Do I have to relinquish my membership...

New camper will not be an A/S...

It will be from Trigano though, who make A/S. So a cousin really. Distant.
Reminds me of the song... My perfect cousin

Can I still join in the fun?

They let me stay 
What did you get

Benivan
Can't afford a new A/S...

the wheelbarrow wrote:Benivan
Can't afford a new A/S...

Some say the old ones are best.

Its my view as well.

Micky

Micky - tend to agree
The new 'vans we saw at the NEC were pretty poor (in MVHO). Quality of finish, fittings, flimsy and particularly delicate and fragile....

The one we've sold was rock solid, robust and has stood the test of time...

'Why you sell' I hear you ask.

Driving and safety.

Old 'van - 55 maybe 60mph. Hills..... MPG 
New van - 150BHP. Cruise. Airbags. Crumple zones. Aircon

I look at my 20 year old A/S Montana and think, yes it is a bit slow, OK, a lot slow because it has no turbo or ECU but does do over 45mpg and if I am more aware of what’s around me, not fiddle with the radio or try to make or take phone calls and slow down a bit that may make it safer. It’s a Mercedes and still pretty sound underneath. The brakes are all new and the inside is as good as new and is as solid as the day it left the factory as A/S didn’t make or use flimsy stuff back then, although they did bodge one or two things. I think I’ll stick with it a few more years. Iv’e spent a bit updating and adding hot water, shower, TV, various power sockets, solar panels etc. I use it as my car now and it fits under the dreaded height barriers. The only thing available to replace it would be a A/S Wave which I don’t think is as good as the Montana but certainly faster, or it means taking out a mortgage on a VW pop top and blend in at the VW camper jams etc I like to attend. In two weeks me and my A/S camper are off to Spain for a few months. I’ve not taken it any further than Cornwall before but the previous owner, Greenways who was on the forum, took it to France a few times. i would stick with the forum if it’s possible as it’s one of the better ones ..... in general:snigger:

the wheelbarrow wrote:New camper will not be an A/S...

It will be from Trigano though, who make A/S. So a cousin really. Distant.
Reminds me of the song... My perfect cousin

Can I still join in the fun?

It seems evident your getting a Bennimar from Marquis.
I would love to know what you think of the new van and if you think it is better than the AS then don't hesitate to say so.


PS I got a new AS from Marquis in 2017 and they did try to push me away from AS and push me towards Benimar, which suprised me at the time.
PPS I now regret buying from Marquis and will not do so again. I'm still a fan of AS but I worry about recent changes such as the takeover by this French multinational.

AutoSleepy_Don wrote:PS I got a new AS from Marquis in 2017 and they did try to push me away from AS and push me towards Benimar, which suprised me at the time.

Looking at your location, I think we have seen the same salesman when we were looking to replace our stolen Nuevo. He definitely steered us towards the Benimars rather than a similarly priced Nuevo they had on the forecourt. I wonder how the commission compares...

Oh, and he said to stay away from Swift. Guess what we bought.

biffobear wrote:I look at my 20 year old A/S Montana and think, yes it is a bit slow, OK, a lot slow because it has no turbo or ECU but does do over 45mpg and if I am more aware of what’s around me, not fiddle with the radio or try to make or take phone calls and slow down a bit that may make it safer. It’s a Mercedes and still pretty sound underneath. The brakes are all new and the inside is as good as new and is as solid as the day it left the factory as A/S didn’t make or use flimsy stuff back then, although they did bodge one or two things. I think I’ll stick with it a few more years. Iv’e spent a bit updating and adding hot water, shower, TV, various power sockets, solar panels etc. I use it as my car now and it fits under the dreaded height barriers. The only thing available to replace it would be a A/S Wave which I don’t think is as good as the Montana but certainly faster, or it means taking out a mortgage on a VW pop top and blend in at the VW camper jams etc I like to attend. In two weeks me and my A/S camper are off to Spain for a few months. I’ve not taken it any further than Cornwall before but the previous owner, Greenways who was on the forum, took it to France a few times. i would stick with the forum if it’s possible as it’s one of the better ones ..... in general:snigger:

Oh How I agree with you biffobear.

