# Anyone got a Carver721H?



## Andyrousecar (Jul 2, 2012)

Hi, trying to find a Carver721H, southdowns don't reply which seems normal having read various posts on here. Emailed the factory expressing the will to fly over to Germany but just got a reply, 'we don't have one, sorry'. 
Currently have a 740BD Frankia on a 3.0 Fiat, had it for four years now since new (36,000miles), love the Frankia bit but hate the Fiat bit. It's our second motorhome & second Ducato. From our experience the Fiat is ok on lighter vans but 5000Kg MGW? no way! Would love to drive the Concorde on Iveco and would defo go for a manual gearbox, still enjoy changing gear. 
Got back from the Frankia factory just over a week now, having some work done (great job as ever) & got the chance to test drive the new Merc 6000Kg tag axel chassis. Have been considering this as as option thinking it could be the best of both worlds, low centre of gravity like the Fiat but better traction. Test drive didn't start well as whilst on a slight hill with a fair bit of steering lock on (exit of service centre at Frankia if you know it) the inside back driving wheel went over some gravel & the van paused with wheel spin. Enjoyed the rest of the drive although the 3.0v6 did feel like it struggled with a vehicle of this size, the Fiat defiantly had brighter performance, well when the clutch works and the front wheels aren't spinning LOL!


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## Burneyinn (Oct 27, 2006)

*Concorde Carver 721H*

I think you will find it hard to find that exact model the UK, especially manual, as most people opt for the auto option.We have waited nearly a year for ours & yes we also wanted manual transmission. We have also opted for the C21 upgrade, twin turbo & uprated gearbox which is only available with manual transmission.

We have just visited the factory to collect it. They make very few for general sale. 99% are customer orders.

For us it was worth the wait as it has everything on our wish list.

Good luck with you search


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## Andyrousecar (Jul 2, 2012)

Thanks for the info, must have been very exciting collecting from the factory after the long wait. If I carn't find one to try then will stay with another Frankia but on a Merc this time! Not prepared to buy another motorhome without a test drive this time, you spend all your time finding the right layout, built quality & specification & over look the driving experience, never again!


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*manual*



Andyrousecar said:


> Thanks for the info, must have been very exciting collecting from the factory after the long wait. If I carn't find one to try then will stay with another Frankia but on a Merc this time! Not prepared to buy another motorhome without a test drive this time, you spend all your time finding the right layout, built quality & specification & over look the driving experience, never again!


With the bigger Frankia's on Mercedes. Almost all I have seen are Automatics.

There is also the new 7G-Tronic, seven speed auto available as an option.

Also bear in mind that if you intend to keep your Concorde/Frankia for a long time, Manual is fine. But the vast majority want Auto's and that may effect your resale value. That is of course unless you find someone who wants a manual!.

TM


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## Strathclyde (Sep 25, 2006)

We bought a new Concorde Carver 771 earlier this year (from Southdowns, who we thought were really excellent). In my book, choosing the right dealer is as important as choosing the van itself.

You don't buy a vehicle like this from a dealer forecourt... there are so many options, you really need to take the time to understand and consider... and be sure you get all the bits you want factory fitted at the construction stage. 

Amongst other extras, we added automatic hydraulic jacks - an absolute godsend - push the button and the van levels, even on the most uneven pitch (at our home, the rear wheels are 6 inches off the ground when it levels!). We also got the adjustable rear (only) air suspension... with the big overhang at the back, really useful to be able to raise the back end when driving on and off ferries etc).

We also added extra battery, generator and bigger inverter. So we can run at 240V anywhere. The inverter computer allows you to limit the current taken from a campsite supply to eg 6A, but will happily allow the microwave and electric kettle to be on at the same time, supplying the extra power from the batteries via the inverter.. then topping up the batteries when the load is off. Or in the wild, you can run the generator for a short while and pump a massive 100A into the batteries. 

The new van isn't quite as stable on the road as our old Hymer E700 on the Alko LWB tag-axle chassis... but vastly more stable than any Merc we have looked at, which with the narrow Merc wheelbase and soft suspension rocks all over the place. And we'd never go back to a manual box after experiencing the joy of the auto on the Iveco. Plus the Iveco engine has so much more power than the Fiat... 

We went to the Duesseldorf show last year to choose and buy the vehicle - and of course were able there to review our choice among several possibles, including Frankia etc. We then later reconfirmed all the fine detail at the Stuttgart show.

The options we had fitted added nearly 30% to the base vehicle cost. But we got the van (our 5th or 6th) that we wanted, with all the earlier experience over a few decades of what was essential, and what we really wanted/needed.


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