LHS or RHS door openings- Pros and Cons?

[Jonnyboy M]

Apart from opening on roadside in UK anything else to consider.
I'm a newbie so bear with me folks..

 

[The Old Man]

My Hab door is on the RHS, offside in the UK.

For me it presents no problems, I just need to take care when opening it and putting the electric step out, and not leaving it out.

If I was going to be a regular European traveller I would think it would be a benefit as being abroad I used to find having plenty to be aware about.

However, the statistics, door incidents;

Parked correctly on the LHS of the road, I thought it was clear to open the door, it was clear to open the door except that an HGV was passing, not close and no danger except I underestimated the strength of the wind created by the passing vehicle!

Parked incorrectly on the RHS of the road, I didn't pay enough attention and opened the door into the path of a pedestrian.

Parked incorrectly on the RHS of the road, I had no ides how high the pavement was and when I deployed the step it grounded on the pavement, the noises were horrendous but fortunately no damage.

 

[Clivefog]

No problem same as opening any vehicle door, make sure it is safe.

 

[funflair]

On club sites when you have the conversation about "how to park" relative to the peg you might find that your windscreen is facing a hedge or wall

 

[orridge]

Not sure it is ever really an issue most if not all motorhomes have cab door(s) and a hab door so if it is unsafe to exit one side you exit the other.

Our first A Class had two cab doors so no problem with the Hab door on the right current coachbuild is the same.

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[sonar]

We chose the near side opening door.
we have dogs the last thing we wanted was to be pulled into traffic.

also very handy when laying up overnight in a lay-by if permitted.
coupled to that there are a number of motorhome sites that will only let on motorhomes that have a near side door.
I posted about the sites that do this a while ago .

but if you intend to spend more time abroad then the off side continental doors would be better.

or as another member said use the cab doors for entry and exit.

 

[cyberyacht]

Cab door one side, hab door the other. Covers all eventualities. As for 'club' sites, if I was extravagant enough to pay the prices, if it's next to the peg, I'll park whichever end in I like!

 

[Jonnyboy M]

On club sites when you have the conversation about "how to park" relative to the peg you might find that your windscreen is facing a hedge or wall

Relative to peg? Apologies still trying to understand the lingo.

 

[Southdowners]

Most A class MH's only have one door - the hab door.

We've only ever had hab doors on our motorhomes and always on the outer side on British roads - we've never had any issues. It's unlikely that you're ever going to open your door into traffic passing traffic.

By the way, we hardly ever travel in the UK - usually only to and from the tunnel. If you only travel in the UK it might make a difference.

 

[peterc10]

We have an A class with the hab door on the right. We spend more time touring Europe than we do in the UK. So that means our hab door is on the nearside of the road more often than not.

But, in any event, just ask yourself what side does the driver get out of their car in the UK? It is on the off side. It you can manage that safely in a car, why can't you do the same in a motorhome?

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[Lenny HB]

We are LHD with the hab door on the RHS never caused us any problems, 90% of our mileage is over the water.

 

[peterc10]

Most A class MH's only have one door - the hab door.

I am not sure "most" do.

Often on very large truck based motorhomes, which you have, there is no cab door, but that is a minority of the A classes in the UK. Most A classes in the UK and Europe are van based and most of those have a cab door as well, albeit that it is almost always on the UK nearside.

 

[Lenny HB]

Most A classes in the UK and Europe are van based and most of those have a cab door as wel

But it is an option Hymers don't have a cab door as standard.

 

[Minxy]

We have an A-class with hab door on the right and cab on the left which for us is perfect as it means we have exit/access on either side - with having dogs it means that when parked at the side of the road in the UK we can let them out the cab door to go for a wee, abroad we can use the hab door. Only change would be to have a cab door on on the right as well but it certainly wouldn't be instead of the left cab door.

 

[two]

It's nothing to be concerned about. You will rarely need to exit into a traffic lane (if that's what you were thinking) so just take a bit more care on those few occasions when you do.
I had a vehicle with only one door for a while and did have a problem when loaded onto a ferry. The door ended up next to a bulkhead and would not open enough to allow us out. Vehicles close in front and behind, we managed to move enough to squeeze out, wreaking the fly screen as we did. It only happened once.

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[peterc10]

But it is an option Hymers don't have a cab door as standard.

The cab door is standard if you buy them in the UK, as most of us do. Was when I bought mine and is listed as standard in their latest UK information.

 

[Jonnyboy M]

Thanks to all of your replies much appreciated

 

[gus-lopez]

 

[Lenny HB]

The cab door is standard if you buy them in the UK, as most of us do. Was when I bought mine and is listed as standard in their latest UK information.

Just checked its not, its an option that comes in the Komfort pack. A dealer will never order a van without a Komfort pack, most of the items in the comfort pack you would want anyway but it is still an option. I know one Funster without a cab door he had the rest of the comfort pack but didn't want the cab door.

 

[BillyKontiki]

We have an A class with the hab door on the right. We spend more time touring Europe than we do in the UK. So that means our hab door is on the nearside of the road more often than not.

But, in any event, just ask yourself what side does the driver get out of their car in the UK? It is on the off side. It you can manage that safely in a car, why can't you do the same in a motorhome?

As a driver you have the experience of exiting and entering your vehicle on the offside, and also the use of mirrors to aid this. A child, or an inexperienced person may not have this awareness nor the use of mirrors when existing a hab door on the offside when in the uk.

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[Madmag]

We have a “continental “ sided door. Not a problem at all. Whenever we have been on CMC sites we have been told park either way as long as against the peg. Not an issue either in UK or in EU.

 

[mitzimad]

We chose the near side opening door.
we have dogs the last thing we wanted was to be pulled into traffic.

also very handy when laying up overnight in a lay-by if permitted.
coupled to that there are a number of motorhome sites that will only let on motorhomes that have a near side door.
I posted about the sites that do this a while ago .

but if you intend to spend more time abroad then the off side continental doors would be better.

or as another member said use the cab doors for entry and exit.

got the link for that ive never found one

 

[funflair]

Relative to peg? Apologies still trying to understand the lingo.

Some Caravan and MH club sites tell you to park to the right of your peg with you Jan door furthest from the peg, it’s basically so that all doors face the same way and 6metre spacing maintained.

Edit, sorry I did this earlier but missed posting it.

 

[two]

Which way round you park up (front to peg or rear) should not matter for a motorhome but it's not so easy to pitch a van the other way round and sites that are nervous about swift (quick) evacuation will insist that towbars face the access road.

 

[Reallyretired]

Our hab door is on the right fortunately as if it was on the left we couldn't open it when it's on our drive. I have not since the 70s had a hab door on the left and never found it a problem.

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[peterc10]

Just checked its not, its an option that comes in the Komfort pack. A dealer will never order a van without a Komfort pack, most of the items in the comfort pack you would want anyway but it is still an option. I know one Funster without a cab door he had the rest of the comfort pack but didn't want the cab door.

I was partly wrong!!

In the UK version on the Hymer website (the prices are all in £s and they spell "comfort" correctly ) it depends upon what model you are buying The cheapest A Class versions of both the Fiat and Merc ranges show it as an extra. All the other A Classes, both Merc and Fiat, have it as standard.

I think we are agreed that nearly all A Class Hymers sold in the UK and the EU have a cab door on the left hand side.