# Here at is at last - Adria Twin



## 107925 (Oct 27, 2007)

Well, it took a mere 6 months' of research, 3 zillion words of motorhome review text to absorb, plus rather a lot of forum posts. To be honest, I homed in on the Adria Twin quite quickly and only flirted with the various alternatives, to be sure I was doing the right thing. Only time will tell (wife would have preferred something bigger), but there was little else which had the fixed bed, plenty of space underneath for the dogs and which could be used easily as a second vehicle. 

We spent last night in the van, locally (me, wife, daughter, two dogs) at the Caravan Club site near Redhill. All was well barring a scary couple of hours when the temperature plunged in the evening and the heating shut off. I still don't really know why it did that, or what I did to get it back on again, but it finally worked and kept on going through the night. 

The Twin's bed is highly regarded and I'll add my support to that view. I'm a six-footer, but had enough room to stretch right out. It was also very comfortable.

The lack of a lounge isn't seen as a problem for us; the cab seats are terrific and nicely supplement the two travel seats. As for previous comments a few weeks ago about the passenger seat leaving legs dangling when it's turned to face the table, really that's a complete non-issue in my humble opinion.

I'm very glad I waited for a Twin with the 2.3 engine (as opposed to the 2.2), as it seems just right - no problems taking us uphill, fully loaded. Clutch and brakes are delightful.

The already fitted awning is a big plus (Omnistor 6002, 3.5 metres, if anyone's interested). Whether the Camos satellite system, the previous owner left behind, will get the full attention it deserves, I don't know - we tend to watch DVDs on laptops.

So, there you have it - I'm finally a motorhomer.

Shaun


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## b6x (Feb 26, 2007)

Good news Shaun. Well pleased for you. I'm sure the Twin will be perfect for you. I dont regret for a minute getting ours. There's things I'd change for sure, plug sockets relocated, heating controls not the easiest to see with the bed down etc, but there is nothing that makes me think we've made a big mistake. I think we'd have been looking forever if I tried to tick all the boxes with one van.

With regards the awning, I'm leaning towards the Omnistor 6002 for ours as didnt want too much of an over hang. Don't suppose you have any pictures on the van from side on that you can pm me? so I can gauge the length of the awning from front to back?

Looks good. Happy travels.

Regards,
Steve


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## 107925 (Oct 27, 2007)

I've just picked up your PM, Steve. I'm pleased to say I had a very thorough handover and I hope to have asked most of the right questions of the dealer. As for the awning, I was about to PM you this pic, but couldn't see how to add the attachment, so here it is. The awning isn't full on sideways, but should give you an idea. On the site today, I just wound it out then back in, to check it was OK. It seems just the job.

Shaun


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Congratulations, Shaun. You both look to be very proud 'parents'. :wink:

I hope you have many more happy times  

Gerald


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## TwinTravellers (Jul 5, 2007)

*Heating in Adria twin*

Hi,
We have been in the van this afternoon getting it ready for a trip to the N.E.C on Thursday - staying overnight in Tamworth so we thought we would put the heating on while we were stocking up. However, the heating worked for about 20mins. and shut itself off, the gas hob was not working either. We had this problem with our last van (Fiat autosleeper) when we camped over last new year. We have a blue gas bottle and we were told that this happens often when the temperature drops!! So we are about to change it for an orange one (the gas bottle, that is!!). We are hoping this solves the problem as we couldn't bear it if it was something else - we bought the van from Preston and live in London!


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## Broom (Oct 8, 2007)

Hi Shaun

Well done for the record we were three years before we bought our first motorhome and have never regretted it, still get excited at our outing, happy motorhoming

Best regards
Broom


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## 107925 (Oct 27, 2007)

Thank you, Gerald. I'm posing rigid with fear, not having driven anything with a manual box since 1990, and about to bite the bullet. It soon came back to me, though. Oh, for the same van with an automatic - but, without the big engine and expense.

When my heating went off last night, the gas hob was actually fine. I had to wade through the manual to see if I could see what was up, but to no avail. I still haven't worked out whether the heating is supposed to come on instantly (as it's gas), or something has to warm up first before the warm air emits from the ducts. I know the boiler has to warm up for hot water, but as for the 'central heating' I'm still in the dark.

