When size matters and becomes an issue .... ? (1 Viewer)

[Alistair33]

Hi Guys,

We are in our 50's ( hate to say that ! ) and going looking for our first motorhome, destination Dusseldorf this weekend.

While we are trying to decide on layout, I do appreicate that it will likely be a trade off in some departments.

The question that keeps coming to mind is, what length is practical to use in the Uk and in and around our small towns streets ?

Getting into our drive will limit us to 7 -7.5m with out an modifications, maybe up to 8.5 max with a gatepost moved.

While I'm sure the larger may well be fine on 'A' roads and even small country roads, are they best avoided for manoeuvring around town & parking, perhaps also on campsites ?

Thanks in advance

Alistair

 

[Anthea M]

Wow going to Dussoldorf for your first van! It's absolutely massive I understand!! Almost to much choice!!
We have a 6 metre had a 7 metre previously but I'm sure that loads on here with bigger vans will say it's doable.
Layout is key! Good luck and enjoy!!

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

Someone once told me that if the bin lorry can get there then so will most motorhomes. Ours is 7.6mtrs and have never had a problem yet. Most journeys will only have a very small part involving areas that need extra thought and care to get through.
Do not buy one because it's small unless that is the one with the layout that's right for you.

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[Carol]

Welcome to Fun, I'm sure you will have an amazing time at Duseldorf this weekend every conceivable lay out/size will be there, obviously the larger 8meter plus vans are not as convenient in towns and cities but many do have larger ones and manage well.

 

[Baycott]

Hi from us in East Sussex and

We have a 7mtr van but wouldn't want to go much bigger if staying mainly in the uk. Parking can be a problem and lots of the smaller villages would be difficult.
I'm sure there will be others that say different and maybe it's down to your own confidence in driving a bigger vehicle. Good luck with whatever you decide on.

 

[Cavs]

With our 8.5 metres it's usually width, not length, that creates any problems, and it was the same with our previous vans at around 7.3 metres.

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[injebreck99]

Ours is 6m and usually don't have any problems, a lot of PVC's are longer than ours, if we were away for more than a month, a bigger van would be better, but at the moment, ours suits us fine.

 

[mikebeaches]

With our 8.5 metres it's usually width, not length, that creates any problems, and it was the same with our previous vans at around 7.3 metres.

As Cavs has mentioned, width is often more significant than length for ease of negotiating villages and country lanes.

Everyone has their own preferences, but we have just changed from a 6m coach built (2.3m wide + huge mirrors) to a 6.4m panel van conversion (2.05m wide). Currently enjoying the delights of France and can't believe how much more comfortable it is to go exploring in. One foot less wide makes all the difference. Also travels faster on the autoroute and feels much more sure-footed at speed than the coach built.

For us, the added bonus was being able to get fixed twin single beds in such a short van - don't think there are any coachbuilts less than 6.4m that have proper fixed singles.

 

[MC 55 FUN]

&

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[Spidey]

Our first van in 2014 was a 6m to scared to go bigger. It was a lovely van and had loads of living room. We were told at the time to not restrict to 6m. We change a couple of months ago to a 7m van and to be honest havent noticed mutch difference in driving or road handling. The width is the same as our old van. We do appreciate the space though and the storage on the new van. I think layout and payload is more important than length. We love a big lounge and a fixed bed

 

[Geo]

11Mtr 36ft
Stratford upon Avon Town Center on Market day
very doable
He shouldn't stack crates of Oranges on the pavement
9 Mtr tag axle for the tight places
Parking is a challenge not a problem
G

 

[scotjimland]

Someone once told me that if the bin lorry can get there then so will most motorhomes.

well, you won't find many bin lorries parked in car parks.. or in beauty spots where space is tight..

also when buying my RV was told if a bus goes there, then so can an RV.. all very good if you stick to bus routes.. I soon found out that there were many places a bus couldn't go, nor could my RV .. it also severely limited the number of places we could park and sites that we could use.. both in the UK and abroad.

all that is nonsense.. common sense say that the bigger you are the fewer places you can park.. the longer you are the more difficult it can be to manoeuvre in tight places..


size definitely matters .. it's just how much you want to compromise in access and parking that will dictate the length you buy ..

present van is just under 7mts.. it can go most places but will struggle in tight car parks..

it's all compromise, would prefer a 6 mt PVC for driving and an 11mt RV for living ..

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[funflair]

We have 8.5 metres as our first van although I have done about 20 years towing a caravan and am a confident driver, we have not found this size to be a problem but we have been saying that when we change we will look for under 8 metres as that seems to be the magic number that many campsites say "motorhomes up to". I will also say that once you have had the space it is difficult to give it up so we might end up with another 8.5 or even bigger.

