our avondale!

[crazyguider]

We love our Avondale! She was made in 2004, so she's getting on a bit, and we've had a little damp, and there are some cracks on the front, but we wouldn't swap for the world. We bought her 4 years ago from a fireman, and to say she was immaculate is an understatement! We went to the Caravan and Motorhome show in October, and I was interested to look at 6 berth layouts. I couldn't find any as practical space-wise as our 'van. We have fixed full length bunks along the back, not squashed in by an oversized 'bathroom' as if an afterthought! We have a very small galley area, but we manage, because that's what caravanning should be about, not quite roughing it, but a little home-from-home, where a squash and a squeeze is all part of the experience! My kids adore going away, and my hubby (who never went in a 'van as a child, but took the mickey out of our little family Monza) is a total convert.
So thank you Lizzie for putting on an Avondale section, and I'm looking forward to reading about more 'Avondales' on here... :cheer:

 

[Raywood]

Our 2008 Argente has just been traded in so waved a sad goodbye. If they were still with us we would probably have had another.

 

[CyberCynth]

Crazyguider, loved your piece about your Avondale! When My ex and I got back into caravanning in 1998, we had an Avondale Leda, can't remember the model number, but it was a lovely 'van. The only disadvantage was the big rooflight, which had no screen, so on summer mornings you'd have the sun blazing into the 'bedroom' at four in the morning!

I like your attitude about the 'van being a 'home from home', like you, I think that's what it should be all about!

 

[LizziePope]

So thank you Lizzie for putting on an Avondale section, and I'm looking forward to reading about more 'Avondales' on here... :cheer:

A pleasure – and it was totally worth it to read your story. It's why this section of the forum was created. Happy touring!

 

[Beehpee]

I have a 1999 Avocet, it's a 2 berth which is all we need as only me and er indoors most of the time, we use a full awning when we take the grand kids away but for us it's all we need, it's still in great shape and I've got the Tourershine guys coming soon to do a full restoration clean and polish so should look even better once that's done, we've thought about changing it at odd times but when we think rationally it seems daft to be spending money on another van which I doubt will meet our needs any better than what we have, it tows great, everything works and the quality of the fixtures etc is great, I love my Avondale and although I nearly bought a far bigger van recently I found damp on that one when I looked at it properly so I think our little Avocet will be following along behind the car for a good while yet, I think it's a shame Avondale went bust cos the quality of all of the ones I've looked at seem to be great, mind you I suppose the badly built ones will have found the way to breakers yards by now.

BP

 

[nedlog]

Hello every one.
We have an Avondale Mayfly 1998. Loverly van. We have had it for 5 years now and we use it as much as we can. We have been out 5 times up to now this year (25 nights) We have an on board water tank (30 ltr) very handy in winter.
The motor mover has packed in so it's look around for a friendly auto sparks ( it's the first model that carver produced so the control panel is quite simple).
We have. Ever seen another Mayfly on the road or on a site, there must be others around.

The spare wheel is as other Avondales have in the floor of the van. I found this to my advantage last year when we went out in February. I turned the water on and my wife shouted that there was water coming from under the cooker.
I traced the leak back to the toilet, due to a frost a connection had come undone.
Luckily the water went into the spare wheel well and all was well**.
Anyone else got a Mayfly?

Nedlog

 

[CyberCynth]

Saw a lovely sight this morning! Driving along the A350 near Chippenham (Wilts) I saw an Avondale Leda going the other way. Ah! That brought back some happy memories of a lovely van. Happy days!

 

[nedlog]

Hello, you will have read that we were having trouble with our motor mover, it wouldn't work.
After much trawling on the internet and ringing around everyone said I should bin it as it was 16 years old and there were no spare parts available.
Damian the moderator suggested that I contact a firm call apuljack.
They were brilliant,I sent them the circuit board and they analysed it and replaced the broken parts. It works better than it used to and only for £65 instead of £700 for a new one.
Also we needed to replace the sink in the washroom.
A firm in Perston Lancs called caravan panels supplies al sorts plastic panels. The sink cost £56.

Thanks to all those who tried to help us.

Nedlog

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hey that fantastic, Just shows the forum can work....

 

[Parksy]

Hello, you will have read that we were having trouble with our motor mover, it wouldn't work.
After much trawling on the internet and ringing around everyone said I should bin it as it was 16 years old and there were no spare parts available.
Damian the moderator suggested that I contact a firm call apuljack.
They were brilliant,I sent them the circuit board and they analysed it and replaced the broken parts. It works better than it used to and only for £65 instead of £700 for a new one.
Also we needed to replace the sink in the washroom.
A firm in Perston Lancs called caravan panels supplies al sorts plastic panels. The sink cost £56.

Thanks to all those who tried to help us.

Nedlog

Paul from Apauljack recently sorted out our 12v charging system on our caravan which saved us lots of money.
I always looked at Avondales with a view to buying, they were made to a high standard and we saw two or three being towed down the M5 as we travelled to Weymouth on Saturday

 

[Raywood]

We loved our Avondale but I would avoid the late ones. My understanding is that because of financial problems the company was being run by accountants who cut corners to save money without understanding the results. This included a strut being removed losing rigidity and non stainless steel screws which are a damp threat. If ours was typical they lost a fair amount in screws and other bits not used when they built it and just left there. Everywhere you looked there was bits in the corners and bed lockers. The information was provided by a repairer who had had to rectify several caravans because of this.

Hello, you will have read that we were having trouble with our motor mover, it wouldn't work.
After much trawling on the internet and ringing around everyone said I should bin it as it was 16 years old and there were no spare parts available.
Damian the moderator suggested that I contact a firm call apuljack.
They were brilliant,I sent them the circuit board and they analysed it and replaced the broken parts. It works better than it used to and only for £65 instead of £700 for a new one.
Also we needed to replace the sink in the washroom.
A firm in Perston Lancs called caravan panels supplies al sorts plastic panels. The sink cost £56.

Thanks to all those who tried to help us.

Nedlog

Paul from Apauljack recently sorted out our 12v charging system on our caravan which saved us lots of money.
I always looked at Avondales with a view to buying, they were made to a high standard and we saw two or three being towed down the M5 as we travelled to Weymouth on Saturday

 

[nedlog]

1998 Avondale Mayfly

 

[Jaydug]

I have a 2001 Rialto 480-2. I bought it nearly four years ago after an impetuous decision to give up caravanning altogether. I'd previously owned a Cambrian and a Quantock, so I knew they were well-built vans however, I did find a bit of damp around the toilet cassette door, which I've dealt with. For the past three years I've lived in the van for four months each winter in Spain and apart from needing a new water heater element, the old girl has behaved impeccably. At the moment I'm considering having the two seats refilled with some decent foam.

 

[Gafferbill]

Sorry for going off topic!

Hi John how are you liking the British Spring so far?
Good to see you posting on this forum again.

 

[Jaydug]

Hello Bill - Yes, haven't been on here for a long time. I'm not enjoying being home - I enjoyed Spain too much. Hope you are both well.

 

[SamandRose]

My wife going away for the weekend, leaving me at home with the internet and a bottle of wine led us to buying our first caravan, a 2002 Avondale Dart last September. We've only been able to use it for 2 long weekends so far but are loving it up to now!

 

[goose]

Hi,
I have a Godiva 515-4 it's a 4berth with a mover it's a great caravan but haven't seen another one so i can act like "the special one " hehe
Wayne

 

[Raywood]

Avondale were a small manufacturer sadly no longer with us. The Godiva was not a regular model but a special edition for a dealer so I would think they were made in very small numbers so seeing another will be very rare.
We did have an Argenteat one time and loved that.