Our Motorhome (s)
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| Parked up at Cite Europe, Calais |
This is our Eura Mobil 820 Activa HS and is the fourth motorhome we have owned. It is a late 2009 (59) model and we bought it from Oak Tree Motorhomes in 2011 with just over 2,000 miles on the clock. In the five years we have had the van we have clocked up over 40,000 miles at an average of 8,000 miles per year.
It offers all that a growing family touring throughout the year could possibly want; and even more so for a couple who can now leave the kids behind! Spacious, fully winterised, huge over-cab bed with large skylight window and much much more besides.
In recent times consideration was briefly given to swapping this van, possibly for a Carthago or Niesmann & Bischoff, in an attempt to trade-up as it were; however, after due consideration (and many, many viewings) we failed to find anything that could offer anywhere near the same levels of comfort or usability our present van does.
So, with that in mind we elected to invest into the Eura Mobil and upgrade, add-on extras, renew certain aspects and make it an even better motorhome for us.
In recent times consideration was briefly given to swapping this van, possibly for a Carthago or Niesmann & Bischoff, in an attempt to trade-up as it were; however, after due consideration (and many, many viewings) we failed to find anything that could offer anywhere near the same levels of comfort or usability our present van does.
So, with that in mind we elected to invest into the Eura Mobil and upgrade, add-on extras, renew certain aspects and make it an even better motorhome for us.
As you can see from the floor plan below it is a rear lounge motorhome, that also has a full wrap-around front lounge / dinette and over-cab bed.
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| Eura Mobil Activa 820 HS |
BASICS:
Berths: 6
3-Point Safety Travel Seats: 4
DIMENSIONS:
Total Length: 8.65m (28ft 5in)
Total Width: 2.4m (7ft 10in)
Total Height: 3.27m (10ft 9in)
Internal Width: 2.22m (7ft 2in)
Standing Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in)
Wall thickness (walls, roof, floor): 40, 40, 38mm
BASE VEHICLE:
Type: Fiat Ducato Chassis Cab
Chassis: AL-KO 3 Axle wide track lowered chassis
Engine: 3.0 litre, 160bhp, front wheel drive six speed manual with cruise control
Tyres: 225/75 R16 Michelin Agilis Camping (Fitted 12/14)
Full size spare tyre (underfloor mounted)
KITCHEN:
Cooker: Combined Oven / Grill with four gas rings
Fridge: Dometic Automatic Energy Selection Fridge Freezer 117 litres
BEDS:
Overcab: 2.10m x 1.65m (6ft 10in x 5ft 5in)
Overcab Height: 75cm (2ft 6in)
Rear Bed / Rear Seating: 2.20m x 1.95m (7ft 2in x 6ft 5in)
ESSENTIALS:
Fresh Water: 150 litres (Internal)
Waste Water: 150 litres (Internal)
Heating: Alde 3010 warm water central heating
Battery Capacity: 3 x Varta Silver Dynamic 100Ah (385L x 235D x 190W)
Gas: 2 x 21.0 Ltr (10.5kg) Prakto Steel Refillable Bottles (4 Valve) with external filler
Toilet: Thetford C200 Cassette Toilet with 2 x 17 litre holding tanks
FITTED EXTRAS:
External BBQ Gas Point
Omnistor 8000 Awning: 5m
Omnistor Detachable 4 Bike Cycle Rack
250 watts of Solar Power: 1 x 150w, 1 x 100w Cleversolar Panel
Victron BlueSolar MPPT Charge Controller
Victron BMV-700 Battery Monitor
1600W Sterling Pure Sine Wave Inverter with Remote Switch wired into habitation sockets
600W Sterling Pure Sine Wave Inverter wired into Wardrobe socket
Additional 240v, USB and 12v sockets installed
Colour Touch Control Panel Upgrade for Alde 3010
Re-Upholstered in full leather
TelAir TG600 MEF EcoEnergy Gas 12v Onboard Generator
Waeco Perfect View RVS 794 Twin Reversing Camera and Monitor
Oyster Vision II Twin LNB Automatic Satellite System with Front & Rear Avtex TV's (1 x L247DRS, 1 x L216DRS) and 2 IceCrypt 12v Digital Boxes
VB Full Air Suspension 4C
E&P Hydraulic Auto Level System
Vanbitz 'Growler' Alarm System
The rear lounge configuration in a continental motorhome is pretty hard to find but is worth seeking out, especially as the continental vans provide a greater degree of winterisation for all year round touring. This was the layout we wanted as it provides us with a dual purpose living environment. During the day we can lounge comfortably in the spacious environment and then by night utilise the extra large size of the rear lounge as a handy twin single-bed arrangement (ideal for growing teenagers).