Mine are refurbished and like new, bodies good  as well, the engines also very good, cannot fault the speed, have to watch I don`t go over 70, usually stick to 55/56 when allowed of course.  MPG no complaints. 33 Amethyst, 36 Topaz. Anyway what motor homer wants to speed,  the journey is a part of the adventure.

I have no intention of buying newor nearly new,  now or in the future, I am more than happy with what I have.

But as usual each to their own, if no one bought new there wouldn`t be any pre-owned vans to buy.I also like and go to VW SHOWS

Best wishes to all motor homers,

Don - I shall certainly review the new camper. And Marquis. Definetly review Marquis....

Biff - I agree somewhat with your analysis of the 'need for speed'. However - most of our jaunts will start with a Friday afternoon dash somewhere, where we'd like to get to the destination in a reasonable time. This weekend will be followed by a Sunday afternoon / evening dash back.

Longer journeys, I accept, will generally be more relaxed, and, if planned properly, or improperly(!) allows you to meander to your heart's content.

Plus, we're all conditioned to demand the highest standards in elfnsafety no, and the thought of driving without airbags is a bit scary....

Airbags are not one of my agendas, I don`t have any, sometimes wonder how I have got    to my age. 

I know some are all safety conscious, and my views are considered not the norm, if I worried about all the safety concerns these days I wouldn`t get out of bed,.MHO of course, I have more concerns in my life at the moment. 

I am a big believer in fate, cannot insure that whatever life throws at you. elf and  safety , makes folk think they are safe whatever they do or don`t do.  so are more relaxed about being sensible, like When hard hats were introduced at a factory I know that some hit their heads, because they didn`t think,  before that they didn`t hit their heads knew the consequences if they did. so in effect it made them Complacent.I never worked there, just someone who I knew.

I say just enjoy your MH and safe and happy travelling to one and all.

daisy mae wrote:Airbags are not one of my agendas, I don`t have any, sometimes wonder how I have got    to my age. 

I know some are all safety conscious, and my views are considered not the norm, if I worried about all the safety concerns these days I wouldn`t get out of bed,.MHO of course, I have more concerns in my life at the moment. 

I am a big believer in fate, cannot insure that whatever life throws at you. elf and  safety , makes folk think they are safe whatever they do or don`t do.  so are more relaxed about being sensible, like When hard hats were introduced at a factory I know that some hit their heads, because they didn`t think,  before that they didn`t hit their heads knew the consequences if they did. so in effect it made them Complacent.I never worked there, just someone who I knew.

I say just enjoy your MH and safe and happy travelling to one and all.

I remember the BMW company drivers belting down the motorways when ABS came on the scene. Yes they stopped but not the car behind.
-------
Richard

Someone once told me that a sharp spike in the middle of the steering wheel would be more effective than an airbag...

ABS (or rather lack of it) was one of the main reasons for my last change of van, having had another driver do something completely and utterly (and unavoidably) stupid in front of me.

At least with ABS you know that you cannot realistically slow the vehicle any more at the point when you hit the car in front. Sure - someone ~may~ go into the back of you - or you might be lucky and there is nobody behind you!

-mojo- wrote:ABS (or rather lack of it) was one of the main reasons for my last change of van, having had another driver do something completely and utterly (and unavoidably) stupid in front of me.

At least with ABS you know that you cannot realistically slow the vehicle any more at the point when you hit the car in front. Sure - someone ~may~ go into the back of you - or you might be lucky and there is nobody behind you!

Yep, one of many things I would not be without these days. Oh and climate control is a must, although not found much on commercial vans.
----------
Richard

4 essentials for me....
1 Power steering, almost impossible not to have nowadays, but when you didn't have it....
2 Air Conditioning, absolutely essential, not just for cooling, but for drying the air, no condensation, never switched off in my van, or indeed, car.
3 ABS, I need to stop 3.5 tonnes when I want it to stop!
4 Cruise control, I estimate that circa 80% of my driving is done under cruise control, especially to avoid exceeding speed limits.

