German caravans
Hi I'm looking at buying a Hobby caravan (German make) but the entrance is on the offside does that make a difference in this country?
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I would assume on a CC awning pitch, where the car is parked across the front, (like Cirencester) or on a non awning pitch, where the car is parked in front the door, you would need to go in hitch first, so would require a power mover. Otherwise you would be stepping out your door onto the grass divider. On a normal awning pitch it should make no difference, the awning will just be on the opposite side, but spacings will be maintained.
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We've had great service from ours and door on 'wrong side' has never been an issue. Most hobby layouts have the lounge at the rear of the van so actually parking hitch first is what you would want on most sites anyway, so your door ends up on the correct side once pitched. You do need a motor mover that is sure. Hobby vans are a great second hand buy where prices seem considerably lower than equivalent UK vans.
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Hi I'm looking at buying a Hobby caravan (German make) but the entrance is on the offside does that make a difference in this country?
Only if you are parked next to a certain forum member who shall remain nameless.
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I would assume on a CC awning pitch, where the car is parked across the front, (like Cirencester) or on a non awning pitch, where the car is parked in front the door, you would need to go in hitch first, so would require a power mover. Otherwise you would
be stepping out your door onto the grass divider. On a normal awning pitch it should make no difference, the awning will just be on the opposite side, but spacings will be maintained.On an awning pitch, wouldn't you simply park the van where the awning would normally be,with the awning on the opposite side. Normal spacing maintained?
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If it's a German made van you are looking for then check out the new range of Knaus caravans that have been made in Germany but for the UK market with the door on the same side as UK made vans, they started shipping them over here this year, put them up
on google and you can find the dealers.0 -
I've a Hobby 460ufe and find the layout - rear lounge, front fixed bed - perfect for two. Build quality is good, and lack of oven doesn't bother - BBQ!
The door issue doesn't exist. You pitch on CC sites centrally, then the awning or car goes on either side. I have pitched UK vans "wrong" way to get better views, and pitch the Hobby which ever way I want. Wardens are not bothered as long as you have correct distances. Roadside isn't a problem either.
There are quite a few posts on this already, have a search.
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I would assume on a CC awning pitch, where the car is parked across the front, (like Cirencester) or on a non awning pitch, where the car is parked in front the door, you would need to go in hitch first, so would require a power mover. Otherwise you would
be stepping out your door onto the grass divider. On a normal awning pitch it should make no difference, the awning will just be on the opposite side, but spacings will be maintained.On an awning pitch, wouldn't you simply park the van where the awning would normally be,with the awning on the opposite side. Normal spacing maintained?
I though that was what I put.
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I've a Hobby 460ufe and find the layout - rear lounge, front fixed bed - perfect for two. Build quality is good, and lack of oven doesn't bother - BBQ!
The door issue doesn't exist. You pitch on CC sites centrally, then the awning or car goes on either side. I have pitched UK vans "wrong" way to get better views, and pitch the Hobby which ever way I want. Wardens are not bothered as long as you have correct
distances. Roadside isn't a problem either.There are quite a few posts on this already, have a search.
I am afraid the door issue does exist. Not all awning pitches have centrally positioned pegs. As I put above, on some the car is parked in front and if you reversed the van to the peg on the left hand side of the pitch, you would be stepping out onto the
grass dividing strip. This would also apply on a non awning pitch with the peg in the same position. Hence why I put it isn't really a problem as long as you have a mover and can go in hitch first, without a mover you would have a problem.0 -
I have had a German caravan since 2004 and it still looks new. I reverse to the peg as instructed. Never had any problem from wardens or other caravanners. I don't mess about putting it on the other way round and I use an awning most of the time.
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You may well be OK on a lot of sites but not all. If you do put your back to the peg on the majority of hardstanding pitches at Cirencester, for instance, you would have to erect your awning on the grass dividing strip. Which certainly would not comply with
spacing regs.0 -
You may well be OK on a lot of sites but not all. If you do put your back to the peg on the majority of hardstanding pitches at Cirencester, for instance, you would have to erect your awning on the grass dividing strip. Which certainly would not comply with spacing regs.
I can only relate my experiences and I certainly will not argue with your experienses. I have been to Cirencester but I used a grass pitch and it was a few years ago and if I remeber correctly it was in the days when you needed xray vision to reverse as the peg had to be in the centre of the caravan.
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You may well be OK on a lot of sites but not all. If you do put your back to the peg on the majority of hardstanding pitches at Cirencester, for instance, you would have to erect your awning on the grass dividing strip. Which certainly would not comply with
spacing regs.But to remember as per my post, most Hobby vans layout have lounge at the rear. On most sites that means back facing the road or nose in, so door would be on the same side as a UK van with lounge at the front and reversed in! Really not a problem I think!
