Where does Bürstner sit in a league of German vans?

[15edward]

What do all think? I know nothing about them but there are some good looking Burstners around
We have had ( very) old RmBs and Concorde til now

 

[15edward]

Struggling to find any!! When I get out to it I’ll take some Tam! All those trips recorded without any decent acknowledgement of the van!!

 

[mitzimad]

Ours is fifteen years old weve had it 6 years now in that time ive resealed one window and had the electroblock refurbed all the rest is working and no signs of wear

 

[Soycd]

What do all think? I know nothing about them but there are some good looking Burstners around
We have had ( very) old RmBs and Concorde til now

Had a Bürstner 747 2002 to 2005. Loved it.

 

[Northernraider]

I had a 2003 burstner 747 in 2009. I paid 25k for it , 7 berth tag axle it was well built . I think my only complaint was the 2.8jtd engine in it was gutless for a van of its size . Which I can now confirm having the same engine in the same size of van now.

I reckon the newer engine will be better powered but possibly not as well built as the older models.

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[KiltedArtist]

What do all think? I know nothing about them but there are some good looking Burstners around
We have had ( very) old RmBs and Concorde til now

Only recently got my 10yo Aviano 645, I’ll let you know how it goes.

 

[bugcab]

I haven’t felt the RMB as too long these past years and we’ve done some splendid motorhoming in it. I think, like many on here, I am reassessing things and feel slightly smaller would be good. The RMB layout isn’t perfect for me, first RMB many years ago had a rear kitchen and two facing sofas which I liked. I think in the Concorde I was looking to replicate that.
also, like many, changed the vans to take grandchildren - but hardly ever did and they grow!
I’ve been looking at twin bed layouts both pull down and rear
to get facing long sofas and twin rear beds you’re looking at 8 m
pull down and rear lounges look interesting.
mobile.de has some lovely shortish Phoenix vans in Germany - I’d like to look at their coach built ones
but they do cost!!!
Also in Spain I saw the hymer 580ML- T Crossover, but there isn’t one of those in this country to look at
The importing threads on here keep me interested….
thanks for you comments everyone

Realise your question here is about Burstner but you also mention you are interested in the MLT Crossover.

From the vans you are used to I think a Hymer MLT would feel very compact inside. We noticed a big difference from our classic S660 that is actually a few cm shorter than the MLT but much more spacious. The "Crossover" spec is an edition model (equipment upgrade and AWD) of the standard Hymer MLT 570 (6.75m). The 580 is lightly longer (around 25cm) and whilst they dont do it as a "crossover" they are available with the same extras and awd with body lift just not the graphics. You should be able to view an MLT 570 or 580 somewhere in UK fairly easily.


Have you looked at Hymer MLI (integrated)? They are same length but feel much more roomy because of the extra cab area being an integrated.

 

[15edward]

Thank you
Good points - I’ll go search!!

 

[Bertie B]

What do all think? I know nothing about them but there are some good looking Burstners around
We have had ( very) old RmBs and Concorde til now

Bought one of their 5.90m drop down bed Ixos, 3 years ago 3k on clock. Now 9k on the clock. Still looks like new. Very well thought out layout, quality materials and looks fantastic. They have started doing new ones again but the price is half as much again £70k+. Warning do break anything it’s at least a 4 month wait for replacement parts.
I don’t think you could buy better

 

[15edward]

Thank you

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[MGSMerc.]

Thank you

In our case we bought a new Ixeo 745 in 2015 and kept it for 11 months. We obviously bought a Friday home time produced van. The list of faults was endless and the final straw was Osmosis on the cab roof, it was covered in blisters.
Burstner blamed all their suppliers for the faults, it was never their product. Good luck.

 

[15edward]

Thank you

 

[VXman]

Yer can't beat a Burstner

I think many would disagree.

I think a lot of Burstner owners would say older ones were built well but newer ones build quality has dropped. I cannot compare with other models as this is the only van I have ever owned but we bought it on the idea that it was a 'good quality German make'. I'm not so convinced now.

