Layouts
Comments
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you probably need to look at Bailey, they make caravans with engines....
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Too wide BB.
Was quite taken with a Tribute coachbuilt with the layout I would want a year ago mind. Very nearly bought it in fact.
too true, our next van will be one of the slimmer style ones....
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the layouts being discussed here, some remaining favourites, some going out of style are, ISTM all a bit samey...
compared to MH, where are the new radical designs?
....for example....
very few (other than Burstner) have drop down beds....due to flimsy construction...
no raised rear beds offering proper carrying capacity underneath...due to hopeless payloads and the rear pendulum effect on towing...though, turn the caravan around and have the bedroom at the front, with a rear lounge (a la some continental makers), this
could be done, making the transportation of bikes so much easier.so, mainly due to construction constraints, each new season is really just a question of move the furniture around a bit....
as in the OP, some will remain favourites longer than others (current fashion) and some will fall out of favour as, for example, folk move from make up beds to fixed beds...
however, there doesnt seem to be the inspirational innovation that is revealed every season with MH....
as in, the lovely little Rapido 640FF in this months What MH, six mtrs, huge lounge, huge kitchen, nice washroom/shower, good external storage....
Knaus even has a 6m panel van with two drop down beds....
come on caravan designers, lets see something more than changing the cupboard handles......or the colour of the carpet
...If c/vans could be built on 3.5 ton chassis and still be towed by some thing a lot smaller than a tractor unit, then I am sure a lot more innovation would be offered
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..but a good proportion of a MH's weight is the cab, engine and gearbox, not to mention front suspension.
youd think 2 tonnes would be sufficient scope for someone to come up with something other than a vanilla caravan....
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..but a good proportion of a MH's weight is the cab, engine and gearbox, not to mention front suspension.
youd think 2 tonnes would be sufficient scope for someone to come up with something other than a vanilla caravan....
...Not many 2000kg plus vans to justify that sort of investment,maybe over there could help from the huge company that does both
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L shaped front lounges used to be an option on many makes but standar layouts now dominate unless you go for the handbuilt models where they will do most things for you. We had the option twice at £50 extra only at the time. The last time I looked only Lunar
did it for £150.0 -
There is at least one company which will alter layouts in both motorhomes and caravans and there are quite a few motorhome constructors who will custom build, All you have to do is come up with the ideas and the cash!
peedee
The problem with custom layouts is when it's time to sell.
You are not only limiting the potential customer base (your ideal may well not be someone else's) but dealers find it hard to value the outfit.
If it's not in the little book, it's just best guess.
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I was just trying too see what the most popular layout was , for example , We have a mid bathroom end island bed layout . This layout for us means if she goes to bed early to watch tv , I can watch the tv in the front and if needing the loo I don't have
to go past Her to get there and disturb Her . Having a lay in myself occasionally, I don't get disturbed either . What's everyone else's preferences and more importantly, why ?Paul
We prefer this layout but with twin singles, (for Gkids on occasions) this way they get to go to bed and we can still access the bathroom.
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The two of us have settled on a 4 berth. Front U shaped lounge (no central drawer unit) with central kitchen area. Behind this is the must have fixed double bed and full width washroom to the rear. Love it, wouldn't change it and there's plenty of room at
all times of day and night.0 -
just at a local MH show, where we are camped behind a caravan dealer, so walking though the caravan showroom to get to the MH show, we spotted the Knaus "Sport and Fun" caravan....
this is what i was eluding to re: innovative design, rather than same old, same old.....
a fixed double in the front, a long A frame designed to carry bikes, lovely curved central lounge seating, proper drawer storage in the kitchen and......the really neat bit.....a huge pull out shower tray in the rear/center of the van allowing the toilet
room to be just that.......and, to cap it all, a large opening tailgate (a bit like a MH PVC sliding door) to let the sunshine in.....
all on a 1300kg chassis and only 6.25m total length....
very clever....
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BoleroBoy , Your quite correct in an earlier post , regarding motor home designs and ingenuity, they seem very innovative in there designs compared to the Caravan that are made .
paul56 , on our new Caravan We also went for the U shaped lounge , the drawers were usually full of junk , but I do miss the fold out table .
Tammygirl , similar to us but in a different way and its a layout that works
Paul
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The problem with custom layouts is when it's time to sell.
You are not only limiting the potential customer base (your ideal may well not be someone else's) but dealers find it hard to value the outfit.
If it's not in the little book, it's just best guess.
But at least you get something you can live with and not have to compromise.
peedee
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Peedee , I am on the same lines as You in regards to what an individual would purchase and enjoy , however I think Fyshermans point I think if it was a totally strange design then the cash back on sale may be a lot less than one would maybe expect .
Paul
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Paul56 mentioned about the U shaped lounge , which I also have . Now , if You look at most caravans from vintage to modern , they have always had the chest of draws there at the front , so I suppose that's what We except . It would be interesting to know
how many people like them or put them to good use ?Paul
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as there becomes more and more pressure on weight, with the squeeze on over 70 yr olds and the younger drivers not having the heavier license groups, designers are having to box clever and get (sometimes) more than one function out of the same space...
a Rapido PVC now has a large wardrobe that swings out over the rear bed to reveal a large walk in shower....so around 75cm saved in length (and obviously weight)....
a Carthago has a similar idea with the shower.....one of the rear singles has its end 'in the shower'....push a button and the last 75cm of the bed slides back to reveal the shower....thus allowing a shorter (lighter) van....but with the same facilities...
clever stuff from the Contis......come on UK, lets have something really innovative..and weight saving...
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as there becomes more and more pressure on weight, with the squeeze on over 70 yr olds
Is that another CC club rule for the elderly, still I should be OK - I've got a few years and a few pounds to go.
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no, (miraculously) not a club rule, a DVLA one.....older drivers must take an extra medical to keep their 'heavy' license groups....
younger ones must take a test to attain them.....
so, the squeeze is on, where the number in the middle, under 70 but with 'heavy' groups, is getting smaller....
some manufacturers have recognised this and are acting to make their vans fit the demographic, not the other way round...
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Peedee , I am on the same lines as You in regards to what an individual would purchase and enjoy , however I think Fyshermans point I think if it was a totally strange design then the cash back on sale may be a lot less than one would maybe expect .
Paul
That's right Paul.
We spent ages a few years ago trying to find a motorhome with the layout we were after and failed miserably so we looked at bespoke options but decided not to under advice from a dealer we respected.
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