Single or twin axle
i am looking to replace my van and we are looking to buy a swift challenger 645 double axle. The dealer has kindly pointed out whether I really want a double axle given that we holiday in France and there are a lot of issues with sites accepting a double axle van. I have holidays din France for four years and so far have never seen any issues with the sites we use for double axles, but they have all either been CC or Castel sites. What are others experiences as the other option is a single axle challenger 580 with the same layout which is approx 44 cm shorter (made me wonder why we are looking at a double axle). Any advice would be appreciated as well as any views on the van
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We have a Sterling, fixed side bed, rear bathroom, very similar to a Swift. Ours is 7.95m.
Until 2016, we never had any problems with a T/A even in France, but in 2016 we did have a problem on one of the 8 sites we planned to use.
Despite agreeing to take us, when we arrived they wanted about triple the ACSI rate we had reckoned on. We just moved on, there was plenty of time, and found a MUCH nicer site further down the road.
We had no problems elsewhere, or on our way back north, so I would not let this one bad experience influence our decision on which van to buy.
The T/A has that little extra room, though having said that, we much prefer our older T/A as it does seem to have a much better shower room.
The newer ones do seem to have lost space there, presumably they must have more space elsewhere, but we are struggling to see where the space is, so are sticking with our 2008 Sterling Searcher.
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Hi,
I have towed both single and double axle vans for many years now so i can comment on both.I have found the twin axle van to be a very stable outfit when coupled with my 4x4.The twin seems to sit better on the road with little or no side movement and tows like a dream.The only down side with the twin is you need a motor mover too get them in where you cant use the car as they are impossible to turn by hand.I have also towed abroad with the twin but never had any problems getting on sites.I,ve had four Swifts but only one was a twin and they were no worse or better than most of the other makes we,ve owned.My only other advice is if you have a double use a towcar that is more than powerful enough and heavy enough to handle it.
v9
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MDD10 we don't have the Swift caravan you are interested in but we do have a 7.9m twin axle. We have never encountered any problems on sites in France. We do phone or email a site we are interested in a few days beforehand to check they have space for us. Personally, I don't think you would need to worry about a twin axle in France.
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I think your dealer has another customer interested in the twin axle and no-one wanting the single.
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You would be surprised how much more internal space you get with a twin axle despite the overall length being only 50 or so cm more.
Our twin axle Delta TS gives us a lot more living and washroom space than in our previous single axle Clubman SB.
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Yes thanks to all for the help. I have an S Max so the TA would be 94% weight match empty, but I always tow with the awning in the boot plus 3 others in the car so etc so the weight of the car eventually is far heavier with usually an additional 400 kg in weight. Power isn't an issue with it but I must admit to still being a little nervous that it isn't exactly a Land Rover type vehicle.
Looking, it seems that the single axles are losing weight so quickly that they are rapidly moving towards the TA size. I'm trying to weigh it all up before I make an expensive mistake so your considered advice has/is much appreciated
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"Yes thanks to all for the help. I have an S Max so the TA would be 94% weight match empty",
That statement in itself, irrespective of whether you go the twin or single axle route rings warning bells.
All established practice and some of the legal issues refer to the van's maximum allowable mass, not what it may or may not weigh empty or in use.
Are you confident that the vehicle can legally tow the van and that the weight ratio is safe for a caravan type of trailer?
Well worth checking.
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Friends of ours who have toured France a lot over the last few years have a different experience. Due to the problems encountered last year they are currently looking for a single axle caravan.
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Yes appreciate the advice. Totally confident it is legal...just not relying on that, more that it is a comfortable experience to tow. The MTPLM of the TA is approx 170 KG ore than my existing single axle and the SMAX tows that like a dream even empty, with plenty of power as well. Just mindful a TA seems to be a different towing experience and I will be over the 85% guidance in respect of the car when empty.
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Some sites are very tight, even with a single axle van. On one, the road width was so narrow there is no way you could reverse onto the pitch and clearances on bends very close. On another, a right angle access between two walls resulted in damage to the awning rail. However, there are lots and lots of sites that have plenty of room.😀 If using some of the small municipals it just requires a bit of research. Unfortunately where we damaged the awning rail was not covered by streetview and I was a bit concerned about the access. I won't make that mistake again, it was expensive.😂
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We changed from a twin axle Swift Conqueror to a single axle Swift Elegance with similar layout. The twin axle was a little longer and hence had a fridge and separate freezer which was very nice but apart from that little difference is noticed. Both have towed well behind our Volvo XC90. The single axle is certainly more manoeuvrable when getting onto pitches especially in France where access can be more limited than in UK. As far as twin axles in France are concerned don't worry as majority of sites don't mind British twin axles, they just don't want French ones! Even sites that advertise 'no twin axles' seemed to welcome us. If it was me I'd choose the 'van that best matched the car which in your case would appear to be the single axle.
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No experience of TA caravans but did have access to a large TA trailer that we used on occasions and it was literally impossible to manoeuvre by hand. I suspect you will need a motor mover if that is the route you are going down and we have been on some tight pitches in France where access with out SA Bailey (shipping length 7m 20cm) was fun.
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We go to France every year and, until this year, always with a small 2 berth. However, this year I got it into my head that a big van with a fixed bed would be great. It wasn't - at least not for us!. We went to several sites where we had difficulty in finding an emplacement large enough for the van. The worst site had a right angle turn coming into the entrance and it was only just possible to get car and van in by dint of several back and forth movements. This is not something we want to go through ever again as the experience spoilt our time in France. We have taken a hit on depreciation and look forward to the delivery of a generous sized 2 berth in the Spring.
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I would say that if you are intending to spend any time 'going as you please' in France, then it would make sense to buy a single axle. As has been said there are sites which either don't accept, or are difficult to access with a twin axle. There are other sites which will accept you, but it may mean giving up the freedom to go somewhere without booking or an advanced call to check the site will accept a twin. Generally, for a lot of people who go to France, particularly for those who have retired and have more time to enjoy touring, the ability not to have to book (or indeed plan much) in advance is one of the best things about touring 'over there'.
Like others who tour in France in the warm months (ie from April to September/October) we use our caravan as a bedroom on wheels, rarely venturing indoors. We set up an outside area for cooking with a mini oven and hob, another for eating, and another for lounging, sunbathing, and even napping when it's very warm. We sometimes don't even put an awning or canopy up if the weather forecast is for settled weather, and we have some shade from the sun. We simply have a waterproof cloth that we throw over our mini-oven and hob if we think there is the remotest possibility of rain. The settees in the caravan are perhaps used if it gets a little chilly to stay outdoors, but those evenings are rare. Rarely do we have enough rain to drive us indoors.
Apart from anything else, a single axle will probably be cheaper - and perhaps the difference might be enough to pay for your holiday!
It would be interesting to know what you do decide, and having made a decision, how you get on with the new van.
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We have a twin axle and three small dogs and contacted several ACSI sites prior to departure to France. Not a single site rejected us and told us NO even though the site said they do not accept twin axles. IMHO the stories of twin axles being refused access to sites in France is grossly exagerrated and we will stick with our twin axle as after all it is their loss and not ours.
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