Pecking order!

[JTII]

Hi,

newish here so still learning!
Looking for a used 2 berth and have looked at Ace, Swift, Bessicar, Eldis, Autocruise and Auto-Sleepers so far. Understand Ace, Swift & Bessicar are basically the same vehicle but is there a list which shows manufacturers in some sort of quality order? Whilst dealers try to be helpful but have a vested interest in what they're selling so are not that impartial!
From what I've gleaned so far Swift products are the nearest to mass production, with Autocruise & Auto-Sleepers at the other end with Eldis somewhere in the middle. Hymer and anything German are a cut above. Am I anywhere near or miles out?

 

[Aspenshaw]

Jeremy

Difficult to put manufacturers into a quality league table without defining what you mean by quality. Also, quality does vary from year to year so it depends on the age of what you are buying. Then there is the issue with volume of sales; Swift had some bad press on leaks a few years ago but few mentioned how many it sold.

Swift have had Ace and Bessacarr in their stable for some years. I would suggest the age and budget build of Ace would make it more problematic to find a good one [but not impossible]. Autocruise use to make sound vans but went bust following a flood and Swift now use the name to brand Panel Van Conversions. Elddis tend to produce motorhomes that are good value for money but over the years, its quality reportedly has been variable. Like Swift, it has changed the way it built motorhomes in the last few years. Swift have a broader offering than Elddis including producing motorhomes at the higher end of the market. Auto Trail used to have a very good reputation although some more recent build quality issues have been reported. Its difficult to quantify its quality as a percentage of its sales.

Auto Sleeper seem to have sustained a consistent level of quality so personally, I would put them top in the UK chart for that reason. I don't like the layouts though. There is, of course, Bailey motorhomes who I can't rank anywhere [too little knowledge of it].

My perception is German motorhomes are better quality. French motorhomes are competitive in the quality stakes. Italian motorhomes tend to be stylish. Adria [Slovenia] has a good reputation for mid price 'quality'.

Motorhomes are complex vehicles and even the recognised leaders for 'quality' can have bad days whilst those with a poorer reputation often get the majority of motorhomes right.

Think about what quality means to you. To me it means no leaks or damp, thoughtful design, and consistent standards of manufacture. Hymer and above are therefore top of my quality chart. Hymer and others would not necessarily be top of my chart for value for money or showroom appeal.

You can get a decent motorhome from any of the manufacturers you mention. You can also get a pig in a poke. It will come down to the individual vehicle and for what purpose.

 

[JTII]

Thanks Aspenshaw that's the clearest explanation I've had!
Looking at anything from 2007 on really and take your point about what quality means - different for each individual. I think what I was trying to say was which are the best built, give the least problems and last well.
Have looked at about 6 and so far have found a 'squashy' floor on an Ace, a surprisingly rusty chassis on an Autocruise and one where the trader was reluctant to sell (very odd) so am still very much learning what to look for and what to avoid.
Have settled on the number of berths and layout so that narrows it down! Thanks again for taking the time to respond, it's much appreciated.

 

[Aspenshaw]

From anecdotal evidence and hearsay over the 21 years of motorhoming, I would suggest anyone looking for a 2007 coachbuilt, should look at Swift and possibly Elddis for value for money but be very careful about damp and build quality [older vans often have faults fixed!]. I would put Auto Trail and Autocruise together and with an expectation of a higher priced but better built van. I would keep Auto Sleeper at the top for reasons already stated plus its vans tend to appeal to retired couples who look after them. Auto Sleeper also have a long established service centre at the factory for those jobs you might prefer its expertise over a dealer.

But if it was my money, and I could cope with continental layouts, wanted to venture abroad, not limit myself to 3-season motohoming, I'd buy a Hymer whether as a coachbuilt [Hymer call these semi-integrated motorhomes] or A-class [Hymer call these integrated motorhomes]. Rather confusingly, Hymer's best selling models are in the B-Class range of integrated motorhomes [what we call A-classes]. Hymer' are pricey but depreciate less. If you are near Preston, then Hambilton Engineering has a good reputation for habitation servicing.

]http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/reviews/motorhome/30187-hymer-b544-sl[/url]

 

[Parahandy]

Hmmmm, you should hear the tale of woe about my 2002 Autosleeper Amethyst......70 faults on delivery and so many nights in Broadway hotels whilst Autosleeper tried and often failed to get it right. And many of those were down to the Ford chassis/axle/gearbox. But mostly just cost-cutting and shoddy workmanship by Autosleeper. Whereas our 2008 Ace 680FB (Fiat Ducato ) was faultless.