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EricJazz

Hi

I'm looking at purchasing a secondhand Autosleeper Executive on a Boxer chassis 2.5 diesel.
Question is should I hold out for a Turbo model ? would a non turbo be too sluggish, I live in Yorkshire so there are plenty of hills to negotiate.

Look forward to replies

Eric_jazz

smick

Whatever else you do, hold out for turbo. We live in the Lake District and have just parted with a 2.5 Murvi on a turbo Boxer, which was adequate for hill climbing without being sparkling. All right once you got it wound up, it was fine.

Can't imagine what it would be like without the turbo...and the Autosleeper would be considerably heavier.

Smick

brezcraft

Thats a yes from me ,hold out for the turbo by all means,there is no comparison.

brez

spykal · Moderator

Hi Eric

I have no problem with the previous advice....BUT

Our van is an Autosleeper Executive 2.5L normally aspirated diesel Boxer based motorhome, so maybe I can help with the decision.

There are times when I wish I had a bit more "umph" under the bonnet...but not too often, we can always travel at the legal limit (and do)
whether on A roads or the Motorway. We rarely hold anyone up!
The 2.5L unit is a well tried and liked unit and ours runs like the proverbial sewing machine...no clatter at all. We can hold normal conversation in the cab and enjoy the CD player at cruise speed, Autosleepers are "of course" well sound insulated.

The top speed is well above the legal limit but I rarely use it...just when I want a bit of space on a Motorway. The overall (taken over 12 months)MPG works out at 25.5, the best figures are obtained on ordinary roads, the worst on motorways ( I guess because I go at the speed limit or above).

Acceleration is acceptable...just, overtaking can be a pain but in all honesty it is only a pain when confronted by a truck doing 50ish on an A road with bends!

Long dragging hills are a problem but if you know they are coming and can hit them "running" it is OK. [b:830e751952]I do not think we have any more of a problem than loads of folk with smaller 2 or 2.2 turbo powered vans.[/b:830e751952]

If the Executive you are looking at is in good condition and the price is "right" then just like us you may decide that the turbo is not as important as some may make out. If I had had a choice I would have liked a 2.8 Tubo Executive, they do exist and they must "fly" but you, just like we were, are in the second hand market and [b:830e751952]well looked after Executives[/b:830e751952] are few and far between because they sell quickly if priced sensibly.
So if you have found a good one give it a trial run, preceeded if possible by trial runs in other possibly more powerful turbo vans so that you can do a comparison. but do keep in mind that the build quality of the Autosleeper does make it a heavy van anyway. If the trial run goes OK, lay it on thick that you are not sure "because it's not a Turbo" and go for a reduction on the price.

During the Summer I met an owner who had had a Turbo fitted to his executive (same age and engine) it cost around £2000 and he said he was pleased with the performance improvement, it now climbed long drags much better and the mid range acceleration was improved. But reading between the lines I got the impression that he was just trying to justify the expense.

We have never regretted buying ours, it is perfect for our needs, sometimes I wonder should we have spent more money or looked even longer for the perfect 2.8 turbo Execuive, but it may never have turned up and we would have missed out on what has been one of our best years. We have been away in the Exec for around 70 days in the last 365 and I can't wait for the next trip!

Mike

dodger148

Our Executive 2.5TD performs well and I have no complaints. Presume the later 2.8s would be better still. Dont think I would like it so much without the turbo or one of the smaller engines

spykal · Moderator

Hi Dodger

I agree that if mine had a turbo, it would be a better drive, possibly not more reliable, but a better drive. But what do we spend most of your time in the van doing....driving or using the van as a home from home.

Only during the few weeks it took for me to slow down to "motorhome speed" ie. that sort of speed that you can do all day and arrive un-hassled was I at all worried about my lack of acceleration. If I want to go 85mph on the motorway I can, its just that I don't want or need to anymore.

Remember the questioner is trying to decide whether to buy or not to buy an Autosleeper with a 2.5 non turbo engine. It sounds as though he has found a good van (an Autosleeeper...know what I mean!) so now he wants to know whether to buy it or not. Not buying it may mean missing out on some great motorhoming for them. Life is too short to miss out. If there was a choice he would choose the turbo, but from his message it does not sound like he has a choice of vans at "this moment in time" (ugh a cliche)

Mike

smick

I don't necessarily see that the two are mutually exclusive. If he has found the perfect van for him, but feels that it may lack something without the power, it's still possible to negotiate enough off it to at least be able to consider fitting a TB turbo - say half the installed price.

From my own point of view, I reckon there's always another better - or at least as good- van around the next page of the classifieds.

Unfortunately, in my case, they always seem to be at least three hundred miles away, and I always spot them at the beginning of the week, and know I can't get there before Saturday, and some other so and so is going to get there first !

But to get back to the point - whether you buy the no-turbo or not is up to you. But I would try to test drive a turbo of a similar model to see what I was missing - at least you make the decision in the full knowledge then.

Smick

spykal · Moderator

[quote:b54dae83e2="smick"]snipped:

But to get back to the point - whether you buy the no-turbo or not is up to you. But I would try to test drive a turbo of a similar model to see what I was missing - at least you make the decision in the full knowledge then.

Smick[/quote:b54dae83e2]

Hi Smick
Good advice.
As you so rightly say "its up to you" I remember it well, no one is going to take on making the decision for you...and its a lot of money to part with....the period between saying yes I'll have it and the time when we could get away in the van...was a very worrying time...but once we had been away we knew we were going to be happy with it.

All that Ericjazz has to do then is persuade me and Dodger to turn up somewhere together and do a "Jeremy Clarkson" on our vans......

EricJazz

Hi

thanks for those replies, excellent response

Your right I have found a what I think is a good vehicle
ie Autosleeper Exec 2 berth on a S reg 1998. Beautiful condition,kept in
a garage, plenty of extras, £19750
Have driven it, but no hills in Suffolk !(200 miles away)

Have looked at adding turbo, £2,100 !! seems a bit out of the question to me. New engine might be cheaper !

I was thinking also that future resale could be more difficult.
Do non turbos generally sell cheaper ?

Thanks again for the good response

Eric jazz

smick

Hmm - my definition of a roadtest is uphill into a Force 8, but Suffolk's not really the place for that !

You can only go with your own gut feeling. I still think that if you can get him to lose something from the price, then an after fit turbo is still a good option. If, however, like me, you have to make a case to management, it's a touch harder !

Smick