Still trying to decide what we want! (1 Viewer)

[Mark and Mindy]

It seems that every time I post its because I think I've found the perfect van for us, and then go to see it and decide that actually it won't work for whatever reason, we've also changed our thinking as well as its more useful to us to have the extra 2 seat belts, but we still can't decide exactly what to go for, do we want a motorhome or do we want a van conversion...

We've narrowed it down (we think) to an Auto-Trail Tribute 620/Imala 620 (same layout slightly better spec on the Imala) or an Auto-Sleepers Fairford.

We've increased the van length so either of the above would work for us, we've got a holiday in a Tribute 620 booked next year to see what its like, but I wanted to find out if anybody has had/knows any of these vans and is there anything I should be aware of.

There's no urgency to rush out and buy anything as the funds are coming from an inheritance which we won't get until late summer next year, so we're still in the planning/thinking stage and my head is spinning from everything I've seen and read.

 

[The Wino]

Wait until you try the hire one then decide on layout which will be the most important thing. What made you choose those makes out of interest?

 

[Minxy]

What has made you think about getting one with the rear seat belts?

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[Mark and Mindy]

Wait until you try the hire one then decide on layout which will be the most important thing. What made you choose those makes out of interest?

It wasn't necessarily the makes but more the layouts - the 620 has a decent sized kitchen and washroom, both of which I like plus as I'll be the one in the double made up from the dinette and Mark will be the one in the cab then he can get up to make a cup of tea, sit on the bench seat without me being forced to get out of bed because there's nowhere to sit.
The Fairford has the 2 lounge areas, if the dinette can be called a lounge but it would mean that we could leave the rear bed made up if we wanted and just make up the front bed at night.

 

[The Wino]

Aren't there loads of makes with similar layouts why narrow down the choice?

 

[Mark and Mindy]

What has made you think about getting one with the rear seat belts?

My mum has Alzheimers and it means we can take her out to see places she knew, she can have a cup of tea etc without getting out of the van, also Mark's dad has Parkinson's and while still mobile now there will come a time when he won't be able to visit the places he knows and loves.

I know that everybody says that a decision shouldn't be based on something that will only be happening rarely, but this is important to us.

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[Minxy]

My mum has Alzheimers and it means we can take her out to see places she knew, she can have a cup of tea etc without getting out of the van, also Mark's dad has Parkinson's and while still mobile now there will come a time when he won't be able to visit the places he knows and loves.

I know that everybody says that a decision shouldn't be based on something that will only be happening rarely, but this is important to us.

Ah, I understand now, I'd suggest an 'L' shaped lounge area with sofa opposite would be more 'comfortable' when you're on your own but still give you the 2 rear seats and allow you to swivel both cab seats too if you want - we had the double dinette and sofa layout you've mentioned and it wasn't the best for just relaxing, if we'd kept the MHs I'd have removed the front half of the dinette and made an 'L' sofa instead, but in the end we changed for a fixed bed model with garage and half dinette.

 

[Mark and Mindy]

Aren't there loads of makes with similar layouts why narrow down the choice?

I've gone cross eyed trawling through everything and without getting a much longer van which will be too long for the drive then I'm not sure there's anything else that meets our needs in quite the same way - we don't want a permanent fixed bed as most of our travelling will be done in the UK with the dogs, plus 2-3 weeks a year somewhere in Europe (without dogs). A fixed bed would give us just the dinette and its not the same as having the longer lounge seats.

If someone knows of anything similar in the same length then I'd be happy to have a look - we're going to the Camping, Caravan & Motorhome Show at the NEC in February (my birthday outing!) for another look around - we went to the show in October.

 

[Minxy]

Have a more in-depth think about how you'll use the MH/van ... if you intend to go to out of the way places then a narrow camper may be more suitable, if not then a coachbuilt may be better ... whether you are going to use campsite and stop for a week at a time, or just an odd day will also help you decide on what bits and bobs are vital ... this will then help you determine what the best layout will be for you.

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[Blue Knight]

Our last van was an Autotrail ,aka Autoshed, Imala 620 Hi-Line (2016 model) and we were chuffed to get shot of it. The build quality was terrible and after 3-months of ownership it just had to go.

Also, it's quite an unstable van when you put a bit of water in the tanks.

All the best,

Andrew

 

[Mark and Mindy]

Have a more in-depth think about how you'll use the MH/van ... if you intend to go to out of the way places then a narrow camper may be more suitable, if not then a coachbuilt may be better ... whether you are going to use campsite and stop for a week at a time, or just an odd day will also help you decide on what bits and bobs are vital ... this will then help you determine what the best layout will be for you.

