I'm suffering from a severe case of 'detailitis' and wanting to analyse everything I can about two models of vans we've seen!
We really like the side dinette/rear washroom layout of both the Abbey Vogue 520 and the Avondale Osprey S. At the moment the Abbey is slightly more favoured on features, but what I don't know is what the reputation of both makes of these caravans is. Both the caravans are 2008 and a similar price. However, we've also found the Avondale Osprey 2008 with a 2 year dealer warranty, which seems a good deal.
Does anyone have any opinion on either of these two makes of caravan for the year?
We are having to let our Burstner go (written off due to damage after it was stolen) and I can't help but compare the build quality and locker space of that to all the vans we've looked at and feel the Burstner wins, but the Burstner didn't give us the features that we are now looking for. Something has to be a compromise, but if either the Abbey or Avondale makes are known for their longevity, then that will reassure me!
Any comments welcome so I can add them to my detailed spreadsheet, lol!
Our friends had a 2008 Abbey Vogue 650 from new. They recently part-ex'd it. Lovely van, high standard of fittings and comfort. Looked as good as new when they sold it. We are trying to buy same/similar model now that we have sold ours.
The Avondale is probably going to be lighter than the Abbey, but if you don't have a problem with the weights then it's down to personal opinion. I would look closely at both and try to fins something wrong with both. Assuming the price is about the same and you still don't find a preference one way or the other then go for the one you find the fewest faults on, no matter how trivial they may be.
When we bought ours, we had a difficult choice between two, one was a year newer and £500 more expensive but had lots of silly things wrong, cupboard doors missing a screw from the hinge here and there and the blind was missing between the bedroom and main accomodation, but otherwise identical.
In the end, we went for the one a year older, simply because it had none of these niggley little faults, despite having the older style bench toilet and the older wooden cover over the sink rather than the glass one on the new one.
hi jaffa we have a 2009 vouge 520 had it for a season changed it from an abbey spectrum 418 the layout for us is ideal we leave the side dinette up which gives you a little more work space unless grandkids are with us then we use as bunk beds the large shower in the rear end washroom is excellent for us as we like to use some sites that dont have shower blocks and it tows well with my saab estate so i was pleased that i went for that type of layout recomend it for the 5 mins it takes to set up beds at night
bowler we have the vogue 418 as well, do you use your blown air heating and if so can you tell me what your run it on ie gas or electric and what settings you use as we only seem to get cool air coming out..many thanks
brother69
We don't use the blown air much. Only now & then to heat bathroom, to do that we shut ALL the other vents.
We only ever use Electric never gas.
To warm up in an evening we put heating on 1kw & dial on 9.
Overnight [sleeping] 500w & dial on 7 or 8.
So all the heat is coming from the fire, works well for us on those settings - very comfortable.