We elected to remove the wall-fitted front dinette table and replace it with a single pedestal type table. Utilising a bright yellow kitchen door from Ikea as the table top this makes for an ideal occasional table that allows greater freedom of movement about the van when we're all lounging! Plenty of space for the beer and wine glasses it is also handy as a laptop table whilst travelling. This arrangement has been duplicated for both front and rear lounges.
Removing the rear padded cushions and just using scatter cushions has made the seating wider and more relaxing. We no longer need the cushions to provide infill for making up beds so this has worked well for us.
Removing the rear padded cushions and just using scatter cushions has made the seating wider and more relaxing. We no longer need the cushions to provide infill for making up beds so this has worked well for us.
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| Our Front Lounge Layout with small Occasional Table |
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| Rear lounge with another occasional table allowing for easier access |
When we are seated for dinner or want additional workspace we carry two larger table tops in the wardrobe that I have marked out with spacers so they sit on-top of the small yellow table top.
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| Front Lounge Layout with large dinning table top added for increased dinning area |
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| Rear lounge with another dinning table added |
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| Huge panoramic skylight in the over-cab provides plenty of light and wonderful vistas. |
Our control panel is the nerve centre of the vans onboard facilities with several new additions to the original Eura Mobil CBE panel.
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| Our Control Panel Nerve Centre |
We have added a remote switch (top left) for our Sterling 1600w inverter which is wired to all the habitation sockets throughout the van; we can turn this on whilst driving to utilise the 240v sockets if required (ideal for games consoles). We also use this when parked up 'off-grid' and we want to use the microwave or Nespresso machine or charge the electric bike batteries up.
Bottom left of the control panel is the Victron Battery monitor so we can see exactly what onboard power we have remaining in the leisure batteries; far more accurate than the standard CBE control panel which is in the centre of the picture. This panel provides the usual fresh and waste water tank information, alongside various isolating switches including water pump, 12v lights, Eis-Ex, awning light etc.
Next along on the panel is the Eura Mobil Iso-Air control dial which is a form of 'fresh-air' cooling that drags cold air in from underneath the van and blows it out through vents in the tops of the cabinets.
Finally, to the right, is the new Alde colour touch control panel which we have added to replace the old 3010 sliding switch panel. The new colour touch screen offers far greater temperature regulation and timer settings amongst other benefits. A great upgrade for anyone with the old sliding style of panel.
We have 300Ah of on board power supplied by 3 x 100Ah Varta Silver Dynamic batteries. It is recommended that the capacity of your leisure battery usage does not drop below 50% of its capacity (150Ah in our case) so we have put in place measures to maintain onboard power at all times regardless of our location or weather conditions.
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| Three battery boxes that house our Varta Silver Dynamic 100Ah Leisure Batteries are housed underfloor |
We have 300Ah of on board power supplied by 3 x 100Ah Varta Silver Dynamic batteries. It is recommended that the capacity of your leisure battery usage does not drop below 50% of its capacity (150Ah in our case) so we have put in place measures to maintain onboard power at all times regardless of our location or weather conditions.
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| Our TelAir Ecco Generator Control Panel housed in the wardrobe |
In addition to the 250w of solar power we also have an onboard gas generator which we use to keep our leisure batteries 'topped-up' whilst using all our electrical goodies! It has an auto function which enables the generator to start-up whenever the batteries fall to below 11.9v; however, we have solar that prevents this from happening. Even though this is a 2-stroke engine and pretty quiet (mounted well under the van), we are conscious of upsetting neighbours so always use the manual function for our power needs in order to prevent the generator starting up in the depths of night!
