Ownership Diary - Dethleffs XL Family A7872-2 Motorhome

So, the long awaited and almost saga-like beginning to the ownership of the latest Spuff Adventure Wagon!

As you will remember from the abortive process involved in acquiring what was supposed to be our next family motorhome - a used 2020 Bürstner Argos 747-2 - back in January this year and the sale of my previous camper van - a 2023 Knaus BoxDrive 600XL - which I owned from new, there were lots of moving parts to get to the situation we have done today.

And what is today? Well, it’s the point in time where I’ve settled the full invoice amount for our brand new MY25 Dethleff’s XL Family A7872-2, six belt, six berth motorhome and we’re over the moon. With the invoice settled, insurance paid and Tracker subscription paid, the only thing left to do is to collect next Saturday 8th March from the dealership, Erwin Hymer Centre - Travelworld up near Stafford.

This will be my sixth leisure vehicle and in some ways the hardest to nail down. As Motorhome Monthly Magazine confirmed in their most recent issue, the market for vehicles of this spec and capacity to haul around six people (belted and berthed) is hugely limited. I’d been racking my brains to work out whether we’d missed anything, but MMM confirmed the only option they see is the other van we were going to buy; a Bürstner Argos 747-2 which is only available on the used market. Phew! Nice to know, I got it right!

The reason for searching out this particular vehicle amongst the sea of other 6-7berth motorhomes is specifically around a mixture of both internal space (most others are around 7m in length and very compromised internally), luxury & comfort (I’ll get to the specifics on that later) and winterisation (how adept/prepared a vehicle is for major sub-zero temperatures and all year round comfort).

The obvious compromise to each of those items comes at the expense of i) potential drivability, ii) price and iii) price!

So what is it in detail:

Dethleffs XL Family A7872-2 - a brand new model for Dethleffs for this model year but closely associated with a “Trend” they used to make but with more equipment as standard and a general higher level of quality associated with the fit-out. The Trend for example had cheaper caravan-style windows and blown air heating as standard. The chassis was also subject to equipment choices and a lot of folks chose manual and low specced cabs. The -2 in the model name of this denotes the double-floor; critical for insulation and the A = Alkoven which is the German word for Luton overcab which is where the bed lies. The vehicle is 8.6m long, 2.3m wide, 3.3m tall and weighs in around 4t empty, therefore giving ample payload of 1.4t.

As a base vehicle, it comes well specced and is priced at £115k. Ours is fully loaded with every extra from factory, which adds £20k to the list price. We then added c. £12k of dealer-fit options. Discount was relatively de minimus as supply is thin on the ground. This is only the 3rd into the country with the bulk of them destined for Summer/Autumn so it was a case of buy now and use it in 2025 or wait until next year, which wasn’t really an option. Total OTR price £143k.

Factory Spec:

• Fiat Ducato 5.4t tag axle chassis, 2.2litre, 180bhp, 9sp ZF auto;
• Fully kitted cab - ESP, ASR, Xwind Assist, Climate Control, Cruise Control, CarPlay etc;
• Technic Pack - incl. ALKO hydraulic levelling rams, Habitation Aircon & 360degree cameras;
• Electric Awning (6m x 2.4m);
• Rear Corner Steadies (although not sure of the purpose given it’s on hydraulic rams!);
• Towbar (up to 1.8t towing capacity but importantly provides 250kg of garage loading capacity);
• Satellite Receiver & 22” 12v TV in living room;
• Electrically heated overcab/Luton bed;
• 160l fresh water, 150l grey water, 19l Thetford Cassette toilet;
• 2 x 95aH AGM leisure batteries.

Dealer Fit Options:

• Cat1 Alarm & S5 VTS Tracker;
• 2 x 11kg Gaslow refillable LPG bottles;
• Compact Pro Flex 5G WiFi;
• 2 x 150w solar pv modules on roof;
• Victron Multiplus 2kW inverter;
• Additional 12v socket in garage, additional 240v socket in living area;
• Low level lighting in living area & kitchen as nightlights for kids;
• ClearIQ water filter system (to give us confidence in drinking water directly from tank);
• Thule Elite 4-bike rack for external carriage of bikes;
• Dometic LED strip light under external awning;
• Thetford Fridge Vent kit (to aid cooling of fridge during height of summer);
• Diamond Brite Ceramic Coating to exterior of vehicle.

In addition to the above, we’re likely to do a bit more with the electrics in due course. I wanted them to fit my 230aH LifePo4 battery I’d sourced from Ecotree for the Bürstner but they were unwilling to fit items not supplied by them. I will get this fitted by someone suitably qualified later on. I will also likely add another further, similar sized battery in due course.

