What’s the most practical length for a motor home for visiting towns and cities

[mattandgabby]

Hi all
we are currently researching MHs and are concerned that we may end up with one that has all of the features we want but is too long to be practical - is 6.99m too long - most of the time there will only be two of us - many thanks in advance

 

[Jim]

7m is too long for me right now, but weve owned vans at 10.9m and thought it was just right. have a read here. yy

Your Motorhome. How Big is Too big?

The rule is simple: You should strive to have the smallest van you can happily live with. Why? Well smaller vans are often cheaper to run, can be much easier to drive, easier to tour, with better, more spontaneous touring, much easier to park and pitch, and so much less stressful when...

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[jumar]

Don't restrict your living space and overall van suitability, buy a van that suits your needs as your holiday on wheels.When it comes to visiting cities you will be met with parking issues, traffic problems, emission restrictions..
These can easily be overcome by parking outside and use public transport to gain access to the city..Park n Ride, use bikes, careful planning...you might find this could answer some of your questions.

 

[Reallyretired]

Mine is 6.8m, previous was 7.6m. The nearly 1m shorter has meant it can fit on our drive if I need to work on it. It is significantly lighter and more economical on fuel.
That said I never had problems parking the previous one but that was avoiding cities and large towns as I dislike them.
Going much smaller than we have would lose permanent beds and/or usable shower which we are not prepared to do without.

 

[berni109]

Went from 6mt van the we could get into just about everywhere now 6.4mt which is more of a challenge in most carparks.

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[Guigsy]

We previously had a 5.4m Ducato panel van. We drove it around Europe for 6 months and pretty much parked it like a big car. It would just about fit in a standard parking space... Provided small cars were parked either side.

We moved to a 6m A-class. We've done a trip to Europe and it was great. Far more space inside than the small additional dimensions would suggest. The extra width (2.3m) is the main thing that stops me parking it like a car though.

 

[jongood]

Hi all
we are currently researching MHs and are concerned that we may end up with one that has all of the features we want but is too long to be practical - is 6.99m too long - most of the time there will only be two of us - many thanks in advance

It depends where you want to go, England tends to be more difficult, although right now there are 5 of us in largish mhs on a pubstop in York 7m -9m 20. Germany is probably the most accomodating with plenty of large stellplatze, France is pretty good etc etc.

Imo you should research not just length but also what you feel comfortable driving and sleeping in, think about bikes scooter, smartcar why and buy a used whatever you think suits your wants/needs and try it ,you'll soon know what works for you and what doesnt then next time you will be buying with more confidence.

 

[Lenny HB]

We are currently in a 7.5m great in mainland Europe where they cater from Motorhomes but can be a challenge in the UK. We will be changing to a 6.67m van I wouldn't want to go any smaller.

Not just living space but also storage space needs to be considered, vans with twin beds give the best storage with a big garage also a double floor is good for storage and winter warmth.

 

[Northernraider]

I struggled in small Spanish towns with my 8.4 metre frankia. I found my 7 metre hymer I could take almost everywhere, I took it through small towns in Spain, Portugal and Greece with very few problems . Parking it was also much easier. Last year I had a 7 metre panel van conversion iveco and I found that even easier to park and for access , ground clearance was also a good thing for wildcamping on beaches etc .

This year I'm in an 8.5 metre ( including scooter carrier ) and I do find it a pain in the arse to park at times.

For me 7 metre is a perfect balance between living space and practicality, I think I would find much smaller than that challenging but then I am fulltime and I have 3 dogs .

Everything is a compromise somewhere. It's just deciding whether you want to compromise more on comfort or on accessibility.

 

[funflair]

I don't think 7m is too long, well I would say that being 8.7m and one of the 5 in a field behind a pub that jongood refers to.

It all comes down to what you want to do with your van and where and how you want to use it, yes you don't want the van to restrict where you can go but at the same time you don't want the length to restrict your comfort and enjoyment when you are parked up so it's going to be a balance.

