A visit to Apollo and Northstar

[Toshbins]

Hi. Having got ourselves an Amarok we're out and about looking at campers. We really want secondhand (no we don't, but we can't stretch to new , having spent too much on the truck). So as we were going past Apollo and Northstar we decided to drop in. Having been to a number of slick, and not so slick motorhome dealers (before we settled on a demountable) we had an interesting experience.
To call Apollo scruffy would be being very kind. Its in the garage at the back of an old filling station with a number of sad looking motorhomes for sale. Once inside its a clamber across piles of stuff to get to see things. Having said that, there is a warm welcome and an underlying honesty about the place. The fact that they are actually building the campers there means that they know every inch of them. We looked at new, secondhand and under construction. The construction methods don't deem to have changed since they started, and everything is done by hand. That results in a simple finish, a bit crude and wobbly in places, but it all ends with a comfortable camper.
Northstar are sited at the back corner of a maze. Once found it was clearly very different to Apollo. Much of the stock there is 5th wheel campers looking new and shiny. They aren't building them there but there is a workshop involved in modifying trucks to take the 5th wheel hardware.The new demountable that we looked at was crisp, with a quality to the joins outside and to the edges inside that the Apollo couldn't match. Little touches like a gutter along the edge of the roof impressed, as well as the proper sprung mattress. Having said that, there are advantages to the Apollo design, such as removable legs, better cooking facilities as standard, but were we to have the money for new, it would go to Northstar. But we haven't.
So we're off to look at secondhand ones now, but hope to get a look at some of the other makes as we go.

[Que]

We love our Apollo and it's given us some great holidays and a lot of fun. When buying second hand though get yourself a cheap damp meter for about £15 from Amazon and check out a few hints and tips on the web regarding using it on caravans (you won't have much luck finding demountable damp info but principles are the same.)

Make sure you don't get carried away with the excitement of finding just the one you want and forgetting to go over it thoroughly (with the damp meter) we did just that to our cost (forgot) and I spent months rebuilding the front end (the bed area) where the roof light had been letting in rain for a long time and rot had set in.

If the seller is unhappy with you spending an hour having a good poke around, walk away and find another one.

Also try to get some proof of the age of the unit, we were told that ours was built in 2005, we have had it 6 years now and a recent visit to Apollo revealed it to have been built in 1998, Andrew at Apollo remembered it well as it was a bespoke design.

Lastly, remember that the truck beds should roughly match the floor area of the demountable, in other words a demountable designed for a king cab truck with a 6 foot bed will not safely fit a double cab truck with a 5 foot bed. The weight is set too far back and you will have rear axle loading issues and the camper will just look wrong on the truck.

Good luck with your search, you will get a lot of fun out of the camper.

[Toshbins]

Hi Que.
Thanks for the advice. Keep an eye on our profile, because you never know, we may end up with an Apollo. I'd rather go for the camper in the best condition I can get, whether that's an Apollo, a Tischer or whatever. The Apollo has a lot to like - not least a decent cooker and hob. Andrew had a secondhand one there and was willing to modify the cushions for instance, with the roll front. Its not many things these days that you could take back 17 years later and have it recognised.
We want to take a good look around before plunging and maybe making a mistake.

[Madmountainman]

I'm new to all this demountable malarky, but read quite a few reports on leaky Apollo's My money went on a rather natty, second hand, S.Karosser and i'm well chuffed.

[Que]

Hi Que.
Thanks for the advice. Keep an eye on our profile, because you never know, we may end up with an Apollo. I'd rather go for the camper in the best condition I can get, whether that's an Apollo, a Tischer or whatever. The Apollo has a lot to like - not least a decent cooker and hob. Andrew had a secondhand one there and was willing to modify the cushions for instance, with the roll front. Its not many things these days that you could take back 17 years later and have it recognised.
We want to take a good look around before plunging and maybe making a mistake.

I hope that wasn't ours he was offering to modify for you, we took it in two weeks ago to have the damp issue looked at and he was supposed to be starting the job last weekend and we are still waiting for news of the damage. Was it parked on the right as you go through the gate and did it have black dive socks covering the leg motors and the side awning removed but brackets left on? I'm getting worried now.

[Toshbins]

No I don't think it was yours. Would be very enterprising if he did try to sell it rather than fix it!
Went to Wales today to see a secondhand Ranger. Armed with advice from the forum we looked in all the right places and found some soft damp wood under one of the seats. Other than that in very good nick. It was very basic though, no water tank no heating no hot water etc.
We then visited Lost in the Wilds and had a jolly good look at his Tischer (that sounds a bit rude!). Lovely smooth rounded finish on the outside, clearly less sources for leaks. Took away lots of useful information about prepping the Amarok too. He is clearly into unbolting as much as he can from the truck to allow more weight to be carried in the camper.

[Que]

No I don't think it was yours. Would be very enterprising if he did try to sell it rather than fix it!
Went to Wales today to see a secondhand Ranger. Armed with advice from the forum we looked in all the right places and found some soft damp wood under one of the seats. Other than that in very good nick. It was very basic though, no water tank no heating no hot water etc.
We then visited Lost in the Wilds and had a jolly good look at his Tischer (that sounds a bit rude!). Lovely smooth rounded finish on the outside, clearly less sources for leaks. Took away lots of useful information about prepping the Amarok too. He is clearly into unbolting as much as he can from the truck to allow more weight to be carried in the camper.

Phew, that's a relief

[Alexd]

"To call Apollo scruffy would be being very kind. Its in the garage at the back of an old filling station with a number of sad looking motorhomes for sale. Once inside its a clamber across piles of stuff to get to see things"

We did try calling them late last year I think it was, but if im honest would have to say they seemed a little unhelpful and just kept directing us instead to the website and email for enquiries

[rubberrat]