Bailey Orion Evo 4

Came across this link on Practical Caravan for a new Orion that appears to be in the pipeline,the Orion Evo 4.

http://www.practicalcaravan.com/blog/orion-gets-given-evo

No one,outside Bailey presumably,seems to know what the Evo 4 denotes,a super-duper Orion or a bare bones version perhaps,all the options at that particular price mark seem to be covered with the present range so who knows.

Will some of the present range be deleted??

Perhaps it will include ATC,Tracker/Phantom and alarm as standard??

Twin axle ??

Is there an Orion Evo1,2 and 3 or even a 5 ??

Is it just a drawing board project or will it go into production ??

Nothing else on Google.

Will post any further information as available.

Ian

A Couple of Jobs

Before Christmas I noticed that the edge of the woodwork under where the TV stands by the two shelves had got kicked and was dented in a couple of places.

I decided to put some plastic corner pieces on to protect it.Visited B&Q and the brown plastic corner strip that they sell matches the colour of the woodwork ( well MDF ) in the Orion exactly,a meter costs about £3 or so  if I remember correctly plus a tube of Evo-Stick.

I cut the plastic to size and stuck it on and the corner is protected,the bits that were left over I used in the kitchen at home.

Doesn't look too bad ( apologies for the picture quality,forgot my camera and had to use the phone ).The colour matches much better in the flesh than in the photo.


A thing I remember reading on the CT forum was that it is wise to turn off the aerial booster when in storage without EHU as it is a small drain on the battery,ours had been left on so I switched it off ( in the cupboard to the left of the microwave).

Whether it is turned off automatically if the master switch to the left of the door is off I don't know but anyway off it is now switched.

Ian.

Battery Problems

Went up to the storage site to check on the van and swap the battery over for a fully charged one.

In removing the battery clamp on the negative side one of the wires came out of the clamp.On closer inspection there is very little room for two thickish wires ( I presume one is for the motor mover ) in the clamp,anyway I managed to bodge it as it was getting dark and it is OK for now but a better arrangement is needed.

After taking some advice from CT I think I will fit some quick release clamps to make life easier,something like these:-

http://www.leisure-mart.co.uk/shop/vclose1.asp?prd=2584&cat=274001727

Will order some after Christmas and report on the fitting.

Ian

Skint ??

It struck me,as it has before,when visiting the dealers today that,according to the media, we are all supposed to be skint,broke,call it what you will but on every visit there are always plenty of cars in the car park and a healthy number of people looking round the vans on show.

I read somewhere,CC Magazine perhaps,that Bailey took £13 million pounds worth of orders at the NEC caravan show and Swift did over £20 million pounds worth,so a lot of people are riding the slump and to be personal I suppose we aren't doing too badly.

Glancing at the new and second hand vans on display,even though we drive what I would call a reasonably powered 2.0L diesel Jetta that we wouldn't have been able to tow the vast majority of vans that were there ( according to the 85% guidance ) so people must be driving and fuelling some powerful vehicles to tow these beasts.

The Bailey Orion seems well suited to us.

Just a thought in passing.

Ian

Pneumatic Jockey Wheel Purchased

I have purchased a complete new Al-Ko pneumatic jockey wheel assembly today and returned the old wheel for ( hopefully ) a warranty replacement.

I will eventually report whether it is a better option than the original supplied one.

Al-Ko appear to be a difficult firm to deal with.I asked at the dealers if when they replace the wheel if they ( Al-Ko ) could send it direct to my home address,as after all they have to send it somewhere.

The reply was no,Al-Ko only supply direct to the dealers,so I will have to make an 80 mile round trip to collect it.

Seems a strange way to do business in these straitened times,no bending just a little bit to help the customer.

Ian

Al-Ko Responded Eventually

Ahh............at last a response from Al-Ko to the dealers.

I have to return the jockey wheel to the dealers who will forward it to Al-Ko for them to assess it and decide if they will replace it under warranty.

Evidently Al-Ko don't deal directly with the general public,you can say that again.

I think when/if it gets replaced I will change the whole jockey wheel assembly for one with a pneumatic tyre then it may roll over the rough ground of our storage more easily and hopefully avoid further damage.

Pity the present contraption doesn't take a pneumatic tyre,or it was possible to only buy the lower half of the jockey wheel, but then Al-Ko wouldn't be able to sell you a complete assembly would they ?

Ian

Alarmingly Good

Visited the van in storage today to let a bit of air through it.

