Considering getting a 2018-ish Burton

I am considering getting a 2018 -2020 Burton and went to see one today. We have had a Nuevo before so we are familiar with the layout and where stuff goes (and what needs rectifying where the factory doesn't build it properly) but I have questions:
1) Under the seat behind the driver there is an odd 20 litre water tank that is filled from a normal water filler in the wall behind the drivers door. What on earth is it for and where does the cold water pipe leading out of it go to?
2) There seems to be a regular cold water tank under the floor further back, and it seems to be fed by a 15mm pipe from the what-I-would-call an emergency-use inlet. I think this inlet is meant to be fed from an Aquaroll with a Whale submersible pump. I cannot begin to imagine how long it is going to take to trek to the camp site water tap with an Aquaroll, get back to the camper and sit for fifteen minutes to pump one roll full of water. Repeat presumably four times and you've wasted half a day of your holiday. Is that, seriously how the main water tank is meant to be filled or is there some mysterious way that the little tank feeds the big tank? I see my first job as removing that silly 15mm feed system and installing a regular water filler point that you can stick a hose into. Presumably they come with the same Whale submersible pump that the Nuevo has.
3) The electrical control box is a Sargent 500. Is that a good bit of kit, and does it keep both batteries trickle charging when left on EHU over the winter?
4) What alarm / security does it come with as standard?
5)Do they come as standard with a decent wattage solar panel?
6) I have seen two (MB chassis) on the internet, one a 2018 and one a 2019 with a quite different dash and steering wheel. Are there any significant differences between them or is it just more buttons on the steering wheel and more flasy LCD presumably touch screen display?
7) I believe the MB engine is Euro 6 hooray. Does it need AdBlu?
8) Hopefully the MB engine is good - are there any known problems or things to watch out for? My top priority now is to get a decent auto gearbox, not the Fiat Comformatic one. The Merc engine and regular hydraulic gearbox and rear wheel drive should be I think less prone to faults than the current Fiat 9 speed auto. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it. The makes and models that have this engine and box are few I think. Specially in the 3500kg category
9) Will these years have the TPMS I have heard about?

Any answers will be read with enthusiasm, I bet you lot know more about them than the dealers  

then I might go and buy a Burstner    
I will of course take a high power battery lamp and shine it through the walls to check there is insulation.

6) It’s likely the 2019 will have the newest 9 speed auto box (it’s the same box as Fiat now use - a corker)
7) Yes

The above is from memory. E&OE. 

The 2018 Bourton I was looking at was RWD and the box was obviously a torque converter so not the Fiat 9 speed. I'll go and look at a newer model. Are the Fiat 9 speed ones you refer to on FWD chassis? And why is it a corker, compared to the other type? I did own a VW Golf with a DSG gearbox which was superb in operation - but I was a bit fearful of the expense if it went wrong.

The Fiat 9 speed auto is a TC box. The same box as used in the Sprinter. It’s smooth as silk, no time lag and always in the right gear. I’ve had 2 of them of 2020 and 2021 vintage on Ducato fwd vans - the Warwick Duo and the Wildax Pulsar. A far cry from the older Fiat automated manual Comformatics.

Although the gear boxes are the same, the Sprinter is far superior to the Ducato in terms of ride, comfort, manoeuvrability, noise and so on, in my opinion.

Earlier Sprinters had a similarly good TC box but only, I think, 6 speed.

Thanks tinwheeler. The only reason I can think of for a manufacturer to make a 9 speed box to supercede a 6 speed would be for emissions? If you can limit the revs of an engine I guess it would control the emissions better. So to keep the engine in a narrow rev band you would need more gears to achieve the same speed range wouldn't you?
I looked at this one today, a 2018 at £63k
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/motorhome-details/202304045942127?advertising-location=at_motorhomes&berth=2&include-delivery-option=on&make=AUTO-SLEEPERS&postcode=le174bt&price-to=75000&sort=relevance&transmission=Automatic&year-from=2016&revisit=true#deal-builder-total-price-part-exchange

And there is this one, four thousand pounds more expensive, a 2019 at £67k
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/motorhome-details/202305137326984?advertising-location=at_motorhomes&berth=2&include-delivery-option=on&make=AUTO-SLEEPERS&page=1&postcode=le174bt&price-from=60000&price-to=70000&transmission=Automatic&year-from=2019&fromsra

Apart from the dash and steering wheel I don't know of any differences, perhaps they have different gearboxes

The 2019 is definitely a newer model base vehicle. Note the auto gear change is on the stalk to the right of the steering wheel. I have that on my 2019 Vito. Other than what you’ve spotted, I can’t say what the differences are but it’s likely to have the latest 9 speed box I think. Parkers website may tell you the model history.

