Considering an Eriba

[Lotobear]

I've been pondering this for a while now and even the wife is on board given we are recent empty nesters (though with a pair of terriers).

To be honest I would never have considered a caravan were it not for the Eriba option.

We've been to our local dealer in Tebay and think we need a Triton 430 as it has a small washroom and the sleeping space is longer

Any hints and tips from owners on here good or bad - probably going second hand with a max budget of 15k?

My daily car is an Audi A4 Allroad diesel so I think we are okay tow car wise and I like the fact that the Eriba is not much (if any) wider than the car. I've never towed before but I'm on an old style licence so will be covered for such an outfit.

[bristolracer]

We had an Eriba for a couple of years.

Lovely vans, well put together and hold their value very well.

Your tow car will be absolutely fine,we towed ours with a 1.6 Focus TDCI (110hp) with no problems.

We got ours from Automotive leisure in Dorset who were really good.

[rustyuk]

Couple of other options to consider too.

Swift Basecamp - https://www.swiftbasecamp.co.uk/

Folding Camper - https://pennineoutdoorleisure.co.uk/folding-camper

Happy shopping!

[Output Flange]

rustyuk said:

Couple of other options to consider too.

Swift Basecamp - https://www.swiftbasecamp.co.uk/

Folding Camper - https://pennineoutdoorleisure.co.uk/folding-camper

Happy shopping!

They're really quite different options, although they might seem similar.

We've had our Eriba for a couple of years now and love it - we have a 530 with a fixed bed and it's fine for the two of us and two dogs.

It really depends on what caravanning is to you - for me, it's about being outside as much as possible so I don't need a load of space inside. If you want to spend weeks in it, you'll find it annoying.

We also got ours from Automotive Leisure and would highly recommend them.

[Lotobear]

Output Flange said:

They're really quite different options, although they might seem similar.

We've had our Eriba for a couple of years now and love it - we have a 530 with a fixed bed and it's fine for the two of us and two dogs.

It really depends on what caravanning is to you - for me, it's about being outside as much as possible so I don't need a load of space inside. If you want to spend weeks in it, you'll find it annoying.

We also got ours from Automotive Leisure and would highly recommend them.

Thanks for that, we will be off for the odd long weekend probably Lakes (as we live in Cumbria) or up the west coast of Scotland and we will probably get an awning - we have a very similarly named Eriba dealer in our county who we've visited on couple of occasions:

https://www.adventurelv.com/

We are very much outdoors people so the van would really be somewhere just to sleep and hide if it's a wet day

[mikeiow]

The Eriba's look decent - a relative had one for a couple of years before deciding to move to a VW campervan!
I've always quite liked the look of https://www.go-barefoot.co.uk - perhaps another option to look at?

[PurpleTurtle]

We’ve got a 1992 Triton, bought from Kool Classics nr Brighton, Claire and Pete there are really nice people to deal with, they specialise in older stuff but occasionally stock newer Eribas.

This is our second, the first we bought privately in haste and found it to have a completely rotten lower subframe, after that experience I would always advise buying from a dealer. We looked at Automotive Leisure too, very impressive but all their stock was above our limited budget.

We absolutely love ours (me, wife and 5yo son). We holiday in it Spring to Autumn, it’s nice and toasty even in the colder months with the gas heater on, or we use a small oil filled electric radiator when on EHU.

Ours came with a campervan style ‘drive away’ awning which was OK but a bit Heath Robinson. That has since been replaced by a bespoke Walker awning for our model, they retail at about a grand, I picked it up barely used on eBay for 105 quid plus postage, an absolute bargain which has totally transformed our usage. We tend to now leave the beds down all the time unless the weather is really bad, dining in the awning. We put the young ‘un to bed at about 8 then can sit out in the awning until midnight enjoying a few beers. The bed is really comfortable for me, I am 6ft tall.

Eribas appealed to us as we have limited storage space and also didn’t want to shell out on a new tow car. Unfortunately my E46 M3 won’t take a tow bar, but it happily chugs along behind the family banger, a 125k miles Honda FR-V. The great thing is knowing that if the car will get through a gap then the Eriba will follow, it’s a really easy towing experience.

We are just back from a fantastic week in the New Forest in ours, got a week of work then off to the Suffolk coast in it, can’t wait!

If it was just me and my wife like you are then I would be tempted with just a roll out awning canopy, so you can pitch and decamp quickly, but we’re at the stage of life that we need to take all the kid paraphernalia so the traditional awning is more suited, if more time consuming.

The WC’s in Eribas can be a bit cramped, we don’t have one in ours, we get by with a Portaloo and a Khyam pop-up toilet tent, which is fine for three of us.

Edited by PurpleTurtle on Saturday 15th August 17:58

Edited by PurpleTurtle on Saturday 15th August 18:01

[mmcd87]

Do it, they are superb vans, a bit of fun compared to a 'regular' caravan. This is our '93' Puck, our first caravan.

Later vans are galvanised I believe, though all should be checked underneath for corrosion (think TVR). The design of these vans with spaceframe chassis (Google 'Eriba chassis') means they are strong, flex less and therefore are more resistant to leaking. That's why they last if looked after, and within reason, I'd be tempted to buy on condition rather than age.

This is probably the worst time to buy - prices are 'inflated' from what I have seen.

