PVC front or rear lounge?

[FranknBetty]

We are seriously considering a change from our CI cipro to a van conversion read lots seen plenty of photos in ads need to see vans in the flesh.
Any helpful comments please
Chris

 

[TheMachMan]

Another thumbs up for rear beds. Loads of storage space underneath.

 

[mike mcglynn]

Hi try Spinney motorhomes they usually have a selection of pvc on site and they are not so far from you I think the showrooms will be open quite soon. They are at Cranage /Holmes Chapel area.

 

[Cal54]

I’m a fan of a fixed bed (that’s what I have) however the front lounge/dining area is the compromise in the Alto. If I was buying again I would still look at fixed beds but would want a bench seat and not a dinette.

 

[donkey]

For us in a PVC a lounge/bedroom is the way to go. I just do not think there is room for both.

Geoff

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[mikebeaches]

Longitudinal fixed twin single beds at the back work for us, as does the dinette at the front.

The cab seats make excellent lounge armchairs when rotated. Fortunately, Mrs mikebeaches also enjoys reading and relaxing on her bed sometimes, while I'm surfing the net at the table.

Four travel seats come in handy on occasion.

We have a good sized garage for our recliner chairs and all the other other camping paraphernalia.

The sleeping arrangements allow nocturnal bathroom visits without disturbing each other.

We're on our third van and this layout works best for us, but everybody's preferences are different.

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[CazPaul]

Front lounges that make a bed are great if there is one person but a pain if 2 people especially if you get up at different times.
There is no where to go if you get up first and someone else is still in bed.

 

[TheMachMan]

When we started looking we had decided to go rear lounge. But genuinely couldn’t fathom out where to store everything.
bedding, chairs, Cadac for starters. There just didn’t seem enough room under the bench seats, as they usually had a water tank and heater in one of them.

 

[Paul and Kate]

Warwick xl.

Bought from Spinneys.
We have downsized from a bailey 75-2 and funnily enough we have everything stored that we had in the Bailey.
Looking forward to be sat on site with sin shining and the back doors open.

 

[SpeedyDux]

There is one PVC with both front and rear lounge, separate shower, and a drop down bed - Dreamer Living Van

Ticks a lot of boxes

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[carolyn]

We really like the rear U shaped lounge for relaxing during the day. Bed takes 2 minutes to make up. We still like the extra large double although you can have two singles.

 

[Langtoftlad]

There is one PVC with both front and rear lounge, separate shower, and a drop down bed - Dreamer Living Van

Ticks a lot of boxes

The ideas might be good... but the implementation is awful... terrible build quality.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Horses for courses... I couldn't be doing with making up up a bed every night & deconstructing it every morning, stowing the bedding, no no no.

 

[Skez]

Key for us was to have nothing obstructing the side door as we love the feeling of space and outdoors inside that it gives us. A kitchen worktop across half of it would spoil that feeling for us.

Very few manufacturers do this (Murvi and IH do). Our front lounge necessitates the bed being pulled out every night but it is soooooo easy. Takes me less that 1 minute and well worth it for the enormous lounge area.

 

[EuroTrotters]

rear

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[EuroTrotters]

There is one PVC with both front and rear lounge, separate shower, and a drop down bed - Dreamer Living Van

Ticks a lot of boxes

thats brilliant

 

[berni109]

Have a look at a sunliving v65. Front dinnet plus cab seats and rear lounge benches or massive double if you want to make it up. This results in a compact washroom but has to be a compromise somewhere.

 

[Otter Spotter]

For me rear lounge/double bed and at the front swivel seats and a fitting for Lagun table so you have the makings of a front lounge too Or diner whatever you make it.

 

[kernewek]

We went for fixed bed at back, which gives us a good size garage - and dog kennel! Bench seat at front. We're outdoor people - if it's a really rotten day, roll duvet back and use as bolster for comfy reading/TV.

 

[Lumpy]

Self built front lounge based roughly on the Vantage Ora, we didn't like the cramped front area that you get with a fixed rear double bed on a 6mtr van. Second choice would have been rear lounge. But we did look at at loads and loads before making our choice on what to build, six years on and we would have made the same choice.

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[carolyn]

Self built front lounge based roughly on the Vantage Ora, we didn't like the cramped front area that you get with a fixed rear double bed on a 6mtr van. Second choice would have been rear lounge. But we did look at at loads and loads before making our choice on what to build, six years on and we would have made the same choice.

We know what you mean, we have the 6.4 metre van with the rear lounge and it really is surprising what a difference that makes to how much more open the front bit feels. Nick calls it his man cave. It does mean that with both seats swivelled you do have a useable lounge area. On an IH but the same principle.

 

[Gary217]

We've had both front and rear lounge/bed and for us rear works better as front bedroom can mean you cant't easily exit the side door without disturbing the other occupant, and making up front beds tends to be more of an effort than rear beds.

 

[dipsie]

Our V Line 635 has a rear lounge with plenty of under seat storage. example, 2 x folder leisure chairs, 2 x folding “ dinning “ chairs, Fiamma tri leg and pole, awning winder, awning side poles, Wind Breaker awning, full awning sized ground sheet and a smaller one, Thule sun blocker, bag with awning tie down kit and pegs, Cadac Safari and legs, hook up cable, Taylor Made insulated screen cover, peg hammer.
That’s just one side, in the other, 2 x 115amp batteries, inverter, second hook up cable, EHU waterproof connector, blue and green toilet fluid, pitch marker, washing line,.
We have had our lounge modified to U shaped seating so have extra centre storage, levelling ramps and shelved for opening front for dirty washing storage.
The V Line also has a very useful cupboard behind the drivers seat for a vast amount of stuff, towels, spare loo and kitchen rolls, etc, also shelved, bread, cereals, cakes, etc.
Under kitchen cupboards, front one we have the fire extinguisher, 2 x 10 litres water containers, filling funnel, bucket with 25mtr water hose and a variety of connections, Continental EHU connections and LPG connections.
Plus 2 x cupboards for grub and kitchen stuff that wo’nt fit in the 4 x drawers. Plus we have the all important oven/grill/hob. Microwave.
Bedding, we store our sleeping bags and pillows in the over cab locker. Takes a minute/30 sec to make up singles or double bed from the lounge seating and the same to put away.
The V Line has the ability to use the front seats as a dinning area or small lounge without dangling feet. We have a second TV here so we can watch separate programmes.
The only other PVC we would change to would be a V Line 635 Sport.