For the first time I forgot to switch off the alarm before entering,within a couple of minutes or so Phantom sent me a text followed shortly after by a phone call asking if all was well.

When I got home a message had also been left on our landline,so Phantom certainly works.

Glad I did it in a way,feel more reassured now.

Ian.

Tread Carefully

As can be seen from the above pictures the tread has started to come away from the jockey wheel after only two short trips.

E-mailed Al-Ko to no avail,never received a reply so I have e-mailed the dealers to see if it can be replaced under warranty.

A word of warning if intending to replace the wheel provided with a pneumatic one,it won't fit,or at least the one I bought wouldn't fit.

I thought a pneumatic would roll better with the mover over the recycled colliery slag that covers our storage.

The tyre was too wide for the metal supports.

It wasn't an Al-Ko but one I got from the dealers.

Update:- The dealers are sending my pics to Al-Ko to see what they say.

23.11.2011 :- Still nothing from Al-Ko,pretty poor for such a large company.
                         Asked dealer to give them another prod.

Ian

Winter Draws On,I've Got Mine On !!

As for various reasons we won't be using the Orion for a few months I decided I would swap the ordinary wheels for winter wheels today to avoid flat spotting the tyres.

All went very well,used the Al-Ko side jack for the first time and found it a very good bit of kit,easy to put in position and winding the van off the ground was a doddle.I made sure the van was connected to the car at the time as recommended.

Feel rather more confident now should we have a puncture out on the road.

When we bought the Orion I specified Tyron Bands and asked for the wheels to be balanced.As I stored the wheels in the garage I noticed that there was 45g on one wheel and 40g on the other which seems quite a bit to my untutored eye.

I am sure this must make for better running.

Ian

Thetford Reply

Received this reply from Thetford regarding the flush tank adaptation:-


Thank you for your enquiry with regards to the C250 drain tube.According to our records your toilet does not require the modification.
Your toilet has been fitted with a reinforced drain tube so swapping it
over to the new style is not necessary

Kind regards,

Thetford Ltd.





So unless Bailey have been using a secret cache of antique bogs that they have found in a cupboard under the stairs on some vans then us Orion owners it would seem are in the clear.


Ian

Toilet Adaptation Contd.

I have e-mailed Thetford with the details of our toilet as requested so we will wait to see what they say.

Ian

Thetford Cassette 250 CWE Adaptation To Avoid Freezing

I have been following this thread on Caravan Talk:-

http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/56076-thetford-c250-cassette-toilet-winterising-u-bend/

From about the 4th post down there is mention of an adaptation available from Thetford to alleviate the problem of water freezing in the flush tank U-bend,basically fitting a drain tube.

It is said that this only affects toilets manufactured after April 2010 but looking at the photo's the "problem" pipework looks very similar to mine,a free pipe for home fitting is available from Thetford if it is.

http://www.thetford-europe.com/en/about-thetford/news/2011/improved-draining-solution-for-c250-cwe.aspx

If you e-mail Thetford with the asked for details in the link above they will tell you if your toilet is affected and send you a spare part if it is.

Next time I go to storage I will check ours.

Ian

Wash & Brush Up Sir ?

Spent a while today giving the Orion a bit of spit and polish before the winter sets in although we hope to perhaps get a few days away in a week or two.

As there is no water at the storage site I used some Care-avan waterless cleaner/polish that is recommended by Bailey and I have to say I was very impressed.

http://care-avan.co.uk/Waterless-1000-Cloths.html

The microfibre cloth provided was soon filthy but it continued to clean and as far as I can tell there are no scratches on the van at all,it is like silk,concluded  by buffing up with a clean microfibre cloth and then used some Care-avan window cleaner to finish off.

Took about two hours to do the van but I couldn't do most of the roof as I couldn't reach.

Used about 0.75L of the cleaner.

I have no connection with Care-avan at all.

Swapped the battery over,the new one has kept its charge for a week so hopefully the motor mover disaster is behind us now.

Gave the Thetford toilet seal an application  of Thetford seal lubricant and squirted some WD40 in the 13-pin plug to keep the damp out.

Up-ended the cushions to avoid damp.

Huffed and puffed down the shower pipe to get rid of the last of the water,also put a tyre inflater to the water pump inlet to get the remaining dregs out but it wasn't that successful.Was thinking of buying a Floe but think I will save my money.

