Updating & downsizing any advice.
Well, we finally did it, after thinking about it for nearly 2 years, we yesterday ,Did the deal, and are trading in our very comfortable Autotrail Savannah for a 64 plate Autotrail V-line 600 PVC, with only 2500 miles on the clock. We will miss the lovely fixed single beds, and the acres of storage, but it is 7.6 metres long and weighs 4.25 tonnes. Also this year i will be 70 years old, so, will lose my Grandfather's rights to my C1plusE licence, and having had a recent heart valve replacement, it is not certain that I would pass a medical to retain it.So, we did it......but are now having second thoughts,and need a bit of re-assurance from you folk who have already downsized.........how are you doing? Did you do the right thing? Now with the benefit of hindsight. Do you have any useful tips or hints.
Comments
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I know you are a very experienced M/H but offer the following. Critically analyse every single bit of equipment in the van and dispose of anything that you dont need. You don't need to spend a fortune but when downsizing we made the following adjustments.
Lots of "might need that" disposed of and we haven't needed them !
10 wine glasses became 4
25ltr water carrier >>10 litre water carrier
19 ltr water carrier (tall and flat)
1 litre rigid bucket (filled with bits and pieces including vinyl bucket)
Eagle Creek packing cubes for smaller articles of clothing 4 in a locker is ample for two people.
Duvalays for bedding (can sit on rear seats/benches when not in use).
Cassette hose left at home short off cut for filling from tap.
Insulation in a PVC is definitely not so good as coachbuilt so a 1Kw fan heater may be worth taking for winter use.
Ease of driving/parking/fuel consumption for us fully justified change.
Fill your grey and fresh tanks and toilet casette with water and throw in every bit of kit you will take and take to weighbridge with passenger. Check axle loadings and keep printout. This will give you confidence to know you are legal (or not).
Best of luck with your new van.
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Sorry the 19 litre is for grey waste. Bought at Hymer Factory shop in Bad Waldsee but dealer may be able to order. Its like an oil container with openings on side and top.
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I would have considered going back to a caravan as well as downsizing. Not sure I could live with the restricted space of a panel van. Fine for short trips but I shudder at the thought of spending weeks away in one. I think I would also consider giving up in favour of other forms of holidays. I have thankfully not reached that stage yet where I have had to make a decision and the longer I keep my C1E the less likely it is I will continue vanning when I eventually lose it.
Not very reassuring for you raysj but I can understand your concern, ultimately a decision must be based on how healthy you feel and how you will cope.
peedee
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I am down-weighting. There will be slightly less space but it should be manageable. We will reduce our payload by two thirds but there’s loads of stuff we take and don’t use or can live without: extra bed, awning, sat dish, TV, 7days’ water, …
If it doesn’t work out I’ll go back to boats.
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ray, well done....we looked very closely at this van a year ago when changing our bolero....really liked it, but in the end, went a tad larger but with bike storage, something we cant get in a pvc, so will have to compromise there when we do downsize.....prob
next time.enjoy.....
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Congratulations Ray. We've never really downsized as our three longest vans were 6.3m and out three shorter vans, including our current one, touch the tape measure at 6m.
Space is an issue so we pack items that can do several things - especially tools and kitchen gadgets, we've move to microfibre towels rather than thick cotton towels [get dry quicker but you don't have that cuddly warm feeling], pots for no more than 4 people
instead of 6, efficient packing of clothes [look at Eagle Creek's website for ideas, consider buying cheaper at camping places], buying outdoor clothing that doesn't need ironing and can be used as smart but casual, collapsable bucket and washing up bowl,
e-reader/tablet instead of books, one all-weather coat each.We did compromise on shower space with this van but use mainly CC sites. We now put up a modesty [shower] curtain on two hooks in the gangway to provide a changing room when we don't use full sites.
We use ours for day trips such walking in the countryside and country fairs.
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Congrat's and enjoy the new van. Still lots of adventures out there.....
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I started today emptying my van ready for the changeover, didn't realise how much junk we had accumulated, also my tools that I carried Just in case ,full socket set,torque wrench, etc.,(most never used in 9 years !) .
Our last chageover was done on the forecourt of the dealer, a big hassle, and very tiring, want it to go smoother this time. Thanks for the input so far, looking forward to a different, slimmed down, type of motorhoming. We also intend to use the new Van as a Day van, a lot, visiting all the beautiful places near to where we live, to have indoor picnics, watching the sea.....particularly rough just now,
South Westerlies battering the coast, spectacular!