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[mattandgabby]

Thank you everyone - it’s great to get honest practical advice instead of being sold what the salesperson needs for that week - many many thanks Matthew

 

[jongood]

Thank you everyone - it’s great to get honest practical advice instead of being sold what the salesperson needs for that week - many many thanks Matthew

I've just noticed you're in NZ, are you a tourist or a local? If you re a local thinking of bringing one back to NZ, its a real minefield.

 

[cyberyacht]

Provided you stay under 6 - 6.5M, the biggest issue is width when using car parks. Mine is a slimline 2.1M so I've been able to squeeze into some fairly tight spots. Bikes/buses can get you into less vehicle friendly areas. GoogleEarth is your friend when researching such places.

 

[Shrimp]

Good idea to buy used to experiment, use it for a year or so, that should give you the info you need to then go on and get what you want.
Of course you may end up loving what you’ve already got!

 

[Aspenshaw]

It's about how capable and confident in your driving skills. My brother won bus/coach/lorries driving awards. He could get the big ones down narrow roads without worrying. My son drives 120,000 miles a year delivering in town/city centres in an 8m white van with numerous cameras - sometimes with trailer.

My motorhome is 6m long and 2.34 wide and I have to have my missus to help me in narrow towns. Guess who is the butt of the jokes! My motorhome is 2.74 wide including wing mirrors and 5.98m long. I do somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 in this country in a year depending on CoVid restrictions.

If you want to go down narrow roads in towns, lack confidence or driving skills, I would recommend a PVC (Panel Van Conversion) which are 2m wide and a bit plus plus wing mirrors. 6m long would be ideal for town centres, 6.5m OK. You can also book in for a driving lesson. You have to be good friends in a PVC!

Most towns have limited height barriers and weight limits on car parks, but provide somewhere to park a motorhome. I find I can get mine 2.34m into most parking spots width way with the wing mirrors sticking out. To be honest, we don't tend to visit places where there are restrictions. Plenty of places elsewhere. We no longer do abroad.

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

Have you thought about renting for a real life experience of how practical various size vans may be?
It may be viewed as dead money, but from our point of view it steered us to the current van we own, [ 6.90 mt] and have found [ for us] this size works well, having been embarrassed only once on a route suggested by the ghastly Aguri sat/Nav that was on route finding duties, at that time. Renting first probably saved money on not having to go through the expensive learning curve quite as many times. Kitting a van out once is dear enough, doing it multiple times is out of the question now given current prices, for everything!!!
Good luck.
Mike.

 

[Ridgeway]

It’s all about the girth lad, length is less important

Narrow roads (and parked vehicles) are a more frequent occurrence vs tight turning spaces from my experience

 

[Oldrat]

Width is king in built up areas.

I live in London, my home surrounded by 6’6” width restrictions.

I’d struggle to drive anywhere from here in a normal boxy motor home, but my 6.9m LWB Crafter van conversion is perfect, after all, all the couriers get around London in them.

Yes, you do have to be a little more patient when looking to park. A medium wheel base would be easier, but it would
be a compromise too far on space for us.
Most car parks have useful spaces around the edge where I put the overhang on the verge.

 

[Orion]

Width rather than length is something that greatly influenced our decision to go for the Adria Compact. We wanted a fixed island bed in a ‘slimline’ MoHo so that limited choice and dictated the 6.99m length, which we are conscious of but not overly concerned about as we would often be towing a trailer with our previous VW Amarok ‘adventure camper’ pickup - and at 2.12m the Adria is in fact slightly narrower! It’s the additional 1m in height I’m trying to commit to memory at the moment!

 

[DT]

Very difficult question especially if you have owned a caravan. We have a Burstner 6.99 or 7Mtrs in length and that is the absolute maximum I would be comfortable with. Parking can be a problem but so is feeling too claustrophobic. I would like to lose a little length and width but would also like a separate shower !! Fixed beds a must.

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[Spriddler]

I've found that height has been the most limiting factor as much as length in U.K. car parks since so many have height barriers.

 

[Guigsy]

It also depends on where and how you use the van. If you plan to drive a lot, be spontaneous about your route, move every day, do a bit of wild camping, drive into cities, sneak into normal car parks or like to spend a lot of time in the narrow lanes of North Norfolk and Cornwall, then a wider van is more hassle.