I think it really depends on where you are going to go with the van and what you want to do with it.

Martin

 

[Jim]

You often here people say "if the school bus or the bin man can get there, so can I" That is very true, trouble is, most problems I've had have been when I've met head on, the school bus or the bin man.

I've driven an RV through medieval French villages where they've had to close bedroom windows so we can get through. In Spain I've had waiters wind in awnings so we could pass. I've been in streets in Portugal so narrow that my wing mirror once put a woman's fag out. All these "Incidents" were caused by WIDTH not length. It's width that will give you grief, mostly length just follows obediently behind.

Thats said, Go over 8 metres and you really need to think about it a little. Travelling won't give you a problem, if you have any problems at all it's when parking or pitching. even the most stingy pitches will accommodate 9m but if it's tight or busy. it's getting on to that pitch that can be a pain. All the time you'll be looking for parking spaces that will keep your wheels in the bay but space for your back end to over hang, 9 times out of ten you'll find such places easily and you get good at spotting these places. Mostly those long vans have big overhangs and they do pose a problem until you are used to them.

I would say for peace of mind and ease of use; go as small as you can comfortably live in. some vans, especially A-Classes pack a lot of living space into a short length.

As for the show, my advice DO NOT BUY AT THE SHOW large shows should be used for research only. Read the Motorhome Buyers Guide and you'll understand why. Best of luck

 

[Paul an Jane MK]

Buying a motorhome all seems to be about compromises and what features will benefit you the most.

Our first motorhome is 6.4 metres long and 2.3 metres wide. We chose it for the open layout and rear L shaped lounge but This length seems to have worked for us as we like to travel off site in the van visiting beaches and bueaty spots nearby which means we have all our facilities on board and if we have stopped for an explore when we get back to our van we can make a cup of tea or a bite to eat etc.

We have used lots of car parks and as long as they do not specify "no motprhomes" (only once) and found somewhere really nice and quiet further along the road or height barriers we have managed to fit in them without too much trouble.

Some people prefer to leave there motorhome on site and travel by bike, foot or a towed car so can have a much bigger more spacious van.

The downside for us is that we have to make up a bed each night, but it only takes a few minutes and we feel the benefits outweigh the small inconvenience.

Not everyone will agree with me which is why there are so many different layouts.

Enjoy researching and window shopping but take your time lots to consider and easy to buy the wrong layout and then regret.

Paul

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[DBK]

I think it might also help to decide what vehicle to buy if you have some idea what you are going to do with your MH.

If you think you are going to use a lot of campsites then you may find you have to call sites before arriving to check they have room for you if you are much bigger than say 7.5m. I think in the UK you will be fine on places like the Caravan Club but in Europe a lot of sites have narrow access roads and small pitches.

If you intend to spend the winter in Spain then bigger is probably better.

We like to explore and drive down narrow roads in our 6m PVC and rarely have to worry about access.

It's all a compromise - but there does seem to be a correlation between the smaller the MH the more it gets used!

 

[jezport]

As Jim mentioned earlier, its width that's the issue we have owned an 8M+ van for years and never found length a problem. Width slows you down through roadworks, narrow roads getting in parallel parking spaces, parking on narrow roads and negotiating residential streets with parked cars.
The only restricting thing for long vans can be finding a parking space in busy towns, and its just a case of looking a bit further out.
We have just changed to a long wheelbase panel van conversion.

 

[Minxy]

@Jim has pretty much summed up my thoughts ... don't be tempted to buy at the show (especially with the exchange rate as it is now!), do a LOT of research into different layouts, types of vehicle etc and most importantly decide HOW you want to use it first as that will inform your final decision.

If you want to visit lots of little villages, going down narrow streets in various places etc, then the thing that will limit you is width unless you get a long one. We had a 2.3m x 6m Chausson and the width was the issue, we now have a PVC at 2.1m x 6.36m and it is much, much better/easier. The problem with going wider is that the mirrors stick out a heck of a lot so you're not so relaxed driving when there are vehicles coming the other way at speed on narrow roads.

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[awg]

I think most things have been covered. Ours is 7.5mtr and I don't have any issues with the length. However I've had lots of "fun" with the width. Tight twisty mountain roads with hairpin bends have not been a length issue but meeting a coach coming the other way often makes me wish our motorhome had been on a diet.

 

[Steve and Kat]

Can't agree more with Jim on some of his points.. That said, we bought at the NEC and got a cracking deal on our 2016 AutoTrail Apache. I think you have to be sensible when deciding, and you must do your homework. If you have cash, then I think you could get a good deal, but be prepared to walk away if you don't. The width thing as Jim and Minxy girl above state IS the issue, it's not length. We've just traded in our 7.5m van for an 8.73m van, and driving it is no different to our previous van, you just have to watch the oncoming hedges and other wing mirrors, especially down narrow lanes. Good luck with your potential purchase.

