A Class Motorhome

[Lambreeta 125]

We have an auto-trail Apache motorhome and are thinking of changing it to an A Class, any help please

 

[Lenny HB]

What sort of help?
A Class, better use of space, feel much airer inside, better insulated as the complete body including the cab is fully insulated, ones with a double floor even better.
Easier to drive, as sides are parallel you can get through tight space and easier to reverse. Quiter less Road & wind noise.
We prefer LHD makes more sense with an A Class.

 

[funflair]

What sort of help would you like, not a "go fund me" page hopefully

 

[Southdowners]

You’ll need to be a bit more specific. What help do you need?

 

[Al n Val]

We have a auto trail Apache moterhome thinking of changing to a class a any help please

Recently changed our Autotrail Comanche to a Rapido I1090 Distinction

Totally different drive, more room, quieter, better build quality, better everything tbh

What type of help are you asking for ?

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[eddie]

Only disadvantage is in a crash your more likely to die in a non crash tested fibreglass box with no reinforcement or crumple zones

On the positive, the cab seats turn right round

 

[Lambreeta 125]

Don’t know much about them we thinking along the lines of a carTiago it’s German made with island bed are they much bigger

 

[Wabs]

Don’t know much about them we thinking along the lines of a carTiago it’s German made with island bed are they much bigger

Hope you have big pockets

 

[eddie]

Oh and a windscreen will cost thousands and may take months to get hold of, along with mirrors and light units

But, in balance you loose a cab door

 

[Southdowners]

Don’t know much about them we thinking along the lines of a carTiago it’s German made with island bed are they much bigger

It would probably be best to go to a dealership and look at the various makes and models available.

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[Gaston aires]

Personally I wouldn’t have pre conceived ideas about A class or any other class for that matter. Layout is more important. A class are nice, we have had three, but there are many other classes that work well out there.
Phil

 

[PP Bear]

Stick with your AT.

 

[Guigsy]

Our driveway limits us to 6m. Getting an a-class meant we could maximise the internal space within that 6m. The cab becomes part of the lounge area. The bed drops down over the cab without covering most of the lounge seating. We get a bit more storage than the semi-integrated vans that have a similar layout.

...But it does depend on layout. Some a-class layouts don't really seem to add much other than cost.

 

[tonka]

But, in balance you loose a cab door

Really ??
Not on my Burstner, doors both sides and they open

 

[eddie]

Really ??
Not on my Burstner, doors both sides and they open

On mine neither work

Mind you neither are fitted lol

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[Al n Val]

Oh and a windscreen will cost thousands and may take months to get hold of, along with mirrors and light units

But, in balance you loose a cab door

So less to go wrong then and less entries to break into

and the windscreen costs £99 via insurance if needed

 

[eddie]

So less to go wrong then and less entries to break into

and the windscreen costs £99 via insurance if needed

My last "claim" was £9,000

Having a broken windscreen on a Fiat Ducatto is fixable beside the road, no A class van is!

 

[Bernie P]

We switched to a Rapido 886F (A Class) back in 2020. Best thing we did, much roomier than our old coach built and the view through the front screen is second to none. At the end of the day it's the layout that matters if it happens to be an A Class then thats what it is.

 

[Steve N Tracy]

Our driveway limits us to 6m. Getting an a-class meant we could maximise the internal space within that 6m. The cab becomes part of the lounge area. The bed drops down over the cab without covering most of the lounge seating. We get a bit more storage than the semi-integrated vans that have a similar layout.

...But it does depend on layout. Some a-class layouts don't really seem to add much other than cost.

Same for us 6m is the limit, we had a coach built with same internal layout with the exception the bed lowered over the lounge seats, so we both had to get up and go to bed at the same time, with the A class the bed is only over the front seats so most of the lounge is still avaliable.

 

[Al n Val]

My last "claim" was £9,000

Having a broken windscreen on a Fiat Ducatto is fixable beside the road, no A class van is!

What was the claim for, just a windscreen? and yes I know an A class screen can’t be fixed by the roadside, I did take this into consideration before purchasing and as there are 1000’s of A class motorhomes driving the world over, didn’t let it put me off

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[iandsm]

Personally I wouldn’t have pre conceived ideas about A class or any other class for that matter. Layout is more important. A class are nice, we have had three, but there are many other classes that work well out there.
Phil

Couldn't agree more. We had a Rapido A class from new for 12 years and did 85K in it around UK and Europe , it was great, comfortable and well laid out. We changed last year to an Autosleeper Warwick xl PVC with some trepidation, however we find it every bit as good as the A class, the layout suits us fine and its great to drive. It has everything the A class had and storage isn't an issue. I think layout is all important, after all you spend more time actually living in it than driving it and if what we have now was available when we bought the A class and we compared them it might have been a very close run decision. Of course our Rapido was a compact A class, the much bigger ones may be nicer to live in but they will have disadvantages too. A very good look around those on display at a dealership is recomended.

