simon_g Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 OK - I've narrowed my search down to: 2 fixed single berths at rear with garage/storage under, + 2+ occasional additional berths [drop-down, dinette, hammocks, whatever], 4+ travel seats, van conversion or low profile, preferably compact [width & height more important than length] If I want to buy new, I'm up to 88 & counting in the 2017 Buyer's Guide. Actually, the new Adria Compact Plus SLS (slide-out) looks ideal, except it's only 3-berth (though I have to see one to understand why the dinette is could not be a double). Anyone out there have any other recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 All of the Adria Compact ranges have the same layout forward of the kitchen unit. Due to the habitation-area entrance-door being in the same position for all six models, this unavoidably restricts the sleeping accomodation to 3 persons - it’s as simple as that. Rapido's 666F model http://www.rapido-motorhome.co.uk/motorhome_low-profile_serie-6f-6ff_666f.chtml apparently meets your berths, travel-seats and garage criteria, but its 7.34m length makes it hardly compact. When I’ve been considering buying a new motorhome I’ve never had much difficulty reducing the number of possibilities to a manageable few. In the last two instances there was a single contender (a Hobby design) followd by two contenders (a Rapido or a very similar Fleurette). As there was no Fleurette dealership in the UK at the time, I chose the Rapido. But my requirements are not yours... As Brock advised in the discussion resulting from your original enquiry "Refine your needs, wants and can't haves and you'll find it easier!” That your short-list contains 88+ ‘possibilities’ means that your selection criteria are still too loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 Simon, 1. Define what you mean by 'compact'. 2. Determine your budget. 3. Think whether the extra berths have to be separate or a double. 4. Check all those 88+ vans against your answer to 1 - 3. My van is classed as compact and it is 6m long, 2.34m wide and 3m tall. It does not have 2 fixed single berths at the rear; it has a single bed with a double drop down bed at the front. If I replaced my single rear bed with 2 fixed single rears, then my van would be 7m long. Some define compacts as having a width between 2m and 2.2m. If you go with a definition of 6m long, then I would be surprised if any remain on your list - assuming you stick with 4 berths and single fixed beds. It's difficult to recommend until we know what you mean by compact and your budget. However, if I was to whistle in the dark, perhaps a 7m Hymer Exsis i588 at £85,000 would come running. https://www.motorhomes.co.uk/motorhomes-for-sale/hymer/exsis-i/588/2106/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_g Posted June 26, 2017 Author Share Posted June 26, 2017 Thanks to both of you. To answer Brock's question, 'compact' to me is about width & height rather than length. That's the attraction of the Adria Compacts: LP with only 2.15 m width. And some LP's seem to be as high as some OC's, which kind of defeats the purpose, so that will be another filter. To Derek, the 88+ is by going through the 2017 MMM Buyers' Guide selecting those that meet my current criteria: I'm still not back in the UK so no chance to visit dealers yet, which will no doubt tighten things up a lot. I can't see me getting down to 2 or 3 until I've got a few seasons MH'ing under my belt I will check out the recommendations. Some of the Swift & Elddis ranges also ticked my boxes apart from being over 2.3m wide; it's my first mate who is leery about the width, but that might well change after she's driven one; she's better at manouevring the boat than I am! Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 I was once advised (by a Brownhills salesman) that a motorhome buyer should identify 5 ‘non-negotiable’ must-haves. Any vehicle that failed to meet any of those 5 criteria should immediately be rejected. My non-negotiables that resulted in the purchase of a Rapido 640F were LHD (which effectively excluded all UK-built motorhomes), a length not exceeding 6.5m, a low-profile design, some sort of longitudinal ‘island’ rear bed that did not require access via a ladder or steps, and a price less than £50k. Those 5 rigid criteria were sufficient to produce just two possibilities. Narrowness (less than 2.2m say) as a genuine must-have, combined with twin single beds, 2 extra berths and a minimum of 4 designated travel seats, should really cut down your choice of coachbuilt motorhomes, It needs saying that even experienced motorcaravanners can make mistakes at the selection stage, as was recounted in the Owner Report beginning on Page 171 of the Summer 2017 issue of MMM magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 The Brownhills salesman was right. There is a basic decision making tool that works on ascertaining what you are trying to achieve, what must the solution have [5], what it would be nice to have in the solution [between 5 and 10], and a methodology of assessing the options. The final stage is the write up of how you came to the decision. This last step enables you to analyse the decision in later times to see why it was the right or wrong decision. Quite often, you will find what now seems a wrong decision with hindsight was the right decision at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 That was good advice from Brownhills, Derek. Do some (most?) UK manufacturers not offer LHD as a no-cost option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 There is