Auto Or Manual

I'm hoping to order my 2017 AS Kingham in the next few months, but I'm undecided on whether to go for the Peugeot 150bhp 2.2ltr manual, or the Fiat 130bhp 2.3ltr Comfortmatic (which I know is not a true automatic).
I've also been told that I may be able to order the Comfortmatic upgraded to 150bhp ?

What are your thoughts on the 3 options, or other variants that I may have missed ?

My dream AS would be the Kingham on a Mercedes platform, with automatic gearbox, but I don't think such a variant exists !

I will say that I'm very happy with my 130bhp Fiat. It has enough grunt to reach UK speed limits. I only wish I had been a bit more pro-active in checking the optional extras possible on the Fiat part. The handbook details many but I appear to have only a few. The others may not be available for motorhomes but I didn't even try.

Thanks Dave.... What kind of Fiat options ?

TBH I am sure most are Irrelevant but having found that they exist I would have liked to have chosen not to have them. The two I noted are lane detection and hill assist. I know most people turn off the lane detection but I would love hill assist (if it works like the sticky brake on my Smart).

I'm currently still finding my way around the habitation area and will return to the cab soon.

My inlaws had an big Autocruise on the Fiat automatic platform. We (and they) loved it. As you say, it's not a true automatic in the old fashioned sense. Rather a 'computerised manual'. But it worked brilliantly and made driving long distances and traffic jams much more relaxing.

I think it was a 2012 model with the larger engine available at that time.

If we ever moved over to the Pug/Fiat platform I'd definitely get the Fiat auto.

Steve

The option I might have liked is rain sensors/automatic wipers. I don't think I'll  miss the traffic sign recognition.

My Benimar is on the Fiat 150bhp engine mapping and is with a comfortmatic box. My friend has the peugeot van version, i get more mpg than him and mine is certainly quicker for all it is a lot bigger lol. I know which one I'd go for it would be the comfrotmatic, but Id want the hill assist and the speed limiter along with crusie control but the built in tom tom is rubbish. WIsh I had ordered the electric folding mirrors though, I like the traction control

Auto everytime complete with cruise control what a great relaxing drive, I have driven merc auto and it is a superb ride but to be honest I prefer the Fiat dashboard to the merc and therefore the comfortmatic wins on cost and if you get board with auto just use it as manual, play till your hearts content and think of the cost saving of comfortmatic V merc autobox. I dont think you would regret the Fiat and if you can opt for the 150bhp then even better but the 130 will be fine with the size of the kingham. I am thinking of downsizing to Kingham from my Bessacarr E560 which is on 130 bhp and it has certainly got enough power. I would def go for Kingham with comfortmatic 130 or 150 bhp, hope that helps. Cheers Rob.

Thanks Rob, 

The consensus of opinion seems to towards the Comfortmatic, so on paper, my mind is pretty much made up. I've got a test drive of one arranged for the 16th, so as long as I don't come away hating it, I think that's the option I'll be going for.

I'm still considering upgrading to the 150bhp engine, but I agree with you that the 130 would probably have more than enough power. My Bolero weighed in at 4.250 tonnes and was pretty quick on the 150 multi jet, but I'm thinking there would be less strain on the Kingham with the upgrade.

I'm happy with with 130bhp, but I moved from an 90bhp Transit.

Hi wargenwolf, I have to ask what are your reasons for going from the Bolero which is a lovely motorhome and not too big, similar to my Bessacarr, to a Kingham, are you simply downsizing ? With me its more to do with going metal as apposed to fibreglass!! I havehad a few repairs on my motorhome and am a bit fedup with fibreglass being so susceptible to marks and dents and so going Pvc is part of the attaraction of the kingham being a bit stronger and of course the autosleeper quality. Interested to hear your reasons for changing . Let us know your thoughts aswell on your test drive with the comfortmatic . Cheers Rob.

yammy wrote:Hi wargenwolf, I have to ask what are your reasons for going from the Bolero which is a lovely motorhome and not too big, similar to my Bessacarr, to a Kingham, are you simply downsizing ? With me its more to do with going metal as apposed to fibreglass!! I havehad a few repairs on my motorhome and am a bit fedup with fibreglass being so susceptible to marks and dents and so going Pvc is part of the attaraction of the kingham being a bit stronger and of course the autosleeper quality. Interested to hear your reasons for changing . Let us know your thoughts aswell on your test drive with the comfortmatic . Cheers Rob.

I don't mind sharing Rob, but when the OH and I got back from our summer jaunt to France last year, she dropped the bombshell that she didn't want to be married any longer, so long story short - Bolero sold within weeks, house took a bit longer, in fact I've only been in my new place 6 weeks !

Now on to the fun stuff.... I retire in April and I'm intending continuing to tour, at home and abroad, albeit in a smaller van and solo (apart from my black Lab), I have a fishing kayak, along with paddles, dry suit, fishing rods etc, which I want to take with me, loads of winter climbing kit and my bike.

So the Kingham fits the bill perfectly, winterised for Norway, Scandinavia and Scottish Highlands, solid roof for kayaks, decent sized fixed bed and a layout that I adore. After ending up with a leak around the rear Heki on the Bolero, I'm reluctant to go back to a coach built with all the stuff I need on top and I'm getting a side loading roof rack system fitted, to keep me from climbing on to the roof (which I think caused the Bolero to leak).

I'll let you know my thoughts on the Comfortmatic too !

Thanx for sharing that, very sad but hey..... looking to the future, the kingham sounds like the perfect van. Reasons not far off for me, motorboming is not my OH's first passion by any means and would prefer hotels but I on the other hand love it and if eventually she decides not to come with me any longer then the Kingham would be my next choice. Good luck with test drive and as said before very interested to hear what you think. Cheers Rob

Wargenwolf wrote:....The consensus of opinion seems to towards the Comfortmatic, so on paper, my mind is pretty much made up. I've got a test drive of one arranged for the 16th, so as long as I don't come away hating it, I think that's the option I'll be going for....

Well, I didn't come away hating it, but neither did I come away loving it !

I went in to the test drive with an open mind, bearing in mind that I must not expect anything akin to the smoothness of the auto boxes on my Discovery and BMW work cars, but the very first gear change was so unexpectedly slow, that my initial thought was that the engine had died. I wasn't expecting the change being so prolonged and I felt as if I was bobbing forward in my seat as the power dropped off for each change.

I know I would eventually get used to it, but I'm not sure at this stage that I want to get used to something, rather than it being a pleasure to use.

The jury is out for deliberation !!

Ken.

The trouble with a short test drive is the comfortmatic has to adjust over 250 miles to your driving style. First one I tried had been shunted here and there and was as you say slow to change up, however fast to change down. The programe expecting it to only go slowly as it had only been shunted about. The drawback we find with ours is it tends to be a bit slow off the mark especially on inclines from stopped. They are not a automatic as such, and having now done 8000 miles in ours were satisfied with it. I find it hard to go back to my auto car now when at home it seems very strange to drive after the comfortmatic.   As ive put 70,000 on the clock of that I expected it to feel like coming home after the comfortmatic.

IMO The best option to add on Peugeot/Fiat van conversions is electric folding door mirrors - great on country lanes when you've got a skip lorry charging towards you and handy when parked in narrow streets.
I've also added auto a/c, traction + and captains front seats. Auto-Sleepers are pretty accommodating folks if you want to tailor your new van.
You can definitely order the Fiat with a 150bhp upgrade. I've gone for a double upgrade and have a new Fiat 180bhp comfortmatic in the pipeline. No weight penalty now for the higher output euro6 engines.