Never say never!
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With 51 years of marriage and counting single beds are neither a consideration nor an option for us. A few minutes moving cushions around morning and evening is a small price to pay for togetherness.
The replies have all been so helpful and informative - thanks all.
We have long used the "make life easier" methods i.e drill for steadies and awning pegs, mover etc. and I have even worked out my own piece of kit to make the stabiliser easier to engage.
Having read all the replies we suspect that we will opt for a motorhome and will possibly use it more thane have used the van but in a different way.
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Hope it all goes well for you, the AS upholstery is good, made from reflex foam that lasts well, makes good seating and beds. If we make the double up we swap the knee roll bits over to make the central area flat. Only takes a few minutes.
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If you see a M/home with the layout and design you like. Go for it and join the vast numbers of X caravanners who now enjoy the freedom and convenience of motorhoming.
Last week we had a winter break in the north of Scotland and I was pleasantly surprised at the number of Motorhomes seen. On some days they outnumbered caravans to a ratio of 10 : 1.
I'm sure you will make the right choice for your particular situation. Good Luck
K
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notwithstanding some (justified) views of earlier X250s, if the bed making was likely to be an issue, there are other options of similar 'one box' designs on the Fiat Ducato which allow for a drop down one piece double bed. also available with auto transmission.
these are generally from continental manufacturers, the best examples being from Burstner, Rapido and Pilote. plenty of used versions of all these on the market.
however, i believe swift now do a drop down bed in a 6m van.
these beds will either be electric or manual (depending on make) and can give you fixed bed motorhoming in a 6m van.
the Pilote version is also available as an A class, giving you a roomier cab area and a true 'fold away' cab bed (which takes up far less of the van when deployed) rather than the 'over the lounge' beds of the others.
obviously, the NEC this week is the place to check these out, if you can make it.
good hunting.
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In that case, Qashqai, I think the Stanton will be a great choice. I can vouch for the drivability of the Sprinter with the 'proper' torque converter auto. It'll knock spots off the automated manual of the Fiat and my only regret with swapping to a PVC (to reduce width) is that we had to wave goodbye to the Sprinter.
I'm sure you'll do well and wish you all the best.
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yes, as above the Ducato uses a robotised changing manual, however there will be very many who use it (loads on CT, i suspect) and are very happy with it.
i did have a test drive in one and found it fairly easy to use, but have not had extensive experience (ownership) by which to comment more objectively...anyhow, i am more than happy with the manual version.
incidently, should 'slim' be as important as 'short', Hymer now use Mercedes on some PVC models and Renault (with their auto) is available with some other suppliers.
the latest 2018 VW Crafter is to be used by a few companies producing PVCs and this van will be (no doubt) available with VW's DSG double clutch pre-selector gearbox as used by the VAG group successfully automotive products.
getting back to beds, there are even PVC vans with drop down double beds, either transverse across the rear or longitudinal over the cab... checkout La Strada for this interesting vehicle.
motorhomes are pretty versatile, innovative items these days, with bed/washroom configurations being to the fore...
again, good luck with the hunt....
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As we have travelled life's 'wildway' we have change and swapped between trailer tents, caravans, campervans, motorhomes. Each stage of life has brought with it different challenges, constraints, needs & requirements and with that the type of unit we used. Up to now we are relatively fit and mobile and the current 7.8m motorhome suits us but medical and age related challenges are beginning to raise their heads. We are currently looking at downsizing to a smaller low profile MH or PVC. Touring for us is about being flexible, making the most of all those windows of opportunity to just go, on some occasions with no real direction but a whim. So many places to tip up with the MH to stay that odd night or two whilst on the tour. We have stayed alongside fellow motorhomers at pubs, vineyards, garden centres and other interesting places around the country, always wondered why we've never seen caravaners pitching up with us mind at such stop overs!
One day, you never know, but a caravan may suit us again but until then..........
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Funnily enough, we were looking at the AS Bourton at NEC today. We have the Broadway which is the Peugeot manual equivalent but if buying again we would probably go for the Bourton due to the Mercedes base, even though there is reduced offside bed locker space due to having to squeeze in the supplementary water tank.