If you drive mainly in Europe or stick to wider a-roads, mostly stick to pre-planned routes where you know about restrictions and parking, mostly stick to campsites/aires and tend to stay in one place for a few days at a time, then a wider coachbuild is less of a compromise.

I've gone from a 2m wide panel van conversion to a 2.3m wide a-class. I still like to move every day and hop about. But when investigating towns, we tend to park up on the edges or go straight to a campsite/aire and then use the bikes to get about. Whereas previously I'd just drive straight into town and see where I could pull up.

As for length, a standard parking space is about 5.3m. So smaller vans like VWs and the stubbiest Ducatos can pretend they are cars (although watch for height barriers). At 6m-6.5m you can still get away with a fair amount by hanging the back off the space and poking out the front a bit. 7m requires a bit more luck. Longer than that, you really need to know where you're going to park before you set off.

Also consider the weight. Most 7m vans are available as 3.5t limit, but most are pretty short on payload. But that's a whole other topic...

 

[JJ]

I once had a piece of string that was too long to throw away but too short to keep...


JJ

 

[Soycd]

Biggest we had was a Buerstner 747 at 8.15 metres from 2002-2005. That was when we lived in Germany so we did not really have any difficulties and had good parking as well. Also had 3 kids so worked well. Only time I brought it to UK was to sell it. We are now just two and currently have a 6 metre (well 5.99) PVC but moving up a 6.3 next year. I've found a lot depends on what you take and how long you go for, time of year, level of comfort you want, etc. Also your licence restrictions are important if you go over 3.5 tonnes. But like Guigsey said, that's a whole other topic....

 

[Oldrat]

I've found that height has been the most limiting factor as much as length in U.K. car parks since so many have height barriers.

Yes, but only up to a point.

Most car park height barriers are @ 2m - you can just about squeeze a VWT6 with a pop top in.

So if you are thinking of a bigger van you might as well go superhigh and take advantage of the extra living space.

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[Spriddler]

Most car park height barriers are @ 2m - you can just about squeeze a VWT6 with a pop top in.

So if you are thinking of a bigger van you might as well go superhigh and take advantage of the extra living space.

Agreed, but the OP was asking about a motor home and I don't think of a pop-top or PVC as a 'motorhome'.

Quote:

What’s the most practical length for a motor home for visiting towns and cities​

 

[Riverbankannie]

Agreed, but the OP was asking about a motor home and I don't think of a pop-top or PVC as a 'motorhome'.

Quote:

What’s the most practical length for a motor home for visiting towns and cities​

We were just discussing this earlier today on a booking form, Campervan (VW or similar) or Motorhome., were 2 choices. If it’s cheaper I go campervan, if same price I go Motorhome!
After all we are shorter than a VW Crafter 680 even if they do mean a T2.

 

[Ridgeway]

The real answer is any length of van that has a decent garage so you can park out of town and ride in on a bike

 

[Grianan]

Agreed, but the OP was asking about a motor home and I don't think of a pop-top or PVC as a 'motorhome'.

Quote:

What’s the most practical length for a motor home for visiting towns and cities​

We have a 6.36m PVC fixed longitudinal bed with shower/loo etc and kitchenette. With bike carrier on its 7m. At 6.36m we can usually fit in car park or street park. It’s trickier at 7m with the carrier. I’d agree about width. The PVC is much narrower for twisty roads but a compact design A class would give you more internal space whilst still being narrower than a standard width one.

 

[Guigsy]

The real answer is any length of van that has a decent garage so you can park out of town and ride in on a bike

In our 5.4m Ducato, we had a pair of Bromptons under the rear bed. I built the bed with their dimensions in mind so I could slot them in.

Our current 6m A-class is pretty much all lounge with no garage, just external lockers. But the Bromptons still fit... just. Bromptons might be expensive bikes, but they are fun to ride, robust and squeeze into spaces nothing else will. It makes them well worth the cost. When picking the van, one of our key requirements was internal space for the bikes.