Hi all tomorrow I'm going to pick up our new caravan well it's new to us a Avondale Rialto .. just want to know your thoughts on them and anything I should look out for cheers Wayne
Never had one, But!!!
They was way ahead in the field of caravan building, and only been told mainly good things about the Avondale.
I always wanted the Land Ranger.
Avondale had a sound reputation throughout the 90s and early 2000s, but they went bust in 2008. For a year or two before that, they were obviously in financial difficulty and as I understand it, had quite a lot of cost-cutting and quality control-related problems. That said, any vans from that period that still survive today have probably been repaired properly by now.
The main issue is that even the newest Avondale caravans are now 12 years old, and much depends on how well it's been looked after. The biggest risk is damp but things such as tyres, electricity and gas will all need to be checked. However, the risks are not really any greater than they would be for any other old caravans.
Magnum Motorhomes bought Avondale's entire stock of spare parts after they had shut down. Items such as fridge, heater, toilet etc were not bespoke, but made by other manufacturers and are therefore easily replaced.
We still have our 2002 Avondale Dart, which is our first caravan that we bought in 2015. I have to admit that she's getting tired now but we still love her.
------------- "Don't wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect."
Version true we had a lunar before picking up our Avondale Rialto and the difference in build quality and standings.. our Avondale we absolutely love it .. I heard a rumour they set the standard in touring caravans well if they did it shows in our van..
I have a 2000 515/5 Avondale Dart and it has been well used. I've had a few repairs to do over the years but no horror stories. The Dart has a trapdoor for the spare wheel, its in an area of more use and has had two delamination repairs. I changed the plastic sink in the shower/toilet area the thin plastic sink cracked badly round the plug hole. I replaced this with a replica fibreglass unit from Caravan Panels. The front locker on the van isn't watertight but the water drains onto a plastic floor with holes to allow water to flow out. Over the years I've changed the fridge, changed the PSU, my latest task is to replace the carver water Heater. (The Tie Rod in the carver water heater corroded through last time out). Its been a great little lightweight van and I have no doubt I'll be using it for a few years to come. I think you have to accept with an older van you can expect to have a few problems, its part of the fun of caravanning.
Hi all I have just got a 2000 Avondale Rialto 550 and I cant find where the drainage valve is to get the water out of the boiler and all the pipes does anyone know where I will find it? I’ve looked under the seats but just can’t see it and with winter coming up I’m worried what the cold weather will do to the pipes in storage please help thanks.
If you look on the outside of the caravan adjacent to the water heater you should find the heater flue, at the bottom of this you should find a large plastic screw which is the drain plug. Unscrew the plug carefully and drain the system.
Do you also know where I fill and empty the toilet flush? As you can tell it’s a new caravan to me only got it a couple of weeks ago so I have no idea where anything is.
If you open the cassette locker you should see a large yellow cap at the top, pull out the tube this is fixed to and remove the cap to fill the flush tank. There should be a drain hole at the bottom of the flush tank which has a plug fitted to it.
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Topic: Avondale caravan
via mobile 14/4/2021 at 6:23pm
