WARNING regarding the new model bourton

Just purchased the new model BOURTON FROM Marquis Ipswich, We are delighted with the van and the staff at Ipswich.
The warning is with regard to the new position of the bike rack, When you load the bikes make sure they are positioned centrally on the rack, that way all the rear lights can be seen, 
The trouble is because the rack is positioned a lot lower. (This makes loading much simpler and easier). But you cannot see the number plate until you are about 20 yards behind the van.
AUTO SLEEPER say it is the responsibility of the owner to make sure the vehicle is legal. They designed the new rear end, surely they should have taken this into consideration and positioned the number plate up high.
Marquis have kindly agreed to supply another number plate that can be put up near the top of the van.
Off to Scotland tomorrow doing the NC500, picking the number plate up on the way, that is the service Marquis give.
LETS HOPE I DON'T GET STOPPED BY THE POLICE.

That's pretty good service from Marquis. I don't think the police would have any grounds to take action during the first part of your journey, as you can clearly demonstrate that the vehicle is being driven to a location specifically to have the problem resolved.

In fairness to A/S, it's hard for them to predict exactly what people will put on the rack, and some types of bike may obscure different parts of the rear than others - do you know how they plan to address the fact that the number plate will need to be illuminated after dark?

I had not thought about a light.
 I don't even know what distance behind is legal. It appears that this is a major design fault.
Regarding what you put on a bike rack I think the answer is bikes.
Maybe Auto Sleeper should come up with a solution.

I have read of this problem before on 2018 models.

Having had a rack fitted to my 2017 Stanton, I was concerned that an over-zealous officer might regard the number plate as being placed to be impossible for a high mounted speed camera to see and issue me a ticket.

The idea of a high mounted number plate is a great idea. Whenever I have bought caravans, motorhomes, cars etc I alway insist, as  part of the deal that a spare set of plates is supplied. This means I already have a rear plate.

I know what my job is tomorrow now! I may tuck it into the window used for the overhanging warning plate on the bike cover. As for illumination, I'll worry about that at a later date because the original is illuminated and that illumination is not relevant for speed cameras.

Good luck with the Broadway.

Dennis

thanks Dennis , I think I will do as you suggest and put the plate in the cover window.

DAVETHEWANDERER wrote:
Regarding what you put on a bike rack I think the answer is bikes.

I was just observing that not every bike is exactly the same size and shape - for example some people carry folding bikes - and that although it's called a "bike rack" it's not unknown for people to fit storage boxes on their rack which - to state the obvious - also differ in shape and size from a bike.

Good luck in finding a solution, with assistance from A/S/Marquis.

Yes indeed Mojo, and it can make quite a difference depending which way round you put the bikes, or whether you have to slide the rails across in order to match the bikes to the bike frame grippers (or whatever they are called?)

It's nowhere near as straightforward as it might appear, and there's no way A/S could mount the rack so that every conceivable type of bike will just drop on perfectly.

Sliding the rails across a bit often solves the problem, and it's easy enough on the Fiamma rack.

Hope this helps.

We have just purchased a Bourton which has the same problem with the light plate if using the bike rack. As it seems to on going problem with this design of the rear end and fitment of the bike rack, the easiest option for Auto sleepers is to have the necessary wiring and plug receptacle put in during the build for the Reg light plate to be used if required. I am sure it would not cost that large amount added to the build price. The owner can then nip down to Halfords and fit a trailer  plate  and everyone is happy [ish].
As the vehicle is currently doing its own thing on opening and closing the vehicle door locks, accompanied by the vehicles light in concert with the locks. The vehicle lights also came whilst parked and locked up in a barn one night! 
The Haunted Snail [as we have named it ] has been back at the dealers / Mercedes /Autosleepers for the last 16 days, with little or no communication with the dealers one is singularly not impressed to 
date, and no end date for its return as yet.
We do have other problems  with its vehicle computers, but most are poor final inspection  [ ie the table legs fell off on first use]

