Newby here - Does anyone have or know about Euro Vans?

Jennatis · Member

Newby here - Does anyone have or know about Euro Vans?

Tony Bev · Guru

May I be one of the first to welcome you to the forum, Jennatis

I know nothing of about that caravan, and have never heard the name before

As not many people come to this part of the forum, it may pay to copy and paste your question in the General section

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Jennatis wrote:
I'm short and not very strong so I need something I can manage.
I was looking at a Avan Cruiseliner but I'm not confident I can put it up.

Buy a campervan or motorhome instead.

Cheers,

Peter

Greg 1 · Guru

My cousin and wife have the Avan. They really love it and can have it set up in about 5 minutes. Quite roomy inside as well

Jennatis · Member

Thanks Tony,

I've posted it into the general part of the forum.

Jennatis · Member

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your advice.

I've done a lot of research to find out what would work best for me.

I'd prefer something I can detach so I can leave it when I want to go sightseeing or to the shops.

So, I'd like a mix of something I can leave that doesn't need to be set up! biggrin

Jennatis · Member

Thanks Greg,

I do like the Avan I'm just concerned about putting it up.

I had a go at a dealer with a new one and couldn't push it up. He sprayed it with lubricant and I could get it up. I then did a bit of a search and found people do have problems putting the van up. They've come up with different solutions using different tools or getting struts or lifters.

It just sounds a bit too much.

I stumbled across the Euro which is very light, contains everything I need and doesn't need setting up like the Avan.

They are a small company based in Western Sydney. Unfortunately, there are very few second hand ones. It also isn't very well known.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Hire a couple of different arrangements for a week before you spend your cash.
As people get older they tend to move from caravans to motorhomes. Much less set up and you can park them anywhere, including at the shopping centre.
Cheers,
Peter

hufnpuf · Senior Member

Jennatis wrote:
I had a go at a dealer with a new one and couldn't push it up.

I'm in a similar situation to you. I used to be stronger, although still only the strength of a "small weakling" (:D) but I lost a lot after some health issues and I don't think I'll get it back. I can't lift the same weight I used to be able to and what I can lift, I can only lift to waist height and not above my shoulders. I may be less capable than you are, because I could not get the Avan cruiseliner roof up at all. I could not hold the weight of the door to push that side up. I had been looking at the Sportliner, which is the most compact, but the dealer told me that that's actually harder to get up than the bigger models.

I don't know about the Euro vans, but provide the following info in case it's helpful.

I also looked at the Jayco campers. Those you wind up. I was dissuaded by the bloke there who told me that you need physical strength to work the winder (and do other things?). He showed me a 12ft Starcraft poptop. I couldn't push the top up, but later on I wondered whether I was trying it incorrectly. From memory, it may have had an airconditioner up there? I called in again later on, but that van had gone, so I couldn't have another look at it. The first guy told me that you can't use airlifter airbags, but the second guy I spoke to told me you can. I think they cost about $1000-$1500 to get those airbags. They fit under the poptop and lift it. Anyway, it was quite a nice van, they sell for about $27000 brand new. I've since found an 11ft jayco which I hope to buy, I can do the roof on it quite easily.

There's another small van they advertise over here. It's called the Winton 10 and it's advertised at around $30000. I had a look at it, but there's a curved window with a blind made of that paperish material, and you could only replace it with one from the manufacturer which put me off. Does the euro you are looking at have anything like that?

Another small lightweight van that I know about from meeting a woman at a caravan park is the Adria Action. She told me she'd also looked at the 12ft starcraft but went for the Adria. I looked it up on youtube, it looks nice, but I think it is a lot more expensive than the other options I came across. If you're not on a budget, I'd have a look at it. She was an older person and had no trouble towing or setting up the Adria.

I also looked at an Eco-tourer, they had one secondhand at a yard. You wind up the roof, but you can do it with a power drill. It was too heavy for my car, though (towball weight? can't remember).

Personally, after looking at things and going away a couple of times in a tent, I think a caravan/poptop or motorhome would be the way to go rather than a camper/something you need to put up. Being small, I can go in a poptop without putting up the roof and you can use things in a fixed arrangement while on the road, whereas with a camper you can't use anything until you set up camp. Also, when you're tired after driving, even winding up a roof might be unappealing.

What sort of price are they asking for the Euro?