We bought a new Lyseo 727G in April 2021. Of

On delivery problems included...

Failing reversing camera which died completely after 2 months
Shower tap not working
Shower door didn't close properly
Mounting points for bed ladder missing
Tyre emergency kit missing
Burstner badge disintegrated after 3 months
More than half of the overhead cupboards did not click shut securely.
Garage doors difficult to open (one still is but now living with it)
Fridge didn't work on Gas. (Took a year to get replaced)
Bench seat underneath support didn't fit properly.

I think there maybe other things I have missed.


Now, I know some of these things are not Burstners fault (Fridge/camera) but they all call into question their quality control. I had the misfortune to have a useless dealer which didn't pick up on these faults pre delivery (or hoped he'd get away with it?) And took a long time to sort many of them.

Burstner were not supportive and delivery of replacement parts were slow (if the dealer is to be believed)

The biggest problem was the fridge but that was more of a dealer/Thetford issue.

What I do feel (bearing in mind I have no previous motorhome experience) is that everything feels quite poorly built, not solid/strong - maybe this is typical of motorhomes?. I understand things need to be light/weight saving.


18 months on, everything is working and we love the van and have done 18000 miles including to the south of Italy and Spain and are loving it. However, the first 16 months were a pain and caused a lot of stress/time/travel/expense getting them sorted out.

I hindsight I wish we'd bought a nearly new 2nd hand van that had had all the teething problems dealt with, and that we'd found a better dealer who was also more local, however it was the van we wanted (layout) and we got it when we wanted (middle of COVID lockdowns) atvery good price.

 

[GMLS]

Had 2 both bought new (wish I hadn't sold the last one until the new van had arrived).Both were faultless and would have bought another if Burstner still made a smaller A class with rear lounge when the Rapido was ordered. Found Southdowns who supplied both to be excellent too.

 

[Clive Mott]

Loved our Concorde, but it could have done with an american 5 litre V8 and be under 3500 kg.

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[Johnhc]

I’m on my second Burstner, both Nexxos, the first was an 08 plate on a Ford Transit base, it was a great vehicle both Ford and Burstner sides . The current model is a 16 plate on a Fiat base and I must say that the habitation side is far flimsier than the first one, the fridge is very lightweight and all three door shelves have broken (£30 each to replace!), also the freezer door catch, which came with a warning from the dealer, broke off completely after about a year. Otherwise Burstners are great vans much better build quality than English vans. Personally I would not buy from anywhere other than Germany

 

[john prince]

Having bought my first ever Motorhome in Feb 2022, (a Burstner Nexxo t625 on '09 plate. have to say, had one fault, that was an intermittent Truma Boiler issue -worked on an inclined driveway, hot water and heating, get to a level pitch u/s! Cannot fault Dolphin Motorhomes at Southampton, fixed under warranty. -67k on clock ,Ford Transit . I'm the 3rd owner. Most definitely get same make again. transverse bed layout, great garage.

 

[Monty777]

Bought one of their 5.90m drop down bed Ixos, 3 years ago 3k on clock. Now 9k on the clock. Still looks like new. Very well thought out layout, quality materials and looks fantastic. They have started doing new ones again but the price is half as much again £70k+. Warning do break anything it’s at least a 4 month wait for replacement parts.
I don’t think you could buy better

We looked at those, liked the layout, very clever and spacious-but-no spare wheel and nowhere to store one-absolute stopper for us. We bought a Hymer Exsis I 414-only 6mtrs long, 4 berth, and a very large garage-it didn't come with a spare either, but its got one now-it's not as spacious for lounging around at the Ixos but we manage.

 

[minesapint]

Bought a new Burstner Solano in 2008, the Fiat side let it down but the Burstner side was fine, sold it in 2010 and went back to a caravan for a couple of years.

