Thinking of buying a nuevo ek

Newbie here seeking advice, having been happy campers for many years this years miserable wet weather has been the final straw for us and we have decided to bring forward the purchase of a motorhome a couple of years.

Having already spent the last year trawling motorhome dealers we have a rough idea of what we want, a 2006 nuevo ek has come up for sale near to us and it seems to suit our needs as a starter van.

My question is what things do i need to look out for when viewing this motorhome, i must admit i am more than a little anxious at spending £19000 on something i know so little about, having read many reviews from people who love there nuevo and how well built they are, there are also quite a lot of people who say they have had nothing but trouble and the workmanship is woeful.

So if anybody could give me a few pointers on any problems i should look out for i would be very grateful

Regards
Richard

Get an independent AWS tech to look the van over on your behalf. If there are basics wrong they should be able to tell you. 
Check the van's MOT test results history on the government website. Make sure all advisories have been sorted and if there are lots of mentions of corrosion then walk away. Also walk away if there are mentions saying that items could not be viewed due to being covered n grease. A trick tried by many to hide issues.

Anyone who thinks the workmanship of an Auto Sleeper is woeful had better not go near any other British make, nor any French make (I have lots of experience of these) and nor, so I hear of any Italian make. I think A/S are the best of the British, and I have lost count of the number of caravans and campers I have owned since 1973. The external sealant on the Nuevo is done neatly and properly. Mine is nearly five years old and the sealant shows no signs of deterioration or splitting.
AutoSleepers are not perfect by any means - my Nuevo had the sink drain running uphill, (like two French motorhomes I owned) and a cupboard door has its wood grain plastic covering shrinking away.
There are also design faults - who in their right mind would design a caravan or camper with light switches on the ceiling? Lots of caravan & camper designers, that's who, including AutoSleepers. It's much more important to be able to switch the radio on via your phone, and other nonsensical showroom attention grabbing gimmiks. I am actually very impressed with the way the wiring in my Nuevo is fixed to the panels at regular intervals and even behind screwed-on panels it is neatly held in place. I have seen shoddy wiring in many new vehicles at the NEC shows. Under the chassis all the plugs and sockets are not only correctly sized and fitted, but are insulated from water spray. Again, unlike a lot of other makes.

We were in the same situation as you although it was the cramped space in a Topaz which led us to move to the Nuevo.
We have never regretted it and we love 'Norman' and travel every weekend in Summer and often in Winter when weather permits.
I can't advise as to the mechanics of them but if it has a maintenance and MOT record then you can't go far wrong.
We did have a problem with the spare wheel cradle winder underneath the body which proved costly and it would be wise to check that it works before setting out but apart from that with regular maintenance we have had no problems.
For a couple this is a wonderful van with loads of storage and comfort with the advantage of easy parking in Supermarkets etc. and cheap fares on ferries.
I have had very valuable advice on this site when I needed it so use it to answer any questions you have.

We've had our Nuevo EK for almost ten years now and are very satisfied with it. Coming from previously owning two PVC's we find it so light and airy in comparison.
Everything to do with the conversion works perfectly and it's never let us down in any department.
 Ok it doesn't have lots of the gizmos that more modern versions have (which can easily be lived without), but as has been said, they seem to be the things that fail and get owners complaining.
Overall it's a brilliant short van that's taken us to all corners of Europe, it's main plus point is that with a bit of care it can be parked in most average sized car parking spaces.
Al.

Don't forget the ES version (pre 2012). Take out the back seat headrests and it will offer the same seating as the EK with extra storage above the cab.

There is a 2008 advertised for sale on this site in the 'Autosleepers for sale' section (19000).

Many thanks for all your replies, going for a viewing tomorrow will update if needs be

We spent 6 months looking at various MHs and the Nuevo suited us best. Good layout, lots of space and fits on our drive. We pick up our preloved 2007 EK at the end of the month. Its not perfect but has scope for some tweaks to suit what we need it for.

You will not get a better built British van than an Auto-sleeper. I have had /have 5 and wouldn`t consider any other brand, earlier ones especially are so well built they are solid, newer vans have too many Technics for me that seem to cause problems, a more basic van, is easy and less to go wrong, electronic wise. JMHO

Also older models better built.
Dealer told me yesterday, and they see / all makes of MHs that Auto-sleepers are the best of the British vans,
Good luck,
Best regards,
Margaret. .

