Is bigger always better?

[Channa]

I have a pop top on the Trafic which gives me ample headroom at 6 feet tall but I agree about the bed. I've actually left it made up for the last week which hasn't been too bad though would be different if I were travelling with someone.

I had a caravan before a motorhome when I was normal On a serious note it was a Abbey Vogue GTS the finish far better than the CI on twist of fortune was a separate shower and toilet in the bathroom makes drying oneself far easier in fact the whole sordid process so that was something I looked for in a Mhome ...Making the bed was a bind, half cut after a bottle of red tired taking down in the morning a real pain so when I bought the motorhome thefixed bed in the dolphin head above the cab made and proved to make a lot of sense
THe mh didnt have an oven I got round that to a greater extent with an aftermarket remoska and a microwave ( to a lesser extent) so that was the compromise There has been occasions a proper oven would have been preferable but its all about sometimes making compromises but differ from person to person

Channa

 

[trevskoda]

The overhang should not be more than 60% of the wheelbase. That looks more to me. Don't think it is legal.

If you really want a van that long, get one with a bigger wheelbase!

Of course everyone wants a motorhome that is 18" longer in the inside and 18" shorter on the outside. But lots of people buy small vans and find they have to add a back box, which is more or less the opposite.

There is always the loft conversion.:lol-053:

 

[trevskoda]

The wife reckons the bigger the better :dance:

I was going to say i have had no complaints but thought better .

 

[n brown]

travelling with 4 kids, all their stuff and all my tools, we had a couple of 9m buses, we could go almost anywhere in them, although some fishing villages were a bit of a challenge.you need to have at least a moped for running around and checking out tracks, but it's great to have all that room !

 

[gratefulj]

I had a caravan before a motorhome when I was normal On a serious note it was a Abbey Vogue GTS the finish far better than the CI on twist of fortune was a separate shower and toilet in the bathroom makes drying oneself far easier in fact the whole sordid process so that was something I looked for in a Mhome ...Making the bed was a bind, half cut after a bottle of red tired taking down in the morning a real pain so when I bought the motorhome thefixed bed in the dolphin head above the cab made and proved to make a lot of sense
THe mh didnt have an oven I got round that to a greater extent with an aftermarket remoska and a microwave ( to a lesser extent) so that was the compromise There has been occasions a proper oven would have been preferable but its all about sometimes making compromises but differ from person to person

Channa

I have a very cleverly designed mini shower room in the Trafic but I haven't used it yet as I've just been rocking up at leisure centres all along the south coast and using their showers (£1.50-2.00). I'm only a few weeks into my full timing so it's a gradual shift into total independence.

 

[Fazerloz]

The overhang should not be more than 60% of the wheelbase. That looks more to me. Don't think it is legal.

If you really want a van that long, get one with a bigger wheelbase!

Of course everyone wants a motorhome that is 18" longer in the inside and 18" shorter on the outside. But lots of people buy small vans and find they have to add a back box, which is more or less the opposite.

Where have you got the 60% legal rule from. Can you post a link as I don't seem to be able to find it.

 

[wildebus]

I have a pop top on the Trafic which gives me ample headroom at 6 feet tall but I agree about the bed. I've actually left it made up for the last week which hasn't been too bad though would be different if I were travelling with someone.

Ah. I didn't notice the Poptop That makes a hell of a (positive) difference to the experience .
Before I swapped from the T5 (with standard roof) to the LT, I did look at the high roof T5s and Pop-tops, but decided if I was going to change, I may as well go long as well as high for the bed.
It also meant I could often loose the trailer when going to shows (which made my 5.3M T5 an 8M long jobby that was a bugger to park anywhere outside of Motorway services)

 

[trevskoda]

Where have you got the 60% legal rule from. Can you post a link as I don't seem to be able to find it.

Here you go

 

[wildebus]

Here you go

looking at the exemption criteria, I would guess this 60% rule would not need to apply to any but the very very longest motorhomes with superlong wheelbases

 

[Deleted member 74361]

We went from a 21' to a 18' losing a garage along the way so we bought a back box, we now have a 21' again. DOH. Worse MH decision we have ever made.

We would not want to be without our garage for 2 bikes, maybe a scooter later in life. Better than hanging off the back.

But we also would not want a 'van' cab compared with our 'A' Class with panoramic screen - great for viewing mountains which we like.

We also appreciate the king-sized fixed bed and seating at dinner for 6 when we want that.

Result is that to have those things one needs 7m. Also we like the quality, and most quality builders do not do anything much smaller than 6m.

As for driving, having driven 7.5t trucks and taken them in some tight places, including lanes in the City of London, it does not phase me. Parking is less easy in some towns, but more so in UK than Continent where we do 95% of our touring. Aires and wildcamping are not problems and much bigger MHs do it.

Overhang just needs more care/angling, but back end is protected by towbar(not that we tow)

It is horses for courses and this horse is pedigree for us.

