Interesting video.We have a Xplore 304 bought new in 2017.The window corner cracked off in the same place as yours within the first year (we did not have a towing cover fitted).Upon close inspection we noticed the gap between the plastic window and the aluminium window hinge was too small (less than 1mm) and had sheared off the corner whilst towing (possible flexing whilst moving).The window was replaced by Kimberley Caravans in Nottingham under warranty.Unfortunately the window seal leaked after this replacement causing damp problems found on the next service resulting in another warranty repair.Our table was mounted on the side of the wardrobe but the bracket fell off soon after buying the van .
Wow a year already! Glad you are still enjoying the Activ. Tim and Dougal look right at home. Your always welcome back anytime if you want to make the long trip to us, but please keep us updated. 👍
Hi Andrew, lovely to see you as always. How the time gets by & a Year since You bought Your Caravan! This was a Great Video with Your Honest Review. I'm sorry there has been faults, the Washroom in- particular with the lack of Water to fill the Basin & more so the Shower Irregular Hot & Cold Water System. It's Dangerous!!! I do hope this will be rectified soon with no further problems! It's a shame what happened with Corner to the Front Window too! Lovely to see Dougal & Ted, they are both so chilled out & the affection from Dougal licking your Face just melts the Heart, Bless!! Sending Lots of Love 💖💖💖💜💜💜 XXXX
Another great video Andrew! I recently upgraded from an Xplore 302 to a 304 and I’m also towing it with a white EV :). Mine in the 2013 model, with the old-fashioned Dometic three-way fridge. It works great except on 12V. I made some modifications in the caravan: I split the cupboard in two, with shelves on the left and a part with a (halved) rail on the right. The table is attached to the right hand side of the part with the rail. I “broke up” the bunk bed in two parts which make two very handy shelves for all kinds of “stuff”, and I reversed the toilet door, so that it opens from the left. The reason for that is that I always hit the door handle with my back while in the shower. The shower is substantially smaller than the one in the 302, unfortunately. My water system has no issues, although the water pressure is lower than on the 302. Oh, and I do find that the amount of storage space in the kitchen is really limited. I have two doors instead of a door and drawers, but it’s a tight fit with all my pots, pans, cutlery, coffee maker, kettle etc. Still love the caravan though!
Andrew, after working for an RV dealership for the past eight years, I feel that most of the designers and engineers in the industry DON’T use them, and I believe that it’s a huge issue. Overall a I’d like your layout. That year has sure past in a hurry. ❤
Hello Andrew, thank you so much for this follow up video. We are so happy to hear that you are "over the moon" with the Twusch and it's holding up well for you. We are so happy to be starting a partnership with Thetford, as that also means that Thetford is fully on board with this product, since some people were concerned about possible warranty issues. We will always be a trusted seller of this product in the future, alongside Thetford. Thanks again, Andrew.
We had the same fault with no water in the toilet sink on 2 occasions. It was just a bit of build up of crud on the mesh insert in the end of the tap. Just screw off and run under warm water. Not had the hot water problem but that’s not good especially if kids use it. The table was installed on the right hand side in the 2017 model unless this was done by previous owner! Only other fault we have had was a leaky front window in the area where you have damaged yours picked up on its service. Just needed a new seal.
We’ve got a 2021 304. Bathroom tap had same problem but easily fixed as the end screws off to reveal a filter. Once cleaned the tap works well again. Our table is mounted on right hand side wall not the back. We also had a Specialised Cover that dropped down the same as yours. I got a full refund in the end as they were unwilling to make a taller one. Good luck finding another dealer to do warranty work, ours has a small damp area so I’m having to take 200 miles to the dealer we bought it off as none of the dealers closer to me in the midlands will do warranty work. Happy enough to take the money for a service but no follow up.
A great honest review sir. The water issue for me would of a major concern demanding better investigators to solve. The dark corner and table storage is , you to agree your failings to identify. You have reviewed hundreds of caravans so it’s no wonder Mr & Mrs Average gets it wrong ! Thanks for sharing.
Based on your videos we picked up our xplore active 554 in May (ordered it last year, usual wait times for caravan 😂)to tow with our EV and have had 45 wonderful nights in it so far. So grateful for the recommendation! We fitted the fan to the fridge when we got it, it's not been too bad but it's not been that hot this year as last year so it's not had a proper workout. We also fitted usb spot lights as the lack of usb charging points is pretty mean of elddis as they are only a couple of quid more than ones without usb. Oh and the lack of Bluetooth on the stereo was another penny pinching move, but only took a couple of minutes to fix by replacing the stereo for a slightly more expensive one
Thank you Andrew for this updated review. My mate has this caravan and I'm considering buying one so I was really interested in seeing your reviews when I saw you'd bought one. I like the simplicity of this little van and it's fairly square shape which maximise the space inside. Keep them coming! Cheers, Sky.
Hi Andrew. We are so pleased that you are mainly happy with your Caravan. I couldn't help but notice that the Awning rail openings were a little wider than our Swift. I wonder if they were closed a little, this may also help with your Cover. The Infinity Cover you kindly mentioned is proving to be really useful and does protect the whole front of the Caravan but it is more difficult to fit than a standard one. Thanks Phil.🙂👍
Love your dogs... i have a dog the same.... just relaxing all day! Thanks for sharing your ups and downs... Loved the video. We are going on a 4,5 month trip with the caravan to live in Spain. So i will give you remarks about the toilet after this time without the ceramic bowl. So i will send you this in march next year. Thanks for filming and editing! ❤👍👍👍
Hi Andrew. Many thanks for another great video and as ever your honest assessment of the fabulous Xplore 304! I bought mine in April 2022 & owned it for 16 months from new. I absolutely loved the van. Great as a first tourer and lightweight for the inexperienced tower too. Can fully understand why it’s been a very popular selling model! Only ever had one issue with a leak from the bathroom tap after the first 12 months. I’d have kept it for years if I had just been using it myself but I’ve upgraded to an Affinity 554 so family can come and stay. Hope you get those issues resolved! Happy caravanning! Best wishes Martin
Many thanks for another really helpful and honest review, based on your personal experience. Your previous videos on both the Xplore 304 and 422 were a strong influence in my decision to buy a new 422 as my first ever caravan. I pick it up this Wednesday, so I was relieved to find from this video that your experience of your 304 has been overwhelmingly positive! I will be careful to test the bathroom water straight away!!
