Fiat Autoroller 70

[lonesome traveller]

Hello. I live in Cornwall. I'm new to all this. I'm on the never ending search for a motorhome. I've been offered a 1999 Fiat Ducato 1.9 TD Autoroller 70. On the face of it the price seems very good. Does anyone out there have any info on this sort of motorhome? Any help or info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[seesa]

Hi I have a W reg (2000) Fiat autoroller 1.9TD -(not sure if it's the same model) 5 berth -which we've had since Jan - when we bought it it had 2 previous owners and 22K on the clock. It has kitchen at the side and shower/toilet at the back. It's easy to drive but needs a bit of a run at steep hills - you have to change down gears (did some 33% in the lakes) - its economical on fuel and insurance costs me about £250 - It looks boxy compared to newer models - but being high off the ground means I haven't scraped the underneath - it has plenty of storage - tbh it's too big for the two of us and a terrier but the space is nice. Anything in particular you wanted to know?

 

[lonesome traveller]

Thanks for your response. Our main concern is the size of the engine. We have heard people say that it's not good on hills and is not economical. It's 1999 version - 4 berth - and mileage is around 38000. Drove very well on the flat and seemed to run well. But we've also been told that because of the need for gear changing so often on hills, there can be problems with gearbox. One other thing - we noticed that the wall coverings were a little wrinkled in places. There didn't appear to be any damp and we certainly couldn't smell any and we've been told that this can be simply from movement of the body over time and isn't anything to worry about. The seller, who seemed very genuine, said he's seen this in other Autorollers. Wonder if you've seen this too. Overall it seems a nice van and as this is our first venture we think it would suit our pocket and needs. But the concerns about the engine etc are because we are hoping to travel in France, Spain, Italy etc. Would love to hear from you if you have any more info or advice. Many thanks

 

[seesa]

we have no damp and certainly no damp smells - unlike a lot of other vans we viewed. Yes the wall covering is a bit wrinkly in a couple of places but never really paid much attention to it - it's 11 yrs old so it's not going to be perfect- like I said we manged ok in the lakes and did some scarily steep hills - it is a heavy vehicle and it's not brill on hills but we managed. A full tank does about 400 miles and costs about £90 to fill - not sure what that works out at but I thought that was ok. I guess if you get a bigger engine you pay more in terms of fuel - depends where you want to go. We took a mechanic with us before we paid up - he said that the engine and underneath were pretty sound with no rust or oil leaks.

 

[lonesome traveller]

Thank you for responding so quickly. It's good to hear that you have some wrinkles too! The van we are looking at is a T reg so a bit older than yours. You didn't say how long you've had yours but would it be very cheeky to ask roughly how much you paid? We could settle on £9500 with the private seller. It needs a replacement shower room window. All the appliances are in working order. The upholstery is clean and good condition. It has carpet on the floor which we would like to replace with something that is easier to keep clean. As I said, it seems like a good runner. Thanks for your time. Look forward to hearing back from you.