As for initial cost, when buying at 6 years old and privately there is not a lot of difference between our N+B Arto 69(£27K at 16,000 miles) and smaller/cheaper (at new) MHs - they all have chassis, engine, shower, toilet, cooker, fridge, water and electric systems, which all cost - just a bit more bodywork, which is not so expensive because the labour cost to fit a 7m or 5m side panel is the same. The first 5 years depreciation is the steepest. I suggest good quality PVCs at 6 years will not be much under £20K. I am happy to pay the difference for the space.

Geoff

 

[bobj808]

We went from a caravan to a Citroen Relay XLWB camper to a 6.9m motorhome (which isn't over long). Love it. To be fair we don't visit small fishing villages to look around, however we do use it for motocross meetings (as well as weekends away) many of which are located in fields with sometimes difficult parking and access and the mh has been fine. The camper was good, but lifting the benches every night, getting the bedding out, tiny wee hob and sink, tiny wee shower, everyone on top of each other doing this. Just wore us down. Now we have a ready made fixed bed, can sit and watch TV with a beer while my wife is away to bed, big(ish) shower room, huge fridge. Bliss. As has been said, you buy what you need for your needs at the time. Bob.

 

[harrow]

Horrendous overhang.

You have seen my wife ?

 

[phillybarbour]

We went from a 9m AClass which I decided was a bit to big to a 6.4m PVC, which I’ve now decided is a bit small. I don’t regret selling the big one but have now decided just over 7m is right for us. Costly mistake.

 

[maingate]

We went from a 9m AClass which I decided was a bit to big to a 6.4m PVC, which I’ve now decided is a bit small. I don’t regret selling the big one but have now decided just over 7m is right for us. Costly mistake.

That's the problem, once you have had the space, you miss it when you downsize.

Prior to my 70th birthday we looked at downsizing as we did not have so many dogs and I thought the C1 medical might be a problem. We quickly decided that downsizing was not a good idea and ended up buying another Tag Axle van that we came across. I passed the C1 medical and it is just as well because we have stocked up on Whippets again. We took on 2 that needed rehoming, so we now travel with 3 Whippets, 1 Pug and 1 Jack Russell.

 

[Nesting Zombie]

Claims, by people, that larger motorhomes don't make life more difficult, are simply being economical with the truth!

If we were to change, then it would certainly be to a shorter M/H, so that I could tour Devon/Cornwall/Lake District etc, more easily than with our current 6.86M van.

Hi Mick H,
Hmmmm, with respect I think that’s an unfair sweeping statement.
As some members on here My remember I’ve Both Worked for a cpl of Month & then Spent at least 3 further months or more Touring Cornwall, The West Country & Dorset for two years running now, in fact I’ve JUST left Cornwall about 8 weeks ago & am now in North Yorkshire Dales for a week or so (See past posts on here somewhere) Although The Nest isn’t as big as some other MHs, it’s 30ft long & just over 7ft wide & Without Being economical with the truth it hasn’t made my life more difficult at all !.

 

[Mick H]

Hi Mick H,
Hmmmm, with respect I think that’s an unfair sweeping statement.
As some members on here My remember I’ve Both Worked for a cpl of Month & then Spent at least 3 further months or more Touring Cornwall, The West Country & Dorset for two years running now, in fact I’ve JUST left Cornwall about 8 weeks ago & am now in North Yorkshire Dales for a week or so (See past posts on here somewhere) Although The Nest isn’t as big as some other MHs, it’s 30ft long & just over 7ft wide & Without Being economical with the truth it hasn’t made my life more difficult at all !.

Last time that I was in Cornwall, I had a worrying experience, when it would have been extremely difficult to reverse, because my mirrors were full of foliage.
It wouldn't have been the case in my original SWB Transit.
I had great difficulty, in passing a works van, in the Lake district, last year. We both had to fold our mirrors in, to pass each other.
Physical size is the difference, unless you have some sort of "Tardis", technology, that works on the outside!
You simply cannot tour in the places that I have been, in the past, because your motorhome is too long, and too wide, to do so.
There are non so blind, as the wilfully blind!

 

[mark61]

Doesn't matter how small you think a road is, theres usually been a 7.5 tonner deleivering coke along it.
Luckily didn't meet the coke delivery on this road.
Any excuse.

[video=youtube_share;IPMeuDl2ark]https://youtu.be/IPMeuDl2ark[/video]

 

[wildebus]

This might be worth a watch (Motorhome is I think around 28' with a long overhang)

Key part is 3:40 onwards
[video=youtube_share;mkoq6Gx_xWo]https://youtu.be/mkoq6Gx_xWo?t=220[/video]

 

[gadabout]

Hi
Until this year we had had a Matterhorn for 10 yrs – did 70,000+ miles wildcamping all over the place.
- No problems doing the Pyrenes (from East to West) and the Amalfi Cost and supporting my husband through Yorkshire when he was walking the Pennine Way.
- No problems parking with a reversing camera – the only place we didn’t try parking was in Rome.
- Helped our children move house with it - huge garage would take a large settee.
Great vehicle decided to down size to 3.5 tons now we are 70+ years old.

 

[wildebus]

Where did you find these exception criteria? The link in the graphic goes nowhere, but the text it points to
(EUR-Lex - 31997L0027 - EN) Annex I says:

I didn't click the link. I read the text above it under the word "Exception". did you read that?