Elddis Xplore 302
- Thread starter Tow to tow
- Start date
Hello again, Tow to tow,
I presume you are considering the caravan you have listed in the title of this thread i.e. the
Elddis Xplore 302. Depending on who you ask , some will say Bad some will say Good.
How well a design of caravan works is very much a personal thing, and what's right for one may not so good for another, only you can choose which design works best for you.
But if you are asking about reliability and faults, then it's a very patchy picture. from recent surveys over the last few years it seems that 80% of customers are have no major issues with their new caravans, but that does mean that up to 20% do have some significant issues requiring warranty work.
Consequently with such a high fault rate you cannot guarantee that the caravan you purchase will be fault free.
Might I ask that you fill out your future questions with a bit more information about what you are looking for or having a problem with, such short points can be easily misconstrued.
I presume you are considering the caravan you have listed in the title of this thread i.e. the
Elddis Xplore 302. Depending on who you ask , some will say Bad some will say Good.
How well a design of caravan works is very much a personal thing, and what's right for one may not so good for another, only you can choose which design works best for you.
But if you are asking about reliability and faults, then it's a very patchy picture. from recent surveys over the last few years it seems that 80% of customers are have no major issues with their new caravans, but that does mean that up to 20% do have some significant issues requiring warranty work.
Consequently with such a high fault rate you cannot guarantee that the caravan you purchase will be fault free.
Might I ask that you fill out your future questions with a bit more information about what you are looking for or having a problem with, such short points can be easily misconstrued.
There are lots of very happy xplore owners out there. Super compact van and not much to go wrong.
One Forum member is very happy with her Xplore, but I don’t know how old it is. You don’t say if you are going for a new one or pre owned and how old. Meanwhile another member has taken his one year old one for its first service and there’s been damp found which necessitates warranty action. Look up recent threads posted by Sam Vimes and Mel in the search function.
Thanks OC was going to say. Thought it was Mel who loves hers but wasn't 100% sure.
Thank you all for your replies, I am looking at 2011/2012 vans and what I wish to know is how reliable and damp free the vans are as I believe the 302 was bonded and not screw and mastic in its construction.
Also why did they stop production?
Many thanks
Mike
Also why did they stop production?
Many thanks
Mike
Sam’s seems happy with his too, but no doubt disappointed with it being affected by damp. But that’s caravans for you, be they old or new. Every caravan I’ve owned has had damp some sorted under warranty, the rest down to me. Fortunately I’ve always kept up with servicing and damp checks and any damp has been caught relatively early. But it’s still darned annoying and at times gut wrenching.
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Are you sure those years were Eldiss Solid bonded construction? Why does any commodity maker change the model range? ProbaBly not enough being sold and like small cars not sufficiently profitable compared to larger higher spec models.
https://www.caravantimes.co.uk/news...dis-explains-its-new-caravan-building-method/
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As mentioned we have the Xplore 304 model which we bought from new just over a year ago. Very happy with it despite a few initial snags and the recent discovery of damp when we had it in for its first service. None of this has prevented us from using it though.
Elddis made no quibble about warranty repair and I got nice phone call from them apologising and saying they would rush through the parts needed. Sadly they didn't offer me free of charge one of their motorhomes
I reached the conclusion years ago that most caravans and motorhomes have snags and compromises you have to make and even like cars its pot luck if you get a good or bad one. One of the things about user reviews, for most things, is that the disappointed customers tend to be a bit more 'vocal' about their problems.
Anway our 304 tows nicely behind our Qashqai 1.5dCi. Its easy to set up and we have a Sunncamp260 air awning which gives us more space if we're on sites for more than 3 or 4 days. Or when our daughter and grandson come away with us - which means I get to sleep in the awning.
Bathroom could be a bit bigger but once you get used to it, its ok. Gone are my days of swiftly changing into my Superman outfit.
Elddis made no quibble about warranty repair and I got nice phone call from them apologising and saying they would rush through the parts needed. Sadly they didn't offer me free of charge one of their motorhomes
I reached the conclusion years ago that most caravans and motorhomes have snags and compromises you have to make and even like cars its pot luck if you get a good or bad one. One of the things about user reviews, for most things, is that the disappointed customers tend to be a bit more 'vocal' about their problems.
