Motorhome of the year 2023.

Don't mind electric handbrakes in cars, work very well actually.

I wouldn't pay extra for it though, and they tend to be unreliable in mud and water, can do without that. So conventional handbrake for me if there's a choice. Which there probably won't be soon.
 
mark61 said:
Don't mind electric handbrakes in cars, work very well actually.

I wouldn't pay extra for it though, and they tend to be unreliable in mud and water, can do without that. So conventional handbrake for me if there's a choice. Which there probably won't be soon.
Click to expand...
Ok lets see how a h brake turn/spin works or if the main brakes fail, how on earth would you bring and control a smooth stop, just more silly junk we get forced to have these days.
 
The laird said:
Still cannot see how the price is what it is on these vans scary imho
Click to expand...
Gordon in the past two years my current van went from Ā£63,000 to Ā£83,000.
And because itā€™s taking 15-18 months to get a new van second hand prices are crazy. When we trade in our by then 4 year old plus van, we will hardly lose anything on it, now thatā€™s plain bonkers. But we got wellied on the van we are buying. It has jumped Ā£12,000 in the past 18 months. But we will avoid the expected rise in July.
 
Last edited:
trevskoda said:
Ok lets see how a h brake turn/spin works or if the main brakes fail, how on earth would you bring and control a smooth stop, just more silly junk we get forced to have these days.
Click to expand...
You still recovering from losing the horse over there Trev, these bloody horseless carriages will never take off. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
trevskoda said:
Ok lets see how a h brake turn/spin works or if the main brakes fail, how on earth would you bring and control a smooth stop, just more silly junk we get forced to have these days.
Click to expand...
Yeah, like you do handbrake turns in your truck every day. :)
Electric handbrake bring you to a smooth stop in emergency.
 
Are 4 adults actually going to sit down together to eat in that lounge.
It looks very small.
Electric hand brakes work brilliantly nowadays unlike the first type made years ago.
Lots of good bits but a lot of bad bits with it. but you can't please everyone...
If I was younger I would self build but that's another story....
 
It's very much like our old Laika layout, but with modern twists.



I like the rear seat and that the recline, the cupboard via the SLD, but a bit wasted in winter if it can't be accessed from inside which he didn't demonstrate.

A very nice van though, lots of clever details, and I'd like to go look at one just because we like to see different aspects.

Shame that the end lockers over the bed are not higher so you can sit and relax as we'd not use the front seats other than as a dinette, Kitchen would not meet Lizs approval with only 4 burners and no oven, I liked when he said extra worktop wasn't very far away, Hmm under the floor in a bag.


Overall a nice van, I assume the Auto box is a proper one with 9 speeds, or is it a CVT type.

I'd like to see a two berth version.
 
Pudsey Bear said:
It's very much like our old Laika layout, but with modern twists.



I like the rear seat and that the recline, the cupboard via the SLD, but a bit wasted in winter if it can't be accessed from inside which he didn't demonstrate.

A very nice van though, lots of clever details, and I'd like to go look at one just because we like to see different aspects.

Shame that the end lockers over the bed are not higher so you can sit and relax as we'd not use the front seats other than as a dinette, Kitchen would not meet Lizs approval with only 4 burners and no oven, I liked when he said extra worktop wasn't very far away, Hmm under the floor in a bag.


Overall a nice van, I assume the Auto box is a proper one with 9 speeds, or is it a CVT type.

I'd like to see a two berth version.
Click to expand...
Quite like their other vans too.
Shame they only use the coach style rear on this model.

https://globe-traveller.eu/models/
 
Nearest to us is Newark or quite a way oop north, so we'll give them a miss til the decide Yorkshire peeps might like one.
 
The laird said:
Still cannot see how the price is what it is on these vans scary imho
Click to expand...
To put the price into context a top end fiat 180bhp power auto long wheel base panel van is around Ā£63000 to purchase. So the Ā£93000 price or a Ā£25000 fit out plus the VAT on this (Ā£30000 +Ā£63000) does not actually seem excessive given the base vehicle price.

You could always get a smaller VW camper van for Ā£70000 but if I had the extra Ā£23000 I know what I would go for.

Overjoyed though that we traded up to our current motorhome in 2020 before all these massive price rises. An equivalent 2023 model to ours would now cost Ā£24000 more and that rise just 29 months after we took delivery.
 
Last edited:
Fisherman said:
I really like this van. Itā€™s quite unique and looks really well built. Some of the ideas are original.
But I just feel that with such a small lounge in a 6.3m van conversion is not ideal for 4 people. But I think this is worth a look, just for its unique features. Itā€™s pricey, but high spec.

Click to expand...
Well..... to my way of thinking, that is a hell of a lot better than the great majority of campervans :)

Outside the front roof looks a bit weird, but when you see the front bed, it is very clear why it looks like it does and that front bed is very clever.
I saw last year a flurry of Ducatos with pop-up roofs to provide the additional sleeping option, and I guess doing that would keep you under some height limits, but the permanent high roof does have its own advantages.