Hi we have had a few different manufacturers vans, first one a 2004 Dethleffs Advantage, Dethleffs parts was great but the Fiat bit was not.
Then a Hymer caravan, very solid well built van.
We for some reason then bought a new Swift caravan, hmm. Sold it after a year with a few months lost due to warranty problems.
We then bought a Hobby MoHo on a Ford chassis, the hobby was very well built and the Ford part was OK.
We then bought our current van a Burstner Nexxo Sovereign, lovely lay out and great features, but a lighter build than the Hobby or Dethleffs, it is based on a Fiat Ducato so biggest problem it is virtually impossible to read the speedo or dash instruments.
Photos are in order of ownership.

 

[Gerry77]

“Typical shower wall plastic catch - it was always going to break”
They are used by Hymer to hold a rooflight fixed insect screen in the bathroom on several 2007 era mohos.

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[Dollysjg]

Purchased a burstner 680 last September 11k 5 yrs old all problems ironed out luxury 2 berth occasional 4 berth stacks of room and comfort and I mean stacks been out in her about 5 times only so looking forward to spring so we can get out and about. Expensive but you get what u pay for and it's actually gone up in value although not thinking of selling more of an investment with the kids inheritance .had a very nice Chausson , we loved it but there is no comparison to the burstner.

 

[j8snl]

We are a recent convert to Burstner from AutoSleeper. Bought a 21 plate in August with 1400 miles on it, now has 4000 miles and got to say we absolutely love it.

We also went with the Lyseo TD 690G (7m in length) same as Stealaway and I have to say it's not a Burstner I've seen that often in the UK, pretty much every Lyseo TD we see is the rear lounge style (644G), but the most common Burstner we see is the Ixeo, lovely in the silver finish I think.

So, our 2021 is on the new Fiat Chassis, 9 speed Auto and compared to the Peugeot Chassis on my AS it's night and day, quiet to drive as in we can actually have a conversation without shouting at each other and it's not necessary to pad everything to prevent rattles - ah that's lovely However, our old AS on Peugeot Manual got about 29 MPG over 20,000 miles, so far the Burstner on Fiat Auto is getting about 24 MPG over 3000 miles.

The layout is one we researched for a long time, and after 200 nights in our 2 berth AS with converting lounge twice a day our needs were 1) Fixed Beds at rear 2) Large garage over rear with mains power 3) Full size fridge for longer touring on top of things we already had like external BBQ points.

We also lucked into finding a model that had hardly moved, an impulse lockdown buyer who decided MH life wasn't for them, but had been highly spec'd with full Osaka leather, L Shaped lounge seating, electric drop down bed over lounge which we've now used once with guests, dual Gaslow system with crash control, roof mounted wifi, two Avtex TV's, Sentinel S7 tracker.

What's not to like about it. Well personal preference, but the lighting is too much and way too many switches (discussed on another topic in Burstner forum), I wish they had a dimmer option and it creates way too many light switches, we actually typically settle on the moveable lights on the power rail with everything else off. There's also a shortage of mains plugs in the right places but we manage.

These are incredibly minor, we absolutely love this van and the layout, it's a pure joy to tour and live in. We just got back yesterday from New Year away and was surprised to see 6 Burstners on site. Mostly Ixeo's but two Lyseo's, ours and a 644 as well as an A Class Elegance.

Being honest when looking I was set on a Hymer, but couldn't get what we want in the budget we'd set and in June / July / August a real shortage of good options available. There was also a problem with Hymer dealers being realistic on trade in value of my AS because they didn't really want it and were honest about that. So, when this Burstner came up at a price point in our range, with the layout we wanted and all the extras included and a great trade in of my AS we snapped this up and very hopeful this is our motorhome for years to come.

Couple of pictures attached:

 

[15edward]

Thank you

 

[jess12]

Don't think it matters the make if you are unlucky and get abad one it's a nightmare whatever badge it has German French English etc as me old dad use to say son if it has boobs or wheels at some point it will cause a problem

 

[teensvan99]

We bought a Butstner 748 back in 2005 and fulltimed in it for 7 1/2 years. Used it all over Europe and only replaced the kitchen tap. Fantastic build.
Steve

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[Go_buddy_go_]

Our very first Motorhome purchased in March ’22…..we have a burstner 590 TD harmony and we LOVE it! It works great for us {couple, daughter left home and no dog atm! } and as it’s only 6m long so easy for us to drive. We knew which layout we fancied and couldn’t find one anywhere so bought without viewing from NI. Not a single regret!!

