New Worcester/Winchcombe Owner

Hello Everyone 

Maybe this post should be in Introducing, but I have already posted a few times so anyway.....


I am Martin and, along with my 'management' Deb, we are the very proud owners of a Worcester. Bought from Camper UK in Lincoln for £47k, we part exd our Autocruise Starburst in the deal, it is a 2013 40th Anniversary edition with 14k on the clock and is absolutely immaculate inside and out and comes with a 12 month warranty on the Merc and habitation equipment. Extras include a solar panel, towbar, air suspension, reversing camera, new tyres, 12 month Mot and a service. This seems to be one of the last Worcesters before the decals changed to Winchcombe as it has the more up to date grey colour on the main body which we love. 


Camper UK were runner up in Dealer of the Year 2022 and we can now see why. The van was presented beautifully and we took advantage of a free overnight stay on their wonderful site just outside Lincoln. 
It was a good decision as we awoke early to find the fridge had stopped working on mains, but gas was OK. So after a phone call, back we went to Camper UK who removed the fridge and diagnosed a faulty element. So fixed, they allowed us another free night so off we went again. 
Another early awakening to find the mains had tripped out, and on investigation it was the heater breaker which wouldn't reset. We had to move the van to top up the water, and weirdly the breaker reset. Another call and back to Camper UK who got right on it. Heater element was good, but they found a loose wire connection which explained the problem, so after a bit of final testing off we went again and spent a third night with no further problems, hurrah! 
So neither of these faults were present when we left the dealers and only came to light when we started using the van, we were just lucky to find them before we went 100 miles away to home. Throughout Camper UK have been exemplary.


So back home we started to fettle the van to our liking. A new Motorhome Wi-Fi aerial on the roof to connect to our retained Huawei Mifi dongle. A new Lpg gas inlet by the locker to use with our retained GasIt refillable bottle. 
I have cut and stained a couple of pieces of plywood which insert down the side of the bulkhead cushions to allow us to have a back rest when feet up lounging and  a bedhead for early morning cuppa when in single bed mode. Using single beds was one of the reasons we bought the van for ease of night use. We use a king size quilt on each bed as a sort of open sided sleeping bag, works well for us.
Waste tank indicators very haphazard, wire connections are good so have filled tank with a strong solution of Soda Crystals which will be left a while in the hope it cleans the sensors. 
Spent ages trying to diagnose an intermittent clicking relay which I eventually found was actuated by rocking the van! When I got my head round the Whale water pump system, and we had a full tank of water, I realised this was probably the float sensor asking for water as the van rocked, but the pump was not available to supply it. Ran some water out and all was quiet. Seems obvious now but just need to get to know the various devices of our new van. 
New TV bought with soundbar which slots onto a cantilever bracket, works great with Firestick and our old school external aerial on a pole but no signal at all with the Telco rooftop aerial on our drive. Hope it improves when we are out and about but our last one was rubbish as well.


So, after lots of minor adjustments we are nearly there. Bit disappointed with no Bluetooth or AUX input for the cab radio for my IPod, but will try a FM transmitter for my prog/rock fix to drown out my despair of the rattly oven as do others I know. But hey nothings perfect is it? Van drives great with the auto box so very happy with the Mercedes base. Need to buy a bike rack for our two electric bikes so it makes sense to use the sturdy towbar for the purpose. Any rack recommendations would be good. 


We are approaching my 70th year and have been looking for ages for a van which will take us on our adventures for the next 15+ years, and a Broadway was our dream van. But the single bed coupled with an auto box Merc base swung it. I am wary though of the larger dimensions of the Worcester both in our storage location and in car parks which we managed to squeeze into with the Starburst.


This is a great forum which I have explored for hours assembling my knowledge of the Worcester/Winchcombe model before we decided to purchase. Thanks goes to groundhog and a few others who have helped us with their advice, and I hope to offer my two penneth to anyone who wants it as we enjoy our ownership of our dream van.

I am sure that you will enjoy your Worcester we have had one for a couple of years now and it suits us great. It is a dream to drive.. Enjoy your travels.

NOW I know what that clicking relay noise is, thanks for that.
Quick tip (attributed to Gromit) add a shut off valve to the shower head and you can use it to wash things in the sink without getting the floor wet. So easy but a great low cost addition.

So that's what the clicking is!  It's obviously a feature of the Worcester which we had failed to work out over 10 years.  The sensors for water level aren't too clever - we've had ours sorted 2/3 times, but they always go again so we gave up bothering; the clicking is very useful as it never goes wrong and confirms the tank is indeed full - we know how long a tank of water lasts us, so the clicking is actually a very useful and reliable feature.  

Rattly oven - yes another feature; we don't close the door right up, but use a short bungee round the handle to the grill door handle, then any sound from movement is damped by putting a towel over the door.  But nothing changes this being a great van, albeit that ours is now up for sale when we get back from our final trip starting next week.

Enjoy the van - I'm sure you will!

hblewett wrote:So that's what the clicking is!  It's obviously a feature of the Worcester which we had failed to work out over 10 years.  The sensors for water level aren't too clever - we've had ours sorted 2/3 times, but they always go again so we gave up bothering; the clicking is very useful as it never goes wrong and confirms the tank is indeed full - we know how long a tank of water lasts us, so the clicking is actually a very useful and reliable feature.  

Rattly oven - yes another feature; we don't close the door right up, but use a short bungee round the handle to the grill door handle, then any sound from movement is damped by putting a towel over the door.  But nothing changes this being a great van, albeit that ours is now up for sale when we get back from our final trip starting next week.

Enjoy the van - I'm sure you will!