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Have to say the rear end lounge is not for us and it baffles me why they build them that way. It is one of those things you have to decide for your self if you can live with it. No right or wrong here it is just opinion.
There are however a few models without the front bed so you can always look at them.
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Have to say the rear end lounge is not for us and it baffles me why they build them that way. It is one of those things you have to decide for your self if you can live with it. No right or wrong here it is just opinion.
There are however a few models without the front bed so you can always look at them.
Because caravans are generally raked at an angle at the front but vertical at the back, a rear end lounge gives one more headroom right under the window than a front end arrangement would allow. Headroom is not such an issue where the beds are so, from a purely practical perspective, it makes sense to design the layout that way round.
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Have to say the rear end lounge is not for us and it baffles me why they build them that way. It is one of those things you have to decide for your self if you can live with it. No right or wrong here it is just opinion.
There are however a few models without the front bed so you can always look at them.
Yes it's interesting they design that way.....have not yet been on a German caravan site so don't know if the majority of them always have best views to rear of pitch
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Hobby are middle of the range vans and Knaus generally regarded as nearer top of the range. I assume you are buying from a UK importer so it will be fitted to UK standards (electrical sockets etc.). Continental vans are built for a different market so make
sure that it has battery charger etc. and any other features you need such as carpets. We caravanned mainly in Europe so our door was always on the "wrong" side and it was never really an issue except on narrow lay-bys on busy main roads.0 -
seems to me the only ones to have problems with german vans are them who dont have one
I have had German cars for 20 years and looked at many German vans and nearly bought a Hobby. Given that three out of the four British vans I have owned have had severe damp problems then a German van would be a good option if I hadn't switched to a motorhome.
Just pointing out that continental vans can be very different and lower spec. unless you specify the extras you need.0 -
Hiya jacklewis ive got an old hymer and we are going to take it out for first time next week ,(the beds are at the front and the doors on opposite side) ill let you know how we get on on our return best regards mrs bc
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We had a Hymer with the door on the "wrong side" for 7 years then had one with the door on the "right side" for 5 years. We bought just before Christmas another Hymer with the door on the offside.
We were only told to park the wrong way round once. This was irritating rather than a problem. Getting into the van in narrow lay-bys can be test of nerve. But apart from that we had no problems. We found there could be as many advantages as disadvantages,
for example in storage blank wall was next to the blank wall of the caravan next to us so there was no worry about being able to open the door.We dont very often go on club sites and I don't see the door as a problem as Caravan + Awning+Car takes up exactly the same space irrespective of what side the door is on. It is the spacing between outfits that is important, despite what some obsessional
posters on here will tell you.If you decide that a Hobby is the van for you then I certainly wouldn't let the door position put you off.
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seems to me the only ones to have problems with german vans are them who dont have one
Write your comments here... I have no problem with German caravans but cannot get my head round the front end beds. To date we have not seen one which we like enough to buy but if we did we would buy it. To me you have to love tbe design and for us that
is the main point when purchasing although there is one make you would have to work very hard for us to even consider.0 -
,See the reports in the new April magazine .!! LOTS of rear beds on offer in the larger m/homes .0
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Thats why we picked our van because the twin beds are at the front (they are also wider than usual) with windows on three sides , very spacious great for relaxing more like having two lounges really , we loved it , which just goes to show how luckily we
all like different layouts0 -
seems to me the only ones to have problems with german vans are them who dont have one
Write your comments here... I have no problem with German caravans but cannot get my head round the front end beds.
Three other positive features of having front end beds not yet mentioned;
There is only a modest if any front window to take towing stone and wind deflection damage.
The underbed lockers can be used for weighty items without anything like the same destabilising effect with loading rear end lockers.
The access door will be aft of the axle so the skin less likely to suffer stress cracking issues than with such a major cut out as a door between the front and axle.
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The durability achieved by those continental chappies hints they know a thing or two about engineering if not being quite as into cosmetic styling as the UK builders
The door on the "wrong" side seems far more a forum than real life issue; we have coped with it for 14 years and struggle to recall more than one time a warden was awkward.
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The underbed lockers can be used for weighty items without anything like the same destabilising effect with loading rear end lockers.
Not quite sure where you are coming from with this statement. Our British caravan has lockers under both the front seats and rear single beds. So we load them as appropriate to achieve our ideal loading. Why does it make an't difference that they are beds
at the front, rather than seats. Which incidentally convert to beds.0
