Buying a Nuevo

After much deliberation we have decided to sell our trusty old Duetto in favour of a Nuevo. With the extra space we won't need to aggravate our poor old backs putting up the awning! I look forward to joining you all in the coach-built section of the forum from now on. Just wondering, is there an initiation ceremony before I am considered worthy of joining you?

janian wrote:After much deliberation we have decided to sell our trusty old Duetto in favour of a Nuevo. With the extra space we won't need to aggravate our poor old backs putting up the awning! I look forward to joining you all in the coach-built section of the forum from now on. Just wondering, is there an initiation ceremony before I am considered worthy of joining you?

Of course there is, but it's not for the faint hearted so I dare not give the details in public!!  

(A lot depends on whether you are Jan or Ian - no surprise there then!!!! )

I don't think you will regret buying a Nuevo. We have had four, and although we go to the shows and browse around all the vans (as you do) we have never found one that we would swap it for - at any price.

I have a relatively early example, 2004. It's brilliant, and although a newer or even new model is now within reach, I have no intension of changing. It ticks all the boxes, and although a little down on power compared to newer models, I'm of the opinion it's better built.
Al.

Ah, the Nuevo, such a fantastic compact coach-build in the Auto-Sleepers stable. At the time we only exchanged for the larger Broadway to gain extra travelling seat belts. You've obviously done some research for the van of your choice, just need to find the one that appeals to you given the age and condition. Apologies if my assumption is incorrect as you may be buying new. Regards

We had a 09 Nuevo EKes for 3 years and loved it, exchanged it to our current van as we required the extra length .
Boaby

Paramedic wrote:Ah, the Nuevo, such a fantastic compact coach-build in the Auto-Sleepers stable. At the time we only exchanged for the larger Broadway to gain extra travelling seat belts. You've obviously done some research for the van of your choice, just need to find the one that appeals to you given the age and condition. Apologies if my assumption is incorrect as you may be buying new. Regards

Sadly no. The Nuevo is a 2003 model with a nice low mileage. Sold our Duetto today to a lovely couple who have given up tugging. Thanks for all your input and we are 100% sure we are buying the right model for us. Can't wait to collect it!

Gromit wrote:

janian wrote:After much deliberation we have decided to sell our trusty old Duetto in favour of a Nuevo. With the extra space we won't need to aggravate our poor old backs putting up the awning! I look forward to joining you all in the coach-built section of the forum from now on. Just wondering, is there an initiation ceremony before I am considered worthy of joining you?

Of course there is, but it's not for the faint hearted so I dare not give the details in public!!  

(A lot depends on whether you are Jan or Ian - no surprise there then!!!! )

I don't think you will regret buying a Nuevo. We have had four, and although we go to the shows and browse around all the vans (as you do) we have never found one that we would swap it for - at any price.

I am Ian. Does the offer still stand?

janian wrote:

Gromit wrote:

janian wrote:After much deliberation we have decided to sell our trusty old Duetto in favour of a Nuevo. With the extra space we won't need to aggravate our poor old backs putting up the awning! I look forward to joining you all in the coach-built section of the forum from now on. Just wondering, is there an initiation ceremony before I am considered worthy of joining you?

Of course there is, but it's not for the faint hearted so I dare not give the details in public!!  

(A lot depends on whether you are Jan or Ian - no surprise there then!!!! )

I don't think you will regret buying a Nuevo. We have had four, and although we go to the shows and browse around all the vans (as you do) we have never found one that we would swap it for - at any price.

I am Ian. Does the offer still stand?

Jan would have got away with baking us a jam sponge.
You're buying the beer . . . hope you have deep pockets!!! 

2005 is a good year for a Nuevo. I also think they were a little better built then. They are pretty good now on the whole, but a few recent penny pinching savings and lack of attention to obvious detail has done A/S no favours.

Dave- what are the penny pinching savings you refer to? I am looking at getting a new one. Gone are the good old days when Autosleepers used tree wood and brass hinges, it's just paper foil now like all the others. Gone also apparently is that nice patterned upholstery, it's all plain hessian sack cloth now. Except that I am informed that you can still get the pretty stuff by special order. That's what I would want.

I've never owned a Nuevo ...but...I can see that they are very popular, I very much suspect that they hold value far better than I could ever hope for with The Corinium!
For me personally, they are too small at the moment, should I want a smaller AS in due course, it will be very much on my list.

Ray

gasgas wrote:Dave- what are the penny pinching savings you refer to? I am looking at getting a new one. Gone are the good old days when Autosleepers used tree wood and brass hinges, it's just paper foil now like all the others. Gone also apparently is that nice patterned upholstery, it's all plain hessian sack cloth now. Except that I am informed that you can still get the pretty stuff by special order. That's what I would want.

Nothing that is likely to bother, or even be noticed by a first time owner, but when you have had several, going back over the years, you can't help noticing the changes - not all of which are for the good. In fairness however, I should say that it's very much a case of "swings and roundabouts", and some of my moans have been addressed and improved on vans built since we got ours.

