Is length an issue or hinderence? (1 Viewer)

jaykay

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I'm looking at buying a new motorhome in the new year (fingers crossed) and like some pretty big motorhomes around 8.2m.

Is something this length an issue driving around? I'm a confident driver with good senses, but never driven anything of this length.

I dont want to not drive it because its not practical.

Thoughts?
 
Aug 27, 2009
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Am now running at 7.6 metres and have never had a problem even with a trailer. Have owned RVs in the past and never had a problem with size either. There is no substitute for size when long terming.
I think Snowbird has come up with the answer. Bigger the better if you intend long terming in one place. If not then size is or can be a real pain for all manor of reasons.
 
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Jim

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As has been said plenty of times - whichever road you want to drive down a bus or dustcart has managed it before.

Yes people who drive big rigs always say that, said it plenty myself. "If the school bus and the dustman can get there, then so can I" Big problems though, when you do meet the school bus or the dustman :)

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Forestboy

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Yes people who drive big rigs always say that, said it plenty myself. "If the school bus and the dustman can get there, then so can I" Big problems though, when you do meet the school bus or the dustman :)

We've done it as well and paid to have new mirrors fitted and gouges and scratches repaired. Doesnt matter on the dustcart or bus but looks terrible on your beautiful motorhome.
 
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eddie

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Every design of van is different, as are people's driving skills.

It would be better to test drive plenty of motorhomes and buy something your comfortable in, on and off the road.

If size was the most important thing we would all be driving Romahomes. However, I find that as I still work, my touring is limited. However, as I said in my previous post, We are off to Scotland next Friday for two weeks and will go where we fancy and deal with it when we get there. It's not for every one, even in this day and age, people are surprised that my wife Lyn drives our 32' motorhome as much as I do, with or without the 27' trailer

At work we have two parking areas, one for cars and one for motorhomes, the motorhome one we can easily park five RV's side by side, yet so often we'll have one 20' motorhome reversed in at 45% taking up the space of four, and it's owner pointing at a larger motorhome telling anyone that wants to listen that "the trouble with something that big is you can't go anywhere";)

Not for everyone, but neither is a Romahome, but both do the same job (y)
 
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Jan 28, 2008
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the real question is how you intend to use your motorhome an rv is great for driving to spain and living on site for 4 months a pvc is great for exploring down little lanes and wild camping everything else in between will be a compromise one way or the other

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eddie

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the real question is how you intend to use your motorhome an rv is great for driving to spain and living on site for 4 months a pvc is great for exploring down little lanes and wild camping everything else in between will be a compromise one way or the other

Well, there will be two big RV's touring Scotland in next weekend, wildcamping and I bet that there will be people camping in Spain for four months in van conversions.

It's what your comfortable driving, over what your comfortable lving in in my opinion.
 
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Feb 16, 2013
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It's all been said , but if you want to do a lot of out of the way places, smaller is better , if you want longer stays in well researched camps, the bigger the better, but there has to be a line somewhere, ours is only 6.5 but still to large for some parking spaces but small enough for aires, never found one we couldn't get on but it could go up to maybe 8 and still no more probs but I think above that although not much difference in the driving more care would be needed to find parking and getting up mountain passes and stuff, but hey you have got to weigh it up and get what suits what you want to do, very few want exactly the same things.
 
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Puddleduck

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Yes people who drive big rigs always say that, said it plenty myself. "If the school bus and the dustman can get there, then so can I" Big problems though, when you do meet the school bus or the dustman :)

And then realise the school bus only has 8 seats and the dustman actually picks up at the end of the lane!

Our road has vehicle restrictions which are universally ignored. The result has been that the verges are a muddy mess. The council installed poles to try to stop the verge being used as a passing place the result has been neighbours cars have been damaged.
 
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jaykay

jaykay

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In terms of how we intend to use it, I am expecting mainly aires in france, with some sites as well, and a bit of UK touring with a few funster meets thrown in. I'm not looking to use it to go into and park in town or village centres unless there's an aire we intend on staying in.
I have a big drive and the entrance was passed fit for a fire engine to get down, so should be ok at this end.

I have also driven a couple of 7.5ton ford cargo's in my time and loved it to be honest, once I got used to the air brakes!!

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Mar 17, 2013
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Ours is 7.6 - we have travelled extensively in the UK and even done the Applecross Pass (interesting!) only place we ever take a car on a trailer is in Devon (where we live) or in Cornwall. No problems in France but found tolls on bridges when driving across Denmark very very expensive! Other than that we enjoy the space and comfort that this size motor home gives us.
 
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Jun 30, 2011
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We have just changed from a 8.33 metre monster to a 5.59 metre Murvi Morello, what a difference, no ore ringing sites in advance, fuel consumption great. The other week we nipped off to the Yorkshire dales wild camping and got p1ssed in a local pub after finding a lovely little parking spot down the road. Park anywhere in this thing.

So easy to nip it out for a run, I,m off to the works do Friday night and staying in the motorhome on one of the other managers drives, perfect size for it.

Paul.
 
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