Bailey pegasus ugly

[xtrailman]

A couple of month ago we looked round the vans at lowdham caravans, when i asked were are the senators, the sales man replied saying the senator range was having a radical make over.

So i rather think that although kelly states senator builds are scheduled pre and post xmas, 2011 will not see any?

 

[Royston]

Not quite sure why everbody is thinking it will only replace the Senator range, The whole range of Baileys will eventually be made to this design.

This hopefully will eliminate the faults that keep occurring to the unfortunate buyers (me being one ) to the front and rear panels through stress fractures, resulting with the van being off the road , when it should be providing stress free enjoyment.

If I had the ready cash I would certainly not invest in any of their current range now that this super model is available.

Royston

 

[Sedo]

I think i've mentioned earlier somewhere that I was given to believe that the new construction will in time feed into the other models eventually and that the Senator model will disappear.

Whether this will effect the Pegasus's look inside and out I don't know, I suppose we'll have to wait to see how successful it becomes.

Tom

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

i like the new pegasus but i cant get me head around the front locker. we only have the 2 gas bottles and a few light bits in the because our max tow ball is only 80kg. we travel with the aqua roll and waste master in the shower along with the handles.

jo

 

[Heethers]

Think l will wait and see whether the new method of construction passes the test of time.

Big factor the re torque of the fastening bolts.

NigelH

 

[Dustydog]

If one was a cynic.

Then:-

1. No one would buy any other current Bailey bar the Pegasus.

2. All the blurb basically admits all our caravans are constructed with water ingress waiting to happen??

3. We will all be carrying a torque wrench to check our wheels and Pegasus structures.

Not that bad I think.

Aircraft have been made of ally for years and use super adhesives designed to withstand high temperature and pressure changes. Are these used in caravan manufacture?

Bailey have put their money where their mouths are so I guess they must be confident they have cracked(sic) the water ingress issue. Is the ingress issue across the industry as bad as some say?? Maybe not.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Royston]

Hi Dustydog, I personally would not buy any of their range manufactured after 2005, when you experience first hand the problem of front and rear panel fractures, its something that when it occurs blows all faith with the construction of the caravans.

When you purchase a new van (Old range) you get 6 years warranty for water ingress , my van failed within 3 years with the new rear panel fitted did not get a further 6 years for this panel.

Was left wondering how long would the front panel or rear panel last , would it fail before or after the warranty expired .

Bearing in mind we are talking about upwards of 2 grand (todays prices)to replace either panel.

What will it cost when the panels are not being produced for production, when the new range takes over.

Are motorhomes the safest bet for trouble free ownership.

Royston

 

[ANDREW_374368566]

Hi all

Yes we did look at a Pegasus last weekend - it was the Arizona equivalent. As I said the interior is not the same quality as the Senator and does not have that air of class. If the Senator was to be discontinued, then the Pegasus would not compete with other manufacturers' top-end vans.

We have all heard about the qualities of the new construction and the simulated long term testing but it will be in the long term ownership that will prove whether it works or not. By the way why did they test it on the Belgium Pave at the Road Research - any A class road in Britain would have been a much stiffer test with the state of our roads !

The external graphics leave a lot to be desired - it looked so bland and if you are going to make an ugly van, then try to make it look a bit better by enhancing the exterior. However that external extrusion that joins the panels was well engineered.

The shiny GRP interior is another point - how long before it starts to have dark marks on it (dust impinging on the surface) as the static builds up on it. Also what about the winter time when cooking inside - will you get a build-up of condensation on the surface as you get in the shower and on mirrors etc. Yes the surface temperature of the GRP may, in the living area, be a little higher but will misting on the surface of these panels happen ?

I thank Kelly from Bailey for her response on the Senator manufacture but I have had a call from a dealer today who confirms that the December run will be the last. So who is correct - is Kelly able to say categorically that the Senator will not be discontinued next year ?

As you may gather, we are Senator fans and in the end may order one quickly before they end - they are excellent value, full of 'goodies' and generally well constructed.

Regards

Alan

Alan

You are right, the interior just doesnt feel 16k plus and when you look at Swifts and Elddis etc at this price the van feels up-market, the rear is poor and the construction has to be tested over at leat 3 years on our roads, but the marketing will bowl over some and they may find in a few years time that their van isnt as good value as first thought. If vans were made to last for ever then in a few years we may not have as many caravans being built as people hold on to them longer, but the Senator is more stylish, up-market interior - just wish the front wall lights would come back - and mains operated to!

