Perfect Motorhome (1 Viewer)

ShiftZZ

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My better ½ and myself were talking over the weekend about the perfect Motorhome. As we are both in our 50’s and don’t have any kids at home, we thought that there could a niche in the market for the perfect motorhome for 2 person of middle age.

What would you have in and not have the perfect Middle Age Motorhome?


ShiftZZ
 

6pm Cowboy

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Well, bearing in mind the age group etc......

In ... permanent double or single beds ( could be 2 settees used as single beds

In... A substantial bathroom / toilet / shower

Out ... No 'dinette' fixed table and seats
 

6pm Cowboy

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Well, bearing in mind the age group etc......

In ... permanent double or single beds ( could be 2 settees used as single beds

In... A substantial bathroom / toilet / shower

Out ... No 'dinette' fixed table and seats

Out ... High bed needing ladders ( except maybe an overcab bed as a spare but not if ladder affects lower beds )

edit - sorry ended up with double post
 
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scotjimland

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Hi

The vast majority of owners are in their 50s or over, so most vans are designed for this age group.. as far as floor plan it is a very personal choice and everyone's needs and uses are different so there is no such beast as the 'perfect motorhome'

As we are now selling the RV and looking to buy a touring van, we have decided on a B534 Hymer .. probably pre 1995

Reasons:

* Hymer build quality and reliability ..

* A Class.
this maximises floor space, no wasted cab space, brighter interior and panoramic views.

* Rear U shape lounge rather than a fixed bed with dinette.

Being able to relax and spread out of an evening to watch TV or read is a must. A dinette is a dinette .. it doesn't make a good lounge and a fixed bed isn't needed for touring, long term or full time it is very desirable but it uses a lot of floor space.

* Drop down bed for Charlotte

* Good sized toilet and shower.

* Economical. (or so I am told)

* Compact length.

* Good residual value.


There are a few other makes and models that would fit this criteria.. but I've always liked the older Hymers.

jim
 
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vwalan

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think i already have it . garage bedover proper sink n cooker large shower ,toilet plenty work space 2 6ft settee,s for either dinnette or laying on in day . does make spare bed large enough for 4 persons if required . all this in 20ft x7ft6ins .tow unit seats 7 persons,all in 30ft. ideal cant get better . small m,cycle in garage for emergency /pleasure use. had it 10yrs havent found anything better ,would like 4x4 tow unit for those extreme places. .cheers alan.

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Pikey Pete

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Hi

The vast majority of owners are in their 50s or over, so most vans are designed for this age group.. as far as floor plan it is a very personal choice and everyone's needs and uses are different so there is no such beast as the 'perfect motorhome'

As we are now selling the RV and looking to buy a touring van, we have decided on a B534 Hymer .. probably pre 1995

Reasons:

* Hymer build quality and reliability ..

* A Class.
this maximises floor space, no wasted cab space, brighter interior and panoramic views.

* Rear U shape lounge rather than a fixed bed with dinette.

Being able to relax and spread out of an evening to watch TV or read is a must. A dinette is a dinette .. it doesn't make a good lounge and a fixed bed isn't needed for touring, long term or full time it is very desirable but it uses a lot of floor space.

* Drop down bed for Charlotte

* Good sized toilet and shower.

* Economical. (or so I am told)

* Compact length.

* Good residual value.


There are a few other makes and models that would fit this criteria.. but I've always liked the older Hymers.

jim

I agree with most of that.
I'm in the process of chopping in my fixed bed Adria for a Hymer S630 of 1999 vintage even though my Adria is on a 04 plate.
The fixed bed is OK but it is wasted "social space" and if you live fulltime in your van, as I do, you soon realise this.
Euromobile used to do a "U" lounge but I could only find them on a Fiat and I wanted a Merc.
"U" lounge S class Hymers are as rare as hens teeth so I've been searching for one for sometime.
After 2000 the S630 switched to a rear kitchen layout so it had to be one built before that for me.
Fingers crossed that I don't have any problems with it.