So pleased you mentioned the heating, i thought it was just me that thought it sounded like a leaf-blower 🥴 i had the same system in my Compass CV20 and boy was it loud. Fingers crossed the water gets sorted as the shower dodge is also something that isn’t a fun activity to do 🤣
We tried looking at this caravan at NEC show earlier this year but we’re told none were being made this year, we ended up with a Bailey Discovery D44 ☺️ great vlog thank you 😊
Great review there Andrew! I don't suppose there is such a thing as a perfect van with no faults whatsoever!! The fault in the bathroom would drive me insane though, no water in the taps in the sink?!! Not very good and the shower problem too!! The layout can't be beat!! So different from all the others although I myself loved the 422 but I don't think they make them anymore! That's why I fell in love with the Tabbert, I just love the end kitchen for some reason plus the pull down bed which sold it for me!! Really good video, I so enjoyed it and the boys?! Well they are just well.... wonderful, both of them!! You too of course! I'm looking forward to where your adventures take you next time and the bike!! Next video?! See you soon, take care love and hugs xxx 😘🥰🐶🐕
Sounds a great caravan but boy oh boy quite a few major niggles , that shower is positively dangerous , very hard to get a perfect caravan , these days , we had a Lunar Clubman 2009 with so many faults it was laughable , a typical Friday van , it got a short shift !!!! After viewing your Leaving the Hebrides video last night I could not get to sleep for hours thinking of the whole scenario , such a shame , hands tied etc., never mind new adventures , enjoy the CLs, great spots for R/R , take care lovely man , hugs, still waiting on the NHS, for me new knees , nearly 6 years and now housebound , in a wheelchair , xxxxx
Hello Andrew, another great video. You may need to calibrate your water pump if you have a Whale pump, the water system in my 2018 Elddis Affinity did the same with the tap in the kitchen (we've never used the shower). It had been like this since we bought the caravan 2 years ago so now I wonder what servicing the dealer did! Compared to my old Bailey Ranger, I'm not impressed with Elddis build quality. We have 2 cupboards and 2 drawers that open when towing. I've fixed one of the doors but now will have to fix the other one. Another niggle is the light for the toilet and the the light for the front of the caravan interfere with the tv!!!! We have the same problem with the table in the wardrobe so we leave it at home.
Very honest review Andrew. We have the same fridge - never use auto. Also, the locking latch is so flimsy, you expect it to break anytime. Very poor design. Our front cover has side tensioner straps so it stays in place and doesn't slip down. Table stowage position is crazy. Thanks, Frank
We have a 2015 304 and spent 6 months in during a kiwi summer in the South Island and did almost 12000 km. Annamieke from New Zealand. Ps we love ours but now we have a lab guide dog as well. He fits in nicely.
Really helpful review. I've been thinking about changing my caravan for an Xplore 304 but the one speed, noisy fan would bother me. That is the kind of information that is so useful pre-purchase. Thank you 😊
Hello Andrew, Enjoyed the video. We have an Xplore 422 and love it. Prior to that we had an xplore 475 with the 2 fixed single beds. Our front window also had a break on the off side of the window at the top, exactly the same as yours. We showed it to the dealer but because the van was over 12 months they would not replace under warranty. Funny when we were in the dealers there was another xplore with the front window broken in the same place as ours. This looks to be a manufacturers fault and not a stone hitting the window. So far our front window in the 422 is ok.
Hi, not sure if anyone has mentioned this, as late watching your video, we had the same issue with our bathroom tap, our explore is 3yrs old. By all accounts there's a filter in the tap that blocks, we've used our van once since being fixed and worked for the 16days away.
Hi Andre from NZ love watching your channel and have learnt so much - thanks . I’m in love with that awning! But curious at how it attaches to your caravan! Thanks Cath 😊
One of my windows has a corner chipped off too, happened before I bought it, it’s been reglued twice now. Thankfully not fallen off on tow. Less of a thing on my 20 year old Elddis Vs your new one.
We had a similar experience with the damaged front pane on our Xplore 586. It transpired that it sheared when being opened as the front window can slide side to side on it’s hinge bar. If the window is opened whilst it isn’t quite central then the top corner of the pane shears off, in an almost identical fashion as what’s happened to yours. Took a little bit of effort but eventually we received approval for replacement under warranty.
That shower must be so frustrating. Our little coachman 380 is very reliable. It's small but we keep saying " everything works!" The fridge lights first time! The controls are easy as the caravan in a 2014 model. Hot shower very reliable and 40 degrees doesn't take long to heat up. We were thinking about having a little dinette especially for when the weather is bad as we use the caravan for work and leave the bed made up and don't have time or energy' to put an awning. but in the end we went a big bed and a great kitchen as we don't mind eating outside. The little 380 came with a sun canopy and solar panel which is keeping the battery topped up whilst we are on the road.
Is the water problem just the showerhead? I'll be very interested in learning how the problem is fixed. We have a Dometic 3way fridge manual change over. No problems with it getting cold & we live in a lot hotter climate than the UK. Yes the fridge lights are an issue. We use several layers of masking tape to block the light. I'm a woodworker so altering things that are annoying is often just a pleasant day on the tools. Grand review, totally honest, as we always get from you. Things wear out, and a lightweight caravan isn't going to last like an airstream. Comments re the front window are interesting ours slides side to side, we'll have to be careful. A lot of caravans have the same components regardless of make. And our Trumer Saphire reverse cycle A/C is too noisy to leave on at night.
I think you must have been very unlucky regarding the broken window; we tow without a cover (it’s a Basecamp, what can I say!?) and in three years of ownership we’ve never had a problem …mind you, we haven’t covered even a fraction of your mileage! 😂 Glad the van was the right choice for you. Tristan & Katie
Hopefully the manufacturer is listening and put some lighting in the bunk area in future models. Who ever is sleeping there would want reading lights, not to forget just having general task lighting. And good luck with the water problems. Could the shower problem be with the water pump? We all know Dougal is a sweet dog, even if he doesn't smile.