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| The TelAir 12v Gas Generator Mounted Underfloor to the Rear of Van. |
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| All exhausts are vented away under than van and angled as such for baffling effect |
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| Protective splash cover added to the front of the generator to prevent road spray getting in |
Considering the van has 'six shoes' to keep it on the ground, I was amazed that there was no spare tyre included. So one of my first additions was to buy a new steel rim and have a suitable tyre fitted. We initially carried this in the garage but more recently we have added a rear underfloor spare wheel carrier utilising one of the Fiat Ducato Van spare-wheel fittings. Consequently, we now have freed up more space in the garage but are safe in the knowledge we are carrying a full size spare onboard if required.
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| Spare wheel mounted under the rear of the motorhome with wind-down mechanism |
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| Four 2-ton (lifting capacity) hydraulic jacks are fitted to the chassis of the motorhome |
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| The E&P Automatic Levelling Sensor mounted centrally under the van |
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| Large Footplates help to displace the weight and adapt to ground conditions |
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| So-called 'level' pitches can be mis-leading....both front tyres are off the ground! |
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| 2 x 10.5kg re-fillable bottles (40 litres of lpg gas) |
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| Pretty accurate level gauges due to the 4 valve nature of the tanks |
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| External filler point provides easy filling at petrol stations |
That's our present van.........as follows is a brief re-cap of our previous motorhomes that have all been different in size, layout and style.
Motorhome 1: Sprite Firebrand 600
Our first Motorhome was a Sprite Firebrand 600, bought purely on gut instinct. We new nothing about motorhomes, did no research on them what-so-ever and only went to look at one dealers stock. We viewed it Saturday.....bought it Sunday, and to be honest this van has been our best ever purchase......beginners luck rather than by design!
With two young boy's (6 & 8) this turned out to be the ideal starter van and provided us with many, many enjoyable trips away. We were fortunate enough to take long weekend's away most weeks and as a result were able to tour extensively across the UK and into France.
The configuration of the van comprised an over-cab double bed, front dinette double bed, side-bench single bed, rear bathroom and kitchen.
The previous retired owners had added some nice extras at purchase (Awning, bike rack, Roof-Box, Alloy Wheels), but after less than 2 years ownership and 2000 miles decided that motor-homing was not for them......good news for us though!
After a hectic 12 months of continual use we were really getting the bug for the motorhome life and as our two boys were growing we decided that maybe an upgrade in motorhome size and layout was required.
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| Our First Motorhome - Sprite Firebrand 600 |
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| Primrose Valley - Our First Night |
Motorhome 2: CI Mizar GTL Living
As a result we decided to make a more considered approach to purchasing our second van and happened upon a brand-new CI Mizar GTL Living, that was just too tempting an offer to pass-by; especially when considering the trade-in-deal we were offered for our beloved Sprite Firebrand!
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| CI Mizar GTL Living - Parked up at Gerardmer Motorhome Aire |
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| Motorhome Aire at Mareuil sur Ay, France - Home to Billecart Salmon Champagne! |
One of the defining decisions in this purchase was the move to 'bunk-beds' for the two boy's. This van offered a well-spaced over-cab double bed, front dinette (single bed), mid ships kitchen, rear bathroom and side bunks. This configuration offered more flexibility for lounging and sleeping and provided the boys with their own personal space. The bunks were full size and well spaced, with the bottom bunk lifting to double as an internal garage.
There was a distinct 'European' flair to this van and it had many design features that were a significant 'step-up' in quality from the Swift based Sprite - furniture, upholstery, separate shower and build quality (amongst others) were in my view markedly superior. As we were getting more adventurous in our travels (mountains, snow, sub-zero temperatures etc.) a greater strain was placed upon the usability of the van. Consequently, a couple of key issues arose for us that needed consideration.
1. Insulation: Although this van was significantly warmer than our previous van there were still areas that could be improved. The combination of the front cab as part of the lounge area allowed for a very draughty/chilly area that in winter climates placed a greater strain on the heating of the van. This was compounded by the fact that the rear bunk-bed / garage door area was also very draughty.
