Steve Colman

I had the exact same problem with my DX8 gen 1 and a Lemon RX during the 30m low power range check. Luckily my club is in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fields and lanes. A friend drove me at least 500m away from the model, me with Tx in hand while another friend stayed with the model. Communicating by mobiles we performed a range check with Tx on full power and the model on the ground and all worked as it should. We repaeated this several times with the plane in different orientations on the ground with total success. As I don't usually fly anywhere near 500m in any one direction with the type of model in question I tentatively flew the model and everything performed flawlessly and the model continues to be flown with no problem. I read somewhere that the DX8 G1 had similar problems with non Spektrum Rx's on a few occasions but never with a genuine Spektrum Rx.

I'm very lucky in that I'm free to go flying every day of the week if I so wish, and this is what I've done all this week and will do so over the weekend. It does help that my club is only 7 1/2 miles away with the journey mostly via dual carriageway. I tend to go early in the morning, from around 07:30 /08:00 until about 10:00 / 10:30. By then it's getting too hot for me to be standing under the blazing Spanish summer sun. The couple of hours I spend there (99% alone) makes for a calm and tranquil start to the day.

I considered the Yeti but the boot length, even with the rear seats removed, was not sufficient for my needs. Also has a big lip to overcome when rear hatch is raised and doesn't have sliding rear doors.

The main problem with the Berlingo is the lack of service history, especially concerning regular oil changes, cam belt changes and water pump replacement. This little lot alone would be in the region of 500 to 700 euros. Then there may be other problems such as replacing the DPF which is another expensive job I believe, plus any minor issues that might show up. The dealer will accept a lower offer but if he had confidence in the car he would get it fully checked out and serviced himself prior to selling. If he were to do this and all proved OK I would buy it because in all other respects it's pristine. Yes, MoT tests here after 4 years, done by independent state run centres so no garage finding non existent faults to rip you off. This means relatively low mileage cars from 2017 readily available but at very high prices. At the other end of the spectrum cars with 150,000 km plus but still with prices perhaps double of what you'd find in the UK. I've often wondered why Spanish housing complexes are not built with solar panels as standard, it seems such a no brainer to me. But, like so many other things, much comes down to politics and policies that support companies retro fitting solar panels having close contacts with local/regional/national officialdom. While Spain has improved in many ways over the years, backhanders in brown envelopes, at all levels, is still not uncommon. Allegedly! Another thing I noticed when I first moved here, given the generally low rainfall, was a total lack of rain water collection via guttering and water butts for example. However, even despite that we have never had to endure any water restrictions which are still common in certain parts of the UK during the summer months.

Rich, yes I'm outside the UK, Spain. And yes too re an EV being both way out of my price range and inpractical . I have to park in a communal underground car park hence no home charging. And, there are only two public charging points within a radius of 15km. A Berlingo is the ideal size for my needs and still big enough to overnight in if and when required. My shortlist also consists of the Ford Torneo, VW Caddy, Renault Kangoo, and Fiat Doblo. Both the Torneo and Caddy are too expensive for a decent one and have been crossed off. I have test driven a diesel Berlingo, a Fiat Doblo and it's Opel clone. The Berlingo drives more like a car, is quieter than the Fiat/Opel and has better performance and specs overall. A small transit type is just that little bit too big given my parking situation.

The Torneo is very nice but too expensive for me over here. The Grand Torneo is too big. I've considered the S Max and the Galaxy but they're not what I want. Sliding rear doors are a big plus for me as the home parking situation is very restricted.

Thanks again guys for all your comments and opinions. It's been very interesting and helpful hearing what everyone has said. So, now I'll put the subject to rest and take heed of the latest advice from Dennis, supported by Ken. And, as soon as I have driven the petrol model I'll be able to put the debate of petrol v diesel to bed and get on and buy my new Multi Purpose Vehicle and enjoy it. Thanks and happy flying. Steve.

I'm with you on this.

Thanks once again to all who have commented. Given my budget I am somewhat limited in my choice of vehicle. Whether diesel or petrol may be a case of what turns up but so far I've only driven a diesel version; the only thing stopping me from buying that particular car was a lack of service history. Soon, I will try the petrol version so I will be in a position to compare the two and make a decision. As things stand, given the nature of the vehicle and what I want it for, I would prefer the more laid back torquey power of a diesel over a small high revving petrol. However, finding a good example in good condition, with service history, within my budget, living where I do is much difficult than I thought it would be. Thanks again everyone. Steve.

Sorry Andrew, but not on my budget it isn't! Besides, I also occasionally travel several hundred Kilometres and an electric car just wouldn't be practical for that given: I live in a 4th floor flat, and there are only 2 public charging points available within a radius of 15 kilometres. The vehicle will be used to transport myself and models and will occasionally be used as an overnight camper. Hence my choice of the Berlingo.