Do you love it Andrew... or should I call you Mr Kevin Keegan? 🤣 Thank you for posting real world experiences and sharing so much of your own story. As for finding a £10 site... you can never beat a bargain.
While we love that sentiment, we hope your wife will be on board with a Twusch for a Christmas gift . I heard they shatter when hitting someone over the head with it. 😅
Interesting video Andrew ! Personally, I can not see the point of the ceramic attachment. We live full time in our caravan and after five years, there is no deterioration whatsoever in our loo condition. Looks like your at your favourite North York’s Site. 👍🏻
Just like you, we have a dometic absorption fridge and just like yours it isn't very efficient, particularly in hot weather, when we have to attach a through flow fan. We have totally got around the problem now though. We now tow the caravan with our lwb campervan, with a compressor fridge in it, all the cooling you need and it can be as noisy as it wants when we are in the caravan and the compressor fridge is on in the campervan. As an aside, the campervan towing, is like night and day compared to our E class Mercedes car, at twice the weight and almost totally filling in the front of the caravan from an airflow point of view it is aerodynamically much better than the low slung car and weighing twice as much as the car, doesn't get sucked in by fast passing buses and lorries. I can travel right up to the 60 mph speed limit and it feels like the 7.5 metre caravan isn't attached - magic. At speed it is more fuel efficient than the car because of the superior aerodynamics of the total rig but climbing hills it uses more fuel than the car because the total rig weight is 3/2 times as heavy. As for the noisy heater fan, get some ear plugs. They work quite well against my wife's fog horn snoring, so your heater should be like a church mouse in comparrison.
I'd heard that Hymer UK weren't making any Xplore vans this year and the whole range has recently disappeared from their website. Are they going to launch a new entry level range? Watch out for splitting ABS corner caps and panels. The basin tap is likely to be a blocked filter on the spout as others have said. Does the kitchen supply surge every 6 seconds too. I asked because the whole caravan water system is always under the same pressure throughout and therefore should perform the same. It looked to me as if the pressure dropped for a second on a regular cycle and that is very unlikely. It makes me think there may be a blockage on the shower supply that is taking 6 seconds to activate and then releases, only to start over. Maybe unscrew the shower hose and shower head and back flush. They'll be fed by the same supply as the tap and if that's blocked with crude in the filter there could be some in the hose/head.
Hi Andrew regards the towing cover would the use of awning rail stops halt the downwards drift of your front towing protection. It could be a cheap solution to your problem.
Thanks Andrew we nearly went for this caravan but quite a few people had complained about the bathroom sinking not working even when new. Must be a design fault
@@andrewjditton Talking of winter, found this gem yesterday. haha you havent changed. I miss the caravan channel th-cam.com/video/UOTsm35ktvc/w-d-xo.html
Would a petrol Dacia duster tow this?? Would this be suitable for a family of 3 with two jack Russells??? For short breaks 2 weeks..only just started looking into caravanning and have watched your channel for advice and guidance 👍
The caravan's MTPLM is 1043kg, so you need to check that your Dacia weighs more than this (preferably a good 10% more at least), that the towing limit is at least 1043kg, and that it's homulgated for towing. Good luck!
It’s not a random stone chip…….. it must be that random that I know of possibly ten other xplore 304 owners having the same problem.there’s a tolerance/adjustment on the top hinge of all the windows meaning when you open the handles you can physically move the window from left to right and what’s happening is people close there front window before towing without checking it’s entered and during transit they also move slightly only by a few millimetres but enough that the top edge of the window pinches on the steel hinge bar during transit…… hit a small pothole and hey presto your window cracks the corner off. For myself to prevent this Ive used sand paper and shaved a few millimetres of the flat edge of each side of the window meaning less chance of the two ever coming into contact 👌🏻 your welcome
My 304 front locker hinge was mangled possibly by a break in , its been repaired twice by main dealer greentrees in dereham and failed twice , they told me I had lifted it too high for access and won't repair again , had to wait weeks for a new hinge so they say why did it fail again.....poor service from them after over 140 mil trips to repair.
@andrewjditton any ideas ,eldiss customer service poor , greentrees caravan staff abrupt and argue in public present. Can you advise me of a suitable repair route thank you.
The faults on the caravan are ridiculous , the heater noise alone would annoy the hell out of me , overall it appears that the caravan market in general have constant quality issues and in this day and age isn’t acceptable in my opinion , I think the whole industry needs to be more regulated.
Please could I have the contact for the person who made your sun canopy/awning. After viewing your video we sourced the exact caravan... t Kimberly Nottingham- deposit paid yesterday. Its brilliant. So thankyou 😊😊
Great review. Please remember that not everyone owns an electric car to run their caravan’s mains off of. If campsites were to opt out of electric plug ins, that would be a nightmare.
How about a bottle of filtered water sitting where your bathroom cleaner is, to use temporarily to brush your teeth and wash hands... I'm used to improvising where I live, have to fill a bucket with warm water from the shower and use basins to wash, amazing what you can get use to [!]
Maybe something like a stick was wedged in the window corner and snapped the plastic when it was opened. Seems unlikely to me that it would break like that from towing.
I'm with you about the fridge lights. Also flashing lights from smoke detector and fire alarm. Fortunately we have a four berth caravan with fixed bed so we have to pull the screen across at night or I get a migraine. It's bad design, the fridge is the worst culprit by far!
We loved our little 304, almost perfect, but we had to get something a bit more spacious for the 3 of us (one of us a rapidly growing child). We had the same tap issue! Was the filter on the tap, can be cleaned. No problems with the bed or any damp from front window? (Classic 304 issues)
@@andrewjditton you will see a small line near the end of the tap, you can unscrew the end and clean and clear the filter. (Use a tea towel so it doesn’t scratch)
I’m struggling with this. I know vans are not built (or designed) to the same standards as cars (or slow cookers) but if the water system doesn’t work I’d want my money back. Perhaps I’ve been lucky but I bought a small 2 berth new in 2017 and it’s been faultless and it’s done a lot more miles than Andrew’s . I won’t specify make/dealer because that seems to generate a lot of uninteresting responses, but definitely lower cost.