Anway our 304 tows nicely behind our Qashqai 1.5dCi. Its easy to set up and we have a Sunncamp260 air awning which gives us more space if we're on sites for more than 3 or 4 days. Or when our daughter and grandson come away with us - which means I get to sleep in the awning.
Bathroom could be a bit bigger but once you get used to it, its ok. Gone are my days of swiftly changing into my Superman outfit.
My experience with our Eldiss was that it was well designed, but flimsy, which still seems to hold true on the newer ones I have seen. Having said that most other makes can have the same problem, so do check it out before you buy and see f you believe it is acceptable for the use you need it for.
Well i would check it out see if it got service history take a damp meter with you i use own a Elddis caravan it was a sound and like what someone says there are are some members who own them on here
Mel
Moderator
Yes it’s me. We do love it. It is a 2013 model. They stopped making them after that. It is a tiny van but the L shaped lounge makes it feel spacious. There is a lot of storage for such a small van, but we also think carefully about what we take . We keep the bedding ( double duvet, panda mattress topper, and 4 pillows) in the wardrobe. There is an art to it but it does all go in. Build quality seems good, although there is currently the spectre of localised damp in the near side rear corner. First time we have had damp. ( I am told that this is sometimes an issue with the 302)
There are obviously compromises with such a small van. The bathroom is bijou, but we have used it on sites with no facilities and when they were lockdown closed. The whale water heater is really good. Similarly the blown air heater warms the van really quickly. There is next to no surface space in the kitchen so you need the sink cover or cooker lid. If you are cooking gourmet meals that require prep then it won’t suit you. We don’t. 😀.
Using the table in the lounge effectively traps the person sitting behind it! The bed made up is a good size. The flashing smoke alarm directly over your head needs a bit of tape on the light. Similarly the green fridge light. 😎
Reversing is a bit more tricky than a larger van, by the time you notice you are out of line, it is a long way out of line……or maybe we are just rubbish at it. There are reports of them having issues with the front window ( cracking at the edge), but that has not been an issue for us.
In summary, we do love it. Takes us to a simpler way of Caravanning. You have to make it work for you. You cannot expect to caravan in the same way as you would in a 7 m long van with a fixed bed.
To answer your question, ours is Solid construction, which, as I understand it means bonded. Don’t know if the earlier ones ( they made them from 2010 to 2013 I think). Don’t know why they stopped making them. They were superseded by the 402 ( rear bathroom, parallel lounge) and then the 422 ( parallel lounge, rear kitchen) I do like the look of the 422.
Hope this helps.
mel
Don't get confused by the description of "bonded" construction. Prior to bonded construction, the wall panels had wooden frames to keep the inner and outer surfaces apart, and the gaps were filled with an insulation material all of which was assembled from the base materials in the factory. The common problems were leaks at joints , and the effect of having a leak could easily cause the wooden frames to start to rot.
The "bonded" construction is had two advantages, Firstly the manufacturer has replaced the wooden frames with materials that can't rot, and the panels are constructed in a press to bond all the surfaces more rigidly together so the insulation becomes a structural component. This has greatly increased the load bearing capability of the panels. However whilst the individual panels are stronger and won't rot if they get wet, they still haven't managed to consistently join the panels together or to the floor, so you can still have a leaky caravan, but at least the walls won't rot, but the floor might.
There is no doubt the bonded constructions are an improvement, but the Achilles heel is the poor consistency of over all construction. Some caravans are fine - which proves the design is capable of lasting well, but other others are poor and that can only be the result of inconsistent manufacturing techniques.
It this inconsistency that makes it impossible to give you confidence in any make of caravan especially as their ages creep up. Bad points not picked up before purchase can lead to a big money pit.
I'm sorry if I've painted a bleak picture, but I think it's important that you should not be wearing rose tinted spectacles when looking at 10 year old caravans.