not one simple solution. It wiil be always some compromise. The height and whith are about the same. The lenght wiil give you extra space. Garage space if needed. And electric elevated beds at day time You can see now tv not having a sattelite on the roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 Hi Simon & welcome to the forum Regarding the Adria Compact SLS (slideout) the big difference between that & the Adria Compact SL, is overall length, giving the SLS a smaller garage. Adria Compact SLS (slideout) 5.99m (No cupboards above rear single beds) Adria Compact SL 6.60m (3 cupboards above rear single beds) Regarding the 3rd berth (applicable to both) It is a transverse across from the dinette & tapering narrower to the offside. (this is common to many of the forward 1/2 dinette models, on the market) I On the Adria it is not a full width of the van due to the offside wardrobe. (others may be similar) BUT it depends what 3/4 berth you need, as I have seen it used for 2 small children in just the fore/aft configuration & using the passenger seat swivelled for the taller child. Alternatively used in the "designed" format with the transverse front single bed, an additional small child can be accommodated between the 2 rear single beds. Hence the 3+1 berths designated in the brochure. http://www.geoffcox.co.uk/leisure/new-adria/motorhomes/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 simon_g - 2017-06-26 11:01 AM OK - I've narrowed my search down to: 2 fixed single berths at rear with garage/storage under, + 2+ occasional additional berths [drop-down, dinette, hammocks, whatever], 4+ travel seats, van conversion or low profile, preferably compact [width & height more important than length] If I want to buy new, I'm up to 88 & counting in the 2017 Buyer's Guide. Actually, the new Adria Compact Plus SLS (slide-out) looks ideal, except it's only 3-berth (though I have to see one to understand why the dinette is could not be a double). Anyone out there have any other recommendations? Have you ever campered? ;-) ........ Just asking :D ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_g Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 pelmetman - 2017-06-29 7:19 AM Have you ever campered? ;-) ........ Just asking :D ....... Once, back in ~1978, rented overcab of the era (Autohome ? possibly). Scotland, unmemorable. But now looking for a summer home when visiting UK from NZ... *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 simon_g - 2017-06-28 9:05 PM pelmetman - 2017-06-29 7:19 AM Have you ever campered? ;-) ........ Just asking :D ....... Once, back in ~1978, rented overcab of the era (Autohome ? possibly). Scotland, unmemorable. But now looking for a summer home when visiting UK from NZ... *-) Funnily enough I first campered with a Autohome Highwayman in 77 in Morocco ;-) ........ I didn't own it, her majesty kindly bought it for the use of her forces in Gibraltar B-) ........ Have to say considering the outlay of buying a brand new van 8-) .....and seeing as so many people change their first purchase shortly after buying it :-S ....... Makes me wonder whether all that research folk do is worth a ounce of snuff? :D ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 simon_g - 2017-06-28 9:05 PM pelmetman - 2017-06-29 7:19 AM Have you ever campered? ;-) ........ Just asking :D ....... Once, back in ~1978, rented overcab of the era (Autohome ? possibly). Scotland, unmemorable. But now looking for a summer home when visiting UK from NZ... *-) Simon How long do you intend to visit for at any one time? Seems to me a rather expensive way to visit. When you are not using the van, you will have to pay for storage, and I presume you will visit in our summer, so van will be stored in winter, so left at the worse time standing. , at another cost! Have you really worked out the practicalities? Maybe you could exchange your home / boat, in NZ for a camper or house here? There are web sites that do these exchanges around the world., though we brits usually want to exchange in your summer! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 crocs - 2017-06-27 1:55 PM .....Do some (most?) UK manufacturers not offer LHD as a no-cost option? No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_g Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 Derek Uzzell - 2017-06-29 6:07 PM crocs - 2017-06-27 1:55 PM .....Do some (most?) UK manufacturers not offer LHD as a no-cost option? No Derek - did you buy overseas, or will UK dealers supply LHD to order? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_g Posted June 29, 2017 Author Share Posted June 29, 2017 PJay - 2017-06-29 11:00 AM Simon How long do you intend to visit for at any one time? Seems to me a rather expensive way to visit. When you are not using the van, you will have to pay for storage, and I presume you will visit in our summer, so van will be stored in winter, so left at the worse time standing. , at another cost! Have you really worked out the practicalities? Maybe you could exchange your home / boat, in NZ for a camper or house here? There are web sites that do these exchanges around the world., though we brits usually want to exchange in your summer! PJay Thanks PJay - reason for a MH is to be mobile & self-contained. May look expensive but so are the alternatives... We plan to tour as much as possible. As for when we're not around, it'll be available for family use; may even look at putting it with a rental fleet, which is what we did with our boat in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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