Coachbuilt versus A-Class

[joggerman]

Coachbuilts are generally cheaper - A-Class can look sleeker, but what other reasons influenced your choice between the two?

 

[Kon tiki]

Had an A class & we now have a low profile coachbuilt. We will be going back to an A class for our next van. Like the feeling of so much more space in the cab area, many of the A class vans now have the double floor (not so common on coachbuilts. This means all your tanks, pipework etc is protected & also gives you much more storage. Downside aprt from costs is the tend to be heavier in a like for like layout (some manufacturers do almost identical vans in both versions) so you lose payload. Drop down beds on the A class are usually very good but some coach builts have similar beds.

 

[dellwood33]

We looked at A class, but the drop down beds were impossible for my wife to access safely due to her disability. Next van will be low line coachbuilt with a fixed island bed.

 

[bazfergy]

We looked at A class, but the drop down beds were impossible for my wife to access safely due to her disability. Next van will be low line coachbuilt with a fixed island bed.

Weve got an aclass and im a wheelchair user we use the fixed bed instead of the drop down bed.The drop down bed is brilliant for guests.But apart from that we have far more room than we did in our low profile.We have a pilote galaxy on a merc sprinter,we had a burstner nexxo t660:thumb:

 

[Larrynwin]

Love the space although we are trying to replace our RV with a B class RV which will still have stacks of space with slideouts but will be narrower, lower and slightly shorter to make our Euro travels easier.

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[smifee]

Went to Dusseldorf show with a mate in his Hymer A Class.

Result - didn't want an A Class or a Merc.

Bought a Hymer coachbuilt on a Fiat and haven't regretted it.

A Class has a windscreen that costs a bomb to replace and are not readily available. How many do you have to replace before you don't get windscreen cover on insurance?

A Class have non standard mirrors and when I was looking to buy most weren't electric or heated.

On an A Class that huge, to me, wasted space at the front of the cab is only there to allow for the fitting of a drop down bed which I don't want.

His A Class does have more useable space than the extra length over my coachbuilt but that's because the layout is different.

Not sure if his roof is all one piece but if it is that's an advantage over a coachbuilt as I had a leak where the overcab joins the rest of the roof.

Still he paid £62,00 for the A Class. I paid £36,000 for the coachbuilt 1 year later. Both vans bought new.

Until someone comes up with the Tardis MH I'll stick with my coachbuilt:thumb:

 

[M&L]

Unless you have the need for a dropdown bed and a supposed status symbol then why pay extra. As said previously the extra space is of no use and the join between the base vehicle dashboard and the extra bit always looks a bit of a mess in the ones that I've seen.
I would also say that the coachbuilt one's cab would also be safer in an accident.
In the end it's the overall layout that counts rather than is it an A Class or Coachbuilt.

Mike

 

[JayDee]

We had absolutely decided that the Knaus SunTi with the L shaped dinnette and fixed bed was going to be our next van. Arrived at the dealership to look at it and to put down the deposit; went through the hab door and didn't like it. Went round the corner and saw an A class with exactly the same layout; loved it.

We both spent a long time trying to pinpoint what it was about the Knaus and came to the conclusion that, because it is on a Renault Master and they have a very high dashboard which slopes down to the bottom of the windscreen, it makes the view out from inside the van (not in the driver or passenger seat) very letterboxy. The frame behind the cockpit narrows the overall width and makes it seem very narrow. It is narrow. Despite the massive sunroof it gave the impression of being visually cramped and there is very little space between the kitchen and the dinette.

A Class is roomier and looks much roomier. The space in the cockpit is extremely useful. Our son has slept in the pull-down bed and says it's very comfy. Double floor keeps it nice and warm, though the water tank is actually in the van under the forward facing seat.


John

 

[bazfergy]

horses for courses joggerman.You have to decide what fits YOUR needs its not something to rush into,best of luck and whatever you choose happy travels:thumb:

 

[Spacerunner]

Nowadays you can have the best of both worlds.

The new Chausson 'Suit' has an ingenious motorised wind down bed at the front, an island kitchen area and full width rear bathroom and dressing area.

All of this in a coachbuilt body same size as the compact AutoSleeper Neuvo.

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[JayDee]

Nowadays you can have the best of both worlds.

The new Chausson 'Suit' has an ingenious motorised wind down bed at the front, an island kitchen area and full width rear bathroom and dressing area.