Agree with Margaret and others ,the older ones are more Soldier proof than the newer builds,I've had 5 A/S vans, 3 PVA's and 2 coachbuilt vans,both had over cab storage/ beds, we had an 09 Nuevo EKes,plenty of storage, nice comfy overcab bed, eventually got fed up with making up a single beds using the front swivel seat and feet catching ones ankles the front bulkhead.
So far so good with the Warwick.   
Boaby

Excellent choice!  We are wanting to upgrade to a newer van and are in the process of returning to a Neuvo ES from our Talisman.

I don't really buy into the 'more to go wrong' idea.  It's what people say to justify a low spec.  The more the merrier IMO, the idea of a motorhome over camping is to get the mod cons and make life nicer when away.  If someone offers you 2 vans for the same price, and one is a much higher spec, I really don't know anyone that would turn it down, if for resale value alone.

If that was true we'd be looking to go more simplistic and eventually be in a Romani wagon being pulled by a horse :D

Anyway, the Nuevo is a great van, I had a 2004 one for a year but we found we didn't like the closed in "boxiness" of the coachbuilt vans and moved to a conversion, but that's just personal preference.  The van itself was great, tons of storage space under the bench seats and a nice balance of being a smaller motorhome but decent size inside.  Also lots of room on the roof for solar panels if that's something you'd be interested in (if it doesn't already).  My only gripe was the driver seat wouldn't go low enough.  I'm not quite 6ft but with the seat on it's lowest setting had to duck to see up hills etc as approaching them, but that's just a bit of a Boxer van problem, the Symbol is similar but just about ok.

The seat height is a Sevel X250 problem, be it Citroen, Peugeot or Fiat, panel van or chassis cab and exacerbated by the extra height that the swivel unit generates. 

I can understand what folk mean about the additional complications of more recent because you can argue that you holiday for a simple easier life and having to learn and remember complex set up routines can be a bind, leaving aside the issue of 'more to go wrong'. As inferred, we were happy with simpler vans a decade or so ago, so why complicate with stuff that isn't actually necessary?

I agree. I don't think it's a case of justifying a lower spec van. 
It's well known that the older vans used sturdier materials.
Also I neither want nor need the following;
A waste tank gauge that gives false readings almost from new.
A fridge that decides for itself what fuel to use.
A combi heater that also heats water if it's needed or not.
A complex electronic control unit that needs constant referral to an instruction manual.
An electric step that has a mind of it's own.
An inferior water pump that needs adjustment when on/off EHU.
I could go on, but these are the things that come up time and again on here, as well as reports from friends who have 'higher spec'  newer vans.
Al.

Don't forget the facility to pump freshwater into the tank, when a hose or watering can work perfectly well.

Not sure if A/S vans use them but electronic Heki's - why?

You might add in under van bulk LPG gas storage, just as major forecourt suppliers are withdrawing the facility to refill.

bikeralw wrote:I agree. I don't think it's a case of justifying a lower spec van. 
It's well known that the older vans used sturdier materials.
Also I neither want nor need the following;
A waste tank gauge that gives false readings almost from new.
A fridge that decides for itself what fuel to use.
A combi heater that also heats water if it's needed or not.
A complex electronic control unit that needs constant referral to an instruction manual.
An electric step that has a mind of it's own.
An inferior water pump that needs adjustment when on/off EHU.
I could go on, but these are the things that come up time and again on here, as well as reports from friends who have 'higher spec'  newer vans.
Al.

Lol, well I can only speak for myself, but I haven't got any of those things in mine.

I could also say I don't want a van that blows smoke out the back whenever I accelerate, needs a ton of waxoyl spraying all over it every year to stop rust, has broken shower trays, an old TV aerial that doesn't work, the need to take oil filled radiators on site with me when it gets cold, the need to leave a heater in it over winter to try and stop mould, struggles to get up hills, a fridge that doesn't cope in summer, has battery drain problems, needs vinyl decals to replace worn out ones, having to lug a watering can round a campsite to get water (I love seeing people doing that   ) etc etc etc

All these are a quick glance over topics from recent older van issues.

What this shows is people only post problems, they don't post to say they've bought a new van and loving every minute of their trouble free motorhoming, so you decide all new vans have problems, in the same way I can pick out problems of older vans and say they must all have problems too.  I'm sure those with older vans will say that's unfair, which it is, and my point is your statement clearly is too.

