Looking for our 1st motorhome

[Rogerlathbury]

Hi all,
As per title we have a budget up to around £30k to spend. Use will be mainly for my wife (touring as we are retired) and I, very occasionally with family members (2 or 3). To me the ideal layout would be dinette and or rear lounge and over cab sleeping. Over cab would give us sleeping for family, or separately for me. Assuming this will be a 4 berth with + four seatbelts
My questions:
1. Does the over cab sleeping area (hi line) make the van unstable in high winds and will it mean much heavier fuel usage rather than a low line?
2. Very open question, opinions on layouts please?
3. Opinions on manufactuers to look for or to dicount?
Sorry all very basic, but looking on line and in mags a veritable mind field. We are going to the NEC show in a couple of weeks but would like to get some helpful comments before hearing a sales persons trying to sell us some thing !
Looking forward to hearing all your comments and ideas.

 

[Potty]

Welcome!

With that budget you will be looking at used rather than new. The vans at the NEC will mostly be new but will give you an idea of different layouts. Visit as many dealers as you can to see what’s available there.

 

[Rogerlathbury]

Thanks Potty, will do.

 

[funflair]

You say "rear lounge" so give some thought to what outside storage space you would have and need, would you be taking bicycles to get around? and then what about comfy chairs for outside and a BBQ possibly.

Martin

 

[denisejoe]

If by dinette you mean a table with seats either side of it then you won't find the seats very comfortable as they are very upright. The continental half dinette is better as you are able to turn the driver and passenger seats round which will give you much more comfortable seats to sit in.

Of the MHs I've been in with a rear lounge the seats always seem very close together and your knees will nearly be touching sitting on opposite sides especially if either of you have long legs!

Denise

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[keithchesterfield2]

We hired for two years before plunging into buying one.

Unless you try different types, lengths and layouts you may buy the 'wrong' one that you find after a short while doesn't suit you both and that can be an expensive mistake.

And whatever the Salesperson tells you - check, check and double check especially with payload and warranty.

?

 

[Potty]

You say "rear lounge" so give some thought to what outside storage space you would have and need, would you be taking bicycles to get around? and then what about comfy chairs for outside and a BBQ possibly.

Martin

Not just outside storage, inside as well. We downsized from a rear lounge/front half dinette, 7.5m, to a 6.3m van with front parallel settees. The larger van, which had quite a lot of outside storage, had no lockers big enough to take bedding for two, let alone 4.

In the new van, reclining chairs that are tall enough to be used at the table outside travel between the cab seats and the settees, moved into the cab when parked up.

 

[Jo662]

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN.

 

[Rogerlathbury]

You say "rear lounge" so give some thought to what outside storage space you would have and need, would you be taking bicycles to get around? and then what about comfy chairs for outside and a BBQ possibly.

Martin

Hi Martin, thanks for your reply. I would assume having a rear lounge means a restriction on storage (no "garage"). We obviously will need storage, including fold up chairs so I need to add your comments to my thoughts

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[Rogerlathbury]

We hired for two years before plunging into buying one.

Unless you try different types, lengths and layouts you may buy the 'wrong' one that you find after a short while doesn't suit you both and that can be an expensive mistake.

And whatever the Salesperson tells you - check, check and double check especially with payload and warranty.

?

Mmm....good idea, but maybe too impetuous!!! Will keep in mind.

 

[Rogerlathbury]

If by dinette you mean a table with seats either side of it then you won't find the seats very comfortable as they are very upright. The continental half dinette is better as you are able to turn the driver and passenger seats round which will give you much more comfortable seats to sit in.

Of the MHs I've been in with a rear lounge the seats always seem very close together and your knees will nearly be touching sitting on opposite sides especially if either of you have long legs!

Denise
[/QUOTE
half dinette and swivel captain chairs seems very sensible, good advise thank you

 

[Mark and Mindy]

If the other family members will only very occasionally be with you then work out what you want for you and your wife, then add in the possibility of family members.

For instance if it really will be just the 2 of you then a half dinette will work very well with the 2 captains chairs and you'll then have the additional belts on the dinette seats.

A fixed bed at the bed would then work for you and your wife and the overcab bed for your occasional visitors. A rear lounge could mean making a bed every night unless you have a pull down; and while making the bed every night doesn't seem to be a bad idea it can get boring very fast - we did it for 3 months and then traded in for a fixed rear bed with half dinette - only 2 of us plus 2 dogs but it's given us masses of underbed storage.

Decide if you want a motorhome or a panel van conversion, both have pros and cons, our van is very small at 5.4m and we don't have an oven but there are work arounds. If you have the C1 licences then you can go higher than 3.5T, so many things to think about and all of it fun!

Make a list of your absolute must haves, your definite don't wants, your would likes and go from there. Check out the vehicles at the NEC, try the bathroom for size, can you use the shower, do your knees hit the door when on the loo etc. Would it work for how you want to use it?

 

[keithchesterfield2]

Mmm....good idea, but maybe too impetuous!!! Will keep in mind.

It's your money.

Two years deciding - six years later and still with same Motorhome - in France at the moment.

 

[A S R]

For a pointer into fuel usage differences I can give you an idea between van styles. I have a “ low line “ Burstner Elegance and my mate has an overcab Autotrail Chieftain. Both tag axles and running just under 5t. We went to the Alps last month and he followed me all the way round and back. I averaged out at 27.6mpg and he got 24.5mpg. He was happy with his mpg on a run because he normally gets around 22mpg. I can get mine over 30mpg if I behave myself and keep my speed around 55-60mph. Hope that helps.

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[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[Littlewheels]

Firstly do only consider you and your wife’s needs and comfort is the optimum one you don’t say what size you are looking for but I suggest it won’t be particularly large,therefore, forget about the 2/3 family members I bet you won’t do it more than once it’s a nightmare in a small space.
Enjoy it for yourselves and sod the rest

 

[Potty]

A rear lounge doesn’t necessarily mean no garage or complicated bed making. Our U-shaped rear lounge had storage right across the back, not tall enough for bikes but a bike rack would solve that. Making up into 2 singles took seconds, slid out the bases and the back rest dropped down to make 3 foot singles. Stand the middle cushion up and you have a bedside table. Unfortunately having the outside access rear storage meant the inside under bed storage was compromised.

Most fixed double beds are against a wall on one side, so the one sleeping on the inside has to climb over the other to get out and nowhere to put cups, glasses, etc. The same applies to pull-down and overcab beds.

 

[HandyAndy]

nearly every time I see one of these threads it comes down to having a decent garage to put stuff in and not wanting to make a bed out of cushions every day..
So in my mind it pretty much leads you down the road of rear fixed bed and front dinette.
Extra sleeping arangements can be added by not having a low line and having a pull down overcab bed when you have visitors as well as being able to convert the dinette into a bed too.
Everything else is secondary except IMO burstners stupid gas oven height nearly up to the ceiling

Welcome to the forum though and go hire a few different layouts to try before you buy otherwise it could be an expensive mistake