Pete:Cool::Cool:
 
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champers

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Definitely a one level inner floor - NO STEPS

At the w/e I looked at some of the m/hs on show at shepton and decided that if we ever changed ours it would be on one level inside, on the first 3 diff vans > I didnt see the the upper level step (example walk from the drivers seat to the rear) and went flying ok not literally:ROFLMAO:) but then on one m/h there was another level up to the bed/s
I realise folk would get use to the diff levels, or that there could be bigger storage below but def not for me, I would be mopping up all the time what I spill::bigsmile:::bigsmile:

And a bathroom sink not in the corner :Blush:
 

Peter JohnsCross MH

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The one I personally really like is the Hymer Elegance, fanatstic interior, got everything, fully winterised on a Merc Auto.

Pictures don't do it justice, even got a wine rack and glass storage.

Peter
 

6pm Cowboy

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The one I personally really like is the Hymer Elegance, fanatstic interior, got everything, fully winterised on a Merc Auto.

Pictures don't do it justice, even got a wine rack and glass storage.

Peter
Very nice Peter. Cant quite see from the pictures but is it a left or right hand drive ?

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Goose

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Hi shiftzz.

We, too, are two...no kids and looking what seems like the same "perfect motorhome" you are.

Graham (6pm cowboy) and others have already commented on an american rv we're thinking of buying over here and bringing across to the UK. Because of their constructive comments on the Coachmen Prism M220 (rear corner bed) we're now leaning more toward the floorplan of the M230 that, apart from the cab-over bed, doesn't have a fixed bed. This is the floorplan:

Link Removed

In response to your question, "early-to-bed" cowboy had this to say:
In ... permanent double or single beds ( could be 2 settees used as single beds

In... A substantial bathroom / toilet / shower

Out ... No 'dinette' fixed table and seats

Looks like the floorplan above might tick those boxes. The dining table is stored away under the one settee when not in use and the other settee is a sofa-bed. I was initially unsure about the side-by-side double settee setup but the more I think of it the more I realise its functionality. You get tremendous interior space by not having the dinette or a fixed bed. And should we not want to sleep in the cab-over bed we can always use the sofa-bed. The bathroom looks enormous on plan.

My one big worry was not having cockpit seats that could fully rotate and form an integral part of the living space. But then I discoverd that you can buy seat-adaptors that will alow the seats to fully rotate. I guess by the time we get to purchase our dream motorhome, Coachmen might already have swivel seats as standard for their cockpit like Winnebago on its View model.

The Coachmen Prism M230 (floorplan above) comes with a LPG generator as standard, is 24'11" long, 8' wide and has 45 cubic feet of exterior storage capacity.

What do you think?
 

6pm Cowboy

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Hi Goose.

In my defense the 'early to bed' Cowboy does have to get up at 4am :ROFLMAO:

A couple of thoughts..... I noticed at the three counties show that a lot of MHs had tables that collapsed and stored in a cupboard. I thought that to be a good idea at the time but thinking about it now.... I bet they dont half rattle about when you are mobile. Same applies to a lot of things kept aboard though. I wonder what everyone does about that ?

Also saw many with double beds in the back corner with the bathroom alongside it..... Not sure about that. (a) if you have anyone else in the van they are going to wake you up using the bathroom at night ( no beers for them then ) (b) only the person on the outside could get out of bed without crawling over the other person.... getting to old for that.

May be antisocial but I dont care at our age. I am leaning towards two single beds and an overcab bed for our son if he chooses to come with us...... but even that can be a problem if the single beds ( settees ) are at the front coz the ladder gets in the way.

Not easy this 'finding the ideal layout' is it ::bigsmile:
 
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Peter JohnsCross MH

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Very nice Peter. Cant quite see from the pictures but is it a left or right hand drive ?


Its right hand drive, drives like a dream and seems good on juice, I drove it down from Wokingham to the dealership, about 90 miles and left with half a tank and arrived with three eights!:thumb:

Peter

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6pm Cowboy

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Just blew up your floorplan Goose to get a good look at it.

