Buying New Warwick XL

Hi 
We are seriously thinking about buying our 1st van conversion, a new Warwick XL, at NEC show in October for 2018 delivery. We have looked at the Auto-Sleepers main web site and would like a Fiat 150bhp Comfort-Matic engine/gear box. We would also purchase the Premium and Winter pack options. In addition, we would like factory fitted habitation air con and fly screen to main side door.

Q1 Can you gives us any experiences good or bad warts and all with this model/options
Q2 Is the fly screen a factory or dealer fitted Dometic Flytec FT200? Is it robust i.e does not break, easy to slide, does it catch on door or door window blind movement?
Q3 What habitation Air Con do you have or recommend? Is it cool enough for South France, Spain etc in 40 oC Summer?
Q4 When sitting in rear are you warm enough with blown air heating in winter, say northern Scotland wind rain snow
Q5 When sitting in rear are you comfortable enough in summer without any side windows to open i.e. no through breeze?
Q6 We are down sizing from a Swift 664 motor home with fixed bed, will we regret this by moving to a smaller van conversion with no fixed bed?

Thanks in advance for any advice/helping us in this very important decision = £££ we may spend!!!

We have had a Warwick XL for nearly 2 years, on the whole very pleased with it. We came from a 2 berth end bathroom caravan so found initially that storage was reduced in comparison, however, you learn to use every available space to the max and we can carry clothing for 3 weeks. We also have a small pop up tent to use outside as a "shed" for chairs bbqs etc when onsite, and a waterproof box which lives outside as there are no outside lockers for toilet fluids, dirty pegs mains leads etc. Although ours is indeed a Fiat, ours is a manual box, happy with the Fiat base vehicle. We have no side door flyscreen either nor air conditioning. The coldest we have experienced is minus 4C, cold enough to freeze the site taps, but warm as toast inside the van, outer silver screens are a must, and use gas and electric to get it up to temperature initially. In hot uk weather ( 35C ) the van is just as hot inside as the side windows don't open and are black so get very very warm to the touch. Opening the side door, back doors, cab windows and rooflights in the daytime is a help, but when its parked up and you are out it gets very hot inside in the sun. We have just bought a Fiamma sunblocker and use it with the Thule canopy to keep the van side shaded, but a large tree would do the same job.. As many do, we had several teething troubles, all manifested in the first six months of use, frustrating as hell but all is settled now. Would we change it or go back ? no way, we find it just big enough to be adequate and just small enough to be convenient... PS the roof aerial only works 50% of the time....Hope this all helps 

We're just ordered a Warwick XL and were told a sliding fly screen connot be fitted, there isn't enough room. There is another thread about a curtain type fly screen.
Probably cheaper to get the air con fitted by a specialist rather than AS.

Hi
thanks for the information Justus 2 and Palette very informative. I'm not sure now as the fly screen was high on my wish list! The mosquitoes love me

I have never found mine too hot. As stated above, if you leave the side door and back door open you'll get enough of a through draught  if the skylights don't provide enough. Bear in mind you'll lose a skylight if you add air con.
We just returned from France during the very hot spell recently and to be honest the only time spent in the van during the day was for a siesta.
Making the double bed is no hassle. We've got it off to a fine art now and takes less than 5 minutes. When the dog is not with us, we use the two singles although I extend my bed out to 3ft ( I need more room than my wife on account of my size!) there is still a gap between the beds ( albeit half the size of the normal aisle) enabling easier access to the toilet in the night.
We find the heating very efficient. We have never been too cold, even in minus temperatures.
My biggest gripe is the Thetford fridge. We are on the third circuit board now. And while we're on the subject of the fridge, if you leave the side door open in very hot weather, it covers the fridge vents, preventing air circulation and makes the fridge less efficient.
Other than that, we love it !

Irnbru wrote:........I'm not sure now as the fly screen was high on my wish list! The mosquitoes love me

Hi & welcome,

Cookie99 recently obliged with this link to a side door mossie net    

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The only slight downside is that it doesn't slide open when not needed.

I would suggest if you have not driven the Fiat Comfort-matic take it for a drive first including steep hills, I drove one back from Italy and hated it, it would never make it's mind up which gear it wanted to be in, 3rd 4th 3rd 4th 5th 3rd and that's on the flat at 50km/hr, you will either love it or hate it, I have a VW Passat DSG and love it, so hence I purchased a manual Boxer Warwick XL.

Aircon, get the Trumi as it integrates with the existing combi 6e and works more like climate control and is a reasonable price from AS.