Peugeot 1.9TDi. RHD  1997 Model, purchased 26 Mar 2002

Our previous Motorhome was 9 years old and we decided it was time for a change.  We prefer the "U" lounge arrangement as it gives us full length stretch out on those cold evenings inside the van. The criteria was more space for lounging, ease of making up the bed, adequate kitchen, good lighting for relaxing, a diesel engine for economy, and the maximum length had to be 19 foot to be able park on our drive.  

The Wanderer:  The Autohomes Wanderer while under the Autohomes Badge has been constructed for many years at the Consett works of the Explorer Group. It was considered their entry level budget vehicle.  It has an "L" shaped lounge with centre positioned kitchen with washroom and wardrobe opposite. it also has the "Picture" window at the rear.  It can be said this vehicle is more a two person Motorhome. The unadorned back end of the vehicle looks better with the two bike rack installed by the previous owner.

The Elddis quality of construction has been scrimped in places, but would not normally be noticed except for my eagle eye to detail.  As the back wall interior covering had not been removed from the area required for gluing to the base of the caravan, the back wall had pulled away. It was obvious this had been in this condition from the moment the vehicle had left the factory.  I was warned about the ingress of water leaks but a damp check has not shown up any problems.  In fact the van after a period of storage smells like new when entering.

The cab is the Peugeot standard van with rubber mats,  but the previous owner had arranged with the factory to reduce the engine noise and had fitted a one piece mat,  which is marked "Autostratus."  We have found it to be very effective with normal  conversation the norm.  Commercial vehicle noise from the tyres is reasonably low and adds little to cab noise. No radio was supplied, which I was rather peeved about, but I was informed by the dealer no radio was originally fitted.  I found this strange as I had been driving vans in my working career for 25 years and they all had radios.  On installing my own new radio I noticed the aperture for the radio had a glove compartment fitted, this had been hurriedly fitted upside down!

I rather like the Peugeot gear stick located on the dashboard, it is quite a novelty for us and without the obstruction of a floor mounted gear stick makes moving into the rear of the van very easy. I was warned about the 1.9 engine and it's supposedly lack of power, I'm afraid this option did not enter our equation, the price was more important. Having said that we have found the engine will cruise quite happily with out any show of strain at about 60mph, and still has more for overtaking. Travelling over the Sierras of Spain did show it's lack of power but it still climbed without reducing speed below 50mph.   As we have to store the vehicle during non used periods It is a pleasure to be able start it almost instantly with two pulls of the starter indicating a reliable vehicle. Economy is not what we would have expected, on average through Spain it gave us about 24mpg,  The trouble is after 25 years driving company vehicles with the urgency of getting from one place to another I have still not got rid of my heavy foot. Old habits die hard.

Experiencing power steering for the first time in a Motorhome is like driving a car, as I said earlier all my working life was driving vans without this facility. People not used to driving vans will find driving this Wanderer a trial especially when reversing.  I do not find this a chore due to my experience of reversing using mirrors only, indeed I drive my car in the same way.  The Wanderer has a large rear window which is not obscured by the bike rack,  I am always amazed by some installations which block up the rear window.  So with the Peugeot large wing mirrors and the large rear window reversing is not too much of a chore.  I have fitted one of those reversing aids which have a number rings on it's surface to change the rear view image.  I find this very effective.  The secret is to practice reversing using this device.

The Peugeot cab seats are quite firm,  I have had no complaints from the "Manager,"  arm rests are fitted to each seat,  one on the inside only.  I suppose the thinking was to make use of the door arm rests.  They are not conveniently placed and cannot be readily used.  I fitted arm rests in my previous Motorhome, but this one presents too much of a challenge which I shall forego.  A recent comment I read has mentioned the aspect of not fitting arm rests to the door side.  This is definitely a two person vehicle, but the previous owner did have lap belts fitted in three positions in the lounge at the rear,  facing front. Having seen recent reports on the injuries  caused to individuals using lap belts I would not be inclined to risk any passengers using them.

