MEMBER FORUM

If you plan to motorhome in the UK the Chairman of Autotrail Owners Club, David Wort, has invited any of our members to make contact and attend one or more of their rallies.  Details of their rally dates and locations can be found on their website: www.atocuk.com. 

 

The Managing Director of Auto-trail UK invites any of our members, if visiting the UK, to tour their manufacturing factory in Grimsby, Yorkshire. Google Autotrail UK factory tour to find out when factory tours take place and make a booking. Some interesting videos pop up when you do this Google search too. 

 

Bumper stickers, kindly designed and printed by Leicester and Sue Fiefield, Geraldine, have been distribute at our last two rallies. If you would like one please send a stamped addressed envelope to David Buxton, 13 The Pheasant Tail, Taupo 3330.

 

Here's an interesting article about Autotrail UK expanding their manufacturing facilities to cope with future demand. 

Click on on this link. 

http://humberbusiness.com/news/auto-trail-academy-will-future-proof-motorhome-manufacturing/story-2972-detail/story

 

 

I have been approached via the UK Autotrail owners Club by a couple who want to swap the use of a motorhome in NZ for the use of a holiday home in France.  Here's their story:

I have been given your details by a UK campervan group so I hope you don't mind me contacting you.

 

We are a mature British couple 49/59 looking to come to New Zealand mid December  for a month.

 

I wondered whether any of your members would be interested in a swap deal.

 

We want to borrow a van for that period in return for use of our house in Northern France. We've had a motor home before and are therefore used to larger vehicles. We are a couple of hours from Paris, not far from the DDay landing beaches and Mont St Michel.

 

We have clean uk driving licences and owned for 10 years a 7m Adria until recently.  We both shared the driving.

 

We have a three bed house available with use of car as a swap. We may well get another camper in the future but that is uncertain at the moment.

 

We are very clean and tidy and respectful. And of course we would love some tips on where do go.

 

The exchange doesn't have to be at the same time as France is definitely better in the summer!

 

Thank you very much

 

Jennie Poate

 

Our "sister" organisation in the UK has suggested that we share website links. There's is www.atocuk.com. They have a membership of over 2000 and are very active, running several big rallies in the UK and Europe. If you are planning a motorhome tour around the UK the ATOCUK may be a useful contact to make.

Hi all 
I am not sure if you folk know but SmartRV has a full service centre in Auckland and Christchurch. They offer a full range of services including annual servicing (for motorhomes up to ten meters), WOFs and COFs, sales and fittings of motorhome appliances and accessories, and much more, both inside and out.
They told me the over $700,000 worth of parts in their warehouses. Many of the parts that Auto Trail use they carry. They said they have coachbuilders, auto electricians as well as mechanics.
They have all the fiat diagnostics and computers needed for servicing.

They are great people and their quality is second to none.

I Have just recieved part from Taranaki RV. John in the parts department is very professional. A hassle free company I would recommend them.

Totally agree regarding Taranaki RV.  After winning a voucher at last year's Kaponga rally and redeeming it was effortless, I thought they deserved my business.  So when I needed to order parts from the UK they organised it for me and I've since been up twice (from Wellington) to have work done, they are very knowledgeable, helpful and lovely to deal with, I also highly recommend Taranaki RV.

Another keen supporter. We have been driving down from Auckland for the past six years with our Cherokee whenever attention has been required. They have always been a pleasure to deal with and workmanship excellent.

We are pleased with the Service received from Dan Monk The Managing Director and all his Support Staff, We found they all conducted themselves in a very Professional manner for the purchase of our new Autotrail Motorhome.

Les & Annette Gibson.

 

Last week we took ownership of our 2018 Delaware from Dan Monk and his team at Auckland Motorhomes. A special thanks to Dan, Treena, and Tony for their great service.  It has always been a pleasure to deal with such a professional team and we look forward to their continued support with our new Motorhome.

Roland & Gloria McQuoid

You could try Taranaki RV Centre.  They import Autotrails new and are well versed in their fit-out.  They also offer excellent after sales service - including self imports.  Great customer service.

 

They are a "one stop shop" for import clearance, COF/Rego, gas/electrical/self containment modifications and certification.  Their contact  details are:

 

Simon Barkley 
Workshop/Sales Enquiries 
Ph: 06 758 0984 ext 4 
Email: sales@taranakirv.co.nz

I've taken advantage of my NZMCA discount to buy a number of items from Noel Leeming, typically getting a nice, but usually moderate discount, even on sale items. Today, we decided to buy a Panasonic stick blender - it's 600w rating was ok for our small inverter to handle. The list price at Briscoes was $199 - generously reduced to $99 for their Anzac weekend super sale. Checking the same item at Noel Leeming, it had the same $99 list price. It was a tad more than I really wanted to spend, but I asked what they could do for NZMCA members, and flashed my card. Member price was $31!!! Unbelieveable, but I didn't argue. Just thought you'd all like to know :-)

Hi

 

Reading through the NZMCA member benefits the website mentions a 15% discount for WOF at VTNZ... nowhere that I can see does it mention COF, is it just an oversight, is it the same discount?

 

Regards

Mike

I believe it is also 15% for COF.  We got ours on 11/12/15 and paid $115.20

Just got a COF for our Delaware S this morning at VTNZ Warkworth at a cost of  $150.30 !!!!!!!! Queried the ammount which included NZMCA discount and was told it was correct. Anyone else been charged this ammount?

No, I got a COF at VTNZ Seaview Wellington on 14 July 2017, also for a Delaware, and it was $125.10

Just sorted out the issue. VTNZ have standard branches and Premium A & B branches. Standard branches charge $120.87 + GST = $130.00 Less NZMCA discount which appears to be only 10% brings the cost down to $125.10

Moral of the story = shop at a standard branch only. Premium branches A & B are listed on the VTNZ webstite.

Did you check if it can be changed to WOF. Our Imala was on a COF but when i enquired at VTNZ they said it can be on a WOF it just depends on weight. The WOF lasts longer and is only around $50. The change over is simple and free.

VTNZ Taupo and Putaruru charge about $115 including GST and NZMCA discount. 

VTNZ Warkworth $183 with discount on a Comanche type 6. VTNZ Hawera $120 with discount same vehicle 6 months latter. VTNZ Pukekohe $160

VTNZ Rangiora $125.10 this afternoon with NZMCA discount

 

YOUTUBE

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIsdJU8QcV0

 

 

Great Video Les

 

Currently we use a standard CPAP through an inverter when off power which uses about 20% of our 464 Ahr battery storage. In summer we can replace this with our solar system but during the rest of the year it is a different story so after 2 nights with some TV viewing we need to go on power.  Has anyone had experience using any of the small battery run machines and can give us advice before we go ahead and purchase?  We are considering a Transcend unit at present but at about $1550 for a unit and battery we would like to be sure that we are doing the right thing.

Excuse my ignorance but whats a CPAP machine.

 A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine is used by persons diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea to assist with breathing during sleep because typically they either stop breathing for short periods or are not sleeping deeply enough.  My wife's health is amazingly so much better since the diagnosis was made and she sleeps with her CPAP.  The 230v machine is on free loan through the DHB Sleep Clinic as a basic supply item and patients are monitored through these clinics.   

Having seen an advert in the Motorcaravanner from Breathing and Medical we have now purchased a Transcend Fixed Pressure Mini CPAP and have found that it is really good.  Compact and light weight, its best feature is low power usage. Our battery only reduces by about 5 - 6% overnight  compared to 20% with the Ikon model provided by the local DHB.  It is a little noisier but not enough to bother us. There are also options for rechargeable battery usage which we may look at later.  Nick Bishop at Breathing and Medical is very helpful to deal with. 

Hi,

We park our motorhome at the side of the house under some trees. The roof gets pretty dirty and its obviously hard to clean, how do others clean the roof and is it safe to use products like "Wet & Forget"?

Thanks Jack

 

Hi Jack, I just spent the weekend cleaning mine.  I used a spray on product Glaze I think it was (bought from Bunnings) but next time I'd be tempted to use wet and forget, a lot less labour intensive!

Thanks Sue,

The vans are pretty high so you certainly need a spray-on product to break down the grime

cheers

My Tracker is stored in the open so the roof is in need of TLC regularly. Before and after every trip I wash all the accumulated dirt etc with a high pressure washer. If there is any mould I spray a little "exitmould" on the area and wipe off before washing the full roof with car wash then rinse with the hose. If you do this regularly if it does not take too much time. Twice a year I polish the roof with marine fibreglass polish. The roof is in good condition after almost 3 years. The fixed factory fitted ladder does reduce the potential for falls, a must have IMHO. Cheers,

Hi, seeking advice on how do owners access the roof of their AT to clean it?  I am reluctant to lean an aluminium ladder against the MH in case it damages the fibreglass body.  The alternative is to get an A frame ladder that is 3m high?  I have an extendable soft brush where the handle extends about 3m but it doesnt extend far enough to reach the length of the MH roof.  Any advice is appreciated.

I have been told by Tony at AKMotor homes that you can walk gently on the roof for this sort of work...check Monday with them suggest.

I have a piece of 10 mm ply slightly wider than the top of my ladder, wrap an old towel around that and tie it to the top of ladder  and then lean it against the side of the motor home . A 3m brush reaches easily across roof. 

 

Similar to Beetle2 I wrap some old foam rubber around the ladder at the point where it rests on the MH. We keep ours garaged at home so I don't get any lichen or algae on top (they both love fibreglass) but with the horse float I squirt some "wet and forget" on the top about once a year to keep the growth at bay.

We have a telescopic ladder which we keep in the garage. Have tried both, single telescopic and double (can be used as an 'A' or straight. Provided you wrap a towel around the top if the legs, you don't damage the van surface).

I’ve been concerned with how I would get my Fiat FWD motorhome out of the mud if I got stuck.  I purchased the Milenco Grip Mats for about $28 which are great to park on if the grass is soft, but wanted something more.  I purchased one Cirtex Grass Pave mat (details below) and cut it in half length ways by hand saw so I now have two 816 x 306mm mats.  This was tested recently when a 2WD ute near I was parked was stuck on soft grass nearly up to the axles.  The Milenco Grip Mats were placed hard against the rear tyes and the cut down Grass Pave mats next as a run out ramp.  All went well - the ute gained enough momentum on the mats and was driven clear albeit through very soft ground.  Two of the Grass Pave mats could be interlocked together but I don’t know if the plastic would sustain the loads when flexing on soft ground.  However I figure that my 3500kg motorhome should fit inside the weight limits.  And best of all, the mats weigh very little and when stored on their edge, take up very little space in a locker.

 

Cirtex 816 x 612 x 40mm Grass Pave

Bunnings SKU: 08906985

$21.90

Able to withstand 700 tonnes per m2 (when filled)
Panels interlock securely

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIsdJU8QcV0

 

saves a lot of reading

Click on the Link

 

Gives You

Trouble Codes And Techical Description

What It Means

Symptoms

Causes

Possible Solutions

 

http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/

The best tool I have in my fix-it box for my AT is a can of CRC Silicon. Unlike WD 40 or 5.56 it does not leave an oily residue and every hinge,widow latch,key lock even the gaskets around the windows get a spray on a regular basis in fact everything that opens and shuts gets a spray even puts a nice shine on the tyres. Can not recommend it enough 

Great idea, we have even found a mini can for our motorhome so that we can have a can on the road with us. Would you spray this into the locks of the outdoor lockers? We find they seem to need some 'encouragement' to unlock and seem quite stiff.  

Yes Sandy-Everything

 

Great, thanks!

Click on link and then Just Subscribe

 

( Free Magazine IMOTORHOME )

 

http://www.imotorhome.com.au/

Own a 2002/2006 Fiat based motorhome?

Check your sump ---- Rusty 

An extract from an email from a UK member regarding his motorhomel MOT test.

 

I put my van in for her MOT which she passed with no problems as far as the MOT was concerned,the tester called me over to the pit to have a look under the van at which time he pointed out the engine oil sump covered in oil, I assumed there was a major leak from the casket BUT it turned out to be that the sump had near enough rusted through, in fact it was so bad he reckoned another 20 mile and it would blow.