We certainly believe that smaller is better but as others have stated above, if you want to use the benches as two singles then on the Stanton you have to spin the seats and use them to support your feet. No good for us, not as comfortable and also we keep two outdoor chairs strapped behind the two seats and prefer not to swivel them.
You have to decide what suits your lifestyle but we have discovered different sites in attractive locations but close to towns/villages and public transport. Also many larger sites on the continent have well stocked shops. In Italy we found site shops stocking better ‘selected’ produce than the local supermarkets. Even the wine they were offering was better. Different thinking from our caravanning days.
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Qashqai, have agood think about the 'stuff' ypu will be carrying with you, kost of this will currently be in the back of the car....now it will all have to be carried in the MH.
lack of large lockers and external openings can frustrate when it comes to things like chairs (see Hitch's post) and tables, levellers, bbq, leads and adaptors, etc....
only you can know what you will be carrying and whether any new MH has the capacity to manage this task.
on bad weather days, some of this stuff might be wet and dirty, so ensure there are dry lockers in which to store it....and not the shower
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Qasgai66 - see you on a site near us (Aude) in 2018???
We met a French couple, years ago, at St Pons de Thomieres. He was 93 and she was 91. They were still holidaying in their motorhome - after changing from a caravan fifteen years before. They drove no more than 50 km per day ("these days we find that enough to take us to different countryside each move"), had outside living down to a fine art - a very lightweight table and chairs and that was it. The took their little Yorkie with them, and spent the whole summer travelling.
They didn't speak any English, but we managed to share a love of nature, butterflies, camping (and Yorkies) and had five lovely days with them.
Long may it continue!
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Well well all of the above is so interesting and helpful. Now we are getting excited about next year and new adventures.
\we have happy memories of St.Pons de Thomieres from 2015 when we stayed at Cerise de Jaur, a lovely little site.
I have been thinking about all the stuff we to carry in the back of the car and wondering how we will fit it all in with a comparatively small motor home. I suspect that the huge box of books will have be ditched in favour of a two Kindles for reading - a tech challenge of us oldies! I suspect we will need a box on a rack at the back to take other bits and pieces but that cannot be too difficult to achieve. I had wondered about a box on the roof but suspect that climbing up a ladder may not be the best plan at our age.
Now we are looking forward to actually seeing a Stanot and getting an idea of how it might all work.
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You'll be fine, Qashqai. If you get the Stanton with over cab storage lockers, rather than the panorama roof light, you'll have enough space to store bedding up there. You'll also find that the roof lockers hold more than the caravan equivalents. There's no time like the present to rationalise what you need to carry and it's likely you won't need a back box at all.
Let us know how you get on.
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Don’t forget, no aquaroll, no wastemaster. Hooray!
We have two Duvalays and they take up nearly a whole under bed locker but I guess some would travel with them on top of the benches. We take around a dozen paperbacks but they get tucked in wherever there is space. Had to downsize our Weber Baby Q to the smaller Weber. Lightweight airier, a couple of stacked flexible buckets, small outside canopy sheet, two folding ‘bucket’ chairs in canvas bags and not much more. Clothes etc go in the generous overhead lockers and wardrobe. The shower is used for bottled water, beer, and wine but it is easy to get out if we need to use it.
You do have to travel light and be quite ruthless (anyway, payload is an important consideration). No loungers or picnic tables (we use the AS table).
I have watched people arrive on sites on the continent and open up their giant garages. Packed full of stuff they will never need! Some look a total shambles; worse than my garage at home. I know some people swear by them and they are good for bikes but you will be surprised how little you actually need. We dashed out and bought loads of accessories and now find most of them totally redundant.
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We spent much of yesterday and today unpacking the caravan and sorting stuff in preparation for its sale which we hope will go through this week. We were amazed to realise just how much stuff is essential for the van and will be surplus to requirements for the motorhome.
We are looking forward to a simpler touring life.
All we need to do now is to make arrange a deal on the motorhome and hope we will not have to wait too far into 2018 for delivery.
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It's great when a plan comes together, Qashqai.
I know Stantons are out there now if you want to buy sooner rather than later.
Good luck to you.
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I can testify to the rapid consumption of space in a garage. When we collected our Marquis 125 a few weeks back, the garage seemed quite voluminous but already it is looking rather cluttered. Haven't quite worked out why yet.