Relaxing:  The "L" shaped layout offers two quite large loungers, and used at night as a double bed, it is almost as large as the one at home.  The single bed from each lounger makes for a comfortable night's sleep. The foam fillings make for a firm bed which we prefer, yet quite comfortable during the day. Making up the bed is so easy, it matches our criteria with no problem, just pull the lounger out under the "Picture" window, the back cushion falls in place at the rear, then take the back cushion from the off side and place behind the other, bed done in 30 seconds, unroll the sleeping bags and in one minute we are into bed.  Next day things are done in reverse  in an equally quick time.

One problem, the back rests are slightly thinner then the mattress  base which makes it seem like two single beds pulled together.  The Luton also has a large bed which is very comfortable, but it is too high for ease of access and any climbing of the ladder while half asleep during the night.  The grandchildren love it and have no such worries. They love being able to close the curtains which I fitted, as they where not part of the original specification.  The curtain rail and fittings cost £12 and my wife made the curtains to match the decor, from spare material which she is always able to produce like magic.

Above is a caravan roof vent, which has a night time pull over blind and built in fly screen. Four large cushions came with the van, I suspected this might have been a mistake when took receipt of the vehicle,  but the cushions all match the decor so perhaps the coach builder felt generous that day. The table is quite large and too heavy to handle into the wardrobe every time it is used during the day and at night.  So it is left in position while travelling, and secured with elastic  "Bungy" ties, and at night I collapse it on the floor, there's room  for the bed to pull over it.

The cupboard along side the cooker has been commandeered for the TV.  I removed the door hinges central pins, this enable the door to be removed for viewing without removing the TV from the locker.  But we do prefer the TV to be placed on top of the locker, in which position it is when we are on site for any length of time. Heating is provided by the Carver room heater below the wardrobe. This can get very hot and we must make sure there is nothing behind the heater when on.  Some carrier bags melted on one occasion which we could not see in the gloom behind the heater.

We are rather fond of the decor from the Elddis factory.  It gives the impression of being light and airy.  Compared to the continental preferences to Dark Cherry which we think gives a gloomy interior. The curtains are a light Green, which seems to be the standard from Consett, and the door lockers and timber are in a very light Oak.  The windows have fitted blinds and fly screens, which I'm not sure if this is standard. There are three good quality spot lights fitted in the lounging area, a nice addition to the two fluorescent lights above.  These are not standard as I found they had not been fitted correctly to the fuse panel. We like the tinted windows which are quite large. We find this tint allows easy viewing out but when looking outside in the misting effect is preferred.

The vents over head don't give much light input, but with the large three side windows on each wall this is not important.  The vents have fly screens and pull over shades which block out the light when you want a lay in the morning. There are two of them one over the cooker area and one over the Luton which reduces the gloom found in other Motorhomes.

Eating: 

While eating the "L" loungers are used and with the smaller table I constructed it is only suitable for two people.  The original would accommodate 3 at least, two on one edge and one on the other. During travelling the base of the legs can be squeezed under the vent holes of the back lounger, which stops it falling over, and I also secure it in this position with elastic bungies which stop it creeping out when travelling.

There are 7 large lockers around the wall of the lounging area.  We spent 5 weeks in Spain and did not fill these lockers for our travels.  The kitchen area is quite neat but lacks drainer space for the wash basin.  To us this presents no problem as it's my job to take the washing up to the site facilities, which the continentals accept as normal.  If the camp site water is cold, then I have to be a very fast wiper-upper as my wife washes the dishes in the small basin and small drainer.
 