Had one disaster,apart from falling off the ladder,went to get a tea bag out of the overhead cupboard and a cup fell out which dented/cracked the work surface where the TV stands.

SWMBO will not be amused,will have to get something to cover it up but like all women she will be drawn straight to it,I may have to confess in advance to reduce the pain.

When we have the first service next year I may ask if they can replace it,it doesn't look a difficult job but if I try it it has all the makings of a cock-up waiting to happen.

Ian

Surge Damper

In a previous comment, about the non-existence of a water filter,Anonymous was asking what the white tubular affair was in front of the water heater under the right hand front bench seat.

This is it,just come across it on the Whale site,it is a surge damper:-

http://www.whalepumps.com/caravan_RV/product_list/48/75/


Ian

Beds

For any new/prospective users of the Orion 440/4,the front bed is far more comfy than the rear bed,for two anyway,not much difference I suspect if you are kipping on your own.

Both a bit of a pain to make up but we knew that when we purchased.

Ian

A Not Totally Successful Trip

We returned from our second outing yesterday,a long weekend at Beechwood Grange near York which is a CC site,and very pleasant it is,the showers are excellent.The only drawback with the place is that it is virtually an island surrounded by very busy roads with poor provision of footpaths,so if you are walkers or cyclists these need to be negotiated setting off and on your return.One of the roads is the A64 which is virtually a two lane motorway,so be warned.I have read appraisals of the site which said traffic noise was a problem but we did not find it so.The site is also a little tricky to locate as it does not feature on road signs,only as a dead end,until you are at the lane where it is situated where a CC sign is located so a bit of a recce on Google Earth beforehand pays dividends.

When we picked the van up from storage,lo and behold the motor mover would not function again,so we had to manhandle it out of our storage space as it is a bit tight for the car.I deduced that the cause was a low battery,but more of that later.Then,due to stupidity,we managed to drop the front of the van on the floor whilst hitching up,don't ask.I managed to pick it up while SWMBO resecured the jockey wheel but I could feel my back starting to go ( I don't have the best back in the world in the first place ).No  problem towing the Orion,tows like a dream.

When we arrived at the site I made a total bollocks of trying to reverse it onto the pitch ( been on the CC course as well ),so resorted to trying the mover which I thought may work as the battery would have charged a bit during the trip,hardly a peep out of it.It put the rollers onto the wheels,albeit slowly, then wouldn't remove them.Suffice to say we now know how to remove Reich movers manually,so something learned.Once again manhandled the van into position and managed to drop the front on the floor again,lifted it up,my back went.A friendly fellow caravanner gave us some assistance and we eventually got sorted.

Spent a very pleasant long weekend,all the minor faults which we returned to the dealers for have been sorted out.I imagined that as the battery had been on EHU for three days then there would be sufficient oomph in it to manoeuvre the Orion across the pitch to facilitate hitching up without causing an obstruction on the site road.

No chance,so we hitched up where we were,couldn't get the 13-pin electric plug to go in properly,air got blue,got bollocked from wife,man from neighbouring van gave me a hand.

Prior to this our grandson,who had stopped with us for one night proceeded to fill the Thetford toilet cassette up again with the content of his lower bowel after I had emptied and cleaned it,grrrrrrr.

Arrived back at storage,of course no mover so it was back to manhandling.By this time I never wanted to see a caravan ever again,divorce was looming and rancour was in the air.

I have two Elecsol batteries which I rotate periodically keeping the one which is not in use on charge with a C-Tek smart charger.When I took the van to the dealer for the warranty work to be done they checked the mover and could find no fault and in fact I had hitched up with it,parked at the dealers with it,picked it up using it and reparked at the storage with it.I then realised that the other battery had been in situ and the fault must lie with just this battery not retaining a charge.

Today I returned the Elecsol to YC Leisure to swap it and it has to be said I was expecting  a bit of argy bargy or at least a demand that it be tested first,but no just a simple swap and I was on my way.Got the new battery on charge so we will see how it goes when I swap them over.

The back is on the mend and life looks a little more rosy today,perhaps we will go caravanning again.

Ian

No Filter

As Anonymous posted a day or two ago,the Orion doesn't have a water filter.

I have not received a reply from Bailey so checked with the dealer who confirmed this fact.

Ian

Winter

Been reading about setting the van up for winter,and one of the things was to remember to drain the water out of the water filter.

So,where is the water filter ??