BernieT

 

[Minxy]

Our V Line 635 has a rear lounge with plenty of under seat storage. example, 2 x folder leisure chairs, 2 x folding “ dinning “ chairs, Fiamma tri leg and pole, awning winder, awning side poles, Wind Breaker awning, full awning sized ground sheet and a smaller one, Thule sun blocker, bag with awning tie down kit and pegs, Cadac Safari and legs, hook up cable, Taylor Made insulated screen cover, peg hammer.
That’s just one side, in the other, 2 x 115amp batteries, inverter, second hook up cable, EHU waterproof connector, blue and green toilet fluid, pitch marker, washing line,.
We have had our lounge modified to U shaped seating so have extra centre storage, levelling ramps and shelved for opening front for dirty washing storage.
The V Line also has a very useful cupboard behind the drivers seat for a vast amount of stuff, towels, spare loo and kitchen rolls, etc, also shelved, bread, cereals, cakes, etc.
Under kitchen cupboards, front one we have the fire extinguisher, 2 x 10 litres water containers, filling funnel, bucket with 25mtr water hose and a variety of connections, Continental EHU connections and LPG connections.
Plus 2 x cupboards for grub and kitchen stuff that wo’nt fit in the 4 x drawers. Plus we have the all important oven/grill/hob. Microwave.
Bedding, we store our sleeping bags and pillows in the over cab locker. Takes a minute/30 sec to make up singles or double bed from the lounge seating and the same to put away.
The V Line has the ability to use the front seats as a dinning area or small lounge without dangling feet. We have a second TV here so we can watch separate programmes.
The only other PVC we would change to would be a V Line 635 Sport.

BernieT

I think one trick that they missed with that layout is not raising the rear floor area, we had an Autocruise Accent with a rear lounge like but due to it being raised it created a lot more usable storage and also had the benefit that when in bed we could see out of the windows in a morning which was nice.

 

[FranknBetty]

Thanks everyone we are zeroing in on Wildax europa as they seem to have a bigger fridge.

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[Langtoftlad]

Also check out the WildAx Aurora Leisure XL - has a rear lounge and large fridge
I have the Fixed Bed Aurora and have been very happy with it.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Thanks everyone we are zeroing in on Wildax europa as they seem to have a bigger fridge.

Dealer in the Wirral as well

 

[dipsie]

Minxy Girl, yes I agree regarding the raised floor. I did look at doing that but on looking further into it I found that if the centre recessed floor mounting for the table would restrict full use of the area.
I did speak to Auto Trail regarding the floor covering which they could have supplied which would have made the floor look original.
Don’t forget the V Line has under floor refillable LPG which saves a lot of room compared with Swift/Autocruise.
We do sometimes carry two largish Outwell leisure chairs in the bathroom, I used two plastic “ marine “ fittings to secure them to the wall with a bungy elastic around them, still plenty of room to use the loo or to wash. If using the shower I stack them behind the reversed passenger seat.
Auto Trail are good at supplying build materials, they supplied the original patterned seating material when we had the modified U shaped lounge done and enough material to make an insulation cover for the centre joint in the rear doors, the van now looks more coachbuild now and the bonus of feeling warmer.
One day when I learn to put photo’s on here I’ll show some of my mods.

BernieT

 

[Minxy]

Minxy Girl, yes I agree regarding the raised floor. I did look at doing that but on looking further into it I found that if the centre recessed floor mounting for the table would restrict full use of the area.
I did speak to Auto Trail regarding the floor covering which they could have supplied which would have made the floor look original.
Don’t forget the V Line has under floor refillable LPG which saves a lot of room compared with Swift/Autocruise.
We do sometimes carry two largish Outwell leisure chairs in the bathroom, I used two plastic “ marine “ fittings to secure them to the wall with a bungy elastic around them, still plenty of room to use the loo or to wash. If using the shower I stack them behind the reversed passenger seat.
Auto Trail are good at supplying build materials, they supplied the original patterned seating material when we had the modified U shaped lounge done and enough material to make an insulation cover for the centre joint in the rear doors, the van now looks more coachbuild now and the bonus of feeling warmer.
One day when I learn to put photo’s on here I’ll show some of my mods.

BernieT

We found that the table mount didn't cause much of an issue with the Accent's storage cubby, we got a very large inflatable canoe under it along with paddles, life jackets and all the kit without a problem. If I had your MH I'd be looking to make a removable storage section to create what we had previously and also raise the bases of the sofas too to raise them to the correct seating height, this would also create 'ottomans' for the bedding etc to be stored in during the day.

 

[bigwood]

When we had our front lounge Duetto we didn’t think of a rear lounge. During that time we hired a rear lounge PVC in New Zealand. When the weather was dry we left the bed made up and sat outside.
When we were looking for a replacement for the Duetto we though of a rear lounge PVC. We nearly got there. by buying a rear lounge coach build.

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