Sleeping:  There are no complications when sleeping, either two single beds, or the double bed in the lounging area. The double bed is a pull out  with the side back rests dropping in place, a 30 second job.  The Luton is another option which we don't use as it's too high for us.  It uses a 5 step ladder and not one to negotiate at 3 o'clock in the morning.  This area is used for storing our awning, silver screen, and beach loungers, etc.  Making sure the total weight does not exceed 100Kg, information I read somewhere!  As a bed it is quite large and has a reasonable head height, but not of the reading in bed type. A safety net is provided, ideal for the grand children.  This was one of the reasons we fitted curtains in area, they were not fitted as standard, the curtains isolate the children when in bed.  The access ladder did not come as standard when we purchased the Wanderer, on my insistence we were given an aluminium one.  I have screwed one turn carpet pieces on to each rung which is much softer on the feet, even with slippers on. The carpet pieces match the carpet on the floor. I don't know how the previous owners managed but there were no fittings for the ladder to be kept in place when used.  I had to make brackets for the ladder and securing hooks for the Luton edge.

Going to bed at night is easy, close the blinds and pull the cab curtains in place.  I have fitted roll bolts to the cab doors which I always lock at night. The caravan door is always locked and kept clear for emergencies.  As an exercise I can unlock the caravan door in 5 seconds.  To back up the emergencies a fire alarm is fitted and always turned on when the van is used.  I have modified the alarm by fitting a switch to turn off when the van is not used, to conserve the battery. The two "L" loungers are quite a reasonable size and make up into single beds without the that feeling of, will I roll out of it at night.  When making up at night the back cushions have to be found a place, usually these cushions find a place at night across the cab seats. The table is then folded up and leans against the wall of the "Picture" window.  It is much too awkward to place in the wardrobe when it is full of our clothes.

Cooking:  The cooking area is small.  The idea was that there would be little cooking done,  but as it turns out my wife insists on doing quite a lot of cooking.  It is located in the middle area, on the near side over the back wheel. We have a 3 ring hob with grill. Alongside is a built-in sink and small draining board.  The grill is important to us as we are on a low fat diet and it is excellent for our needs. The gas rings have one of those smoked coloured covers.  Which I always feel don't match the decor or the sink fold up covers. In our previous Motorhome I built a cover across the whole kitchen unit which matched and looked much neater. The sink unit cover folds up into two and covers part of the kitchen window in use. An over complicated design,  just because the kitchen unit is contained with tapering walls alongside.

The washbasin is the usual caravan size, i.e. it is impossible to buy a wash bowl to fit it.  We have managed to buy a bowl to fit inside the sink, which lifts and holds off the fold up cover by about 1cm. I say to my wife it stops the cover rattle in that area. There is no cooker, nor one in our previous Motorhome, we have never missed it.  I built in to the cupboard, below the cooking rings, which would normally contain the cooker, a Microwave which was purchased from the local yellow pages. The seller complained of low power,  but this is ideal in the Motorhome where often current is restricted on sites.  As the microwave does not completely fill the locker I have fitted a shelf above, but ensuring enough space for ventilation.

Below the Microwave locker there is another locker which is large enough to contain all the pots and pans and other kitchen items. Under the sink and along side the Microwave cupboard is a small locker which contains a small pull-out cutlery draw, just large enough for two person items. Under that is the 60 litre Electrolux fridge.  When we are away I am always amazed what my wife seems to be able to cram into it.  It would not be large enough for a family.

Ventilation for cooking is the usual arrangement, open the kitchen window. But with the sink cover up this is restricted. Above the kitchen unit are located large lockers with quite a high roof space, more than enough so I have fitted shelves which makes better use of  this space.  On the base of these lockers is fitted a fluorescent light which illuminates the cooking area. Above the kitchen is the usual caravan roof vent, which has a night time pull over blind and built in fly screen. With no waste bin, I had to build a plywood restrainer to contain the purchased one, behind the passenger cab seat, the restrainer also contains a 5 litre bottle which we use exclusively for drinking water.  Never using the on board tank for drinking.

Along side the Kitchen unit is located a useful locker which contains our TV while travelling and is placed on the top of this locker on site.  This shelf has at the back a neat arrangement of switches for the electric Carver heater and the gas switch for the dual heating arrangement of the Carver heater. It also has the only electric socket in the Motorhome - How the other owners managed I don't know.  Above this arrangement of controls is a single socket for 12 volts from the leisure battery.  Presumably to power the TV when 250 volts AC not available.  It is also handy for my 12 volt electric shaver and charger for the mobile phone.   I have changed this socket for a dual purpose one. It now has a TV socket and the 12 volt socket combined.

