What M/H? (1 Viewer)

[Goldenoldies]

Wife and i both retired,early 60s want to go 365 for 3to4 years ,UK and Europe. need some advice on which M/H would be OK, rather fancy Kontiki 655 but would like some of your thoughts.

 

[jonandshell]

There are loads of motorhomes which will fit the bill!

For fulltiming in Europe though, I would be looking at a quality European van. They have evolved to be fit for European travel and tend to be better for that purpose than a Brit van which has evolved to be on a Caravan Club site.

I don't wish to offend Brit van owners, but our European cousins use their vans in a different way to us and demand more self-sufficiency.

Euro-vans tend to have better insulation, internal water systems and bigger water tanks.
You will be able to go for longer between visits to a service point and have fewer worries about running out of anything!:thumb:

Of course, there are also RVs...........

In my opinion too big for many Aires and stellplatzes! Although someone will beg to differ!

 

[Terry]

Hi and welcome :thumb: Try hiring a van to see how you go :thumb: This will give you a insight as to what you want in/from a van.A fixed bed may be nice but may also take up what may become valuable storage room.oh: then again under the bed may give you lots of room even though it could prove a pain to get to.LAYOUT is going to be the biggest concern for you.Any euro van will have to have the loo emptied every 3/4 days so you can fill up with water then so tank size may prove adequate on most vans-of course a RV gives you a lot more room for your money but the way fuel prices etc are going it may well loose thousands more than a euro van Lots more will give opinions so hang around and good luck on your plans :thumb:
terry
edit To add to the above there are all sorts of other problems to get over with full timing.Insurance,medications etc etc Always make sure you have an exit plan just in case you do not like it

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[Stephen & Jeannie]

As a fulltimer myself I researched vans and decided that a van with a rear lounge is a necessity.....forget about fixed beds, they are a waste of space !! you will have plenty of time to make up your bed at the back..it takes me less than 5 minutes and you wake up with a cracking view !!:thumb::thumb::thumb:

 

[Terry]

Further to my last post--posted when asked which van
go for comfort in your van. It is not a lot of use having a drop down bed if you cannot climb into it or perhaps get out in the middle of the night if you had too much wine LAYOUT / comfort is the single most thing you should be looking at We have tied all sorts of layouts from 2 / 4 berth to 6 to 4 again then 6 again and now in a 2 which suits us great. Get out and look / try out as many bed layouts and don't be scared to put up climb in etc, etc, before buying Use one of the shows or a dealer to try this and get a good idea what is going to suit you then look for what you want.
Also try hiring one for a weekend or mid week this will give a good idea as to what you want
terry

 

[haganap]

As a fulltimer myself I researched vans and decided that a van with a rear lounge is a necessity.....forget about fixed beds, they are a waste of space !! you will have plenty of time to make up your bed at the back..it takes me less than 5 minutes and you wake up with a cracking view !!:thumb::thumb::thumb:

And here will lay your problem.

I have a bessacarr e765 with a huge front lounge (seats 8 10 when drunk) and a fix bed. I could not think of anything worse than a rear lounge.

But that's my choice.

so you will see asking for advice is going to be difficult.

I think British vans are far more comfortable and higher specked than their continental cousins and I have had both. I think British vans tend to be more like caravans on wheels. They require work for all year round use but we love ours :thumb:

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[Goldenoldies]

what M/H

many thanks to you all for your valuable advice have now got more to work with.Next questions will be about wild camping, and camping in europe.I must say I have been on a few motorhome forum sites and this is by far the most helpful and friendliest of them all.

 

[Gromett]

The most important thing is can you live in it.

Imagine having lousy weather for 6 weeks and you have to stay inside for all that time.

Imagine lounging about. If you can't imagine it in the layout you are looking at then it is not suitable.

My first one was a Hymer 644. It was not suitable for fulltiming for one reason. It didn't have anywhere you could sit for long periods of time except the dinette which is uncomfortable after an hour or two...

Every van since then has a seating that is long enough that I could either lie down on or sit with my feet up.

My second priority is a fixed bed. After a couple of months of making up a bed every night it soon becomes a major hassle....

Last bit of advice would be loads of storage. Vans with a double floor are the best in my opinion. they not only hold the water and waste tanks to prevent freezing in winter they give copious quantities of storage which is essential as a fulltimer.

My favorite choice is the Eura Mobil range... I had a 770HS which was fantastic if a little big..