@andrewjditton I'm sure I've seen it in a vlog but can't find it now. Do you have a crash sensor on your gas supply? If so, can the heating be used on the move?
I don't have one on this caravan, but I have used motorhomes in the past with them fitted. If you have one, then yes you can normally use the heating on the move (at least in a motorhome/van - I'll need to check about a caravan).
@andrewjditton thanks Andrew. I found out yesterday that when the car is connected to the caravan and the engine is running, it cuts power to the control panels, so it's not possible to turn the heating on. Bit confusing as Truma's video in TH-cam promotes it as being able to heat motorhome or caravan whilst on the move. Ah, well.. it was a nice thought, but I guess arriving on site to a cold and damp feeling caravan it just the way it is. Love your videos. They're always a pleasure to watch and very professionally filmed / edited.
Hari OM The layout and space clearly work well for you - just a shame about those 'niggles' and the water breakdown. And the boys clearly consider it their territory! YAM xx
I had a 302 with Dorema Daytona awning to fit. Sold the caravan but still have the awning which was used from new three times. It needs a good home! North Wales location. Do you know of anyone who would be interested?
I bought a new Specialised cover for our Pursuit and while it does it's job it's only half finished ie the offside where the zip is is totally finished with braiding at the bottom and double braiding double stitched from the corner cap to the top great. The nearside not so much, no braiding on the elastic material so it moves while towing, and from the corner cap upwards it has one row of stiching so an edge protrudes. I contacted them to be that's how it's designed to not affect the stretch of the corner piece, what crap it's over 2 m away and an A frame between so there is no stretch between them. Of course I'm not a "famous" you tuber so tough. So anyone buying from Specialised beware.
My brand new xplore 304 is 2 years old and has the exact same faults. The basin tap stopped working and the front top right corner of my window has broken off too. Don't use a towing cover. Mmmm. Coincidence or poor design.
The basin tap turned out to be crud in the filter on the end of the tap (or so I was told). It unscrews easily so check it out. Many people have said that the window is a known manufacturing fault so I have submitted a warranty claim, but many months on and I still have no decision from Xplore...
I would send van back over water till fixed the other points you new about why bid you not get them fixed before collection. The front cover poor design they should pay for window repair. Also I would not have re sealed the shower tray if not correct by you get it re done.
If I were you I would use the washroom to do my teeth & rinse it with the shower. Similarly use the shower to wash your hands. Far better than washing in the kitchen sink - transference of bugs won't happen then. Just put a nice little USB charged clip on light down at the back
Will you still love the xplore when the (inferior plastic) ABS front and rear panels crack and elddis then says that they only guarantee these panels for 1 YEAR - so you are "on your own mate"?? Panels cost £5K to replace. If Elddis (Erwin Hymer) abandon their customers and only give out inadequate 1 year warranties for something as important as PANELS, they will have NO customers left shortly - google the cracking issue if unsure. Maybe you got your van for free and so not too bothered??
Interesting video.We have a Xplore 304 bought new in 2017.The window corner cracked off in the same place as yours within the first year (we did not have a towing cover fitted).Upon close inspection we noticed the gap between the plastic window and the aluminium window hinge was too small (less than 1mm) and had sheared off the corner whilst towing (possible flexing whilst moving).The window was replaced by Kimberley Caravans in Nottingham under warranty.Unfortunately the window seal leaked after this replacement causing damp problems found on the next service resulting in another warranty repair.Our table was mounted on the side of the wardrobe but the bracket fell off soon after buying the van .
Very useful and interesting info, thank you!
I never thought I would like a video about a toilet bowl!!😆
It's a good looking bowl though! 😉
I am happy to hear an english person speaking their language correctly.
Wow a year already! Glad you are still enjoying the Activ. Tim and Dougal look right at home. Your always welcome back anytime if you want to make the long trip to us, but please keep us updated. 👍
Hi Andrew, lovely to see you as always. How the time gets by & a Year since You bought Your Caravan! This was a Great Video with Your Honest Review. I'm sorry there has been faults, the Washroom in- particular with the lack of Water to fill the Basin & more so the Shower Irregular Hot & Cold Water System. It's Dangerous!!! I do hope this will be rectified soon with no further problems! It's a shame what happened with Corner to the Front Window too! Lovely to see Dougal & Ted, they are both so chilled out & the affection from Dougal licking your Face just melts the Heart, Bless!! Sending Lots of Love 💖💖💖💜💜💜 XXXX
Thanks Susan! All the best xx
Another great video Andrew! I recently upgraded from an Xplore 302 to a 304 and I’m also towing it with a white EV :). Mine in the 2013 model, with the old-fashioned Dometic three-way fridge. It works great except on 12V. I made some modifications in the caravan: I split the cupboard in two, with shelves on the left and a part with a (halved) rail on the right. The table is attached to the right hand side of the part with the rail. I “broke up” the bunk bed in two parts which make two very handy shelves for all kinds of “stuff”, and I reversed the toilet door, so that it opens from the left. The reason for that is that I always hit the door handle with my back while in the shower. The shower is substantially smaller than the one in the 302, unfortunately.
My water system has no issues, although the water pressure is lower than on the 302. Oh, and I do find that the amount of storage space in the kitchen is really limited. I have two doors instead of a door and drawers, but it’s a tight fit with all my pots, pans, cutlery, coffee maker, kettle etc. Still love the caravan though!
Rvery time I see you with a caravan I'm straight back to my youth! I'm sure Ted and Dougal gave you a great welcome home from Dusseldorf.
Andrew, after working for an RV dealership for the past eight years, I feel that most of the designers and engineers in the industry DON’T use them, and I believe that it’s a huge issue. Overall a I’d like your layout. That year has sure past in a hurry. ❤
Hello Andrew, thank you so much for this follow up video. We are so happy to hear that you are "over the moon" with the Twusch and it's holding up well for you.