A short while age I asked for opinions about a diesel powered Berlingo with no service history and was provided lots of valuable advice which led to me not buying the car. Now, an opportunity has arisen for another Berlingo, a 20th anniversary edition from 2017 but, this time with the 1.2l, 3 cylinder puretech petrol engine with only 22,000 miles on the clock. As most of my journeys consist of a 15 mile round trip to my club and back and I do around 4,000 miles per year it may be a better solution for me. But.................... Of course it transpires that it may not be that simple. After some research I discover that said engine had some timing belt and oil contamination problems which in some cases resulted in ruined engines. In one case after only 33,000 miles. Apparently Citroen (and others using the same engine) did a recall on all models up to April 2017. Of course, the Berlingo I'm being offered is a 2017 model although I don't know which month. Hence my new dilemma. So, once again I would be very grateful to the wonderful members of this forum that have some experience with said engine and any advice that you may be able to offer me. Many thanks, Steve.

It's the same over here in my town in Spain, no matter what make or type of car. I swear they're produced especially without indicators for this place.

England v Ukraine. One of my best mates here in Spain is Ukranian so should be lots of good banter.

Agree about Pickford.

I'm very happy that England won the game and on balance I think deservedly so. And, it is nice to put one over on Germany for a change. However, I saw nothing that inspired me to believe that England have any real hope of winning the competition. Much of the passing is sideways or backwards and there seems very to be little momentum and even less creativity in the play in general. Sadly, against a competent team I think England will be found wanting.

Thank you so much Ken, much appreciated.

HI Ken, thanks. I know the rear seats of the 7 seater are removable but are you refering to the seats directly behind the driver/front passenger. If so this news is good to hear.

Thank you all very much for your replies gents, all are thought provoking and interesting suggestions. I have considered estates but would prefer something similar to my opening suggestions which include sliding rear doors and a higher roof line for practical reasons. Large Transits and Sprinters are out of the question because I simply don't have the space. I park in a shared underground car park and at times it's difficult enough to manouevre my Golf in place and then easily access the inside of the vehicle, hence my preference for sliding doors. Also, as I stated in my opening post, I would very much like something I could also use as an occasional camper where the higher roof of the models I have mentioned would be preferable. As for shopping, my other half has a Fiat Panda which we use for that and other little jaunts around town.

Thanks for the idea Bas but even a used Galaxy is way out of my price range.

Thank you all very much for your replies so far, lots of food for thought. Martin, I love the idea of buying a basic van and doing a camper conversion and have thought about it many times, but it's just not a viable option for me as I have no private outside parking upon which I could conveniently work on the van. Kevin b, you bring up a very important point re new or used. I'll be looking for something used up to 5 years old with a reasonable mileage. I have no need for modern bells and whistles like infotainment systems and screens, bluetooth connectivity, etc. However, USB for phone charging would be useful. Thanks again everyone.

Many thanks Ken. The Vauxhall Combo Life is sold under the Opel badge here in Spain and I am aware of the Rifter also. Thank you for the info about diesel engine as I do plan to go the diesel route. One question about the Berlingo/Rifter/Combo life I would like answered is about the rear seats. In the Ford and Fiat the rear seats are fully removable leaving a completely flat rear bed. I know the rear seats of the Berlingo only fold down and from what I've seen in videos they do not seem to fold down completely flat and level with the bed. Can you confirm this please.

With the support of my other half I'm looking to replace my VW Golf with something more versatile and practical and have decided that one of the MPV van deriviatives would make a good choice. I'm thinking about model transport/storage, possibility of use as a simple weekend/overnight camper as well as use as a daily driver. After some preliminary investigations via the net three models seem to be most common, and as always each has it's particular strengths and weaknesses. Therefore I am hoping that some of you on the forum have some experience with these three vehicles and would be kind enough to take the time to give me your real world opinion of them. The three in question in no particlar order are: Ford Tourneo Connect Citroen Berlingo (including Puegeot/Opel deriviatives) Fiat Doblo Many thanks in advance. Steve.

I'm in this situation at the moment. I tend to be something of a collector of models and find it difficult to pass them on but recently decided that many models have to go for a variety of reasons; the main ones being lack of storage space both at home and at the club and the absurdity of keeping models that haven't been flown in years as my tastes change over time. So, I made a list of the models and priced tham at what I thought were very fair prices. I posted them for sale on the clubs group WattsApp, put a poster on the club noticeboard and displayed the models every weekend at the club. Other club members have also spread the word via friends at other clubs in the area. The models covered a variety of types from Mpx foamies to fully built up balsa models and included powered gliders, sport scale, trainers, etc. Out of a total of nine I managed to sell two at prices well below what I had hoped for and consoled myself that at least the process had begun. That was two months ago and no change since then. One of the models I still have is a 46 sized Phoenix Decathlon complete with servos and a choice of either glow/electric power. The model is in excellent condition and I asked just 50 euros for it and have had no takers. I was also trying to sell a Sebart Shark in perfect condition at a bargain price as we've had a couple of new (and very keen) members join the club. Again, no takers but a few weeks later one of those said new members turned up with a nice shiny new Sebart Cessna trainer fitted out with all the recommended (expensive) Hacker gear which must have cost him 4 times what I was asking for the Shark. I can now see myself following along the lines of some of the aforementioned posts. I will remove servos, motors, esc's of some of the models and offer the airframes for 5 euros or free to whoever will take them. Failing that, unfortunately they will have to be destroyed.

Nice one Stephen. ?