Re speed, yes when at destination, usually France/Spain then I religiously stick to their local speed limits, BUT we live 4 hrs from the ferry ports, all of it extremely boring M11 M25, M3 etc, so that's the 75Mph cruise or more if I think I'll get away with it, good for the engine too.

Re speed, yes when at destination, usually France/Spain then I religiously stick to their local speed limits, BUT we live 4 hrs from the ferry ports, all of it extremely boring M11 M25, M3 etc, so that's the 75Mph cruise or more if I think I'll get away with it, good for the engine too.

  
Sorry but is this an age thing? I really wish members would not brag on about breaking speed limits in a 3.5 ton 'Truck'  At 76,  if correct , your reaction time is not what it used to be - fact ! I know mine at 58 is not what it was at 18 and I drive 30, 000 miles plus in such vehicles a year for work.  
        With the keys to a 3.5 ton 'truck' should come a bit or responsibility that a vehicle of that size cannot be as agile and responsive in an emergency as a small light hatchback . 
        My father in law at 85 regularly does the 'ton ' in his small hatchback and thinks he is a formula 1 driver but is in fact a nightmare on the road but family are having a nightmare trying to get him to see sense and hang up the car keys......  Lets promote a bit of sense and safety on this forum , you are on holiday , chill and relax and maybe I wont have to see some of the sights I see on the roads.  

67 I think....
Ian will not be pleased if 9 years are added to his age...

Those motorways.... M11, M25 - 70mph is a speed most can only dream of...

I did hit 70 once on the M25. 1997. 03.38. For about 120 yards.

Sorry Wheelbarrow , typo 67/76! Its as I said , an age thing! Yes I have been there , variable speed limit saying 60 and sitting stationary for 10 mins.....Well done on the purchase by the way, keep us informed as to how reliable the conversion is. You will be laughing with the amount of cash saved by not buying the A/s equivalent. 
         I have always thought , as long as the basics are included and well put together the rest is just expensive window dressing with a van conversion. Which model did you go for?

Kaspian - thanks.
We went for a Benivan... Hopefully a good choice. Time will tell. 

We like the unfussy, clean simple light interior. Basic 2 ring cooker (hopefully use the barbie when we're out and about). No oven, just a microwave and a decent amount of space between the kitchen area and the washroom.

150BHP engine coupled to an auto gearbox. All the bells and whistles that come with the drivers pack and hopefully at a decent price. Not a great time to buy a new camper so the dealership will, I hope, have a sharp pencil and be keen to make a sale....

Restricted to Marquis who do get some bad press. This will be an opportunity for them to redeem themselves.

Is this the the end lounge layout then? This is what put us off so many of that layout type as you say. The distance between bathroom and kitchen is so small you can barely open the oven door without hitting the bathroom door on the other side of the isle. Even if you had to add a few extras or reinforce with a few screws it must be good to know that you have saved probably 15k ....I have spent 3 years putting right what should have been done in the factory at build time so know that there is a lot of 'hype' 
     I think some manufacturers are losing the plot with white/ cream  leather interiors and off white carpets etc when you find yourself parked up in some muddy campsite in November!! 
       Marquis do seem to be a marmite dealer but there are many branches and it is probably down to your particular branch and how good they are. Hopefully you wont need them apart from servicing !

the wheelbarrow wrote:150BHP engine coupled to an auto gearbox.

Have you used the Fiat auto box? A lot of people dislike it with a passion, personally I love it.

I would advise that you ENSURE it has the hill assist option fitted. I am told it is now standard but it is still worth checking. This is the device that holds the brakes on for a few seconds when on a hill. My Nuevo didn't have it and hill starts were a bit hit or miss. The Swift has it and makes hill starts consistent. Of course, if you have very long arms and are able to reach the hand brake comfortably from your seat you may be ok without it.

the wheelbarrow wrote:Kaspian - thanks.
We went for a Benivan... Not a great time to buy a new camper so the dealership will, I hope, have a sharp pencil and be keen to make a sale....
.

I'm confused. You say 'we went for a Benivan' and then you hope for dealer to be keen to make a sale. Are you saying you've decided what you want but haven't actually done the deal yet?

We know what we want. We're negotiating all aspects of the deal.

As the old saying goes - it aint over till the fat lady sings...