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My husband and I are thinking of a MH. We would appreciate any advice we can get here.
We have broadly decided on an Autosleeper but are confused at the range of models. We live in Ireland so cannot get to see examples of these.
We have no children so a 2 berth would suit best. We don't want anything much longer than 19 feet due to access reasons. Our budget is up to about £18k so it looks like something 5 to 10 years old would be the likely age.
1 Here are the models we are interested in. The Executive, Excelsior, Pescara. What are the main differences between these?
2 Also which chassis is most recommended. Boxer, Fiat or Transit? We have seen all of these on various adverts.
3 Have there been significant changes that we should know about over the past ten years or so?
4 Anything we should particular pay attention to on AS MHs?
Thanks
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We live in Ireland so cannot get to see examples of these.
Hi nickielliott
In my opinion Autosleeper is a great choice of MH. My van is 17 years old, and 6 months new to me, with all the original fixtures and fittings, curtains and cushions, windows and rooflights. I have no problems with leaks to the shell and no dampness or condensation in the van, which does seem a problem to some MHs if you read through threads on this site.
When I bought my van I spent ages looking at Autosleepers for sale on ebay as sellers usually put 6-10 photos on each item, so I got a good idea of what the insides were like. I also picked up alot from the descriptions. I didn't buy my van on ebay though - went through a dealer.
Good luck,
Julie
______________________________________________________________ Ladyrunner from Sussex. I should have bought a MH years ago!!
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We have an Autosleepers Topaz, 01reg so it is considerably more expensive than what you are looking for. I don't know how long this particular model has been around, but from what you say, it is along the lines of all you need.
It is ideal for just two people, and has a bathroom with shower, two ring cooker and grill, fridge, blown air heating, and a good deal of storage.
We have had it for about 18months now and are more than happy with it. The fit-out is fantastic and we have had no probs.
If it is any help to you to see this one in 'real life' we are in County Meath and if you want to pm me, please feel free.
Best of luck with your search.
Ca
______________________________________________________________ In life, pain is inevitable.......Misery is optional.
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I also think Autosleepers are pretty good, but since I have one I guess that's no surprise!
Part of the reason is because A/S are so brilliant with their aftersales service. Charles Trevelyan fields most of the queries and nothing is too much trouble. He responds quickly - even when he (rarely) needs to ask someone else for the answer.
In fact you could do worse than send him an email - address
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(Charles is third from right in the photo.) If the Nuevo has been in production long enough for second hand models to reach your price bracket I would recommend you consider one of them. Personal choice of course, but we are only two and it suits us almost to perfection.
My advice would be to consider an Autosleeper Duetto which is based on a Ford Transit. Perfect for two. And you can negotiate narrow roads with ease. Also, as its a Panel Van Conversion, you are less likely to be troubled with the expense of dealing with water leaks especially given the age of the vehicle you will be purchasing. Many will disagree with this water leak point but as a former caravanner of many years standing, I have spent many thousands of pounds replacing water saturated panels.
Autosleepers are an excellent choice whichever one you choose although they are a little on the pricey side. On the other hand they retain their value well.
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Thanks for all the replies so far. I forgot to mention a couple of other requirements which have made us prefer the Executive, Excesior or Pescara models
We want a separate shower/toilet compartment.
We also want twin beds that enable either of us to use the 'facilities' in the night without disurbing the other sleeper.
We need enough floor space for our two dogs (terrier and collie) to be able to sleep at night (otherwise we suspect they will try and get into bed with us) .
Finally, we will probably import from the UK so the gross vehicle weight (GVW) has to be over 3000kg to avoid paying large vehicle tax in Ireland. The smaller AS seem to be shy of this minimum weight.
Looking forward to hearing more views from members.
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I will back up the opinions of others on Autosleepers motorhomes. Very good quality.
We had a Pollensa, yr 2000 on a Peugeot base. Apart from it being a bit underpowered (it only had the 1.9TDi engine), it was great as a starter motorhome for us. It took us around the UK a bit, and around France and then last year down to Lake Garda in Italy. No problems.
We paid just over £19k for it (private via an ad in AutoTrader Online) 2 years ago. I think it ticks all those boxes.
Gerald
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Hi
The new Mercedes based look good mainly sold as Marquis but AS have their own version - I have been impressed with the service department
Regards
Richard
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I will back up the opinions of others on Autosleepers motorhomes. Very good quality.
We had a Pollensa, yr 2000 on a Peugeot base. Apart from it being a bit underpowered (it only had the 1.9TDi engine), it was great as a starter motorhome for us. It took us around the UK a bit, and around France and then last year down to Lake Garda in Italy. No problems.
We paid just over £19k for it (private via an ad in AutoTrader Online) 2 years ago. I think it ticks all those boxes.
Gerald
Thanks but we think the Pollensa is slightly too big (and perhaps too expensive )
Anybody know the difference between the Executive and the Excelsior? Any preferences for Transit or Boxer base vehicles?
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