We are so happy to be starting a partnership with Thetford, as that also means that Thetford is fully on board with this product, since some people were concerned about possible warranty issues.
We will always be a trusted seller of this product in the future, alongside Thetford.
Thanks again, Andrew.
We had the same fault with no water in the toilet sink on 2 occasions. It was just a bit of build up of crud on the mesh insert in the end of the tap. Just screw off and run under warm water. Not had the hot water problem but that’s not good especially if kids use it. The table was installed on the right hand side in the 2017 model unless this was done by previous owner! Only other fault we have had was a leaky front window in the area where you have damaged yours picked up on its service. Just needed a new seal.
Great caravan. I think your gripes are justified but so happy you are still pleased with it. Thanks for sharing.
We’ve got a 2021 304. Bathroom tap had same problem but easily fixed as the end screws off to reveal a filter. Once cleaned the tap works well again. Our table is mounted on right hand side wall not the back. We also had a Specialised Cover that dropped down the same as yours. I got a full refund in the end as they were unwilling to make a taller one. Good luck finding another dealer to do warranty work, ours has a small damp area so I’m having to take 200 miles to the dealer we bought it off as none of the dealers closer to me in the midlands will do warranty work. Happy enough to take the money for a service but no follow up.
A great honest review sir. The water issue for me would of a major concern demanding better investigators to solve. The dark corner and table storage is , you to agree your failings to identify. You have reviewed hundreds of caravans so it’s no wonder Mr & Mrs Average gets it wrong ! Thanks for sharing.
Based on your videos we picked up our xplore active 554 in May (ordered it last year, usual wait times for caravan 😂)to tow with our EV and have had 45 wonderful nights in it so far. So grateful for the recommendation!
We fitted the fan to the fridge when we got it, it's not been too bad but it's not been that hot this year as last year so it's not had a proper workout.
We also fitted usb spot lights as the lack of usb charging points is pretty mean of elddis as they are only a couple of quid more than ones without usb.
Oh and the lack of Bluetooth on the stereo was another penny pinching move, but only took a couple of minutes to fix by replacing the stereo for a slightly more expensive one
Oh yes, lack of bluetooth. I forgot that one! Glad you are happy with your 554.
Thank you Andrew for this updated review. My mate has this caravan and I'm considering buying one so I was really interested in seeing your reviews when I saw you'd bought one. I like the simplicity of this little van and it's fairly square shape which maximise the space inside. Keep them coming! Cheers, Sky.
Hi Andrew. We are so pleased that you are mainly happy with your Caravan. I couldn't help but notice that the Awning rail openings were a little wider than our Swift. I wonder if they were closed a little, this may also help with your Cover. The Infinity Cover you kindly mentioned is proving to be really useful and does protect the whole front of the Caravan but it is more difficult to fit than a standard one. Thanks Phil.🙂👍
Love your dogs... i have a dog the same.... just relaxing all day! Thanks for sharing your ups and downs... Loved the video.
We are going on a 4,5 month trip with the caravan to live in Spain. So i will give you remarks about the toilet after this time without the ceramic bowl. So i will send you this in march next year.
Thanks for filming and editing! ❤👍👍👍
Great honest review and video! No new caravan is without their faults. Our family caravan has come full of faults including a massive water leak sadly
@@Hello.247 It's a Bailey...
@Ian-Egerton This isn't a Bailey. I believe the manufacturer is XPlore and the model is Activ.
@@kezza5646 thought the person was asking what make our caravan is which is a Bailey
@Ian-Egerton Oops sorry, my mistake 🤦♀️ I thought they meant the caravan in video. I have a Bailey too.
Oh no! That's not good.
Thank you Andrew for the review of your caravan ! I agree with you we love our small caravan too.i like your caravan 👍
Really interesting and lovely to see the fur boys again x
Hi Andrew. Many thanks for another great video and as ever your honest assessment of the fabulous Xplore 304! I bought mine in April 2022 & owned it for 16 months from new. I absolutely loved the van. Great as a first tourer and lightweight for the inexperienced tower too. Can fully understand why it’s been a very popular selling model! Only ever had one issue with a leak from the bathroom tap after the first 12 months. I’d have kept it for years if I had just been using it myself but I’ve upgraded to an Affinity 554 so family can come and stay.
Hope you get those issues resolved! Happy caravanning! Best wishes Martin
Happy 1st anniversary for the Xplore! 🚗🚌🙂x
So true about that fridge. I have added the fan to help cooling the element in the hot weather
Many thanks for another really helpful and honest review, based on your personal experience. Your previous videos on both the Xplore 304 and 422 were a strong influence in my decision to buy a new 422 as my first ever caravan. I pick it up this Wednesday, so I was relieved to find from this video that your experience of your 304 has been overwhelmingly positive! I will be careful to test the bathroom water straight away!!
How exciting! Enjoy your 422. I was so torn between the two... :)
It's great to hear a real life, honest review. Thank You.
Thanks for watching!
So pleased you mentioned the heating, i thought it was just me that thought it sounded like a leaf-blower 🥴 i had the same system in my Compass CV20 and boy was it loud. Fingers crossed the water gets sorted as the shower dodge is also something that isn’t a fun activity to do 🤣
We tried looking at this caravan at NEC show earlier this year but we’re told none were being made this year, we ended up with a Bailey Discovery D44 ☺️ great vlog thank you 😊
A bit odd - they were showing the updated 2024 versions at Harrogate!
