Would we manage with a pvc?

Lizi said:
Thanks again everyone it is so helpful to read all this and as soon as we can, we will take a look at some in the flesh as it were. Sadly, don't think we can run to a Carthago Minxygirl unless we saw one second hand but I will enjoy looking!
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They do come up second hand so don't give up hope, but obviously there's a lot more choice with a PVC - one thing I would certainly suggest you don't change though is ensure you have a fixed bed, going back to making a bed up every day would be a pain in the bum, only exception is if you have a good sized rear lounge with sofas long enough to make 2 singles as that would be easier but you have to bear in mind the restricted width.
 
Minxy Girl said:
They do come up second hand so don't give up hope, but obviously there's a lot more choice with a PVC - one thing I would certainly suggest you don't change though is ensure you have a fixed bed, going back to making a bed up every day would be a pain in the bum, only exception is if you have a good sized rear lounge with sofas long enough to make 2 singles as that would be easier but you have to bear in mind the restricted width.
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Agree with the fixed bed even a pvc with a flip up middle (like the Adria Hymer etc) is amazingly quick to set up👍
 
kimndon said:
We just loved the way you could open the rear doors and large side door letting nature in!
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Yes! Took the pvc to a local woodland car park today, coffee on , side/ back doors open , really lovely. We actually commented that we couldn't do that in our previous 2 low profile mohos...
we love our swishbang!
 
We started with a 7m rear lounge motorhome, down-sized to a Ford Transit PVC for ten years and then up-sized again to a 7.2m fixed bed five years ago.
Only yesterday I said to my husband I would be very reluctant to go back to a PVC now that we are older and our girths are wider. Making the bed is such a mission at the end of an active day, especially if you have stiff joints or arthritic knees. We enjoy filling our larger van with purchases we gather as we travel (mainly vinyl records and retro junk!).
If your reason for changing to a "swishbang" (as uzsnowdrop calls it! Love it!) is because of how it drives and parks I would argue that there's little difference between driving a 7.2m van compared to a 6m van. I can fit into the same parking spaces by reversing in and using the overhang and with power steering and automatic/Comfortmatic it's a doddle to drive. And, of course, you can have a reversing camera if you don't trust your mirrors.

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Grianan said:
Can you can get a longitudinal bed in a 6m van? I love the longitudinal beds in our Campscout.
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Definitely Grianan,
Our pvc has longitudinal beds and its a standard 6m peugeot boxer, luckily one bed is longer than the other so it fits perfectly for our heights( I’m 6 ft 4)
The last owners were disabled so one side has a slimmer storage area to cater for wheelchair to be stored, we’ve found this leaves us bags of storage place for all the ‘stuff’ when we travel. We had two 7 m low profile mohos before downsizing to a vw surfy pop top thing, we loved that but then upsized( middle sized?) to a pvc so feel like we have gained so much space!!!
 

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You probably would manage with a PVC it’s surprising what you can lose when you try.
Do you really need a mattress topper? Maybe a different bed won’t need it, how much room does a mat take, different chairs, less clutter! We all take far more than we think we need.
We live in 6 mtrs, have done so for over 10 years and I know we have some stuff with us that hasn’t seen light of day for a while!
 
uzsnowdrop said:
I like the little black moustache, did it come with the van or can you get them aftermarket? 🥸
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I know what I'd call mine if it had a moustache like that! Hercule Poirot! :giggle:

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I forgot to say earlier, one major factor for our buying the Carthago C-Compactline was the width as we didn't want anything fatter. We've found that a lot of the time it is this that makes the difference to how good they are to drive as it is not so tight when passing oncoming traffic on smaller roads and certainly on some of the narrow remote roads, but where it really comes into it's own is when you are in some of the villages and busy towns abroad where the parking can be 'interesting' so you have to squeeze through narrow gaps. We've had quite a few occasions since buying our Carthago that we've been in no doubt that if we had a standard width motorhome we wouldn't have got through and would have had to do a load of reversing, not from lack of judgment for going down the road in the first place, just that it was the only way or idiot car owners etc had made it difficult.
 