I should also have mentioned that the dealer was Pullingers of Essex and everything went smoothly. The handover was relaxed but thorough and apart from the initial viewing where the salesman (in the owner's absence) wasn't too helpful, everything else went swimmingly.

I now have to find out whether the five-year extended warranty which comes with the Twin (as it was taken out by the previous owner) is worth the paper it's written on. I have to cough up £50 to Adria just to change ownership and see out the normal 1 year warranty, then a further £100 to transfer the balance of the five-year warranty. What the hell for? What do they do for that sort of money? The conversion side of the warranty seems to exclude all manner of habitation-related matters, so it doesn't seem to offer much. However, the same extended warranty seems to cover the Ducato side of things for a full five years. I must investigate.

Oh, and Fiat did all the recall work before I picked the van up - and they fitted an engine cover without being prompted and despite there being no sign of any leakage.

Shaun


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## 107925 (Oct 27, 2007)

Jeez, Broom, I've bought 4 magazines a month since last summer and it's a big pile. Surely, you didn't do the same for 3 years! I hope, like you, I still look forward to outings years from now.

Shaun


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## 107012 (Sep 14, 2007)

Well done on your new purchase!

Glad to see you have 2 dogs about the place the same size as out 2 as we have looked at other vans regarding space for a Dobe to turn around, but for the extra costs involved, it's just not worth it. The Twin does have everything though and as for the heater, it will switch off when the temperature you have set it at is reached. It's nice to hear it kick on and off during a cold night and it can get really toasty. We are buying some exterior screens though to save on gas, which by the way is Gaslow. You have a sat dome already too and how great is that, we are having to buy one of those!
Well done again, we'll wave to you next time we see a Twin!


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## 105062 (Jun 10, 2007)

Hi Shark, 
Welcome to the world of panel vans. The Fiat Ducato takes a lot of beating. I still can not believe how smooth it drives and how responsive the 2.3 120bhp engine is, and you getting that satellite dish as well... how good is that 8) 
She looks the same age as my 07 plate Ducato, has she had all her recalls done ? ( all free of charge).

Cheers
650


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## 107925 (Oct 27, 2007)

Yes, all the recalls were done without any prompting on my part. You might like so see my report about buying from the dealer concerned - Pullingers.

We did think the heater had gone off just due to the required temperature having been reached. However, two hours later we were all shaking with cold, staring at the boiler. The green light was on, the water from the taps was hot, but there was no warm air. I kept fiddling with the boiler controls, when suddenly I nearly cried with relief as my numb fingers felt warm air from the vent. I suspect a dicky connection somewhere.

As for the Camos, it's probably overkill for our needs, but I have found an unexpected use for it. On the return journey from the dealers, I drove home around the M25 in the car, with my wife following in the Twin. I could keep track of where she was through the sea of cars and vans behind me, as our Adria Twin has a large, white tit on top!

Shaun


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## rowley (May 14, 2005)

Shark, I have bought a Camos for my Twin, arrived today. I wondered if you could tell me whereabouts the coax comes into the van and where the control box has been fitted. Glad that you are happy with your Twin. Best wishes.


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## 101723 (Nov 8, 2006)

Hi shaun we were out in our Twin at the weekend near Mount Snowden it was at least -6 over night ! next morning there was an enormous iceicle
hanging from the heater flue outlet (see pic.) but we were as warm as toast inside, we also use red propane gas and I also use the electric heater in the boiler, it must save some gas that way ! not wishing to state the obvious, is it possible that you inadvertantly switched the heater to hot water only? as someone also said the controls are not easy to see under the bed! and it took me a while before I got used to them.

Terrier.


