Coachbuilts under 6m.

[barge1914]

We have a Bessacarr E412 end kitchen van built 2012. It’s had a bit of a bashing over the years travelling nearly 60k Miles around all the mountains of Europe from Norway to Portugal and east as far as Croatia and Romania, with some dodgy old potholed gravel roads and every mountain pass we could find along the way. So far, once the initial teething problems were sorted, it’s stood up to it remarkably well. However like ourselves some of its bits are getting a bit creaky and arthritic or surely will before long. I hope we’ve got several years left in us to wear out another van...either that or we keep patching up this one.
If we decide to change we may as well do so soon. But therein lies a dilemma. This one by way of layout, storage space, fitout, and what we’ve added to it suits our needs admirably. We are struggling to find any newer model that suits us as well, is well built, well insulated and within the maximum length constraint of our 5.8m driveway has as efficient a use of space, storage capacity, and payload.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has or knows of or has anything they think is good of this length. All the continentals we’ve looked at have poky seating areas, try to cram in too many ‘features’, unwanted 3/4th passenger seats, over-clever payload guzzling drop down beds, inadequate gas capacity etc. The only uk examples we’ve seen are flimsy examples from Elddiss, or the Autosleeper Nuevo (which we keep looking at but are put off by simple design errors, inadequate gas capacity...and the manufacturers reluctance to provide axle loads)...very frustrating!

 

[trevskoda]

A chap near wifes folks house has a little hymer van which is well in the size you are looking at and i think some one posted a other make on here a while back,small but well set out for two.

 

[mossypossy]

You have a low mileage modern van with a layout that works.
You clearly have the funds to maintain it.
I look upon bumps and scratches as memories.

 

[Drover]

I looked at a rollerteam pegaso 590. Build quality and outside storage space were the off putting things for me, other than that it was righ.t

 

[jagmanx]

I refer to the defects of age as
"war wounds" and "battlescars"
How much would it cost to get them sorted.
Provide our course you are comfortable with the engine
But again New Clutch New cambelt maybe even new Gearbox !

 

[molly 2]

Autosleeper nuevo 5.7 meters works for us . would I recommend it, probably the best of a bad bunch.

 

[Fisherman]

We bought the roller team Pegaso 590 and we both love it to bits.
I am relatively new to this game starting in 2016, so my depth of knowledge is not as good as others on here. But I looked at 3 other 6m a class models and ours won it on price and great spec. The only additions from the manufacturer are engine upgrades and a carpet if required.
I can only compare it with our previous van a chausson 510, and it beats it hands down. Although we enjoyed the 510 also.
I think it’s worth a look at least.
I don’t agree with previous comment about lack of external storage, for a small van it has an excellent large rear cupboard, and wet cupboard to the front. What it may lack in external cupboard space, it has loads inside. We carry 13kg and 6kg gas in the cylinder compartment. We just fitted a second battery under the passenger seat, and next spring we are fitting an additional solar panel.

Roller Team Pegaso 590 motorhome | Review | Out and About Live

Read the definitive Roller Team Pegaso 590 motorhome review from the expert Out and About Live team. Check specs, prices, performance and compare with similar models.

www.outandaboutlive.co.uk

 

[st3v3]

Devil you know and all that!

 

[barge1914]

Devil you know and all that!

Yep. Every year we go through the same ritual and come up with nothing better.

 

[barge1914]

Autosleeper nuevo 5.7 meters works for us . would I recommend it, probably the best of a bad bunch.

Yes, it seems to be the best and possibly only 5.7m Tardis currently available. Because we go away on long 3 month trips, and spend a month or so in winter conditions often well away from lpg suppliers our requirements are somewhat demanding.

What puts me off compared with what we have now is...

20l gas tank too small for our usage and no obvious space for a supplementary tank.
A number of annoying design faults.
Bench seats too low to accommodate our Honda genny.
No large overcab cupboard.
Smaller overhead cupboards.
They still build with timber in wall construction and don’t have the confidence to back it up with a 10 year habitation warranty.

I suppose it may be possible to move the spare wheel to the external rear wall to liberate space for a larger gas tank?

We thought about the ES version and using the overhead bed space as a large cupboard, but were still deterred by some of the other issues.

We thought about the Mercedes Stanton version, but it’s 200 mm longer yet gives no internal space advantage, and doesn’t seem to have an overcab option.

Aargh!

 

[barge1914]

We bought the roller team Pegaso 590 and we both love it to bits.
I am relatively new to this game starting in 2016, so my depth of knowledge is not as good as others on here. But I looked at 3 other 6m a class models and ours won it on price and great spec. The only additions from the manufacturer are engine upgrades and a carpet if required.
I can only compare it with our previous van a chausson 510, and it beats it hands down. Although we enjoyed the 510 also.
I think it’s worth a look at least.
I don’t agree with previous comment about lack of external storage, for a small van it has an excellent large rear cupboard, and wet cupboard to the front. What it may lack in external cupboard space, it has loads inside. We carry 13kg and 6kg gas in the cylinder compartment. We just fitted a second battery under the passenger seat, and next spring we are fitting an additional solar panel.