We also want to investigate wiring a 12v inverter kit to the habitation air-conditioning so that it can be run whilst driving. Ordinarily it’s powered by AC when on Electric Hookup but Travelworld was unwilling to look into this, even though I know it’s available elsewhere.

Otherwise I can see us upgrading the TV to a 32” in due course. It’s ironic really - we’d never have ordered the satellite dish and TV pack if it were our spec from factory as we prioritise family time over TV in the van. Nevertheless, now it’s in, the 22” version looks small and we can see there might be times when a bit of downtime is required or it’s a rainy day when it might be good to have. Let’s see, but it’s another £500 on top of everything else which is not required right now.

Preparations:

Well the main thing was getting the Knaus sold, which was done privately and yielded me an additional £7.5k on the trade-in price. Then it was insurance - £900pa, VED is included in the OTR but is £165pa, Tracker subscription - I could have chosen cheaper but ended up with the Lifetime price of £585 as a one-off since it will save >£1k over 5yrs, which is the minimum we’ll keep the vehicle for.

I’d already paid for the storage yard for the year - £860pa.

And just when I thought I was all set to collect on 7th March, I get the news I need to be in Frankfurt on business that day, so instead I’ll be collecting on 8th with the family in tow, which is both good and bad!

Rationale behind the purchase:

Aside from the fact it appears leisure vehicles are now in my blood(!), first and foremost it’s about investing in the family. With a disperate group of ages to accommodate and time seemingly running faster than ever, it was about having the ability to travel with the kids whilst they’re all together (my daughter will leave home in 6yrs) so having her together with us and her two brothers (4yrs & 11months) whilst we can is incredibly important.

I’m not getting any younger and at 46 this year, I’m sadly seeing too many of my peers departing or getting sick at too young an age. There’s no guarantee I’ll get to spend my tax free pension lump sum on something like this in the future - life is for living now!

Then the practicalities - we’re a family of 5. Life has just got a whole lot more expensive when you step outside the uniform family unit of 4 which the hospitality industry is designed around. Flight prices but particularly hotel rooms (we need either a large suite or two rooms) have gone through the roof since Covid-19. We have been staring £7-10k in the face for a fortnight in a moderately nice villa in France during summer, driving down there. Our ski holidays in Austria have gone from £6k up to £12k, which meant trying to do everything we wanted has taken a back foot. Even though this is a chunk of money, the way we’ve financed it (mixture of savings & mortgage extension) means we’re spending c. £1k pcm on owning the van. Add a bit more for maintenance in future, insurance and storage and we’re still “only” around £15k for the year.

We’ve already booked our summer holiday (2wks of which 8days in Austrian Alps and 8days there and back). That holiday will cost us c. £4k for fuel, ferry tickets, overnight stays, campsites. And we’ll do a similar amount on a ski holiday next year for a week including ski hire, passes & lessons for the kids!

Suddenly what looks like an extraordinarily expensive “toy” starts making sense. And that’s without taking into account the fact we’ll likely use it at least once a month for weekends away during winter and longer periods during half terms.

So coming back to square one in terms of why we got this one:

• Winterisation - we will be skiing in it down to -20C. This has:
  • Alde Wet Central Heating which extends to the cab aswell with both radiators & heated carpet mat;
  • Alde Heat Exchanger which allows for central heating to be heated by engine circuit during the drive but materially the other way around to prevent engine circuit from freezing or being pre-heated by the central heating before starting the engine! I have real world experience of this in St Anton back in 2018 when the Concorde I was in saved itself but using the heat exchanger to warm the engine block as it had frozen overnight in -26C!;
  • Double (40cm) floor to separate exterior from interior. This area is also heated to ensure minimal cold-bridging;
  • XPS insulation; and
  • Heated Luton bed.
• Space - privacy for everyone, including growing teenagers but also parents looking for some solitude! Additionally, having hoop-loads of space in the enormous garage and underfloor storage areas, together with immense amount of payload, fits what we want to do/take with us, with the kids;
• Warranty - getting one new allows us to rely on the manufacturers to sort any issues for the first couple of years and bear any financial burden. We can also be assured of how it is maintained (both by ourselves & dealer);
• Longterm purchase - I know I have a car obsession, but this motorhome will be in play for at least 5yrs but potential 10, which is why we’ve gone for new. It’s our home away from home and we’re so excited!

So that’s it for now - any questions, I’d be delighted to bore you with answers to!

Otherwise watch this space for collection day next week! Thanks for reading, I know it was a bit longer than anticipated!

