What type of motorhome do you recommend?

[Dotplus6]

I wanted to buy a Bailey 6 berth but having looked at a Bessacarr which is a similar length my hubby wants to go for something smaller - I've spied a Burstner ixeo 590 which is a 4 berth & just under 6 metres - only problem is they all seem to be £40,000 + even the secondhand ones.

1) Does anyone here have one & what do they think of it?

2) Would you recommend a smaller van (we want to tour around Europe) or should we go for something larger? Most of the time there will be 2 adults & 2 kids.

3) Any other advice would be appreciated. We did own a 6.49m van 4 years ago & it was ok to drive but maybe a dinkier model would be easier for negotiating some of the quaint French towns & easier for parking.

So can't wait to get another one - I can hardly wait to get away with the kids & am totally envious of those of you who are heading to Morocco in January & Spain in March (though I'm tempted to join you if I get one beforehand).

Dot

 

[vwalan]

well the best vehicle you can get is a mini artic .followed by a fifth wheeler set up. far better than a rigid m,home . and you get a vehicle to visit the towns etc with . plus the kids will love it . far the best choice i ever made 13 yrs ago.

 

[bailey]

well the best vehicle you can get is a mini artic .followed by a fifth wheeler set up. far better than a rigid m,home . and you get a vehicle to visit the towns etc with . plus the kids will love it . far the best choice i ever made 13 yrs ago.

You and your Artic when I go full time we will have to meet up

 

[flyboyprowler]

Hi Dot,

I feel for you and we are going through the same problem. What to do? Really hard choice, we are seeing a Hymer tomorrow, but I am really attracted to some of the German makes, but of course at a price.

Have a look at the main posts on the forum, especially the one about the 40000£ van, it makes interesting reading. Certainly, don't rush in, there are so many choices out there, and a look on some of the owners forums can also help. Back to school I'm afraid, and do your homework.

Best of luck,

Ainsley

 

[vwalan]

best thing since sliced bread .
never thought i would still have it . actually in may next year it will be 14 yrs . changed the truck once . but love the concept . cant praise it enough . for a family it works great .seven seater unit . size only slightly bigger than a vw camper . but loads of space in the trailer . sleeps 6 easy . could be more .

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[Dotplus6]

Should have known better than to ask that question Is it an articulated lorry that you drive ?

D

 

[Allanm]

Our van is 7.2 M long and we have never had problems on narrow French roads. I wouldn't want to go for one any longer, we have had a few very tight turns that we have had to approach with extreme caution, but were always able to negotiate. Its not always the length, its the way the rear hangover swings out when you are travelling very slowly.
Parking has never been a problem for us. Getting fuel at some of the smaller Carrefours etc can be a nerve wracking experience. They like narrow twisty exits. Once your in and full of fuel, getting out can be interesting, but we have always been able to escape somehow.

As for Burstner prices, well, they are expensive when new and hold their value well.

My advice would be to go and sit in a few and see if you will have enough room for the 4 of you to spend a few weeks in close proximity in van smaller than 6 metres. Another metre makes all the difference.

Allan

 

[vwalan]

yes . but it fits in two carpark spaces . its only 33ft long . in fact my mazda bongo pulling my teardrop caravan is only 9 inches shorter .
i love different vehicles . had the teardrop 23 years now . used to pullit behind a trike . then a vw van . thats been to morocco as well.
the artic can be driven on a pre 97 car licence . but could be changed to suit a after 97 licence .
reckon its possibly the most traveled mini artic ever been up mountains across deserts and through rivers . there is god priced fifth wheel caravan on ebay now.Link Removed
all depends on your driving licence . but i,m sure it could be sorted .
but what classes have you got on your licence ?
might be too long but shorter ones are out there . i like mine at 20ft.

 

[bailey]

Hi Dot,

I feel for you and we are going through the same problem. What to do? Really hard choice, we are seeing a Hymer tomorrow, but I am really attracted to some of the German makes, but of course at a price.

Have a look at the main posts on the forum, especially the one about the 40000£ van, it makes interesting reading. Certainly, don't rush in, there are so many choices out there, and a look on some of the owners forums can also help. Back to school I'm afraid, and do your homework.

Best of luck,

Ainsley

What you have to understand is that in all forums if you have had a problem you will vent that on the threads. The reason I bring this up is that the biggest % of vans sold are Swift and as such there will be more complaints. Like I said I have friends who have had terrible problems with German Models with damp and also Brattish Models if you like it to Cars years ago the Skoda was slated and look at it now top 10 if you buy 2nd hand it really depends in how it was looked after and the miles it has done,

 

[Vlad The Impaler]

We have 2 kids but wouldn't consider a four berth van!.It's a personal choice of course,we have an end lounge model which gives plenty of room, this IMO is needed on trips of more than a couple of days.There is enough space for them to play whilst Mrs Vlad cooks,if the weather is bad there's enough space to move around freely without feeling couped up.
As far as size goes I've never had problems,always find somewhere to park even in rural France!
Good luck with your search.