 

[Missedagain1]

No matter what, it is STILL a BAILEY!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sedo]

That's what I thought Missedagain, should be really good value for money.

Tom

 

[Dustydog]

Royston

I'm on my second Bailey and so far fingers xd no problems but I do know of a few people who have had a panel replaced under warranty and no subsequent problems.

I've asked before why ABS is still used and just how many panels out of a years batch are actual failures. I'd just like to get a true feel of the problem.

If it is a demonstrable inherent defect in manufacture then I think I will expect Bailey to help me out once my warranty expires.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[Heethers]

l was told by an ex Lunar employee that the problem started when Bailey stiffed the roof causing stress fractures on the holes that attached the rear end and front panels, since then they have introduced a collar that sits in the holes which has solved the issue.

I would have thought Bailey would have issued a statement if this were correct to relieve customers of any worry about new van issues, or maybe the Lunar employee

was wrong but it seemed good explanation to me.

Only ask the question of him when he tried to sell me a Carolina, didn't work stayed with my one year old van, these salesmen think you change your vans like changing your socks.

NigelH

 

[forestgump]

whentto malvern show this weekend smell of horse pss,

looked at new bailys not impressedouter pannels at back cheap andinner finish cheap .luna caravans looked spot on verey impressed .will look at lunas when changing van

 

[Peter_374474064]

With regards to looks I feel it is one of the worse vans for some time, but may be this new Stealth will be even worse! Bailey have gone for a box on wheels design for some time as it is the cheapest to produce but up to now has been accecptable. I suspect many will take the view that a more stylish product with a 6 year warranty will more than fullfill their requiremens.

 

[xtrailman]

peter

Where are the stylish caravans you refer to?

To me they all look the same, only the windows are in different places, along with different transfers on the outside?

What really needs to be spot on is the living space.

 

[Sedo]

Peter

I thought a caravan was in concept just a box on wheels.

A means of having somehwere to employ as a base which is comfortable inside and safley towable.

If we are going to start adding points for style, I take it the Airstream will go straight of the window, stand outish, yes, stylish well............

I know I'd rather go for something well built, functional, and with a good warranty. Style is then really just personal.

Remove the box on wheels and there ain't many caravans left.

Tom

 

[ANDREW_374368566]

Peter

I thought a caravan was in concept just a box on wheels.

A means of having somehwere to employ as a base which is comfortable inside and safley towable.

If we are going to start adding points for style, I take it the Airstream will go straight of the window, stand outish, yes, stylish well............

I know I'd rather go for something well built, functional, and with a good warranty. Style is then really just personal.

Remove the box on wheels and there ain't many caravans left.

Tom

Well Tom

The Stealth is for you then - a box for sure with stylish interior-perhaps. The Bailey construction needs to be tested for some years, and bold claims of no leaks are brave, I for one dont want a bolted together caravan-due to the construction all caravans would look alike apart from diffrent graphics.

Sprite used bonded roofs from the mid 90's but no body else followed oh Bailey did from 2004. Tyron safety bands another Sprite break through a great idea, but no one followed it. I think the Stealth could upstage Pegasus even. A better exterior, and more upmarket interior including better equipment and placing it at a higher market may have been a good selling point.

 

[Mikey1]

I went to the caravan show today and had a good look at the Pegasus today.

A few things i picked up on,it only has an awning rail on one side and the top corner is a very tight right angle this would make the awning very difficult to feed through.

The abs add on bits at the front and back look awful as they dont fit properly with gaps and look side they were an after thought.

The small side lockers are a waste of time and are much smaller than they look.

The removeable on board water tank would be too heavy and difficult to put back into the locker when full.

Inside smells strongly of grp(im sure this would go)it has 3 inch plastic quadrant covering the bolts that secure the top to the sides,it makes the van look very cheap inside

One concern is how can they retighten the rear bolts when the shower cubicle is in the way im sure they wont take this out.

 

[Mikey1]

Forgot to add,the stealth is awful!!

 

[Peter_374474064]

peter

Where are the stylish caravans you refer to?

