Rocci, here we come!

Discussions at home led us to think that a motorhome might well be the answer for us, and that we should take action sooner rather than later as the falling pound against the euro meant that new vehicles would soon be out of our budget. The CI Carioca 694 which we had looked at received  a good review in a specialist magazine, further encouraging us in that direction.

An internet search revealed a couple of unregistered  2008 models (at substantial discounts on 2008 prices). One was way down south, the other at Geoff Cox Motorhomes, Denby which is less than an hour away from us. I contacted Gaenor there and asked if we could go across to see it, explaining that we were not yet committed. Gaenor could not have been more helpful and we arranged to go across. Geoff Cox runs a family business and all are pleasant and helpful - and motorhome savvy. We were given coffee and left alone to explore the motorhome, with no pressure whatsoever. The 2008 model was only cosmetically different from the 2009 which they also had in stock (in fact we preferred the cosmetics of the 2008 model), and seemed to have almost everything we wanted; fixed double bed, bathoom with separate shower, full cooker, large fridge with separate freezer, dedicated place for LCD TV, ample storage, good sized dinette, four seatbelts, swivelling front seats and twin airbags. There was no microwave, but space was allocated and plug fitted to take one, and, most strangely, no radio (but this was no worry as I had a nearly new CD/radio with mp3 facility from my caravan and Gaenor would arrange fitting).

We got Gaenor back and asked a few pertinent questions which were fully answered, then looked at one another and nodded. If the deal was right we would buy. Besides the discount already available, we were offered a generous trade-in allowance on our Bailey Caravan, and the company being a car dealer as well, we were offered a good deal to trade in our second car, a Fiat Punto. The paperwork was completed, one or two extras added (alarm, reversing sensors, directional status aerial, Fiamma wind-out awning), and we arranged a date for pick up - three weeks later. We had bought a CI Carioca 694, henceforth to be known as Rocci. One or two more “essential extras” were arranged i.e. a pair of levelling ramps and (later) an AVtex TV/DVD Combi. We drove home excited but a little surprised. After months of deliberation we had made the change from caravanners to motorhome owners.