Carawagon / Dormobile comparisons

[GibraltarSean]

This a post from another site I recently posted. Have put it here in case I can be advised appropriately. Thanks.

Hi all, some advice please... I'm interested in a Carawagon / Dormobile, but have never owned either... does anyone out there have any practical experience of both with pros or cons? Also, I'm not really clued up on the engines but would have thought the petrol might be the way forward... any feed back on the 2.6 straight six cylinder as opposed to the v8 for power / reliability / ease of maintenance etc....
Lastly, long shot... but would any one have an old dorms lid for sale on here? Reason I ask is it may be an option to fit to my current 1998, 300TDI. I'm aware it can be purchased new, I was in touch with Dorma a while ago. Thing is I have a full wrap Safety Devices roll cage on my old girl and don't want to loose this if poss so I'm interested in a lid to attempt To make cut outs to sit over the bars etc... Dorma say they can't do it, but I had the impression they were only interested in a standard fit and forget application....

Hmmm food for thought...
Thoughts please?? Any advice on the 3 points greatly appreciated.

Regards
Sean

[RMS]

Ooh - can of worms there

You find a very few Dormobile and Carawagon owners fiercely support their own marque, so be prepared

Personally, although I have 3 Carawagons in various state of repair, it was purely chance that they came up at the right prices when I was looking.
If a Dormobile had come up at that time I'd have had one of those instead or as well as.

Of course, having just Carawagons means I know more about them than I do Dormobiles, so perhaps others might want to chip in about their Dormobiles.

Most Carawagons were bespoke - built along similar lines, but to customer specifications, so you will find different layouts.
Dormobiles were, as far as I know, all made with the same units inside, though they might have made some changes over the years.

Most Dormobiles were built using Station Wagon base, so are 5 door.
Most Carawagons used the two (three) door as a base, though there were some 5 door Carawagons (now very rare), and I have seen one 2(3) door Dormobile.
Of course, anyone could take a vehicle along to Searle (Carawagon) or Martin Walters (Dormobile) and have it converted, so there could well be other variations still out there.

All (most?) Dormobiles had a glass fibre and plastic canvas side lifting roof. Most Carawagons have a solid lifting roof made of marine ply and special bendable alloy.
With the roofs up the Dormobile feels much more 'airy' as it is as wide as the whole roof and the plastic canvas lets in light. The Carawagon roofs are narrower, and with smaller windows can feel more 'closed in', but also more solid in windy conditions.
Not all Carawagons have a lifting roof - it was an expensive option so they were also produced using standard roofs, but still have the Carawagon style 'paraphanalia pockets' for storage.
Some Carawagons have a pull out awning frame at the back, and would have been supplied with a canvas awning to fit.
I'm not sure if there was a Dormobile specific awning, though some owners use generic awnings, and some have had theirs custom made.

Dormobiles have a wider bed than most Carawagons because their kitchen/wardrobes tend to be at the back.
Carawagon beds tend to be narrower as most Carawagons have the cupboards etc. right down one side though one of my Carawagons does have a full width bed as it has a different layout.
The beds in Dormobiles are made up using clever 'rock&roll' seats - though some say they need a mattress topper or airbed on top as they are not always level.
Carawagon beds usually use a long bench seat and back rest in the back which simply pull out on legs, and the front seat squabs are lifted out, the seat backs folded forward and the squabs put on top.

All (most?) Dormobiles have bunks in the roof section, some Carawagons also have bunks.

Dormobile furniture is made of sheet steel, folded, rivited and painted etc., Carawagon furniture is mostly made of wood. Both can be found in good or poor condition, with possible rust on the steel furniture and rot in the wooden furniture if water has been allowed in.

So that's just a few quick observations - I'm sure I'll think of more, and hopefully others will chip in.

Cheers,
Robin.

[GibraltarSean]

God just seen this Robin... great info! You have highlighted some really good points to ponder there....

What about engines?? What's this 2.6 petrol like for powere / fuel economy / reliability etc

Appreciated, Sean.

[DrivingDutchman]

God just seen this Robin... great info! You have highlighted some really good points to ponder there....

What about engines?? What's this 2.6 petrol like for powere / fuel economy / reliability etc

Appreciated, Sean.

Hi Sean,

I have a 1969 Dormobile with the imfamous 2.6litre 6pot engine. Same engine can also be found in the Rover P4, al be it with slightly different exhaust manifold.

The engine is slightly more powerfull then the 4pot 2.25litre. It likes to drink though, mine gives about 11 to 12 mpg. But my engine has not been rebuild and overhauld yet, so that might get better once that has been done.
I even pull my big hobby caravan without issue, slow, but it pulls very good.
I think it is a very reliable engine. If I look at my defender with 300tdi engine... That one always has some issue or another and then my Dormobile always comes to the rescue as it is always just working. Even with MOT's, losts of issues always with my defender, but hardly any with my Dormobile.
Also the 2.6 is a bit more complicated then the 2.25.

I do have to admit that in time, due to the high price of fuel in general in Europe, I am planning to convert to a 200 tdi pure for fuel economy.
Last 3 weel trip through France a few years back, it cost me just over 1000 Euro's for fuel... And we didn't go that far into France either.

Dormobile also makes the roofs from new to fit on Defenders and Series alike. Colin (grumpycolin) on this forum has fitted a brand new Dormobile roof to his Series 2A 109. They are not too expensive. I believe he has paid something like £2500 for it and then fitted it himself.

Hope this info helps...

Cheers,

Michiel

[GibraltarSean]

Hi Michiel, thank you for the frank reply. Good to hear your engine has beeen reliable for you, but yes I understand that is really low mileage there.

Yep I like the Dormobile lid but I have a roll cage on my defender and would have to be sure it could fit... I had hoped that cut outs could be made for it to sit over the roll cage bars but when telephoned Dormobile, I was advised it could not be done.....

Sean.

[DrivingDutchman]

I suppose if you could alter the roll cage where the roof would need to go...

[RobW]

Or look at some of the other options - the VW T5's have a different system as do the Bongo's. Maybe one of those would fit?