Above this area is the windowed door locker, a drinks cabinet with rack for wine glasses and one bottle.  As we feel that glasses and wine bottles could be better stored else where, the glass door has been covered inside to hide the contents and is now used for dry foods with a shelf added to increase this facility.

To the right of the kitchen unit is the stable door which has a rather deep step to accommodate the chassis arrangement of the Peugeot Boxer. This door swings open to partly cover the passenger door. This ensures it does not cover the fridge vents when on site.  The fridge vents are constructed in the manner recommended by the fridge manufacturer. In fact the whole back fridge vent area is enclosed in an aluminium box. This is an example on how a fridge should be fitted for heat venting. The area above the fridge which meets the sloping vent has been secured for draughts with a stick-on material. Which in my case had to be re-secured.  The only problem with this construction of the aluminium box is, it rattles and was some time before I discovered the source.  The fridge vents are the usual items from the Electrolux factory with added winter covers, the securing buttons are easily broken or stolen, as in my case. They are £4.50 each to replace!
  
Washing:  The washroom in the Wanderer is the usual arrangement from the Consett factory found in a lot of their models.  It is a compromise between functionality and space.  It is a design which keeps the use of space down. It is opposite the kitchen and over the offside back wheels. Being small people we find it ideal. It has a reasonable sized washbasin contained inside a complete plastic arrangement with matching wall units above the basin.  Below the wall unit is located a solitary toothbrush rack. Built into the white plastic unit and along side the unit cupboard are mirrors which complement the locker mirrors.  Along side the right hand mirror is the only lighting, which is a long fluorescent tube similar to the one in use over the kitchen unit.  We have found it to be sufficient in use.   These units are quite light and keep the weight down to maximise the payload.  The locker doors are a novelty in as much a slight pressure on the door opens them, yet are locked solid when pushed closed and without any rattle on the move.

Contained within the basin taps is a shower outlet which fills the basin and can be extended to hook on the wall for showering. I like this simple arrangement and it works well without the dangling pipes of a shower that sway about.  The only problem with this is the construction methods, and I have found this with all the Motorhomes coming out of Consett.  Where the pipes leave the taps and drop to the floor they are sent through an aperture which takes the pipes to the Carver heater and the cold water system. This aperture is left open and never sealed,  any leaking water will find it's way into the Motorhome base plate and chassis with it's inherent problems.  My first job on ownership was to seal this area from leaking water.

The shower works well and when adjusted gives a steady flow of hot water at a temperature which remains steady.  I have only used it once as I am always worried about the problems of water ingress from the inside as mentioned above.  The wall joins never seem robustly sealed, and the toilet bench is open to all leaks to the chassis.  This is not a problem with the Wanderer on it's own, I have seen the construction methods on all Motorhomes we have inspected at the shows, so would not recommend the washrooms be used for showering.

The washroom has a window which is diffused.  This window has blinds and fly screens fitted which gives outline privacy when in use.  The washroom has a good roof vent and only the mirrors will steam up. The toilet bench is the Thetford C4 which has the large push button to flush. As opposed to the C2 which has a built in electric button function. I have modified this for use on an electric push button]. The shower tray has one outlet and will not drain completely if the van is slightly off level.  I'm not sure if this is a built in device from new but the shower tray waste pipe has a pump under the chassis, which pumps the grey water to the waste tank.  The pump control button is located on the wall.  The pump is exposed to the elements with the earth cable attached to a part of the chassis which is not very suitable.  This will have to monitored frequently to ensure reliable function.