Selling up is something we have been thinking about as well, the van is not getting the use it deserves and probably the single biggest factor in stopping us downsizing our home, we would not want to store it anywhere else. Enjoy your last trip and please don't leave here when your van is sold, the forum needs people with your experience.
The rattling oven, here was my solution...
The door moved up and down on its mounts so I removed the door and put small coil springs above and below where it hangs. It can no longer move up and down. To stop it moving in and out on the catch I put a black external turn catch on the outside and made up a small pad which shuts in the oven door when closed and held tight by the external turn catch ( happy to send pictures). Result oven door doesn't rattle anymore.
The little heat protector that slides in and out above the oven door I pulled slightly out and used araldite to fix in place, now that doesn't rattle either.
Happy days, quiet oven.
Agree the most comfortable van we have ever owned hence the reluctance to sell it.

You will love your Worcester, Martin and Deb.

On our broadway we installed a 15mm dia switch on the whale fresh water solenoid to stop the clicking. I also installed a Mopeka Bluetooth level sensor so I know the accurate level of water. They cost about £70

Hi David. Just tackling the dreaded oven! Locker catch already fitted to the oven door but it doesn't touch the door so although it stops it opening it still moves up and down Love to see your extra pad arrangement. Extra catch ordered to secure the lower door as that flies open over bumps. Off for 3 nights away this weekend to enjoy it and to test all me fettling!!

gassygassy wrote:I'm not sure if this is the appropriate thread but I'll ask anyway. I love the look of the Worcester but for two things: It is too long, (and unnecessarily long at that) and it doesn't have any fixed bed. So my question is, do or did A/S ever make a 6.5 metre mh with a fixed double bed and a Mercedes automatic box? Or for that matter does or did any other manufacturer make such a thing?
Oh dear I am getting old. I looked at the word 'meter' knowing I meant a length as opposed to a device that measures volts for a while and I couldn't reason if it was spelt wrong so I had to Google it! Quelle Catastrophe, I'm doomed. Doomed, I tell ye.

Not sure they did as the shorter length would be eaten up by the fixed bed, so lounge, kitchen and bathroom would suffer. Broadway bed is very easy to make a double, worth a look but not Merc, possible an auto though.

There is an answer to that Gassy. We had custom memory foam toppers made for the two benches which have throws over them and give a super comfy seating area. Yes you have to pull the two benches together at night for a double bed which is a faff for 5 minutes but we get a huge bed where we can sleep in  any direction without the need for duvalays. 
We had the van made so the entire length of the benches slide out if required not sure that is standard.
Each to their own I guess. 
As to the length I don't find that a problem in fact a twin rear wheel would be fine,
ironically I do find the sprinter a bit wide at times but not enough to be a problem.

Warwick Duo two separate fixed beds if you want them to be, 6ft 3 from memory. As its a one piece cushion there's no jigsaw to build (guaranteed to wind me up hence no Harmony!) and dead level if the van is. As good as sleeping at home for us. van 5999mm overall if no bike rack or other assorted toys on rear....

Under 6m is essential for us as is the minimum possible overall width of the van, hence the Seval ones, all same width. Of all 4 dimensions, one being weight, width is far and away the most critical, for some of the places we go and want to go....

gassygassy wrote:I've just been looking at Marquis, please forgive me. They have enlightened me that there are the Stanton and Bourton both on Merc autos which gives me food for thought. I'm not surprised that they are the bog standard (OK so it is a well tried and tested) layout which goes back to the 1950s in caravans. Stanton is 5.99mtr long and Bourton is 6.4mtr. the Bourton they have is the same layout as Nuevo but I seem to remember a Bourton with a lovely rear washroom and the galley half way along, opposite the microwave unit. I think the Bourton with the end kitchen is the same as the Nuevo but with long bench sofa seats, is that right?

I think you are thinking of the Broadway layout. The Bourton has an end kitchen with front lounge that makes a double bed. The main problem with Hymer and in fact nearly all continental vans is they rarely have two 'feet up' lounge areas (a must for us) and usually kitchen space suffers from having the fixed bed. A drop down bed might be an option, but it is usually over a dinette style sitting area, a turn off for us personally.

The Bourton is a stretched version of the Stanton. 

It has longer bunks which allow single beds to be used without employing the swivelled cab seats, or makes a bigger double than the Stanton.

Tinwheeler wrote:The Bourton is a stretched version of the Stanton. 

It has longer bunks which allow single beds to be used without employing the swivelled cab seats, or makes a bigger double than the Stanton.

And exactly what I would go for if ever I lost my HGV licence.

If I recall correctly, at the last chassis change MB ceased production of the RWD short wheelbase chassis and only produced it as FWD that AS couldn't convert so they ceased production of the Stanton then. The Stanton was a neat little van but did not have a spare wheel.

@groundhog Your solution to the rattly oven sounds very clever - nice solution

There are several reasons why we are looking to sell our moho, significant among them for us too is that it’s not getting the use it deserves; times change, we’re not getting any younger, and we’ve had 15 good years of motorhoming. The last 10 in the Worcester which suits us perfectly - no thoughts of ever changing it because we wouldn’t find anything  better for us.

We’re sure it will be hard to part with the Worcester, but we’ve lots of other things to fill the space, hence days passing before getting back here, and another of several reasons that for us add up to the logical decision, so we’re moving on while we’re still ahead.

Interesting to see we have similar reasons to sell. We have pretty much decided we will part with the van in September after our return from France.It has been used mainly as a day van but it is becoming increasingly impractical to use it for that purpose down here due to more parking restrictions.
Will be sorry to sell what is a fabulous van but the time may just have come.
In terms of price yours looks to be excellent value and we could not match that so if we were in buying mode would be looking seriously at your van.
Enjoy your last trip and good luck with the sale though doubt you need it!