I've never been in an Eriba and need to have a look at a few. I've basically fallen for them having seen them online only although drove past the first one I've spotted on the road in St Asaph yesterday :-)

I'm in North Wales and all the places to see Eribas seem to be at least a couple of hours away. The one up in Cumbria seems to have the most models to look at, but I haven't seen anyone give them a good review (Old Tebay). Is it worth me travelling all the way up there just to look, or do they hassle you with sales talk? If there's anywhere nearer can someone let me know please. I can't just pop out somewhere due to being a carer so time is limited.

Also I intend to buy an Eriba eventually to live in for the majority of the time although it's going to take me quite a while to get to that position (downsizing/sorting adult kids out/finding a base etc). I like the look of the models that have no fixed bed, but 2 'dinette' seating areas ie 3 berth - am thinking the familia, but is there another one with the same layout that I've missed?

Thanks in advance (won't be online much today)

I can’t help with advice about the Tebay dealer, but can tell you I’m very glad I drove the nearly four hours to my nearest dealer to see all the models I had on my shortlist. I was honest with them that I’d prefer to buy privately, so didn’t expect them to spend a lot of time with me but would appreciate being allowed to get inside the three models I was considering.

You can’t beat sitting inside them, making up the bed, lugging them about - whatever are the key deciding factors for you. And being certain you know which model or models would suit you is priceless - to me, anyway.

I did buy my Puck L from the dealer, however, so there is of course that risk :/. But then, my dealer has rave reviews, so apart from the extra pennies, buying from them was a pretty safe option. You would be less tempted if your local-est dealer is not so well thought of. And if you’re not in a hurry to buy, then you can bide your time and wait for the right one to come up secondhand, once you know which one you are after. Prices will drop after the summer season, for one thing,

Oh, and I think the Triton has the two dinette layout, or can do, too. My friends have a Triton and it has a bigger double bed bit and a separate smaller dinette, like the Famila 310. I can ask them if both areas convert to a bed, or only the larger, if you like. Oh, theirs has a full bathroom too, unlike the Familia 310.

Best of luck!

Thanks very much. Yes please ask them,it will be helpful!

Full time living in an Eriba Touring, of whatever size, will be challenging for most folk, so that needs serious thought.

Familia's are the smallest currently built and it's 3 berth version has no washroom/toilet. The Triton range is next biggest and has a 3 berth with washroom and the Troll range has a number of 3 berths with washroom.

If you want to see a lot of layouts in new condition then it has to be a formal Hymer appointed Eriba Touring dealership and the nearest to NW is either Tebay or the recently appointed Travelworld at Telford. There are other informal dealers but they tend to have only used vans and often only a the odd 3 or 4 to look at. When you consider that at their peak Eriba France produced around 30 layouts and sizes, viewing just a couple sort of limits your view.

I am giving it plenty of thought and hoping to have somewhere small as a base as well so that I can alternate between the two when I downsize. I lived full time in bedsits for 6 years at one point, one of which was a converted bathroom, so very small indeed! When I eventually moved to a tiny studio flat my friend got all my belongings in the boot of her car. I was a lot younger at the time though haha. Have always liked to travel light.

Thanks for info on Familia, Triton and Troll. I definitely want a washroom. Hadn't heard of Travelworld at Telford - that will probably be best for me as I can couple that with a visit to relatives in Herefordshire at the same time.

As implied Travelworld have only just become Touring dealers, so I'm not sure what they're like. They've been a Hymer motorhome and other high end brand dealership for years and they've always struck me as a bit snooty, but I could be wrong.

Just had a quick look at their website and they don't seem to have any Eribas there at the mo, so maybe they haven't got going yet. Everything else there looks incredibly expensive!

We have a Triton 430. It has the washroom (too small to have a shower in) a double bed where the big dinette is and a single where the small one is. If If were alone and going to live in it, I think I'd leave the single bed up and have the use of the big dinette. It sounds like you know how to make the best of a small space!

Thanks! Yes, that's my plan - to leave the single up and have constant use of the big dinette

With a Familia you can either have a single front dinette and a rear double dinette, with no washroom (the 310) or a front kitchen and rear double dinette, with a washroom (the 320).

My pal has answered, and yes their Triton has the two dinette/bed areas plus a shower room.

Schematic attached.

eriba triton 420GT layout.jpeg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)


Prior to deciding on the Puck L, I had been considering doing similar in a Familia 310, ie., using the small dinette as a bed which stayed always made up, and the larger as a seating area. However I think the small dinette is really quite small and would make a very small bed. I'm not tall but I'm quite chunky, so I felt this wouldn't suit.

Being not tall, there is enough width in the Puck L for me to sleep across the width of the caravan. The split beds of the Puck L enable me to have my crosswise bed always made up in the end (nose) section, with a seating area next to it. In my case, the table can be fitted across the bed, giving me a side table I can use when seated on the remaining bench seats. (Or a tray placed on the bed would probably be just as good, with the table attached to the rail outside.). If I wanted, I could get a small folding table to sit in the gap between the benches.

In fact, having decided the Puck L was the one for me, the one I could afford (a 2000 model) didn't have the split benches! However, AL were happy to do this small modification for me, thankfully. Whether doing something similar in a Triton or other with similar layout, to give yourself a wider single bed at the end, a seating area next to it, and a small dinette at the other end, might suit you, I don't know, but I thought I'd mention it.

Thats the same layout as our Triton 430.

We sometimes take our 17 year old daughter with us (not for too much longer hopefully !!) and obvisouly convert both dinettes into beds for sleeping and back again in the morning.

When my wife and I go without our daughter we have made the bed up and left it that way and used the front dinette area for eating meals and reading etc.

A very flexible layout imho. You can get the 430 with a fixed large double bed and just use the front dinette as a sitting/eating area which I am sure works well for some. We like our layout for now.

Thanks for asking and also explaining your layout/bed arrangement. I've decided to go up to Tebay in the next week or so because they seem to have the most stock in and hopefully I can get to look at a few different ones!

Thanks for asking Dognwheel and also explaining your layout/bed arrangement. I've decided to go up to Tebay in the next week or so because they seem to have the most stock in and hopefully I can get to look at a few different ones! Ooops, can't see how to delete extra post!

Thanks for the info Spapro. I'll be having my 17 year old daughter with me at times too (and hopefully not for not too long!) which is another reason I want 3 berths.