Now the reason for this mail is I suggest it might be an idea to put this on the web site, the mechanic told me this is a known problem on all 2002/2007 Ducato's, so my view is if you have one of these years check it out! He didn't say anything about earlier or later models.
In fact I've just been talking to a guy on our site here who has an 05 plate and his is going too!
When I went to pick the van up today the guy showed me my old sump and you could have put your fingers straight through it.

 

click on link then click on download

 

 

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_zzvL4dRAeSQW5MRFJtQjBVWWc&usp=drive_web

 

Link for Manual

 

http://library.docent.isvor.it/upload/lmsfa.docent.isvor.it-2151/016393-Traccia%20Didattica%20Fiat%20Ducato%20seconda%20fase_GB.pdf

Just insured our new Delaware S. Thought I get another couple of quotes to make sure I wasn't paying too much.

Covi was the most expensive with Campercare coming in 2nd. Surprisingly AA Insurance were the least expensive with a $400 excess. Saving overall $277.30. Certainly worth the exercise!

Hi Just done the same exercise with our new Delaware, been with NZMCA insurance 30 odd years Covi $550 dearest next was Campercare $420 dearer, so we went for AA Motorhome insurance saving the above and that included AA motorhome Plus. Les

Hi....we have just joined Autotrail Users as we have just ordered an Apache 634 to be picked up from the UK in May.

 

We have a query regarding insurance whilst driving in the UK. It has been discussed in parts in some other topics but we still can't find any company that will fully insure us. We are non-UK residents with non-UK drivers licences although I am a UK citizen and have access to a UK address.

 

As has been discussed previously in other topics, most of the insurance companies require you to be either a full UK resident or have a UK drivers licence for a certain period (at least a year).

We have been in touch with Down Under who at first would not insure us because the value of our motorhome exceeds their 55,000GBP limit but they have now come back and said that they would insure us for the value ex-VAT as we are purchasing it ex-VAT to ship it back to NZ. All the other specialist insurance companies that we have looked into also have a maximum limit on the value of the motorhomes they will insure.

 

If we go with Down Under, and it was written off or stolen, we would still be liable to pay the UK Govt VAT as it would not have left the country.

 

The main problem we are having is finding an insurance company that will cover the full replacement cost of the vehicle and not have any maximum limits. Has anyone else had this problem insuring their new motorhome in the UK before shipping back to NZ? I find it surprising that some companies have such a low limit on the value of the motorhomes considering the cost of them nowadays.

 

By the way, the information in the forums have been fantastic and very useful so far.

We look forward to any help or advice.

 

Thanks, John and Wendy.

Try Vantage.  They initially declined us with this

I have offered your information to our panel of insurers but unfortunately they are insisting that a motorhome or similar leisure vehicle has been owned and insured by yourself within the last 2 years.

I did explain your situation but they have said they must following their underwriting criteria.

 

But I reapproached them after Downunder pricing blew me out of the water and they relented.

 

They quoted 2,811.35UKP for a 43,000UKP camper, we were advised to insure for full retail replacement in case she gets totalled.  They only offer prices on a yearly basis but when you are finished motorhoming you can cancel this insurance and be refunded back a percentage of the premium.

I tried for discount based on being members of the Auto-Trail Owners Club or Camping Caravanning Club UK or both.

Unfortunately memberships will not reduce the cost further.

They like to see previous ownership and insuring of a motorhome within the last 2 years.

 

See vantageinsurance.co.uk

 

Also

http://www.tourinsure.de/international-vehicle-insurance/camper/europe9b85.html?L=6

 

I've no experience or affiliation with either lol

 

Please let us all know who you go with and your experience dealing with them.

 

 

Hi Mark....thanks very much for your reply.

 

We had already contacted Vantage and as you mentioned they insisted on us having motorhome experience and proof of previous motorhome insurance from our country of residence within the last two years.

 

Unfortunately, our motorhome experience included 6 weeks in the North Island last year using a converted Toyota Coaster on loan from my partners parents but we used their insurance therefore have no written proof but we also did a 5 month motorhome tour in the UK two years ago having bought a second hand motorhome and selling it again once our trip was over. I was sure that would have been relevant but after consulting the underwriters, Vantage came back saying that it had to be previous experience from our country of residence! I would have thought that having experience in the UK would have been more relevant. Still cant get my head round that one! The broker tried a few times but couldnt get the underwriters to take us on.

 

The company we used two years ago was BeWiser but when we approached them this time they insisted that we have to be residents and as we are purchasing a motorhome vat-free we are actually declaring that we are non-residents as residents are not eligible for the vat-free purchase.

 

As for Tourinsure....I had a look on their website but for a years insurance for a vehicle valued at 50,000 euros, the premium would be 6,729 euros! I didnt go any further than that!

 

We're sure there must be someone who has insured non-residents for using motorhomes with a value in excess of 55,000 GBP from all the motorhomes that have been privately imported to NZ.

Actually Tourinsure do the insurance by the month, so although it's eyewateringly expensive it's not quite as bad as having to pay for a whole year. They do however have an issue with insuring a vehicle in UK which is not already registered, and UKDVLA won't issue registration without insurance so bit of a chicken and egg situation there. I assume that your Apache is no more than 3.5T as you can't legally drive heavier vehicles without an actual UK driving licence. Kiwi/International licences no good! 027 444 1256 if you wish to discuss further.

Hi Avocadopicker....thanks for your comment.

 

Yes.....our Apache is under 3.5T so no worries with driving it in UK on my licence.

We are planning on touring UK/Europe for about 10 months so the Tourinsure option works out to be too expensive for us.

 

Starting to run out of Insurance companies to try....but will keep looking.

Hi John,

 

in June/July 2015 we picked up a new Apache 634 in the UK and toured for 6 weeks before shipping it back to NZ. The vehicle was insured for 55,000 UK pounds which was the purchase price we paid plus 20% VAT.  The insurer was DownUnder who were underwritten (?) by Unicom Insurance Services Limited, a division of Tradewise Insurance Company Limited.

 

We had to pay a full 12 months premium which (inclusive of all fees including credit card fee) was 2,385 UK pounds. We received a credit for the un-used portion of the 12 month period according to their sliding scale.

 

This was the only insurance company we could find that met our needs.

 

Happy to send you some information and/or arrange a time to chat about our experiences  chrisbushnz1@gmail.com

 

Regards,

 

Chris

 

PS.  Yes you do need the Rego number before the policy will be issued; so leave yourself plenty of time in the front end before planning to drive off in your fabulous Apache 634 !

Hi Chris....thanks very much for your advice. We were hoping that you would leave a comment as we noticed in some of your other topics that you have recently imported the same motorhome that we are planning to this year.

 

Yes....Downunder is the only company that we have found so far but as mentioned previously, they have a limit of 55,000 GBP and the Apache 634 has increased in value since your purchase pushing us above this limit.

 

This is also due to adding some options like Automatic, an engine upgrade and the Media Pack2 (which I wouldnt mind having a chat to you about as I'm thinking of leaving that out and maybe purchasing an aftermarket system). The full purchase price only just puts us above 55,000GBP but Downunder insist that they cant underinsure the vehicle and yet they are prepared to insure it for ex-VAT price which would leave us considerably short if we were to write it off or had it stolen!

 

Would love to take you up on your offer to email and chat further.

 

Regards,

John.

Tourinsure also offer 3rd party only cover which satisfies the legal requirements although of course it may not satisfy your personal ones! Just another thought, your dealer could exclude the options from your vat-free export invoice to keep the value down, although you would have to pay the vat on the options on a separate invoice. Just sayin'

That's a good point about not having the options included in the vat-free price.

Will look into that....thanks Avocadopicker!

Hi all, on Chris's recommendation I approached AA (which I've been a member of since 1982) to insure my motorhome and include the roadside assist.  I was given a very favourable quote, however on checking they advised that as I live in my moho they wouldn't cover me - seems strange, wondering if anyone else has encountered this?  AA staff member said I could add the AA Plus to my car cover but seems I will no longer need AA.  I am currently with CamperCare for my moho insurance.  Thanks

Hi Sue, that was a bit unexpected for me as well. What is the difference between travelling extensively in your motorhome, but still having a home address, or being committed to living in it permanently? Maybe your 'home base' could be the home of a son or daughter... Unfortunately, you are more likely to need roadside assistance because of a breakdown than because of an accident, so it's good to have some cover, given some of the places that we motorhomers get to. Have you checked with Campercare as to what they cover for breakdowns?

Has anyone found a good way to watch downloaded Netflix movies while on the road? It seems they can't be transfered to memory stick and the mini HDMI converter that I purchased does not work on my Samsung s6 phone.

I thought about chromecast but can't seem to find out how much data it uses to stream  an already downloaded movie? If it uses huge amounts that will gobble up my 1 GB per month very quickly.

I am pondering the same thing, before we leave... here in the UK I use an Amazon kindle fire HD tablet, download at home on wifi and store them on the tablet then watch 

beauty being it uses sd cards so I can fill up a few and bring with me

unsure how that's going to work in NZ with my Amazon account .. give it a try?

If you have a video or whatever LOADED on your phone or tablet, and send it by Wifi to an AppleTV or Chromascast, you are not using your "data allocation".   You are using only the WiFi network within your van.  To use WiFi with in the van we assume that you have a router and the TV is connected to it.  You are not using your device's 4G account.

So no cost!

 

But if you watch YouTube or Netflix for example on the phone and send it to the TV then yes that uses 4G data.

 

If I remember correctly you can't connect your iPhone via HDMI to the TV because Apple requires you to buy an AppleTV box.

 

Using Apple AirPlay you can watch recorded material or photos on the TV, if you have a WiFi network in the van.

 

I am full time (in Spain) and other Brits here buy local SIM cards and dongles that enable them to have typically 100Gigs of data for £20 pm, $42 pm.  With that they watch U.K. Free to Air programmes on their devices and don't run out of data.  Is Mobile data that cheap yet in NZ?

 

John

I had a similar problem connecting my Ipad and Iphone to our home theatre which I solved with an audio chromecast and it only requires wi-fi to initially set it going then the wi-fi connection can be turned off (unless you are downloading music)... presume that the video capable chromecast would be the same. A Belkin Miracast would also appear to be compatible with Samsung.

Thanks for your help everybody. I don't think I can use an SD card. 

I have not used chromecast and unsure of how it works...I guess on the road my phone will be the router (it can be a portable hot spot if necessary) and maybe I can play the downloaded movies on my tablet??

So virtually no data needed, thanks John. BTW my 1 GB of data (and 300 minutes +unlimited texts costs $30 PM)

Will check out the Belkin Miracast also thanks Mike and Chris.

Clarifying a couple of things here for other readers-

Data and WiFI are not the same thing, "Data" refers to having a contract to down load computer data over the Internet.

WiFi is the radio link between your internet connection and your portable device, i.e. Laptop phone or Tablet.  

So you can do things on your WiFi network without having or using "data"

 

If you have an Autotrail Motorhome with the flip down TV from more than three years ago you will not have the connections on those early TVs to accept the recent internet based TV systems.  You need a modern HDTV.

 

John M

Thanks very much John for that explanation. So Noel Leemings had it wrong when they said Chromecast would use all my data if I used it to play my downloaded movies on wifi. I have replaced my drop down tv with a new RSE TV which is great...especially the satellite finder.

Yes Dave, they were wrong, you only consume your data allocation when downloading from, or uploading to the internet.

There is one other consideration if using a laptop, there is a high risk that the laptop will be doing things you are not aware of and it can consume data behind your back, for example doing updates automatically.

But you phone and tablet will not use much data on its own accord.

If concerned you can turn data roaming off.

Just a thought out of left field on this - we replaced our home phones and broadband to a Netspeed wifi router which we can use at home or on the road. It saves us money, and means we get access to over 120 GB of data anywhere. Search on Netspeed under Autotrail Issues if you're interested.

what's the coverage like Chris? Is there a coverage map you're aware of? great having the allowance but if the signal is rubbish because you've decided to park "off-piste" somewhere ...not much use!

But it certainly sounds good...

