Hi - We have recently purchased a Lotus Freelander and have driven from the Gold Coast to Victoria. We have not been off bitumen and the van is a semi off-road. We have had a lot of problems which I will not go into and we are very disappointed with the purchase. We returned the van to the manufacturer (Lotus) while down here and told them of the problems we were having and that they should be fixed as the van is still under warranty. They were not very helpful and weren't too concerned about the issues. The service from Lotus is not the best. They do not return your calls. For the amount of money invested in this van, you would expect a superior product and service. I hope you have not made a decision as yet? If you do decide on a Lotus, take a look through the factory at Campbelfield (Vic) and see how they are put together.
Thanks for the warning on the Lotus Caravan Rambling Eagles.
So many companies and salesmen are all over you until the warranty expires as soon as you drive out the gate.
When you spend 60-70 K for a van you are entitled to get after sales service.
It is so annoying when they will not return phone calls or email messages.
I will definitely take Lotus off my preference list
Please keep us updated of events.
Maybe you could try the Ombudsman or the ACCC.
I have a Lotus Trooper just over a year old we have been on the road since March this year we are booked in on Dec 2 for warranty work at the factory.
There have been several relatively minor but annoying issues, in my experience which covers many years and 3 manufacturers, all owners of newer vans we have come across particularly on this latest trip have teething problems some serious. I know of one van not Lotus bought for $138k and sold at under 2 years for approx $65k because of numerous problems, so what I am trying to say is that problems exist throughout the industry which is very annoying when you are parting with a substantial amount of $ s.
Apart from a national recall on the Swift stove fitted to our van our main issues have been quality control issues I would not say do not buy a Lotus but we have had problems with the poor installation of the microwave, and ensuite door bearing in mind the Trooper is a designated off road van in Lotus speak. I have altered a couple of things myself such as adding protection for outlets on water tanks Lotus had guards on the tanks but the outlets were vulnerable to flying stones on dirt roads.
If you decide to go with Lotus ensure you specify the flat blinds / insect screens because the concertina type are a definite weak point 2 of ours have failed, I also would not have the seats with headrests if I was ordering now as one of those failed too, they do have optional seats without them.
While they like most manufacturers have problems the majority of owners seem happy with the factory response to their problems.
Two manufacturers I would suggest you consider are Sunland and Spinifex they are expensive but it is very rare to hear complaints about them, my previous van was a Sunland and I would love to have bought another the decision to buy Lotus was because of price and that at the time Sunland did not Show at the Rosehill show . Good luck with whatever you buy
From our experience with taking our van to the factory, I would suggest you take your van to one of Lotus's dealers instead. They do not have room at the factory for your van and spent only 4 hours to fix the problems we had which were not all attended to. We were told they do not usually have vans there for repair or maintenance, but prefer you to take it to a dealer. We had a problem with our microwave also and discovered the plastic coating had not been taken off the vent which caused the microwave to overheat and cut out!! We agree that there are teething problems with most new vans, but with vans in this price bracket you would expect them to be "up to scratch" and checked over for faults before leaving the factory. Not always is the case that "the more you pay the better the quality". Our previous van cost half as much new and we had less problems travelling around OZ.
Hi Neville & Polly,
We have had a leak through the vent hatch on the roof. This seems to have been fixed. Draws were not shutting properly and were opening during travel on bitumen roads. Self closing draws are not a very good concept. We had to send an overhead cupboard door back to the manufacturer as it had bubbling and pits on it. Side door handle to front entrance was not fitted properly and the screw covers do not cover the handle and cannot be fixed. 3 separate TV connections should have been concealed in an above head cupboard, but instead were put on the splashback as the cupboard did not have the space for these controls to be put in. Their mistake as other Freelanders have these controls in the cupboard. Lino was lifting near the bed and had to be resealed. Most of the problems were cosmetic and not major, apart from the leak, but in our opinion these faults should have been fixed before leaving the factory. Hope this helps with your decision.
I will give Lotus a miss at the Bendigo Leisure show this weekend.
I really thought that they would look after clients better than that,the old story,
If you do things well it is the best publicity as bad news travels fast.
After hearing and reading about other travellers' issues with their new vans, our problems have been minor. In one instance a couple had their new van for only 8 months and it was practically falling apart, the chassis being the major problem with cracks. They were lucky to get most of their money back after returning it to the manufacturer. They also had the option to replace it with another new van, but that was out of the question! They had to cut their travels short because of the insecurity of the van - a total nightmare!
Hi, we have just signed up for a Lotus Freelander.I would love people's feedback on any changes that can be done prior to the build please.For example-the colour of the interior,the cupboard under the fold-up table,the type of latches on the cupboard doors etc.
I am thinking of the green coloured external features.Have there been any increase in chipping or scratches with the green.Do you find the black checker plate show the chips and scratches more then the grey?
I would love your general feedback on the Lotus brand and the after sale service please.
Thank you for your time and impending comments, cheers
We bought a Lotus van and had to take them to court to get our money back. The caravan was just a disgrace. Do yourself a favour and buy a different brand. Seriously, it is simply not worth it. I could rave on for hours about the problems but it would bore you to tears. We now have a Jayco and we are in it permanently. We are happy with it as at least it is built to Australian standards.
Hi there. I have a "on the move" caravan. Had it just over 5 years. been to WA Darwin twice. Queensland. Tasmania from Adelaide. the only problem I had was a faulty battery. It's probably travelled 40000 k If you ring the factory you can speak with one of the Misfud family (Lennie) directly. They are in Melbourne. Not a lot on the road but every owner I have spoken to has been very happy with their purchase. It is a family business with a bit of pride in their product. Cheers. Daz
our travelling partners have a lotus - for the money they paid its a disgrace - Floor lifting - ie the lino - its also 'bubbled' in the en suite - Microwave fell out screen door warped, paint on draw bar was discolored motley, internal speakers didnt work, air conditioning failed, stove wouldn't work - ignite and now there is water damage in front that will require the Van to be repaired - The water damage has shown up on the RHS wardrobe and the wood is rotted - all this in a van that is 18 months old - of course out of warranty and from what they have said Lotus just dismiss them out of hand.
I think I will stick with our Jurgens for a while - may not be the flashest one around but no issues whatsoever to date - fingers crossed
Well I have a lotus Freelander 2013 and very happy with it did have a few minor problems when new but all fixed under warranty with no problems from Lotus.We have just done the factory tour and paid a deposit for a new free land with delivery June 2018.we are Very Happy.
For some time now the Lotus company had been pursuing Lemon Caravans and RVs in Australia's creator and Administrator, Tracy Leigh, through the courts for injurious falsehood and defamation. Recently Lotus filed for a discontinuance of the action and have offered Tracy Leigh a full refund...LESS GST! This fight looks set to continue. I would advise anyone who is thinking of buying or upgrading to a new caravan to join the Lemons Forum and check out the vast amount of information that is available on that site. There is also a Buyers Beware List, which includes those manufacturers and dealers who have not properly honoured their obligations and responsibilities under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) and its consumer guarantees. As, no doubt, many of you are fully aware, the Caravan and RV Industry has within its ranks many rogue operators, whose unconscionable conduct has brought the Industry into disrepute. It is time that this Industry was properly regulated and those regulatory authorities who have been tasked with administering the ACL to ensure that customers are adequately protected, be made to fulfil their responsibilities.