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## 107925 (Oct 27, 2007)

OK, Camos first. Imagine you're entering the van from the big side door. Straight in front of you, above the table, are two cupboards. My Camos control box has been screwed to the floor of the cupboard to the right. This is a false floor. Open the lid and all the cabling (lots of it) is situated there. The control box has been spliced into the 12v wiring. The co-ax and control box cables come in from the tit on the roof, down through the top of the cupboard. The receiver was positioned alongside (to the right of) the control box and velcro has been left in place, so that was obviously the means of attachment to the floor of the cupboard. Also, the false floor of the cupboard has had part of it removed right at the back, to make way for all the cabling. So, the cables from the roof and also from the Camos control box are routed via the cutout at the back of the false floor, then stored beneath the false floor. There's a lot of co-ax cable, which means this particular installer hasn't cut off the residue, instead having tied it neatly together and stored it out the way. But, it does take up quite a bit of space and it might be preferable to cut away the excess co-ax to free up some space beneath the false floor of the cupboard.

I'm still working out which receiver to buy. Most people have suggested the Maplin jobby (£50), but my local store has a different model (under the same code) as the one on their website, and it doesn't look as good. With the BBC/ITV free-to-air service due out shortly, I don't want to invest too much in a receiver which might not work with the new FTA channels. 

As for the my heater not coming back on, I fiddled with the controls constantly to try and activate it. However, the only settings I used were the ones which govern heating and hot water. The summer settings of hot water only (40 and 60 degrees) I didn't even try. Yes, it's dark down there, but I could still see what I was doing.

I was led to believe that the heating is gas only, so on hook-up, only the hot water is heated. In my case, all the time my heating wouldn't come back on, the 240v green light was on and the hot water was hot and the gas was on. Can someone clarify whether the heating does indeed work from hook-up and, if so, whether it should come straight on, or whether there's a period when nothing comes out of the vents, because there's a warm-up period.

Cheers,

Shaun


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## b6x (Feb 26, 2007)

Terrier said:


> I also use the electric heater in the boiler, it must save some gas that way !


Hi. When you say you also use the electric heater, is that just when you want the hot water? Or, would you leave it on during the night to avoid the valve dropping and dumping water? If it was a cold night, do you leave the heater (gas) on low?

I did think that leaving the electric element on and the gas off would ensure that the boiler wouldn't freeze, however read somewhere that the electric element is not connected to the valve and therefore the valve will still dump. Wasn't too keen on the valve dumping the water with the electric element left on.



Shark said:


> Can someone clarify whether the heating does indeed work from hook-up and, if so, whether it should come straight on, or whether there's a period when nothing comes out of the vents,


No, the heating is gas only. The electric element is just for hot water. There is a period of the boiler heating up. You don't get hot air out the vents straight away. Well, we dont anyway.

Regards,
Steve


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## 107925 (Oct 27, 2007)

On my maiden trip to the CC site, I had filled the water tank just before leaving. On arrival, a chap told me I had a leak. Sure enough, water was draining from the underside. I then checked the water tank contents and it was now nearly empty. And all because the boiler valve was open and dumping water all over the road as I drove to the site. Later on, when I couldn't get heating to come back on, I was reading the relevant manual, where I found that when the temperature gets to 3 or 4 degrees, the valve opens and you kiss goodbye to your water. So, all the more reason to panic that our heating wouldn't come back on. I had visions of a freezing cold van with no hot water - indeed no water at all. So, when the heating came back on, we left it on all night, knocking the thermostat down so it maintained a reasonable temperature. So, all in all it was in at the deep end with a few lessons learned along the way.

By the way, why does the heating take time to come on if it's gas operated? I can see why hot water takes time, given that it's dependent on a heater element. I'm thinking along the lines of a gas fire, which is instant. Why is this not so in the Twin?

Shaun


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## 107012 (Sep 14, 2007)

OH would like to say;
Heating is gas operated, as said. If your system has dumped the water though, all is not lost. Set it to D which is winter operation (without water temperature operation) or for when water is dumped. This way, you will still have heating at least.
If you want total heat up and pronto, I believe you can run both, gas and electric together.
We will use gas in the winter and leccy in the summer if on hook up.
OH seems to like crawling around in the dark to check the dial! 
And after a few months of investigations, he can now use his new found skill.... braile from the fixed bed!


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## 107012 (Sep 14, 2007)

Oh! And has any of the Twin owners here had trouble with a gas burner on the hob? Wehave one that keeps going out of it's own accord, which is annoying....Grrrrr.


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