Those ads don’t tell you the engine power as far as I can see. Although they are all 2.1L, there are different power outputs. The 163 is the better, in my opinion. My Vito is the 141 and could do with a few more horses on hills.

We are just off on a 2 week cruise today to Scandinavia. £25 a night for full board, scenery drifting past, eating continuous if you want from 06:30 to 01:00 the following day, west end quality shows / entertainment every night, activities or excursions every day. So why on earth would I want to spend £70k on a motorhome and £30 a night for stopping on someone's grass?
We are crazy, the lot of us. 

I had a 2020 Bourton so I can answer some questions based on my model.
1;-I had 2 tanks under the drivers side. The front one is the fresh water tank, filled by the hole behind the drivers door or by the whale auto fill slot slightly further back. This is connected directly to a hose outlet and lets water in when on auto fill as required.
The second tank at the rear is the grey water tank. 
2;- 
3;-I had no issues with this unit. Unsure of its dual charging capability.
4;- shockingly this £85k motorhome does not come with an alarm fitted as stranded. It has a MB tracker and a Sargent tracker (if you subscribe)
5;- mine had an 80w panel factory fitted.
6;- one of the biggest differences of the newer model is the MBUX unit and the fact that it comes with automatic emergency breaking. Ie if you don’t break in time the vehicle will do it for you. The headlights are different on the two models so easy to tell apart. Mine had the 8 or 9 speed gearbox.
7;- yes takes ad-blu. Filled under the bonnet at the front. Takes about 25l.
8;- I loved the engine, gearbox and rear drive unit. 163bhp 2.1L Very smooth and had no issues. Also as it’s under 3050kg you can do 70mph on dual carriageways ( if you so wish). Suspension was a but soft hence we nicknamed her “Skippy”
9;- tpms is not fitted to these from the factory. You will have to fit an aftermarket kit yourself.
 but they are quite easy.

Summary it was a great vehicle and I enjoyed my time with her.

We have a 2021 Bourton and it’s a 7 speed Automatic with adblue,
It’s a lovely drive. If I was you I would go for the 2018 model the later models like ours have a major problem with stress fracture, and is back with AS for repair as we speak.

Gassy, you might find this of interest -
[url=https://www.vansdirect.co.uk/blognews/new-mercedes-sprinter-review/#:~:text=The new nine%2Dspeed 9Gtronic,down in terms of weight.]https://www.vansdirect.co.uk/blognews/new-mercedes-sprinter-review/#:~:text=The%20new%20nine%2Dspeed%209Gtronic,down%20in%20terms%20of%20weight.[/url]

The 9 speed auto is fitted in the FWD Sprinter, while the RWD version has the 7 speed auto box as with Davo's van. Sorry, I didn’t realise they made two versions.

We have a 2017 Bourton. We were told by AS at the NEC that they could not fit a bigger tank underneath because the prop shaft restricted space, hence the 20l tank  under the offside seat.

We always fill using the hole in the wall - not the Whale system.  As far as I can make out water goes firstly into the under seat tank and then down a pipe into the under floor tank. I have sometimes found that filling too quickly means that water comes out of the filling hole and you have to give it a bit of time to run down and fill the other tank before you can fill completely. You do not want or need direct fill access to the underfloor tank. You will note that the under seat tank has level sensors poking out the side.

I carry a 10 litre water carrier and usually top up every couple of days by wandering over to the water tap and using the carrier's spout to fill up through the hole in the wall. If you can lift 10litres of water there is no need for an aquaroll. The same carrier can be used to top up the loo flush. It does not take long to do as we only have about 60l fresh water capacity.

I also carry a hose to fill up if I am moving the van.

Hi I have owned a couple of Autosleeper Mercedes based MH's a Surrey, then a Gloucester, I now have a 2019 Bursther Mercedes based Lyseo Harmony M 660 , In my view it is better built than the AS, for some reason they have stopped making it, in my opinion they are using the MB chassis for making Hymers which have a higher retail price. You will need a CI licence for the Burstner they do a french bed or two singles, remember the 2019 is Euro  as for Adblue I have done 6500miles since new and only used 3/4 tank. The fresh water tank is about 75ltrs fuel tank 96ltrs. The gearbox is great, I would not PX it for anything. The new front wheel drive Sprinters are being built with an Alko Chassis MH's are being sold by Coachman and Adria very pricey any questions please message me
     Alan