# Anyone know anything about the Herald Range of vans??



## badger (May 9, 2005)

During our preliminary investigations into a suitable "new" van for us, we have changed our minds a few times.

I have seen a few vans of the Herald range on sale, all on transit base, and these seem to tick quite a number of our boxes, so "what does the panel think?"

Has anyone any experience of these vans, good or bad.

I await with bated breath.....in fact my breath has never been so bated>> :wink:

(edit) just to say it's the older versions I'm looking at (1994/98)


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Hi Badger

Weren't Herald another badge of Autohomes before they went under? Or was it an Elddis brand? Either way, they used Fords for all the base vehicles. Obviously you don;t see many about now, not sure when they stopped making them?

sorry, not very helpful :roll:


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Hi badger, Herald was an independant company based in Poole Dorset. They were taken over by Compass and incorporated into the Explorer Group. The Herald was used for caravan dealer specials and I had a 2000 Herald magnum which was a Mendip special based on the Compass Rally.
They have a members club who camp next to MHF at Shepton Mallet MH shows.
Practical Motorhome have 
Compass & Herald Motorhome Club
Mrs. J. Walters, 
26, Priory Road, 
West Kirby, 
Wirral, CH48 7EU 
as the contact, whilst motorhome.com have
Compass and Herald Owners Club 
Maureen Eddon
Compass and Herald Owners Club
4 Nursery Lane
Tamworth
Staffordshire
B78 3AS

United Kingdom

and I am sure one or other can can help you.

Ray


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

Hi Badger.
We had one for a couple of years it was the Herald Esquire E on a Ford Transit 2.5 we did a lot of travelling in that van and the Transit never let us down once........cheap to service too.
The build quality was not top of the range but quite adequate although the insulation was a little lacking. 
One thing with the Transit running gear I didn't like was the rear axle ratio was too low IMO as on a motorway travelling at say 60 mph the engine was revving very high which can get very tiring........ mind you with that axle the Pyrenees were no problem.
Gary


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## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

Hi Badger,
Herald arose from the ashes of the Autohomes collapse.

They were the ex employees and managers of Autohomes who started up in the same factory in Poole. They built coachbuilts on Transit chassis' - quite well made but obviously dated now.

Unfortunately, the 'climate' was still not conducive to success at the time and the venture failed.

Elddis took over the Autohomes name, and did the same by buying out the Herald brand.

I understand that a couple of specialists down Poole way are ex Autohomes/Herald staff.

From the ones I have looked at over the years, the usual caveats should apply - damp ingress etc. I guess by now that the Transit body on some will need attention due to the dreaded tinworm.

There are a few out there - choose carefully!!!
regards
Carl


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Thanks guys n gals.........it's just that we saw a couple of reasonably priced models that fitted our brief and we wondered if they were worth looking at....they did seem in nice condition. Will look out for the "worm".


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## robrace (Jun 30, 2005)

*herald*

We have had two Autohomes and two Herald's andnow a Buccaneer.All of them based on The trusty Transit.Herald's were well made and finished and we had no reliability problems.We loved our Aragon which was a 2/3 berth.We only changed to the Buccaneer because we wanted a 5 berth.Would be hard pused to change to any other base vehicle but a Transit.Just read the post's and all the problems with Fiat's Etc.nly problem with Transits is tinworm.but wings etc can be bought very cheap on Ebay.Good Luck


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## LeoK (Apr 21, 2006)

Hi Badger,

We still have a Herald Templar Hallmark II, which I haven't got round to advertising. It was first registered in august 1996, so is on a P plate. Currently waiting for it's third owner.

As has been said, they were designed and made in Poole, until the Herald company was taken over by Compass. 

My Herald was assembled by Compass but seems to be made from parts which they acquired with the Herald name. Having taken it to several club rallies it seems to be like the Poole built models rather than the later Compass builds. I was lucky.

Agree with the rear axle comment, and support the advice given to take a good hard look at everything. If it's a good 'un you should find it quite satisfactory - subject to your box ticking, as with any van you look at.


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Hi LeoK

You have a PM


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## lezzer (Jul 21, 2015)

*herald on ducato chassis*

hi to all out there, just stumbled across this site looking for herald bits,and i reckon i must have THE ONLY HERALD IN EXISTENCE that is on a fiat ducato chassis and it is in mint condition no tin worm and no water ingress 
every time i talk to insurance company's they automatically say oh yes that's a ford and i have to correct them i have the v5 and i am the 4th owner from new and the last owner had it 16 years so does anyone know of a herald on a ducato chassis apart from mine,?? if so please email me on [email protected] anyway what i am looking for is the over cab bunk bed windows with no cracks or splits as although mine do not leak they have seen better days or does anyone were i can get them made????


