Hi all,

I am considering buying an Avida Escape to live and travel in.

I wondered if anyone here has one of those, or a comparable Avida, or even something else with the Fiat Ducato chassis to say if it is good for that purpose, was there anything you wish you'd thought to ask for as options, or even 'don't touch with a bargepole', please. 

It looks good online and in the brochure and has features that other tempting ones don't, eg, roll-down bed, rear access; others have features I'd like but this doesn't, eg diesel hot water and stovetop therefore no gas, rolly cupboard doors rather than hinged, more accessible fridge, etc.

I'd be grateful for any opinions, please.

Grendel

Hi Grendel I dont have a motorhome ,but look into the fiat properly ,  I know in the past there has been issues with the auto trans, it may be sorted now ? someone on here may know otherwise 

Try the Search Function and type in (Winnebago/Avida.)

You'll get good and bad reports both about the Fiat Ducato  Engine/Gearbox and suspension.

It's like a lot of vehicles there are good reports and bad.

This is a link from a page on this forum.

http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t58547802/winnebago-avida-rv-lemon-story/

Whatever you get best wishes and hope you get sorted out and enjoy the lifestyle.

Fiat do seem to have more than their share of issues.

Traction is also a problem with single rear wheels, I've seen vehicles of this type stuck on wet grass (slight up slope) with duel wheel vehicles driving around them.

Bear in mind that Fiat is made for European conditions, not the Australian outback, try buying parts for one anywhere in the outback.

http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t58547802/winnebago-avida-rv-lemon-story/

Because they are "front wheel drive" that they get stuck - not because of the single rear wheels.

Most of the searching I have done finds posts from ~ 2014, which doesn't help me. That's why I'm trying to find more recent experience.

Hi there

There are a lot of so called experts on this forum that would not have a clue regarding a Fiat we bought ours new in 2008 and apart from getting it serviced every 12 months we have not had any problems with it at all 

we free camp all the time and have never been bogged and if you are buying a new one I think they now have 5 years warranty on them 

i am also sure that that there would more fiat built Motorhomes on the road in the last 10 years than any other make so I suppose you will get problems with some of them 

Dragonfly1

Thanks, Santa, but that's  what I mean. That was years ago. 

Grendel wrote:

---

Thanks, Santa, but that's  what I mean. That was years ago. 

---

Fair enough Grendel, this is a little more recent.

https://www.productreview.com.au/p/fiat-ducato.html

Grendel , sounds like you have your heart set on a fiat , doesn't Winni make them with other chassis like Iveco I haven't heard much neg about them . I had a small fleet of transit vans and heard all sort of negative stories but I never had any major issues . Do your due diligence and just make the best informed decision you can .  

Iveco and Fiat belong to the same group; CNH. Although the Iveco Daily has a separate chassis compared to Fiat Ducato's car like chassis, you will find the two share very many components.

I had a Ducato for a number of years and had no problems with the base unit. The Avan conversion had some niggly problems that were quickly and efficiently sorted out.

Thanks for replies, and thanks for that link, Santa, it is a bit scary. I don't know why they'd make motorhomes with a dodgy chassis, that's why my original question included that specifically. It's going to be my home, so I really need it to be reliable, since there'll be nowhere else to go if it needs lengthy repairs. I like what they've built on it, I think, but was wary of Fiat (there doesn't seem to be a choice for Avida Escape). I suppose I can mention misgivings when I go to look at it and see what the sales person's expression says, or if they would give extra guarantees for my rehoming if necessary?

Grendel wrote:

---

Thanks for replies, and thanks for that link, Santa, it is a bit scary. I don't know why they'd make motorhomes with a dodgy chassis, that's why my original question included that specifically. It's going to be my home, so I really need it to be reliable, since there'll be nowhere else to go if it needs lengthy repairs. I like what they've built on it, I think, but was wary of Fiat (there doesn't seem to be a choice for Avida Escape). I suppose I can mention misgivings when I go to look at it and see what the sales person's expression says, or if they would give extra guarantees for my rehoming if necessary?

-- Edited by Grendel on Wednesday 30th of May 2018 08:52:07 PM

---

 Evening Grendel,

Bear in mind, as has already been said, these vehicles are made for European conditions.

Distances traveled are nowhere near as great as here in Aust and roads are for the most part sealed, I'm sure Fiat and Iveco are fine under these conditions.

I wouldn't condemn the manufacturer, it's the importers who are at fault, offering vehicles that are not ideally suited to Australian conditions. 

Hi Grendal have you looked at toyota coasters,

have a look at website motorhomeoz.

Iwas probably thinking the same way as you re;Fiat

Regards Glenn

After being burnt big time in the past on a few occasions we have a hard & fast rule.

Steer Clear Of Any European Vehicles.

Aus-Kiwi wrote:

---

^^^ Good when they are going ^^^

---

 Yep! once they leave the showroom all bets are off.

Grendel wrote:

---

Thanks, Santa, but that's  what I mean. That was years ago. 

---

 From what I've read, Fiat may have increased their market share of the "bigger" campervan sales in the last couple of years. Unfortunately I cannot remember where I read the article.

Hi Glenn,

I have looked at Toyotas, but they don't seem to have anything between Hiace (too small) and Coasters (too big), neither do those allow for swiveling seats, apparently. That is important to me, I need a comfy armchair to sit in rather than propped up on a couchthing. 

I had also seen Motohomesoz, but they are up north, and no use for me. There are only 3? that I've found in Vic and only one within cooee of me that seems to limit what they can use, though I will look at what they do anyway.

G

Hope you find what your looking for Grendel.

Good luck.

Santa wrote:

---

Hope you find what your looking for Grendel.

Good luck.

---

 Hey, I worked out quote!

Thanks Santa, I must be able to do it, it's all I want! I am currently stuck in a too small caravan, without sufficient storage or a shower, that I didn't mean to be living in permanently when I got it, haven't been able to camp with since injury not long after getting it, and am marooned in a location in which I am totally isolated. This is not acceptable. I could die here and noone would notice.

What I need, I think, is:
- Swivel seat(s) for comfy sitting
- Shower
- Room to 'spin', as my daughter put it, and she will be the only one ever sharing, not often, but her opinion matters, and today showed she is right
- Put-awayable bed, which is why the lift up thing is appealing. Apart from doubling that available space, living with an obvious bed is depressing
- Reliable enough to be permanent home
- Really has to be not more than 7 metres. Any more would be totally excessive for me. I've adapted well to 5 metre X-trail from Pulsar, but much more I could not be having with.

What I'd want is:
- Rear access, though after today being given a couple of hours alone to check out, sit in, and contemplate living in various models (kudos to RobertsRV for allowing that, with not the slightest attempt to hardsell), the better rear 'bathroom' might be worth the lack of rear access? 
- Fewer swinging doors to clash with each other and me
- Better fridge or at least one in which the 'freezer' door hinges down rather than up. Having to sit on the floor to get into that has got very ... annoying?
- Composting toilet would be really nice, for not having to deal with very often. Avida will definitely not do that.

That's the short list.

G