Post by caroleheard on Oct 21, 2014 13:13:40 GMT
Hubby and I went to the NEC show this year; first time motorhome show goers. Missed exit 4 northbound as it's part of exit 3A so had to join the rush hour traffic at J5 to turn about and come back.
Shouting match number 1!
We were still 3/4 hour early for the opening and were located in the splendid covered disabled parking out front so tried our first sample of NEC catering. 'Wished we'd stopped at a Little Chef.
We intended to look at the widgetry, but this was unhelpfully placed at either wing of the show, so that one had to traipse from one side of the show to the other, through the exhibition rather than going out the front and straight across, as the entrance tickets didn't allow for an out-pass.
We had a look at motorhomes too.
We like the over cab bed of the Hymer C544 that we own and were rather dismayed that many new homes have opted for a fixed rear bed installation. IMHO this takes up far too much interior space. From our boating experience of wet and windy weeks up a creek somewhere, we know how valuable is a civilised living area. We fancied a new B544 but with all the extras we'd want this took the new price to about £85,000. Having gone to the show looking for taps and plastic bits for the bike rack, we were somewhat resistant to the saleman's blandishments.
The Exsis-i range is configured to travel at less than 3500kG, but we thought that the compromises made to achieve this low travelling weight rather spoiled the motorhome experience so were happy to look at vehicles with a heavier MPTLM. We found that when we were in the 588, we had to do a little dance to allow one partner to reach the toilet and shower as we couldn't stand side by side in the main accomodation. We'd been on a campsite with a couple who owned a Exsis-i 588 and the lady of the van offered hers in a direct swap with ours, and I'm not sure she was joking.
The only other vehicle we fancied was a Pilote G690 which the salesman told us was configured to be a direct competitor to the B544. No surprise then that we liked it, very much too. Davan have a new 2014 model with an automatic 150bhp option that was offered to us at £57,000. On reflection, I realise this is a really good price and people looking for a new motorhome should consider this vehicle carefully.
It's good to see continental manufacturers offering UK spec kitchens. It's not so great that they want £1600 or so extra for it.
I was amazed at some of the really shoddy stuff at the show too. A show vehicle with a toilet door so warped it wouldn't shut. One vehicle where the shower door brushed against the bare uncovered matress of the bed so tightly we had to lift the matress which was showing signs of the material failing. Locker doors in a garage made from veneered chipboard with the machined edges uncapped exposing the chipboard inside. I reckon those wouldn't last a single season in the UK without falling apart. This on a vehicle with a list price near £80,000 before additions.
It was easy to pick out the quality manufacturers. Of course, that quality does come at a price.
I was surprised by the Laika stand. Hubby has an unreasoning prejudice against Fords so the Transit based vehicles got an immediate thumbs down, but I thought their quality stood out. Fixed beds again though
Burstner's Argos A747 is enormous. A friend has an ealier version where the under-floor storage runs the entire length of his vehicle and he stores a couple of hang gliders in it accessing the storage through a rear door and garage hatch. I couldn't see the rear access door on the show model, so this amazing storage may not be there any more, or at least not in the same way. It's too big for us though as we need less than 7M or so to be able to manoeuvre into the driveway due to the neighbour's waist-high brick flowerbeds.
Several times we bought food and drink and thought it fell well below the standard even of a motorway greasy spoon just before shutting. I thought the NEC catering to be not even second rate and will take sandwiches and a flask next time.
By 15:00 we'd been round the entire show 3 times and I was getting cross-eyed with fatigue, so we called it a day. Hubby's electric trolley thing wasn't even down one notch on the battery and he could have carried on till shutting.
We exited with a rather spiffy bike cover from Bags and Covers, as the Fiamma one we have wore through on a single journey, with no taps and no plastic parts for the bike rack.
Good run home to Essex, back before the 6 o'clock news despite the roadworks at the A14 junction.