 

[Go_buddy_go_]

Forgot to say only 10 months old with 140 miles on the clock

 

[Ian]

I've had a burstner 660 (fiat based), from new, purchased in 2012 - 6.9m long. It was an upgrade from an autosleeper van conversion with a Peugeot base. We love the layout of the burstner but I would never buy another one. Since purchase we have had several issues with it. Within the first year we had a leak on back panel which the sales advised was condensation. However it only got very wet when it rained. It was repaired under warranty. We have had hinges fall out of wall cupboards, we paid extra for an oven ( over £5k) but in the first two years we had 4 lots of replacement hinges on the oven door. The oven itself is very poor & there is no heat. I asked a domestic rep at their stall in one of the motorhome shows & he told me that several of the manufacturers want the ovens done as cheaply as possible & so they put poor quality items in. There is bubbling on the external paintwork but it is out of warranty now. We had a bike rack fitted from new which we wanted for electric bikes. They fitted a different type to the one in brochure & unfortunately it was rated at just 50kg. In theory it should have been suitable but after about 5 years the tubing buckled & I had to remove it. The hard wearing seat material has been wearing badly. The drivers seat keeps catching on the hand brake & just recently it has broken the plastic trim plus some bad scores on the hand brake. There were other problems as well but my overall impression of burstner quality is very poor. We are only keeping it as we like the layout & the cost of changing will be high.

 

[15edward]

Thank you everyone for your comments

 

[Malcolm Bolt]

I don’t know much about Burstner but why did you change from old Concorde and RMBs?

From an old Concorde owner.

Same question from an old RMB owner

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[andyelbac]

We purchased a new Burstner LyseoTD680G Harmony back in August of 22. It was our first motorhome. What attracted us was the fabulous looking interior. It was made out in creme and coffee hues and all leather seats. It looked like it wouldn't date any time soon. Also, the drop down bed over the seating area was perfect. As there are only two of us, this was a perfect layout and the bed has proven to be extremely comfortable and in fact measures bigger than our king size at home. Other great points; a big toilet and shower area. I'm 6'3" and when I tried to sit on some toilets when we were looking at vehicles, my knees would bash against the toilet door or wall. No problem in this vehicle as the toilet sits against one side wall and the shower on the opposite side. This also gives you a generous dressing area and it has a full width wardrobe across the whole width of the MH. The other selling feature was the rear garage with opposing doors. It has a weight limit of 150kg so we are able to carry a Honda SH mode 125 scooter in the back and still take an additional 22kg of stuff. This does mean that other items have to be carried in the habitation area when travelling with the scooter (not ideal) but as soon as we park up, out comes the scooter and into the garage goes the extra stuff. Additionally, when we threw it on the weighbridge just after purchasing, with just myself on board, a full tank of diesel and 20lts water we found we had 530kg of payload to play with. Fantastic! Admittedly, that was without the scooter but I'm pretty certain we will still be under the limit when i get it weighed again all loaded. The vehicle also has the new 9 speed automatic and I have to say it's an absolute joy to drive. If the Fiat dashboard computer is to be believed, we have achieved 36mpg on a recent trip to the New Forest. Not bad for a vehicle with a GVW of 3,850kg! The one criticism we do have are the seats in the habitation area. They are simply too shallow to offer proper support. We have found a fix for this though; we have the seat back sit on the frame instead of sitting on the top of the seat bottom. That way we get another 3-4" of support for our legs. We also recently had Rosmia in Sussex fit semi air suspension on the rear and uprated, bigger springs on the front and the change in the handling is very noticeable, with a lot less crashing and smashing every time you go over a pot hole and much less wallowing when going around bends....recommended. So although we can't comment on other makes (this being our first MH), and having done just 2,000 miles since we purchased it, so far it's a thumbs up from us for Burstner.