Hi Dave

I think the Noel Leemings staffer was probably thinking that you would be live streaming not streaming previously downloaded movies. Remembering that I only cast music to an audio chromecast not video this is my understanding. You can only cast from a chromecast enabled app in your portable device so if you have a movie library then you will probably need to download an app such as "videostream" https://getvideostream.com/. Do a bit of googling, there is a lot of good info out there. If you can find a way of getting your movies onto a storage device it might be an even tidier solution.

Mike

Hi Elliot, with the occassional puzzling exception, the coverage is pretty good. It uses the Vodafone farm network, which often gives reception even when their mobile phone network is patchy. You get a reasonable idea of coverage using the Vodafone coverage map. You can also fit an external aerial, which might help a bit. I haven't needed to so far. Anyway, if you're out of reception, your mobile phone won't work either, and the only additional downside is not being able to live-stream movies. However, you still have the option to play previously recorded ones. Personally, I really like not having to be concerned about running out of data...

Members may wish to load the following app to their phones.

 

A collegue comment "I have been having great success with an app called "Gaspy"
finding diesel for a $1.21/l"

https://www.facebook.com/gaspyapp/

Chris Gaelic

09:34 PM   11-Nov-17

Auckland

Just a little more incentive to those who maybe can't be bothered, or don't feel comfortable in sorting out the problem of water getting into the engine bay.

 

We've owned our Delaware for 4.5 years, and in the last year, the following repairs are all likely to have been the result of water damage:

 

Replace faulty map sensor: $1,251
Replace glow plugs (corroded into the engine block): $1,438
Replace control unit for the airbags: $895
Replace engine control module: $4,435
Total: $6,684

 

It took over 3 years before the water ingress started creating problems for us. So, if you're thinking that this might not apply to you...

Hi Les,

We had a similar problem a few weeks ago with our 2013 Tracker FB. We got a fuel injector warning light and took it to Italian Auto Centre in AKLD. Water was getting into the engine through the troughs that sit below the windscreen. The drains that take the water away down the side of the engine were blocked with leaves and the water was building up and dripping through to the engine and landing on top of the fuel injector connection.

 

We park our van at the side of the house under some trees and these troughs are often full of leaves, my solution is to turn the hose on full and blast them out with a strong jet of water. So, I was probably making it worse.

There is a bit of corrosion on the engine block which the mechanics have treated, the injectors seem OK but who knows what damaged has been done. We were lucky as they didn't have to touch anything except new clips and sealant around the bottom of the windscreen - at a few hundred dollars.

 

This morning I was making a tarpaulin that covers the windscreen and engine cover - in future I will vacuum out any leaves. I would recommend other members have a look and see if there are any signs of corrosion and make sure the drain pipes are clear

regards

Jack

Our 2017 Autotrail Imala 730 with the new wiper scuttle design was leaking water onto the engine also.  Had an injector alarm occur and FIAT's 'Truck Assist' roadside service suggested it was caused by water ingress but was under the impression the new scuttle fixed most issues.  When I compared with other Fiat Ducato's I realised the scuttle was distorted near the middle allowing a reasonable gap to the windscreen.  I used tape around the scuttle/windscreen as a temporary measure which eliminated the problem.  I took it to the service agents in Launceston, Tas (Toyota) and they agreed the scuttle plastic was distorted and will replace under warranty which is scheduled for next week.  Due to moisture inside the windscreen on frosty mornings I decided to buy an external windscreen solar blanket which also covers the bonnet vents and stops any water entering while parked up too. Pic attached.  Regards IanG

Nice looking cover where did you buy it from?

Its called a NRF external thermal blind which I purchased from SolarScreen (http://www.solarscreen.com.au/) based in Carina, Queensland.  Very happy with it, easy to use simple to fit and made in Italy by NRF (http://www.nrfcamper.it/eng/products/index).  It has elastic band which slips over top corner of door and another which clips near the door handle plus a velcro fitting around the mirror, fits like a glove.

Certainly stops the sun from heating the cabin.  Internally our MH has the Remis blind system which is great in blocking light but has no thermal characteristics.  Nicely diverts water from the windscreen/scuttle area too.  Regards IanG

Thanks Ian, I am certainly going to buy one and one for a friend Allan

Hi, I also would be interested for the cab cover I don't now if you would like to get an extra. Les

Sure Les,

I will check on the cost and shipping arrangements, my brother is going over to Quessland soon, could be cheap freight Lol .

Allan

This is what we brought in UK also keeps one warm in winter taken at Hamner Springs

Cover is now fitted to Tracker FB

Wow, this cover looks fab and way better than a tarp in Welly winds.  I will order one also, have previously purchased the interior screens for winter, solar screen are a great company to deal with, highly recommend.

................................................................................................................................................

Hi,

Alan I have just purchased a NRF cabiin cover from Aussie thanks for your offer to get one.

Les

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

SOLAR SCREEN

NRF CABIN COVER  $280 AU  DELIVER TO NZ

Ring 09 8876977 NZ to ring Aussie

Les

 

That is very reasonable, I paid about $350 here in the U.K. for a popular Yorkshire brand.  However very few European screen covers address the water ingress issue, i.e. few people know of the issue and the covers don't extend over the trough.  I have seen just one guy making obvious efforts to cover the water trough with a plastic sheet pushed up under his screen cover to extend it.

 

I shall suggest though that the screen cover needs to have a pull down flap to "open" the windscreen for daytime use.  Removing the cover is a PIA as the height of the doors makes it an effort for many people to fit the covers, especially when on ramps.  Realise that in Europe these screen covers are mainly to keep the night temperatures comfortable in the van.

 

John

Costa Blanca 

I have also ordered my NRF cover. The agent was great to speak to & my cover is now on the way. Thanks to all those that contributed to this subject and to you Les for providing the direct dial phone number. Very much appreciated. 

Cheers, Ray. 

Just ordered a cover.

i was told only 1 left.

Cheers Glenn

Arrived yesterday so good chance to test it's effectiveness in todays almost 35 degrees... worked great.

 

 

 

Been in contact with them and they are sold out till Feb 2018. Thank goodness summer is here so hopefully no rain.

After getting another significant repair bill for our Delaware, I've gone through all my service and running costs to work out what these beasts really cost to own. Just for good measure, I've factored in the anticipated depreciation covering the 4.5 years that we've owned it. 

 

Service and repair cost per km	$0.22
Diesel cost + RUC cost per km	$0.26
Depreciation over 4.5 years and 60,000 km	$0.50
Total cost per km	$0.98

 

 

So, going away in our Delaware costs us around a dollar a km before adding in food, drink, gas and campsites.

 

That's the bad news! However, it's worth comparing it with the alternative of driving your own car and staying in motels. The following is for a 30 day holiday spent travelling around either the North or South Island.

 

 

Motorhome (mostly freedom camping)
Running cost:	$1,960
Gas (refill every 5 days):	$156
Food and drink (including some eating out):	$500
Campsites (5 nights):	$200
Total Cost:	$2,816

 

Motels and our own car
Running cost (typical of my old Honda Accord):	$900
Motels (average $120 per night):	$3,600
Food (mostly eating in motel room):	$1,500
Total Cost:	$6,000

 

So, the good news is, that even though motorhoming is not cheap, it's still way cheaper than staying in motels.

 

Happy motorhoming!! 

Hi chris, That's very interesting... I'll stick to motorhoming. LES

Hi Chris

 

If everyone on here was a beancounter the membership would be very small indeed so I'm glad its not about the money. What I am interested in though is why your Delaware has cost over $13000 in repairs and maintenance in such a short time. Considering that initially it would have been under warranty that seems like an exorbitant amount of money... in two years and 8000kms I have had one home service at less than $300 and one warranty item (fridge) fixed for free. What have I got to look forward to!!

It does not take long to add up, we have done 13,000 kl in 3 years. 1. Annual service is around $500k x 3 2. Replace glow plugs $1500 3. Replacement truck battery $600 4. Replacement leisure battery $350

Hi Mike & Chris, Our Delaware was 12 months old when I bought it, so there was only another 12 months of the 2 year Fiat international warranty. Service costs at Andrew Simms is not cheap, and added up to around $4,500 in the 4.5 years that we've owned it. The rest is for replacing glow plugs that were corroded in place, a diff axle seal, plus front and rear disks and pads. The big one was replacing the turbo, which failed just over a year ago.

 

Bear in mind, we've added over 60,000 km to the original 12,000 when we purchased it - which is way more than your 8000 km. Also, the new models include a 5 year warranty on the Fiat, which would have made a significant difference our costs.

 

I posted the above figures as a general guide based on our experience. If you leave depreciation out, and factor in a 5 year Fiat warranty, then the service costs drop down to around 8 cents per km, which is quite small compared to the 26 cents per km for diesel and RUC. 34 cents per km is cheap motoring for any vehicle (except electric!).

 

We've loved the opportunity that motorhoming has given us for exploring all the nooks and crannies around our country. Plus we've made some great friends along the way. Worth every cent...

 

 

 

 

Hi , has anyone got one of these with this option?

I'm just about to close on my order and my wife is having doubts and making me re-think my decision to reject the Scout ...

I'm not convinced it's such a big deal losing the seats and replacing it with the seat-belted seats but regardless of what it looks like there is NO choice if you want to carry more than two (we have a one child with us)

Would be useful if anyone has any practical experiences .. lounge/table/dining/sitting etc and if they have spent any major time  in their van with this config.

 

thanks very much

 

Elliot

Elliott, side-facing seat belts are still allowed in NZ and you can get them added here (to offside of the van). We decided to go that way to avoid the loss of living space for a function only rarely used. When the side belts are unused they live under the seat squab.

Have a look under Auto-Trail Issues >> Seatbelts. Quite a lot of info there.

Again, thanks for this information - I wasnt aware side-facing belts were still possible, they are not allowed in the European Union any longer for safety reasons.

Do you think it lessens the resale appeal with the belted front facing seats ?

I'm unsure...

 

Hi there, we are new members, Rose and Dave Clark. In the research stage at the moment and after information on the Comanche. Does anybody own one and if so why did you choose the Comanche, likes, dislikes etc. Thanks in advance, Rose.

 

Hi Rose, we live on the road in our Comanche, the reason we choose the Comanche is we wanted an apartment for 2 on wheels. We have no regrets, every motorhome will have it's compromise, this model just had the least compromise for us. 

 

Hi both,

tag axles a friend of mine told me to avoid in NZ , because of RUC charges ? Is that correct 

I can’t say I’ve looked at it in detail 

The Comanche  is a lovely van having seen a few on the roads here in the UK

Thd big Birmingham annual show is up in October and I’m going to lust after one there !

Difference is $33.00 between 2 axles and 3 axles

Over what km distance? ...

Sorry you meant per 1000km?

 

It's very confusing RUC actually- since there is a rate for Motorcarvan here:-

https://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/licensing-rego/road-user-charges/ruc-rates-and-transaction-fees/#RUC-rates-for-distance-licences-motor-caravans

 

but only references 3 axles and 4 axles but not 2....

For my Dakota (between 3.5 and 6 tonnes) it's $68 per 1000kms. Commanche with 3 axles (3 axles less than 12 tonnes) the fee is $90, so for a "similar" weight vehicle it is an additional $22 per 1000kms for the third axle. I recently bought 5000kms online and was charged $344.80 so presumably there was a small charge for the label.

 

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/road-user-charges/docs/road-user-charges-handbook.pdf

Just read a little more from the link in my post above and there is indeed a transaction charge, but doing it online is the cheapest option and by phone the most expensive. As a matter of interest I have done all of my vehicle registrations online for many years and it is cheaper than over the counter.... there is always a discount applied at the point of paying the account.

 

Regarding the thread about the cost of a tag axle, if your motorhome is between 6 and 12 tonnes RUC is actually cheaper for a vehicle with 3 axles and at some weights cheaper with rear dual tyres. 

Thanks for this 

must be my ignorance in understanding what a motor caravan is by NZTA definition...

 

Exisiting 100 watt Solar Panel moved around + 2 x 150 Watt Solar Panels.