All of this in a coachbuilt body same size as the compact AutoSleeper Neuvo.

What's this one Spacerunner? - nothing like it on the Chausson UK website. Sounds intriguing.


John

 

[GregM]

What's this one Spacerunner? - nothing like it on the Chausson UK website. Sounds intriguing.


John

Maybe he is refering to the Welcome suite with its center kitchen

 

[joggerman]

Maybe he is refering to the Welcome suite with its center kitchen

Yes, i am sure he is.
It has a wind down bed from the roof according to the photos.

 

[derekfaeberwick]

It was price that was the deciding factor for me.

Had I gone A class I would have had to buy quite a bit older and probably a Fiat base. The compensation of a wider roomier cab and drop down bed didn't really warrant this as far as I was concerned.

If I had the money I'd have gone for a Merc based A class, but.:Sad:

 

[JayDee]

Maybe he is refering to the Welcome suite with its center kitchen

Thanks for that Greg. I had assumed he meant Chausson Suit as a model (Doh! - smilies not working nor is multi quote). Looks a very natty piece of kit. I'll need to have a look next time we pass Highbridge. Ideal if we ever wanted to downsize - not that we're all that big to start with. John

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[motorhomer]

We all have our opinions!

In my view, although an A class "feels" bigger, the space is not useable and is really an illusion - the front seats are in exactly the same position! Also a low profile has cupboards that you lose around the front if you have an A class. So unless you need the drop down bed, the apparently smaller low profile actually has more usefull space.

Personally I would not want to be without a drivers door - most UK A-classes do not have one as the makers do not convert the whole van for RHD. The thought of having to walk through the van with muddy shoes to get out for fuel or other quick stops to me seems unacceptable.

Add that to the fact that an A-class costs a lot more, and I know which I prefer! But I can understand others likeing the feeling of space that you do get in an A class.

 

[simsy56]

l think its down to the individual. l am going for an A class RV, the reason being we want to spend a lot of time living in it. Maybe even full time, as we have retired early. The amount of space and facilities you get on an American RV is abundant. The captains seats are real lounge chairs, and still there are cupboards around the headroom. l know they don't appeal to everyone, but, they certainly do to me. l have rented RVs in the States, and find them most suitable for our needs. Yes, they are thirsty, but we aren't going to work and back in it. l don't want a FIAT, and l can get an RV for the price of a Merc A class, and l wont have to pay extra for awnings, air con, generator, microwave, oven, tow ball, hydraulic levelers, gas tank, electric step, cruise control, automatic gearbox(a necessity for me), reversing camera, ladder, island bed, etc; l would sooner pay a little extra and get something l like, than endure something l am uncomfortable with because it does a few miles extra per gallon, or something that is under 6m because l can save a few pounds on a ferry.

 

[jezport]

We have a Frankia C Class and the bed at the front tips up out of the way giving the cab a lot more head space and making the habitational area expand into it once the seats are turned, so we have some of the advantages of an A class in a Coachbuilt.

Some coachbuilts have a dinette backing right upto the cab and without the lifting bed make the cab very claustophobic.

 

[wanderer]

Hi
Surely everybodies needs and pockets are different but my views are
I love the large windscreen on my A class , when i sat in the drivers seat of the low profiles especially with blind runners fitted all i could see was the wheels of the vehicle in front (i am six ft tall) . Yes the windscreen is expensive to replace but it is insured and how many replacements are needed ?
Why would i be walking with muddy shoes from the drivers seat to the side exit where did the mud come from (puzzled) previous poster
We use the drop down bed if one of us is ill (cold) or conditions are to hot outside gives a better nights sleep
Our driver and passenger seats fully revolve without obstruction.
We never get close to filling our storage space why would we want more
We looked really hard for a low profile but could not find anything that was better than our Aclass And under 7 metres , the 2 that came close were the autotrail Cheyanne and Swift Starblazer.
Wanderer

 

[Spacerunner]

Maybe he is refering to the Welcome suite with its center kitchen

Err..sorry, typo It is the Chausson Welcome Suite. Highbridge have one in stock.

