Is the bailey width of 8ft 2" too wide for our country lanes (1 Viewer)

[Missfiter]

hi

Just wanted your thoughts on driving a motor home this wide on our country lanes, we were looking to get the new autograph 75-2 but we holiday a lot in Cornwall just wondered if it size ever posed anyone any issues?.

 

[gloworm]

That sounds wide for a mtorhome, standard width of a lorry is 8ft + mirrors.

Eric

 

[Missfiter]

That was my thoughts but it's what's listed and when I read all the reviews they comment about how spacious they are it's one of the reasons we're considering it

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[jollyrodger]

This may help
The size of the motorhome
A motorhome being registered in the UK cannot be more than 12 metres long and 2.55 metres wide, unless it has an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) certificate. A vehicle with an IVA can have a maximum width of 2.6 metres. There is no height limit but, if the motorhome is over three metres tall, the height must be on a notice visible to you as the driver.

://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/driving-motorhomes

But wouldn't like to meet the caravans that'll be coming the opposite way down in Cornwall

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

We had a Bailey for a while a few years ago, but because we like going off the main roads in areas such as Devon, Cornwall, Wales etc, we got rid of it due to the width. Once onsite, it was incredibly spacious and comfortable, just a bit too much of a porker for us. But its horses for courses, others will be perfectly happy with the width.

We did have an interesting episode in Wales, stuck between caravan one side and a stone wall the other on way to campsite, then we barely fit down the lane to the campsite afterwards. That was when we decided to change.

 

[BobtheBass]

When we had our Bailey (we have actually had two as they genuinely are great value for money and super spacious inside) we really did think that every country road we drove down was overgrown with trees and bushes. It's only after switching to a narrower van that we realised it was the Bailey that was wide not the roads that were narrow! I think the new Baileys are too wide to be honest but most people will be seduced by the space inside to notice that.

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[DLT]

Bailey motorhome width mirrors extended 2770 (9 ft 1in)mirrors folded 2489 (8 ft 1in)

 

[Bailey58]

We rented a car last year in north Devon as we wanted to visit old haunts that the Bailey couldn't take us. Malmsmead for the Doone Valley for instance, Watersmeet etc. and the time before in north and south Devon we made sure their was a bus stop nearby for places like Brixham. The car rental was ok for a week but longer term too expensive. Don't start me on the rental can of worms, that was another thread a while back.

 

[Bailey 15]

We live in Plymouth and regularly go down Cornwall, we have Bailey 625, width 2.41 = 7ft 10ins, superb van, absolutely lovely and no problems at all
Always remember all services need to be able to get around Cornwall, fire engine ambulance dust lorries etc, obviously don't follow sat nab but most places to visit are ok, check first before you go if concerns .
Excellent room inside certainly wouldn't change it due to narrow lanes

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[Lenny HB]

I reckon width is more important than length when going down tight roads. Our 1st van was 2.35m wide, last one and current one 2.21m much easier to maneuver also A Class vans with flat sides are much easier in tight spots as the sides are flat no sticking out body behind the cab.

 

[Bailey58]

I assume that's smaller than the 75-2 @SHARON JOHN, inches matter on country lanes.

 

[Missfiter]

Thanks for all the replies it's such a choice we have three dogs also so plenty of room in the van is definitely needed we do a lot of walking so most of the time it will be on site rather travelling around for days out, and we've always managed to squeeze past the local bus with caravan with no problem. Mmmm which way do we comprise size or space

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[Bailey 15]

Neither!!
Get it, just looked on web site it looks fantastic!!
Like you said once there you won't be driving around in it, hire a car if your anywhere for any length of time, it looks amazing how exciting

 

[rangi]

Go to sites with "Bus at Gate", If a bus can get through, so can your 8foot wide.
Here in Cornwall we have a Liberal Dominated Council, services are being cut, and blamed on the "austerity" cuts!
NASTY TORY PARTY! gets the blame, despite the Leader of the Council being paid nearly twice the Prime Minister's wages, council office workers perks like £75,000 in bottled water!!
So we have no money left once all the snouts have had their fill for things like hedge cutting. The SiL used to take a flail and cut the hedge sides from the Vogue Pub to the Gwennup Pit, till he was warned off by a jobsworth Parish Councillor.

"Bus at Gate" if you got an 8 footer (2.4 metres in real money) that should be your mantra

 

[Minxy]

The first question is really HOW you intend to use it ... if you want to go into little villages, down single track roads etc it might be too 'fat' to do so. What you may not appreciate is that driving a wide MH even on good roads can be more stressful as you have to keep an eye out for oncoming traffic getting too close. We had a Rimor Sailer 645TC which was 2.22m wide (body part, excluding the mirrors) and we could, and did, take it all over the place despite it being 7.14m long plus bike rack, we changed it for a Chausson Flash 04 which is a shorter van at 5.99m but 2.3m wide and THAT was a real pain at times ... lovely vehicle but in the end we decided we wanted something not so chubby so changed to an Autocruise Accent panel van conversion at 2.05m wide and 5.99m long, it was so much more enjoyable to travel in and less stressful due to the narrow width. We had wanted to stay at 5.99m but found the perfect pvc for us, our current Globecar FamilyScout L still 2.05m wide but 6.34m long, the extra length doesn't make much difference except that the turning circle is a little bit bigger. I certainly would not ever want to go back to a 'fat' MH again.

