The Caravan Owners Club

[MarkH]

Hi I have never owed a caravan before looking to buy a the new Excelsior 540 UFe. what additional extras, do you suggest I need to order to come with the van? This information would be very heplful to me.
Thanks Mark

[keith]

Hi Mark

I would suggest the gas/elec water heater the one fitted as standard is elec only and very small and takes along time to heat up. Shower is normally extra. Hobbies don't come with battery and charger as standard.
540 comes with microwave which can be upgraded to full oven for €200. I am sure others will have suggestions too.

[MarkH]

would you recommend the hobby alarm system & siren?

[keith]

would you recommend the hobby alarm system & siren?

I have no knowledge of the Hobby alarm perhaps someone else does
All I can say is the more security measures you take the less chance of losing it

[Eric G]

I recently purchased a 560 KMfe and it had Air Conditioning and CityWater pre-installed. For the added factory cost I think both are well worth the value. Even if the weather is not hot, the air conditioner does a great job of lowering the humidity level in the van. Factory installed it was about 950 euro. I've seen aftermarket a/c prices for around 1200 euro (not installed). Citywater sometimes comes in handy, not an absolute necessity, but for 200 euro extra I'm glad I have the feature. I don't think a remote van mover is a Hobby factory option, but now I really wish I had the device installed so I wouldn't have to depend on my wife's assistance to back my tow car. Hope this helps.

Hi I have never owed a caravan before looking to buy a the new Excelsior 540 UFe. what additional extras, do you suggest I need to order to come with the van? This information would be very heplful to me.
Thanks Mark

[MarkH]

thks for the infromation guys, a quick question what is citywater?

[Eric G]

City water is a water tank filling device that allows for a Gardinia type water hose to be attached to the van avoiding the necessity to manually refill the water tank. There is a automatic shut off valve installed that allows for the source water to stay on at all times and the tank fills automatically as needed. When at home I keep the van attached to water at all times, but I've only been to one camp site that had dedicted water sources for each site. It's a nice feature when it can be utilized, but not very often.

thks for the infromation guys, a quick question what is citywater?

[Spyder]

City water is a water tank filling device that allows for a Gardinia type water hose to be attached to the van avoiding the necessity to manually refill the water tank. There is a automatic shut off valve installed that allows for the source water to stay on at all times and the tank fills automatically as needed. When at home I keep the van attached to water at all times, but I've only been to one camp site that had dedicted water sources for each site. It's a nice feature when it can be utilized, but not very often.

thks for the infromation guys, a quick question what is citywater?

I think I have alreday said this so sorry if I have but I was speaking to KD at Joeressens when I had Citywasser fitted on my old van. He said he is very reluctant to fit a float valve in the water tank and fit it to the citywasser connector. The float valves are very flimsy and if you travel with any water in the tank you can snap the float off. Next time you connect the hose and you have an indoor swimming pool. He fitted a switch to the pump and a couple of non-return valves so when connected to city water the tank is completey bypassed. Since I have a fixed tank IMHO the city wasser connection is an expensive luxury I can easily do without. Connect your hose to the tap and leave the other end in the tank and switch the tap on every now and then just to top up.......its not hard.

Paul

[Eric G]

Your comment is fair enough. I usually don't leave the source tap on when connected to the van for the fear of flooding that you mention. The only thing that bothers me is the idea of leaving a hose in the open tank... who knows what is crawling up the hose and into the water supply. With citywater there is no chance of that occuring since everything is fitted nice and tight. But that's just me.... a germaphobe. I wouldn't have the option fitted at the dealer, but if given a choice of 2 vans one with it and the other without, I'd buy the van with just for the luxury and minimal cost.

City water is a water tank filling device that allows for a Gardinia type water hose to be attached to the van avoiding the necessity to manually refill the water tank. There is a automatic shut off valve installed that allows for the source water to stay on at all times and the tank fills automatically as needed. When at home I keep the van attached to water at all times, but I've only been to one camp site that had dedicted water sources for each site. It's a nice feature when it can be utilized, but not very often.

thks for the infromation guys, a quick question what is citywater?

I think I have alreday said this so sorry if I have but I was speaking to KD at Joeressens when I had Citywasser fitted on my old van. He said he is very reluctant to fit a float valve in the water tank and fit it to the citywasser connector. The float valves are very flimsy and if you travel with any water in the tank you can snap the float off. Next time you connect the hose and you have an indoor swimming pool. He fitted a switch to the pump and a couple of non-return valves so when connected to city water the tank is completey bypassed. Since I have a fixed tank IMHO the city wasser connection is an expensive luxury I can easily do without. Connect your hose to the tap and leave the other end in the tank and switch the tap on every now and then just to top up.......its not hard.

Paul

[Spyder]

[quote="Eric G"]... who knows what is crawling up the hose and into the water supply. With citywater there is no chance of that occuring since everything is fitted nice and tight. But that's just me.... a germaphobe. I wouldn't have the option fitted at the dealer, but if given a choice of 2 vans one with it and the other without, I'd buy the van with just for the luxury and minimal cost.

[quote="Eric G"]

Fair one on the creepy crawly thing and just as you say one van fitted and one without I think I'd pick the fited one.

Talking of creepy crawlies there was a lovely cocoon in my over flow pipe of the water tank so they could get in that route anyway!

Paul

[keith]

Hey whats all this discrimination against us creepy crawlies