Driving position

[kugaman1]

Hi,
how do people get on with the driving position?

We are rather concerned as we have been saving for a very long time to buy a motorhome and have now found a problem....

Im 6ft 2in and am struggling to find a position that allows me to drive the vehicles?

I have test driven a Swift Escape 684 and an Elddis Autoquest 195.....in both vehicles I struggled when changing gear, as my knee hits the steering wheel every time I lift the clutch...

Tried just about every combination of wheel/seat adjustment but couldnt find a position that stopped this happening.....

Are all models the same? Does anyone else find this an issue?

Any recommended models where this isnt such a problem?

Thank you in advance.

 

[M-J]

Same happens with short legs.

Did you try up/down on the seat or just forward/back?

 

[Mark McG]

Is there anything stopping the seat going all the way back? I’m 6ft 5in and have no problems in a burstner.

 

[kugaman1]

If I put the seat right back to avoid the steering wheel, I can barely reach the gearstick!
I wondered if the situation is better in none Fiat/Peugeot based vehicles?
we were thinking to try a transit based one...if we can find one!

 

[cmcardle75]

Hi,
how do people get on with the driving position?

We are rather concerned as we have been saving for a very long time to buy a motorhome and have now found a problem....

Im 6ft 2in and am struggling to find a position that allows me to drive the vehicles?

I have test driven a Swift Escape 684 and an Elddis Autoquest 195.....in both vehicles I struggled when changing gear, as my knee hits the steering wheel every time I lift the clutch...

Tried just about every combination of wheel/seat adjustment but couldnt find a position that stopped this happening.....

Are all models the same? Does anyone else find this an issue?

Any recommended models where this isnt such a problem?

Thank you in advance.

Yes, any automatic. You won't regret it. Higher resale value too, if you care about such things.

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[kugaman1]

Same happens with short legs.

Did you try up/down on the seat or just forward/back?

Tried moving the wheel up/down, tried the seat up/down forwards/back....just really struggling to find a position where I dont hit the wheel with my knee and can also reach the gearstick!

 

[kugaman1]

Yup, definitely think automatic is the only option....

 

[delta juliet]

Yup, definitely think automatic is the only option....

...and cruise control too maybe?!

 

[Decker]

Yes automatic is the way to go it is the 21st Century. Would not want to be stuck on a UK motorway with a manual vehicle ever again.

 

[Lenny HB]

You could remove the seat swivel that would drop it 2 " but make the lounge unusable.
Or change the seat for an ISRI they have lower bases than Aguti or Fiat seats.

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[kugaman1]

Ok thanks for the superfast responses and different ideas!

we think an auto is the best option, albeit with a much more limited choice....

We dont really want to buy a new or near new motorhome and start swapping out bits or changing the functionality.....we both drive modern autos just now (purely as the deal on them was excellent) ones a BMW the other a Seat with DSG..both boxes are superb.

Auto is definitely going to be the way to go I think....

thanks.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Test drive one first, the Sevel vans aren't proper automatics and some dislike them.

 

[Richard n Ann]

 

[TheBig1]

This is a constant issue for some and has been identified. So you can buy a shorter seat base quite cheaply. This reduces by the same amount that the swivel adds. I am 6ft 4 and on some vans, my eyeline is too high up the screen for comfort. 8 to 12 bolts is all it takes to remove and replace the base. Easy to do in under an hour

 

[Clivefog]

Auto Clutch you still have to move the gear lever but the clutch is as the name implies automatically engaged/disengaged

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[tonyidle]

Test drive one first, the Sevel vans aren't proper automatics and some dislike them.

They are now and have good reviews.

 

[Larrynwin]

In addition to an auto would an A class give you more room as the models you have tried are all coachbuilt.

 

[Richard n Ann]

They are now and have good reviews.

