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We are picking up a 2006 Ariva on Thursday and I have been reading the Lunar posts under the search on here and although only skimming likely ones (not any on Arivas as far as I can find) there seem a lot of problems with cracks and damp on other Luna models.. Is there anything that is not good about the Ariva that I should question etc?

Thanks

Carol

Thanks Alan,  That's reassuring!  I am the worrier, my husband is quite different, so I worry for both of us!   Glad you approve of our choice.  I am looking forward to using all the extra space for lounging and storage.  One of the reasons we decided to change was that we are going to a wedding at Doune Castle and reception at Stirling Castle in September.  Never been to Scotland so we are going to make a holiday of it stopping off in the Lake District on the way up and York on the way down.  Heard so much about how beautiful Scotland is on the forums here so are really excited.  Could take three weeks and the I didn't think it would be as easy in the Freedom.  I  hope the motorway does not go up many hills, I think Stirling it is not as far up as the huge mountains!

Cheers

Carol

Cheers Alan

Carol

Hi Helen

Nice to know you love your Ariva, we pick ours up tomorrow but there is a problem when turning off the cold water tap it not switching off the water pump.  We are going away on Friday so are taking a chance on taking deliver, going away and just turning the pump on and off.  The dealers have good customer service and promise to fit a new part (just ordered) when we come back.  Great to know that we will not have to tug up mountains to get to Stirling but looking forward to taking the car solo up a few!

Cheers

Carol

Hi Carol,

We have a 2007 Lunar Ariva from new. Currently no cracks or damp.Great to tow, easy to see down sides without additional mirrors, but even better with. Great onboard facilities compared with Eriba I used to have. Stripped out cocktail cabinet gubbins to create more food storage space. I also got an additional power and tv point put at the front end. The caravan stands fairly high off the ground so a double caravan step is essential if you dont want to fall getting out of the van. On site the Ariva is easy to manhandle without a mover and once you have an awning on it the cat has more space to swing in.

Downsides so far are, uncomfortable seats which squash down too quickly when sitting for any length of time. Also the heavy table is very awkward to put up and down and restricts movement in an already small space. We tend to just use the small table that slides out of front locker. The 2009 Arivas have sprung seating which might be an improvement. Also I might look at alternative foam filling like Tockfield supplies.Another plus for the latest Arivas is a transferrable warranty which mine didn't have.

Washroom, oven, hob, fridge, blown heating, hot water system all excellent in such a small and narrow caravan. Status 530 aerial gets good digital signal at most sites.

I enjoyed the quirkness of my Eriba caravan but for build quality and onboard facilities the Ariva is great.

Rob2

Hi everyone

Just back from 8 days in the Ariva and I agree with you all.  It was a dream to tow and very easy to live in (even with the pump having to be switched off when not using).  We slept very well on side bunk configuration which meant we did not have any hassle getting the table out of the wardrobe and used the small flip over table for meals, brilliant idea.  We had debated whether we should spend the extra money in updating from the Freedom and we are so glad we did.  Looking forward to many more outings now.

Cheers

Carol