Hi there. I’m a newbie as from today. I’ve just purchased a 1990 Eriba Puck Touring. There are many things I need to buy to do it up. Does anyone have any websites they could recommend so I can start my obsession/hobby please?

Cheers

Can’t really help with suggestions, my Eriba hasn’t really needed anything doing but to the Forum. I’m sure others doing similar will be along shortly.

It depends how deep you're going.

Hymer France stopped making both Pucks in 2009 and they haven't been revived since and are unlikely to be. One major reason for their demise was that they shared virtually no body or furniture parts with the rest of the Touring range, whereas lots of bits of the Familia, Tritons and Trolls are interchangeable.

If you're talking about fixing/repairing appliances and even things like hitches, brakes, lights, electrics etc then they tend to be the same in all caravans, or at least supplied by the same companies. That means they're generally available, if still made, from a host of leisure vehicle parts supply companies.

The 'special' bits, unique to the Touring range, are things like body panels and furniture and there you might have to rely on breakers, or sometimes on a specialist firm like a window manufacturer or supplier of seals and trims.

The real Hymer parts, if still available, can be problematic and very expensive. The go to supplier was the only authorised Eriba dealership in Scotland, but Jean and Sandy of Jandi are retiring soon and only working part time at present. The Eriba business in Scotland is being passed to one of the more mainstream dealerships and they tend not to have the knowledge or interest required in sourcing bits for anything more than 5 years old.

To a great extent that probably also applies to Adventure Leisure at Tebay, both Lowdhams branches and Leisure First down south, who seem happy to sell new and used vans and service them but give the impression they're not interested in repairs, renovation or sourcing old parts. Most recently Red Lion Caravans at Southport and Broad Lane Caravans with two Midlands branches have been appointed authorised Eriba dealerships by Hymer but, they too are mainstream caravan dealerships and their committment to older Touring range vans hasn't really been tested.

And finally we have Kool Classics of East Sussex, long time independent specialist Eriba Touring business, with a love for the older vans. In the last few weeks they've announced that they are now a Hymer approved Eriba dealer, which is a major step for them and Eriba owners across the South East. My hope is that they can assume the parts mantle of Jean and Sandy and become the parts supplier of choice, but whether they'll be able to magic 20 year old bits is another thing entirely.

Tom and Margaret

Morphy