Last year we bought our first caravan - a 20 year old Avondale Perle Orion - to see if we liked it. We do. A lot . However being an old lady of a van, it is incredibly basic - only cold water, no proper bathroom...and the jockey wheel falling off causing the caravan to land on my foot this weekend doesn't exactly make me feel too confident as to it lasting much longer .
So, we went looking at new caravans yesterday. The Bailey Orion 430/4 ticks all the boxes. It looks fab. Hubby however doesn't seem convinced as to why we need it. Do you have an Orion? Tell me how fantastic it is! I need one right now!
same here,love the look of them and layout,we have a lovely little ABI Adventurer but would like something abit larger,will have to try and sell after are next break.we did enquire at a dealers last week but what they offered for are van was a joke
We are also thinking of one of these ,although we have a 2006 Bailey at the mo and are non too impressed with Bailey :/ The Orion seems to be the only layout at the weight we are after .
Quote: Originally posted by stevo1 on 20/6/2011
I asked the same question on another thread...but don't think there are any new owners..did you look at the 440-4 table/bed arrangement too ? <FONT color=#272627 face=HelveticaNeue-Bold><FONT color=#272627 face=HelveticaNeue-Bold>
Post last edited on 20/06/2011 18:15:37
yes liked the look of both,first i have to sell my abi adventurer and secondly upgrade my car otherwise would have to settle for the orion 2 berth. Lotto win would be good LOL
Quote: Originally posted by The_Heywoods on 20/6/2011
Last year we bought our first caravan - a 20 year old Avondale Perle Orion - to see if we liked it. We do. A lot . However being an old lady of a van, it is incredibly basic - only cold water, no proper bathroom...and the jockey wheel falling off causing the caravan to land on my foot this weekend doesn't exactly make me feel too confident as to it lasting much longer .
So, we went looking at new caravans yesterday. The Bailey Orion 430/4 ticks all the boxes. It looks fab. Hubby however doesn't seem convinced as to why we need it. Do you have an Orion? Tell me how fantastic it is! I need one right now!
Well, to me your avondale sounds perfect for the job you wanted it to do, you've tested the water and like what you have found. I would disagree that "there's not much life left in it" It would be an ideal cheap van for someone who "wants to test the water" or is looking for a project to "do up"
Jockey wheel falling off......simple repair.
If it's a 4 berth and if it were closer to me or could be delivered I might be tempted if the price was right
Yes we fixed the jockey wheel - it would be a great project for someone who is into diy - sadly we're not . We love the van but were always going to get a newer one if we liked caravanning.
We did look at the 440/4 but really want a fixed bed.
Quote: Originally posted by The_Heywoods on 20/6/2011
Yes we fixed the jockey wheel - it would be a great project for someone who is into diy - sadly we're not . We love the van but were always going to get a newer one if we liked caravanning.
We did look at the 440/4 but really want a fixed bed.
Sounds a bit like me. Once you've decided, it's just a matter of time! Whenever I want something and my wife argues we don;t need/can't afford it, she knows deep down that the writing is on the wall. The Orion certainly has it's attraction, but for me, the extra width of a Pegasus would swing it - if I could afford it though. For the time being, we're really happy with our 2009 Pageant Sancerre.
Quote: Originally posted by the polarbear on 22/6/2011
Hope you don't mind me asking but what extras have you added out of interest??
An onboard tank, no point of having a nice warm van in the winter, if the water freezes outside. Roof mounted solar panels. An extra 12v socket near the radio to charge my iPhone, oh and a 240v socket at the front.
When I went to a dealer to look at Orion I was said about onboard tank and was told it wasn't availble
I guess it must be - how much do they charge for that option???
What sort of solar panels did you go for? are they expensive and will they trickle charge the battery when in storage??
Quote: Originally posted by the polarbear on 22/6/2011
When I went to a dealer to look at Orion I was said about onboard tank and was told it wasn't availble
I guess it must be - how much do they charge for that option???
What sort of solar panels did you go for? are they expensive and will they trickle charge the battery when in storage??
Well they would tell you that woudn't they? Yes it is available either in the portbale mode in a 23L removable option or a full 40L fixed, fill from the outside option. We went for the later, needs a competent service engineer to fit it.
We have gone for twin 50w roof mounted solar panels. We are lucky and have a large are in front of the house to park the van so will charge from that also if we need sites for a couple of nights without leccy.
I know this is a bit of an old thread but I found it on google when looking for reviews on the Bailey Orion 430-4 but never found any from actual owners. So bought one anyway, as you do :-)
Anyway though I could help others make a descision.
So first thing that was bugging me was the lack of a front locker, but I have found in reality it isn't a problem, just saves you carrying more junk you never use, the gas bottle in the side is at a better height to turn on and off saving bending over and being able to sit closer to the front window at meal times is very pleasant indeed. We don't like the lack of a window on the door or the fact that it opens over the side window, ant that the catch for the door is on the bottom half so you can't clip just the top back, plus if you do open just the top it hits the window, which, in my opinion, will result in damage if done regularly, however this is just one of the little niggles which are far out weighed by the good points. We have had two weeks in it so far with another weekend planned tomorrow ('we' consists of my wife, myself and our 10 month old daughter) and after moving to this from a 2 birth crown signet we are finding the space and comfort a treat.
There is a severe lack of kitchen storage space so you will have to be prepared to trave light on that front or use some of the lower wardrobe space and the three burner hob is difficult to get a larger frying pan centred over one burner as the rim around the hob is higher than the bars the pans rest on.
The shower and bathroom are both spacious and luxurious with a slight hotel feel to them. And the hotwater tank and shower nozzle combination provide at least 5 minute showers before starting to cool. Also surprisingly the large curve on the back of the van is hardly noticeable from inside the washroom but it does however push the window into a lower than normal position.
The bedroom and bed are very comfy and the space under the bed, although not advisable to fill for traveling, is very large and useful with an outside locker providing access to this. The roof windows give the van a light and spacious feel whilst providing a nice breeze when open and can be open on the first notch even when it's raining.
With regards to towing, we use a 1.6 57 plate petrol ford focus (yes I know it's close to 100% towing weight when fully laden) which tows the van fine, infact it's better than our '98 two birth we had before, not sure if this is down to the fact it's new (newer wheel bearings etc) or due to the more streamlined shape.
One odd and unthought of problem I had though, was that when parking it on my drive in the same place as our old aluminium skinned van, it actually sits outside our boiler flue, and with the van being plastic (I know it's grp but its still effectively plastic) it started to melt a circular dent into the side of the van. We did get in in the height of summer when the air temp was already hot but ended up having to fit a deflector to the boiler vent before it got too bad, this had never been a problem with the aluminium van. That said the plastic looks smooth, clean and neat and feels much more robust than the aluminium vans. Just don't let any kids with magnifying glasses near it :-)
Finally finish wise it left a little to be desired. I know it's an entry level van but if you bought an entry level new car at around 7k you wouldn't expect to have to remove a few handles to clean around the drilled holes so they fit flat and work properly nor would you expect that plastic dust would drop from behind cupboards after travelling. That said we love it and are very glad we got it and would recommend it to everyone. Any thing else I haven't answered feel free to ask.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: I need a Bailey Orion 430/4!
. However being an old lady of a van, it is incredibly basic - only cold water, no proper bathroom...and the jockey wheel falling off causing the caravan to land on my foot this weekend doesn't exactly make me feel too confident as to it lasting much longer
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