What van would you build?

mark61 said:
I do like those HX60's, perfect for a road trip to Tehran, bit big for most of Europe.

Get to the allrad show in Germany, fields of the tings.
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My dream years ago Mark was a Land Rover Forward Control and I very nearly bought one (ex Field Ambulance).

When I test drove it though the legroom for the driver was nowhere near enough for me so I had to give it a miss. I was gutted. :(
 
If you want to hide in the bushes.
camed up van.png
 
Love the old 101's, but yes serious lack of legroom, but it's similar with all these smaller ex military forward controls like the Volvo C303 and Pinzgauer, plus those cabs get seriously hot in summer, comfort wasn't on the options list.
 
Robmac said:
Another fan of the Renault Master Low Loader here, my mate fitted one out and the space inside was fantastic. Lovely square, flat sides as well.
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Of the various models of van I have had (not motorhomes or campers, but van bases), I have liked driving the Renault Master best. The one I had was a 2010, so last of the older style and I think the newer model from 2011, evident with the bigger headlights was even better.

Robmac said:
If I were to do one I think I would have a rear bathroom across the full width of the van with a door in the middle then a single bed either side of the bathroom door lengthways.
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It is bigger than I really need, but a nice Motorhome with that kind of bed/bath layout is the Autotrail Cheyenne 840. The Door behind the kitchen led to a rear bedroom with a pair of singles and then onwards to a full width bathroom.
I thought if someone wanted to full-time in a van, that kind of layout would be great. If you worked from the van as well, you could even convert the rear bedroom into an office space to separate work/life.

I didn't realise until maybe 6 or 7 years ago that there were Motorhomes with a rear bathroom until someone came over to my place for some electrics work in their Eldiss and that had single beds to the right (so to back) of the Hab Door and then the centre door to a full width bathroom. Liked that layout and started looking to see what models had that bathroom feature.


Robmac said:
The galley across the back of the cab seats with a flip up worktop in the middle to act as a walkthrough from the cab.
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This book was written quite a while back so a lot of the info regarding things like Electrics are a bit dated, but is still a useful resource for doing a vehicle with a rear box.
Haynes-H6076-cover.jpg


I have that book and funnily enough I was talking to the author a few years ago about some electrics stuff and thought his name sounds familiar for some reason and then it twigged :)
 
wildebus said:
Of the various models of van I have had (not motorhomes or campers, but van bases), I have liked driving the Renault Master best. The one I had was a 2010, so last of the older style and I think the newer model from 2011, evident with the bigger headlights was even better.


It is bigger than I really need, but a nice Motorhome with that kind of bed/bath layout is the Autotrail Cheyenne 840. The Door behind the kitchen led to a rear bedroom with a pair of singles and then onwards to a full width bathroom.
I thought if someone wanted to full-time in a van, that kind of layout would be great. If you worked from the van as well, you could even convert the rear bedroom into an office space to separate work/life.

I didn't realise until maybe 6 or 7 years ago that there were Motorhomes with a rear bathroom until someone came over to my place for some electrics work in their Eldiss and that had single beds to the right (so to back) of the Hab Door and then the centre door to a full width bathroom. Liked that layout and started looking to see what models had that bathroom feature.
Click to expand...

The Autotrail is exactly how I pictured the back end David in my minds eye, although I would forego the front dinette to facilitate a shorter wheelbase and the galley across the front but maybe a short 'L' shape to one side, and as said I do like the idea of a hinged flip up worktop to the middle of the galley. I'll have a look around to see if anybody has actually done this.

I got the idea looking at caravan design and was always envious of the space they had in the bathrooms.
 
I prefer a small bathroom, you're either standing, arms go into the corners, or sitting, I'm only a tiny bear really, and slightly yellow, space is at a premium, mine was a L4H2, b/room was just a tad over a meter with a bench loo.
 
Robmac said:
The Autotrail is exactly how I pictured the back end David in my minds eye, although I would forego the front dinette to facilitate a shorter wheelbase and the galley across the front but maybe a short 'L' shape to one side, and as said I do like the idea of a hinged flip up worktop to the middle of the galley. I'll have a look around to see if anybody has actually done this.

