Avida / Fiat

Grendel · Member

Avida / Fiat

mezza56 · Senior Member

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

Yuglamron · Guru

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.

Santa · Guru

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/

-- Edited by Santa on Tuesday 29th of May 2018 06:08:06 PM

KJB · Guru

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

Desert Dweller · Guru

As previous owners of two FIAT vehicles, replace the I with an R and you have it in one, FART.

80,000 kms in Aussie conditions & they're clapped out.

Why the heck these motor home manufactures use European made vehicles is a mystery!

Tony Bev · Guru

Welcome to the forum, Grendel

I can confirm that the Fiat Commercial workshops, are few and far between

There are no Fiat Commercial outlets in the Northern Territory

I know nothing of the modern Fiats

My 2006 Fiat Ducato, requires special Fiat tools, to carry out some maintenance tasks

Grendel · Member

Thank you all for quick replies, but you've made me a bit sad. Would the fiat thing be ok if I didn't take it anywhere to stress it, just to carry the more desirable van fit? This is what I did want to know and why I asked about the chassis separately. If it's so bad why do they use it?

Grendel · Member

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.

-- Edited by Grendel on Tuesday 29th of May 2018 07:58:36 PM

dragonfly1 · Senior Member

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

PeterInSa · Guru

I went to a CMCA Chapter outing on the weekend and there were at least 2 Escapes there possibly 3. If you join the CMCA and ask the same question on their Forum you should gets some answers.

Re Fiat, we have been to a number of CMCA Rallies with around 1000+ Motorhomes/Campervans and some Caravans attending and I would estimate that around 1/4 of the Motorhomes/Campervans are Fiat's.

Peter

Grendel · Member

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

Santa · Guru

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

Fair enough Grendel, this is a little more recent. smile

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

mezza56 · Senior Member

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 .

Bryan · Guru

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.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Imo . Look at Isuzu or Mazda as base vehicle . I have no issues with Winebago/ Avida . I have US based Explorer . Very happy with it . Was told way back . European autoâs are rubbish !! They mainly use manuals . The Focus had Euro auto and had all sorts of issues .

Grendel · Member

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 11:01:00 PM

Santa · Guru

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. smile

glenn · Veteran Member

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

Desert Dweller · Guru

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 · Guru

^^^ Good when they are going ^^^

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

^^^ Savage as hell when not ^^^

Santa · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
^^^ Good when they are going ^^^

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

Bryan · Guru

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.

Grendel · Member

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

Grendel · Member

Thanks again all.

I think that Avida is off the list now. We had a good look at it today and found it much smaller than pics and video suggest, unsurprisingly, I guess. We did look at the next size up, but if I could accept the truckier shape, as against van, I'm not sure I could fit it in my driveway comfortably with the swinging door rather than slide.

And yeah, I am really wary of things that could take too long to repair, if required. It will be my home and I'll have nowhere else to be.

More homework required.

G

Santa · Guru

Hope you find what your looking for Grendel.

Good luck. smile

Grendel · Member

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

-- Edited by Grendel on Saturday 2nd of June 2018 12:25:36 AM