How many are you? (1 Viewer)

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

We have 2 grandkids that have lived with us since they were born. They are now 15 and 13.
Always had a motorhome and they have come with us on many trips here in UK and in Europe, lasting from the odd weekend up to the complete 6 weeks summer holidays spent in France and Spain.

Up until last year we always had 6 berth vans with the rear U lounge, front dinette and overcab bed. Suited us when we were all together and gave us lots of room when travelling just as a couple.

Now the kids are bigger and older plus more school commitments they dont do as many trips. We changed last year to an "A" class having a rear fixed island bed, which we love and is a bit of luxury. It has the large drop down bed at the front and 2 rear seat belts so we can still travel as a family when we want / need to.

What van is it please if I may ask.
Need some ideas , thanks.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Well we bought a nice 6 berth van but it only has TWO travel seats

So if kids want us to have grandkids THEY have to bring them to us - - -not happened since we changed motorhome from caravan except in first year and daughter had to fly out to us

What van is it please may I ask, as am seeking ideas.
Thanks

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

We have a 6 berth for the 2 of us with 2 large Weimaraner's and need every inch of room (mainly for the dogs) we do occasionally take the grand kids with us but mostly just us (both in mid 50's though I am a bit further into them than SWMBO is)

May I enquire as to the van please?
Am seeking ideas and inspiration

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[Eggs]

I'm a singleton, 4 berth conversion. <50... Just.

 

[joe and sue]

Just the 2 of us and small dog, Autotrail Chieftain, 2 travel seats, works for us

 

[Itsmcb]

we bought a 6 berth for our first Motorhome on the same premise as you " we will be taking the grand kids"!

big mistake IMHO. could not wait to move it on.

we now have a 3 Berth low profile for 2 of us and the dog, that suits our needs not anyone else and have loved every minute of it.
( ps; no the 3rd birth is not the dogs )
the grand kids still come along occasionally and they and we have a great time. thats when the awning comes out or the pup tent or both.

We have a six berth and it's great now there's only two of us. The overcab bed makes a great storage area and the rear lounge is left made up as a bed all the time. Plenty of spare payload now too. Works for us

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[Itsmcb]

Just the 2 of us and small dog, Autotrail Chieftain, 2 travel seats, works for us

Chieftain, one of my favourites. Even bigger than ours, you can't have too much space.

 

[Larrynwin]

And I take it a B544 is a Hymer?
Or have I got this base over apex?
Must admit, I quite fancy an A class, and my licence will allow.

Yes it’s a Hymer and plated at 3500 kgs.

 

[Gerby]

May I enquire as to the van please?
Am seeking ideas and inspiration

Hi Captain Yoghurtpot We have the Bailey Autograph 796 (bought it new in 2017), it is 8 Metres long and 8 foot wide but I have no issues driving it myself and the room inside is great, we use the drop down bed as if we use the make up one in the rear lounge the dogs join us and the big one is over 6 1/2 stone and impossible to move.

The only thing I would change on it if I could is that the drop down bed could do with going a bit lower (the new 816 model is much better for this) I did manage to get it a few inches lower but still not as far as I would have liked.

We have been thinking of an A class as the cab beds seem a great idea but we love the rear lounge and they are few and far between particularly at a price I could afford and with everything we have got in the Autograph.

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[tonka]

What van is it please if I may ask.
Need some ideas , thanks.

We have had 2 X Autotrail Apache 700 these were the 6 berths with rear lounges.
Currently have a Burstner i800.

 

[Ridgeway]

We are usually 5 people (2 adults and 3 grown children) plus 2 dogs, then a few times Nº1 daughter and her partner meet us at a campsite.

 

[Vipar]

2 berth for us 2, it’s heaven no arguments about can we come? “Sorry only 2 seats with seat belts”. Bliss

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[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Yes it’s a Hymer and plated at 3500 kgs.

Interesting. How many travelling belts please?

 

[Larrynwin]

Interesting. How many travelling belts please?

Four including front two. Only problem at four up would be near impossible to stay within 3500kgs.
Mine was originally plated 3850 but dealer supplied new at 3500.

 

[TheAleMan]

We are two in a 6/7 birth burstner, soon to be changed for a 2 birth A class. both aged 56.
three children used to travel with us once upon a time, hence the many births Of the burstner.

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[Zigisla]

We bought our 6 berth Sunlight A72 for just the 2 of us. Oh and the dogs. We use the over cab pull down and the dogs have the bottom rear bunkbed. We do have 6 belted seats and have taken Daughter 1 and Sister along with us. Daughter uses the top bunk and Sister uses the larger Dinette. She has also kicked the dogs off and used bottom bunk - to her peril, when the dogs jump on the bed with her. Only ever taken one of the Grandkids away and he too uses the larger Dinette.
Both mid 50s and use all year here and abroad - Covid permitting.