Love the big back bathroom and the layout of the settees. It looks ideal and would work even without the slides. How long is it ?

Mind you it does seem to have one rather major ( not to say critical ) problem..... there seems to be a remarkable lack of ......... Driving seat and steering wheel. Is this the RV version of a 'push' bike ? :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

6pm Cowboy

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Its right hand drive, drives like a dream and seems good on juice, I drove it down from Wokingham to the dealership, about 90 miles and left with half a tank and arrived with three eights!:thumb:

Peter

Hymer - A class - Merc - RHD - Auto - Very tempting. I will try to find out more about the layout. ( see other posts in this thread )

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Peter JohnsCross MH

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Hymer - A class - Merc - RHD - Auto - Very tempting. I will try to find out more about the layout. ( see other posts in this thread )

Double over cab bed and the curved settee (without cushions) is one single.

Cab air con, habitation air con, can be used on the move, full Sky and freeview with self seek dish, list goes on and on.

All it needs is some solar panels or a small genny and its totally self sufficient, to be honest fancy it myself.:Smile:

Peter
 

6pm Cowboy

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Double over cab bed and the curved settee (without cushions) is one single.

Cab air con, habitation air con, can be used on the move, full Sky and freeview with self seek dish, list goes on and on.

All it needs is some solar panels or a small genny and its totally self sufficient, to be honest fancy it myself.:Smile:

Peter

Mmmmm. <deep in thought> but only the one single bed <deeper in thought>
 

6pm Cowboy

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Back to the 'perfect Motorhme'

How practical is it really to have a shower in a motorhome ? Is the water storage big enough for two people to have a shower in the morning without having to fill it up inbetween ? Do you change the way you shower ?
 

Brisey

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Hi Graham

We have fitted a trigger operated shower head, this saves water as the shower is not running all the time. The procedure is wet down.....lather up.....rinse off. Simples.:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

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Terry

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Hi, I think ours comes very close to perfect,if such a thing exists - 2 singles beds or one 5 ft double or better still 6 ft 6 ins king size :thumb: plenty of room in the loo area, work top space in the kitchen and open space for people / visitors to sit chat and drink.19 ft long, 27 mpg average and 90 mph top speed.Other than that one that measures 20 foot outside and 40 foot inside would then be perfect :ROFLMAO:
terry
 

6pm Cowboy

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.Other than that one that measures 20 foot outside and 40 foot inside would then be perfect :ROFLMAO:
terry

Psssst
I have one of those I can let you have for 5K, just drop me a bankers draft and I will have it delivered to you.

Dont tell Jim, I am not a trade member

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motorhomer

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As others have said its all down to personal taste. And its all a compromise, where you choose to compromise is up tp you.

For us (2 of us) a fixed bed that does not use or encroach on the lounge area is essential, as often one of us likes to go to bed or get up first.

We have a garage layout and I cannot imagine that we would have enough storage space without a garage.

Decent shower is essential.

Also essential is good sized tanks. Many british vans have tanks that are far too small.

We do not bother with satelites or TV (although in UK we do occasionally watch TV on my laptop) - we do not travel for hundreds or thousands of miles just to sit and watch UK TV.

Re the A-class comments, unless you need the drop down bed (and we would reject this as the only bed as typically it stops the lounge being used) we would opt not to have an a-class. Whilst they do feel light and airy, the extra space is an illusion. The cab seats are in exactly the same place as in a low profile, and the space between the seats and the screen is a substantial area that is not of any use. Also they typically have less cupboards than a low profile because you usually lose the cupboards in the front and side that the low profile has. Most RHD do not have a drivers door which would not be acceptable to me. And they cost more! But they are very popular.

So you pays your money and takes your choice!
 

wanderer

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Hi
Would go for A class everytime. I am 6.00 ft tall and when i sit in the driving position on a low profile all i can see is the bottom half of the vehicle in front , it gets worse when blind runners are fitted to the windscreen , i could lower the seat you think but then my knees would come up for a really uncomfortable ride . i love driving my Arto as i believe the panoramic view is the best
Wanderer
 

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