@@andrewjditton how very annoying 🫣
Great review there Andrew! I don't suppose there is such a thing as a perfect van with no faults whatsoever!! The fault in the bathroom would drive me insane though, no water in the taps in the sink?!! Not very good and the shower problem too!! The layout can't be beat!! So different from all the others although I myself loved the 422 but I don't think they make them anymore! That's why I fell in love with the Tabbert, I just love the end kitchen for some reason plus the pull down bed which sold it for me!! Really good video, I so enjoyed it and the boys?! Well they are just well.... wonderful, both of them!! You too of course! I'm looking forward to where your adventures take you next time and the bike!! Next video?! See you soon, take care love and hugs xxx 😘🥰🐶🐕
They are still making the 422 Anne, it was at Harrogate. All the best xx
@@andrewjditton Oh good, I was hoping that was the case!! xx
Sounds a great caravan but boy oh boy quite a few major niggles , that shower is positively dangerous , very hard to get a perfect caravan , these days , we had a Lunar Clubman 2009 with so many faults it was laughable , a typical Friday van , it got a short shift !!!! After viewing your Leaving the Hebrides video last night I could not get to sleep for hours thinking of the whole scenario , such a shame , hands tied etc., never mind new adventures , enjoy the CLs, great spots for R/R , take care lovely man , hugs, still waiting on the NHS, for me new knees , nearly 6 years and now housebound , in a wheelchair , xxxxx
I had a similar problem to your intermittent shower supply. Calibrating the pump cured it. Page 6-7 of the manual gives the procedure.
Will give it a go, thanks!
Hello Andrew, another great video. You may need to calibrate your water pump if you have a Whale pump, the water system in my 2018 Elddis Affinity did the same with the tap in the kitchen (we've never used the shower). It had been like this since we bought the caravan 2 years ago so now I wonder what servicing the dealer did! Compared to my old Bailey Ranger, I'm not impressed with Elddis build quality. We have 2 cupboards and 2 drawers that open when towing. I've fixed one of the doors but now will have to fix the other one. Another niggle is the light for the toilet and the the light for the front of the caravan interfere with the tv!!!! We have the same problem with the table in the wardrobe so we leave it at home.
Thank you for another amazing video Andrew! 🥰
Hello Andrew thanks for the informative video. I finally got my Twusch review 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Very honest review Andrew. We have the same fridge - never use auto. Also, the locking latch is so flimsy, you expect it to break anytime. Very poor design. Our front cover has side tensioner straps so it stays in place and doesn't slip down. Table stowage position is crazy. Thanks, Frank
We have a 2015 304 and spent 6 months in during a kiwi summer in the South Island and did almost 12000 km. Annamieke from New Zealand. Ps we love ours but now we have a lab guide dog as well. He fits in nicely.
Cool!
Really helpful review. I've been thinking about changing my caravan for an Xplore 304 but the one speed, noisy fan would bother me. That is the kind of information that is so useful pre-purchase. Thank you 😊
Hello Andrew,
Enjoyed the video. We have an Xplore 422 and love it. Prior to that we had an xplore 475 with the 2 fixed single beds. Our front window also had a break on the off side of the window at the top, exactly the same as yours. We showed it to the dealer but because the van was over 12 months they would not replace under warranty. Funny when we were in the dealers there was another xplore with the front window broken in the same place as ours. This looks to be a manufacturers fault and not a stone hitting the window. So far our front window in the 422 is ok.
Thanks! I'm currently wrangling with the dealer/manufacturer as it is such a common flaw.
Hi, not sure if anyone has mentioned this, as late watching your video, we had the same issue with our bathroom tap, our explore is 3yrs old. By all accounts there's a filter in the tap that blocks, we've used our van once since being fixed and worked for the 16days away.
Thank you Andrew, good honest review.
❤ very annoying water problem! I had trouble with taps it sent me balmy! Great caravan tho’ x
Hey. That’s our caravan !!
Hi Andre from NZ love watching your channel and have learnt so much - thanks .
I’m in love with that awning! But curious at how it attaches to your caravan!
Thanks
Cath 😊
One of my windows has a corner chipped off too, happened before I bought it, it’s been reglued twice now. Thankfully not fallen off on tow. Less of a thing on my 20 year old Elddis Vs your new one.
Reading the helpful comments from others, it seems like it's a known issue. Hmm.... :(
We had a similar experience with the damaged front pane on our Xplore 586. It transpired that it sheared when being opened as the front window can slide side to side on it’s hinge bar. If the window is opened whilst it isn’t quite central then the top corner of the pane shears off, in an almost identical fashion as what’s happened to yours. Took a little bit of effort but eventually we received approval for replacement under warranty.
Good to know and thanks for the info. A few others have said the same... Cheers!
That shower must be so frustrating. Our little coachman 380 is very reliable. It's small but we keep saying " everything works!" The fridge lights first time! The controls are easy as the caravan in a 2014 model. Hot shower very reliable and 40 degrees doesn't take long to heat up. We were thinking about having a little dinette especially for when the weather is bad as we use the caravan for work and leave the bed made up and don't have time or energy' to put an awning. but in the end we went a big bed and a great kitchen as we don't mind eating outside. The little 380 came with a sun canopy and solar panel which is keeping the battery topped up whilst we are on the road.
Great stuff. Yes, if your caravan works it's worth holding on to!
Is the water problem just the showerhead? I'll be very interested in learning how the problem is fixed. We have a Dometic 3way fridge manual change over. No problems with it getting cold & we live in a lot hotter climate than the UK. Yes the fridge lights are an issue. We use several layers of masking tape to block the light. I'm a woodworker so altering things that are annoying is often just a pleasant day on the tools.
Grand review, totally honest, as we always get from you. Things wear out, and a lightweight caravan isn't going to last like an airstream. Comments re the front window are interesting ours slides side to side, we'll have to be careful. A lot of caravans have the same components regardless of make. And our Trumer Saphire reverse cycle A/C is too noisy to leave on at night.
Cheers Bernie. When the washroom tap used to work, it also used to pulse.
I think you must have been very unlucky regarding the broken window; we tow without a cover (it’s a Basecamp, what can I say!?) and in three years of ownership we’ve never had a problem …mind you, we haven’t covered even a fraction of your mileage! 😂 Glad the van was the right choice for you. Tristan & Katie
Hopefully the manufacturer is listening and put some lighting in the bunk area in future models. Who ever is sleeping there would want reading lights, not to forget just having general task lighting.
And good luck with the water problems. Could the shower problem be with the water pump?
We all know Dougal is a sweet dog, even if he doesn't smile.