Like the boat show, unless you are there for a specific reason, the show is too big to take in in one day. Even the "Professionals Corner" presentations were worthy of a full week's stay.
Shouting match number 1!
We were still 3/4 hour early for the opening and were located in the splendid covered disabled parking out front so tried our first sample of NEC catering. 'Wished we'd stopped at a Little Chef.
We intended to look at the widgetry, but this was unhelpfully placed at either wing of the show, so that one had to traipse from one side of the show to the other, through the exhibition rather than going out the front and straight across, as the entrance tickets didn't allow for an out-pass.
We had a look at motorhomes too.
We like the over cab bed of the Hymer C544 that we own and were rather dismayed that many new homes have opted for a fixed rear bed installation. IMHO this takes up far too much interior space. From our boating experience of wet and windy weeks up a creek somewhere, we know how valuable is a civilised living area. We fancied a new B544 but with all the extras we'd want this took the new price to about £85,000. Having gone to the show looking for taps and plastic bits for the bike rack, we were somewhat resistant to the saleman's blandishments.
The Exsis-i range is configured to travel at less than 3500kG, but we thought that the compromises made to achieve this low travelling weight rather spoiled the motorhome experience so were happy to look at vehicles with a heavier MPTLM. We found that when we were in the 588, we had to do a little dance to allow one partner to reach the toilet and shower as we couldn't stand side by side in the main accomodation. We'd been on a campsite with a couple who owned a Exsis-i 588 and the lady of the van offered hers in a direct swap with ours, and I'm not sure she was joking.
The only other vehicle we fancied was a Pilote G690 which the salesman told us was configured to be a direct competitor to the B544. No surprise then that we liked it, very much too. Davan have a new 2014 model with an automatic 150bhp option that was offered to us at £57,000. On reflection, I realise this is a really good price and people looking for a new motorhome should consider this vehicle carefully.
It's good to see continental manufacturers offering UK spec kitchens. It's not so great that they want £1600 or so extra for it.
I was amazed at some of the really shoddy stuff at the show too. A show vehicle with a toilet door so warped it wouldn't shut. One vehicle where the shower door brushed against the bare uncovered matress of the bed so tightly we had to lift the matress which was showing signs of the material failing. Locker doors in a garage made from veneered chipboard with the machined edges uncapped exposing the chipboard inside. I reckon those wouldn't last a single season in the UK without falling apart. This on a vehicle with a list price near £80,000 before additions.
It was easy to pick out the quality manufacturers. Of course, that quality does come at a price.
I was surprised by the Laika stand. Hubby has an unreasoning prejudice against Fords so the Transit based vehicles got an immediate thumbs down, but I thought their quality stood out. Fixed beds again though
Burstner's Argos A747 is enormous. A friend has an ealier version where the under-floor storage runs the entire length of his vehicle and he stores a couple of hang gliders in it accessing the storage through a rear door and garage hatch. I couldn't see the rear access door on the show model, so this amazing storage may not be there any more, or at least not in the same way. It's too big for us though as we need less than 7M or so to be able to manoeuvre into the driveway due to the neighbour's waist-high brick flowerbeds.
Several times we bought food and drink and thought it fell well below the standard even of a motorway greasy spoon just before shutting. I thought the NEC catering to be not even second rate and will take sandwiches and a flask next time.
By 15:00 we'd been round the entire show 3 times and I was getting cross-eyed with fatigue, so we called it a day. Hubby's electric trolley thing wasn't even down one notch on the battery and he could have carried on till shutting.
We exited with a rather spiffy bike cover from Bags and Covers, as the Fiamma one we have wore through on a single journey, with no taps and no plastic parts for the bike rack.
Good run home to Essex, back before the 6 o'clock news despite the roadworks at the A14 junction.
Like the boat show, unless you are there for a specific reason, the show is too big to take in in one day. Even the "Professionals Corner" presentations were worthy of a full week's stay.