Full review

The Bürstner Ixeo has had a busy month, booked out for weekends away and booked into Camper UK for a little work to be done

The unrelenting demands we put on motorhomes can take their toll. Especially here where our long term test vehicle is in demand for events, weekends away and photo shoots.

So this month, the Ixeo was off to Camper UK to get a few things fixed. First, no washer fluid was coming out
of the windscreen washers. We topped the washer tank up and checked the pipes for any blockages. We even inserted a pin into the end of the washer sprays to check they were not blocked, but, as it turned out, the pump was faulty so a new one is on order.

I’d also noticed that the waste bin has never worked properly. This clever little bin (with two containers) should pull out from the cupboard, lid automatically raising as it does so. It did it once or twice, but the mechanism kept popping out. The technician had to remove both bins and the lid. It was found that the rod that caused the lid to rise was too long. Cutting it down by 3mm has ensured the bin now works as intended.

Also, several users had noted that the radio kept pausing for a second, almost like a CD skipping. Camper UK replaced the radio, and the issue seems to have been resolved – proving The washroom door handle had also become a little loose (wobbly), so Camper UK removed the handle, made and fitted plastic spacers and so put an end to the wobbles.

I’d also commented that the top wardrobe shelf could jump out of its small side fixings when on the move, especially if there was nothing on it. The technician took a look and fitted some adhesive tape to the back of all the shelves to provide extra resistance. The shelf now stays put.

Also, on another shelf, the front fascia was coming away from the wooden shelf base. The old adhesive was cleaned off and the fascia re-fitted with new adhesive.that the original radio must have had a fault.

One of our testers also noticed excessive smells coming through into the washroom from the toilet cassette, even with the correct amount of chemicals applied. The technician checked the cassette area and found that external flue pipe was not sitting snugly up to the plastic base, so he cut away the sealant to refit the flue pipe back into its correct position. The pipe was then resealed.

Finally, and possibly the most important, we’ve discovered an unknown water feature. The roof levels off behind the low profile moulding at the same position as the door on the offside. This means that rain water can collect in this area. Open the door and step out, and the motorhome tilts ever so slightly, causing a cascade of water to flow off the roof and into the doorway. It needed a drip strip. The technician neatly fitted 25mm L-angle plastic on the roof to follow the line of the roof. It mostly does the job – with only a few drips now managing to make it over the lip and into the doorway. Maybe it’s just that the L-shaped plastic profile needs extending further down the ‘van. It is, however, much better than it was.

NOW TO THE DAMAGE WE’VE INFLICTED
On one photo shoot – after an early morning driving through woodland – I managed to smash the plastic covering for the indicator on the offside mirror. Fortunately the bulb wasn’t damaged and the relative cost of just a cover was low.

We’ve also scratched two of the locker doors – often you can repair these with wax blocks used by kitchen manufacturers. Unfortunately these scratches run too deep and so there are new doors on order.

Although partly our fault, the removable concertina blinds in the cab kept pulling the A-pillar plastic trim away. A mixture of overzealous press studs to keep the blinds in place and not being nearly careful enough when removing the blinds caused this. The plastics were replaced and we were advised that, to stop this from happening again, we should press against the plastic near the press stud when removing the blinds. My choice would be to fit a different system.

All in all, a fairly minor list and one that probably won’t grow much over the next few months, when the motorhome has to be returned. What was striking is that many of these faults could easily be fixed by an enthusiastic amateur.

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