Motor home researcher.
Hi all.
I am a former club member who turned my back on caravans some 7 years ago after near 20 years of UK touring.
We are currently following up some 5 years prevarication about getting a motorhome with a view to touring on the continent.
We plan to travel as a couple, only need 2 beds, fancy an A class to take advantage of that (manual, no motors thank you) drop down double bed over the cab area that leaves the lounge in play.
Don't need another bed but may have to settle for a rear single to get a decent improvement in storage.
Hired a Swift Escape 664 for a week a while back, could write a book on the experience but we were not put off.
The forum has been a help and I have followed up a few random suggestions made by members.
I aim to stay under 7 meters in length and hope that a couple of trips to the NEC over the next few days will help pin down a few options.
A few options have already fell at the wayside, avoiding vans with a love of silicon sealant, electric drop down beds are out.
I will try to inform if I have any success but I may end up with yet another year as the ace prevaricator.
By the way keep up the good work with the forum which I am slowly getting used to as far as the format goes.
Comments
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Thats one of the foibles of this forum, Headsup. your posts only appeared for ME to see on Friday 26/10/18. so I hope by now you might actually have resolved your dilemma for good or ill.
Do let us know how your getting along with the searches etc and don't forget there are more Shows scattered around the country over the year so some might be closer to your home than the NEC ( another show there in February )
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If you are touring the continent you will see that they favour “garage” style motorhomes - a raised sleeping area with a garage underneath for storage. If you look at UK models then they are generally of the “caravan” style with beds at floor level, increased headroom but less storage. Once you have decided which you prefer you will have made a substantial reduction in the available models which will help the selection process.
If you can’t decide between the two styles then there will be many, many opinions on this forum which may or may not help!
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I'm on my third A-class with a drop down bed. Think very carefully about drop down beds because they are not to everyone's liking. They have a weight limit [mine is 200kg], can be cramped for those sleeping next to the windscreen, you have to use a ladder to access, the one sleeping on the inside may have to climb over the one on the outside, they are heavy to pull down, have to be prepared before going to bed - lowering the front seats as a minimum, headroom is limited, and my wife dislikes them. They are space savers though which is why we continue to have them.
A-classes come with problems in general such as reduced access to the engine compartment hampering maintenance, difficult to gauge where the front nearside and front are as they are out of sight, cost. You do get extra space and the expansive views through the windscreen. My wife loves them - bird spotting through the large glass frontage - but has never driven one. She drove our earlier coachbulits and fancies a Merc next.
We have a garage in our current van and do not like it but it's the penalty we pay for wanting a fixed single bed in the rear.
It is easy to see the benefits of an A-class, not so easy the drawbacks. Despite what I say above, A-classes suit us and we don't regret having them. We had a Hymer 544 [see BB's post above] for eight years. I'd love a Frankia!
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