The waste tank is located at the back of the chassis and is close to the back wheels.  This arrangement has shown that there is no driving instability or back end droop problems. The waste tank outlet has 22 mm pipe outlet which is brought to the back of the wall of the Motorhome.  It is slightly above the tank base, so the tank is never completely drained.  To offset this problem the coachbuilder has incorporated a large screw off cap at the base,  for those moments when the tank has to be completely drained. As the tank is located far back it will need a lie down, crawl into job to do this, with the problems of getting splashed at the same time with grey water.  This could be an ideal modification,  for the introduction of a slide valve, popular with the continental vans.  These can be purchased from CAK tanks for a very reasonable price.  The slide valve could then be operated from the side of the van without crawling underneath.  The original outlet tap of the grey water tank had 22 mm pipe input with 12 mm outlet which has the habit of blocking up. So my first job was to change this for a CAK 22 mm full bore outlet tap. This tap has the advantage of being able to push a rod right through the valve to the tank outlet aperture, should it become blocked up.

Storage:  First impressions there's a lot of storage, aircraft style lockers in the lounge area on each wall with large capacities, and they do take all our light clothing needs. In two lockers I fitted shelves as the depth was never normally taken up. The wardrobe has sufficient space for my wife and I and we have found it large enough for 5 weeks in Spain. At the door entrance I have fitted a coat bracket which I made to match the timber decor to hang those wet items. The lockers under the bed loungers are quite large. The off side locker has a lot of space, some is taken up with the pump - I had to build a cover over this as it was exposed to the dumping in the locker. Space is also taken up with the battery compartment in the centre, which is accessed outside and also the gas locker which accessed outside and located to the rear.  Access to this locker is by lifting the cushion and sliding back the bed slats.

The locker which is across the back wall is also quite large. Access is from two front locker doors.  Access cannot be taken from the top by moving cushions as the off side locker as the bed slats are to narrow.  The right side of this locker is taken up with the Carver heater which hinders access to the drop down door.  The left side drop down door is the main access to this locker, which means getting down on you hands and knees to gain access.  It is quite deep, and long arms are required to get at the rear. I have introduced separate containers to hold items which can then be pulled to the front making access easier.

There are no external lockers so the wet shoes have to be place in the bed lounger lockers not an ideal arrangement for sleeping above. The gas locker is a not too large but it can contain two gas bottles of 7 kg, I am able to fit two 907 Campingaz bottles. Above these bottles I have been able to construct a shelf which hold toilet fluids and the hookup cable.  I consider the locker lock bar to be rather flimsy and any weight against it would break open the door. I therefore placed across the door interior a piece of timber to hold any moving objects and ensure the locking mechanism is not strained.  This problem is the same in the battery and toilet lockers.  I restrained the battery in a similar fashion described but the toilet locker does not need this restraint as every thing is secure  by design. The gas locker has a two way switch fitted by the coachbuilder which enables the switching between the gas bottles, so each bottle has it's own regulator fitted in place.  Making this a much easier change over when a bottle becomes empty. The new regulations now recommend one gas regulator suitable for Propane and Butane. The three lockers and the caravan door use the same key so it looks as if some one in design has been reading the Caravan magazines and the  complaints regarding the multiple key problem.

The 12 volt electrics are controlled from a Zig panel located on the wardrobe door with a number of separate switches and fuses. Incorporated in the Zig panel is a fresh water tank meter. The fresh water tank has a useful 75 litre capacity and the grey water tank a capacity of 70 litres so both do not require checking every day as my other Motorhome did. While in Cornwall recently we did not have to empty the grey water tank for 5 days. The spare wheel is located under the back floor and is a lie down job to gain access, as the salesman said to me; "What is the AA for!"  The intention is to purchase an extension to the spare wheel air valve so checking can be easier and not on the day it may required.  This facility is advertised in the Motorhome magazines and at July 2002 cost £9.95.  Two large bolts hold the spare wheel cradle under the rear chassis.  This cradle did not match up to the non rust specification of Peugeot. It was very difficult to unscrew and remove the spare tyre, which I did in an exercise to see how I would manage in an emergency.