We had a pvc and towed a trailer it was not a problem on a run and then left on site for trips out. This won't help if you mainly use aires though.
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Sapper520 said:
Does it work Paul? I haven’t got any dings on our van yet, but the car bonnet shows signs of the motorway work it’s done.

Easy to fit without marking the bonnet?(y)
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Very easy to fit.
Not done the miles to see if it stops stone chips it's more to keep the bugs off the windscreen as it deflects the wind up before it hits the windscreen thus sweeping the bugs up and out of the screen.
If that makes sense.
 
Just Paul said:
Very easy to fit.
Not done the miles to see if it stops stone chips it's more to keep the bugs off the windscreen as it deflects the wind up before it hits the windscreen thus sweeping the bugs up and out of the screen.
If that makes sense.
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Think you may have just cost me money.....;)
 
The Ex-Gasman said:
We had a pvc and towed a trailer it was not a problem on a run and then left on site for trips out. This won't help if you mainly use aires though.View attachment 481421
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We did that for a year successfully but then switched to a Fiamma Cargo-back on a bike rack. surprising how much you can fit in one of those and they're lightweight so easy to take on and off, and no issue with parking/reversing (I struggled to see the small trailer when going backwards).
 
I think it looks fine, can feel a spend coming on
 

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uzsnowdrop said:
I think it looks fine, can feel a spend coming on
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I really need to stop looking on here........cost me a fortune since getting our van last September. :(

Luckily, it’s all been useful practical stuff.:giggle:

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Shrimp - (don't know how to copy and paste comment without a mouse!) I need a pretty soft bed as I have a hip problem so use a topper on our own bed at home and current motorhome. I suppose it's possible bed would not need one but not likely and I want to know that I could make myself comfortable. We used to tent camp and the one thing I hated was having little umbrella seats as you can't lounge around outside so I was delighted to get comfortable chairs when we got the motorhome. I wouldn't like to do without these. The outdoor mat could go if necessary but I like having this on gravel or sandy pitches - not a deal breaker though!

We will bear in mind the width when looking as that seems to be an issue. At the moment, I like the look of vantage Vans as it looks like you could leave the bed up say if we were somewhere hot and staying a few days. Whereas if we needed indoor space in rain or whatever, could have a big lounge. That said, I am asking myself if the bed will mainly be up, if we should really get a fixed bed! Going round in circles here.
 
From what Isee of these vans,The beds look a bit light on depth and strength.
Isn't a C class van only about a ft wider', pvc look very narrow in the kitchen area.
I suppose they are more aerodynamic but maybe musical chairs when you want to move around
 
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pelican said:
From what Isee of these vans,The beds look a bit light on depth and strength.
Isn't a C class van only about a ft wider', pvc look very narrow in the kitchen area.
I suppose they are more aerodynamic but maybe musical chairs when you want to move around
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Our compact width A-class at 2.12, is only 7cm wider than our PVCs but the amount of extra space inside is massive by comparison due to the lack of the internal deep ribs and sloping sides that you get in a PVC which pushes a lot of the cabinet works more into the centre so you do get pinch points and it's difficult to pass by each other in the corridor - not so much musical chairs more that you need to learn the 'side-step waltz' and pre-empt which way each of you is gonna 'dance' to avoid toes being stood on.
 
Our 6.34mtr PVC Auto Trail V Line 635SE suites our present expectations and needs. We have owned many different motor homes over the last 26 years so I have a good idea what suites our needs and pocket.
Of all the motorhomes the best layout and build was a 1999 Auto Trail Chieftain ( tag ) we were invited to the factory to see it in build as I had specified several none standard alterations, superb build, in three year of use and 30K not one warrantee fault, that was before the modern ways of build were introduced, ie built in hydration.

