Shorter vans with island bed (1 Viewer)

[Robert Phillips]

Hi all
This is my first post.
I'm not sure it's in the right place(?) but can you help please.

Apologies, up front, if it's a bit long winded...
Me and my wife are retiring towards the end of this year and we're thinking about buying our first MH.
Our children have both moved to Devon and we're looking to use the MH to visit them and holiday in Europe.
We've used tents and caravans before, albeit a 'few' years ago, but like the idea of a MH.
I also spent a lot of time looking at converting a van but dismissed it on grounds of cost effectiveness.
However, the time spent researching layouts and visiting shows wasn't wasted now that we're nearly ready to take the plunge.

Not being familiar with used MH's we're hoping you can suggest some makes & models that we might look at.
We are looking for a MH that is @ 10 to 15 years old and costs @ £15-20k
Essential criteria includes:

• Fixed island bed, or singles
• 2 belted travel seats
• Air con in lounge / bedroom
• Swivel front seats

I guess anything else can be added(?).

Also, some advice on payload (thanks for the heads-up Bart) would be welcome; typically how much do you need? (yes I know... how long is a piece of string?).

• Clothing
• Sporting equipment
• Bikes
• Batteries
• Gas bottles
• Water
• Food
• Awning

Have I missed anything?

Thanks in anticipation.
Rob and Sue

 

[Anthea M]

Hello Rob and Sue and welcome
I think island beds are quite a new format in the motorhome so may not be in the pre- loved vans you will be looking at. My advice is go to MH shows and dealers and look and try out as many as is possible . Try the beds for sizepretend cook a meal sit on the loo etc.
We are on our 4 th van and have had a French bed 2 transverse beds and now to singles but this means the MH is 7 metres long!
Good luck and keep in touch.

 

[irnbru]

And welcome. We used to have a Chausson Flash 14 with 2 single beds and swivel seats. No aircon though.

A 2004 Autotrail Cheyenne has 2 long bench seats which make into singles, fan in roof and swivel seats , good payload and around your price range.

i think there is another Autotrail but can't remember the model.

Happy motorhoming when you find one , just bide your time.

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[Mr Chrysalis]

Of the things you list as essentials, the fixed bed and seat belts ( do you mean 2 in addition to the 2 in the cab?) and the Swivel chairs would have to be part of the original MoHo. (people will argue that you could fit these but big and complicated job)

Air con, on the other hand can be retrofitted to most MoHos. Someone on the forum must have had this done and be able to give you an idea of cost, I'm guessing £3-4K? Or you could get a price from @eddievanbitz ( other Motorhome workshops are available!)

Awnings: a lot of Funsters these days are going for Pop-Up Gazebos instead of Awnings. They are a lot cheaper, easy to put up and pack away, and you don't have to line your MoHo up exactly each time you come back to the site. This one seems popular on this Forum

http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/quest-sp-up-screen-house-4

 

[Lenny HB]

As said in the age of van you are llooking for you wont get an island bed. Singles means it wont be a short van at least 7m. Habitation air con not really woth it as you can only use it on sites when on EHU.

 

[Shrimp]

Do you really need air con?
You will only really be able to use it on hook-up and if you're going to Europe you may find you like using the Aires and unless you find & pay for ehu the air con will be a weight that you may well wish you hadn't fitted!
Just my thoughts on it.

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[MC 55 FUN]

& , you have two dealers local to you in Crosshands, I suggest a visit or two & a good nose round at various Moho's

 

[Robert Phillips]

Thank you all for your comments!!!
Though they've prompted more questions...

Island / fixed single beds

• When did they start being introduced?
• Is 7m a bit too long for maneuverability?

Swivel chairs

• Ideally to maximise space in the dining / lounge area - to make up for space taken up by fixed beds
• Also, I have a bad back and need the support when lounging

Seat belts

• 4 in total

Pop-Up Gazebos

• Ah, now that makes sense

Habitation air con

• Doesn't it get hot in a MH?

Aires

• What are they?

Thanks
Rob

 

[Xabia]

Have you considered a Hymer B514, it has a double drop down bed at the front and a single at the back over a garage.

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[Speve]

Hymer Exsis I did a short A class with island bed but not seen many used ones around and I think the new range don't include island beds anymore,you could look on Link Removed if you are prepared to import a LHD

 

[Jands]

Still looking 23 months away but lucky to retire with enough to buy new.
Wanted the smallest possible with island bed.
Saw one at 6.5 m long so set my mind on this till we spent time at a motor home show

 

[Jands]

Spent time at the motor home show and decided it was too cramped for us spending too long in, so then went to look at the 7m and 7.5m. The amount of extra space on the 7.5m for an extra 39inches made us think that was the size we want.
Best looking around and trying them out before making any firm decisions, we are still looking and thinking.

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[Lenny HB]

Still looking 23 months away but lucky to retire with enough to buy new.
Wanted the smallest possible with island bed.
Saw one at 6.5 m long so set my mind on this till we spent time at a motor home show

Most manufacturers are discontinuing island beds so won't be many around by then. Worth looking at a Carthago C Tourer i142QB not quite an island but still has a reasonable garage and only 6.8m.

 

[Lenny HB]

Spent time at the motor home show and decided it was too cramped for us spending too long in, so then went to look at the 7m and 7.5m. The amount of extra space on the 7.5m for an extra 39inches made us think that was the size we want.
Best looking around and trying them out before making any firm decisions, we are still looking and thinking.

We have just gone from 7.2m to 7.5m, biggest advantage was getting a separate shower & loo plus a huge garage.

 

[John Stanton]

There are plenty of MH's with an island bed - the shortest MH we've seen was 6.5m but it was too cramped in the living area so realistically (if you are anything like us) you'll be looking at 7 or 7.5m or more to make it work. As others have pointed out they are relatively new so I'm just not sure you'll find one within your budget - you might have to look at a French bed or singles instead.

