Well, it's been naelry 14 months since I started this project with my work. I use a Fiat Ducato based exhibition unit. As menitned before 27 foot long. The Chassis is a 2001 model. I have since learnt it has a 2.3 litre 100bhp diesel mated to a five speed box. Distantly related to the one in the Motorhome. When I started using it it had 31k on the clock it now has 44k so works out at almost exactly a 1000 miles a month. This is mainly distance work so it gets a proper airing and its systems get a proper "charge".
It returns around 25mpg - which is pretty good for a 3.8 tonner. The engine is noisy but has proved to be totally reliable mechanically, uses little or no oil. Gearbox is fine although a minor fault put it off the road before Christmas, apparantly it had stuck in gear (4th) - it was low loaded back to a nearby garage and fixed overnight. Gearchange is now better than it was pre incident. This type of vehicle is limited to 50mph according to a sticker in the cab but it does cruise happily at an indicated sixty on the excellent roads it travels along. The only other mechanical issue in all those miles was a flat battery caused by me leaving the radio on. Irritatingly when you turn the ignition off it stays on at volume but re-starting it mutes it...damnit. Radio is crap but all the presets are set to R4...keep it simple.
Odd elecrtical issues have occured with the lights, I generally fix these myself - I believe it's down to the British built coanwork. all the bulbs that have blown appear to have been originals...so can't complai
A very good truck all in all....I was happy to buy a DUcatto based MH based on my experience of this although my 2014 chassis is light-years ahead in smoothness and power delivery as well as economy. Nice friendly little truck good heater
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Years ago I bought an old Talbot Express - A506FLH if I recall correctly - the first SEVEL van and a predecessor of your one. Long wheel base, high roof and with barn doors in the side rather than a sliding door. Bought very cheaply it was an ex-carpet fitters van so had copious amounts of glue in every imaginable crevice. Unusually it had a 2.0 petrol engine with a 5-speed box which ran very sweetly and took us and our windsurfing stuff all over the place.
The body was another matter - and a previous owner had gone to the trouble of filling the wheel-arches with newspaper as a base for the body filler.
My apprenticeship with older cars meant that regular filling of rusty bodies was a piece of cake - a skill that few youngsters these days possess these days I fear.
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FIAT - A worthy workhorse. - Boxsterboy
