Our new van revealed!

Debate on Twitter and Facebook as to our latest van has been fierce, with most people recommending their own van as being the ideal new van for us. It seems we all put our heart and soul into finding our “perfect” van that really nothing else compares. We’ve got to admit that, for a time, we wondered why everyone wasn't running around Europe in an Adria Twin!

We feel we’re incredibly fortunate to have bought a van which ticked ALL of our initial boxes – lowline, non-fiat, fixed bed, big fridge, big 3.0 engine, 6 speed, German build quality, air-con and very close to our budget. Oh and a tow-bar and bike rack fitted to boot!

We had originally decided that we would go for a Chausson Allegro 67 or a Welcome 95 but really didn't want the old X244 Fiat base and the bathroom was a bit “ plasticy” on these. 

So, what did we go for?

A 2006 (56) Burstner Delfin T680

We had previously discounted the Burstner Delfin because they were circa £30k or more and not a great deal less if bought direct from Germany even if we did have the time.

The story goes a little something like this. The van came up for sale when we were at the Lincoln show with just 24,000 miles, 12 months everything and full service history. There was a Delfin T695 on display there so we went and had a look. It had been a while since we had been in Catherine and Chris’s Burstner (and we didn’t rummage in their cupboards!) so it was good to try and pull the thing apart. We couldn’t and we were seriously impressed with the build. 

So we phoned the seller, the guy sounded genuine and we haggled hard, got a great price and after a quick HPi check we transferred a deposit over that evening. Totally unheard of for us, never the impulsive type but we were so sure that this van was the one that instinct took over!

Just one snag – the van was 300 miles away in Portsmouth! That meant a 600 mile round trip for Sophie in a Smart Car and a 300 mile drive back home in an unfamiliar van for me. I’d never driven a Renault Master before but so far we’re very impressed with the 3.0 DCI 140 engine. 30’s MPG, 6 speed, bags of power and cruises / handles very well for a van of its size. It definitely feels more like a “truck” then a “car” but that’s not necessarily a bad thing!

Any pre-2006 Burstner is subject to a habitation window delamination recall. There was two options – a nasty plastic nut screwed into all four corners of the windows (with many now suffering from crack fatigue or water ingress) or full replacement which Burstner would cover 60% of the cost. Fortunately the previous owner of ours had them replaced, so no worries there. Also the eBox is fully working – you can time the interior (or exterior) lights to go on and off!? Is this really a 2006 van?

The bathroom really is something to behold. A full size walk in shower (no more wiping the floor down) and literally tons of slide away storage which I think even we will have trouble filling!

It would have been nice to have had a performance T615 – same layout but with the AL-KO chassis, under slung storage (and a bin!) but quite frankly we’re lucky to have got a non-Fiat Burstner at all within our budget so we’re incredibly happy.

Of course, with any new van comes a mass of DIY tasks which we will attempt to write some information on as we undertake.

Those include: 2x 125AH leisure batteries,  2100W inverter, remote-controlled LED lighting upgrade (semi-done, write up to follow), refit one of the blown air heating ducts, get the auxiliary belts changed (engine has a camchain, but belts are new due) and fit our 'laptop dashboard dock'. Etc etc. Oh, and the chintzy net curtains are first to go! We are looking forward to having our first family holiday in her. 

The only task left is to think up a name!

On the road with: Gone With the Wynns

Jason and Nikki Wynn have arguably the coolest named blog in the motorhome / RV community, 'Gone With The Wynns'. We got chatting to them a couple of months ago and were instantly in awe of their amazing Monaco Vesta affectionately named Windy. They recently interviewed us on their 'Confessions of a Traveller' section and we fired them off some questions ....

 Nikki and Jason Wynn with their RV, Windy

1.)    We really love your blog! It looks like you guys take blogging really seriously and there seems to be a much bigger travel blog community in the US. What are your main incentives for doing so?

Our blog started as a simple question from friends: Are you planning to document your adventures?  ….and so our blog was born! In the first year we shot as many videos and created as much content as we could manage. Year 2 we were able to get companies to help fund our travels by shooting a video for them. On our website you won’t find many paid articles, corporate videos, or advertisements; it’s a delicate balance as we want our viewers to visit our website for adventure, inspiration, and advice.