It's all personal choice but we wouldn't have anything but an island bed and it isn't the case that manufacturers are discontinuing them - quite the opposite in fact, just browse all the major manufacturers' web sites and most have at least three or four in their range.

Good luck finding what works for you within your budget and don't be in a hurry - choosing the right layout is one of the most (if not the most) important ingredient when choosing your ideal MH

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[MC 55 FUN]

Remember the payload too - irrespective of a good layout, a Moho is unusable without an adequate payload & there are surprisingly many on offer from major manufacturers.

 

[John Stanton]

Worth looking at a Carthago C Tourer i142QB not quite an island but still has a reasonable garage and only 6.8m.

A Carthage 142QB on a budget of £15-20K - really ? Let me know where they're selling those and we'll have three !!! Yes I know you're not replying to the OP ! There's also the 145QB but again we discounted it as it was too cramped up front .

 

[Lenny HB]

A Carthage 142QB on a budget of £15-20K - really ? Let me know where they're selling those and we'll have three !!! Yes I know you're not replying to the OP ! There's also the 145QB but again we discounted it as it was too cramped up front .

We came close to buying a new Chic C but found the lounge too cramped, I'm not very bit and my wife only 4'10 & 45kg still trying work out how the big German's cope. At Caravan Salon I had to move the table in a Carthago so the big German who had got himself stuck could get out.
So we ended up with our 3rd Hymer.

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[Robert Phillips]

So far I've had a look at a few of your suggestions, online:
The Chausson Flash 14 (6.7m) (thanks irnbru) - looks like an ideal layout with single beds, swivel chairs, etc, but I think it may be a bit new to fit into my price max of £20K though. Does anyone know offhand when was it first made?

Hymer B514 - it looks really impressive (Xabia) but we don't need 2 doubles, rear and drop down. Is there a model less than £20k with a couple of singles or an island bed? I suspect not
As a matter of interest what's the fuel consumption like on these?

Hymer Exsis I - I think we'll stick to uk based MHs (Speve) rather than importing one, though I will take a look at this one, if I can find one - Though same question whats the mpg like on A class compared to a similar sized coach built? (think I got that right?)

Size matters, apparently (jands)... But where do you stop?

Right here, right now... or I'll miss meeting friends for a meal and a few drinks - well, it is very warm on the Costa Brava.

Thanks for all your comments.
Catch up later, maybe.

Rob

 

[John Stanton]

The cheapest used MH I've seen with an island bed is a 2009 Pilote Mooveo P719 on Auto Trader currently for £24999. Mooveo is the budget range from Pilote and are used by a lot of MH rental companies. They are basic but functional - sorry that's all I can find on Fleabay and Auto Trader at the moment.

Just Google "Mooveo Auto Trader" and you'll find it

 

[movan]

It depends how bad your back is .... is a drop down bed suitable? Can you climb up and down in the middle of the night?

Good luck ..please keep us informed with your searches. .. and welcome.

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[Speve]

Hymer Exsis I - I think we'll stick to uk based MHs (Speve) rather than importing one, though I will take a look at this one, if I can find one - Though same question whats the mpg like on A class compared to a similar sized coach built? (think I got that right?)

We have an Exsis 698 @7.2m towed a car on trailer up through Scandinavia this spring around 6000 miles and averaged around 25 mpg that's a 2.3 150 ducato

 

[denisejoe]

We've got a 7.2m, 4.5 tonne A Class Euramobil and get about 25 mpg on a 2.8 jtd engine.

Denise

 

[Robert Phillips]

As soon as we get home, and have a chance (not retired yet), we'll take a trip to the dealers in Cross Hands to have a look. Also plan to visit the NEC... although my experience of going to these shows (Soton Boat show) results in a severe case of envy.

We visited a used van show on the Carmarthen showground a few years ago but cant seem to find a reference for it... Anyone know if its still going?

And I guess there'll be threads somewhere on here for fuel economy and payloads.

Thanks all for your help.
I'll be grateful for more if anyone elsek has something to add.

Regards
Rob

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[two]

Compromise is all part of the adventure. Do not expect to be able to carry on as if you were at home when travelling. If you can find one, island beds take up a lot if space that you might otherwise use for better purposes.

Look at payload first. In general, you can never have enough of it. Then look for a layout that you can live with. Buy something with a good resale value and plan to sell it on after a couple of years, by which time you should have a much better idea of what is important for you.

 

[Robert Phillips]

rogher
That's what I had in mind, hence not comitting too much to our first mh's budget.


I didn't realise that payload was such a big issue, though I certainly have got the message now.

I asked earlier in this thread what counted toward payload.
Apart from the obvious; Clothing; sporting equipment; food, I guess it also includes

• Batteries
• Gas bottles
• Water

Have I missed

 

[MC 55 FUN]

Fuel is part of your payload, typically 80 litres of normal density diesel will weigh 70kg, passengers are part of it too.

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[Robert Phillips]

Oops. ..
Should have read...
Have I missed anything?

And...
Thanks
Rob

 

[two]

Best to get the thing weighed before you buy, then you know what you’re starting from. Check what was there at the time (gas, fuel, water, waste, driver, spare wheel,… because it may be none of them). Then allow for what you add: People, clothing, food, drink, equipment, (boy’s) toys. Plus full fuel, at least ½ gas plus some water. As a guide, you'll need 500kg between the initial roadside weight and MGLW. Obviously, the more the better, but don’t try to dip much below that if you want to be comfortable.

 

[Robert Phillips]

Oh dear
I'd forgotten about people! Not to mention diesel.
Thinks we'd better go on a diet!!