No idea,so I have e-mailed Bailey to ask them,so if there are any other new Orion owners as puzzled as me watch this space,I will post Baileys reply and we can all look forward to a "frozen up"free winter.

Ian

Van Returned

Picked the Orion up from YC Leisure today,all jobs appear to have been done to satisfaction so here's to a trouble free caravanning future,hopefully.

Incidentally if anyone has trouble with the grill lighting even though there is a spark and gas,the mechanic showed me how to rectify it.The "thing" that the spark emanates from sometimes moves  so simply give it a tweak and hey presto it should work again.

Ian

NEC Show

Off to the Caravan Show at the NEC on Thursday,I can feel the credit card flexing already.

Ian

Still Waiting

Well it has been a week now since i took the Orion to the dealers and no sign of it returning yet.

Hope it's not too much longer,still I would rather wait a while and have everything done and dusted rather than keep taking it back,would prefer it if it wasn't an 80 mile round trip but never mind.

Ian

Back To The Dealers We Go.

Taking the Orion back to YC Leisure tomorrow for a few niggles to be rectified,hope all goes well and we have it back without too much of a delay.

Want to be off in it again ASAP.

Ian

Anyone Want A List ?

During our first and only foray last week I found myself running around trying to remember what to do and the order to do it in ( eg don't put the pump on before the Aqua-Roll is full ).

With this in mind I have produced three checklists,one for hitching up,one for setting up and one for departure.

I intend to laminate them and keep in the car or van.

As time goes by I imagine they will become redundant but for the immediate future I hope to find them useful.

If anyone wants a copy of one or all of them I will gladly e-mail them one.Obviously they can be adapted or added to as one sees fit for your own personal preferences but at least they will give a basis for a bit of order which I feel I was lacking.

I use Open Office so they are in .odt format but I can convert them to .doc for Word use,just let me know.

Any feedback as to what I have forgotten would be most welcome.

Ian

Toilet Tales & Winding Handles

As mentioned in my previous post we had trouble with the khazi in that it leaked flush into the cassette compartment.Having since had a scout about on the 'net I have discovered that this is not an unusual problem.In fact there seem to be quite a few problems with the C-250 Thetford toilet as fitted to the Orion.Having said that one has to bear in mind that people whose toilets work without any problem are unlikely to post to forums etc. to say so,so forum skew may well apply here.

When we collected the Orion the dealer showed us how to work the toilet but as with so many things there was a lot to remember so I thought I would look in the Bailey Orion Handbook.

Not a whisper about the bog,one would think that using it was an option not a bodily necessity.

Anyway having had a rummage around on the Thetford site I found some instructions in the form of .pdfs

http://www.thetford-europe.com/en/products/toilets/cassette-toilets/c250.aspx

One of the things I was keen on finding out was the capacity of the flush tank as the pink stuff has to be added at so many mls. per litre,this I discovered is 8 Iitres, I will write it on the inside of the flush tank door.

Other little gems were that the blue/green stuff MUST be added via the spout and not the blade hole and that two litres of water have to be added to the green/blue stuff in the cassette to start it off.

How you are supposed to find all this out if you are not on-line or don't have the time or inclination to go looking for it I don't know.

Through the post this morning came a new steady winding handle as a replacement for the hand-wrecking implement supplied by Bailey.I went for one of these Alk-Ko jobbies:-

  

http://www.thecaravanshop.co.uk/alko-towing/alko-leg-winder/alko-leg-winder/prod_674.html

The Caravan Shop in Glasgow once again was excellent with good price and prompt delivery.

If anyone has a desire for the hand-wrecking implement then drop me an e-mail and you are welcome to it.

Ian

We Survived.

Well we survived our first weekend in the new Orion,it was a very blustery,if thankfully short,tow home.

Called to weigh the van on our way back to storage and fortunately we are well underweight.

We learnt a lot in our two nights the van turned out to have or two faults,nothing major but it is returning to the dealers at the end of the month for them sorting out.

I will list them if only to advise other owners what to look out for perhaps:-

1.Extra plug socket installed by dealer under the rear dinette,no power.

2.Grill won't light,worked the first morning no problem but not the second.There is gas and a spark but the two don't seem to want to come together.

3.The Reich mover only works when it wants to,which is infrequently.

4.When I came to empty the Thetford toilet cassette the locker was swimming in flush ( not the other stuff ). Coincidentally there was a two berth Orion parked next door and they said they had had the same problem.

5.The TV ariel socket broke.