Porta Bote 3.3 metre

Left changed over existing Regulator to 10 amp tracer MPPT.. Tracer 30 amp for other 300 watt on roof

300 amp Lithium Battery

Circuit Breakers, Shunt, Bus Bars

Inverter 2000 Watt

Lay back on front seat to watch TV

Fitted Accumulator to smooth out water flow

I love your set up Les! We have a 2016 Amala with the standard UK solar set up (100 watts I think) Do you know if the factory  solar controller is MPPT? If it is not, is there an advantage in changing it? Would I get a noticeable increase in charging? We have 2 batteries around 220 amp hours total.

When ,eventually, we upgrade our panels is the existing wiring suitable?

I will be interested to hear your comments.

ooooh ! Loving this !!!!!

I’m thinking that 500w is probably about right for winter offsite camping , so I’m probably going to get all these modifications done, I just need to work out if it’s cheaper here or in NZ

Awesome set up !

Hi Dave, The factory controller is not MPPT and can only handle 120 watts MPPT Which they will work in 20% of sun light better charging, the wiring going to the 100 watt panel is only suitable for it. Read inthe forum under A/T Solar

Hi This is my third set up as above, Battery is charged by 8.00am in each morning, Trouble free set up...... I never go on Power except the Fridge at times, Better if you wont a long life from your Battery......But this time I installed a Voltronic meter with a 200 amp shunt and a 200 amp Solenoid that is a computer in it self. Which controlls the solenoid Problems due to a conflict between systems meaning with the Sargent PSU. It shuts the whole system down by warning of low voltage. System working OK now.

Elliot, when comparing UK and NZ prices, factor in the warranty should you have problems. One of the 3 extra solar panels fitted to our Delaware had faulty internal wiring. Our lithium battery has a 10 year warranty, and was replaced when the Votronic controller tried to keep the fridge running after the gas ran out while under cover.

 

Also, if you're fitting everything yourself, be sure to protect the shunt circuitry from road dust, which can attract moisture and cause the system to think the battery is charged when it's not.

Thanks for this information , extremely useful - have to say Les it's pretty much what I want to retrofit onto my Delaware. Point taken Chris on the warranty...wise words!

 

Les - if you don't mind, did you fit all this yourself or have a specialist fit it?

I don't have the skills to do this myself ,although I'm supreme at researching options and choosing the right equipment etc

 

Which NZ suppliers/fitters can people recommend ? My Delaware will be arriving into Tauranga but I'm not necessarily restricted to having it retro-fitted in that area.

 

I've come across these guys :- www.absolutepower.co.nz/
any feedback on them appreciated

 

Thanks again

Also contact AA Solar the are nust north of Auckland and offer great products and duscounts to NZMCA members www.aasolar.co.nz

Hi Elliot, AA Solar did our solar panels and lithium battery upgrade. Been very happy with the results. Their website isn't flash, but Pierre knows the technology inside out. He also provides a 10 year conditional warranty on the lithium battery. 

 

I particularly like the Votronic controller. The meter is intuitive and easy to understand, compared with some others I've seen.

Thanks again guys. So happy I found this forum - it's been really useful.

I'll contact AA and discuss options.

 

 

 

I dropped AA Solar an email a week or so ago but havent had any reply - anyone know if they are still trading? I'm wondering if they are out on holidays ...

Yes they are still trading. I phoned and talked with Pierre Athens, the owner this morning, email him on pierre@aasolar.co.nz

I also found them a bit slow in answering emails but when I phoned them they were very helpful and apologised for the delay in answering emails but said they get overloaded with emails sometimes. Otherwise very happy with their products and service

Did AA Solar change the charger?? Coen the new owner of AA Solar said that it is a different charging techology than that if the EC500.

There is a model of solar controller - Tracker (BN Series - MPPT) which explicitly supports Lithium. Generally when adding solar panels people bypass the Sargent controller so its limitations are not an issue - for example, I have a 40A controller which supports up to around 120V of serial-connected panels, 400W in my case, none of which goes via EC500.

Hi Avocadodopicker,

Many thnaks for the feedback.

I understand the solar panel implications and the use of an appropriate controller, so how does the Lithium battery get charged when yiu are on a LV (230VAC ) supply? do you have  a circuit diagram of what you have done?

I am hesitant to go the Lithium way after reading and seeing burnt up EC500 from UK.

Cheers

Hi Auto Trail owners /enthusiast. I joined your forum several months back as a Kiwi living in the UK who wants to have a motorhome to use when we are back in NZ visiting family. I am now due to retire and am in the process of self-importing a new 2017 highline Tracker FB through Castle European. The forum has been really helpful thus far but also daunting to read of concerns and frustrations especially with regards to self-imports and warranty issues. We are about to visit the dealer, Steve Taylor of West Country Motorhomes to inspect our Tracker before it’s shipped later this month. Castle European of Tauranga are handling the shipping arrangements and work related to the vehicle being drive-away NZ compliant when we arrive. I do have a few queries though and would appreciate comments or advice from those who have had recent experience of importing or ownership of the Euro 6 Ducatos. My queries are; • Are the vehicles supplied with 2 sets of keys? • What is the current situation regarding seat belts? The Tracker being a highline is regarded as a 6 berth and we have gone for the HD layout to have 2 seat belts for the Grandchildren but certainly don’t want to be having to fit a further 2 belts. Obviously there would be weight issues as well potentially with 6 travelling even though we have ordered a 3650kg chassis. • In reading forum comments from “Avocadopicker” he’s made reference to having a UK Savvy dealer? I’m keen to know what that constitutes and what I should expect from mine? • With regards to the correct Engine oil, I’ll be checking to see that the Handbook is Print Number. 603.91.187 – 03/2017- 3rd edition and specifies the correct oil, and thank you Les for your valuable information on this. Any suggestions where to buy the correct oil for the Euro 6 engine would be appreciated given that these engines are supposedly designed to use a litre or so every 600 miles. • Fitting a bicycle rack to the rear wall of the new Trackers is not advised by Auto Trail so my thoughts are to fit a cycle rack that’s extended out from the chassis. Has anyone done this and as the vehicle is COF I’m assuming it’s not something I myself am legally allowed to make and fit? That given can anyone suggest a Canterbury based Engineer to make and fit a compliant rack? • I would also like to fit a second house battery and solar panel so suggestions on who in the Canterbury region to use for this would also be appreciated. • LPG cylinders, can anyone tell me what size NZ cylinders will fit into the Tracker locker? • Finally, insurance; which company have owners found helpful and what is the likely annual cost for no claims history cover on a Tracker? Phew, that’s me done. Thanks in anticipation of your responses, UK Kiwi. 

Hi UK Kiwi, my 'UK Savvy' dealer (Dolphin Motorhomes in Southampton) have just done quite a few exports, so know the ropes regarding the requisite paperwork (which isn't all that difficult anyway) and also have provided me with good aftermarket support even at a distance. You get two sets of keys, but only one remote-keyfob-key. Shell Helix 0w-30w is good for oil We have the (Witter, UK-supplied-and-fitted, which we will need to get certified in NZ) towbar fitted on our 2017 Delaware with towbar-mounted bike rack - works OK although it's rather low so increases likelihood of grounding. Replacement insurance, see discussion elsewhere - suggesting AA Plus is a good deal.

Hi

Congratulations on your new Tracker and reaching retirement age!

Paul Gravelling will handle all your compliance but we found the 6 berth van requires 6 seatbelts issue alarming at first.  There is a discussion on this - use "berth" as your search to find it.

In our case we only wanted 4 seatbelts so a chat with the NZ compliance people allowed us to certify a HiLine as 4 berth simply by "removing" 2 of the berths - a tabletop removed from the van.    If 6 are travelling in the van then 6 seatbelts will be required.  Again there is forum advice on cost to add more seatbelts - not cheap.

 

There are advantages for COF vs WOF.  We went for WOF because cheaper, first is for 3 years, can drive using std drivers license, extra checks for COF - extra cost.  BUT can easily exceed weight if restricted to 3,500kg.

 

Our dealer fitted a 4 bike rack to rear of Tribute T-720 no questions or concerns raised.  This doesn't mean it's a good idea but just saying.  UK dealer do the first habitation check so should be ok?

 

Again our dealer fitted extra house battery and solar panel, I'd be checking cost benefit b4 fitting in NZ.  Our dealer didn't connect up 2nd battery so you might need to ask for this.

 

Agree with AA as best priced insurance with lowest excess combo. 

 

 

 

To overcome the seat belt problem screw the lounge seats so they cannot be pulled out which then gives you 4 berths 4 seat belts  also make sure that you have a PDI done buy the supplying dealer in U.K.  When on the road in NZ contact Fait NZ and get the warranty active

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. We visited our dealer last Friday which enabled us to check over the things we were most anxious about. We now won't see the Tracker until mid November in Tauranga. This forum continues to be a fantastic support so thank you again to those of you who responded as well as those of you who keep posting queries or responses, I think this forum is fantastic!!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/practicalmotorhome/?hc_ref=ARRZF7p0oVgHF_sPPOdIXDWq3EWKmgTyidqtdMEtAxjJWgcNjT-1eIaDZHADpM2iM_8

 

you will have to scroll down to find the page

http://autotrailusers.nz/ForumFiles/1010/Motorhome%20manufacturer%20Auto.doc

 

The latest on 2018 models

As mentioned in a previous post I am interested in moving to an Autotrail Imala 730 from our current Jurgens caravan.  Can any forum members give me an idea of why they Chose Autotrail (any model) over other Manufacturers Motorhomes?

 

Any feedback good or bad welcome.

 

Kind regards IanG

I live in the UK and on with my second auto trail first on a merc Cheyenne 630 now a fiat Cheyenne 696g I wouldn't buy another as the build quality isn't what it used to be if you set on an auto trail I'd look to buy an older model as those were exception in quality  now they are trying to keep the weight down with most people having restriction in the UK on their driving  licenses and what weight they can drive  I don't know when they started importing them to NZ but if you can get a low mileage well looked  after before 2006 you won't go wrong from 2007 on I wouldn't bother. look at the autotrail tribute range it's their budget range about £20000 less same build,same engine,same layouts  just different decals but you don't get the scatter cushions though but for twenty thousand pounds less who cares.

Sorry just looked on web site you do get the scatter cushions on the new models

We have just recently bought our Tracker EKS and so far its meeting our needs.  We chose Autotrail due to the quality, interior design, dimensions, storage, price and available warranty cover when compared to other brands.  We live in NZ, and have noticed that the Tracker is extremely insulated [I suppose made for the UK winters].  Perhaps it will be very hot in the summer, but yet to be fully tested.  Still early days, but so far reasonably happy with our purchase.  This is  our second motorhome and that also helped us decide what to prioritise in our search for a motorhome.  Good luck in deciding as there is plenty to choose from, which makes this decision challenging.  It will come down to personal preference I guess.

Thanks Joanne and Bman for your feedback.

I think the reduced weight Joanne mentioned is possibly related to fuel consumption and pollution rules as well as reduced pricing for competition.  A bit different with caravans in Australia they tend to be bigger and heavier.

I'm pleased to hear 'insulation' being mentioned, it is high on my priorities ... I feel the cold and 40mm wall and roof insulation is better than the 23-30mm of other brands I have researched and often there is none in the roof.  Unless sandwiched construction I have found insulation very scant in wooden framed units.

Kind regards IanG

Hi Ian,

Im on my second Autotrail Delaware and think the Autotrail is without doubt the best on the market, I have been in the Motorhome/ Caravan industry for the last forty years and looked really hard before I bought an Autotrail, frankly I wouldn't touch anything built in NZ as the quality is not there and because of small production numbers they are very expensive,take for example a Trail-Lite, grossly over priced with a flat pack kitchen you could buy at Mitre Ten.

Autotrail have a great finish and the Fiat drives like a car, NZ built Motor Homes are mostly built on trucks which drive like a dog.