The US based blogging community is huge but the European market is growing momentum. I know some people make money from their blogs, but the main incentive is reaching out and finding other cool people with similar interests.


2.)    America is such a vast country - how do you decide which of the 50 states to visit and in what order? Do you have any plans to take Windy out of the US?

Our original plan: Take 1 year and travel across the USA by RV. Well, a few months in we realized that wouldn’t work. Our next plan: Take 2 years to travel across the USA. Well….here we are about to start year 3! Oops. America is HUGE and to truly explore each state one would need a lifetime.

As far as taking Windy out of the US that won’t likely happen. Based on your information (check out Confessions of a Traveler: Europe by Camper) it would cost a small fortune to fuel the RV.


3.) We get a lot of comments about the cost of travelling in Europe, how does it compare to travelling in the USA? What's your average daily expenditure?

We keep a running tab on our expenses called The Cost of Living Full-Time on the Road  It seems our results are wildly different than yours as we spend $62 USD per person per day. That’s right nearly 3 times more than you guys! I think what it boils down to is the lifestyle you’re used to living and your expectations during your travels.

We film a lot of videos on the road so our wardrobe is pretty extensive, also we like to feature cool adventures which are typically more costly than a typical holiday. Of course each traveller will have their own unique experience with costs, and that is why readers are so interested in a cost of travelling post.


3.) We recently had a look in a Monaco Vesta like Windy in Europe, what a fantastic RV! Do you think you'll always have her or will you change up or settle down in the future?

Well….our Windy is actually for sale! We wrote a nice note about her if you’re interested: Windy’s for Sale  We’re challenging ourselves to downsize, maybe go a little more European like you guys. Also we have dreams of sailing over to Europe one day, so a smaller RV will simply be one step closer to even smaller living.

Nikki & Jason's past RV's .....

4.)    Have you come across many young people (say under 40) on the road in the US? If not, do you get on well with your older RVing neighbors? 

The #1 goal while RVing is: have a good time. 99% of the people we meet on the road are young at heart, even if their 80 years old. As for meeting youthful people it’s definitely few and far between.  There is an emerging RV market in the states with a new type of RV called a “toy hauler”. This is proving to a style perfect for the young family, or adventurer traveler because you can store motorcycles, 4 wheelers, dune buggies, etc in the back part of the RV! Pretty cool, but don’t think it’ll make it well in Europe because these RVs are HUGE!


5.) In Europe, Especially France and Germany, it is common to find "Aires" or "Stellplatz" in many towns. These are special parking areas for RV's to stay a couple of days and usually have basic facilities available. Does a similar thing exist in the US or is it mainly campgrounds and "boondocking" (Free / Wild Camping).

Believe it or not the US isn’t really setup for this style of city RVing, I think it has to do with the size of a typical US RVs. In fact simply trying to find free parking in most larger cities can be difficult, and free overnight parking with facilities is nearly impossible.
The best option is to call the town visitor center before you arrive and to ask for safe RV parking.
If you stay outside of the cities you can camp our favorite style “Off the Cord”. In the United States there is BLM and National Forest areas that provide free camping up to 14 days, only downside is there are no facilities other than a space to park your RV. The good news is you’re surrounded by nature and more than likely you’ll be all alone. Many are located near larger cities or attractions.

6.) One day we'd love to come to the US and travel in an American RV. How easy do you think it would be for two British citizens to buy (and insure etc) an RV in the US? We've heard of some Europeans shipping their own RV's over instead!

Ohh, that’s a tough one. We’ve ran across many Europeans who are travelling the USA by rental RV, and only a few who paid to ship their personal RV across the Atlantic Ocean. I don’t think buying an insuring a new RV would be difficult, but acquiring a VISA with enough time to explore all the USA has to offer is another story all together! You might also try and contact British Columbia, Canada; since you’re basically all family they may have less strict rules for British travellers  One thing’s for sure if you make it across the drink you MUST give us a call!  See you soon.

Check them out at the blog or on their Facebook and Twitter pages. Oh and don't forget to turn green with envy at their videography skills over on YouTube!

Motorhome & Campervan - November Issue Out Now!

The new issue for November of the Motorhome & Campervan magazine is out now!

In this issue we head through France and Spain to try and make it to Puerto De Mazarron in time for Christmas to have a well deserved rest from the road and to spend some time with both our parents. Enjoy!

Click HERE to read it online