Hello all, this is my first foray into the caravan section so hope this is in the right place & all....
My partner & I are thinking of getting a 2nd hand (or ore like about 8th hand tbh !)caravan, and are wondering if we might be best to gather a bit more money together & go for an Eriba.
My partner was told they are really well made, and we know they have good layouts for a smaller van, pretty sure it would suit us down to the ground, but they are quite expensive, sooo......
Are they worth the extra money I wonder, & does anyone have any tips in general ? Would be especially interested to hear from anyone who's ever had one. Thanks in anticipation.
I had a 1988 Pan for a few yrs, in the cream/brown colour which is nicest imho. I got rid because the bed was too short as it had sideways not lengthways bed layout, sideways is ok if you are under 5'10" I guess. Prices are now ridiculous although I will probably get another eventually with lengthways bed.
Most important when looking at one is to check steel tube chassis members, particularly around bottom edge of body. some can be badly rotted in places & if metal has gone right through then avoid as repairs are very difficult & not feasable unless you are an expert welder. Water ingress is unusual but leaks thru perished window rubbers into body can run down & rot chassis members as described.
Older Eribas are often still in excellent condition as the low roof means many have been garaged, plenty of 80s 'vans have solid rust free chassis members. A good one should last indefinitely if well cared for. Servicing is no different from any other caravan & can be done in any caravan workshop. Parts for 80s/90s Al-ko chassis are still available off shelf. The Scottish Eriba Dealer Jandi is very helpful in sourcing parts & does mail order.
My brother has a Puck about 20ish years old, the servicing guy said it was amazing and better than some year old vans he serviced. This he pulls with his Morgan sports car (poser) but he swears by it.
------------- 74,going on 25
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder
at the Puck & the Morgan post ! Morgans are fabulous cars, sheer class - if I win the lottery I'll have one myself, though maybe not to pull the caravan with...
Tentz - that's useful info, & thatnks for the link too. Was it long ago you had your Eriba ?
I got rid a couple of yrs ago, I paid £2k, had it for 3yrs & sold for it on ebay for £2.6k which shows how silly prices are getting. The Pucks seem to fetch better prices than the next size up Pans(later models called Familia) There are less old Tritons & Trolls around which are larger & largest apart from very large 70s/80s Fauns & Odins which are very rare.
Reason I sold mine was across 'van bed layout was just too short at 6ft 2" with walls each side so I was unable to hang my feet over edge, on other layouts you can sleep along the 'van.
I only have a caravan to use in France etc in warm weather so I bought an ebay cheapie 80s Monza for £400 & tbh although it ain't got Eriba charm its far more practical with much more space & I can make modifications without worrying about keeping everything pristine & standard like you have to with a good condition Eriba if you want to keep it's value. The Monza only weighs 700kg so no more weight than the Eriba.
I should get another few yrs out of the Monza before its scrap & after that I might get another Eriba to see me out, 20yrs with luck. Nice thing about owning an Eriba is that there are rallies & stuff if you want that. We went to a big Eriba meeting in France with French/Germans/Dutch & it was a right laff.
You can buy an old white box off ebay for £400 & scrap it after 4yrs, or pay £2.5k for a nice 80s Eriba & probably it will be still worth that & more in 4yrs.
We went to a big Eriba meeting in France with French/Germans/Dutch & it was a right laff.Where was that Tentz, we were on Camping Les Acacias in Cernay a few years ago and the site was full of them. Quite a sight as they pulled off in convoy at the end of the rally.
------------- 74,going on 25
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder
We had 2006 Triton with bunks for 2 years - sold it last October. Loved it but was too small for our needs. Two adults, 2 growing kids (and now a dog) meant we outgrew it. Now have a white box van. We have sacrificed style for practicality but it is the right decision - lot, lot cheaper as well. Good luck with your search.
heya pixie person! i am sure.. if i remember someone called something like KRABBES had an eriba .. used to post on here- wonder where he is these days? he might be able to help!! he certainly didnt mind speaking what he thought !! lol!! was a tad opinionated !!!am sure .. if he is still on here.. that he will respond eventually !
------------- tina xx
mum to 5 kids
DD-20
DS-16
DD-14
DD-9
DS-3 and a half!
and a large, daft, black dog!!
I looked at these very seriously when I got my own van.
They are petite - might be OK for a true Pixie lady! It all looks fine & proortioned inside, but everything is 10% smaller than in a normal size van. So chairs, bed etc are just that bit less comfortable unless you are a bit of a titch.
I looked at the Puck, as its the model that will fit in a normal ish garage. Think of it as a VW camper that you
need to tow. One up from a tent, for sure.
My other half insisted on a proper toilet, so I was soon up to a Troll or Triton. But again, everything was a little cramped, and for the same sort of dosh I got a Hymer Eriba with Pual system walls and lovely interior - and wash room for the missus. I actually got mine from CaravanExtra in Oirschot, Netherlands, and saved 25% on UK price. Never regretted it. Mines a 465 Living, but they now have a similar design with a different name.
Good luck with your choices.
------------- Veni Vidi Velcro.... I came, I saw, I stuck around!
I'm not very big no, so would be fine for me ! but my partner is a big bloke - not that tall (about average) but he's a very broad muscly bloke, so maybe an Eriba won't be too great for him after all Damn !
Mind you I guess it makes sense to check that out for ourselves if one comes on the market within our budget, nothing to lose by looking. Thanks for that Silver Living.
Never heard of Krabbes but maybe he#ll show up soon. Would be good to hear from more Eriba owners or ex-owners. I don't think there's that many though are there - or not in this country anyway.
Still not 100% sure I want to give up my tent anyway though...
Best Eriba interior layout imho is this type If you look at the interior pics. The seats go down into a 6ft square bed so plenty of room if you just want somewhere to sleep. This one is in Holland but its what I shall go for if I do get another Eriba.
It seems to be an example of an older Eriba that appears to be in fairly pristine condition & if you look at the inverted pic of the underside you will see what I mean about the chassis members that you need to check for rust. This one is claimed to be rust free & will be a good buy for somebody, I think.
Always a few on ebay, just type Eriba into ebay search.
We had an Eriba Troll 530GT. Absolutely superb, very well made and a joy to tow. Over 40mpg towing and great for young families. The only shame for us is that it ended with our 14yr old son had to share with our 9yr old daughter which wasn't ideal so we had to sell. If that wasn't the case we'd have kept it. Go for it, you'll not regret it, they're worth the money!!
------------- When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.
glad i found this thread , looking at vans on ebay germany and eribas seem good value out there . had this crackpot idea of buying one to do up ( cheap ) and selling it on, particularly as the exchange rate is a little more favourable , for now.
maybe the cheaper ones have rotten chassis therefore not the bargain i first thought.
is it feasible to buy one in germany , do caravans have their own reg plate out there and have mot or equivalent ? sone ads mention tuv ??
just in the very early stages of sussing out if its viable.
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: Anyone ever own an Eriba Caravan ?
at the Puck & the Morgan post ! Morgans are fabulous cars, sheer class - if I win the lottery I'll have one myself, though maybe not to pull the caravan with...
Damn !