Full details here....http://www.highbridgecaravans.co.uk/newmotorhomedetails.php?ID=471

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[Myfanwy]

A Class Motorhomes

Hi

We have an "A" class Hymer. We are living in it full time and have done so for the past three years. It has a Mercedes automatic engine with rear wheel drive (husband says not a lot of good having front wheel drive with all the weight behind it!). We use the drop down bed every night and have no complaints regarding comfort. I have used the side bed when not feeling well on occasion but this is not as comfy. We have a big shower with folding doors which we use all the time and find the bar table is very useful for making pastry on and doing the ironing. We have removed the third seat making more room and letting in extra light. The base of the seat is now an extra storage box for tins and heavyweight items. The lid of the box is padded so makes a seat for the table. I wouldn't swap our van for anything else only if we could afford a brand new one :thumb:- we are happy with the layout and find it big enough for two of us.

 

[nicholsong]

Think much the same as 'Wanderer', but then we both have Artos.

However we all buy what we feel comfortable with, within budget.

On matter of cost, while it is true that on New prices the Coachbuilts come out very much cheaper, but when it comes to about 5 years old the difference has narrowed considerably. My 6 year Arto (16,000 miles) was about 50% of current new price and well below cost of any equivalent new Coachbuilt.

But I have never understood anyone buying new, whatever the design - it surely cannot be for the warranties judging by the experiences posted on various web-sites!

Geoff

 

[Hammerhead]

Rather embarrassed to ask this question, but I'm new to this lark. What exactly is the difference between an A-Class and a Coachbuilt? :Blush:

 

[John H]

Rather embarrassed to ask this question, but I'm new to this lark. What exactly is the difference between an A-Class and a Coachbuilt? :Blush:

Hi Hammerhead, the difference is mainly the cab, A class is custom built, coach is based on a van cab, I think

john

 

[simsy56]

Hi Hammerhead! Never be embarrassed to ask a question, especially on this site. We are here to talk and help each other, and of course, have fun. An A-class is built from the chassis up, incorporating the cab into the habitation area. A coachbuilt retains the truck cab, and builds the body onto this. Larger Hymers are A- class.

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[Judge Mental]

Coachbuilts are generally cheaper - A-Class can look sleeker, but what other reasons influenced your choice between the two?

every now and then I think about a small A class but see reports regards the COST and hassle of replacement headlights and windscreens and quickly forgetaboutit!:Sad:

 

[Mick H]

There have been many valid points raised in this thread, but, as usual, it depends on your own requirements.

In our own case, a standard A class wouldn't fit our needs because of the "drop down" bed. I did consider a Belgian manufactured Maess. These are available as a bespoke motorhome, so they would have made one to our requirements. They also have a van type cab, albeit stretched, which I favoured. The quality appeared excellent.

In the event, we bought a low profile Knaus Sun Ti 650MF and have never regretted it.
Other manufacturers have tried to copy it, but nothing compares with the real thing.
Unfortunately, the newer models are on the infamous Fiat chassis. Ours is on the 3litre Renault. In nearly 5 years of ownership it has been completely reliable. No cam belt to be changed.
The cab seems to me to be wider than the new Sevels, because it doesn't waste space with great door pockets. It is only slightly narrower than the "A class dimensioned" coachbuilt body.

Mick H

 

[Hammerhead]

Hi Hammerhead! Never be embarrassed to ask a question, especially on this site. We are here to talk and help each other, and of course, have fun. An A-class is built from the chassis up, incorporating the cab into the habitation area. A coachbuilt retains the truck cab, and builds the body onto this. Larger Hymers are A- class.

Ah OK thanks. Thought my old Tabbert was an A-Class but guess it's coachbuilt given it's based on a Peugeot J9 van? Only it does have a drop-down bed.

So much to learn...

 

[Reallyretired]

Hammerhead, I think your Tabbert is an A class. It doesn't have the van cab, just the chassis.

One reason I have gone for A class for my last two vans is the absence of a steel cab to rust. In the open storage compound where I keep mine there is a 'C' reg Hymer on Mercedes, and though it hasn't been moved in years the body work is still absolutely fine.

 

[pappajohn]

Rather embarrassed to ask this question, but I'm new to this lark. What exactly is the difference between an A-Class and a Coachbuilt? :Blush:

a very general description.....

A quick way to tell the difference between a Class A and Class C motorhome is by physical appearance.

The A class resembles a bus in design with a "flat" or vertical front end and large windows.

Class C motorhomes by contrast have a recognisable "van cab" with an over-cab bed...(but not all do)

ps....if thats yours in your avater then its an A class based on something like this...maybe ?

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