Since I last wrote, the electrical plug for the light board  was fitted , which I had to reposition   After spotting another Motorhome with a similar problem. The electrical socket is now attached to the angled support for the lower fairing, and with a bit of reprofiling by bending of the plug mounting plate so it now horizontal  rather than vertical  ( just the right height to get knocked off on a low bank when reversing when fitted as by Marquis otherwise a good job) 
After writing to the CEO  of Auto sleepers about the poor build etc, we are still awaiting acknowledgement  of our letter after 5 weeks. Some of the letter concerned the poor build , but also some suggestions of how to improve some of the designs, ie the habitation door handle being replaced so that the upper right hand drawer could be used  without opening the door.. The Haunted Snail spent a month in the dealership while they sorted ( hahaha ) it out.
We are still having problems like whether the habitation door will actually lock  on the central locking - or not, sometimes it does then again ........!
Eventually  we had it returned in late August., with some further advice about operating the vehicle about the door locking  or bypassing the automatic door locking - why it isn’t in the handbook beats me,  with some pages from a different vehicle included, ie the schematic of the correct fuses as now fitted not was in another installation. The handbook for the Bourton  Seriously needs a total rewrite and the correct information provided.
As we spent £70,000 plus I would have expected a better built motorhome and certainly better service from Auto Sleepers. Singularly disappointed.
We went away for 10 days in late October to early November when the PSU failed losing all 12 volt electrical power  of which the handbooks were  totally useless . Just like camping in the 50’s I should imagine.

Sorry to hear of your troubles with the new Bourton. It seems many of these new problems are associated with the new Sprinter and it’s link up with the Autosleeper.  We had some early teething problems, but nothing like what you and others have described with the new Bourton. 

( PS : As mentioned, I think your running two different user names ? )

Electric gremlins on MB discussed here......

https://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com/t30453-2019-bourton-mercedes-electrics-issues

When I was being shot at in my house, it took the Police a week and a day to respond to my calls for help. On another occasion when I dialled 999 to report my neighbour's house being burgled, they came round after an hour and a half giving the tea leaf plenty of time to escape, Mr Plod said, and I quote, "Burglary isn't much of a crime, we are not interested. You mustn't ring 999 to report a burglary". So I wouldn't bother with another number plate, the Police don't exist and you certainly wouldn't get stopped for trivia like a number plate being obscured.