Minuses include the discontinued removable wardrobe floor, which made it easier to get at the water pump and heater unit. The water pump itself is now a cheap and nasty submersible, instead of the trusty old Shurflo diaphragm type. No small lifting table at the side of the fridge housing. Very few shelves in the top cupboards. No internal access door to the underbed storage. Plus the things you mention above - and yes, you can still specify upgrades and extras, though A/S are not as flexible in this as they used to be. (Like all the others again.)

Irritations include fixing the habitation battery right in the middle of the underbed space. Having to crawl under the van on your back to isolate the gas supply. No gas rams or supports of any kind on the overcab locker door.

Pluses include the underslung gas tank, which is a very big plus - specially if you plan to go abroad. They have gone back to the steel bed frames now, which again is a big plus, and they come fitted with excellent gas rams which is good. They have touch sensitive roof lights which are superb, specially the one over the loo if you are a vintage male who has to "go" several times a night. A vague swipe of the hand and the light comes on - you wouldn't believe how frustrating it was trying to find the tiny switch in a sleepy daze while busting for a pee!!   Worth mentioning that all the internal lighting is now low voltage LED. The solar panel is vital if you go "off piste" very much, but opt for the 80 watt version. The standard 30 watt is a bit of a joke.

None of the "minuses" are difficult to overcome, and some are no more than an occasional inconvenience. Our water pump was a pain in the backside, but we had it changed for a Shurflo at Willersey. You may be able to specify a Shurflo when you discuss the options - and I would advise you to do so. (Forgot to mention the water filling system which uses an external submersible pump as used by caravans. I don't like it but many members think it's great and wouldn't be without it. You will have both options fitted, so that counts as another big plus.)

Not to bang on any more (  ) I can only say that we have looked at loads of other vans at shows etc. (as you do) and in spite of the niggles, we have yet to find a manufacturer or model that we would want to swap for the Nuevo. 

Hope this helps.

Our Nuevo is the first commercial build camper we have owned and my biggest grump is 'older' people on here constantly telling us the new vans are not as good as they used to be. As Dave Gromit says, nothing a newly would notice.

Our must have/want list included under 6m, 3500kg, 2 seats, air con & auto. The Nuevo ticked all the boxes. We spent a long time at the shows and decided that even if AS are not as good as they used to be they are still better than any others we considered.

Again, as Dave has said, they are let down by attention to detail. Things drop off that shouldn't but overall, a nice van.

Gromit wrote:


 They have touch sensitive roof lights which are superb, specially the one over the loo 

I want one ! Is it a standard fitting that could replace the round lights with the switch built into the stainless steel bevel ? 

I guess AS no longer using " tree wood and brass hinges" is the only possible answer to the demand for more and more goodies as standard. If you were to put them all on a van with more robust furniture then you'd never manage to get it below 3.5 tonnes.

Quilter wrote:

Gromit wrote:They have touch sensitive roof lights which are superb, specially the one over the loo 

I want one ! Is it a standard fitting that could replace the round lights with the switch built into the stainless steel bevel ? 

It's more or less a standard fitting, but the original in the loo (with the tiny switch) is recessed on the base to take the wiring. The touch sensitive one is not recessed so it had to have washers on the screws to stand it off the ceiling a bit. Only a couple of millimetres and you would never notice it.

I only replaced the one directly over the loo, and its position is now built into muscle memory. I hardly need open my eyes to go for one or several piddles during the night. 

This is not the one A/S fit. I think it may be discontinued, but it's a Lumo so it should be OK.   

This one looks even better. It has a standby LED so you can find it in the dark.  

[quote="Quilter"][quote="Gromit"]


 They have touch sensitive roof lights which are superb, specially the one over the loo 
[/quote

I wouldn't be picky if I disagreed, I find the light In the loo too bright, when one wants to use the loo in the middle of the night.... struth ......they blind you!

Squinting to find something small in a bright light , I leave the little step light on at night, much better.

Ray

Many thanks Dave. I don't have problems in the night as there is usually enough light from the uncovered roof light and anyway I can manage in the dark. Just turning those fiddly little switches on at any time without several greasy fingered revolutions round the bevel I do find annoying however.  If I scraped round the kitchen one I could probably feed us for a night.

