Review of the Van, So Far...

Ok, I know it's early doors, but I thought it might be worth documenting my first impressions of the Bessacarr E495 that I have bought and will be using for this trip. It will be interesting to revisit this naive review when I get back to see if first impressions last and also to see if anything else worthy of note comes up along the way.

I've never done this before, so please bear with me if I waffle;

Styling

I think the Bessacarr E495 is ugly from the outside. Sorry, but it is. In fact, I think pretty much all of the converted van based models are. Well, they just they look awkward. They are for motoring what Cherie Blair is to modelling. For me, compared to the new 2007 models, my van looks dated and clumsy, especially when you stare at the massive overhang at the back. My initial view was that the overhang would probably prevent me dangling bikes off the back and remove any chance of plopping a scooter or smart car back there. I would have thought that adding anything other than a few stickers would result in a loss of traction and possibly wheelies at the front. The inside is a different story however. On paper, the layout really suits us and our needs and the style/colours of the furniture are very conservative (you might say ‘nice’) unlike some of the garish colour schemes we have seen in other vans.
I'd be fibbing if I said we had an extensive library of knowledge on which to base our opinions, but from what we have seen and heard, we are happy with our van and what it offers us for the price. I'm sure our trip will change at least some of that.

Pre-delivery and Handover

There were a couple of issues with the van that I thought shouldn’t have been there when I collected it. One of the seat sides (the plastic bit) was damaged and the ladder had a rubber end missing. The shop fixed them straight away though. Despite explaining my virgin status, there wasn’t a lot of effort put into showing me how everything worked so I was left to suss that myself. It wasn’t until later that I realised I couldn’t lock or unlock the habitation door or that the driving lights kept going out. The dealer did resolve those quickly however and even topped up my diesel to cover the mileage.

Price

We negotiated around £3,000 off the screen price and also got lots of extras included either free or at cost. You could say that we are just good at negotiating, but it was surprising how far we got them to drop and that created a bit of paranoia about whether the van was rubbish and they would sell it for any price to any old mug. Some post purchase due diligence put that theory in the bin thankfully. We were just lucky to have chosen the very end of the season to jump into this unknown pool and just happened to stumble on an overstocked supplier willing to accept a good deal.

The Driving Experience
Before the one mile test drive, my only other van experience was when I hired a Luton Transit for one day several years ago. The test drive was terrifying but driving away after I had paid for it was just ghastly. Mrs. F was in our car following behind me. She was absolutely no help when I approached the first junction and somehow pointed this mobile vessel the wrong way down the slip road of a very fast and very busy dual carriageway. That was the first three point turn and not the easiest of circumstances, especially as I hadn’t had the reversing camera fitted by then. I think I did the turn in 7 points and only held up about 100 people. I was impressed with the high cab position at this point because it afforded me the opportunity to lip read some of the delayed drivers’ comments on the situation. I’m still not sure what they meant by Cupid Anchor though.

As I have documented on here already, I have so far embarked on just two trips out (400 miles)since bringing the white whale home; the first ending in terror when the lights went out and the second ending in joy when the lights didn’t go out. These trips have helped me form two very important observations about my new vehicle. First, I absolutely cannot get the seat in the right place and second, the drive itself (notwithstanding said inadequate positioning) is very pleasing and indeed easy. The ride is a bit wobbly (mostly side to side from the wind) but all of the controls are easy to get at and the gearbox has really loosened up and is easy to use now (although Mrs. F still struggles to find 5th). The steering is light but a bit random mixing under with over steer for no apparent reason. The foot pedals are almost in the right place but around town I find myself sort of holding my right foot off the ground a bit which makes my leg ache after a while.

I think the engine is plenty powerful enough, especially when you have reached more than 30 miles an hour. Ok, it might be a bit slow off the mark, but I think the power delivery is just about right and sufficient for a heavy load. I even got it up to 85 on the clock once with no material loss in handling. The engine is a bit noisy though but with no experience in the diesel department, I can't really form an objective opinion.

On the down side, the brakes are a bit crap. Sure, the thing stops ok, but there have been times when its felt like the pedal was touching the carpet; if I had been able to get both feet on the pedal, I would have probably felt more confident in the process. Perhaps I’ll just have to drive slower?

Fuel economy is crap as well, but then what else should I expect? I’ve no idea how bad it is, but to be fair to it, it’s less aerodynamic than a box of Shredded Wheat, weighs several tonnes, has got an enormous engine and is being driven badly by an inexperienced man in a hurry.

The worst part of the driving though is definitely the driving position. I just can't get the seat in the right place. I'm only 5 foot 9 and three quarters tall, but I still can't quite squeeze meself in. There is a 'wall' behind the driver's seat which is too close for me and Mrs. F. It doesn't matter if the seat is up or down or halfway up or halfway down, the seat is too close. Worse than that though is that the ignition key is set in a huge block of plastic that digs into your right knee. Whilst that is creating a dent in your cartilage, the other keys on the fob are dangling and tickling you. It's really, really annoying and a really, really bad design.

Extras

Like most of my vehicle purchases, I got carried away with the extras but, fortunately, I got most of them thrown in with the deal. By the time I signed the deal, I had spent all of two weeks 'learning about what I did or didn't need to add to the standard spec.

I got a solar panel that cost me £175 fitted. It was the medium sized one and so far, I couldn't tell you what difference it has made. For all I know, they could have bunged a display model up there because I have absolutely no idea how I might tell whether this crucial piece of kit is worth the money invested in it. I haven't made that particular confession to Mrs. F yet of course. I have simply pointed out the mass of wires and a black box with lots of wires coming out of it in the cupboard which I assume has something to do with it.