We dont really want to buy a new or near new

 

[Grummyb]

Why are you all coming with such complicated solutions to such a simple problem
Get the wife to drive

 

[Abgs]

In my Left Hand Drive, Ducato based, manual, A Class the gearstick hits my knee when changing into 2, 4 or 6. It's because the swivel base lifts the seat height and I'm a long legged 6ft3. I'm OK with getting my legs under the wheel thou.

However ... in RHD drive auto box, Ducato cabbed motorhomes or PVC's the gearstick, steering wheel, legs interface is OK but the swivel seat base causes my eye-line to be too far up the screen for decent all-round visibility.

I reckon my ideal would be a new Merc based left hand drive A Class Auto as the gear sector is on the steering column and generally LHD Mercs are properly set up ergonomically. On the otherhand RHD Merc cars are terrible for tall folk as the pedals are so far offset from the steering wheel.

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[tonyidle]

Nor me. Never have - but the new Fiat auto has been available for a couple of years & is worth knowing about.

 

[Vipar]

I think that he has had his 5 free posts
Hope he gets sorted.

I suppose having his legs shortened is not an option

 

[DangerMousy]

A

I have test driven a Swift Escape 684 and an Elddis Autoquest 195.....in both vehicles I struggled when changing gear, as my knee hits the steering wheel every time I lift the clutch...

These are both coachbuilts and as a fellow tall person the most annoying thing I found was that the top of the windscreen was far too low....fine for normal driving, but a right pain when you're looking for overhead signs.
I usually managed to get the seat and steering wheel in a reasonable position using the tilt as well as the up/down and front/back adjustment though. If we had kept our old MH I'd definitely have invested in changing the swivel boxes for lower profile ones to lower the seats a bit. But we changed to an a-class instead....I can now see things out of the top of the windscreen without craning my neck, and the seats are also lower in relation to the dashboard. I know a-classes aren't so easy to find in the UK, but it might be worth having a look at some?

 

[Podney]

I’m 6ft 3in. I bought a new seat box for Ducato as the standard one made me too high up for comfort.
Can still swivel.

 

[donkey]

I think that he has had his 5 free posts
Hope he gets sorted.

I suppose having his legs shortened is not an option

That's a bit drastic as he clearly only needs one leg shortening

Geoff

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[Wikky]

I put mine on cruise control and go aft to make a cuppa....

 

[Garfields]

The pre x250 cab 244 i think I struggled to get comfortable on long drives
I'm fine in the later vans 2006 on and I'm 6 4
You need to find a layout you are happy with or it will become a bind

 

[Lucky]

This is a constant issue for some and has been identified. So you can buy a shorter seat base quite cheaply. This reduces by the same amount that the swivel adds. I am 6ft 4 and on some vans, my eyeline is too high up the screen for comfort. 8 to 12 bolts is all it takes to remove and replace the base. Easy to do in under an ho

This is a constant issue for some and has been identified. So you can buy a shorter seat base quite cheaply. This reduces by the same amount that the swivel adds. I am 6ft 4 and on some vans, my eyeline is too high up the screen for comfort. 8 to 12 bolts is all it takes to remove and replace the base. Easy to do in under an hour

Is the shorter seat base still an option if you have batteries and the like under the seats?

 

[bigwood]

Having driven lots of different vehicles from trucks with seats you can’t adjust, Transits with plastic seats, Saab’s with fancy heated seats I normally manage to find a position that suits my 6ft and long legs.
The Mk6 Transit we have now seems to easy to adjust to suit me on most journeys. As I posted regarding my shoulder problems the trip out this time bothered me a little but that’s possibly due to the lack of time doing long journeys.
We always have fun trying to get management comfortable due to her being 5ft. My Landrovers were the worst. She had to climb off the seat to reach the handbrake. It must have terrified anyone behind when she disappeared at junctions.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Worth double checking the dimensions of the existing seat base before assuming a smaller one is available. My van, with swivel seats, seems to have had shortened seat base frames already fitted by the converter looking at the dimensions of the Sportscraft bases commonly available. Even so I do still think the seating position is too high relative to the top of the windscreen and that the door mirrors are at their maximum adjustment to cover my eye position.