6.The left hand burner on the hob takes an age to keep pressed in before it will stay alight.

7.The paint is chipping off the venetian blind.

Two minor grouses,the steady winder contraption is a load of garbage.Takes the strength of six to compress the spring and if you aren't careful it traps your skin,do not ask me how I know this,off to B&Q or Halfords today to find a replacement,perhaps a cordless drill.

I wish the front storage locker door was twice the size.Trying to put in and locate stuff in quite a roomy space is like trying to decorate your house via the letterbox.

Oh and I can see why people prefer a fixed island bed in the larger vans.

Seems like a list of complaints but it isn't really we had a lovely time and overall,despite the above,the van lived up to our expectations.

Ian

Our First Outing

Well our first caravanning weekend is drawing to a close and we depart for home in the morning.Not that we have far to go being at Nostell Priory in West Yorkshire and we only live in Wakefield about six miles away.

We have learnt a lot this weekend the climax being erecting and dismantling the awning,about 1.5hrs to put it up and about  0.5hrs to take it down,both in the same day as high winds are forecast for tomorrow and we didn't want to risk it tearing or flapping about.It was definitely easier than we thought but I had labelled the poles first.

Just one problem with the van in that I had three extra plug sockets installed and one of them doesn't work so I suppose it will have to go back to the dealer to be sorted.The Reich mover was a bit hit and miss as well but that may have been us so we will see how it goes.Everything else worked fine,just have to remember to make sure the Aquaroll is full before getting soaped up in the shower.

People were very helpful yesterday when we were setting up and trying to level the van on a sloping pitch.

Going to call for the van and van/car to be weighed on the way home tomorrow just to check we are not overloaded.

Here's to our next trip.

Ian

Carpet Capers

Back up at the van today.

We decided we had better put the carpets down.

Ho,ho,ho,took us the best part of twenty minutes or more.It was like one of those puzzles where you have to make a picture in a frame and there is only one piece missing ( I know what I mean ),we even thought we had been given the wrong carpet at one stage.

Got there in the end though and celebrated our first caravanning argument.

Incidentally does anyone know if the doormat is removable.It appears to be fixed and I don't want to yank it up at some time and damage it.

Would be useful to remove it from time to time to give it a good brush.

Ian

Takes Some Sorting!!

Spent a few hours in the new van today getting things shipshape as we are have the maiden voyage for a couple of nights at the weekend.

Sending/registering warranties for various things is a bit tedious but necessary.

We have an Isabella Magnum porch awning and one thing which amazed me is the sheer size and weight of the thing,and this is a porch awning,goodness knows what a full size is like,and it has carbon fibre poles so should be a bit lighter.

When I did my CC course the instructor said the best place to transport the awning was on the back seat of the car,I can see why now.

I think it would be better with its own trailer.

Ian

Well It's Finally Here.

Well we eventually collected the Orion from YC Leisure today after a few delays and hiccups.

One or two things that I ordered had been missed but soon sorted out,Al-Ko ATC and towbar electrics ( two of the things I was concerned about ) were fortunately all fine.

The drive home was a bit sweaty of palm as it was very windy along the A1/M62 but got back to storage at Castleford OK.

A few bits of paperwork all done,warranties are a bit of a PITA and the Al-Ko key registration site for the wheel lock wasn't working so it needs to be posted.

Now to get it sorted and knocked into shape before a  weekend away.

Ian

Well At Least it Is Working

Had a telephone call this morning on landline followed by mobile from Phantom Tracking Centre to say the Orion was on the move and was this OK ?

The problem is that we don't take delivery until sometime next week so someone at the dealers must have moved it without switching it off first.

Well at least we know it works.

Ian

A Bit Of A Hitch So To Speak

We were due to pick up the Orion tomorrow but the dealer rang this afternoon with the news that the AL-Ko ATC has not yet been fitted due to some tardiness and non-return of phone calls on the part of Al-Ko.

Only Al-Ko can fit it.

Will have to wait until the week after next before we can collect it so nothing to do but wait.

Insurance sorted,storage booked,recovery set up and no caravan,bummer.

Ian

A Little Digression

I have heard via the media/forums of at least three caravans and tow cars turning over in the last few days.

Now of course I don't  know of the cause of these mishaps,but it got me thinking.

In nearly every other aspect of life today,health and safety pops up at sometime or another.In some situations yes it is a good thing,people should not be put in danger from sloppy,penny pinching employers whilst at work.In other situations,and I am sure we can all think of some,not so welcome and slightly ridiculous.

