new to motor homes, looking for answers

[loubullen]

unsure which model to go for . what size water tank would be the most suitable for a family of 4. the autoquest only has a 45ltr clean and waste . is this enough to manage on?

:-S

[silverback]

welcome to the forum :-D

in a nut shell 45 litre NO! its not enough

i have 100 ltr 4 pax 2-3 days max!

dont know anything about the autoquest.. but there will be people along to reply that do :-D

have come across autoquest owners their only moan is about the water tank..so they carry a plastic 25ltr water can as well, think its something to do with payload :'(

jonathan

[loubullen]

thanks thats good to know. (lol)

[oldlowie]

If you have no particular make in mind, look at the continental 'vans for bigger tanks. Our Chausson has a 140 litre inboard tank for winter camping. It will last for 3 days with 2 of us showering and washing-up and washing.

 

You need to look at the waste tank as well, it needs to be as big as the water tank ideally, but none of them are, but the bigger the better.

 

Water is very heavy, and the less of it you have to lug around, the more you will enjoy your camping...

[silverback]

oldlowie - 2010-08-26 9:32 PM

 

Water is very heavy, and the less of it you have to lug around, the more you will enjoy your camping...

 

sorry Anthony, but i dont see why the last bit spoils the camping, surely the more water you have the more you can relax an enjoy the camping experience :-D

only prob i have with more water is the fuel gauge :->

(just wondered why you said that, not having a go :-D )

jonathan

[oldlowie]

Hi Jonathon,

 

what I meant was the less you have to carry the stuff across the site, the better.

 

The more you can get in your tank, the less you have to carry, sorry if I didn't make myself clear. :$

 

I regularly fill my tank to the max before setting off from home, and have never noticed any difference in performance or fuel economy.

 

When you're hauling 3.5 tonnes, a hundred and odd kilos isn't going to make much difference. :D

[flicka]

Oldlowie

But with a 140 litre tank thats equivalent to 2 extra people you are carrying and would give an awful lot of extra capacity for other things.

We normally start off with sufficient for our immediate journey, (generally only toilet stops, as we don't use the tank water for drinking) then fill up on arrival at site.

[ian81]

Firstly it will depend how you use the motorhome: if like most on here it is predominately on sites then if you are prepared to fill daily it may not be a problem. If however you operate more like continental motorhomers and dont always want to use sites then 45l will be on the small side.

 

Consumption be it water (or fuel) is very variable depending on personal habits and preferences and numbers using the motorhome.

 

We have a 140l tank and carry some extra bottles for drinking either cold or in hot drinks. Depending on the trip we vary the amount of fill although this is difficult. Our guage shows the minimal amount and flashes a warning when the tank is about 40% level.

[kelly58]

Our 1st motorhome had a 45ltr fresh tank and we found for the 2 of us was quite adequate the only problem was when cornering or going around roundabouts it used to lose water from the overflow until I fixed a pipe and service valve to stop the run off  and as previously stated its all down to payload 1ltr water =1kg 1 bottle of wine = 1kj got to get your priorities righthttp://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/images/emoticons/icon_lol.gifhttp://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/images/emoticons/icon_lol.gif

[mondo]

Our first van was the Elddis Autoquest 140,as for the size of the fresh/waste water yes it is a little bit on the short side..however we always carried a couple of 5 litre water bottles extra just to be safe and have a tad extra for drinking and for the obligitary brew or two and then we always topped it up daily to the limit..as for waste water I always emptied it daily anyway just to make sure those awful stagnant/waste water smells didn't waft around the van!!

 

I thought that the Elddis 140 was a great starter van..mind you there were only two of us in it so we didn't really stretch it to it's limit!!..as for the answer to "Is there an ideal van" I would not like to say as most vans are a form of a compromise..as for "The Answer..the answer is 42..or it is according to Douglas Adams...."Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" :-D :-D

[Big Momma]

I have just returned from a month touring Scotland. I have a 100 Litre Fresh and 80 litre Waste tank. Filled up before leaving home and had 7 nights before needing to re-fill. I always use site facilities for ablutions but OH tends to use on board washroom in the mornings. Water was used primarily for filling kettle, cooking potatoes or veg and for washing up (would have saved more water if I had used on site dish washing facilities). There was just the 2 of us.