I ordered a TV aerial. I was told it was mandatory which made we wonder why it wasn't already fitted as standard. It apparently cost them 256 quid, but I didn't pay a penny for it so I feel slightly guilty for picking on it. Nevertheless, I didn't have a clue how it worked and it took me ages before I finally got a picture on the TV that I also bought as an extra (I looked at the LCD's but thought the picture was rubbish and they were too expensive. Also, the E495 has a very nice place perfectly designed for an old fashioned CRT TV so I bought a 15 inch one that was half price in the shop). I thought (gawd knows why) that the aerial was designed to always receive a decent signal like a car radio aerial. I saw the red dot but I didn't know why it was on there or what it meant. After failing to get a picture, I remembered the instruction manual thing and had a quick read. It wasn't that helpful, but it did make it clear that you're supposed to turn it around and raise it up and down. That took me long enough but I also had a miracle moment in which I learned that TV signal are sent on differing polarities. What that means is that pictures are pumped out either horizontally or vertically, but not both. So, sometimes the aerial will need to lean sideways and sometimes flat. The levers inside the cupboard facilitate the relevant movement and the red dot is supposed to help store it away again; I jump on the seat and look out of the sunroof though so I don't know which way is red, so to speak. Anyway, the aerial works and I didn't pay for it so I think it's great.

The reversing camera was fitted by my friend and cost £400. It is a fully wired set up and the cables are almost invisible, in fact only about 18 inches are exposed and that is only 6mm wide. I asked him to fit a wireless system because that is what I had read was the latest thing and I didn't really want cables 'everywhere'. He talked me out of it by saying that the advantages of wireless installation were outweighed by the performance. Apparently, they suffer terribly from interference and are really poor if you want to use them whilst driving. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that the system he installed for me (which cost about the same a s a wireless unit) is bang on. It isn't (funnily enough) much cop for reversing with (dunno why yet) but it is very very good for checking blind spots when changing lanes and also for backing up to our garage when parking. I can actually get it within 1mm of the garage. Easy. Other than that, it acts as a screen for watching DVD's and also has games built in, but I haven't tried these features yet. In all, however, I am very happy with it and glad I bought it although it did cost a lot.

The alarm is a Toad something or other. It cost me £300 fitted and gave me the additional benefit of central locking. It can also be configured to make the steps come down or windows open etc at a touch of the remote fob button. I decided to leave those options until I get back. The alarm also has an immobiliser built into it which definitely works (much to my annoyance actually) and which operates automatically. I have had some scares with the alarm and still don't know how to set it properly, but as it was a requirement of the insurance and as it really does work and I've also got central locking now, I'm glad I got it. It was expensive though and its presence hasn't stopped me buying a fog horn to use during the night to gather attention. I'm cynical by experience and believe people always ignore car alarms believing they are nothing more than a nuisance created by an inept operator and not a real attack etc.

The awning was another freebie which was supposed to have cost me £560. Yeah, right. I opened it (eventually) but I haven't used it for its real purpose yet although I've no doubt it will perform well. I don't understand why it doesn't come with its own tie down kit though, another extra added to the Fego shopping basket.

The storage cover was an extravagant expense at £220. So far, apart from winding us up when trying to put it on, it has done nothing to my eye other than scratch all of the plastic windows. It doesn't keep the van dry underneath and it is so bulky when you have removed it that I'm already regretting buying it. Maybe that wasn't a good idea after all.

Finally, I got two smallish gas bottles thrown in too. can't think of anything to say about them other than they are red and still almost full of gas. I don't understand why the thread for the adaptor needs to be reversed though.

Comfort

The cab doesn't have air conditioning. It does have a good heater though which has come in handy on both of my trips so far. I could have had A/C added for an extra £1,200 but a quick survey of opinion has shown a mixed view on the subject. I couldn't afford it anyway, so that is one option to possibly come back to. The seating arrangement is great. Four seat belts around a table near the cab is really good. The seats at the rear, however, are a little bit too low on the back which means we will probably spend a lot of time laying down in the back.

The fixtures are very comprehensive and now I know how they all work, I'm really impressed. I'm guessing all Motor Homes are fitted out like this however. I haven't cooked anything yet and I haven't tried the shower either. The water pump is very efficient I think (again, I don't know where the plimsoll line sits) but I think the sink drains unnecessarily slow though.

There appears to be lots of storage space but I'm still paranoid about the weight so I don't know if we will be able to fill it all up. I'm having it weighed tomorrow (we've been packing stuff into it for ages now) so I might have a better idea then.

Insurance and Warranty

The insurance cost £330 and limits us to 5,000 miles a year. There is no cover for breakdown recovery which I can buy from the caravan club for a whopping £152 for my 2 week trip or for £159 for the year. That only covers breakdowns abroad (or on the way to the port) however. I can buy breakdown cover from Churchill for both the UK and Abroad for a lot less than that. Another gripe with the Caravan Club which means I am still wondering why I bothered joining. The warranty is three years 'end to end' or 'back to front' depending on who you talk to or for the mechanical vehicle parts and the habitation part if you speak in English. I think that is very good but it does mean having to pay for both types of annual service.

Summary

Overall, we are satisfied with what we have bought, how much it cost, the extras we added to it and how we think it will suit us. We aren't particularly attracted by its external appearance but very satisfied with its interior comforts. Time will tell if we still feel that way after a bit of time in 'wild use'.