Definitely get an air 'blowup' awning in my opinion. If you want a cheap starter one get this which we use (very fast to put up): -
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/la-air-base-connect-fr...

Buy a cover for it if you plan to leave it outside, not too expensive and protects it when not in use.

They are quite light vans which is good for moving them about, spinning them round on site, pitching on grass, etc.


If you are new to this, a few ideas below. There are a million ways to do things, this is just my experience: -

Mattress topper for the bed (Amazon).
We don't use the gas at all - only electric.
Cooking - Ikea induction hob, and a few pans to suit.
Electric camping kettle (lower wattage).
We are going to get a toaster...
Heater (Dimplex Eco Chico). Fits in the cupboard, has thermostat, can cook you out of the van.
Leveller - Froli Mini. Get a caravan spirit level if van does not have one.
Towing mirrors - you may not need them with the right car / caravan combo
Get a ratchet wrench with correct socket for the corner steadies. Get some 'feet' for the steadies.

Edited by mmcd87 on Monday 17th August 15:31

[richardxjr]

We intend to downsize to a Triton when it's just the 2 of us and we want to go further afield, on some smaller roads. Yes, relatively expensive but still way cheaper than a campervan and they seem to hold their value as well.

[PurpleTurtle]

mmcd87 said:

Definitely get an air 'blowup' awning in my opinion. If you want a cheap starter one get this which we use (very fast to put up): -
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/la-air-base-connect-fr...

My experience is not to do this. Yes, these are relatively cheap and quick to put up, but due to the curved nature of the sides of the Eriba it is very difficult to maintain a watertight seal between van and awning. Any sign of heavy rain and your awning gets flooded by water running down the sides of the van.

Bespoke Eriba awnings are much better, if going down the inflatable route the Kampa 'Pop Air' is very popular.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCI36TB5xtI

https://www.awnings.co.uk/kampa-pop-air-pro-awning...

There is an active community on Facebook under the 'Eriba Folk' group where lots of people post photos of their set ups to give you an idea of what works best for you.

Edited by PurpleTurtle on Monday 17th August 14:17

[mmcd87]

PurpleTurtle said:

My experience is not to do this. Yes, these are relatively cheap and quick to put up, but due to the curved nature of the sides of the Eriba it is very difficult to maintain a watertight seal between van and awning. Any sign of heavy rain and your awning gets flooded by water running down the sides of the van.

Bespoke Eriba awnings are much better, if going down the inflatable route the Kampa 'Pop Air' is very popular.

Your comment is fair. I can't dispute that a dedicated one is better but if you fit tight up to van the Decathlon awning is better and faster to put up than the super cheap awnings you get. Ours has never 'flooded' though we have had a small pool of water from water running along the underside of the van on a slight slope in heavy rain. Water does not run down the van as such as the awning goes over the roof. It's not perfect but not terrible either and we have been using it for 2 years now.

[JagBox]

We looked at Eriba when we got a caravan last year. I liked the quirky nature and design. I just found them to be too small and cramped, plus we wanted a shower and toilet and the ability to off grid so needed solar panels. In the end we went for the Basecamp.

[Lotobear]

Thanks for the comments and tips chaps/esses

It's good to know about possible chassis rot, I will make sure I check that rigourously as it's not something I'd expected to hear about.

Our local dealer recommended Isabella wanings but they look very expensive. With a bit of luck we will find a second outfit with the motor mover, awning and all of the other nice to have bits as part of the deal. We have a budget up to 15k.

We'll be looking to buy during Winter for use next year so perhaps prices will moderate once the season ends together with Furlough.

[PurpleTurtle]

Lotobear said:

Thanks for the comments and tips chaps/esses

It's good to know about possible chassis rot, I will make sure I check that rigourously as it's not something I'd expected to hear about.

Our local dealer recommended Isabella wanings but they look very expensive. With a bit of luck we will find a second outfit with the motor mover, awning and all of the other nice to have bits as part of the deal. We have a budget up to 15k.

We'll be looking to buy during Winter for use next year so perhaps prices will moderate once the season ends together with Furlough.

At your budget frame rot won't be a problem, over on Eribafolk they say that anything >2012 build is galvanised

https://www.eribafolk.com/t792f12-Eriba-chassis-an...

I mentioned it mainly as a warning to others reading the thread, it can be a problem on older models.

Isabella awnings are fantastic, but top end. If you find a used van with that thrown in it would be ideal. I would expect that you will be buying from a dealer at that budget? If tempted to go private just be wary of scam ads, the Eriba forums have a few stories of iffy ads for private sale vans that don't exist using photos stolen from other, genuine ads. Again something I mention in passing for others considering one. Quite why anyone would part with cash for a van they have not physically seen in person I do not know but people do it!

Motor movers are a nice gadget to have, but we haven't bothered. I generally move it into place using the car and can then just lean on it to move it, they are so lightweight it's easy to shift them about. I had a good laugh with a German chap on our last site, he was moving his monster double axle job on his mover, enjoying the attention is got. I just leant against the front of our Eriba and shoved it onto the pitch quicker!

We are just packing ours up to go away again at the weekend, can't wait. It's a really friendly community of owners due to their relative scarcity. On that note, don't expect massive softening of prices over Winter, they tend to hold their value well due to that rarity.

Pics when you get one please!