2. Power / Heating: The heating for this van was via a diesel powered Webasto heater, which we found was was both noisy and power hungry. The Mizar was supplied with one underslung leisure battery (and not much scope for additional batteries) which as a result did not really provide us with the sufficient resources to enjoy comfortable 'off-grid' living.
Ongoing warranty issues, with the now defunct Discover Leisure Group, and a desire for greater participation in winter sports, more baggage carrying capacity and longer term travelling led us eventually on to our next motorhome which was a Burstner Argos 747-2.
Motorhome 3: Burstner Argos 747-2
By the time we arrived at our third motorhome the purchase decision making process had grown considerably from our initial 24 hour period to several months! Identifying a fully winterised motorhome to further meet our year-round touring needs meant that I focussed the search to continental motorhomes that offered greater insulation benefits. I had ideas of the type of van I wanted but no real idea of the make or model to pursue.
Research had led me to explore the Eura Mobil brand, as their reputation for build quality and long term reliability garnered great reviews. I managed to track down a Eura Mobil Activa 770 EB with rear single beds available to view at West Country Motorhomes in Somerset, so May Bank Holiday I arranged a weekend away to view my prospective purchase.
After travelling some 220+ miles to view the motorhome to say we were underwhelmed was an understatement! Shockingly prepared for viewing the van was a very poor example and engaged us for all of 2 minutes. Never-mind.....I have a back up plan of places we can go view some more vans on our way home I said! Great lets go.....back up north to; 1. Marquis Leisure, Spinney, Brownhills, Todds, Discover (Chorley), and then finally Lazy Days to view yet another Eura Mobil......all in the same weekend!
However, whilst browsing yet another poor example of a Eura Mobil at Lazy Days, my other-half happened to peer inside a Burstner Argos with a large fixed rear bed. Taking a closer look inside we were immediately struck by the configuration and overall quality of this make. As they say 'first impressions count' and on this occasion they resulted in a deal being done there and then and the Burstner Argos 747-2 was to be our third motorhome.........and, as was usual for us, not the one we had envisaged!
The Burstner Argos 747-2 was a 7 berth motorhome, so provided ample space for 4 of us. The sleeping arrangements consisted of large double over the rear garage, large double over cab bed, single side bench bed and double dinette bed. Additional extra's offered included twin leisure batteries, solar panel, Alde central heating, fully insulated onboard services, external shower, tow-bar, bike-rack, awning and a large garage. With the reliable Fiat 2.8JTD engine power unit this was undoubtedly the perfect van for us to continue with our all year round family touring adventures.
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| Our Burstner Argos 747- 2 |
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| Parked up amongst the pine trees at the old Dune du Pilat Motorhome Aire |
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| The popular Aire at Le Mailleraye sur Seine |
The move from a very good Burstner Argos 747-2 to the Eura Mobil 820 HS was driven primarily by our desire for a continental rear lounge van. As the children were now growing up and demanded more personal space the idea of rear single beds again sprung to mind, however, experience had shown that rear single beds do not offer the same luxury of space and lounging as a proper rear lounge layout. Recognising the short-comings of British built vans (which often provide a rear lounge layout option) dictated that finding a continental equivalent would be a hard task.....Eura Mobil was back on the radar and I knew exactly where there was one to be had!
Motorhome 4: Eura Mobil Activa 820 HS
I'd seen a bunch of the new shape Eura Mobil's arrive at OakTree Motorhomes not long after I'd committed to buying the Burstner from Lazy Days and rued the apparent missed opportunity to have one for myself. I new there was a selection of both rear singles and rear lounges available in the stock that had arrived but all had gone very quickly........surely it was just a matter of time before a used one would become available. And, as luck would have it, whilst I was browsing the internet one evening I noticed one came up for sale on the Oak Tree website. Less than 2 years old and with just over 2000 miles on the clock I was not about to pass up the opportunity of getting my ideal van.......off to OakTree it was!
Needless to say arriving at a deal was never going to be hard as this was subliminally always the van we were destined to have.