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Yes, I always thought that heralds were on ford chassis. Weren't they made by the same people who did Compass? And we're they normally fiat / Peugeot?


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Club!

http://compassandheraldmotorhomeclub.weebly.com/


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

lezzer said:


> hi to all out there, just stumbled across this site looking for herald bits,and i reckon i must have THE ONLY HERALD IN EXISTENCE that is on a fiat ducato chassis and it is in mint condition no tin worm and no water ingress
> every time i talk to insurance company's they automatically say oh yes that's a ford and i have to correct them i have the v5 and i am the 4th owner from new and the last owner had it 16 years so does anyone know of a herald on a ducato chassis apart from mine,?? if so please email me on [email protected] anyway what i am looking for is the over cab bunk bed windows with no cracks or splits as although mine do not leak they have seen better days or does anyone were i can get them made????


I have seen campers on the web with the name Herald and on a Fiat like this one but not a motorhome.
http://www.wellsbridgemotorhomes.co.uk/Used Homes/L941 LFR Fiat Ducato Herald Emblem/details.htm


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## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

lezzer said:


> hi to all out there, just stumbled across this site looking for herald bits,and i reckon i must have THE ONLY HERALD IN EXISTENCE that is on a fiat ducato chassis and it is in mint condition no tin worm and no water ingress
> every time i talk to insurance company's they automatically say oh yes that's a ford and i have to correct them i have the v5 and i am the 4th owner from new and the last owner had it 16 years so does anyone know of a herald on a ducato chassis apart from mine,?? if so please email me on [email protected] anyway what i am looking for is the over cab bunk bed windows with no cracks or splits as although mine do not leak they have seen better days or does anyone were i can get them made????


Hi - is your Herald a high-top as opposed to a coachbuilt? If so, yes it would have been on a Ducato chassis. However, I have discovered an ad for a 1993 Herald Castile which shows a coachbuilt on a Ducato chassis. Seller says it is rare and, quite honestly, they are right because other than the original high-top 'Emblem', Herald really did only build on the Ford Transit chassis-cab. I guess there must have been a few Ducato chassis-cabs knocking about the old Authomes UK factory when they started up. Looking at the pictures, it would appear that the bodystyle is either the same, or very similar to the later coachbuilt Aragon or Templar so maybe the luton windows may be the same? Is this the same as yours?




























Hope this is of some help.


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## lezzer (Jul 21, 2015)

yes pretty much identical mine is also l reg but i fitted alloy wheels when i had it,that one looks in good nick as well ,


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## jakecassie (Nov 6, 2016)

Hi, I have a Herald Aragon 2/3 berth "L" reg 1994 NO RUST ANYWHERE and NO DAMP, she's done 86000 miles, on 2.5TD Transit passed every mot to date, look after them and they will look after you, I would not change mine for a new model, people pass remarks on the original condition and it looks like it was only a couple of years old.


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## R D Feltham (Dec 21, 2016)

*Dr*

I also have a Herald Castile (1994). Does anyone know where the 10A fuse for the TV socket on this model is located please? I have searched for it but so far cannot find it and my fuse has blown


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

Know it is a long shot, newer van, differnt make, but ours is on the same fuse as part of the lighting system!


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

Although this thread started in 2009 and runs to two pages, it has had over 10,200 views. Pretty amazing, wonder what the reason is?

Davy


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

TeamRienza said:


> Although this thread started in 2009 and runs to two pages, it has had over 10,200 views. Pretty amazing, wonder what the reason is?
> 
> Davy


Quite a Triumph then?


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## TeamRienza (Sep 21, 2010)

Jokes like that make me spitfire !

Davy


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## Harrers (Dec 21, 2011)

TeamRienza said:


> Although this thread started in 2009 and runs to two pages, it has had over 10,200 views. Pretty amazing, wonder what the reason is?
> 
> Davy


and if every thread is getting that many views even the old ones that no-one is posting on, that is what is keeping this forum a good proposition for the advertisers and the owners of course!


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## Billyme123 (Apr 18, 2019)

Where can I get cam locks for my 1997 heral. Thanks . Glenn


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