Emms canal.

Bike ride into Munster and it's festival again.



What a nice town, and never seen as many bikes, even in Holland.

Martin

 

[Judge Mental]

Volvo Amazon...nice

 

[funflair]

Yesterday it rained all day so we had a sleep in, had a beer or two with lunch then watched a DVD and fell asleep. The man from the site came around and said are you staying another night as I am closing it because of the rain, yes we stayed but were the only ones on and we left this morning.

Heading towards Amstedam for a few days and thought we would have a look at Utrecht on the way, found a stop on the campercontact app but got stuck in traffic and arrived in the dark, it only takes 3 vans anyway and we could not find it, co- pilot said turn left so of course we did, road getting narrower and narrower and lots of bikes, over a narrow bridge and then stopped at the 3.1 metre arch (we don't fit) no place to turn around so planB.
Jen started to panic but thats pretty normal, the good news was that there was no traffic behind so reversed back with bikes still squeezing through all the time, we eventually found a small car park and turned into it to turn around, I said this looks nice and quiet I think we will stay here. I walked up the road and found there was a Hostel where we had reversed back from I went inside and explained our plight and asked if staying the the car park would be OK, he said other people do so that was the plan. He said if you want Wi-Fi its in the cafe BONUS. Anyway went back with the iPad and iWife and found they had a full range of Trappist beers so hey ho, a glass of Bokbeer doppel and a white wine.
Half way down the beer I said "you know Andy @Techno100 would take a picture of this" so I did except that I had drunk half by then.

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