 

Thanks @Wynne71 - would take you up on that apart from the fact it'll likely be a flying visit to collect and then spend all the time we can fitting it out with our stuff. I am planning another return to Cannock Chase for some mtbing later in Spring/Summer so I'll give you a shout if I'm round your way. Would be good to meet up.

Thanks. Just a matter of adjusting your mindset for parking! ;)

Thank you! I would imagine the Dethleffs you've seen were the Globetrotter XXLA that I was looking at (used) instead of this one. They're another £100k more expensive than mine. Look a lot more luxurious inside but fitout & quality is very similar. We'd have gone for the used one apart from the fact the length is focussed on longitudinal single beds and bigger bathroom which robs room from the living area, which is the primary need for us with the kids. Lovely machines.

Niesmann & Bischoff are funny ones. Look very premium as you say, but there a bit of style over substance IMO. Tend to be built on the same Fiat chassis that I have, which for >£230k seems a bit.....well.......er......cheap! I'd be looking for Mercedes at that price point, personally. Very nice inside though.

The great thing with mine is that it actually competes pretty well at what matters, which is heating/cooling/insulation/offgrid capability. It's just not got the luxurious feel to it the others have; a little more austere to maintain the pricepoint. I'm happy with that compromise since there are bits we can do with additional lighting and soft furnishings to lift it a little. It's much more dififcult to retrofit insulation or proper heating.

 

Thank you!

I'll be honest, we were looking at bits of the Wild Atlantic Way yesterday and I said to my wife, it's one thing driving a big 9m 12yr old van down there but a brand new one; I might be a bit more circumspect on some roads. That first kerbing of an alloy on a new car is replicated by the first "branch strike" you get down the side in a motorhome

And then, as you say, the tag axle is a new one on me and not rear-steer. I do know they scrub a bit on turns and some campsites are a little wary of having them on grass pitches as a result (in fairness, it's so heavy and FWD that I'm likely to choose hardstanding in any event) but I'm intrigued as to whether you loose much in the way of manoeuvrability. Particularly in light of the fact I have quite a tight reversing maneouvre into my Close in front of the house. It should be fine but if the tag axle compromises, it could be a challenge. Heyho - let's see.

On a positive note, I've been told tag axles on motorways and general driving feel much more solid and nailed down than twin wheel setups which I'm used to. So I guess it's horses for courses.

Just heard from Travelworld that I might be able to collect it on Wednesday since my business trip has been cancelled.

 

No - I’m actually furious. Travelworld, only after me contacting them yesterday, informed me that the inverter was taking longer than anticipated and there would be a delay until Thursday PM, but they would be in touch to keep me posted.

Today I called for an update - oh, now it’s moved to Saturday as inverter is still taking time and there’s still other lighting to be done. I was promised an update by COB today. Nothing received.

I get that some things take more time than usual and that they’re under water for the man hours involved in the inverter but it’s also not my problem. They quoted for the hours involved. I paid it. They got it wrong. Their problem.

But to mismanage a time frame so materially and then not have the decency to keep me abreast of that timeframe is very poor.

Honestly, I’m very disappointed. It was sold to me on the phone as “it is what it is”. No offer of any soft compensation or offset again anything.

Call me old fashioned but when spending >£140k I don’t find it unreasonable to expect better.

 

Very interesting there @Wayfarer. I have to confess, I have previous with these guys. I bought a Hymer from them back in 2015 which had a problem and it kept going backwards and forwards with a similar level of disinterest and almost annoyance on their part. That was when they were based in Telford. I had assumed that since Erwin Hymer had more influence, that things might have improved. I remain to be convinced, sadly.

It feels like since they’ve received the money, it’s a ho hum attitude. Even this morning I received a voicemail from the Salesman. Same tone - it is what it is and takes as long as it takes. A thirty second message and it was only just before he hung up where I received “apologies for the inconvenience”.

I know sh1t happens but at least bend over backwards to apologise for it. I don’t need flowers or buttering up, just simple stay on top of comms and apologise.

Im trying to not let it take the shine off what should be a great day. But I’m struggling.

 

Well, I’ve finally got it!

Last minute trip up to Stafford today (I was expecting to collect tomorrow). Taxi up at 1020, left dealer at 1645 and home by 1915.

I’ll do a proper write up in due course but 140miles down, 17.5mpg at average speed of 67mph.

All I can say is that I’m very impressed with the Fiat chassis. Most of you will know that was the bit which worried me the most but so far I needn’t have.

A few snags and still lots to learn but the kids love it and we’ve just spent a lovely evening drinking champagne, chatting whilst the eldest two have been playing on the beds, in the garage and bathroom giggling away to themselves. Lovely!

A few pics from today…