Roller Team Pegaso 590 motorhome | Review | Out and About Live

Read the definitive Roller Team Pegaso 590 motorhome review from the expert Out and About Live team. Check specs, prices, performance and compare with similar models.

www.outandaboutlive.co.uk

Yes looks quite a nice van. I would need some convincing that it would carry all the stuff we can currently accommodate. I tend to the view that double floors and carting around the weight of a drop down bed are rather thirsty of payload.

 

[2cv]

A lot of small new coachbuilts seem to waste the space above the cab which could be used for storage but instead have a skylight.

 

[barge1914]

We bought the roller team Pegaso 590 and we both love it to bits.
I am relatively new to this game starting in 2016, so my depth of knowledge is not as good as others on here. But I looked at 3 other 6m a class models and ours won it on price and great spec. The only additions from the manufacturer are engine upgrades and a carpet if required.
I can only compare it with our previous van a chausson 510, and it beats it hands down. Although we enjoyed the 510 also.
I think it’s worth a look at least.
I don’t agree with previous comment about lack of external storage, for a small van it has an excellent large rear cupboard, and wet cupboard to the front. What it may lack in external cupboard space, it has loads inside. We carry 13kg and 6kg gas in the cylinder compartment. We just fitted a second battery under the passenger seat, and next spring we are fitting an additional solar panel.

Roller Team Pegaso 590 motorhome | Review | Out and About Live

Read the definitive Roller Team Pegaso 590 motorhome review from the expert Out and About Live team. Check specs, prices, performance and compare with similar models.

www.outandaboutlive.co.uk

Further thoughts...
How much gas does Pegaso carry?
Does it have spare wheel?
Are tanks internal? ie. Is it fully winterised?
Can you raise the bed fully made, or do you have to strip and store bedding.
Is the bed big enough to sleep lengthwise without needing to climb over each other to get in and out?
Have you had it on a weighbridge? I ask this because a year or two ago we nearly bought a similar Bavaria model. But once we got full up to date weight info including everything we rejected it, as with everything included it had precious little payload left.

 

[barge1914]

A lot of small new coachbuilts seem to waste the space above the cab which could be used for storage but instead have a skylight.

And most manufacturers have lowered the roof leaving space only for shallow high level cupboards. And eliminated the overcab cupboards by shortening the roof back to the top of the windscreen.

 

[Fisherman]

Further thoughts...
How much gas does Pegaso carry?
Does it have spare wheel?
Are tanks internal? ie. Is it fully winterised?
Can you raise the bed fully made, or do you have to strip and store bedding.
Is the bed big enough to sleep lengthwise without needing to climb over each other to get in and out?
Have you had it on a weighbridge? I ask this because a year or two ago we nearly bought a similar Bavaria model. But once we got full up to date weight info including everything we rejected it, as with everything included it had precious little payload left.

The gas cupboard takes a13kg and a6kg propane cylinders.
Yes it has a spare wheel.
The freshwater tank is internal, grey water external.
Being an A. class the winterising option available on their coach built vans was not available. I assume that is because it is not required.
The bed can be raised fully made up. But we prefer to store the cushions.
The bed is large and very comfortable.
but owing to it being breadthwise you do need to climb over your partner. But the short ladder is positioned at the bottom. This means my wife simply folds her legs to let me out.
Yes we had it weighed at the local refuge centre.
And it measured up roughly to what roller team claim.
635kg, inc, driver at 80kg, 13kg cyl, full water tank, full diesel tank, and spare wheel.
One thing I don’t like is the fuel tank is only 60 litres instead of the standard 90.

hope this helps, feel free to pm me

 

[Fisherman]

And most manufacturers have lowered the roof leaving space only for shallow high level cupboards. And eliminated the overcab cupboards by shortening the roof back to the top of the windscreen.

One of the things we love is that when the bed comes down you still have your full lounge. Unlike the coach built T 590 which fills the lounge area. Also I prefer non electric beds. The bed both lowers and moves into the cab area which has been extended to facilitate this.

 

[trevskoda]

I was just about to recommend the very same vehicle
Plenty of payload if the lay out suits, one downside for us is that the newer Hymer Vans have a compressor fridge which we are not a fan of. Older models might have a three way
One point, the Hymer Van is not a van but is a small coach built
edit
and for continental use, the door is on the correct side

Compressor fridge is the way to go,few solar panels on roof and your away.

 

[2cv]

Compressor fridge is the way to go,few solar panels on roof and your away.

I think it depends on how you plan to use your van. A compressor fridge is fine in summer with solar or if on hook up in winter, or even possibly if moving each day, but to remain in one place in winter without hook up would be problematic and would probably mean carrying a generator and fuel for it.

 

[trevskoda]

I think it depends on how you plan to use your van. A compressor fridge is fine in summer with solar or if on hook up in winter, or even possibly if moving each day, but to remain in one place in winter without hook up would be problematic and would probably mean carrying a generator and fuel for it.

Leave food in a outside locker in winter,4 batteries will hold for 2/3 days no bother.

 

[martinmartin]

A van that suits your needs and fits the the bill is a keeper to me.Patching it up and adding scars along the way adds character but maybe loosing value,not that much though in the grand scheme of things and fretting over new marks and dings becomes a thing of the past which is a real bonus if your a fretter.