Looking to buy an Eriba and navigating through all of the adverts at dealers and on Ebay etc. None of the vans have absolutely everything we need so wonder if anyone can give an approx idea of how much to budget for having extras added?

Here's our list:

Motor mover
Wind out awning and sides
Single bike rack
Cover
Hot water heating
Interior heating

Anything I've missed that you feel we will need?

Thanks

Peter

Thanks Colin
It all adds up doesn’t it?

Peter

hi Peter

As ever some good & thorough advice from Colin based on years of experience.

We went through this dilemma a decade ago when we were looking to buy a Troll. We got some things right and some things wrong....................

The one thing that we have regretted on getting our 540 was that we didn't realise that although we had the gas heater the blown air vents came as an extra. First time away we put the heater on and held my hand to the heating vents at the back of the van and nothing was coming out - the ducting was an extra!!!!!!!
We use our 540 over three seasons and when it is really cold outside we would use the blown air heating. We have an oil-filled rad as Colin suggests & also a fan heater both with thermostats that heat the van up. But with hindsight we would have got the blown air ducts and the electric unit in the gas heater.

As for the hot water boiler we have the more expensive gas & electric boiler. For us we have only used the gas once and would have saved money just getting the electric one.

We use our van differently to Colin and went for the 540 with the multi-function bed instead of a fixed bed one. This gives us two dining /lounge areas and the bed can be made up to a king size that goes across the van. My wife, daughter and two young grandchildren all slept in it whilst I slept in the front single bed made up of the front dining area. Now the grandchildren are bigger we have bought a new Dometic PopAir Awning that you can get a zip in sleeping annexe for, that our daughter and grandson sleep in.

We also have the Isabella Shadow canopy that he mentions which we use instead of a large awning when we go away for just a couple of nights - and it really does take only 5 minutes to put it up. Like Colin we also cook & eat a lot in one of our awnings. As such we ordered an external plug socket on the door side of the van and that has been invaluable for cooking outside. (it is also the place that we hide our spare door key for the van.) Once you get your van have a third key cut and hide it somewhere that you can access - Eriba door mechanisms can get a bit temperamental over time and some owners have found themselves locked out when they have slammed the door shut & it has locked

We toyed with paying extra for the 3 burner gas hob but didn't bother. We now do most of our cooking on a low voltage Induction hob .

We also hummed and hahed initially about getting a motor mover fitted but so glad that we did now that we are getting older. Get a good one

Hope these ramblings help a bit. We ended up spending a lot on extras as we always intended keeping the Troll a long time. We are in our tenth season and are hoping for another ten as long as our health holds up..........

Best wishes
MikeT

Mike's Troll sounds almost identically specced to the secondhand 2016 540 we are just buying. It's an all-white dimpled finish one and, on the surface, the more basic, non-GT version, however, as Colin states, all is not that simple in the Eriba world. The original purchaser added almost all the extras we would have wanted - fly screen door, spare wheel, electric element to the gas heater, Reich motor mover, external plug socket. I have a front towball bracket (to hold a simple bike rack) to add to the jockey wheel (à la Dom Fox's one that he sells as an accessory), which I will swap over when I change the jockey wheel to the Alko Premium one we already own (brilliant, because it has a nose weight gauge built in to it).

The only thing missing are extra 240V and USB sockets and the hot water option, but sockets can be easily added and we have never had hot water on the three Eribas we have owned before. We currently have the three burner hob, but the two burner is as many as we actually need - and we have a portable, single induction hob anyway for outdoor cooking. We have a Pop Air Pro with zip-in annexe for long stays (takes me ten minutes to put up, using the 12v electric pump) and an Isabella Shadow sunshade for quick stops (they are really good and very quick to put up).

The dealer we are buying from are new to selling Eribas and they seemed to have no real idea of the value of the extras - so we were lucky to pick it up for £15,000 with new tyres, new 105Amp battery and a "starting out" kit, etc.,etc. It just goes to show that bargains do come up if you take your time! But good ones do tend to get snapped up quickly at this time of year, so don't dither when the time is right - and be prepared to travel for the right one.

Good luck,
Simon

To a degree what you NEED is probably different from what you'd LIKE. And what you NEED depends on how you will use the van.

If using proper sites all the time then gas isn't necessary on any appliances, but you'll get gas as standard on fridge, hob and space heating, although there's the odd model where the fridge is electric only.

We've had a van with electric water heating and one without and the latter was much preferred, though we never went off grid so it wasn't an issue.

If specifying now I wouldn't bother with the shower gear as the washroom is way too small for showering.

I would always, always specify carpet as it makes the interior much more comfortable.

As said three burner hobs are nice in theory but probably irrelevant in actual use.

A mover is a must and I'm not up to date with what fits Eribas these days but average mover fitted cost is £1200 or thereabouts.

We've never had a fixed bed model and always opted for 540's where my 6ft2ins frame fits very nicely on the single beds and the gangway gave more room for the bearded collies. The multi function bed option was much preferred as you get a removable central chest, a stand alone table that can be positoned anywhere, both in and outside the van, including in your own garden if you fancy it. In addition you can have it as a full double, or as single beds of varying widths depending on how you use the seat back split cushions. A great option.

I've had wind out sunshades on Trolls and I'm really not all that bothered. As said, wind is a danger with them, as is heavy rain and putting in sides and fronts is a long winded fiddle. Our 'room' got used once and the smell of plastic in the heat of the sun was overpowering. It's also quite heavy and uses payload.

That raises the point that Eriba quoted MIRO's are for a bare standard spec. van. By adding options the weight of the van increases and the available payload decreases so you need to allow for that in calculations of the van's weight in use and in the tow vehicle's capability.

On the subject of dealers and buying at a distance you should be aware that the only workshop that is legally obliged to carry out warranty repairs on your van is the one that sold it to you. Others can but aren't legally obliged and many won't handle a van they haven't sold. Servicing is slightly different and other places may be happier to carry out annual services but if they find a warranty problem they may decline to get involved. If you are buying 'away' then check with your preferred local workshop if they'll handle your van before agreeing a deal.