After owning a 2013 430 (bought in 2016) for a few years, I thought it might be time to join this site. I’ve passed by a few times but never really thought to contribute but I suppose I’m in better position to say a few words about my Eriba touring experience.
First thing. I wouldn’t sell it for a big white box but I think I should have looked more at the Troll at the time I bought the 430 instead of choosing between the 320 and the 430, however no regrets. One thing you do notice is how small it looks against the rest of the caravans on your usual campsite.
There is no hot water onboard other than boiling a kettle but one thing I have come to rely on is the Ultraheat when on ehu. The 500w setting is more than enough for most occasions and you can leave it on very low overnight. It came with a reich motor mover, which is great because it makes it a breeze to park in tight spots, wouldn’t do without it. Bathroom door hinges- not great! All the shock chord has been replaced now. The original AGM battery seems to be doing well and I’ve very recently added a 50W flexible solar panel to keep things topped up with a Victron MPPT smart solar unit. The panel isn’t permanently attached to the roof as I need to work out if 50W is going to be enough for the off grid excursions on a basic campsite for a few days.The Bluetooth integration allows you to monitor the battery from your phone when off grid. It also came with connections for TV and 12v socket but I have removed the TV mount from the side of the wardrobe, don’t use it - prefer to listen to music or watch a downloaded film on a tablet. Despite what everyone thinks, I have showered in the bathroom quite successfully but then I am only 5’10” and medium build. My partner is only 5’3” so she has no issue in the bathroom or in the living area with banging heads etc. I only do that occasionally when wine has affected my perception of the available headroom! For showering, the bathroom water container is filled half full with cold and then one kettle full of hot water, which seems to do the trick.
I have only had to drop the roof once when we were in Scotland and the rain was horizontal and started forcing through the canvas.
For cold winter trips a Meaco DD8L helps keep the humidity down and reduces condensation issues and warms the front of the caravan at the same time.
Tyres have been replaced and the grp roof has been polished with a 3M product but apart from that and one kitchen water pump, relatively problem free touring.
One thing that needs regular attention is the Alko stabiliser pads. If not kept clean they can glaze over, especially the side ones.
The awning that came with the caravan was a eurotrail one and never fitted particularly well. I suspect it might have been designed for the pre 2009 roof level. Anyhow it failed spectacularly last Aug 2020 after torrential rain when it became wetter inside than out. Once the polyester coating starts getting sticky and shows signs of delamination, that’s it!
I wouldn’t miss the outside table rail or the door flyscreen. I have toyed with the idea of adding hot water but after looking at a setup that can be used away from ehu, it’s too expensive for the convenience it provides.
Instead of running a cable from the sockets in the caravan to power items in the awning, I use a dedicated 16A cable splitter that is connected to a separate RCD unit in the awning and a short cable to connect the caravan. That provides additional protection in the awning without tripping the caravan distribution unit, should a problem occur.
Can’t think of anything else but it tows easily, allows you to get into tight pitches and despite it being basic in terms of onboard facilities, we love it.
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