I've just had a quick shuftie at the Autograph 75-2 ... is the payload really only 315kg????

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[Bailey 15]

I'm sat in mine now the space is lovely
We are trying out our new Kampa Airbeam awning, that fits absolute treat as well, 2 pieces of wonderful kit

 

[Jim]

We're 8' 4" Wide ( 9' 8" with mirrors) It's W I D E but manageable if your brave like me. My technique? I just close my eyes when its tight

 

[Bailey 15]

Him that's tight!!
I wouldn't cycle down that lane

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[Bailey 15]

 

[jezport]

Personally, if I wanted a van that has more space I would go longer rather than wider. We've had a tag axle Frankia and length was no issue. We now have a narrower van and the reduced width does make it easier on narrow lanes and through roadworks where HGVs fill their lanes completely

 

[138go]

We have been to Cornwall and picked up a couple of scars to prove it. Some nice person had cemented a large chunk of granite right next to the road presumably to protect their grass but caught the front corner as we squeezed by. Cornwall in the summer can be an absolute nightmare. Cornwall during any other time of the year is great. The locals don't seem to mind MH's they just drive straight for the gap doing about 40mph and close their eyes as they go through. Must admit I do find our A Class Liaka easier to get through tight gaps. High mirrors which are out of the way and straight sides. If the front goes through the rest will follow.

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[Allanm]

Our last van ( in my avatar) was 2.59 metres or 102 inches wide.
I didn't enjoy driving down narrow lanes ( and they all seemed narrow) nor through the Dartford tunnel, nor on the Eurotunnel train. We had to fold the mirrors in on the train otherwise they hit both sides of the coupling sections between carriages, and fitted, with mm to spare through toll booths in France.
Loads of room inside, great to live in, fantastic to drive, till you got on the road......
So, no, your Bailey isn't too wide, but it's getting there.

 

[Ingwe]

We've got a Bailey 620 (2012) and, whilst it is marginally wider then some vans, it's not that wide. Haven't found it to be a problem on French or Spanish county roads.
Just drive carefully and if in any doubt, slow right down or stop.
Good luck with the Bailey. It looks great value.

 

[JeanLuc]

I would check whether the 8ft 2inch dimension stated includes the fitted awning. If it does, then the van is no wider than a lot of motorhomes. Even if it does not include the awning, the difference between the Bailey and many A-class vans is minimal in practice when navigating narrow roads.
I would be more concerned about the limited payload. 315 kg does not seem a lot to me for two people touring. Also, of you want to use it in winter, is the waste tank insulated and heated by the room heater and are all the pipe runs inside the van without any sections exposed underneath for example?

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[Enword]

We're 8' 4" Wide ( 9' 8" with mirrors) It's W I D E but manageable if your brave like me. My technique? I just close my eyes when its tight

I breath in & floor it so as not to get jammed

 

[busby]

We live in Plymouth and regularly go down Cornwall, we have Bailey 625, width 2.41 = 7ft 10ins, superb van, absolutely lovely and no problems at all
Always remember all services need to be able to get around Cornwall, fire engine ambulance dust lorries etc, obviously don't follow sat nab but most places to visit are ok, check first before you go if concerns .
Excellent room inside certainly wouldn't change it due to narrow lanes

Difference between service vehicles and a motorhome are construction..Doesnt do any damage to a fire engine/dustbin lorry when it scrapes against bushes and branches,,lethal for a fragile motorhome,,,BUSBY

 

[DigglyDog]

The main problem with our 620 is the door mirrors - they extend quite way out from the already wide body, and we've had them clipped a couple of times now by both white van man and lorry drivers..
Overall, the Bailey is a great machine, but invest in Mirror Guards...

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[busby]

The main problem with our 620 is the door mirrors - they extend quite way out from the already wide body, and we've had them clipped a couple of times now by both white van man and lorry drivers..
Overall, the Bailey is a great machine, but invest in Mirror Guards...

Sure it wasn't you clipping themBUSBY,,

 

[DigglyDog]

Sure it wasn't you clipping themBUSBY,,

Absolutely, the latest was on Friday in Suffolk - a Yodel lorry driven at speed on a winding road trying to straighten it - I've got it on camera !

 

[Tweedie]

The main problem with our 620 is the door mirrors - they extend quite way out from the already wide body, and we've had them clipped a couple of times now by both white van man and lorry drivers..
Overall, the Bailey is a great machine, but invest in Mirror Guards...

I would agree with that, we have put some hi viz tape on our mirror guards to try and make the mirrors more visible for approaching vehicles. The Bailey 740 is our first MoHo so can't compare but we don't find the width an issue, we both drive ours, love the space we have inside. Whatever you end up buying you will soon feel at ease driving it.

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