lynne Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 hi we are very green and all this is new to us but we want a motorhome we have had caravans over the years and its time to move on.trying a bit of research as the mag says,looked at a swift suntor 530 lp,2.o jtd.liked the low profile look and i dont fancy sleeping in roof bit,as there only the 2 of us we were guided to this choice,we were told the 2 front seats when turned make 2 single beds or put table down to make double.we have since been told you carnt make the seat into a single bed,we started out looking at the smaller panel vans? think thats what they are called but they seem very cramped and dont want a camper van with a push up roof,help any advice would be welcome,we both realise how important it is to try to make the right choice as we want to use the vehicle most weekends and for holidays,we are both in our early 50s and have to many granchildren to take away with us wed need a bus.! this is a brilliant site i will keep reading and learning, thanks lotsss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Do some searches of the forum for items entitled 'rear seats' and 'new to this' and any other possible 'titles' you can think of that would be relevant. You should get some interesting postings to read, also try searching for other things you can think of, just make sure you select the lower box to search over a long period (at least a year) so that you get a good choice to peruse. You will definitely need either forward or rear facing rear seats fitted with seat belts if you want to takel your grandkids with you in safety, you shouldn't consider using side facing seats as travel seats at all, regardless of whether they have belts fitted or not. Don't buy one of the first few motorhomes you see, there are lots out there and you don't want to live to regret an expensive mistake. Go to as many dealers as you can and attend shows as well to see what's on offer, both new and second hand. If you are really tempted to put your money down, take a deep breath and walk away, have a cup of coffee and a chat, carefully go through your list of wants, don't wants, etc - the deal will still be there later despite what some dealers might say! Make sure you put your 'sensible' heads on when looking as well as your 'emotional' ones, something that looks great on first inspection may be a nightmare to live with if the layout proves to be wrong. Pretend you are living in it for a day, go through your daily routine from waking up to going to sleep, how easy is it to make the beds, where are you going to store everything, etc, etc. Some compromises you can live with, others you can't so make sure you know what are "definite requirements", what are "would likes" and what are "definitely don't wants". Also, don't be tempted to go bigger than you are comfortable at parking, driving them in a straight line is the easy bit, it's manouvring into parking bays etc that's difficult with large motorhomes (if you can find a bay long enough that is!). At least within having owned a caravan you've got some experience of living in small places and what you need so that will be a help. When you eventually come to the point of siging up make sure you know exactly what you're getting, specification, warranty, accessories, and especially if it's going to be a new van, delivery date, get this in writing as it's not unknown for dealers to move it by quite a few months! Enjoy the experience and I hope you get your 'wheels' soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizken Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 don't kno here you are, but if practical, a trip to the National Motorhome Sho, at Peterborough, The eekend after Easter ould allow you to vie almost every make and model of motorhome available, along ith many used vehicles. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizken Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 sorry about all th missing "w"s in my message Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 As said get round the shows then you can compare side by side. When it comes to size you must think how you will use it. A VW Transporter size can be treated like a car (except for some hieght bariers) and you can nip into town and park no problems. A Transit size panel van is still fairly useable to pop about but will have problems in some car parks. A small coach built will give you more space for your money, but I've been down a couple of roads in cornwall where a coachbuilt cannot go. Think hard about how you want to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caradoc Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 We are in a similar age group and new to motorcaravanning - we took the plunge (although there was not all that much choice for us as we need an automatic gearbox)and are due to collect our Autosleeper Ravenna on Monday, just ready for our first trip, over Easter weekend! The smaller vans had an appeal due to size, but once we realised just how cramped they would be, especially with two dogs, we went for the Ravenna. We read up as many reviews as possible, and went to look at those we felt may suit our needs. Dealers were not terribly helpful - a bit ho-hum, yawn-yawn, or just downright disinterested and offhand. So we've taken the (expensive) plunge and are quite excited, if not with some trepidation..... You'll know when its right for you - its always a trade-off between size and space, I gather. Good luck on your search1 Laurie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naittaw Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Hi caradoc, I'd be glad to hear how you get on with the Ravenna. We bought an "S" reg last autumn, moving from Executive on account of layout. We also previously caravanned, are a bit more mature (!) than ages quoted and found driving and parking a van at 6 metres long no great problem, though not usually by the kerbside. I presume you know about Autosleeper Owners Club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynne Posted April 8, 2006 Author Share Posted April 8, 2006 oh thank you for all your replies,we are hoping to go to the show at peterbrough after easter and do some more research,this is a great site il be on here all the time its addictive, dont think you can ever have enough information,thanks again lynne ps we are in derbyshire area :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caradoc Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Hi Naittaw No - do tell about Autosleepers Owners Club, would like to join! We liked the layout of the Ravenna, but I suppose only time and use will tell if its really what we want - we happened upon an '05 reg with 2000 miles on the clock, auto gearbox being a must. Will post our experiences during or after the trip. Intend taking Internet with me - may be aging, but have Blackberry and one of those vodafone datacard gadgets that plug into the laptop and give quite decent internet speeds. Just depends on whether there is a mobile phone signal where we land up!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Lynne: If you would like to e-mail me at derek.uzzell@talk21.com I'll send you a copy of my home-grown Buyers' Guide that you might find useful. As it's FREE, what have you got to lose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Tyke Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 hi Lynn We have been camping/caravaning for over 50 years now and have tried all sorts of equipment including beds the use of driving seats as beds is not really a good answer for long term use Ok plenty of vans do use them but we have not found any that you could say were suitable for more than weekend use Our present van is based on a long wheel base Renault Master (it is our home for 6 months or so a year) we have a full bed, and a seperate lounge No over cab bed or rising roof several forms now are using the shorter Medium wheel base version to convert You possibly will not have the space to leave the bed made up but you would benefit from a van with a good pay load and a good engine to take you up the Alps & Pyrenees with no problem You could send a private message for further info or try MHT (www.motorhometodat.co.uk) wher you wold get some sensible answers it is free to join Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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