Hi
As a newbie I would like to ask the forum a question. We are looking at our first tourer /caravan and we are drawn to the eriba marque but cannot understand why they are so expensive compared to other manufacturers for instance we have looked at a new eriba and compared it to a new hobby which is similar german fit and finish and the hobby is 2-3000 pounds cheaper with more room inside. Is it just down to build quality or something else.
Also does anyone recommend automotiveleisure as we know Poole and would look to purchase from them.
Any help and info greatly appreciated
many thanks.
nickandjudy

Hi Nick and Judy, the Eribas are expensive but they do last a very long time due to their construction, have a look at the link that shows the frame and you can see that they are very labour intensive.

g7-Eriba-Classy-Chassis.html

It's not unusual for a 40+ year old Eriba to be still on the road and the depreciation is very low, I bought a 19 year old Puck and sold it for a profit 2 years later. Because of the sturdy frame the Eriba doesn't suffer from the flexing like a normal van so the water ingress is not a common problem like the normal vans. The Eribas can be basic with no hot water and no oven which makes the other brand of vans seem like a palace. However the Eriba has a following which is similar to the VW campervan and you will be in good company with plenty of support from fellow forum members. They also tow like a dream resulting in good fuel economy from small to medium sized cars, with most of the vans been approximately the same width as a car they make light work in heavy traffic. A Hobby and an Eriba are at different ends of the scale with space and creature comforts but I think you will find most Eriba owners would not even contemplate swapping for a large white caravan.....

Nice to hear from you both and hopefully meet one day from Carole and Derek. We bought 2nd hand from AL.

from us 2, Jen & Gray

We bought Burstner brand new from Germany in 1991, we had that van for 18 years with absolutley no problems, we travelled Europe extensivley and it came back to the UK regularly. We preferred the Burstner to the many other German caravans, however we only bought it as we thought we might need to live in it on our return to the UK.

Some years later we bought an Eriba which we had for 10 years, we would and should have bought an Eriba when we bought the Burstner, however as I mentioned previously we thought we might have to live in the caravan, an Eriba would have made this difficult to say the least.

If I had my time again I'd buy an Eriba, however if you are considering other German vans then why not buy in Germany and make a holiday of it and no doubt due to the currency save some money.

Best wishes with whatever you decide

I don't own one , it owns ME :)

And Pete is really qualified to know, he is in charge!

The Eriba is a Touring Caravan, not a gin palace, only rufty tuffties need apply.

Hi
Many thanks for your replies and comments we are definitely going to pop into AL next time we are in Poole ( my parents live there ) and will have a good look around and see if we get the bug! or will it be a visit to the NEC in October?
again thank you for your insights.
nickandjudy

You will see much more at AL Poole than the NEC. They generally only have one or two vans there.

Hi and
We have only had our van 16 months but wish we had done it years ago.
Why not pop into the Southampton mini meet we are having 25-28 September and see a dozen vans being lived in. You can ask as many questions and see how each van is individual to that person. You could combine this with a visit to AL.
Regards Chris and Keith

Good idea snoozers

Again many thanks for the info and comments.
Has anyone had dealings or bought from the eriba shop in Norfolk they seem to have a nice selection of eribas at reasonable prices.
regards
nickand judy