Vlad

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[Dotplus6]

Thank you

Thanks for all the replies!

Not sure you can talk me into a mini arctic Vwalan though - it's looks pretty massive to me!

Dot

 

[tonka]

I am with Vlad...
Rear "U" lounge with a dinette at front...
Great combination so seating and rest areas.. When travelling with kids you can always let them lounge about in the rear or go to bed and you still have the dinette area to sit in, plus you can put the kettle on !!!:thumb:

Ours is 7.5mtrs, no issues anywhere.. Ref tight bends, I am sure if we all looked hard enough you can find corners that cars can struggle to get around... Payload should be your other consideration, make sure there is enough to keep you within the legal max weight of the van once you have everything loaded...

ps.. If your coming to Morocco, hurry up and pull your finger out!!

pps.... I have a nice 2012 model Autotrail apache 700 £39,999.99

 

[simsy56]

well the best vehicle you can get is a mini artic .followed by a fifth wheeler set up. far better than a rigid m,home . and you get a vehicle to visit the towns etc with . plus the kids will love it . far the best choice i ever made 13 yrs ago.

I wouldn't disagree there Alan. We are in Spain at the moment, and our 5th wheel outfit suits us fine. Oodles of living space, and when the trailer is dropped, we have a great vehicle to tour the area.
The other day we drove up the Picos de Europa mountains in the truck, and you wouldn't want to do that in the tiniest of motorhomes.
No vehicle suits everyone, but the fiver suits us down to the ground.

Craig

 

[Chris]

We have 2 kids but wouldn't consider a four berth van!.It's a personal choice of course,we have an end lounge model which gives plenty of room, this IMO is needed on trips of more than a couple of days.There is enough space for them to play whilst Mrs Vlad cooks,if the weather is bad there's enough space to move around freely without feeling couped up.
As far as size goes I've never had problems,always find somewhere to park even in rural France!
Good luck with your search.



Vlad

I would second that.

You need to go and sit in all these vans - all 4 of you and then imagine its raining outside and you are all inside the van.

Murder if the layout and size is wrong for you.

 

[Scout]

unless Ive missed it somewhere, you didnt metion the age of your kids?

it will make a differance to recomendations given, unless your thinking of keeping the van foreverever,

and everoh:

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[Bellini]

We've two children: Blue of 11 and pink of 2.

OK, so we don't yet own a motorhome and are quietely and slowly looking. But we've hired 2 now. A modern Swift and an old classic Hymer. Both 6-berth.

For us, having the children in seperate beds is a must, so that leads you down a 5+ berth straight away as pretty much every 4 berth I've seen is two doubles.

More modern MH's have cottoned on to the children thing and offer bunks. Much better on space but you tend to pay more for the convenience. A few Laika motorhomes I've seen offer this in a lovely interior layout, but I've not looked far beyond German models of late.

For me, the interior fittings have to have a dual usage. The front seats have to swivel round to make a lounge / eating area. I'm still undecided on a fixed bed vs rear lounge / bed area as my children will quite happily play or lounge away on a bed as easily as a sofa. But more underfloor space is usually provided with a fixed-bed which also matters for us.

Equally, when little people are asleep, we can use the fixed bed for reading and relaxing, but then we're also planning on a simple windowed drive-away awning for outside stuff when it rains because we like being outside as much as possible.

Then there's the shower / toilet. I can happily shower my 2 year-old in an old Hymer S670 with a combined toilet / shower as the space utilisation is so good. Equally, an old Hymer S700 with a seperate shower works really well and gives even more room. I found a shower curtain in a Swift a right PITA as it sticks to wet skin and can take a while to dry.

The lounge area in a MH with swivelling front seats helps enormously, so we've found.

Any MH with a large rear overhang would be a worry, but again I've found that you can get a largeish MH in some surprisingly tight spaces with thought, good use of mirrors and some help from your partner spotting outside.

As has been said before, there's so much to choose from. Good luck and try to enjoy the selection process. :thumb:

 

[daisy mae]

6 metres and under, is cheaper on the ferries, do you need to take into count fuel costs, larger not many miles to the gallon, if costs are not a limitation, then the worlds your oyster,

 

[Ed Excel]

If you go for something around 6m you'll get it on and off ferries without grounding, out of a French supermarket petrol stations with ease, on some very small pitches in Spain, into tiny passing spaces on Highland roads and on most parking spaces throughout Europe.
Enjoy the hunt.

 

[daisy mae]

Perhaps better to go for pre-owned, any problems would have been ironed out, also if you are not sure of layout etc. , a big loss on new vans if you change your mind and want to change.