Coromal P653S cross country
Submitted: Friday, Dec 01, 2006 at 22:36
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JimDi
I am a visitor to this site. Am thinking of purchasing a Coromal XC 22ft for extended touring on particularly corrugated or poorly maintained roads. Can anyone advise of their experiences with this type of van and particularly comments on chassis. I am worried that the "a' frame seems to be welded directly to the front of the chassis seemingly at the weakest point. Wife and I like the layout etc but we are worried about performance.By the way we travel slowly and currently have a quality off road camper trailer and intend to travel in roughly the same vein but with increased comfort.
Reply By: Motherhen - Friday, Dec 01, 2006 at 23:16
Friday, Dec 01, 2006 at 23:16
Check out the find print - i don't have a Coromal, but stopped considering them when i read in their brochure for the so-called 'off road' caravans;
The Coromal Pioneer range is designed to travel on and off sealed roads. They are not however designed to travel over all terrain. Travelling over rough, rocky jagged, pinnacled and potholed surfaces may amount to misuse and driver neglect. Any damage incurred as a result is excluded from the manufacturer’s warranty. Commonsense should prevail in these conditions.
AnswerID:
208083
Follow Up By: JimDi - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 22:17
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 22:17
Dear Motherhen,
You are right. When I first raised my concerns about the quality of the undercarriage the first comment was...we cannot be held responsible for your poor driving. Next comment was after I queried the welding quality was....we cannot be held responsible for some welder in a factory in WA.
Work that one out.
Regards
JimDi
FollowupID:
468176
Reply By: Member - BBB - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 08:02
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 08:02
JimDi
We where in the same position 12 months ago have a look at post 39458 I went through in detail our needs what we looked at and then a review of the van after 12 months.
I think you will find it interesting.
BBB
AnswerID:
208105
Follow Up By: JimDi - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 22:12
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 22:12
BBB,
Great write up and good advice, should have used you a couple of months ago. Hindsight is wonderful. But have taken all your comments on board and now include your caravan mob in our next site visit. Just a word of advice for you and your wife, and I now speak with hind site and experience. When the teenagers leave home be sure to lock the revolving door.
Regards
JimDi
FollowupID:
468174
Follow Up By: Member - BBB - Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 08:41
Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 08:41
JimDi
If you are in
Brisbane you are welcome to have a look at our Traveller if you want we live in
Brighton.
If you want to arange a time give me your Email and I will send you my phone details and we can arrange a time.
BBB (Brad)
FollowupID:
468214
Follow Up By: JimDi - Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 11:47
Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 11:47
BBB,
Thanks, jdnicholls@dodo.com.au. Will be away for a week though.
Jim
FollowupID:
468236
Reply By: japmel - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 09:37
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 09:37
JimDi,
I too looked at the way the A Frame is joined at the front of the Van, Just that alone put me off buying one as an Offroad Van.
Personally I think the A frame on an Offroad van needs to be the full length of the Van as part of the Chassis.
Regards
japmel
AnswerID:
208124
Reply By: kimprado - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:02
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:02
JimDi,
Caravans are not built to handle extensive travel over corrugations, no matter what the speed.
To my knowledge there are only two manufacturers in Australia who purpose build a "rough road" van.
The down side is weight and they a lot more expensive than the so called Off Road units.
If your going to buy a van of this size stick to formed roads. Otherwise, you run the risk of doing significant damage to the van.
Regards
Kim
AnswerID:
208187
Reply By: Alan H (Narangba QLD) - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:19
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 18:19
Check these out if you want real offroad
Site Link
AnswerID:
208192
Follow Up By: JimDi - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 22:08
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 22:08
Alan,
Thanks,and we have a similar quality rig now. But getting older and want to travel for 3/5 solid years and need our extra comforts.Have enjoyed every offroad moment with our camper trailer and will miss it.
regards
JimDi
FollowupID:
468169
Reply By: JimDi - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:02
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 19:02
Thanks to all who replied. What a great site for feedback and reassurance.
We have cancelled our order due in May 2007. Without being too delicate we have not received a phone call or email response from Coromal or the Qld dealership involved for one week now. Sales staff have put any potential breakage or damage incurred down to my poor driving Motherhen so you are right there and the truth is we would not have received this van until next May 2007. Requests for our $6500 deposit to be refunded are being ignored. And no contract signed. We are now looking at Bushtracker and Kedron. Coromal may turn out to be an expensive lesson for us but I suppose it will be a lesson none the less. They say you are never too old to learn.
AnswerID:
208202
Reply By: Motherhen - Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 23:21
Saturday, Dec 02, 2006 at 23:21
Hi Jim Di
Being short of funds, i was willing to purchase one of these so-called off-road vans and try it, then when on a holiday in the
Pilbara we saw our first Bushtracker on the road. As luck would have it, they camped near us in the Karajini. After my husband looked under the BT, he would not consider anything else. Cheap is not cheap if you break down in the outback. They were hard to get pre-loved a few years ago, and the one we bought is one of the older models, not as many toys as people have in their newer ones, but it still has everything we need for easy living on the road. More toys means more weight too. Pure luxury after the fold up van. At 18' it is towable with a conventional 4wd, has loads of room for us and luggage, queen sized bed (yacht style), en suite, and looks lovely. We can tackle the back tracks with confidence.
AnswerID:
208250
Follow Up By: JimDi - Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 01:38
Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 01:38
Motherhen,
Have already been doing the rounds for second hand "real vans". We were caught out with our first choice with Coromal because we were advised that it was a new model but off road none the less. It was pure luck that coming home with our camper trailer we passed another dealership and spied our model being unloaded. We did not get to look inside just underneath and the alarm bells started ringing with both of us.
FollowupID:
468199
Reply By: Alan H (Narangba QLD) - Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 09:34
Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 09:34
JimDi
I think you missed the site link on my reply.
I did not mean my camper trailer - the site link is to secondhand bushtrackers.
Trust you find what you are looking for
Alan
AnswerID:
208285
Follow Up By: JimDi - Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 11:45
Sunday, Dec 03, 2006 at 11:45
Alan,
Yes I did miss the site link,many thanks. Being new to this site I am stumbling a bit.
Jim
FollowupID:
468235