Increasing Berths? What Are The Implications? (1 Viewer)

[brodie]

Morning all,

Some of you may know we are upgrading our motorhome. After searching around we had decided on the CI Mizar GTL Living 7 berth. The layout is just right for us in particular the lounge set-up there are 5 of us.

The plan was sell current motorhome, downgrade car, put a bit to and bingo......I had planned all next years trips (tweet,tweet) however....these things are not always straight forward are they?

You know how it is, the budget increases (when house sells) so we thought we would go for a bit newer one and that would be it for a long long time.

So finding a newer one in the layout we want looks impossible the only one we can see at the moment with the same layout as the 7 berth is the CI Mizar gtl living 4/5 berth, double over cab, 2 bunks and I presume single in the lounge. On looking at the pics online I was wondering whether we could have some work done to make it double in the lounge therefore increasing the berth to 6.

Does anyone know if you can do this and what the implications for declaring it and what would be the situation for seatbelts? There only looks to be 2 in the back would we have to have another one fitted or would it be short straws?

Or does anyone know of another 7 berth with similar layout?

Thanks in advance.:thumb:

 

[rainbow chasers]

My first thoughts are an awning. An extra bed could be placed there, awnings are much more advanced than they used to be, and form part of extra living space. It would also be more comfortable when you are living beyond capacity of design. This does assume, however, that you do not wild camp.

You could carefully make an extra space, but that should ideally be a temporary arrangement. I am not sure how insurers would go with that. You also need enough seating. Only one is permitted on side facing seats behind the front seat. Rearward facing are fine beltless, and forward facing need to be belted.

It also depends on how often, and when you use your motorhome, but there is another option. It does limit your use a little, but means you can have a newer motorhome without the ties.

 

[brodie]

Thanks for the reply

This is the annoying thing, there is enough seating for us all but not enough beds oh:.

We do wildcamp 95% of the time so an awning is no good for us. The info on the seatbelts is useful the 2 seatbelts in the back are forward facing so if one child was facing sideways without a seatbelt then that would be fine?

For insurance purposes can you not re-register as a larger berth or something like that or am I just being a bit blonde .

(The reason why we would need an extra bed is that when the garage is in use the lower bunk is not in use).

Cheers

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[chatter]

Thanks for the reply

This is the annoying thing, there is enough seating for us all but not enough beds oh:.

We do wildcamp 95% of the time so an awning is no good for us. The info on the seatbelts is useful the 2 seatbelts in the back are forward facing so if one child was facing sideways without a seatbelt then that would be fine?

For insurance purposes can you not re-register as a larger berth or something like that or am I just being a bit blonde .

(The reason why we would need an extra bed is that when the garage is in use the lower bunk is not in use).

Cheers

Far better that the eldest child is in the front belted seat, as our laws/regulations stand children must travel in a seat with a safetybelt, adults on the other hand if need be can travel without

 

[brodie]

Far better that the eldest child is in the front belted seat, as our laws/regulations stand children must travel in a seat with a safetybelt, adults on the other hand if need be can travel without

That would be ok in this country but when we cross the pond to France where a child cannot travel in the front until they are 11 it may be a prob, although, I have seen loads of kids in the front seats in French motorhomes the police will prob pick on the English!!!!!! oh:.

I think we may have to look again at the model of motorhome will probably make it easier.:thumb:

 

[haganap]

Hi Brodie, Are you sure its a single in the lounge? My thinking was from memory that it was overcab double, rear bunks, and the dinette makes a double? I could be wrong, but prior to buying our current van we tossed up between the mizar and the Adria which we have. There good vans and having previously owned a CI prior to our van now I cant speak highly enough of them. If you go to my blog and scroll right back you will see a write up I had in MMM about 5 years ago.

Obviously im sure Bev will be able to help you and I do know there was some changes bought in to comply with the seat belt laws and travel seats.

Anyhow back to your question, Motorhomes are basically houses in a shell. Done properly there would be very little if any implications in say extending a bed to give an extra berth. You might want to speak with Terry for some ideas on how you might do that... he is quite knowledgeable on these things.

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[brodie]

Hi Brodie, Are you sure its a single in the lounge? My thinking was from memory that it was overcab double, rear bunks, and the dinette makes a double? I could be wrong, but prior to buying our current van we tossed up between the mizar and the Adria which we have. There good vans and having previously owned a CI prior to our van now I cant speak highly enough of them. If you go to my blog and scroll right back you will see a write up I had in MMM about 5 years ago.

Obviously im sure Bev will be able to help you and I do know there was some changes bought in to comply with the seat belt laws and travel seats.

Anyhow back to your question, Motorhomes are basically houses in a shell. Done properly there would be very little if any implications in say extending a bed to give an extra berth. You might want to speak with Terry for some ideas on how you might do that... he is quite knowledgeable on these things.

I have just double checked and there is one on autoexposure.co.uk which describes it as a 4/5 berth and another one on motorhomes.mobi a 2008 model which just describes it as a 4 berth. Confusing or what? Apart from the issue of sleeping people on the face of it, it looks perfect for us.

Having never been to a motorhome show what are the chances of seeing one of these in the flesh and/or others of a large sleeping capacity at Lincoln?

Thanks

 

[haganap]

I have just double checked and there is one on autoexposure.co.uk which describes it as a 4/5 berth and another one on motorhomes.mobi a 2008 model which just describes it as a 4 berth. Confusing or what? Apart from the issue of sleeping people on the face of it, it looks perfect for us.

Having never been to a motorhome show what are the chances of seeing one of these in the flesh and/or others of a large sleeping capacity at Lincoln?

Thanks

Every possibility as Bev will be there, also Mizar will be there and from memory they have the GTL also. I think the age of the newer ones is where the law changed, ie it might sleep 7 but if it does not have travel seats and belted ones then it will be described by how many it travels, not sleeps.