Fiat Ducato at Caravan & Motorhome 2006

Fiat Auto’s new Ducato, which has just been launched in the UK, will feature prominently on the Fiat stand at International Caravan & Motorhome 2006, held at the NEC, Birmingham, (17– 22 October, 2006).

International Caravan & Motorhome 2006 will be a major event in the UK, filling halls 1-5 of the NEC. It follows on from the European shows in Düsseldorf, Rimini and Le Bourget, where new motorhome ranges on Ducato chassis have been warmly welcomed and recognised to be a new generation in recreational vehicles.

All the major UK and many European motorhome manufacturers’ stands will be displaying vehicles created on the many different versions of the new Ducato chassis, in van and coach-built versions. Fiat Auto’s Ducato is the most widely used chassis on the market, and forms the base of two out of every three motor homes in European circulation.

Exhibits on the Fiat stand will include a LWB Chassis Cab Special equipped with a 130 bhp version of Fiat Auto’s acclaimed 2.3 litre MultiJet Diesel and six-speed gearbox. This particular combination of engine and transmission has been designed specifically for motorhome use, (and in terms of performance, compensates for the larger frontal area presented by the motorhome conversion); along with pivoting seats, roof cut with cabin structure reinforcement, specially homologated Fiat seatbelts, and numerous other dedicated solutions designed to optimise motorhome customers’ benefits.

Completing the stand is a pair of Back to Back chassis cabs equipped with Fiat’s new 3.0 litre 160 MultiJet Power engine and a 2.2 litre 100 MultiJet Diesel SWB Chassis Cab.

As new Ducato was designed and developed with specialist manufacturers for conversion into motorhomes right from the drawing board, it has numerous exclusive strong points: a specially designed motorhome chassis, suspension with front and rear anti-roll bars, a wide track, and a MultiJet engine with specific power and gear ratios. These are only a few of the features that make the Ducato the ideal vehicle for the motorhome market.

This particular attention to motorhome-owners’ needs not only addresses product issues, but also that of services. When Fiat launched the Ducato, it also inaugurated a specific, exclusive call centre for its customers. Today, the Camper Customer Centre operates a dedicated call centre just for motorhomes.

A simple telephone call to an operator, in the customer’s own language, provides all the necessary information about the product and the services on offer, and can establish a contact with specialist technicians or the Fiat Camper Assistance roadside rescue team that is dedicated to Ducato motorhome drivers.

During the first 24 months following registration, a dedicated Customer Centre is available from every European country, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, for assistance in case of breakdown, accident, empty fuel tank, partial theft or even lost keys. While the vehicle is off the road, it is possible to use a suitable courtesy car and

hotel accommodation. The Fiat Assistance Call Centre remains in direct contact with the customer and the workshop repairing the vehicle, so that the driver and passengers can continue their journey as soon as possible, and when necessary, the Call Centre will assist a workshop in any activities necessary to complete the repair.

The number to call for Fiat Camper Assistance is: 00800-34281111

(The numbers 3428 equate to the letters F I A T on a telephone keypad.)

Fiat is the only brand with a dedicated motorhome aftersales network, and the project involves approximately 7,400 Ducato service points around Europe, with over 1,100 Fiat Camper Assistance centres providing standards and exclusive services for motorhome clientele.

Fiat products and services for the constantly growing European motorhome market are increasingly comprehensive.

Enthusiasm for motorhomes is growing in the U.K.: more than a holiday vehicle, it is beginning to represent a real philosophy of life, allowing travellers to visit the best tourist destinations in complete freedom.