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A quick note for everyone who has posted asking about this van lately

we went to see one today .......

So disappointed ,i know its cheap(ish ) But the quality was dire !!!!  There were a few vans for around the same price that were head and shoulders above the bailey in the quality stakes ,only they were a little heavier ,so if weight isnt your main issue ,then I wouldnt bother  with the Orion :[

Well said !

And for Once I agree with you

A totally horrible range of junk !

Quote: Originally posted by skiTTish on 21/6/2011

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A quick note for everyone who has posted asking about this van lately

we went to see one today .......

So disappointed ,i know its cheap(ish ) But the quality was dire !!!!  There were a few vans for around the same price that were head and shoulders above the bailey in the quality stakes ,only they were a little heavier ,so if weight isnt your main issue ,then I wouldnt bother  with the Orion :[

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Oh no, I liked the look of that one, it looks just what we want in the brochure,the layout is what we have been looking for and with a lowish weight. Yet to see one in the 'flesh'

Shirley

Quote: Originally posted by the polarbear on 21/6/2011

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Interestingly when I went to look at Orion, I also compared it to Sprite Alpine 4 in the same showroom, which is similar in weight and felt that the finish on Sprite was dire in comparison.

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I agree completely the Orion looks flash but look closely and look at other vans :(

Those stupidly large rounded edging things inside are loose and you can see underneath to the nuts and bolts of the van and the huge gap between panels .
Open any door or locker and the handle will cause damage to surrounding finishes .
There are small gaps between the seals of the shower doors that will allow water into the rest of the van and the shower is poorly sealed .
Also there is visible use of silicone sealant everywhere ,just nasty  .
The blinds open and close very poorly and the handles are flimsy ,same with the handles on the windows .
The skylights are very flimsy .

All of the above would only be apparent to someone with a few years of caravanning use and scrutiny under their belt so I really believe as this van is aimed at newbies ,Bailey think the faults will slip past them :(

I think I was expecting something on a par with the Ranger ( also entry level van ) But our Ranger is far better quality  :(
So disappointed :( I went there wanting to like it  ,having loved it online ,it looked perfect for us but alas even the salesman couldnt argue with how crap it was :(

Have to say we didnt like the Orion either - and believe me I really wanted to!   We have length issues () because of the access to our garden, so my dream of a fixed bed/end bathroom is unlikely to come true because most models are too long.  Not so the Orion.  But even taking that into account, there were so many little niggles we didnt like about the van that it would still have been a compromise for us. 

Trying to persuade OH he didnt need a front locker (its the equivalent of his shed on holiday!), the shelf directly over the sink in the bathroom was the only storage, the fact that OH had to stand in the shower cubicle to bend over the bathroom sink and cracked his head on said shelf (!), the tiny kitchen,  the three ring hob (would you get three pans on there at once?) general lack of storage throughout.  OK I know its a small van and what do I expect, but the finish wasnt great either and  It just wasnt for us sadly.

I quite liked it on first impressions, but didn't exam it with a fine toothed comb, as we are not looking to change at the mo..Only time will tell, when someone actually buys one and uses it i guess...

Quote: Originally posted by skiTTish on 21/6/2011

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When will a manufacturer work out that a lightweight 'good/reasonable ' quality van would sell like hotcakes ?? :/

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As I have said elsewhere, one of the problems we find with the van is the width (or rather lack of it).  The layout we prefer is the one similar to the 430/4, with the end washroom and side fixed bed..  It makes the passage past the fixed bed, on the way to the washroom noticably narrower IMHO.  The 4" less in with in the Orion (over the Pegasus, Unicorn and earlier Pageant S7) comes off the floor space and is no good for us.

Another thing that I'm not keen on in the 430/4 and the 440/4 is that when the door opens it obstructs part of the side window.  On each of the models the side window at the front of the van is positioned over the roof curve, which means for the 430/4 and 440/4 fitting a porch awning is impossible without it coming down accross a window.  This may not be an issue for everyone, but just something that others might consider important.

I can't really comment on the build quality and don't suppose that I will look at the van any further other than out of curiosity.  Not sure if I would miss the 'traditional' gas fire but I reckon I'd miss the front locker.  Just my opinion - I'm sure many will find the van very suitable for their needs.