I got the idea looking at caravan design and was always envious of the space they had in the bathrooms.
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Galley kinda like this but reversed and across the back of the cab seats. It would only need a very narrow 'walk through'

1772458026910.png
 
Pudsey Bear said:
I prefer a small bathroom, you're either standing, arms go into the corners, or sitting, I'm only a tiny bear really, and slightly yellow, space is at a premium, mine was a L4H2, b/room was just a tad over a meter with a bench loo.
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I would like a separate shower Kev to one side and as a wet room. I hate shower curtains in a small shower that cling to you and feel cold.
 
Robmac said:
Galley kinda like this but reversed and across the back of the cab seats. It would only need a very narrow 'walk through'

View attachment 150258
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Reversing layout makes sense to me too, although I was put of blocking the front portion of the side door on last van. In some cases the less you have to open the sliding door the better.
Didn't have walk through on last van, but could climb over top of seat and units when I was too spooked to go outside. 😂
 
Robmac said:
I would like a separate shower Kev to one side and as a wet room. I hate shower curtains in a small shower that cling to you and feel cold.
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Yes, I fitted a door and a curtain to protect it, in the end I took the curtain out and put a length of plastic bent to 25° at the bottom of the door to direct splashes into the tray.

We've had two Bessacar E745

Second best layout we've had, sadly had to sell both due to damp under the b/room shower floor.

1772458949450.png
 
mark61 said:
Reversing layout makes sense to me too, although I was put of blocking the front portion of the side door on last van. In some cases the less you have to open the sliding door the better.
Didn't have walk through on last van, but could climb over top of seat and units when I was too spooked to go outside. 😂
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I've got a sort of 'crawl through' at the moment Mark. It's a bit awkward to use because you have to fold down the middle seat squab and crawl over that onto the dinette sofa.

Handy when it's raining though.

1772460048547.jpeg
 
Robmac said:
The Autotrail is exactly how I pictured the back end David in my minds eye, although I would forego the front dinette to facilitate a shorter wheelbase and the galley across the front but maybe a short 'L' shape to one side, and as said I do like the idea of a hinged flip up worktop to the middle of the galley. I'll have a look around to see if anybody has actually done this.

I got the idea looking at caravan design and was always envious of the space they had in the bathrooms.
Click to expand...
I know many people think anything bigger than your body is a waste of space in a camper shower room, but I love my 'en-suite'

This is what you see when you open the door to the bathroom ...

Cheyenne635SE-SP57DLK - 8 by David, on Flickr

Shower to the right, plus Drawers and half the wardrobe

Cheyenne635SE-SP57DLK - 7 by David, on Flickr
The Shower has a proper folding door, not a yucky curtain and works brilliantly.

And Loo, Basin and cupboards to the left

Cheyenne635SE-SP57DLK - 6 by David, on Flickr

Mine is an Autotrail Cheyenne 635, but I was originally going to buy an Autotrail Mohican, which has the lounge, kitchen and bathroom all a little bigger and that model actually has a seat and dressing table/shelf in the bathroom for the ladies to do their makeup and stuff.
A van which I would like and whose layout I would replicate happily is the Autotrail Grand Frontier, which is like the Mohican plus it has the A-Class style drop down bed in the cab.
This section of this video shows the bathroom ....

nice :)
 
wildebus said:
I know many people think anything bigger than your body is a waste of space in a camper shower room, but I love my 'en-suite'

This is what you see when you open the door to the bathroom ...

Cheyenne635SE-SP57DLK - 8 by David, on Flickr

Shower to the right, plus Drawers and half the wardrobe

Cheyenne635SE-SP57DLK - 7 by David, on Flickr
The Shower has a proper folding door, not a yucky curtain and works brilliantly.

And Loo, Basin and cupboards to the left

Cheyenne635SE-SP57DLK - 6 by David, on Flickr

Mine is an Autotrail Cheyenne 635, but I was originally going to buy an Autotrail Mohican, which has the lounge, kitchen and bathroom all a little bigger and that model actually has a seat and dressing table/shelf in the bathroom for the ladies to do their makeup and stuff.
A van which I would like and whose layout I would replicate happily is the Autotrail Grand Frontier, which is like the Mohican plus it has the A-Class style drop down bed in the cab.
This section of this video shows the bathroom ....

nice :)
Click to expand...

Here's an automatic 365 which might suit the Bear;

 
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