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I think it takes a while to get used to the difference but after a couple of trips you start to rationalise and to realise what is important and what is not. Maybe a bit easier if you change to a small/medium motorhome rather than a larger one where you are tempted to take more than you need just in case. Overtime we have cut down on quite a few things. We are thinking of changing to one which is a bit smaller and we looked at the model we are interested in at the NEC and having already got a motorhome it was slightly easier to visualise how things would fit in.
David
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We've found, with our Stanton equivalent, that there is good storage space. There are two outside lockers, not always to be found on AS motorhomes. We can get quite a lot in using these and any extras go in the washroom. We also use the useful swivel table behind the front seats that can be swung out of the way for travel and is fine for meals etc when parked up. The leg is on the passenger side so it doesn't impede walking through. It can be stored too and we hardly ever use the fold up table. We have a bike rack, we could have a box on it but don't bother so we've gradually adapted to a leaner way of travelling without sacrificing home comforts.
My feelings are the more storage the more you take and you probably won't need it. Others might disagree.
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Your closing sentence is spot on, Brue.
I can personally vouch for that and have found downsizing to a PVC with no outside lockers really concentrates the mind.
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Tw, youre right, for many users its 'matter expands to fill the available space'.....
im guessing you have a Warwick Duo (one of two 6m AS vans which you mentioned you had)?
under the rear benches must be the largest spaces for 'non squashable' stuff?....but, possibly, sqashable stuff needs a home, too...which, as you say, add focus...
again, this is just a feature of a (slimmer) single bed design and im sure youll quickly find a place for everything you need.
enjoy your new van and especially the ease of driving and parking
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Thanks. You guessed right, BB. However, only one of the under bunk spaces is usable with the other being completely full of combi boiler, pipes, charger and so on.
Everything we need has fitted and we have used the van. It only took a little ingenuity to replace some items with collapsible versions and the hoses with flat ones. Other stuff that we could live without has been removed. For instance, why carry a full set of pans when only two are used?
It's certainly easier to park being no wider than a decent sized car and easier to drive in terms of width needed on the road - the narrow lanes of Dorset were no problem. The 160 engine has sufficient power but, although the transmission has improved since the early X250s, it still has a way to go. A Merc it is not.
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great stuff, thanks for coming back.....enjoy many miles/nights of 'terrific touring'.
although we are 40cm longer than you (same as the longer PVC versions) this is a metre shorter than the previous van and, apart from the obvious contraints of 3/4 of a tonne less payload, this hasnt proved to be an issue at all.....space (in most areas) still seems generous enough.
then, like yourselves, add in (take away?) 15cm of width compared to the previous van (we are only 2.12m compared to your 2.06m, and the latest Bailey at a whopping 2.49m!) its easy to see how much easier (relaxing) it is to get about....
....and keeping at 3500kg allows us (and obviously yourselves) to nip into pretty much any town/village, here or abroad, as we will be under the majority of weight/width limits.
again, many happy trips...
.....i can tell you're delighted.0 -
Cheers, BB.
A 5.5m van would have been ideal but they are quite rare and didn't suit us. At least by reducing to 6m we've saved the best part of 0.5m.
The payload is enormous - without checking, it's around 670kg - and sticking to 3500kg makes life simpler than faffing around with medicals and satisfying DVLA.
Best of all, the width is a winner and the reason we changed.👍🏻
Every little helps - fits in one bay widthways.
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nice van, nice pic
our recent (continental) car park visits have been sparsely populated, meaning i could be very sloppy and take as many spaces as i liked.....
i must try and check how much space i really need by lining up in a single space 'properly'....just not needed to so far this year...
our daughter/SIL have a PVC (bespoke) on the short (5.4m) Ducato with a front lounge and this seems pretty roomy....very much like the Symbol....but it can only make a double bed, not singles.....i suspect this might be an issue for some users.
back to the OP, pretty much all of the posts have supported moving to a smaller, rather than larger, MH....and to try not to replicate what a stationary large caravan does. this trend for downsizing seems to be confirmed within the industry.
the OP's choice in the first post is likely to serve them well...small, light, easy to drive/park, comfortable, British (so as to be 'familiar'), many dealers (Marquis), relatively economical.....
it will be good to follow Qashqai's progress.....
good luck to them.
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If that ever changes I will come back on here and own up