I carry five 150 watt solar panels and 400 litres of water and the Delaware has no problem in any respect,coupled with the best insulation money can buy,and the habitation door is on the proper side for resale.When I sold my last Autotrail Delaware it was on Trademe for one day then sold.

cheers,

Richard

Hi Richard,
Thanks for the positive feedback much appreciated.  Apart from seeing them on the road and an external look around a Delaware recently I have not seen inside apart from sales brochures.  I'm justifying an expensive trip to Queensland to the Australian importer to view an Imala 730 to make a decision in a few weeks. I picked the Imala 730 as we prefer the island bed version.  My wife has severe arthritus, and beds against a wall are not her favourite plus climbing over one and other to get out of bed is needed in some models.  We need to limit overall dimensions and weight for economical Bass Strait ferry crossings to visit our daughter living in Canberra and other travel.
I have a technical and electronics background and a bit fussy with electrical stuff so will modify to suit my requirements, stand alone power via solar is my choice and I prefer free camping.
Are you happy with the truma gas heating and how often do you fill gas cylinders during winter?  How do you find the wiring and plumbing in general?  Thanks.
Kind regards IanG

The reduced weight has nothing to do with pollution people who passed their driving tests after jan 1997 in the UK can only drive up to 3.5t or have to take another test people who passed before this got to keep c1 on there licenses which allows them to drive upto 7.5t but once they get to 70 years old they loss that entitlement and have to have a medical and if they have certain health conditions it is disallowed so the UK motor caravan industry are losing how many people can drive over 3.5t hence why they are trying to keep the weight under the 3.5t mark. my van is 4.5t so my daughter who's 25 can't drive it unless she takes another test.

Well there's some useless information for you.

but as I mentioned have a look at the tribute range that autotrail make the build quality is the the same just autotrail is blue decals tribute range yellow and silver 

a lot of our friends that have had autotrail in the past are buying the tribute range if you go on auto trail UK site you can see both ranges a few years ago when the tribute range started they looked basic but now they look impressive  

to be fair we were at a show a few weeks ago and I can't see where autotrail can justify the price diffrence.

I know which one I would buy

if you are wanting a UK import why not look at elddis Or swift  they have really good vans built to UK standard thick wall insulation well built.

 

 

Hi Ian

The island bed is so good,very hard to beat and in my past experience in the industry it is the overall best seller in a caravan or motorhome(Resale etc) I run a 3000 watt pure sine inverter with a battery bank of five 130 amp hour agm batteries so we never use our stove just use a jug and toaster,air wave cooker,microwave etc etc,just like at home,the reason we carry so much water is we have a Camec front loader washing machine in the rear garage which is fantastic.

Everybody has their own way of doing things and their own budget,but I believe do it once and bite the bullet as I find a lot of people don't do it at the start and then don't get around to doing it at all,if you know what I mean,we find you can't beat having as much water as poss.The Delaware only carries 135 litres which for us is not enough.

we are very,very happy with our second Autotrail,off to Raglan by the sea in the morning, with the Yamaha Waverunner Jet Ski behind.

Great To Be Alive.

Cheers,

Richard

 

 

 

Hi Ian

Sorry, forgot to mention the Truma heating etc,very,very good and very economical on gas

cheers again

Richard.

Hi Joanne, Not useless info at all, the licensing issue is a factor.  Here in Tasmania the general drivers licence is up to 4.5t then 'Light Rigid' I think its called, covers from >4.5 to 9 Ton and so on, and it may vary between states in Australia too.

I have not heard of Autotrail Tribute in Australia maybe it's not imported, someone else on the forum might know.  Elddis seem to have caravans here but not spotted Motorhomes as yet.  I have looked at Swift Motorhomes but they are more expensive and outside my budget.

Thanks again for your feedback.

Regards IanG

Hi Richard,
Thanks for the additional info.  Interesting your water capacity, where have you added the additional storage tanks? We have learned to be very water-wise but if it is easy a little extra never goes astray.
In relation to your banks of 130AH batteries did you consider LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate)?  I have had a 200AH drop-in replacement in my caravan for nearly 3 years, very happy, and see it as the future with less than half the weight of lead acid, nearly the full capacity can be used and they charge up to 30% faster having a charge efficiency of close to 100% compared to LA of approx 80%.
Regards IanG

It's not just the weight and efficiency, lithium batteries have a minimum 10 year lifespan and a 200 AH lithium is roughly equivalent to 400 AH lead acid in capacity. They are significantly more expensive, but if you factor all of that in, they are worth it.

Ian, the Tribute range is not imported into OZ. The Auto-trail range is and now so is the Imala Ange. I think that the OZ importer EliteRV imports a selection of both ranges. The English like a large wrap around rear lounge as they spend more time inside due to the weather. The AT range soles here in AU has been optioned up to suit the local market, so aircon is standard as is solar. One of the excellent benefits is the class 3 (UKspec) insulation that will come in handy in Tasmania. We have a 2015 Tracker FB now with 40,000 klms. IMHO it is much better value for money than any of the local product with lots of great design ideas such as the location of the TV to make it a real treat to own. We have not experienced any major issues with either the Fiat or the back end. I would buy the better speed AT rather than the cheaper Imala, both good but the AT has more kit, eg bigger frig etc. The product brochures have a list of standard equipment to help make the cost comparison. I have just recently looked at all the motorhomes on display at the Sydney show and the only other brand I would consider is the German Knaus. Imported by Avan in Victoria. Hope this helps.

Hi Geeco, thanks for your comments much appreciated and supports my findings too.  I have a friend in Adelaide with a Knaus Sun Ti 700 and he loves it, as my wife and I did too, but we found the Autotrail suited us better with toilet and bed access as we are taller people and I'm not supposed to mention it but my better half has chronic arthritis and also sports a set of metal hips, so an island bed is almost essential for ease of getting in/out plus the ability to make the bed, hence our lean towards the Imala 730.  If the comfortability is right I can look after the rest within reason.
I've decided it might be worthwhile to take a trip to Burleigh Heads Elite RV and look over the models to finalise our decision if I can find some discounted fares.
You mentioned no 'major' issues with your Motorhome, is it possible you may be able to elaborate on any 'minor' issues you encounted?
Kind regards IanG

Hi Ian, I'm on my third consecutive new Delaware, which says something for the quality of these motorhomes. With any brand you're always going to get the odd teething problems but ours have been very minor. Like Richard we have gone for a lot of extra solar capacity, plus lithium batteries, to ensure that we can be independent of EHU. With each new version we have been initially doubtful about the changes introduced by AT, but ended up loving them. I doubt there is such a thing as a perfect motorhome, but we have been very pleased with ours and would certainly buy another. 

Ian the minor issues have been mainly screws working loose. Where possible I have replaced with a nut & bolt. The brackets that hold the small round table on the front N/s lounge is a good example. The cord that holds the flyscreen mesh on the habitation door broke and the mesh stretched. A local screen company replaced the mesh and cord for just over one hundred dollars. The window mesh on some of the windows has stretched but not causing any real concern. One of the habitation door hinges came off after a trip to Cairns via a bumpy inland route. A replacement hinge under warranty and a drop of Locktite has fixed that issue. Not much else I can think of to mention. Good luck with your purchase if you have as much fun as we are having with ours then you will not be disappointed.

Hi we have just taken delivery of our Imala 730. Apart from a few screws that needed tightening every thing was fine. It is a good size  and everything has its place but not the bigest motorhome but very good at the price. We bought ours at Auckland motorhomes in Drury. Fiat Ducato drives like a dream. Still getting to know it a bit though. We are having a lot of fun with it.

Picked up our Imala 730 from EliteRV at Burleigh Heads QLD Thu 15th Jun and drove back to Tasmania on a 7 day vehicle permit arriving yesterday 21st Jun.  Very happy although my wife is coming to grips with the smaller toilet/shower unit compared to our previous caravan ensuite.  Still finding out how things work.  Happy with fuel consumption we covered 2,255Km and returned 11.39 L/100k overall calculated.  Unfortunately cool and wet in Tas today with snow forecast to 500 metre level so no crawling around underneath to check things out.

Congratulations on your purchase.  With those weather conditions in Tas you will definitely feel insulated in the AT. We were out last weekend in Auckland and the temp outside at night was 8 degrees and we were very comfortable inside with the temp reading 20 degrees.  We didnt even have to turn on the Truma heating to achieve this.  Its very well insulated.

Hi Richard. Does the front load washer fit through the existing garage doors or did you have to enlarge? 

Cheers

Grant

Are there folks who could tell me what living full time in a motorhome is like? Any tips thoughts and comments would be most appreciated. Thanking you. JohnR

Do it. Don't over think it. If you read my thread below on leisure batteries, make sure you have plenty of juice. I don't. There are lots and lots of people on the road, so you are never alone!!

we are looking at purchasing either a scout or apache 700 with the LD layout, is there any one in or near taupo that has one? also if you do own one do you have any issues with them eg we are a little concerned about the rear overhang is it a problem entering drive ways etc

A big hello to everyone. I am live in the UK, we have an Autotrail Cherokee, Ihave made very brief enquiries about shipping to New Zealand, but it seems quite complicated and expensive. My sister lives in Rotorua, Ihave never seen her since she left and I am desperate to come over to see her and do some touring. Ideally I would spend time with her , tour around, spend time again with her before returning, as obviously she still works and I am retired , so time for me is no problem. So has anyone any idea how much a Motorhome would be to hire , I or would it be cheaper to ship my own over, or maybe there is a pissibility of doing a swap with someone if they wish to tour the UK,  Thankyou everyone for reading, any ideas appreciated, Iam 65 in December and if I don't see my sister soon I fear it will be too late.

Retired. We came to NZ nearly 3 years ago brought our new Delaware with us and lived in it for the first 2 years. To make a better assessment. How old is your motorhome, would you plan to sell at the end of your visit, how long do you intend to stay in NZ before returning to UK, when do you plan to arrive

Sugest that you contact the below re import he can also sell for you

Alan

 

Paul Graveling

Castle European Limited

Tauranga, New Zealand

Telephone: +64 7 5481112      Fax: + 64 7 5481174      Mobile: +64 211570047

Email: Paul@castle-european.com       Website: www.castle-european.com

Good moaning Theresa

 

I would say that it is definately "pissible"... my apologies to Officer Crabtree from "Nipples"

Yes, we used Castle-European to import our Delaware. 

Hi Has any body got experience of the Coromandel NZCMA site at this time of the year, April 2017 re grass parking and not wanting to get stuck in the site.

 

I suggest you phone the Coromandel iSite and ask them if there could be any problems with wetness. 

Can anyone suggest a place for us to buy a cover at a reasonable price for our 7.6m Apache?

We got ours just recently from: http://www.coverworldnz.com/motor-home-covers/

 

The cut on the Class B Motorhome covers was good, although we are going to retrofit it with an additional front to back strap under the vehicle as the front slides up the bonnet in a high wind.

If you're interested we have a 9m x 4m framed canvas 'garage' which will be surplus to requirements at end of April (or possibly before).  It's less than a year old. Currently contains our Delaware (7.9m) but we're shifting at beginning of May and have acquired a shed big enough for us. martin.sydenham@gmail.com if you're interested.

 

Hi Helen and Barry

 

Yes we  have an unused , brand new cover which we no longer need,  that will fit your motorhome    I live in Tauranga area  if you  email  Mike my partner 0n m25machinery@yahoo.co.nz  or phone him 02108661039  or 075526725  he will give you all the details         Hope this will help       Cheers Joyce

Does anyone know if we can use the truck stops for refuelling with diesel? I've been told that they pump diesel more rapidly, and can blow back if the fuel intake is not designed for it. I've never tried, but now see that FnF fuel cards offer a bigger discount if refuelling at truck stops.

In most cases truck stop fueling depots have a high and low setting switch on the side of the pump, I use the regularly Mobil & Shell

Good to see this conversation, we have used these and had no problem.. 

Chris, I am not getting emails to the forums I have subscribed to. I used to. Is there something I am doing wrong?

Hi Chris, you can use all of the truck stops. Look for the smaller nozzles when you pull up. These still pump faster than normal but will auto shut off if it fills too fast. Just pull the trigger less to pump less fast. Cheers Nigel

And the truck stops can be way cheaper!

 

 

Copied from my Kiwi Fuels statement

This is our first post since joining the Autotrail Members Forum. Firstly we are so impressed with the forum and the info available. It has helped our process hugely. We have purchased an Apache 634 and are due to pick it up in England the first week of May. Have finally sourced insurance (what a mission) and now starting to look at getting it shipped home next January. Does anyone have any recommendations/experience with shipping companies/agents that would be helpful. In our brief look at this so far there seems to be quite a discrepancy in the prices quoted by various companies so any suggestions gratefully accepted.