Do you love it Andrew... or should I call you Mr Kevin Keegan? 🤣 Thank you for posting real world experiences and sharing so much of your own story. As for finding a £10 site... you can never beat a bargain.
Think I'm going to order that ceramic bowl Christmas present for my wife
While we love that sentiment, we hope your wife will be on board with a Twusch for a Christmas gift . I heard they shatter when hitting someone over the head with it. 😅
LOL!!! :)
From Scoob, who is clearly as stressed as Dougal and Uno, just equally as stressed as Ted, thanks for creating this video!
Interesting video Andrew ! Personally, I can not see the point of the ceramic attachment. We live full time in our caravan and after five years, there is no deterioration whatsoever in our loo condition. Looks like your at your favourite North York’s Site. 👍🏻
Just like you, we have a dometic absorption fridge and just like yours it isn't very efficient, particularly in hot weather, when we have to attach a through flow fan. We have totally got around the problem now though. We now tow the caravan with our lwb campervan, with a compressor fridge in it, all the cooling you need and it can be as noisy as it wants when we are in the caravan and the compressor fridge is on in the campervan. As an aside, the campervan towing, is like night and day compared to our E class Mercedes car, at twice the weight and almost totally filling in the front of the caravan from an airflow point of view it is aerodynamically much better than the low slung car and weighing twice as much as the car, doesn't get sucked in by fast passing buses and lorries. I can travel right up to the 60 mph speed limit and it feels like the 7.5 metre caravan isn't attached - magic. At speed it is more fuel efficient than the car because of the superior aerodynamics of the total rig but climbing hills it uses more fuel than the car because the total rig weight is 3/2 times as heavy.
As for the noisy heater fan, get some ear plugs. They work quite well against my wife's fog horn snoring, so your heater should be like a church mouse in comparrison.
Ha ha! Will give them a try :)
Hmmm does the hot water do that funny pulse on the kitchen sink too tap? Trying to pin point where the issue lies.
I don't think so... but I'm not in the van ATM.
I had the same hot water scalding issues in my bailey. My dealer said it was the truma pressure thing. but i wasnt convinced.
Interesting. The water system in this one is Whale.
@@andrewjditton I could be showering away. And then you can just hear the pump pause for a second. And you know the hot water was coming
I'd heard that Hymer UK weren't making any Xplore vans this year and the whole range has recently disappeared from their website. Are they going to launch a new entry level range? Watch out for splitting ABS corner caps and panels. The basin tap is likely to be a blocked filter on the spout as others have said. Does the kitchen supply surge every 6 seconds too. I asked because the whole caravan water system is always under the same pressure throughout and therefore should perform the same. It looked to me as if the pressure dropped for a second on a regular cycle and that is very unlikely. It makes me think there may be a blockage on the shower supply that is taking 6 seconds to activate and then releases, only to start over. Maybe unscrew the shower hose and shower head and back flush. They'll be fed by the same supply as the tap and if that's blocked with crude in the filter there could be some in the hose/head.
Hi Andrew regards the towing cover would the use of awning rail stops halt the downwards drift of your front towing protection. It could be a cheap solution to your problem.
Great idea, thanks!
Thanks Andrew we nearly went for this caravan but quite a few people had complained about the bathroom sinking not working even when new. Must be a design fault
Hmm, that's very interesting, thank you!
Anymore updates on this caravan? And the towing cover
Not yet. Hopefully late spring after the winter hibernation.
@@andrewjditton Talking of winter, found this gem yesterday. haha you havent changed.
I miss the caravan channel th-cam.com/video/UOTsm35ktvc/w-d-xo.html
Hi Andrew
Where did you buy your caravan sun canopy from it looks really good
Many thanks Clive we
Details are in the description Clive
Nice review! Have you tried recalibrating your water pump? That might stop the problem with the shower.
No idea how that's done, but I trust the tech at Kimberley had already tried that, as it was reported as a fault at the service.
The window is a known issue due to how tight the rail is. Mine and others have had the exact same problem.
Interesting! Thanks for letting me know.
Would a petrol Dacia duster tow this?? Would this be suitable for a family of 3 with two jack Russells??? For short breaks 2 weeks..only just started looking into caravanning and have watched your channel for advice and guidance 👍
The caravan's MTPLM is 1043kg, so you need to check that your Dacia weighs more than this (preferably a good 10% more at least), that the towing limit is at least 1043kg, and that it's homulgated for towing. Good luck!
Hi Andrew, if you were on a site with mains hook up, could you charge your EV through the granny charger from the mains outlet on the caravan?
Yes, that's exactly how you do it on a campsite.
It’s not a random stone chip…….. it must be that random that I know of possibly ten other xplore 304 owners having the same problem.there’s a tolerance/adjustment on the top hinge of all the windows meaning when you open the handles you can physically move the window from left to right and what’s happening is people close there front window before towing without checking it’s entered and during transit they also move slightly only by a few millimetres but enough that the top edge of the window pinches on the steel hinge bar during transit…… hit a small pothole and hey presto your window cracks the corner off. For myself to prevent this Ive used sand paper and shaved a few millimetres of the flat edge of each side of the window meaning less chance of the two ever coming into contact 👌🏻 your welcome
Thanks! Yes, a few people have now mentioned this. Odd as I never opened the front window. I'll be having words with Xplore at the NEC...
Thanks! Yes, a few people have now mentioned this. Odd as I never opened the front window. I'll be having words with Xplore at the NEC...
Our washing machine is similar. My husband said the hot and cold is metered. Maybe ask them about that ? Just saying 😊
The 304 is the next model im after, just right for me and my little boy. Possibly a 2025 purchase if i knuckle down.
My 304 front locker hinge was mangled possibly by a break in , its been repaired twice by main dealer greentrees in dereham and failed twice , they told me I had lifted it too high for access and won't repair again , had to wait weeks for a new hinge so they say why did it fail again.....poor service from them after over 140 mil trips to repair.
Ouch! Hope you get sorted soon.
@andrewjditton any ideas ,eldiss customer service poor , greentrees caravan staff abrupt and argue in public present.
Can you advise me of a suitable repair route thank you.