Choose the MH that's right for you, but the statement "more things to go wrong" only ever comes from people justifying their choice to themselves.  The irony is these people are owning vans that people said the same thing about in the 90's when they were new, but happy to own them now, and those types of people will own my van in 20 years time and look at the new vans thinking the same ;)

Anyway, this thread is getting a bit hijacked, maybe get around to the Nuevo again, which is the information I was originally giving 

My 16 year Amethyst had no problems whatsoever, nor any other of my previous vans ,

Don`t they waxoil small vans then? that preserves them in my view , are you saying that your NEW van will never rust?

Every dealer I have spoken to over many years all have said the older AS vans are the better ones, even Mark at AS was going to have a Clubman when he retires.( older van, as he told me himself, they are better built, he should know, he has built them)

You enjoy you super duper new van and your gismos, but do not say us older van owners only justify a lower spec by rubbishing the newer ones[/b]. That is not true, many of us could have bought newer vans, decide not to.

That remark also comes across as arrogant.

Not worth saying any more on this matter.

The irony and point I was making was obviously missed   

I was initially giving advice on my thoughts of Nuevo ownership rather than waxoyling an Amethysy, as I say, lets get back on track with the Nuevo thread.

I see you are in Preston so long as it’s not AS’s sister company in docklands give it a go. If you are uncertain follow SteamdrivenAndy’s advice to be on the safe side

I have a Nuevo es 2006 and love it. As said the older vans were made better. If from a dealer haggle with them and you should always get a warranty from them so you can sort out any problems you come across. Good luck.

Greyhound wrote:I don't really buy into the 'more to go wrong' idea.  It's what people say to justify a low spec.

Hi Greyhound
In the nicest possible way - cobblers!! 

My car has keyless ignition. Absolutely not my choice as I don't find it at all difficult to put the key in the hole and give it a turn. I won't argue about remote locking as that really is a boon - but in that case you also have the key to override if it goes wrong!

On Tuesday I got in the car and it was stone dead. All it kept saying on the panel was, "Key fob not recognised." A great help that was!! 

To cut a long story short, not to mention two long phone calls to the dealer for techie advice, it turns out the 89p battery in the fob was completely flat. The so called "emergency start" procedure was explained to me, but it didn't work. It was only after much well meant, but useless advice and many failed suggestions that the techie bloke said, "Your car isn't two years old yet . . . . but I suppose the key fob battery could be flat?"
Then I swear his next comment was, "You'd better bring it in and we'll fit you a new one."   

The point of this otherwise fairly pointless post is to suggest that fancy toys are fine, so long as you don't have to depend on them entirely, with no Plan B available. Several recent motorhome innovations do leave you completely stuffed if/when they fail, and that's what is so annoying. Doubly irritating, as BikerAl says, none of them are necessary - and several are not even desirable.
Who wants a fridge that empties your gas tank if you forget to switch it off when you get home!!  

Getting me coat! 

Dave

Gromit wrote:

Greyhound wrote:I don't really buy into the 'more to go wrong' idea.  It's what people say to justify a low spec.

The point of this otherwise fairly pointless post is to suggest that fancy toys are fine, so long as you don't have to depend on them entirely, with no Plan B available. Several recent motorhome innovations do leave you completely stuffed if/when they fail, and that's what is so annoying. Doubly irritating, as BikerAl says, none of them are necessary - and several are not even desirable.
Who wants a fridge that empties your gas tank if you forget to switch it off when you get home!!  

Getting me coat! 

Dave

I wish there was a Like button. 

Gromit wrote:

In the nicest possible way - cobblers!! 

  No problem, I have a thick skin and take it with a smile.  It's actually amusing me how a throwaway comment has got a few feathers ruffled 

I could counter to say if you had an old fashioned key and broke (for example) then you'd be in the same predicament and lets face it, millions of cars with keyless ignition are sold all over the world, and these instances are incredibly rare, much rarer than problems people had with older tech (old wafer locks are terrible for wearing over time).  I do agree some modern tech can leave you in the lurch when it goes wrong where something older could be cobbled together, but I still would rather have the mod cons 

Maybe this is what was meant by the earlier thread that asked if the Nuevo had been over developed. Indeed as the A/S fit outs are all much of a muchness really the Nuevo shouldn't be singled out, the question applies to all A/S models and lots of other brands too. 
Would there be mileage in A/S offering much more basic vans as standard spec., with a much larger list of cost options and packages? It is, after all, what German upmarket car brands do. In theory it widens the brands appeal with lower starting prices and the possibility of fully loading it up to a much higher price.