Talk to Aimée Blandford at Wallenius in Southampton. You won't get a better deal than from the actual shipping company.

Craig Stapleton 3
027 5176853
09 3739801

all of the charges can be paid in NZ when it arrives

If you contact the above he will be able to help I have used him several times to import motorhomes

any thing else please ask

 

Alan

Autohub.co.nz

$9600 excl GST (just landed (7.06M long) so bear in mind exchange rates will alter this figure) 

This includes insurance, customs etc, Southampton dock to Auckland dock

$180 excl GST to deliver to VINZ Mt Wellinton for compliance

We imported our Apache 634 in December 2016.After lots of research we used McCullough, specifically Joe Steele, joe@mmnz.biz. We (and therefore Joe) were messed around with delivery dates and DVLA admin issues in the UK. Joe was brilliant, making all necessary changes, arranged for the camper to be taken for its WOF (mot) and liaised with the guy managed our compliance as we live in Nelson. Good price too. Highly recommended.

McCullough , Joe Steele worked for us , car and motor home. Cannot fault the service. 

Many thanks for all the advice.

Just a thought: are you aware that as an Apache 634 has 4 berths it must have 4 fitted seat belts or be reduced to two birth before it can be registered in NZ? We opted to remove the overcab bed which is very easy. This approach has the benefit of providing safe and dry storage space for bikes!

We brought our new Tracker FB from the UK to NZ a few years ago.

We used Castle European (Paul Graveling) who organised absolutely everything.

He liaised with the Autotrail agent in the UK and we got a phone call to come and collect our new motor home.

There is so much to organise if you are trying to do it yourselves, it may be slightly more expensive but you eliminate all the hassles and most of us don’t even know what’s required.

I imported a new autotrail imala  it arrived in Auckland in september 2017, importing it was so simple no hassels at all,with it fully complied on road, self containment,electrical,and gas certification fiat warranty .ended up over 13000 dollars cheaper than the price i got from Casstle European 

Hi John,

That $13k more expensive through Castle European is a surprise, we thought their fee was very reasonable for the work they did.

$13k more than doing it all yourself you mean?  Paul's fee isnt that much so I am surprised ... what else was marked up? (I ask because I'll probably be using Paul in due course)

Thanks

 

Hi Elliot,

It cost us about $9k for shipping+insurance and another $10k for all the local charges including Paul's fee, gas, electrical, sel-containment, port charges. RUC, rego etc.

He also organised for a solar panel, Satellite TV, reversing camera to be fitted which we paid seperately.

Obviously, the Customs GST & Duty are not included here as they are related to which vehicle you are importing.

Thanks for this.

I'm importing a Delaware in a few months - after we have imported ourselves :)

I've had a quote off Paul and I agree his fees seem reasonable for the "stuff" he has to do...on face value at least, I am sure if you know what you're doing it would be cheaper to DIY but I don't and I don't want to mess up!

Yes 13000dollars is correct, my exchange rate was the same as castle european, I used Castle European 3 years ago to import a motorhome for me. And thought i would do it myself this time ,My new imala 734 was purchased by me directly from westcountry motorhomes in the Uk,I used shipmonk in the Uk for shipping, picked it up in Auckland in September 2017 fully complied from vtnz, got gas cert,electrical cert,self containment done in my home town.westcountry motorhomes got in touch with shipping agent shipmonk and arranged everythink.customs clearance was all done by shipmonk agent in Nz....no hassels at all so very easy, I am bringing another new  Autotrail motorhome  from Westcountry motorhomes into the country for a friend,its arrival is March

Hi There, I have asked before but no one seems to be able to tell me where I can obtain a Gas compliance certificate around the Turanga Area. Is there anyone out there who can help?    Many Thanks.

Try below he will know who to use

 

Paul Graveling

Castle European Limited

Tauranga, New Zealand

Telephone: +64 7 5481112      Fax: + 64 7 5481174      Mobile: +64 211570047

 

Just FYI for those would-be self-importers. Our Delaware was (today) refused entry to the docks as it had travelled through Italy. The bill for certified fumigation to eradicate the remote possibility of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug travelling with the van: £2070! Priceless..... so if you travel through Italy and bring your van back to NZ there is now a non-negotiable extra cost. Just sayin'

Holy smoke, thanks for the heads up, that's expensive beyond belief!

 

Apparently it has been reported in Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Romania.

 

See https://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu/NewsAndEvents/DetailNews/cb464db4-77c3-4701-ac3d-9219ba8373c1?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

 

Note: I rang MPI and asked if Italy is the only country they are concerned about and also if their website could show what countries are on their list.  They said Italy is the only country so far on the list and they don't advertise what countries are to be avoided because some people will tell porkies when it comes to what countries they have visited.

 

 

I hope this bug doesnt make it to the UK! is that £ or $ ? you said £2070 ... ouch!!!!

Yes, that was pounds!

We have just returned from a trip to the UK where we purchased and holidayed in a 2015 Apache 634.  This is now being shipped back to NZ and will arrive in 6 weeks time.  So far the process has been straight forward and we have scheduled the conversions and certification work to be done when it arrives in NZ.  We are also looking for some guidance on a couple of items which we still need to work through.

- What is the best set-up for LPG cylinder sizes in NZ?  (Issues being cost and fit into the locker).

- Will the manual digital TV antenna work in NZ or do I need to get this changed out possibly to a sat TV system? 

- What size generator is required to power the microwave (particularly considering the in-rush current on start-up)?

 

I appreciate any help and other guidance you may be able to share with me and am happy to share our experiences on importing from the UK.

Chris, If your new motorhome is more than 3.5T you will need a Chassis Rating Certificate in order to complete the registration process.  You can apply for it now so that you'll have it when the van arrives. We didn't do it first time through and it cost us a couple of weeks downtime and inconvenience. If you need any help completing it just shout. 

 

We found that microwave on inverter used a lot more than the rated wattage (like 2-3 times) so I would err on the high side - 2 or 2.5kw (we've also got a 2.6kw Kipor which we don't use due to 3kw inverter and lots of batteries.) 

 

I would fit an automatic dish, we did,  can't fault it (Mecatronics). 

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

 

The Apache is specked at 3.5T but plated at 3.25T so that we could drive it in the UK on a standard car license.  Hopefully that won't be a problem on entry.  May get it re-plated / registered at 3.5T if that is possible on arrival in NZ.

 

We have picked up a Honda EU20i off TradeMe at a reasonable price ($1520).  Rated 1.6 kW continuous / 2kW peak.  Will see how that goes and upgrade if necessary - nice unit !

 

Thx for the suggestion on automatic dish.  Will look into it.

 

Our Appache arrives in Auckland in 2 weeks time and we are really looking forward to having her back again !!!

 

Cheers and thanks,

 

Chris

 

Hi Avocadopicker

 

On filling in the Chassis Rating request form I have 2 Questions .

 

I have a Mohawk with two axles and four wheels .

 

Axle types in the questionair  1 will be SD (steering and drive ) is axle 2 T (tag) ???

 

Axle configuration not sure what this should be 2X2 ???

 

thanks in anticipation

Frank C

 

Bit late now, but for the purposes of CRC, you have a driven axle (I. e. the front) and one axle. Only Comanche would have two axles.

It appears that at the last meeting 22% of those attending have imported there own motor homes. There is a lot of interest in importing and the savings to be made. At present my brotherinlaw is in the UK  investigating the pros and cons of importing. The pros far out way the cons. I would be interested in any comments on the subject. 

 

We've got a privately imported Delaware. Fiat will provide you with a 2 year warranty - but it is far less that what you might expect, and depends on your local Fiat dealer. We had to replace a dpf filter under warranty while in Christchurch, and we had to pay the whole cost up front and then wait 8 months for Fiat Italy to reimburse the dealer before we got paid back about half of what it cost. Euromark made it abundantly clear that we were more trouble than it was worth to them.

We've imported two Delawares now and found the process very straightforward.  Our friendly local dealer has made it very clear that you'll get no support whatever from him, however if you choose your UK dealer carefully, (there are a few who are pretty export-savvy), you can get some support remotely.

Chris the same thing happened to me and I purchased form AMH. Pacific Motor Group made me sign a doc to say I would pay and be reimbursed if fiat spi accepted the warranty claim. Fiat NZ told me they consider them to be a parallel import. So the warranty is the same.

 

It varies depending on the dealer. Andrew Simms in Manukau replaced the alternator and a battery at no cost to us - other than having to wait 4 weeks for the alternator to arrive from Australia. However, I would never use Euromark in Christchurch again if I had any other alternative. Personally, I think that Fiat NZ need to get their heads around the fact that motorhoming is a rapidly growing business opportunity for them as well. They don't carry spare parts, and having to wait for 2 to 4 weeks is a massive problem if you're away from home. Our Fiat's may be parallel imported, but they will be on the road, and will need to be serviced and repaired for many years. That has to be good business for them.

In defence of AMH, I am pleased I bought from them as we have had a major clutch repair only after few hundred km, break switch and now break switch wiring problems, and fridge problems. AMH supported us with the clutch issue by battling Fiat for the very expensive repairs to be covered by warranty and then Fiat didn't pay the full amount and AMH covered the remainder. Without this support we would have had to pay the garage (Farmer Auto, Tauranga) up front and possibly would not have not anything from Fiat. Farmer Auto are now dealing with the break switch and wiring problem and are covering that under warranty. I find them very good, however it's a pain and a big expense having to go so far to get warranty work done. Fiat need to have more approved garages in NZ. 

Our fridge problem is being difficult to solve and AMH have been very supportive with that. They have also done a few other minor repairs under warranty for us. 

We considered importing ourselves, and I found a UK dealer who would play ball. It appeared that there was at least $10k worth of savings on our Comanche, and perhaps even up to $20k. A lot of money to save. 

And AMH are not the easiest firm in the world to deal with.

However we bought off AMH, using their 3 step payment system, which knocked $10k off the yard price, and really I am pleased we did.

I have peace of mind warranty and general questions/issues wise, and to be fair whenever I have contacted AMH since they have been very helpful.

Whatsmore, the more we support the local agent, the more he will support us.

 

We imported a new Cherokee almost five years ago uusing the services of Castle European, who advertise in the mags. They effectively acted as project manager for the whole process and we picked up a totally NZ compliant vehicle from them in Tauranga 2-3 weeks after it arrived in NZ. We found their service to be excellent and as we were new to motorhoming were relieved to have that level of expert management. I can't remember what they charged but we still managed to save around $25k on the quoted AMH price at the time. We accepted that we would be carrying much of the warranty risk. In the event the only real issue we had was with the Thetfor fridge which stopped functioning. I got back to the UK supplier who suggested I go straight to Thetford as they offered a direct guarantee on the fridge. Thetford in NZ knew nothing about fridges then so I went back to UK Thetford who put me in touch with their Australian office who were very helpful. They gave me an Auckland company who could fix it and agreed to send them a replacement control panel and also cover all of the costs. It was sorted and I was very impressed with Thetford's support. Since then - and some 42,000km later there have been a number of niggling wear and tear type issues. AMH have lived up to their reputation - totally disinterested, but I have established a great reputation with Taranaki RV Centre, who I would totally recommend for all things Autotrail.

For those who have imported privately can you tell me if you have achieved any discount from the UK Dealer?  My spreadsheet shows the lower the UK price the bigger the impact on what you pay in NZ Duty and GST, so I'm keen to avoid paying the full UK price if possible.  

 

So far I've noted the following:

When buying new from UK we can use the Personal Export Scheme which means the purchase price is exclusive of VAT (currently 20%) - VX302 form supplied by Dealer.

When dropping off at Southampton docks (the only place RORO ships to NZ leave from) we have the following list:

1: ensure the fuel tank is near empty to reduce fire risk

2: disconnect the leisure battery

3: remove gas bottles, food (the fire extinguisher might get chucked at NZ but most get through)

4: clean inside and out, wheel arches and awning

5: remove personal items to avoid hassles with customs

6: take lots of photos

 

Does anybody have any comments/additions?