If you want to do any kind of distance with more than 2 people, those rear seats look like proper car seats. Rear travel seating is not some thing I have really ever looked at in detail, not having any need to do so, but when I see rear seats in a motorhome, they are very rarely appealing and seem to be more for very limited journeys and there just to tick the "travel seats" box. The Scopema RIB seats are maybe about the closest to proper travel seats you tend to see with some VW Camper conversions typically, but the ones on this van look nicer (I guess they don't have to fulfill a dual seat/bed role).

As you say, it IS a small lounge for 4 to spend much time in (especially 4 adults) but if you need a compact vehicle that can still cater for 4, this would be pretty nice (and there is the fixed bed at the rear to escape to as well).
 
R
wildebus said:
Well..... to my way of thinking, that is a hell of a lot better than the great majority of campervans :)

Outside the front roof looks a bit weird, but when you see the front bed, it is very clear why it looks like it does and that front bed is very clever.
I saw last year a flurry of Ducatos with pop-up roofs to provide the additional sleeping option, and I guess doing that would keep you under some height limits, but the permanent high roof does have its own advantages.

If you want to do any kind of distance with more than 2 people, those rear seats look like proper car seats. Rear travel seating is not some thing I have really ever looked at in detail, not having any need to do so, but when I see rear seats in a motorhome, they are very rarely appealing and seem to be more for very limited journeys and there just to tick the "travel seats" box. The Scopema RIB seats are maybe about the closest to proper travel seats you tend to see with some VW Camper conversions typically, but the ones on this van look nicer (I guess they don't have to fulfill a dual seat/bed role).

As you say, it IS a small lounge for 4 to spend much time in (especially 4 adults) but if you need a compact vehicle that can still cater for 4, this would be pretty nice (and there is the fixed bed at the rear to escape to as well).
Click to expand...
I like the van, but I would not buy it, because its not what we need.
But the double floor is a great feature, but I don't like not being able to sit up in the bed due to cupboards.
If you look at the van we have ordered, Rapido thought carefully about this, and allowed enough space to sit up in bed.
Ours won't have the rear windows.
The tiny front lounge in these vans is made even smaller with the overhead bed.

To summarise its a really good van, but if I wanted to travel with two adults and two children I would buy a coach built or an A class van.
There are limitations on what you can do with a van conversion, and I just feel this may have exceeded these limitations.
But Its got some excellent features, and I can see why it won the award.

1673962399523.png
 
Fisherman said:
At first we wanted rear windows to mark, our new van will have two side windows. But the problem with rear windows and longitudinal beds is your head is leaning against the windows, you can also damage the blinds. And in winter windows are cold spots. Fine in vans with beds going across the width of the van.
Click to expand...
That's easily solved by using a bed guard. We have one similar to below but 1.45m wide

 
mark61 said:
They have sacrificed a lot of lounge space for a bigger washroom. Personal choice obviously, but I think I'd prefer more lounge space.
92k doesn't sound too ridiculous to me. Can just about get a decent empty panel van for that these days.
Click to expand...
As this, that's one of the things which we like about or Campscout, the shower tray is in the middle of van, this gives more lounge space which lets face it you spend a lot more time in the lounge than you do in shower, I do like the look of those seats.
 
colinm said:
That's easily solved by using a bed guard. We have one similar to below but 1.45m wide

Click to expand...
Yes I have seen them Cameron McNiesh highlighted something similar a while ago.
Malibu provide covers for theirs as standard.
The van we ordered these were not standard, each window costing Ā£400.
We have two side windows, thats enough for us.
 
mark61 said:
Yeah, like you do handbrake turns in your truck every day. :)
Electric handbrake bring you to a smooth stop in emergency.
Click to expand...
And how do you hold her when selecting gear, remember the test, handbrake clutch gear select, clutch out as you ease the h brake, not going to happen with a button is it.
 
trevskoda said:
And how do you hold her when selecting gear, remember the test, handbrake clutch gear select, clutch out as you ease the h brake, not going to happen with a button is it.
Click to expand...
cars with electric handbrakes usually have an auto-hold footbrake. Press the foot pedal down firmly and the brakes hold for a set time while you select gear and start again. You can also just put the hand brake on - it will disengage automatically. All the old ways are no longer applicable with modern vehicles :)
(I don't have an electric handbrake on my current car, but the last two did and I liked them).
 
trevskoda said:
And how do you hold her when selecting gear, remember the test, handbrake clutch gear select, clutch out as you ease the h brake, not going to happen with a button is it.
Click to expand...
Blimey Trev. Best you go have a test drive and see for yourself. You don't have to ease of a handbrake anymore.
As mentioned, most vehicles have an auto hold. My last two vans have and they had conventional handbrakes.
More interested in the conversion than the van it's based on :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top