8 ft wide
Has anyone taken the leap to an 8 foot wide caravan yet? We currently have a single axle 4 birth side dinette, but as a family are looking for something bigger, but with a decent kitchen area too, were thinking a 6 birth twin axle would give us more room and storage, but only need 4 births but as kids get bigger, they need decent size beds, and we are tempted to bite the bullet and go for either a new sprite or Elddis Avanté 866, just a bit wary of going to large, at present we don't use a mover, but i'm guessing the bigger the caravan the more likely it is to be needed with narrow site roads, any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks
Comments
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It depends where you want to take it. I’d not recommend trying to tow it on the majority of Westcountry roads.
Personally, I’d not entertain the idea of an 8’ wide van but it’s your choice, MH4. Good luck.
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In some ways I know exactly what your saying, that's why I was asking if anyone has taken the jump, in the other way, I've a class 1 licence and think that virtually all farms are accessed by trucks wider, but then again a trucks bodywork is more forgiving against hedges branches etc
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Nail on the head with the bodywork thing. Then you get the granite boulders poking out of Cornish hedges. Whoops!
Hopefully, someone with direct experience will come along soon.
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This is only four inches wider than a lot of the current crop of "fat" motorhomes although I suspect they all avoid country lanes too.
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When I bought my caravan, it was available with the same layout in both 2.3m and 2.5m widths, but I chose the 2.3m because I do a fair amount of touring on side roads, too. If I were only going to use motorways to get to my destination and stay put once I get there I would very likely have chosen the 2.5m width because it does offer a bit of extra space inside.
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if you want proper sized beds in a van (especially the fixed beds) I would look at a continental one.....likely to be 6' 6" or so long and 1.5m wide.....rather than 5'11" long and 1.2m wide....
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Our van is 2.4m which is 7ft 10.5” Can say we have had any problems towing. Length also plays a part lining up to go through gates can be more tricky. I agree with BB’s comments about fixed beds. Particularly transverse ones. Some of the one in 2.3 or smaller body witdths seem to me too short or cramped to really work.
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MH4, I changed 3 years ago to an 8' wide Adria. I wanted a full size bed and love plenty of space as I'm big & tall.
It tows superbly and apart from taking a single track road up the side of a mountain in Austria, by mistake, I've had no problems whatsoever.
We have a two week holiday booked for Cornwall later this summer and it wouldn't matter whether the caravan is 7'4" or 8' wide, the lanes are still narrow in places and care has to be taken.
I would recommend a mover, particularly if you're going for a twin axle
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Speaking from experience, an 8ft wide caravan could successfully negotiate the majority of country lanes if there was no traffic coming the other way, or if the driver was very good at reversing a long way.
Commercial vehicle and tractor drivers have a higher driving position and, thus, better visibility than that given by most vehicles used for caravan towing. This is often coupled with a good local knowledge of the roads so is not necessarily comparable to towing a caravan on those same roads.
In the West Country few farms use the very large machinery seen in some other areas and many farmers' goods are delivered on smaller vehicles.
It is not unusual for commercial vehicles and buses to brush the hedges on both sides of the road if they have not been cut back. Look after your side panels!0 -
Thanks for everybody's input, were leaning towards a twin axle normal width we think, it's tracking down with a decent size kitchen and decent beds for the kids, with also a decent washroom, we're maybe looking for something that doesn't exist!
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Hope you find what you want, MH4.
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Sorry the advice given the OP is from people that don't own a 8 footer.
Our first T.E.C. Weltbummler in 2001 was a wider than " normal " 7'6",
We owned a 8 foot Weltbummler in 2005 and towed it all over Europe with our trusty 945 Volvo diesel.
We at present own a 2017 Hymer Nova 580 GL 8 footer and have no problem whatsoever, people entering our 'van are often commenting on how nice it must be to have all the extra room, especially between seating areas.
I'd say go for it and also say " there are fridvers and screwdrivers " !
Happy caravanning
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Ooh, I thought everyone knew that.
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If its not Erica Fridver, it's a typographical aberation.
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I was assured it was a device for fitting an 8ft caravan through a 7ft gap.
Seriously, Indoors, no matter how good the driver is, no one can fit a quart into a pint pot and although people may not own 8ft caravans, many have experience of driving and towing larger vehicles which may be why they’ve chosen not to buy an 8 footer. If it works for you, that’s fine but there are so many places where it would be impractical that it’s not something I would contemplate.
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Not only is 60% of the population fat, now we have the problem spreading to caravans.
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