 

 

If you're importing a heavy (COF) vehicle don't forget to get a Chassis Rating Certificate before it lands, so you will fly through the initial registration checks.... VTNZ can't complete the registration without it. It's free to get, there's an application form you can download, and you'll need certified copies of photos of the VIN/Engine plates. 

 

Yes, we did get a discount from the UK dealer.

 

We had to make up a separate pallet for all our personal belongings as they're not allowed to be shipped in the van.  About an extra GBP250 for a 1.1CUM pallet.  If you leave stuff in the van there is a risk that it may vanish during the journey - we haven't had that experience but we know others who have.

 

On both occasions, even though we had the van completely power-washed underneath in Southampton 30 minutes before leaving it at the docks, MAF still insisted on another steam-clean this end.

 

Use a good customs agent at this end - we have an excellent one who manages the whole process of landing the vehicle and getting it delivered to VTNZ for its registration inspection. Can't rate them highly enough and their charges were very reasonable.

 

Deal with the shipping company directly - they're very helpful.

Hi All, we are new members emigrated from England, and shipped our 1015 Mohawk with us.

I have read some of the comments re importing and have some information which may be of interest, and some questions if anyone can help?

 

Brett and Kerri, did you find the NZ socket inserts for the electrical conversion?

 

Buying in the UK- My dealer told me that “Kiwis” on holiday in the UK can buy a new camper and not pay VAT (GST) and use it in the uk for not more than 12 months, then ship it to NZ, benefitting from the sliding tax scale based upon the age of the camper.

 

My Mohawk has just cleared customs and is going to VTNZ on Monday 23rd May. I have been told about having to have it converted electrically and the association put forward Kieran Hawke ? as a person who could do that and certify it, but he is down in Patumahoe. Does any one know of a person nearer to Auckland central ?

 

My camper has a “whole vehicle certificate” which may not require a chassis rating document as the labels affixed have all of the required information, True or False ?

 

We are not likely to use the camper for six months as we have loads of work to do on the house etc, can I put electrical conversion on the back burner for a wile ?

 

Cheers all

Joe & jane Island Electronis

For power sockets try PDL 570S in black or white

 

Hi guys,

We buy all our 230 volt socket inserts from K Simpson Electrical in Albany and them fit them into tth original frame,takes two minutes,they bring them in for us we fit them to all our caravans and fitted them to my Delaware, no electrical cert is required in NZ as long as long as you don't have to plug into power,it is a requirement of a camping ground owner to make sure you have an electrical WOF before they let you plug in.

Richard Woods Caravans

Hi guys,

We buy all our 230 volt socket inserts from K Simpson Electrical in Albany and them fit them into tth original frame,takes two minutes,they bring them in for us we fit them to all our caravans and fitted them to my Delaware, no electrical cert is required in NZ as long as long as you don't have to plug into power,it is a requirement of a camping ground owner to make sure you have an electrical WOF before they let you plug in.

Richard Woods Caravans

Folks,

ZK-RMM is correct you do not need a WoEF unless you connect to a Low Voltage supply (240VAC) in NZ.  

 

But be careful, if you are connecting your Caravan or Motorhome to a 240VAC supply you must have a current WoEF, even at home!

Many of the imported connectable installations that I have inspected had the wrong type/size of RCBO (This safety device that protects against Over Current and Earth Leakage).  A different type of RCBO is used in UK against that required for NZ.

 

I have checked and failed motorhomes on the 2nd inspection as they do not comply with AS/NZS 3001 and AS/NZS 3000.

 

The Electrical (Safety) Regulations 2010 state,

Regulation 78, Issue of warrants of electrical fitness for connectable installations (Caravan and Motorhome)

(2)  Every warrant of electrical fitness for a connectable installation must be issued in accordance with AS/NZS 3001, except that a warrant of electrical fitness for a connectable installation -

(C)  that has been imported must be issued in accordance with AS/NZS 3001, but only after an assessment for compliance with Part 1 of AS/NZS 3000 (Wiring Rules).

 

Please feel free to phone me if you want some electrical technical advice;

Allan Hill 021 613 448

Registered Electrical Inspector

NZTA's loading rules and licence, WOF and COF rules are important reading. I suspect many WOF vans are over 3.5 tones when fully loaded with passengers, fuel, people, water, food, "toys" and personal belongings.  I wonder what this does to insurance cover if involved in an accident. 

Here's the relevant website link:

 

http://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/new-motorhomes-information-for-importers-traders-and-private-purchasers/new-motorhomes.pdf

My wife & I are planning to buy a Delaware in the UK & spend about 4 months touring UK & Western Europe before shipping it back home. There is some useful information on the Forum already & we would really appreciate any feedback from 'avocadopicker' or others, who could recommend 'export savvy' UK dealers to contact.

Our query, though, concerns the validity of a NZ HT licence in Europe. It looks as though the Delaware exceeds the 3.5T limit for legal driving in Europe with a standard NZ car licence, so we were wondering if anybody knew if we can drive the Delware with a NZ HT licence.

Love this forum - so useful. 

Hi beedee. It is not possible to drive legally in the UK on a NZ license in a vehicle in excess of 3.5T. You will also fail to get insurance which is another legal requirment. Sorry,nice plan but cant be done without breaking the law. Believe me, I was planning the same thing but decided it

wasnt worth the risk so bought my RB straight back here using Paul at Castle  European, well known to many self importers of this Club. However, if you where to buy any Motor Home less than 3.5T then apart from the hassle of getting insurance you can drive anything anywhere you like,provided your under 70 but thats another story

Thanks so much for clearing that up. I had a feeling that was the case but was hoping there was a way round it.

I will follow your advice & contact Castle European. Thanks again, much appreciated.

Hi

Many years ago I was offered a job in Europe driving Contiki Tours but turned it down at the time to persue another career at home. Ever since I have often wondered about the requirements for licence equivalency as I still have a class 5 licence in NZ with a P endorsement. This post caused me to do a bit of research... it seems that to obtain an LGV licence for private use shouldn't be too difficult, expensive or time consuming, if you were keen. More difficult and expensive would probably be getting insurance. I have purchased a couple of cars in the UK for holiday use and insurance is always a hassle and the cost for a few weeks has always been more than I pay at home for a year. LGV is good for up to 7.5 tonnes and it could be that they will grant you one for a limited period and for specific single vehicle use. As an example, I ferried a couple of airline aircraft from the UK to NZ, both under British registration and both times I was granted a UK licence for 6 weeks but valid only for the aircraft concerned.

 

It would certainly be worth enquiring about.

Hi-Sorry, no , still cant be done. To get a license to drive a vehicle in excess of 3.5T .First you need a UK license, to get a UK license you need a UK address, you could use an address of a relative but by the time you sit your standard Class B license and the upgrade to a Cat C1 to drive >3.5T your holiday would be over. NZ licenses are not transfereable to UK licenses and only give you 12 months local authority to drive cars, motorcycles and vehicles <3.5T. If you are still unsure, check the DVLA website at GOV.UK. The only people lucky enought to do this are previous UK residents with UK licenses and even then there are some weird exclusions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, if you phone me on 07 549 3620 I can give you chapter and verse on the whole sorry issue - yeah, what they said above really, the biggest issue is with insurance - you must have it - the rego and insurance databases are linked in the UK so the police can check not just your warrant and licence status, but also your insurance, just off the number plate. Most (all?) Insurers insist on UK residence status so no status =no insurance = no drive >3.5T in Europe! 

(all?) is certainly not correct, I have bought and insured three cars in the UK over the years, each time for about six weeks whilst on holiday.

Yes you can buy and insure a second hand car in UK but

to buy a new one they need a rego number to get insurance cover and insurance cover needs a rego number

both of these need Uk address so it just keeps going around in a circle

we got around it buy the dealer giving us the rego number of the last vel he sold the same and then told the insurance company tha it was a temp rego to get a insurance cover note then could use the cover note to get the rego done then gave the correct rego to the insurance company

insurance company was Down under insurance

3.5 tonne and less is easy and we have done it !  Here's how:

 

-  We purchased a new Apache 634 from a dealer in Southampton.

-  Once we had the VIN we registered over the Internet from NZ using the address of our daughter who was living in London at the time

-  No need for an HT license as NZ driver's liocense is OK up to 3,500 Kg.

-  Registration documents were sent to the London address

- Once we had these (electronically) we arranged insurance with "Down Under"

-  Plates were printed by the dealer

-  We travelled for 4 weeks around UK with no problem (and legally)

-  We exported the vehicle to NZ

-  Once it arrived we had it registered in NZ at 3650 Kgs (Autotrail helped with this)

And we are so happy with the experience RVing in UK (by pub car park) and final outome !!!

 

PS.  Dont forget to bring the UK registration documents (hard copy) home with you as otherwise there will be significant delays  . . . . .

The issue is Delaware >3.5T requires a specific class of licence which is not included in International Permit and not covered by visitors licence (NZ Class 2 doesn't count in Europe).

Finding the best way to transport bikes on cars and campers has been and issue with me for years but now now we are the proud owners of an Apache 634 we have found what for us is almost an ideal solution. Having had to remove the bed from above the cab we've found this space provides a perfect place for bike storage. Yes, I have to remove the front wheels and pedals (stowed in the boot) and yes, I have to be careful that I don't sratch the furniture when loading but the bikes ride securely, stay dry, don't get covered in dust / filth and are out of sight and safe. I use two 'removers blankets' (the grey posh ones) bought from Mitre 10 for about 10$ each to protect the bikes and camper. Definitely our best solution yet!

I am considering purchasing an inflatable boat and outboard to store in the garage of my 2014 Delaware.  The Takacat Lite 3m appeals to me paired with a 6hp Honda short shaft outboard.  Has anyone got this combination (or similar)?  I would be interested to know if it is possible to store all this in the garage, or if there are other storage solutions (rack etc).  I would prefer not to tow a trailer.

Hi Tim

I too was researching this and had similar concerns.  Things I was told to watch out for are the glued vs welded seams. Glued only lasts 5-10yrs, handles fall off then the seams go.  Of course you can repair but who wants a leak while you're off shore?  I was told best makes are Southern Pacific, FOrce 4, Aquapro, Zodiac, Bombard,X-3 and Achilles.  I was adamant I needed a boat with multiple inflated areas in case of deflation!   The weight of the boat and motor concerned me also.  Motors start at 20kg and go up from there.  I looked at air cooled motors which are lighter but completely exposed to salt water spray.  There is a move to ban 2 stroke motors on lakes overseas so to future proof I'd started leaning towards 4 stroke despite the extra weight.   

You can add a hydrofoil to the motor which increases lift and speed apparently.

The boats come in all sizes of bags and IMO the best bag was one which folded up from 4 sides.  Both the motor and bag sizes need to be seen, measured and lifted before committing - who needs a back strain on holiday or one that won't fit in the garage.  Youtube has reviews which show you speed comparisons.  Good luck and let us know what you end up doing and your experience.

Mark

Hi, We have a Delaware with a 10foot.8 inch Porta bote on Roof and a 6 hp suzuki 25 kg in boot, use rope pulleys to get boat down... Look further up to see boat on roof under 2017 Delaware Project.....Les Ps I tried cheap china 4 hp 4 stroke air cooled from trademe just rubish hard to start !!! Also tried inflatables Aakron 30 kg it stayed in boot as I found you get to lazey to blow it up ......Les

Thanks Les and Mark, very helpful indeed. Les how do you stow the motor in the boot.....have you manufactured a bracket for it? Any photos would be much appreciated.

Hi Tim and Sheryl, The 2017 Delaware has four tie down points on the boot floor, your model just fit four s/s eye bolts through boot floor with washers and nuts purchase from a Marine Shop.......Les

Or even better if you wanted to fit some flush or semi flush tie downs or cargo track go to this website. The cargo track is the same as the seat track which runs through the cabin and cargo holds of an aircraft so the tie down points are infinitely adjustable. Two strips through the garage, a cradle to sit the motor in and a handful of anchors would do the job nicely

 

https://www.comac.co.nz/U/Cargo-Control-Rope-Rings

 

I have bought a lot of hard to find fittings from Comac over the last few years... they are truly one of NZ's hidden treasures, their range and service are second to none.

