Rienza

Are there any Rienza owners on here ? Are you happy with your van ? Anything you find absolutely awful ? Does your bathroom have any sort of lining on the ceiling ?
Thanks.

Hi Elsie2, 

 We had one for about four years a while back.   Great van with a lovely lounging area.    The Transit is a good base vehicle and a great driver.    One minor niggle was the gear ratios, the first four where great for low down pulling but then a gap going up to fifth and six.   On long uphill pulls, if you ran out of steam in fifth, it was a large drop to fourth and subsequent speed reduction.    Easily got used to it and drove accordingly.    We did about thirty thousand miles mostly over long distances here and Europe  -   it was a great long distance cruiser.
Sadly sold on as we needed four travelling seats and four beds (grand kids!).   They did actually do the Rienza with an overbed in the luton, but ours was only a two, with the luton being a great storage area.
I don't think you would be disappointed with one.    Go for it !

Bob

Thanks Bob,
A very prompt and useful reply. I am very keen on the one I have found and very tempted. The gear ratios on my Executive are not ideal - big gap between fourth and fifth but you get used to it. Had a test drive with the Rienza and quite happy but only a long trip will reveal all.
Colin

We had one for several years, a 2007 model with the overhead locker at the front, so only the u shaped lounge to make a double or two singles.

We loved ours, had it for about seven years. It was faultless apart from needing batteries and tyres as you might expect. The only downside was that ours had only 5 gears so speeds above 55mph seemed loud and ‘busy’. Not a major issue as we tended to travel at about 50mph. This returned 29mpg.

Be aware that Transits seem to be the van of choice by thieves at present due to a poor locking system, so if you go for it invest in a few extra security items such as steering wheel locks etc.

We did find dampness in the near side around where the fridge vents are. As the van was always parked facing west it was exposed to the prevailing winds, although we did use fridge vent covers and for some years a full, breathable cover. I tend to think that the damp may have been from leaking pipes or sink drain which is beside the fridge. There was no smell of dampness and was only picked up at trade in by a dealer who I trust. They removed the fridge vents and showed me the damage. They repaired it and it sold very quickly again.

Definitely get a thorough damp check otherwise the van was an excellent choice and gave many miles of enjoyment. We bought for £29,000 and sold for £25,000 making each night that we spent in it £10 although this excludes fuel, tax etc.

Davy

Thanks very much. I do have a damp meter so I can check what is reported by the dealer. Can you remember what covering or headlining was fitted to the bathroom ceiling ? The one I am on the verge of buying has a ceiling that looks like bare plywood, which I would not accept. I wonder if there has been any water ingress in that area. I have brought it to the dealer 's attention and am awaiting a response. Otherwise, the van seems in good condition and I like almost everything about it. This would be our sixth van, and third Autosleeper so I have some idea of things to look for. Thanks for your input.

Hi there, we are Rienza owners. Ours is on a 55 Plate , Mk6 Transit. After our very rusty Duetto we love it. We were lucky with ours because it had very low millage for its age, 24,000. We had a couple of very minor niggles with ours not helped by the dealers not understanding motorhomes.
We liked the rear lounge layout of a motorhome  we hired in New Zealand so finding the Rienza and helped by being Ford Based it was what we wanted. Being a two berth we find it very roomy with lots of storage, we still have empty cupboards. The over cab fits all the bedding we need with room to spare. We have been out with ours all year and managed to stay snug and warm. The blown air heating in the bathroom makes it a very warm room very quikly. Wet coats or towels dry very well. A warm shower in a warm bathroom beats trecking across the site to cold shower blocks. A very minor silly point, remove the loo roll before showering, it gets soggy, I must relocate the loo roll holder.
Regarding the bathroom ceiling  lining I am not sure what you mean. Ours looks like a normal motorhome ceiling, certainly not bare ply!.

I am used to Transits so it feels ok to drive considering it is quite a large body. We have just had four days away mostly on A roads in Norfolk. In total it was about 260  miles and we used half a tank of fuel. On long motorway runs at 60mph we can mange about about 400 miles on a tank of fuel. To me thats not bad.
The last habitation check found no damp issues or any other faults. It must have been looked after in the past. 
Good hunting.

Hi Dave418,

Glad to see you have had a great year with your Rienza.

I have been wracking my brains to remember what the ceiling in ours was like. The joys of getting old ! As you have said, ours certainly did not have a bare Brown ply if that is what Elsie2 has described. It was more like a cream vinyl with a bit of a fleck through it.

One of the big plus points worth mentioning is that the Rienza has a huge payload of over 500kg. We never got close to filling all the cupboards and lockers. Rear wheel drive can also be a useful feature as there is more weight over the rear wheels. Handy when on wet grass or mud.

Davy

Thanks both, very nice to hear so many positives. I was certain that the bathroom was ceiling was not correct. It looks completely unfinished. I now suspect there may have been some water ingress in that area resulting in the ceiling panel being spoilt. I will insist on a set of damp meter readings before handover and will also take my own readings. I am buying from what I believe to be a reputable dealer so should be able to ensure some peace of mind. I am pleased to hear that the Rienza has given a lot of satisfaction as I believe it will suit us very well. Thanks again and I will look out for Rienzas out and about.
Colin

We have just returned home after a week away in our Rienza. Collected on the 1st. Of November and we do like the van. Not the best start initially, thanks to the dealer ! Plenty to do now,  making her the way we would like her, and several winter trips coming up. Thanks again to the Rienza owners who replied to me earlier.

Hi Folks, Did you buy the one with the odd bathroom ceiling ?. Since I last posted I tried to think what we had done to ours in our first year of owning it. I replaced the tyres, cracking due to age.As fitted to the van from new I think. I replaced the vehicle battery, it was eight years old and the wrong capacity. The second battery and leisure battery are fairly new. The n/s and rear windows have been re-sealed. The sealing strip in both had gone hard.
All these are minor and repaired  by the dealer we bought from. I have also added a battery master to make full use of the solar panel. 
Our last trip was to the North Yorkshire coast and it blew a gale all weekend. The only drafts I found were from the top of the fridge. Fitting the vent covers have a big difference. Being parked on the top of a hill facing the north sea at Whitby will find any drafts.
 Compared to the Duetto this a big step up, we never managed any winter trips. The water pump filter froze and cracked at Easter in Norfolk. The pump was under the kitchen sink with no insulation between it and the side if the van. We spent a silly lot of money having the body repaired to find more rust after six months. 
Hopefully like us you will enjoy your trips out, maybe we will see you out on the road.

Yes it was the one with the odd ceiling. It was on my list of snags agreed with the dealer prior to paying the deposit and they made a good job with the new headlining. I had a list of 12 items to be dealt with before handover, and unfortunately another 22 items following "handover". All very stressful as we were on our way to a Rally on the day of exchange and handover. Lots of phone calls and emails and then back to the dealer at the end of our Rally. We will now be sorting any annoying squeaks and rattles, lining all the lockers with carpet, and deciding where to stow all our kit. Our refillable gas system is being installed and we will be using the van a lot during the winter especially while under warranty. Then a month in Germany on the Spring followed by a month in France in the Autumn.
Hope to see other members of this fairly exclusive Rienza club out and about.