The faults on the caravan are ridiculous , the heater noise alone would annoy the hell out of me , overall it appears that the caravan market in general have constant quality issues and in this day and age isn’t acceptable in my opinion , I think the whole industry needs to be more regulated.
Can they not move the table for you to where it is in the older models like mine on the right hand side of the wardrobe
maybe!
Please could I have the contact for the person who made your sun canopy/awning. After viewing your video we sourced the exact caravan... t Kimberly Nottingham- deposit paid yesterday. Its brilliant. So thankyou 😊😊
Congratulations! Karen's contact details are in the description ;)
We have the same fridge the lights are a pain 😫
What you recommend no EHU ?
Great review. Please remember that not everyone owns an electric car to run their caravan’s mains off of. If campsites were to opt out of electric plug ins, that would be a nightmare.
How about a bottle of filtered water sitting where your bathroom cleaner is, to use temporarily to brush your teeth and wash hands... I'm used to improvising where I live, have to fill a bucket with warm water from the shower and use basins to wash, amazing what you can get use to [!]
Maybe something like a stick was wedged in the window corner and snapped the plastic when it was opened. Seems unlikely to me that it would break like that from towing.
Great to hear! I'm leaving mine intact while it is under warranty.
I'm with you about the fridge lights. Also flashing lights from smoke detector and fire alarm. Fortunately we have a four berth caravan with fixed bed so we have to pull the screen across at night or I get a migraine. It's bad design, the fridge is the worst culprit by far!
We loved our little 304, almost perfect, but we had to get something a bit more spacious for the 3 of us (one of us a rapidly growing child). We had the same tap issue! Was the filter on the tap, can be cleaned. No problems with the bed or any damp from front window? (Classic 304 issues)
Your cracked window. Seems to be quite a common issue on the 304 forums. Not necessarily from
Towing, quite common in extreme hot/cold weather.
Oh really? That's very interesting to know! Thanks.
@@andrewjditton you will see a small line near the end of the tap, you can unscrew the end and clean and clear the filter. (Use a tea towel so it doesn’t scratch)
I’m struggling with this. I know vans are not built (or designed) to the same standards as cars (or slow cookers) but if the water system doesn’t work I’d want my money back. Perhaps I’ve been lucky but I bought a small 2 berth new in 2017 and it’s been faultless and it’s done a lot more miles than Andrew’s . I won’t specify make/dealer because that seems to generate a lot of uninteresting responses, but definitely lower cost.
Crikey I would be very concerned about the water issue. Do you think it is connected to the sink issue? Or are they on a separate feed?
When it used to work, it also used to pulse. Deffo needs looking at!
@andrewjditton we have the D4-2 and we absolutely love it. 😁
Maybe it’s me, but the ‘niggles’ seem pretty major, not minor. I’d be fuming having spent all that money
@andrewjditton I'm sure I've seen it in a vlog but can't find it now. Do you have a crash sensor on your gas supply? If so, can the heating be used on the move?
I don't have one on this caravan, but I have used motorhomes in the past with them fitted. If you have one, then yes you can normally use the heating on the move (at least in a motorhome/van - I'll need to check about a caravan).
@andrewjditton thanks Andrew. I found out yesterday that when the car is connected to the caravan and the engine is running, it cuts power to the control panels, so it's not possible to turn the heating on. Bit confusing as Truma's video in TH-cam promotes it as being able to heat motorhome or caravan whilst on the move. Ah, well.. it was a nice thought, but I guess arriving on site to a cold and damp feeling caravan it just the way it is. Love your videos. They're always a pleasure to watch and very professionally filmed / edited.
Hari OM
The layout and space clearly work well for you - just a shame about those 'niggles' and the water breakdown. And the boys clearly consider it their territory! YAM xx
I had a 302 with Dorema Daytona awning to fit. Sold the caravan but still have the awning which was used from new three times. It needs a good home! North Wales location. Do you know of anyone who would be interested?
Sadly not, sounds like a job for ebay or Facebook marketplace.
I bought a new Specialised cover for our Pursuit and while it does it's job it's only half finished ie the offside where the zip is is totally finished with braiding at the bottom and double braiding double stitched from the corner cap to the top great. The nearside not so much, no braiding on the elastic material so it moves while towing, and from the corner cap upwards it has one row of stiching so an edge protrudes.
I contacted them to be that's how it's designed to not affect the stretch of the corner piece, what crap it's over 2 m away and an A frame between so there is no stretch between them. Of course I'm not a "famous" you tuber so tough. So anyone buying from Specialised beware.
I love its size, layout and unfussy styling...not so much the plumbing and niggles!
Andrew, I think your water problem is serious, shower plus basin services at the same time !!!
My brand new xplore 304 is 2 years old and has the exact same faults. The basin tap stopped working and the front top right corner of my window has broken off too. Don't use a towing cover. Mmmm. Coincidence or poor design.
The basin tap turned out to be crud in the filter on the end of the tap (or so I was told). It unscrews easily so check it out. Many people have said that the window is a known manufacturing fault so I have submitted a warranty claim, but many months on and I still have no decision from Xplore...
We 🤥towed for years without a cover and never had an issue. just unlucky I suppose
I would send van back over water till fixed the other points you new about why bid you not get them fixed before collection. The front cover poor design they should pay for window repair. Also I would not have re sealed the shower tray if not correct by you get it re done.
If I were you I would use the washroom to do my teeth & rinse it with the shower. Similarly use the shower to wash your hands. Far better than washing in the kitchen sink - transference of bugs won't happen then.
Just put a nice little USB charged clip on light down at the back
Hallo Sir. It sounds all in all with so many things that you dislike....the water system....the fridge .....you are not happy with the caravan.
Will you still love the xplore when the (inferior plastic) ABS front and rear panels crack and elddis then says that they only guarantee these panels for 1 YEAR - so you are "on your own mate"?? Panels cost £5K to replace. If Elddis (Erwin Hymer) abandon their customers and only give out inadequate 1 year warranties for something as important as PANELS, they will have NO customers left shortly - google the cracking issue if unsure. Maybe you got your van for free and so not too bothered??