 

Mike

We have ordered a Tracker FB and want to travel with a 10 foot paddle board...I hope on the roof...any ideas of roofracks??? or something???....does anyone travel with a paddle board???... thanks Michele

I remember seeing an ingenious device invented by a Nelson? motorhomer  on utube whereby the canoe in this case was hauled up from the side and parked on top. 

I went for the inflatable SUP option and also an inflatable kayak. All fit nicely in my RB. Got to have the toys! Not having a head for heights and not wanting to put any more holes in my roof-these were the only options

Hi Leith, re wanting to lift your paddle board on to the roof of your motorhome. I built a system to lift my 29kg kayak on to the roof of my Dakota. Although it may be too elaborate for what you require it may give you some ideas of how to safely place your board on to the roof without having to climb up there (dangerous when your wet). Go to YOUTUBE and look up KAYAK LIFTING BUDDY and you can see it in operation. If you want any more advice I am willing to give you some help. Safe motoring. Buddy

 

Wow...thats amazing Buddy...thanks...we get our new Tracker in September and will be in touch....Thank you...Michele Leith

Very ingenious and well thought out. Congratulations Buddy. I'm sure you will get plenty of enquiries. 

Im interested to see what you did...Im trying to acommadate a paddle board...thanks Michele Leith

Sorry I must have missed seeing that ingenious idea? I'd be very interested in seeing it.

 

You Tube look for Kayak Lifting Buddy System. Les

Hi there, has anyone heard if it is still possible to park at Ray's Rest? We have been told that there is no camping there anymore.

Many thanks, Warren & Carol

Freedom Camping is allowed, and still very popular, at Rays Rest. You can check it out on the Hauraki District Council website: http://www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/services/parks-reserves/rays-rest/

Rumour has it, that it is closed due to storm damage. Just rumour mind you.

JAS

Hi just wondering if anybody has a recommendation to park/camp overnight in Wellington we are members of nzmca

but it seems they don't have anything yet? 

Thanks for you help

 

We stayed at the Evans Bay Marina last summer, it was the nearest stop for an early morning ferry departure. Thought it might be a bit noisy but it worked fine and only a few minutes from the ferry terminal.

There is an article in a recent issue of iMotorhome NZ on this very topic. If you are not aware of this publication it is a free download. There is an AU version and both are good reads.

Evans Bay has worked well for us (free!) and you can also stay at the Te Papa carpark for between $12 and $24, depending on how long you stay. Te Papa is about as close as you can get to the ferry, and it's cheaper than the nearest campsite.

Ngatitoa domain at porirua is ok

Petone Working mens club is great. 15 minutes to ferry $10 a night with power. You can use facilities at club when open.

As a cyclist I appreciate the way that most drivers of motorhomes give me at least the recommended 1.5m when passing. I was therefore both concerned and shocked when at about 11.00am this morning an NZMCA member driving an Autotrail passed myself and 2 friends at Woodstock (between Motueka and Tapawera) giving us between 30 and 50cm space!

It's a quiet road and the incident was on a straight section. We are all experienced cyclists wearing bright clothing who ride in single file on the white line so taking up the minimum amount of road space.

I know that most of you do this as a matter of course, but please remember that motorhomes cruising at 80 - 100km cause singificant drag which can pull a cyclist into the path of following traffic.       

I have a 2017 Tracker EKS. When you enter the motorhome there is a step up from the electric step into the inside of the motorhome.

I have had a situation where someone who had never been in the motorhome before wasnt watching and actually fell into the step and fell out the door - how she didn't break her leg was amazing.

 

Has anyone else experienced this and if so any suggestions to solve the problem. 

 

Janice

I have yet to drive my Apache 700 in snowy conditions. Do otheres out there have advice to offer? ie Snow Chains.

You will now appreciate the benefit of front wheel drive in snowy conditions but always heed the warning of the AA and if they say "fit chains " then fit them-mind you the thought of unhooking from power and travelling in snow is not appealing so stay put. Snow is not too bad, its ice you have to worry about

Fit a round hatch cover 120mm seal in place, This enables you to turn off the gas bottle in a case of an emergency FIRE seeing the locker is locked, purchased at Burnsco ltd.

Can someone please tell me how to remove the rubber cap where the towing hook screws in behind the cover on the front bumper of my 2015 Imala. I can't see any obvious way. I could drill through it and hook it out but there might be a better way?

Hi Dave

Prise it out with a broad bladed screwdriver from the side... description is in the owners manual on page 226. The towing eye should be under the passenger seat.

 

 

 

Thanks Mike and Chris....just wanted to be sure. My manual has the instructions on a different page but nothing about the plug. All good now.

Hi Dave

 

It may be on a different page in my manual as well, but when I am at home I usually use a digital version... see the link below, it may be of interest.

 

http://aftersales.fiat.com/eLumData/EN/77/250_DUCATO/77_250_DUCATO_603.99.321_EN_01_05.13_L_

E5/77_250_DUCATO_603.99.321_EN_01_05.13_L_E5.pdf

Can anyone recommend a tow bar supplier and fitter in the Hamilton or Tauranga areas?  We need ours modifying to raise the height of the tow bar so our tow bar mounted bike rack on our Delaware doesnt ground so easily.  Thanks.

Talk to Peter Johnston, pbjohnston@xtra.co.nz who is based near Huntly. Good guy for both towbars and seatbelts.

Peters cell 0274874287 very good to deal with.

Wanting to put a towbar on our newly acquired Tracker RB which apparently will need to be certified by an engineer, as we have COF, not WOF.

Does anyone know where in Auckland we can get this doe and fitted, at a reasonable price?

Do you want to tow or just for a bike rack.

Probably a tailer or small boat 

Hi, we have used Acker Bilt Ltd in Penrose.  They specialise in tow bars, roof racks, and bull bars.  Our old MH was also on a COF and we found the process very straightforward and received the paper work by a certified engineer, which Acker Bilt organised.  May be not the cheapest in terms of price, but we were happy with the service and the quality of the tow bar fitted and were confident that they knew what they were doing in terms of expert advice.  From memory the MH had to be kept over night and this was securely locked under cover in their massive workshop.  We presented the certified engineer paperwork to the VINZ testing station at the time of COF and they took a copy and registered the tow bar into their system and issued new vehicle labels with the towing weights etc.

 

Perhaps give them a call or go and see them with the Tracker for a quote.

Acker Bilt Ltd 

5 Industry Road, Penrose.  Phone: 5795167

 

 

Thanks for that Bman I will.

Hi

Question for members who tow vehicles behind their Autotrails... curious about what method you use to protect the front of the toad from flying gravel etc. Ease of use, effectiveness, cost, shop bought or homemade?? Protective blanket, extra mudflaps, horizontal curtain, nothing at all??

I completed a 6500km trip around North and South islands towing my New Jimny one very small stone bruise. I used full width brush curtain purchased from TWL mounted in a aluminum mounding purchased from Ulritch. I mounted it half way between the wheels and the back of the mh. Works fantastic. One mh,er who followed me in the rain at Hokitika  made the comment that the vortex that comes out from the MH clears the Jimny. I'm super happy with the setup.

Hi

 

Sounds great and reasonably easy to set up, I understand that the brush comes in different sizes, how close to the ground does yours go? Was the fore and aft positioning just a good guess or is there some research on the subject?

The brush is 12mm off the ground. 

Hi

 

Since buying our Dakota I have looked at various ways to attach a small 4wd vehicle; towing dolly, A-frame or trailer. To this end I have just arranged the purchase of a new Suzuki Carry truck in Japan, arriving mid January and now I have to decide which method. Preference at the moment is to have a custom built alloy trailer which will negate the hassles with reversing, brakes and lights and also give me a convenient way to transport our sea-kayaks. The Suzuki is around 740kgs and the trailer will be a little over 300 giving a small margin for kayaks etc to stay within the 1250kgs towing limit specified by Autotrail.

 

Has anyone done anything similar?

 

Regards

Mike

I think for towing a trailer or car check your windscreen sticker NZTA for unbraked weights. .... our Comanche is 750 kg max and 1500 kg braked

Hi Les

 

Sorry, maybe I wasn't very clear, whatever I tow will be braked and I know the limits. What I am interested in are opinions and possibly personal experiences re the merits of a towing dolly versus an A-frame versus a trailer.

 

Regards

Mike

I went for a Aframe to tow our Suzuki Jimmy 2015 no extra braking as like a lot of others out their, no extra charges like rego, wof, that's needed on a trailer, car tows well.

I have purchased a 2015 Jimny manual. Tomorrow I am going to get the tow bar fitted any they tell me that a special surge eliminator has to be fitted. Can any one advise what it is.

 

happy new year all.

 

Just completed my Jimny Aframe works well even when reversing. Just waiting for the relay and Jimny lights to be wired up.

Hi Mike & Chris

I own a Mitsubishi Minicab, which is the same as your Suzuki Carry, and I tow it on an 'A' frame (unbraked) behind my Savannah.

I have towed it for approx 12000 kms without any problems. It only weighs approx 800kgs and tracks beautifully.

It is the handiest vehicle I have ever had, great for on the beach with the kontiki, and up the hill track just to see where it goes.  Go for it.

 

JAS

We have just completed a 6500km trip towing our new Jimny fantastic the best we have had. No problems at all.

Thought I would wrap up the thread by posting a photo of the finished article. The "Carry" has waterproof storage and dedicated racks for our kayaks, paddles and fishing rods. The storage has a lockable side hatch for kayaking gear with a rear dog kennel and it all lifts off in a couple of minutes, easily accomplished by two people.

 

 

As a matter of interest the photo above was taken lunchtime yesterday on SH1 just south of Kaikoura

Mike

I want to fit a towbar and want to choose the simplest and most economic way to install the wiring integrated into the CANBUS system (I have a 2014 Delaware). Has anyone done-it-themselves or have suggestions? Thanks 

I purchase an BRITAX interface from Italian auto Ltd in otahuhu Auckland cost about $230 which I made enough slack in the tail light loom to wire it in the back locker.this needs permanent battery feed 12v + as above behind driver seat 20amp tow fuse.

Great answers guys. Many thanks 

Thanks Rob, fyi I just got a new but unused relay (TEB7AS is the 7-way relay) for $30 off TradeMe. Just the job!

Did you get any feedback from the members??

My 2014 Delaware has auto seek SR Mecatronic 680 satellite dish.

Does anyone know how to wire it so it automatically folds down with ignition on?

Perhaps connect to auto step or 12 volt fridge?

Anyone done this?

Yes, I have done this with our Kiwisat (a rebadged Mecatronics unit). Here's how.

 

1) You need to power the satellite dish off a fused supply from the house battery.  If you take the 12v feed from the Sargent control system, this shuts down when you turn on the ignition and there is no power for the satellite dish to use to shut down (fold up).

 

2) You need a "D+" signal for the satellite dish.  This tells the dish that the engine (alternator) is running.  The best place to pick this up is from the EM40 interface unit which is located on the floor behind the driver's seat.  (see link for the EC500 user guide which has photos and connection details for the EM40). 
I used the Tow Bar signal F6 Pin 3; using a cable joining crimp fitting which is the right diameter to slide over the post.

 

Running the wires on our Apache 634 was not difficult.  Not sure about other Autotrail models but I am sure you will find suitable routes for the wires.  It works well !

 

 

http://autotrailusers.nz/ForumFiles/1010/EC500%20Dealer%20Guide%20Issue%201.pdf

Hi ChrisB I have located the same F6 tow bar pin. Do I remove the fuse and just connect a wire from there up to the D+ terminal on back of Mecatronic control or do I need to put a fuse in the new wire line?

I picked up the D+ wire AFTER the existing fuse from the underside of the EM40 module. Chris

It would be good to be able to upload photos and videos

Keep up the great work Chris

The website looks fantastic, great work Chris!

I feel after viewing the site it will be of great use to owners with problems of all kinds. Congratulations keep up the great work.

Well done - informative and easy to use.

Chris, this site really is a fantastic facility for us as  Autotrail owners. Thanks for the hardwork and patience.

And just because I know you have nothing else to do, I wonder if you have thought about putting a page up for A/T s for sale, and perhaps wanted to buy. Trading up/down will always have interest to some of us, plus some will have friends who, having been impressed with our A/Ts, will be on the look out for one themselves.