To me they all look the same, only the windows are in different places, along with different transfers on the outside?

What really needs to be spot on is the living space.

Stylish vans from the past would include Winchesters ,Car Cruisers, Cheltenhams and Royales. More recently Cotswold Celeste,Abbey Evolution Range most Swift Corniches the last ABI Award. New ones would include silver sided Swift Group models and Elddis Group with the dark tinted windows. I fully accept that what appeals to some does not to others but caravans do not all look the same and it will be sad if we end up with shapeless boxes that do, like has happened in America and Austrailia. Looks are not everything however but why buy something that is ugly when you don't have to?

 

[Sedo]

Well Tom

The Stealth is for you then - a box for sure with stylish interior-perhaps. The Bailey construction needs to be tested for some years, and bold claims of no leaks are brave, I for one dont want a bolted together caravan-due to the construction all caravans would look alike apart from diffrent graphics.

Sprite used bonded roofs from the mid 90's but no body else followed oh Bailey did from 2004. Tyron safety bands another Sprite break through a great idea, but no one followed it. I think the Stealth could upstage Pegasus even. A better exterior, and more upmarket interior including better equipment and placing it at a higher market may have been a good selling point.

Andrew

Sorry I didn't say I still want to look outside now and then with a good view, there again that doesn't impinge on style to have windows in.

As for no leaks well Bailey apparently don't have a damp test lined up the Pegasus servicing.

As for looking the same I remember the Audi TT once looked odd and was viewed as ugly by some.

For me it's good luck to Bailey and I hope it works.

I'll take a whiff of GRP over musty damp

Tom

 

[Lutz]

Like I said, the worst thing about the layout is that it's impossible to get the loo from the fixed bed if more than 2 people are sleeping in the van.

 

[xtrailman]

peter

Where are the stylish caravans you refer to?

To me they all look the same, only the windows are in different places, along with different transfers on the outside?

What really needs to be spot on is the living space.

peter

fair comment, as you say however, tinted windows and silver vans , are not to my taste, from the one post i have read, re the nec, it sounds like the peg' is a complete flop?

 

[Lutz]

Like I said, the worst thing about the layout is that it's impossible to get the loo from the fixed bed if more than 2 people are sleeping in the van.

Meant to add that the above comment referred to the Stealth.

 

[AlanADS]

Hi all,

We went to the Caravan show on Friday in the hope of purchasing a new caravan. We are Bailey Senator owners but found, not surprisingly, that the Bailey stand was made up of mostly Pegasus and Pageants with only two Senators to view. The Bailey people we spoke to (not dealers)said that they had brought all the Pegasus ranges because that was the model they were trying to push.

We had seen a Pegasus a couple of weeks ago at a dealers and were not impressed then. Looking at the vans at the NEC I think that Bailey had rushed them out because the finish was very poor. I agree with Mikey in respect to the ABS trim panels at the front and rear bottom edges - they are so flimsy and poorly fixed and wont't last long. The ABS is so thin you could see the glow of the number plate lamp through it, the soft pvc jointing strip was gaping and will definately discolour over time. The interiors are not a patch on the Senator and most of the other vans at the NEC were head and shoulders above the Pegasus.

Most people we spoke to weren't concerned with the 10 year warranty and many questioned how the servicing guys would be carrying out the 3-year torquing up of the wall panel bolt systems.

We fail to see how the magazines and Clubs are 'raving' over the Pegasus - is it a touch of "The Emporors New Clothes" ? Yes the concept of the panel system is good but you can see where they run out of ideas on how to treat the corner details - have a look at the rear top corner where they have mitered the aluminium extrusion, they cover the joint by a small, what looks like plastic, patch which seemed to be fixed by mastic. The Pegasus looks cheap and on looks alone cannot compare with any other van at the show, with the exception of the Stealth that had a similar body structure - and what a mess that was !

Well, we left the NEC very tired, money still in our pocket despite being very tempted by the Coachman Pastiche and VIP range. If we had more time (closing time was upon us) the salesman from Wandahome may have got a sale of the VIP 545 but his luck ran out as it was time to go.

We have now decided to wait until the new year and see what is about then. If Bailey change their mind about the Senator range and continue it next year we may retain our allegiance - we will have to wait and see.

Alan S