I didn't put the whole story as a)it's not a motorhome story and b) it's a bit long.
I lived in a house on the outside of a crescent. I bought it as it was cheap - the first time I could afford a house with no mortgage. Consequently it was on a council estate where apparently I was the only person who was married to the woman I lived with, I was probably the only one with a job, certainly the only one who had gone out to work, earned the money to buy the car I was driving. The front room faced out to the garden and round the crescent a bit was a house where about 15 people lived on a time share basis - while one third were out robbing, another third were in bed and the other third were in jail. (that bit might not be 100% accurate but you get the picture). One evening in the dark I was in the front room and I could hear sharp cracks on the window, as if someone was throwing stones. I peered out but couldn't see anything by the street lights so off I went to bed. The next morning I went out the front and all the double-glazed plastic frames were broken in bits on the ground. There were rather large air gun pellets lying around and this was what the crack noises must have been. I wanted to call the Police so I looked in the phone book for my nearest police station. I dialled the number and a voice asked which police station I wanted. I said 'the one against which this number is shown in the phone book'. They asked which one it was so I asked why don't I get the police station when I ring the Police station number? "This is a call centre, which police station  do you want?" I told them and they put me through. I used to work for BT so I know that if a call isn't answered after 20 minutes of ringing the exchange cuts you off. As there are no Police, (unless you drive your car at 35mph past a camera, which seems to be far more of a crime than shooting at people or burglary) the call was cut off. So I rang the number again.
"which police station do you want?"
'I don't want a police station, I want to speak to a policeman'
"well this is a call centre there are no police here, all I can do is put you through to a police station"
"why can't I dial a police station number?"
"What is your address?" so I told her.
"I'll put you through to Wigston police station"
"That's no good the phone isn't answered and they have no answering machine"
"I'm sorry, that is all I can do" . . . . .puts me through, I wait 20 minutes, cut off, give up.
So I looked in the phone book and Wigston had a Fax number (this was a few years ago)
So I sent them a fax: Dear Mr Policeman, I am being shot at, if you have finished your coffee and doughnuts and have nothing better to do, this is my address . . . . . .
I took the dog for a walk and saw a notice "Mr Joe Bloggs your MP is in the village hall at 10 am if you want to see him"
It was 10am so off I went and told him I couldn't get a policeman.
He took out his mobile phone and said 'I can do one of two things, which would you prefer? I can call the Chief Constable of Leicestershire and because I am me, he will be here in 15 minutes. However that doesn't tell me what happens to my constituents in the normal course of life. I would prefer for you to let things happen and write to me at the house of commons when it is resolved and I will take it up with the chief constable".
A week and a day later, a knock on the door and there was Mr Plod. He investigated the crime scene and decided that the bevelled edges of the window frames must have resulted in shots coming from the house opposite. I got really angry. I said 'you know as well as I do where those shots were coming from, yet you are trying to tell me that a 90 year old lady who hasn't been upstairs for three years, is firing a powerful air gun through a 6ft high, 6ft thick hedge, making the pellets turn through 90 degrees mid flight so they can hit my window frames? Get down the road and arrest those who you know are responsible'.
"No."
So I wrote and told my MP. I got a letter from the Chief Constable, with no apology that I can recall, just spouting the reduction in crime figures in the area and isn't his force doing a wonderful job?
I sent it to my MP who wrote to the chief constable and told him what he thought. So did I. Nothing was done about the 90 year old criminal lady who has a magic air gun that shoots pellets that suddenly change direction mid-flight. Or the crims that actually did the shooting.
The reason that crime figures are dropping is that everyone is doing what I did: I never reported any more crimes - it is a waste of breath, nothing will be done - unless of course a camera catches you doing 35mph, then a computer sends you a £100 bill and another computer puts points on your licence. Clever isn't it? No Police needed. I wanted to sell the house of course, and if no crimes were reported when the conveyancing solicitor or purchaser looks up crime figures for the area, they will be well impressed. The fact was that over the three year period I lived there, I counted a crime committed against me on average once a month. I sold the house to an ex-SAS chap. He won't have any bother at all from them down the road

Regarding the bike  rack .I have a new broadway and have the same problem .lights are even more obscured  when a cover used.has anyone had   a rear socket fitted so a  number plate board   with lights can be fitted to the bike rack.if I had thought  about this would have had a towbar instead of bike  rack.

Yes I was interested  on how it was done ie  where the wiring  comes from or hidden I have a end bathroom .no electric  expert imange  it's not straight  forward.

Hi all, put bike rack in the forum search box. Then look for the thread started by caraman. There are a few pages, but there is a mine of info there about the bike rack position and how to wire in a light board to the Sargent vlm5 interface.
Archie

I had the same problem with the bike  ( on a 2019 Bourton  the well known Haunted Snail ) rack covering the number plate Marquis offered an extra number board. In the end I got one fitted  that is attached to the bike rack and can be fold up with the bike rack in unused Position and lowered down when bikes are being carried. The Number plate Board rotates as required. But getting the dealership to actually Wire up the power Supply was a bit of an uphill battle. I told them it is illegal to drive a vehicle whose rear number plate cannot be lit up.
But then this machine has been a bit of a disaster since day one.  Trying to get the EC700 to actually work, was also an uphill battle. The dealership were about to send it to a Mercedes  garage to sort out their computer program On the vehicle itself.. We have not seen the motorhome since as the lockdown came into being. We believe it’s still at the Mercedes garage  but will ever see it again .? We have owned 
 it for one year, the dealership have had longer In their keeping than we have .

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