 

[Guigsy]

Same for us 6m is the limit, we had a coach built with same internal layout with the exception the bed lowered over the lounge seats, so we both had to get up and go to bed at the same time, with the A class the bed is only over the front seats so most of the lounge is still avaliable.

The Geist i585 I ended up with, your Roller Team Pegaso 590 and the Pilote G600L were all on my shortlist when we went van shopping last year. They've all got very similar layouts. Missus can stay in bed while I get up, make breakfast and use the lounge.

 

[cyberyacht]

Snob value. I have an A Class, I look down on him.. It helps to be as tall as John Cleese when you say it though.

 

[eddie]

What was the claim for, just a windscreen? and yes I know an A class screen can’t be fixed by the roadside, I did take this into consideration before purchasing and as there are 1000’s of A class motorhomes driving the world over, didn’t let it put me off

Yes £9000 just for the windscreen on my last camper!

We have a new van on order and it's a low profile, it will be our 15th new van so we have been very lucky. Seven of the fifteen have been Class A vans and I agree that layout is the only factor to consider when buying a van

 

[Bessy765]

Check your windscreen cover, when we bought our first A Class we insured with Motorhome protect (they advertise as specialist motorhome insurers!!) during the phone call to obtain a quote I asked as these A Class windscreens are very expensive am I fully covered? The reply was yes you are fully covered less your excess. The written quote arrived in the post on the list of what’s covered it stated windscreens covered and a tick. So paid the premium got the documents emailed to me, printed of the cover note and thought no more about it. some months later small stone hit low down in the middle of the screen,before I could pull over a crack running upwards appeared. Phone Motorhome protect yes you are covered less the excess, we will arrange a replacement. It was arranged via Auto windscreens which appear to be in the same group of companies as Motorhome protect. It was then passed to Autoglaze a. Specialist motorhome and lorry windscreen company. to be fair the screen was ordered I believe from Germany arrived a couple of weeks later, two fitters came to our house and fitted it proper job. What wasn’t fair was before they would order it they required a payment of £2476. When I queried this I was told I was only covered to £500 pounds. I explained what I had been told during the telephone call to arrange cover, the as usual I was told to read the small print. ( before the experts condemn me yes I know ) but when the quote arrived there was no mention of this.it only appears after you have paid the premium and it is in the emailed documents. If II had not specifically asked the question I would have looked at the small print. Further phone calls ended with the saying the £500 pound limit was incorrect and it should be £1000. So I still ended up paying £1976 pounds to a company that describes themselves as specialist motorhome insurance provider. So check the small print!! There reply when I wrote to complains was yes you are fully covered up to our limit, which to me is not correct??

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[TOAD on Tour]

So less to go wrong then and less entries to break into

and the windscreen costs £99 via insurance if needed

Another for the windscreen cover, have ours through Comfort Ins, no limitation on windscreen cost.

 

[Aspenshaw]

I'm on my third successive A-class over the last 22 years. The first and best was an Arto when they were cheaper than Hymers. I find the Hymers harder to drive because there is a big blind spot ahead and also on the front passenger side. Getting the A-classes serviced has been trying because many garages don't like/not used to the limited engine access.
The drop down bed/cab area gives extra space. We have had two 6m A-classes and one 6.5m one and the extra space is noticeable compared to the ordinary cabbed motorhomes we had pre A-class. The double floor is great, improving insulation and chassis stability.
Despite the positives, if length was not an issue for us, I would have a traditional motorhome or PVC because they are easier to maintain. My wife only wants an A-class; she likes the space in the cab, the view through the windscreen, and the underfloor storage.
We had a very small chip in the windscreen. A new windscreen was fitted in two days (Comfort insurance)

 

[TOAD on Tour]

The Geist i585 I ended up with, your Roller Team Pegaso 590 and the Pilote G600L were all on my shortlist when we went van shopping last year. They've all got very similar layouts. Missus can stay in bed while I get up, make breakfast and use the lounge.

Agreed, thats why we went for our Adria Sonic A Class, our needs were large bed, I can get up early doors and sit up front in the lounge area while the other half still has the bedroom and bathroom set up completely closed off! Happy Days! But like others have said, we all have our different requirements, this is our 2nd A Class, but when we change vans again, I wouldn’t rule out any type of van, it’s all about what suits our needs.

 

[DerryW]

Typical of almost every insurance company regardless of whether it’s motor, buildings, boat, or just about anything worth insuring.
Once they’ve got your hard earned in their bank they will try every dodge in the book to avoid meeting a claim.
Yes we all know you should read the small print, but in most cases we don’t all hold a degree in legaleses,

 

[DerryW]

Typical of almost every insurance company regardless of whether it’s motor, buildings, boat, or just about anything worth insuring.
Once they’ve got your hard earned in their bank they will try every dodge in the book to avoid meeting a claim.
Yes we all know you should read the small print, but in most cases we don’t all hold a degree in legaleses,

This was in response to Bessy 365

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