 

I guess 45 Litres would be enough depending on how you choose to motorhome. If you tend to wildcamp or use CL's etc where fresh water is not readily available, then you may find 45 Litres a little limiting. However, if you use sites that have the facilities you can reduce the use of your own on board supply and additionally you can top up before moving on.

 

 

 

 

[Brock]

When we were a family of 4, we used c25 litres of water a day without taking showers and using a mix of site washing up points and washing up the van.

 

If you have active children, then I doubt the quality of build of an Autoquest will suit. I'd recommend buying slightly more up market even if that means older.

 

You will need 4 seatbelts and these must be forward facing. If you use a child booster seat, check that it fits; not all motorhomes are suitable because of the seat cushions. If you have two youngsters, you might need a 5 berth - we did. This enables you to segregate a child who falls ill or wets the bed.

 

A good family layout is an overcab doubled bed, a dinette that converts into a double bed, and a single side bench. Kitchen across the back. Aim for at least 6.2m and definitely not less than 6m. If you intend motorhoming in the winter, buy a German model as they are better winterised than most British vans.

 

You will also have to watch your load margin. 400kgs may not be enough if you want to carry a tank of water and lots of kit for the kids.

[oldlowie]

flicka - 2010-08-26 10:28 PM

 

Oldlowie

But with a 140 litre tank thats equivalent to 2 extra people you are carrying and would give an awful lot of extra capacity for other things.

 

flicka

 

I've got my wife, my dog and my motorhome. What 'other things' could I possibly want? ;-)

[emjay]

In answer to your first question I think a tank capacity of 100 to 125 litres would be good. You wouldn't always fill the tank. For example when leaving in the morning you will have a good idea where you will stay that night and so will know that you can get fresh water when you arrive. If so, why carry 125 litres of water all day when it is unnecessary. Just take quarter of tank or third say 30 - 50 litres. That would be more than enough for a days driving and would give you some to spare in case you had difficult getting a fresh supply that evening.

 

The 125 litre tank will be useful to have if you were planning a weekend away and not staying at a campsite. A full tank that size would leave you self sufficient for a weekend or a three days provided the children don't go for long luxurious showers!!

 

As far as which motorhome should you go for............ do lots of research before you commit. Check out all the motorhome websites. Buy a few copies of MMM magazine. Most important go along to the big motorhome for sale parks where they have lots of different types of MH. Give yourselves two-three hours or more for a visit. Take digital photos, make notes of the different layouts. Go back on visits several times. You will learn a little more each time. Ask yourselves

 

> Where will everyone sleep, are the beds long enough, is there enough headroom etc

> Where will everyone lounge or sit around when all are inside

> Where will everyone sit to eat

> Do I have enough space to cook and prepare meals

> Is there enough locker space to store pots and crockery foodstuffs etc

> Do I have enough storage space for clothing, personal effects etc

> What is the outside locker space like - sufficient to carry all the paraphernalia you might take with you on a three week trip to the continent

> Does it have sufficient payload (If you are not sure what payload is you need to find out :-)

> Basically you have to try and visualise your family staying in this place for short stays of up to a few days but in some cases for several weeks.

 

 

Different layouts have advantages and disadvantages. The luton (bed over the two front seats) seems to be a popular choice for families.

 

It is great fun and very interesting to research and pick out a good motorhome. Enjoy the process. Do not make a quick choice no matter what kind of deal a sales person is offering you. Spend lots of time choosing.

 

Some sales people will try to push you towards a certain MH just because they want to make a sale. But there are lots of good genuine sales people too. They can give you good advice.

 

You have to make the final decision.