We have roughly done 12.000km with our Giraffe, including two off-road trainings. We love and value the independence. We never go to a campground, and we don’t have to stress out about having to replenish diesel or water very often. We have plenty of electricity, lights and connectors. The Dopfer cabin is very practical, solidly built and provides the expected comfort. All the water and electrical installations are thoughtfully planned and work perfectly.
We have plenty of storage room and the payload of 7t gives us ample flexibility. I estimate that our typical traveling weight is in the range of 6.2t.
The average diesel consumption is around 16-liter/100km. Our average speed is 60km/h. The engine could have more power for uphill passages on highways. The seating position and the seats are very comfortable. The driver cabin is spacious with lots of storage space.
We're impressed with the off-road capabilities, which we tested during the trainings, and we are confident that we are well equipped for our adventures. However, the Daily 4x4 doesn’t drive like a car. It’s very bouncy and wobbly. Be aware, it can get dangerous on roads with many bumps and grooves.
Noise is a problem and reliability a concern. The Giraffe is very loud, the radio cannot be used, and it produces so many different and changing noises that one is always alerted if something isn’t right. I often drive with noise-reduction earbuds and listen to music or podcasts which makes it more bearable.
Luckily our transmission box seems to be working OK. Just before we left for our Silk Road adventure an EDC (Electric Diesel Control) error popped up and we noticed that the ESP gets too often activated. Thanks to the Iveco dealer in Ravensburg (fantastic, quick service with an overnight turn-around!), we got the NOX sensor that was causing the EDC error exchanged immediately. (note: Offroad Motorhomes pre-warned us and told us that we should carry a spare NOX Sensor). ESP/ABS could not be fixed immediately as the diagnostic report produced a huge amount of different error messages. It doesn’t impact us driving and we cross fingers that it will not cause a major breakdown.
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