Narrowed down a choice of vans

[Starshots]

Very new to the caravan scene but have decided to buy a tourer after being disheartened by tales from static owners. I kind of know what I want and have therefore narrowed down the field to just a few vans. I'd really appreciate any comments or advice regarding my choices.

1. Bailey Alicanto Grande Evora - looked at this and like the big bed and the big front window and the interior lighting is modern
2. Coachman Laser Xcel 875 - looked at this and seems a quality van, like the auto levelling but seats appear smaller than the Bailey
3. Coachman Laser Xcel 850 - haven't seen one but layout might work for us
4. Buccaneer Cruiser - haven't seen one but seems good value, underfloor heating, auto levelling and often AC.

Will likely buy a 2020 - 2022 aged van. Look forward to any advice. Many thanks.

 

[Mel]

Welcome to the forum. Coachman generally get a better reputation for build quality than the other makes; but there are many happy Bailey and Buccaneer owners. Not checked but they all sound hefty vans, make sure your car can tow whatever you choose.
Happy van shopping and do report back.
mel

 

[Beachball]

Hi and Welcome to the forum I like Bailey i would view all of the caravans on your list and decide which you like best and good luck

 

[GaryB]

Join as many forums and Facebook groups as possible and view as many comments from owners of those makes as possible. There’s probably several Facebook groups of each make and you can guarantee people will be vocal about any problems! It’s also about numbers, Bailey are a popular make so statistically will probably have more complaints than the others.

 

[otherclive]

In various annual reviews Coachman seem to top the list fir new and pre owned caravans. Also Adria are normally pushing close to Coachman.

Welcome to the Forum and please update us on your choice.

 

[Mr Plodd]

You haven't said what you intend to tow with. Your short list is for heavy caravans that will need a pretty hefty tow car to remain legal.

That IS important as all vehicles have weight limits as to what can legally be towed. The absolute maximum can easily be worked out from your vehicle's VIN plate.

Subtract the second highest number from the highest number. That's the absolute maximum, but if new to caravanning its advisable to stay below that figure.

A long established recommendation (and that's all it is) is to limit any caravan to around 85% of the tow cars kerbside weight (Often referred to its Mass In Running Order or MIRO)

Post details of your car and I am sure someone will come back with all the relevant numbersfor you.

If you are already aware of the above then I apologise, but if not then it's vital you take it on board.

 

[Starshots]

Tow weight won't be an issue, Ford ranger Wildtrak with tow 3500kg.

 

[Beachball]

Tow weight won't be an issue, Ford ranger Wildtrak with tow 3500kg.

You will have no problems with that a very nice car

 

[Mr Plodd]

Yep, no issues weight wise then!
Just wanted to be sure you didn't have something unsuitable.

As others have said buy whatever you liket the best.
My "system" is to make a list of things I don't like on the various options (it tends to be a much shorter list than what we like) Then compile a list of essentials (for us fixed island bed is top of the list)
Compare both lists and see which fits the bill best for you!
I have had a couple of Bailey's after many years of motorhomes and been very happy with them, but others will say they are rubbish!

The problem is that if a person has had issues with a particular item then they tend to consider everything from that manufacturer is the same, but the number of faults, as a percentage of sales is pretty low. Also the more caravans a manufacturer sells then statistically the more faults come to light.

I like the look of Adria, but they are a bit heavy for my choice of tow cars, but not for you.

 

[otherclive]

You haven't said what you intend to tow with. Your short list is for heavy caravans that will need a pretty hefty tow car to remain legal.

That IS important as all vehicles have weight limits as to what can legally be towed. The absolute maximum can easily be worked out from your vehicle's VIN plate.

Subtract the second highest number from the highest number. That's the absolute maximum, but if new to caravanning its advisable to stay below that figure.

A long established recommendation (and that's all it is) is to limit any caravan to around 85% of the tow cars kerbside weight (Often referred to its Mass In Running Order or MIRO)

Post details of your car and I am sure someone will come back with all the relevant numbersfor you.

If you are already aware of the above then I apologise, but if not then it's vital you take it on board.

Dont you mean “Mass in service” relating to the tow car. MIRO relates to the caravan but is not used in calculating the weight ratio of kerbweight to MTPLM.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Yes!
Same end result different words. But academic now for this thread.

 

[Raywood]

The layout you choose is very personal and you need to asses what suits your life style best.
There is little doubt that in general the Coachman is the best made and all things being equal I would go for either of those you list. The magazine runs an annual customer survey and Coachman is almost always the top UK maker, Bailey tend to be in the middle and Eldiss who build he Cruiser are generally bottom often by quite a margin.

 

[ProfJohnL]

...
There is little doubt that in general the Coachman is the best made ...

It might be true, but where is the evidence?

We see fewer complaints about this make, but that could be down to the fact they produce fewer caravans.

Unfortunately manufacturer's do not publish their warranty or fault rates so we have no formal method of assessing any brands reliability.

Coachman do have a reputation for producing well appointed caravans, don't make the mistake of mistaking plushness ( cost) for quality.

 

[Dustydog]

Welcome to the Forum Starshots.

All your choices are supposedly the top end luxury. Coachman are highly regarded by their owners. Certainly the ones I have seen in the flesh show better regard to the final finishing than the mass produced brands.

Whilst it is true there is no definitive list of warranty claims per manufacturer there is another way which can give you a pretty good idea of their failure rates per annum.
Check out their financial details on Beta Companies House. The retained sums of cash are clearly listed indicating their expectations of warranty claims . Working back year on year you will see the truth.
I assume you will be buying from a dealer?
Make sure any outstanding Manufacturers warranty is transferred to you.
In view of the sums of money involved I would employ an AWS engineer to give the van a full examination .
Please let us know how you progress. Sounds very exciting.

 

[Mr Plodd]

On another forum I belong to there is a member with some serious issues with a Coachman (not new, 3-4 years old) Others would also seem to have issues.

So as you canosee, no make is perfect ! I have no gripes with Coachman, I have never owned one.
See here

 

[Starshots]

I've been out this morning having a look at some caravans. I've now discounted the Buccaneer Cruiser from the list but saw a very nice Coachman 575 Xtra. Can't find the 'Xtra' listed on the Coachman website, just the Xcel.

 

[Mr Plodd]

 Possibly a dealer special?

 

[Raywood]

It might be true, but where is the evidence?

We see fewer complaints about this make, but that could be down to the fact they produce fewer caravans.

Unfortunately manufacturer's do not publish their warranty or fault rates so we have no formal method of assessing any brands reliability.

Coachman do have a reputation for producing well appointed caravans, don't make the mistake of mistaking plushness ( cost) for quality.

It might not be true if this was not consistent. The survey is customer satisfaction shown as a percentage and every year except one they came out as the best British make, usually by a clear margin. As it is on a percentage basis the size of the company is not a factor and only Adria seem able to challenge them on this basis.
Xtra was used earlier but was changed to Xcel., both describe full width models.

 

[trevormonty]

If you've not done any caravanning I'd recommend renting one of similar size for a week. Will give you an idea of what features you like and dislike even if its not model you are looking at.

 

[trevormonty]

If you've not done any caravanning I'd recommend renting one of similar size for a week. Will give you an idea of what features you like and dislike even if its not model you are looking at. It worked out well for us.