I have a feeling that we'll find a PVC might be the better option because we like winding roads, mountain passes, getting off the beaten track, but trying the coachbuilt for a week's holiday will give us more of an idea about how well that type would work for us.

We went and had a look at a Benimar with a french bed, dinette at the front and a bed over the cab; it was incredibly tight for me to be able to sit at the dinette at all and it felt quite claustrophic at the front because the space was very tight (to us). It had been a serious contender at that point even thought it had a permanent bed but I'd rather have a lounge especially as we'll have the dogs with us on our UK travels.

 

[pelican]

Our last van was an Autotrail ,aka Autoshed, Imala 620 Hi-Line (2016 model) and we were chuffed to get shot of it. The build quality was terrible and after 3-months of ownership it just had to go.

Also, it's quite an unstable van when you put a bit of water in the tanks.

All the best,

Andrew

Begs the question why did you buy it!

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[Minxy]

We've got 3 dogs and a PVC and love it - it has an 'L' shaped front lounge and rear fixed transverse bed, works a treat and you simply cannot beat having a bed to just flop into after a long day or use as a second 'slobbing out' area during the day ... hubby likes to have a bit of an afternoon snooze if we stop for a couple of days so having the separate bed area is great as he goes on there with the dogs for 40 winks and I can do my puzzle book/laptoping etc in peace at the front ... well, if you don't count all the snoring that is!

 

[Blue Knight]

Begs the question why did you buy it!

It was our first van. We did very little research into the brand and therefore I was unaware of their crappy reputation.

We learnt the hard way but at least we've bounced back and have a quality MoHo now.

Cheers,

Andrew

 

[Mr Colpot]

We flirted with the idea of changing ours recently so we could take the grandchildren out with us on day trips. We looked at the Tribute 680 Van Conversion but found the walk through where the dinette seat sticks out was a bit too tight for our liking so decided against it. Sorry Grandkids!

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[The Wino]

My mum has mixed dementia and we had a similar layout in our first van just think of her mobility carefully and the layout motorhomes can be just a small hop up when you are fit but really akward to get in and out of when youre older (shes 91 now and can't get out at all. Do you expect to use the overcab bed for yourselves? . Have you looked at drop down beds you save a lot of space this is similar to ours https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/m.../chausson-welcome-510-motorhome-review/900067. By the way why not take the dogs to France its easy enough costs a bit but saves putting them somewhere else.

Sorry just re read your post the drop down won't suit you want 2 beds!

 

[Northernraider]

I have a feeling that we'll find a PVC might be the better option because we like winding roads, mountain passes, getting off the beaten track, but trying the coachbuilt for a week's holiday will give us more of an idea about how well that type would work for us.

We went and had a look at a Benimar with a french bed, dinette at the front and a bed over the cab; it was incredibly tight for me to be able to sit at the dinette at all and it felt quite claustrophic at the front because the space was very tight (to us). It had been a serious contender at that point even thought it had a permanent bed but I'd rather have a lounge especially as we'll have the dogs with us on our UK travels.

I do winding roads , mountain passes and off the beaten track in a 8.5 metre tag axle


But you wouldn't fit it on your driveway


I would agree that dinettes aren't the best for lounging in

 

[Mark and Mindy]

My mum has mixed dementia and we had a similar layout in our first van just think of her mobility carefully and the layout motorhomes can be just a small hop up when you are fit but really akward to get in and out of when youre older (shes 91 now and can't get out at all. Do you expect to use the overcab bed for yourselves? . Have you looked at drop down beds you save a lot of space this is similar to ours https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/m.../chausson-welcome-510-motorhome-review/900067. By the way why not take the dogs to France its easy enough costs a bit but saves putting them somewhere else.

Sorry just re read your post the drop down won't suit you want 2 beds!

At the moment my mother is walking fine, even though she's 88, and our plans are totally fluid, not least because we haven't actually got a van yet. My sister does the trips out in her van but as it takes her as much as 8hrs for the round trip she doesn't visit as much as I do.

I would take the dogs into Europe except for the fact that our border terrier is fear aggressive - totally not her fault, attacked by a dog walking pack as a puppy who ran at us when out walking, the walker couldn't control them and she's lost the ability to work out if other dogs are friendly or not, so she'll go in and attack first - Harry is the exception, got him as a puppy to see if that would help, carefully controlled meetings, now they're totally bonded and inseperable - she has to be walked with a trailing line to be picked up when other dogs are sighted, with a muzzle and a zappy collar (which we rarely use now) and we have had extensive training to handle her. It would make foreign holidays too stressful for all of us, whereas being in the UK means we can always come home early. I know kennels are more expensive after the initial setting up costs on taking them away with us, but for peace of mind and the fact that they're together makes it much the better option for us.