 

[Emmac0023]

Hi All! We are a family of 4!!
We moved into a 6 berth 1990 Swift Kontiki last year. Full-time living for 8 months, loved it. Cozy and not too claustrophobic as out and about all the time, but having to make & unmake the beds every day got a bit tiresome.
Just before lockdown in March we found an RV with slide-out. For parents of a 9 & 7 year old having a bedroom with a door sealed the deal for me

Already accustomed to limited wardrobe space we didn't need the massive wardrobe in the RV and clever hubby built bunk beds there instead!

I don't think this helps at all with your dilemma (I'm not far off 40)

 

[tonyidle]

There are just two of us. Nearest Grandchild is 40 miles away & the other is 130 Miles away. Not that I'd be keen on them coming with us. We do (did!) occasionally meet up on campsites near where they live. We had a B584 Classic which was near perfect for us. Then my wife developed spinal problems & required a bed that could be customised to suit so we've ended up with a van for 6, with belts for 4, that is bigger than we'd ever anticipated owning but accommodates us & three dogs in real comfort. And she has her own well set-up bed.

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[Northernraider]

Solo traveller 47 ..... mine is a 6 berth hymer but only 2 front facing belted seats.
Nice large comfortable lounge , fixed bed ,decent sized bathroom and full kitchen were my requirements.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

Four including front two. Only problem at four up would be near impossible to stay within 3500kgs.
Mine was originally plated 3850 but dealer supplied new at 3500.

Have looked up a B544 and there is one for sale, used, at David Fuller Motorhomes Near us in Nottinghamshire .
Has 2 side dinette benches and drop down bed, but listed as only 2 travelling belts (I assume they are driver and passenger) and can’t see from their pictures if there are any other belts.
It’s a 2005 model. Are there variations in layout within the B544 range?
Thanks

 

[scousebird]

We have a 4 berth Chausson. Mostly just Alan (62) & I (55) travelling, unless we are going somewhere that DD (33) wants to go e.g. Paris or Carcassone and she hides herself away in the MH and pops up once we are through the tunnel (just kidding)

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[Zoobec]

We haven‘t finished ours yet but our PVC will have 4 belted seats and be 2 berth. We might see if we can come up with a way of converting the back seats into a bed. Mostly it will be myself and my OH but might sometimes be one or both of our teenage kids too.

 

[carolyn]

We didn’t have a motorhome when the 3 children still holidayed with us but we did have a trailer tent. We have a luxury 2 berth PVC with U shaped lounge for the 2 of us. No grandchildren on the horizon and should there ever be any who knows what we might do. We motorhome in England, Wales and across the Channel to various destinations normally. Haven’t made it to Scotland yet.

 

[movan]

I'm 18 and really down with the hip kids. I love motorhoming but people keep mentioning the word deluded.

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[Peter and Julie]

Seat belts for 8! But it's a 2 berth only, when family ask!

 

[Peter and Julie]

Solo traveller 47 ..... mine is a 6 berth hymer but only 2 front facing belted seats.
Nice large comfortable lounge , fixed bed ,decent sized bathroom and full kitchen were my requirements.

Only 47? You HAVE aged, your occasional pictures add another 10

 

[Larrynwin]

Have looked up a B544 and there is one for sale, used, at David Fuller Motorhomes Near us in Nottinghamshire .
Has 2 side dinette benches and drop down bed, but listed as only 2 travelling belts (I assume they are driver and passenger) and can’t see from their pictures if there are any other belts.
It’s a 2005 model. Are there variations in layout within the B544 range?
Thanks

Ours does not have the dinette , too restrictive imo . Ours has two long bench seats with an off centre fully adjustable table.

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[Shrimp]

Only us two!

 

[tonyidle]

Ours does not have the dinette , too restrictive imo . Ours has two long bench seats with an off centre fully adjustable table.

Take a look at the B584. Super layout IMO.

 

[MR BLO]

Hi Captain Yoghurtpot
We are a family of three (45,41 & 8) - I am the oldest but obviously both look and act the youngest. We mooch about in a 6 belt and berth Bailey - chosen first and foremost for the following;

• Large lounge
• Decent galley workspace
• Fixed bed for adults
• Large bathroom
• Separate eating / creative play and lounging spaces
• 6 belts

We all go to bed and get up at different times and that was the key factor. Dinette drops to form Archies bed, plus drop down for me and Kels. They can both tootle off to bed and I still have the back of the van as a man cave. Then in the morning it gives me somewhere to get dressed and have a brew before the sleepy brigade wake up.

Separate lounge from the dinette also allows us to chill whilst Archie uses the table to create his latest artistic masterpiece when the weather is glum or once in a while play a few games on the electronic babysitter (Nintendo).

6 belts was a consideration to take niece and nephews with us but that has not happened. But it has allowed us to tour Cornwall with friends last year (family of 3) and Brittany with my parents in 2018. For the payload police - I only have skinny friends

For the next van I will be more selfish and plump for 4 belts so that Archie can have a plus one and I can have a garage. The rest can buy a tent.

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