With the kitchen and washroom being in the centre of the Motorhome and over the back wheels,  it is an ideal arrangement as the Motorhome springs never look stressed with that back end droop. The vehicle must have been upgraded by the coach builder as the specifications are not the same as the Peugeot handbook. My vehicle has a plate on the cross chassis bar above the radiator and is marked 3100Kg 1560kgs front and rear wheels.  This gives a manufacturers payload of 792Kgs. There was a problem with the weights mentioned. The handbook contained a sticker put in place by Autohomes,  which gave the tyre pressures.  The trouble was these pressures were for the 2800Kg sized chassis. When I took delivery of the van it had 44psi as recommended by Autohomes handbook sticker.  The tyres always looked splayed so I checked with the internet site of Michelin Tyres, whose technical department kindly sent me correct tyre pressures for the information I forwarded to them.  Fully loaded the tyre pressures should be 56psi.  So for all those Wanderer owners out there they could be running on incorrect tyre pressures.  A sure sign of under inflation is the bulging out of the tyre in the road contact area.

Problems:  There have been one or two.  The headlamp weight adjustment had been broken by the previous owner and never replaced!  When I mentioned it to the dealer, he said; "what do you expect for a second hand vehicle?"  He eventually sent me the parts to be fitted by myself.  A local garage did the job for £25. The radio had been removed,  I was informed radios are not fitted to Peugeot vehicles. A high level repeater off side top lamp was not working due to corrosion. The battery had obviously overflowed from the well known fault of water getting in to the Peugeot engine compartment.  This had battery red rust all over this area. This was a job the dealer did not think worth doing so I ended up doing it myself.  The earth bolt was so corroded another month and it would have been too thin to remove and probably have snapped off during removal. The headlamp and side lamp is a one piece item and has had a bump, this has meant the side light has water droplets inside the lamp cover! Another job to do.

The water pump was surging after a tap was turned off. This was due to the pump needing a pressure adjustment, it never turned off properly. The Carver heater drain plug was leaking causing the pump to start at odd times.  This I had to repair. The previous owner had tried by tightening it up to the extent I had to use a large screwdriver and stilson wrench to open it. The Motorhome was delivered with the fire alarm without a battery. Who do you blame the previous owner or the dealer? The bike rack had obviously been fitted without the correct parts and not sealed correctly. As the parts are very expensive I produced them in my own workshop.  Even so the support covers were missing and is something I must try and obtain at a reasonable price.

The toilet cassette full indicator was not working.  I have replaced it. The replacement part was at a reasonable price but the job took me 4 hours working blind inside the cassette. The cab indicator lamps on the heater control panel were not working. Replacing them is a story in itself. There was no ladder with the Motorhome and an aluminium one was given to us after a protest about the lack of one.  Getting home I found it too short, I was told by the dealer he would supply a longer one if I paid the packing and postage both ways. The back window black beading was bulging, and obviously had been like that from new.  The repair was simple, the beading was too long causing it to bulge up, cutting it shorter made a good seam and eliminated this ugly build fault.

The GRP Luton above the drivers position is cracked and will require some attention.  Whether I take the van to another repair work shop or do it my self is another decision to be made. The main problem which worried me was the back wall panel which had come away from the Motorhome base plate.  The back panel could be pushed in and out and was not safe to have any items in the lockers leaning against it as heavy items pushed the back panel out. The dealer instructed me to take it to a caravan repair workshop. The repair work shop foreman said; "It was no problem"  as he had seen this on many caravans and Motorhomes, he also said; "Don't worry about it as it was obvious it had been like that from new."  He said if it lasted the 5 years from new it would last the life of our ownership. Needless to say it was another job I had to do myself. How the non DIY man would manage I don't know.

Overall we are happy with the Motorhome, but this is only because of my confidence in being able to sort out the problems which confront us. I do believe all the problems could have been done under the warranty period, but how many people are DIY minded and able to check problematic coach building.
 
Brian B. Walters   b.b.walters@btinternet.com