We have just been to see them at SMC in Newark. I took The Fragrant One on the same route as I took. I was looking for a panel van with seats at the back that could be left as a bed, plus a front lounge that could actually be used as a lounge. Also I wanted more than 18" gap down the central isle. I looked in all the vans, and then at the last moment before leaving I looked inside the Nuevo. I was astonished at the spaciousness.  So was the Fragrant One when I took her so I think we are agreed that she will let me buy one. Most of the dealers I spoke to were steering me towards what they have in stock of course, but Marquis educated me as to what can be ordered. I don't like the loose table in the 2 settee version, as you would have to fold it up (not light, or easy) and then stow it in the wardrobe in amongst The Fragrant Ones' ball gowns and many and varied coats (she will say it's only one). I liked the sound of the front dinette as in the luton cab model so I asked if the front dinette is available in the low profile one with cupboards instead of the cab sun roof. Yes it is. (£1000 extra for some inexplicable reason). That makes it a 4 belted seat version which I like if I want to use it as a general car as well as a motorhome. Then I started thinking of all the variations that are available. 2 seating variations: 2 sofas or front dinette with 'fixed' table, cab roof light or cupboards, luton bed or low profile, 6 variations of upholstery, dark or lighter furniture, Fiat auto / Pug manual, standard build or premium pack. That amounts to 2 x 2 x 2 x 6 x 2 x 2 x 2 possible combinations in the same body, i.e. 384 varieties of Nuevo. And that doesn't even count accessories like tow bar, bike rack and so on.
No wonder you won't find your exact build in a showroom!
I will say in SMC's favour that they said although it would take 6 months to build the one I want (whatever it is), they will fix the price at current 2017 prices with a guarantee of no increase, and fix the price of my part exchange as well. I liked that, though I might guess that they would build in a margin for devaluation, unless A/S will also fix their price now. He also rattled on for two minutes on the fact that you won't get a discounted A/S because they prohibit it, so you won't see any special offers at the NEC. That is why they hold their value - if you can get a discount on a new one, it follows that the used values will be correspondingly lower. Two other dealers say I would have to pay the 2018 price. I will have words . . . . 

By the way I did ask about a few things. The solar panel is now 80W as standard, though it seems it doesn't have a split charger for both batteries as I would expect. I said I would want a Surflo pump, not the submersible one and he mumbled something. If it came with a Whale I would fit a Surflo myself. I know a chap who was a director of Whale and he told me a bit about them. They do make excellent pumps, but those are for commercial use, not for caravan use which they regard as being used for 2 weeks in the summer plus three weekends during the year. The pumps are correspondingly made to last 20 days. If yours breaks they will happily replace it, because making them like that and replacing the broken ones is cheaper than making them properly. Don't tell anyone, I will deny it. 
I did look at what is needed to get at the boiler - now there is a drawer under the wardrobe and above the boiler so you would have to remove that, or as has been said, just ping off the plastic covers and remove 4 or 6 screws, no problem. I am a qualified gas man so I can fix these boilers. I am pretty sure I saw the gas manifold and all the taps at the back of the wardrobe. I would expect another tap immediately by the tank underneath as well though. I would want mine Waxoyled - does anyone know the cost?
Anyone who has read this far and is still awake - congratulations! 

gasgas wrote: I liked the sound of the front dinette as in the luton cab model so I asked if the front dinette is available in the low profile one with cupboards instead of the cab sun roof. Yes it is. (£1000 extra for some inexplicable reason). That makes it a 4 belted seat version which I like if I want to use it as a general car as well as a motorhome. 
Anyone who has read this far and is still awake - congratulations! 

Phew gas gas, trying to find all the relevant points to your post. Apologies if I'm way off the mark but there is a rather fantastic 2015 Broadway 4 Berth for sale on this forum which may tick lots of your boxes. Only 2,600 miles, what a bargain!!!!! Regards

Funny I was thinking that!

Yes that Broadway is a real bargain. The only thing is I don't want a luton and I already have a 6.5 metre camper and really I am looking for a smaller one. My basic premise is to get one vehicle that I can use both as a camper and a car. Still, it's worth thinking about. I would have thought that a dealer would go and get it. I bought my daughter a Romahome for £4500 which I knew was a bargain. They didn't like it and sold it for £6500. A dealer bought it, put it on their forecourt and on ebay, and within two weeks sold it for £11,995.

By the way, where do you store a folding picnic table and folding chairs in a Nuevo?

We store our chairs in the Luton which you don't want. I suppose you could somehow strap them to a bike rack if you want a bike rack. Otherwise I can't see any other way but to leave them loose between the sofas and transfer them to under the van when on site.

Hmm, thanks for the reply. I don't want to do either of those. I was thinking either in the wardrobe or in the under-nearside-bed locker. Of course the ones I have won't fit, because of Murphy.

gasgas wrote:By the way, where do you store a folding picnic table and folding chairs in a Nuevo?

Not a Nuevo but I think the layout is the same in our Broadway.

We have a Lafuma and a Hi Gear folding chair as well as a folding table. When travelling one chair and table go behind the passenger seat between seat and end of bench and the other chair, plus 5 litre emergency water bottle, go behind the driver's seat. We have 2 Poundshop luggage straps which go over the seat and round the chairs to hold them firmly in place. At night, on aires etc, they go in front of the cab seats, slid in via the cab doors.

Never failed yet and still room for shoes and slippers on the floor beneath them.

gasgas wrote:Hmm, thanks for the reply. I don't want to do either of those. I was thinking either in the wardrobe or in the under-nearside-bed locker. Of course the ones I have won't fit, because of Murphy.

I suppose it all depends whether you want stick chairs in a bag or reclining chairs.