On a more positive note, there are steps you can take to minimise the risk. If you find a caravan that you like, before you agree to buy it, get an experienced caravanner you trust or an independent mobile caravan engineer ( the Approved Workshop Scheme (AWS) have such people) to look over the caravan or to do a pre purchase survey. The outlay can save thousands later.
Be prepared to invest in some preventative maintenance, such as getting all the joint seals remade
If a "bonded" caravan does have any water ingress issues, repairs can be very successful and give a caravan many more years of good service.
I'm not sure you're right Prof. In Elddis case bonded means screws have been replaced by glues. But wood frame is still the internal structure and up till this year all had ply inner lining aka old school. But this year Bucs have gone composite inner lining. However since this has been used for years it's tried and trusted . The floor is however protected unlike the bare ply of Bailey's. I spent our Bailey ownership worrying about floor rot and now have the opposite with our Buc! However we love it! It's certainly not flimsy. Not by other modern caravan standards any way. One reason we bought it tbh was that it didn't have bits falling off the demonstrator as some we looked at
i might have to agree with you when we got our Elddis caravan the dealer went in great lengths about it Sold construction proven chemical bonding to replace more of the screws and bolts that is why we brought it for a Seasonal caravan .
This Elddis video will help. In some of the shots you can clearly see timber framing yet in another they show composite panels😎
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu5q22-GNIE
Sandwich construction, introduced around 1980 is a bonded construction - the layers of aluminium/foam/plywood are bonded together under pressure - with wood inserts included around openings and for fixing points. For several decades, caravans had bonded floors, walls and a loose-skinned roof but recently most switched to using bonded construction for the roof as well.
Bonded doesn't describe the various modern methods of fitting caravan panel together, it's too vague a term - although manufacturers' advertising may suggest differently.
Exactly my point-Elddis Hymer still use some wood-some Swifts and Coachman don't-Bailey don't for their sides but have unprotected ply floors-hence instances of rot if the skirting isn't fixed correctly.
There is n o doubt you do get some damp issues with some Eldiss models but in one customer survey the magazine did report a noticeable drop in water ingress problems so the construction method does seem to have been tackled to some extent. If looking at any second hand Eldiss model I would be checking the front and rear panels for cracking, which seems to have been their weak point.
Thank you for the update on the construction. My comments were designed to be more general than specific to a particular manufacturer. If your insight is correct then it would seem that Elddis "Bonded" construction can still be a rot nightmare.
However regardless of the specific differences, there is still an industry wide lack of consistency of production which sadly leaves an unreasonable ( and by unreasonable I mean more than zero) number of customers with a water ingress headache which IS within the capability and control of the manufacturer to prevent with consistent assembly methods.
How manufacturers can consider it acceptable that any caravan that is properly looked after can develop water ingress issues at any age up to 10 years beggars belief.
I do wish there was some method by which it was easy to launch a super class action against the industry about such poor quality or consistence of manufacture.
Personally I have never had caravan with water ingress problems, but I have seen more than enough that have. And if I can cause the industry to accept they have a real problem and address this issue all the better.
I'd love caravanners to veto buying UK caravans to make the point very clear to the manufacturer's that they have to accept liability for poor construction and really do something about preventing the errors that so often plague caravans.
By all means take a damp meter with you , but before you start probing with it you must seek permission of the owner.
The other thing about using damp meters, you must follow the manufacturers instructions, and you must also take into account the weather conditions, and the fact than many caravans have an impervious plasticised surface which can give false readings.
I think that's why we continue to get poorly designed/constructed caravans - we (collectively) keep buying them despite no real progress on quality or reliability.
Thank you all, so much appreciated. It looks like I will buy a tent or not.
Can I ask how does the Freedom van do?
Can I ask how does the Freedom van do?
The majority of people do not have an issue with damp, poor quality etc. It is the minority that are vocal for good reason when there is an issue with their caravan and then post on forums of groups. Same applies to any other goods.
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Strangely enough I took the similar decision when I sold the caravan in June. The tent had to meet the dogs approval though. Apologies for the rough erection but it was a quick check as I bought this tent on EBay less than a year old, never used and less than half price. The first one I bought was a little too small to sit up in comfortably. Had two nice short breaks, but no longer a 4 seasons tent camper.
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