Knaus Sun Traveller 708

v10

Ok .. I'm now considering a Knaus Sun Traveller 708 LHD as the CI Carioca went for more than I was willing to pay for it !

Anyway this one is a 2003 with 30000 miles on a Ducati 2.8 tdi.

Its got the layout I want .. 6/7 berth with double over cab and bunks at the back, and a table that converts in to another double.

Only seen pictures so far but looks spotless and have been told its in excellent condition without any damage/leaks etc.

Now its about 3200kg so no vrt so it should cost about €32000 which seems to be good value.

I've heard only good things about Knaus as regards build quality, so what do you think ???

Also its in UK but has German Plates, can you give any advice as to what I should look out for here ?

Cheers.

Motorhome Newbie.

peasant

Tis is only hearsay now, not gospel ...

Knaus are a pretty good make with good quality, but I've heard from some Knaus drivers in Germany on certain models (don't know if yours is one of them) that had two problems:

1) Spray from the rear wheels would collect in the arches and seep into the garage/storage compartment and soak the wood there ...fixed on later models

2) The connection from rear wall / side wall to floor was made without a dripping edge. Water would collect at the bottom of the walls but not drip down, but rather creep back inside and slowly soak the garage floor.


Two areas you shouldn't overlook (over all the other stuff) when inspecting the van.

Other than that ...watch out for the really long rear overhang (which can be a bit problematic in tight situations) and the weight on the rear axle.

(too much weight in the back, especially hanging out over the rear wheels, can lighten your front axle and cause traction problems. Keep this in mind when considering to buy that heavy motorbike to fill that nice, big garage:D )

v10

peasant wrote:

1) Spray from the rear wheels would collect in the arches and seep into the garage/storage compartment and soak the wood there ...fixed on later models

2) The connection from rear wall / side wall to floor was made without a dripping edge. Water would collect at the bottom of the walls but not drip down, but rather creep back inside and slowly soak the garage floor.

I'll be looking at it at the weekend so I'll keep a good eye on those areas.

peasant wrote:

Keep this in mind when considering to buy that heavy motorbike to fill that nice, big garage:D )

The one I'm looking at is the 708K rather than the 708G. The K doesn't have the big garage like the G .. it has bunks at the rear instead of a double bed over a garage. There is plenty of storage under the bottom bunk that is accessed from a bootlid type opening at the rear of the camper but no side access and certainly no room for a motorbike.

3ps

Hi I have a 608K and am very happy with it. I think the build quality is very good but I have had a few minor problems with it... however this was in the area of drop down bunks which you don't have.... and I expected problems with that kind of thing anyway!!

I paid 32k for mine (from Germany) 18 months ago so I would say yours is about right... certainly cheaper than buying in Ireland anyway!!!

I took mine in myself directly from Germany... I'm not sure if there are any wierd clauses taking something in from the UK... perhaps it has to be registered there and then brought in here??

stapeler

Give it a good inspection, a 03 with 30K miles is possibly an ex-rental. Usually well serviced but will have a bit of wear & tear. Just something to consider.