Therefore I find it amazing that anyone can purchase a second hand caravan via a private sale ( if bought from a dealer then surely some advice would be offered ) which may be totally unsuitable for the tow car,hitch it up when they don't know how to do it properly and set off at 60mph ( or more ) down the motorway with over a ton of caravan behind them and not have a clue.

I have read more than once on forums of people saying words to the effect of

"We bought a caravan over the weekend,going to The Lakes/Cornwall/Wales/Scotland on Friday,what do we do ?"

No idea about hitching up,loading,noseweight,MTPLM,speed limits,reversing,torquing wheel bolts,checking caravan tyre pressures,adjusting tow car tyre pressures,towing mirrors or anything else.

I have just read a post where a caravan detached before the owners had left their street.Suppose that had happened a few miles hence on a dual carriageway or motorway,they seemed to think it was amusing,I certainly don't.

Before buying our Orion I have spent months boning up on the subject of caravanning via books and forums,been on the CC training course and have been surprised at the complexity of "doing it right".That is not to say I know it all and I am a little apprehensive of towing it back from the dealers on Tuesday,that is only natural,but at least I am prepared.

I think it is time that some sort of basic mandatory training should occur before one is allowed to tow a caravan.Perhaps not go as far as a test but certainly some instruction.After all if a caravan comes adrift or worse on the motorway it is not only your life that is at risk but those of other people.

Here Endeth The First Lesson,


Ian

Getting Close

Only two more sleeps before we collect the Orion.

Ian

The Caravan Shop

Goods arrived this afternoon ( Wednesday ),ordered on Monday evening,excellent service.

Ian

Loose Ends Tied Up

Sorted the insurance out with Caravan Guard this morning,£219 as mentioned earlier,not a bad price by comparison with others.

Joined CC Mayday for breakdown and recovery,a bargain at £89 for the all bells and whistles service.The thought of sitting by the side of the road miles from home with a caravan problem,the wife creating in one ear and grand-kids possibly in the other and no one coming to help,no thanks.

Life is hard enough.

Ordered some Winter Wheels and two sets of Jackapads from The Caravan Shop.Seems a very good service,ordered last night,in the post this afternoon.The Winter Wheels were priced about £37 (http://www.thecaravanshop.co.uk/security-winter-wheels/winter-wheels/winter-wheels-with-locking-plates/prod_694.html ),but strangely I have seen them at well over £100 plus delivery,here for instance:-
 http://www.frontier-leisure.co.uk/Wheel-Clamps/)FULL-STOP-HIGHLANDER-WINTER-WHEELS-/

Not long to go now.

Ian

Wheel Bolts Update

The dealer has heard back from Bailey regarding fitting the uprated wheel bolts to the Orion and the word is that it doesn't need them.

Much as I thought really,I just thought it would be a prudent measure,and they haven't enough to sell/give to anyone else apart from the Unicorn recall people.

I still think that eventually all Bailey vans will have them fitted though,we shall see.

 Ian

Insurance Again

Read somewhere recently that Saga were reasonable for caravan insurance so I thought I would give them a go.

Wow they certainly know what to charge,£568 pounds for the year.

I thought CC was expensive at about £360 but these jokers take the biscuit.

Saga like to give the impression that they are there to serve the "elderly" among us ( well the over 50's anyway ),they must be well heeled elderly is all I can say.

No one has come near Caravan Guard at £219 for good cover and the first ten days free to boot.

Ian

Ten Year Warranty Contd.

Well the dealer has assured me that the "free" ( yes I know nothing is free really ) full  ten year water ingress warranty applies to our van so that is a relief but on enquiring, just out of interest, whether this warranty would be free for years from 6-10 on 2012 vans they were a little more hesitant and are making some enquiries.

Glad we plumped for a 2011 model even more now,not only did we save about £390 over the 2012 price increase,for no increase in spec. we were told, but we have definitely got the 10 year warranty whereas there appears to be a little doubt of the the full ten years being free for next years vans.

If I hear any more from the dealers regarding this topic I will post to the blog.

Ian

Bailey Ten Year Warranty

On browsing the Bailey Orion warranty it appears that the "free" 10yr ( 6yrs + 4 yrs free ) Alu-Tech body warranty has vanished to be replaced by 6yrs plus 4yrs chargeable.