 

[clanjones]

Agree with everything said about width - we had a close shave with the bus type wing mirrors when some one stepped off a pavement in France. We have had a motorhome for 12 months, are first timers and it is 7.4 m long and not had any major issues yet in Europe or UK - had some interesting situations but nothing that would make us think about changing!

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[Lucky one]

As Cavs has mentioned, width is often more significant than length for ease of negotiating villages and country lanes.

Everyone has their own preferences, but we have just changed from a 6m coach built (2.3m wide + huge mirrors) to a 6.4m panel van conversion (2.05m wide). Currently enjoying the delights of France and can't believe how much more comfortable it is to go exploring in. One foot less wide makes all the difference. Also travels faster on the autoroute and feels much more sure-footed at speed than the coach built.

For us, the added bonus was being able to get fixed twin single beds in such a short van - don't think there are any coachbuilts less than 6.4m that have proper fixed singles.

Sounds good what is it please

 

[Kevan]

Mine is 7.9m long and i tow a car on a-frame and i still use supermarket car parks if i need shopping while in transit, without the car in Spain Lidl and Aldi car parks no probs, but as Jim says its whats coming the other way, i have said to the wife many times (you wouldn't like to meet a bus or lorry coming the other way on this road, but it's sod's law)

 

[Puddleduck]

The only problem with actually driving a longer vehicle is the back swing Although your gate might be wide enough and your drive long enough you need room to turn the motorhome into the gate.

Parking a long van might be an issue but we have never not been able to find somewhere to park - even if we are cheeky and park at a quiet time in an out of town supermarket, shop and then ask if we can leave the van for a couple of hours whilst we do something else...... only once been refused - but we do park right out of the way at the far end of the carpark.

Generally we walk and cycle and use public transport far more when we have the van.

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[scotjimland]

A Conundrum..

just an observation of the many threads over the years on 'size matters'

Owners of big outfits, huge USRVs, tuggers, 5th wheelers, etc .. never have any problems.. we can go anywhere we like.. they say..

then when thy sell you ask why ..

often the reply is, it was too big .. it restricted our touring and where we could park... too thirsty etc.. our new van is perfect

No matter what it is, TV, Sat Nav, Motorhome, etc... It's human nature to defend out choice.. even when the rain is pouring in..

"it's a great van except for the leak "

 

[Alistair33]

First of many thanks for all your wonderful and positive replies

While width wasn't even an issue that I had considered I can now see why some motorhomes offer electric fold down mirrors.

Good advice not to buy at a show and we are using it for research and to get a final idea of what kind of layout we need. That said let's hope I don't come back with one LOL.

While I consider myself a decent enough driver I would never even dreamed of considering parallel parking and MH!

In conclusion I think we will limit our initial looking to 7 to 7 1/2 m as a maximum length assuming of course that we can fit in what we need

again many thanks

 

[Muddibootz]

I think you learn to adapt to what you have. We used to have a 4.8m Autosleeper Harmony which would fit in any car park space. Apart from height, I had no problem taking it anywhere I'd take a car. We then went to a small coachbuilt. It would still fit in any normal car park slot but being a bit wider you had to pick your spot. We now have one a bit longer (6.3m) and it needs either 2 parking spaces or one where you can overhang. Occasionally we have problems finding somewhere to park but it's rare. If there's somewhere that we really do want to go, I find a quick look on Google Earth gives me some ideas on where I might be able to park. I miss the flexibility of the first one, but now I don't know how we fitted everything in.
The thing I have noticed is that some sites have limited pitches for sites much longer than ours so there must be a point where that becomes an issue?

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[mikebeaches]

Sounds good what is it please

Sounds good what is it please

It's a Rapido V68 Van - and very good it is too. It has a comfortmatic gearbox and 4 belted travel seats. There is also a third single bed that can be made up by converting the front dinette. Probably cramped for 3 to live aboard, but doable for an odd night I guess. Oh and the singles at the back can be made into a huge super king-size double. But the fixed single arrangement facilitates easy nocturnal trips to the bathroom.

 

[Speve]

We bought our Hymer Exsis 7.2 long from Germany last year after two Autotrails and the one distinct advantage is less width and you still have same width inside.
It's usually those sticking out giant mirrors great for seeing behind but a nuicance if in a tight spot.

 

[Wagoneer]

Although Dusseldorf is probably the biggest MH show in the world, you won't see many British-made vans there, if any.

You may need to supplement your Dusseldorf trip with a visit to the NEC in October to gain a full appreciation of what's available in the whole of Europe.

However, if you are considering buying a LHD then Dusseldorf is your best viewing platform.