Our V Line at first looked a challenge regarding storage but after three years of ownership I have learnt how and where to put things. Our lounger chairs we carried in the bathroom by fitting a couple of small plastic caravan awning brackets screwed and sealed to the rearward shower wall and kept in place with a “ bungee” elastic, still plenty of room to use the loo or wash, if we needed the shower I put the chairs behind the swivelled passenger seat. However, due to using our on board facilities more last year we swopped the loungers for some folders that fit in the near side settee under storage together with two more upright seats for eating at table when outside. This locker is also home for, an awning sized ground sheet, a smaller one if pitch is muddy, a Breeze blocker awning and two poles, Fiamma sun blocker, Cadac Safari barbecue and legs, set of mud grips, sun screen windscreen cover, Fiamma table tri base and pole and two throw away B&Q barbecues and stand ( in case I’m too lazy to get out and set up the Safari one).
The off side locker houses two 115amp batteries, an inverter, several metres of flexible drain pipe, blue and green loo chemicals, small clothes line, Camper here sign, lump hammer, selection of pegs.
The kitchen, I have shelved the three cupboards so made more storage room for gas kettle, electric one, collapsible washing up bowl, 12v hoover, bottles of wine, box of tinned food, 2 x 10ltr water carriers and funnel, 15ltr bucket for waste drainage, 15mtr hose and in the four drawers all the usual kitchen bits and pieces
The usefull shelved cupboard behind the drivers seat is home to a freezer bag that stores, bread, rolls, cakes and cereals on the top shelf and under four bath towels, hand towels, spare bog and kitchen rolls. We have a second tv here if we leave our beds made up and use the front as a lounging area.
We took the plastic covers off the back of the front seat bases and that allows storage for three pairs of shoes each. I removed the vans tools and modified two areas behind the near side settee that was wasted space, top access for items not often used. Our sleeping bags and pillows fit in the overcab shelf.
The V Line has underfloor 25kg LPG tank that saves onboard room, 100watt solar panel, tv aerial, and room on the roof for an Oyster sat dish.

We did look at a Vantage and it’s lovely build quality ( dove tailed joints ) but the under settee boards were a no no compared with the V Line nicely vented bed extension set up. The compressor fridge was not for us and Vantage would not fit a conventional three way one.

So, that’s my “ pennies worth “ for this evening. Would we change it ? Only for an automatic 160 V Line Sport but we would’nt wait over a year for one.

BernieT
 
We did very similar downsized to a campscout from a rapido 997, to be fair the campscout swallowed all the stuff from the A class, but it forced us to have a look at what we actually needed, we thinned out a load of stuff, that you accumulate just in case.
Its true the pvc needs a different approach but easily do-able, one thing i will say the beds in the campscout are bigger and more comfortable than the rapido.
Our campscout has a oven and a 133l fridge so very well equipped, plus i have made quite a few additions to get it how i want it.
One things for definite the pvc will go places the A class won't.

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I was just thinking, some people manage to camp with a motorbike and a couple of panniers for luggage space. Which makes a pvc pure luxury accommodation. Our is a 5.4 metre PVC Motorhome and in reality is plenty big enough you can always wish for more space but as most things in life it’s a compromise we can park it on our drive or go away in winter 🥶 (it is winterised).
 
I don't think anyone does a 6m with longitudinal beds as it would compromise galley, seating, toilet space too much but I am probably wrong. Like you we love the longitudinal beds in the Campscout with all the storage underneath that we have improved immensely by dumping the gas bottles and fitting an underslung tank.
 
Don C said:
I don't think anyone does a 6m with longitudinal beds as it would compromise galley, seating, toilet space too much but I am probably wrong. Like you we love the longitudinal beds in the Campscout with all the storage underneath that we have improved immensely by dumping the gas bottles and fitting an underslung tank.
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Knaus do a 6 metre van with longitudinal beds
 
We went from Coachbuilt to PVC....and i could not personally cope with the lack of lounging space
However, sleeping,storage,washing,cooking was all fine....just lounging was further up my list than i thought
Back in a Coachbuilt

Worth considering is;-
The cabs are all the same length,
so a 7.5 metre is 5 metres of living plus the 2 travel seats
a 6 metre is only 3.5 metres of living plus the travel seats, so the difference is more pronounced

I like to sprawl out when watching Tv in the evenings......upright in a travel seat wasn't for me, but we are all different
 
Don C said:
I don't think anyone does a 6m with longitudinal beds as it would compromise galley, seating, toilet space too much but I am probably wrong. Like you we love the longitudinal beds in the Campscout with all the storage underneath that we have improved immensely by dumping the gas bottles and fitting an underslung tank.
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Consort, vantage and IH?

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