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I would have considered going back to a caravan as well as downsizing. Not sure I could live with the restricted space of a panel van. Fine for short trips but I shudder at the thought of spending weeks away in one. I think I would also consider giving up in favour of other forms of holidays. I have thankfully not reached that stage yet where I have had to make a decision and the longer I keep my C1E the less likely it is I will continue vanning when I eventually lose it.
Not very reassuring for you raysj but I can understand your concern, ultimately a decision must be based on how healthy you feel and how you will cope.
peedee
Write your comments here...To be honest, we are considering getting a caravan as well, not to tow regularly, but to leave on a storage/site, near to our son, and our new grandaughter. And use the new Van as transport, and a day van. Any long stay touring won't be spent in the PVC, if necessary we'll tow the caravan, to a Base site, and tour around the area in the PVC.That's the plan anyway. Got to find the right storage/ site first, near to Newark Notts. On the waiting list at Milestone, but things move slowly.
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Living in a smaller space does need a bit more discipline and organisation but it sounds like your mind is in a good place to make the change. Since in good weather you can live outside the van and/or have the rear or side doors open to let in light and
air (which is why the French call it a camping
car. Its highly likely that you will find the downsizing liberating especially if you are threading the van round a hairpin bend in Scotland or whatever. Its also much easier to clean and maintain. One of the
factors which prompted us to change was a visit to The Hymer factory in Bavaria. A coachbuild is heavily pre-fabricated and on the actual production line part of construction takes two hours to build and it takes seconds to add the roof and rear body panel
(glued on by hydraulic presses then about 2 minutes each side to apply the dressing decals. Essentially a coachbuild is flimsy and the implications of that in a rear end accident are pretty scary. So in the PVC you will find a more robust and rigid vehicle
also with a higher speed potential if you want to put the miles in.As I said very best of luck
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Our last van was an Autotrail Chieftain, lovely van, huge garage for all that stuff you think you need. When we started working for the Club we bought a caravan to live and work from and used the m/home on days off. That's obviously different to our the
old life touring around europe and not at all practical. Bit the bullet and went to an Autocruise Rhythm pvc. Took quite a while to get used to no storage but soon found you don't need all the stuff. We've now spent two winters touring europe and it's been
a revelation. Completely different way of camping but in my opinion far better. Sometimes if we're parked up for long periods in winter we use a caravan porch awning for more space and make use of the exercise on the push bikes! Wouldn't go back to a big van
now, there's more pluses in the pvc for us, especially when you need to get from a to b quickly.0 -
Been looking at Caravans too, (as said above) mainly for use as a Base when visiting family 280 miles away, would keep it near them on a storage site. But would also tow it away, up to Scotland to use as a Base for touring the area (not conventional motorhomers are we ?) And use the PVC as a tow vehicle and as a day van, perhaps the odd night or two wildcamping in the Highlands......coundnt do that easily in the big Autotrail . Looking for a Bailey Orion or Pursuit 400-2. Any thoughts or comment's, Suggestions ?
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I would happily go back to a van conversion, ours wasn't well insulated enough for year round use but the newer models are and they're great for travelling and parking easily. Hope you enjoy it, take a spare heater and travel light!
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Perhaps I'm a bit late with this ( only just found the post !) but if I had a 4 tonner with all mod cons which I liked I'd almost certainly go for the First medical at least. If I passed and it wasn't too stressful I would not change. If it was a rough do, so to speak, or if I failed then I would down size == but I would not make the decision without trying.
Brian
P.S. The largest I've had is 3500, and my present is 3300 so I was never worried about the licence anyway
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Changeover day looming large now, thank you for all your comments so far, I will post an update after we have had the new Van for a couple of months and got used to it.
A couple of folk have mentioned insulation levels, I did check this before I bought, the Autotrail V line (sport) has a double floor, and a well insulated replacement fibreglass roof Looks like it's wearing a flat cap !)
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I expect double floor and aftermarket roof will both help a lot. We do get some draughts from rear door area although we have never got to the bottom of where it comes from. We may experiment with an insulating strip along the centre door seal. That said
we have camped perfectly comfortably in -5C and our next planned big trip is to the far north of Norway where the vans capabilities will be tested.0