10 Year Bodyshell Integrity Guarantee

The Bailey Alu-Tech caravan is covered by a ten (10) year Bodyshell Integrity Guarantee, which comprises of a six (6) year standard warranty cover and a four (4) year chargeable extension to the standard warranty cover. This cover extends to any structural degradation to the bodyshell that arises as a result of water ingress through any permanently sealed seams or joints.

Warranty Extensions

An additional 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th year extension to the Bodyshell Integrity Guarantee is available at an additional cost. An additional 4th, 5th and 6th year extension to the Manufacturer's Warranty is also available. Please ask your Bailey retailer for more information.

As the 10yr warranty was the main reason for us buying the Orion I have e-mailed the dealers for clarification.

Hopefully it will only apply to new model vans as the "old" warranty was in force when we put a deposit on ours.

That of course is small comfort to those considering purchasing an Orion ( or any other Alu-Tech van ).

Will keep the blog posted on the outcome.

The full warranty can be found here :-

http://www.bailey-caravans.co.uk/product-range/new-caravans/alu-tech-construction/orion/warranty/index.php

Ian

Got A Date !!

Well we eventually have a date to collect the Orion,23rd of August.

YC Leisure have been exemplary up until now and very patient with my numerous questions and e-mails,I dare say the salesman is spitting feathers in private.

Counting down the days.

Ian

Wheel Bolts Again

Chased up the dealers this morning as I hadn't heard anything about the new wheel bolts.

Evidently the factory are shut for summer holidays but they had heard a whisper that the new bolts would only be available for the single axle Unicorn.

We shall have to wait and see.

Ian

Storage Booked & Insurance Waters Tested

Have booked a spot on a CaSSoA site not far away in Castleford.

Not the most scenic of sites it has to be said,it's at the rear of what looks like an old chemical works but it is a hard standing and has Gold status so it will do the job.

There are plenty of vans/motorhomes there ( there must be money in this ) so if a theft occurred we would be unlucky if ours was the one that was pinched,plenty of grander looking caravans.

Three hundred pounds  for the year wasn't too bad,a local farm wanted that for just parking in a grass field with no security whatsoever.

One curious thing was that all the pitches are numbered but don't appear to run in any order,makes finding a particular number rather difficult.



I had checked out Caravan Club insurance with an on-line quote previously,but I read somewhere that a phone quote sometimes worked out cheaper for some reason.Not in my case it didn't,in fact it was more expensive at £368 a year.Nothing has come close to beating Caravan Guard at £219 for the year.Caravan Club insurance may be good but a difference of nearly £150 is not to be sniffed at,about £20per night that is a weeks holiday.

I enquired about removing the wheels over the winter and leaving the Orion on axle stands or Winter Wheels.Caravan Guard said this was OK provided I took the wheels home,Caravan Club wouldn't entertain it as the Al-Ko wheel lock wouldn't be fitted so they knocked me the discount off.

I think I know where my insurance money will probably be going.

Ian

Wheel Bolts

Well after the kerfuffle concerning the detachment of wheel bolts,mainly on the Unicorn and the subsequent remedy by Bailey:-

http://www.bailey-caravans.co.uk/information-centre/latest-news/newsitem.php?recordid=229

I got to thinking,if it is good enough for a Unicorn it is good enough for an Orion so I enquired of the dealers their opinion.

The reply was that personally they wouldn't bother but in the end it was up to me .

Having thought about it I decided to go with the new bolts.I can see Bailey specifying these bolts for all their caravans in the future.

I can't see them fitting two different sorts of bolts to different vans when one will do the job.

The wheels have to come off anyway to be balanced and have Tyron Bands fitted so there should be no extra labour charge.

The dealer is in the process of obtaining a price so I will keep my "followers" informed.

Ian

Welcome To My Bailey Orion Blog

Welcome to BOB ( Bailey Orion Blog ).

I started this blog so Bailey Orion owners could share ideas and experiences of what is a relatively new van.

First a bit of history.

 Me and SWMBO have a Bailey Orion on order,due to be delivered middle to late August,from YC Leisure near Bawtry.

The van is a 440-4 with the rear dinette as we thought the fixed bed was a little too restrictive,with the dinette we can leave the bed made up if we want it.

We have specified a few extras such as a Reich motor mover,AL-Ko ATC,Tyron Bands and something that seems to be gaining more fans and that is having the wheels balanced before delivery.

Don't want to rattle on for a new blog but will add things as they occur and hopefully as time passes we can share ideas and experiences.

Ian