Well hello there

By bitstreams Date 16-09-2020 13:31

Hi there..

I've come along as my wife and I are on a bit of a journey. We've been looking at buying a camper for a while now and have booked and have deferred 3 times, a holiday in a VW T6 transporter. This has been to test the waters with the whole motorhome idea. But I think that we've come to the conclusion that a small camper is not suitable because they don't have a loo and much as I love the English countryside, I don't want to walk through it in the dark every night. We're of an age where this is now becoming inevitable. We can't get a larger motorhome as we'd be replacing my car and I don't want to drive a big white motorhome to work.

So...

I saw an advert for an Eriba Ocean whatsit and it looked like something I could be proud of owning, which isn't a reaction I've had with caravans before. I have always liked Hymer motorhomes and this thing looked cute. Then I found the Familia 320 which looked small, fun and includes a loo. My current car (diesel BMW 520) should tow it fine and we can park it out of the way on the drive when not being used.

We have good friends who have always had caravans and they have suggested we buy an Eriba at a few years old and then if we like it, then we could buy a new one if we wish. This seems easier said than done as the very few 2nd hand ones advertised are all over 10 years old. I have so many questions but I'll ask them as seperate threads.

We haven't seen a small Eriba yet as we're in mid-wales and there are no dealers nearby. We're near Machynlleth if anyone knows of somewhere where we might see one close up. In the meantime I'll try and get my eye in between the different models.

regards
Simon

regards
Simon

By solebay (£) Date 16-09-2020 17:23

Welcome! The two Eribae that you mention - Ocean Drive and 320 - are at opposite ends of the current range in terms of size. Not that a BMW 520d would have any difficulty towing either of them. Both come with an on-board loo. You can easily look up the internal layouts, to see what you get, on Google.

In both of these (I think) you would be sleeping across the width of the van, but the Ocean Drive is 10cm wider. Depending how tall you are, and how you sleep, you might find a 320 too tight (we did and went for a different model allowing us to sleep along the length of the van).

Eribas typically sell quickly and you could look on the For Sale board here, or keep an eye too on a certain Eriba-related Facebook page. It would be possible to buy privately and resell without losing any money, perhaps not a bad idea if you're completely new to caravanning and not sure if it's for you. It would obviously help to look at several different models and layouts, and you could do worse than taking trip to Automotive Leisure in Poole.

By bitstreams Date 16-09-2020 19:51

Thanks, that's useful. I still need to get my head around Familia's, Tritons, Trolls and Pucks.

We're not the tallest of folk so I suspect that sleeping across the 320 won't be a problem. Unfortunately Poole is over 200 miles away, but perhaps Red Lion Caravan Centre is a possibility as they are only 110 miles away :eek:

Simon

By eribaMotters (£) Date 16-09-2020 20:34

Simon,
Red Lion do not yet have a selection of vans. They are due to receive first delivery sometime in October, but exactly when I do not know. A phone call to them would be a good idea. Lee or Will may be able to advise.

Colin

By solebay (£) Date 16-09-2020 22:13

Yes, mid Wales isn't very close to anywhere much (which of course is a plus in many other ways). Back in the day, there was one dealer in England (Lechlade on Thames) and one in Scotland! It was quite a trek to Lechlade just to look at some Eribas for real, a second trek to finalise details and place an order and a third to collect it. It's a little better now and you can find loads of information on the internet. I only suggested Poole because they will probably have the biggest stock in the country but the other options aren't much better, as you've probably found.

If you're thinking of buying new, you can rule out Pucks - they don't make them any longer. End of the season could be a good time to buy - good luck!

By Formula1 Date 16-09-2020 23:24

I think you need to make a wish list, toilet,shower,hot water,fixed bed,dining area when bed in situ if not fixed ,length of van for storage,motor mover etc. Then start looking. You won’t be disappointed if you can get everything on your list and remember you will not be dragging a big white wobble box behind you.

By bitstreams Date 17-09-2020 07:41

Hot water? :eek:

Don't they all have hot water??

By eribaMotters (£) Date 17-09-2020 07:55

Hot water has always been a cost option. New it is about £600/700 for electric only. This includes an on-board tank of about 35L.

Colin

By bitstreams Date 17-09-2020 09:23

Wow I'm learning..

So the shower/sink in the washroom is cold ??

By marmite (£) Date 17-09-2020 09:36

Yes cold only unless you add a kettleful of hot water to the under sink container

Denise & Phil

By Formula1 Date 17-09-2020 18:32

There are second hand vans out there with everything you will need a bit of patience.
Good hunting!