LordThornber Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Tracker - 2012-02-14 6:02 PM An Autosleepers Nuevo would be high on my list of vans that offer so much more internal space without a huge footprint? Boy, would I agree with that :D :D Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 What about a Rapido 709F? Not 'new', some might even be around the same age as you have currently, but it is a 'baby' coachbuilt (high quality), with a fixed French bed, 5.53 long, 2.23 wide. This was replaced around 2006 with the 707F which was longer. There's also the 734F which has a better lounge and is a bit longer. The only 'downside' I found with our Rapido 709F was having the kitchen opposite the table/seating as it was a nuisance to me, but others may find it a benefit. The 743F, with the kitchen further back, would alleviate the problem I experienced and give a better lounge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 Robinhood - 2012-02-14 7:59 PM .........and now, a celebratory evening out with your toy boy? ;-) OH likes Toy Boy... alas he is not that much younger! But a celebratory evening... yes... indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 Gwendolyn - 2012-02-14 7:53 PM Tracker – after years spent looking [we used to live in Somerset where there are loads of dealers along the A38… lots of hours spent browsing….] our “short list” of two was Symbol and Nuevo. In fact, when we bought this, there was a lovely Nuevo also for sale. We spent some time dithering between the two… So good to get that endorsement>>>> Any Nuevo owners out there who can add to this? How IS the “parkability”? . I had a Nuevo for a couple of years but we upsized it when we started using the van more and I loved it. It was virtually as easy to drive as the Symbol that preceded it but had so much more space and comfort. It went all around Northern Scotland and the Hebrides as well as Brittany and a large part of France and although it was not over generous on storage it worked well and was very practical. Ours was a 2004 model with the older 2.0 litre hdi engine - adequate but not sparkling and if you can find a newer 2.2 hdi (old model Boxer) these are in my view the best of the breed as they seemed to get fatter and less well built when they changed to the X250 base - just my own personal view of course - others will no doubt disagree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Gwen Totally forgot to mention Dethleffs Globebus T range. Four models available with different bed arrangements. All Ducato based, 6000 long and about 2150 wide, plus two more @ 6300 long. Similar range of compact A class vans in their I range. You minght also look at Hymer Exsis as compact A class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Internet has been down on site today, hence tardiness in responding to posts. Thanks for the further suggestions Mel B and Brian. Thanks for the Nuevo endorsement Martyn, and Tracker for the further details. We have now made a note of the models and are looking to see if any are on this site as we walk about and cycle off site. Gives added interest to the “toing and froing”….. Cheers, Gwen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 You express concerns about parkability. What aspects of parking worry you? Ours is, as Robin des bois says, roughly 6 metres long and 2.07 metres wide, but with extended mirrors. I wouldn't claim it is a easy to park as a Smart car, but we have used it across a fair chunk of mainland Europe and have not yet been defeated in finding places to park. Have even managed to find a few places at UK supermarkets, which are far more difficult! :-) We tend to stay out of cities in the van, unless visiting a site within a city boundary (Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Porto, Lisbon, Florence, Burgos, Santiago, Granada, Cordoba, Bologna, Rome, Bourg-en-Bresse, Beaune, Aix, Avignon, Limoges, Ljubljana, Dubrovnik, Carcassonne, Vichy, Colmar [this is not the "been there done" that T shirt, but just to give some idea of the variety]), from which we walk, or take public transport in. Otherwise, I have parked in streets occasionally (which I don't like), in car parks, at supermarkets, and at any number of places of interest, and have not yet been defeated. I will not leave the van on waste ground, or in any old side street, because I consider such locations inherently insecure, and have always, so far, been able to find a "proper", designated, parking place. So, I'm not questioning the validity of your concern, but wonder if something else is actually causing it. I would have had some difficulty in a few places had our van been much wider, but my experience has been that it not width per se that is the problem, but the extent by which the van bodywork extends beyond the width of the cab. Wide bodies on narrowish cabs seem to be the most awkward, and I have seen a number of vans carrying scars on the forward bottom edge of that bulge, usually on the nearside! The A class vans seem not to have the problem, I suspect because the windscreen "A" pillars denote the width of the van. Length, at least up to about 6.5 metres, seems to become far less problematic than width, but the longer the van the greater its turning circle, so the longer vans would have been hard pressed (think stuck!) trying to reach some of the places that were, for us, easy. Bear in mind also ground clearance. Shorter wheelbases are relatively unlikely to ground between the axles compared to the longer wheelbases, and long rear overhangs, especially on short wheelbase chassis, are prone to grounding at the rear. Broadly, I don't think any of the coachbuilt vans suggested above, including the small A class variants, would present particular difficulties with parking within reasonable walking distance of almost anywhere one might wish to visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-02-15 5:32 PM You express concerns about parkability. What aspects of parking worry you? So, I'm not questioning the validity of your concern, but wonder if something else is actually causing it. . Very perceptive!!!!! I have PMd you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-02-15 4:23 PM Gwen Totally forgot to mention Dethleffs Globebus T range. Four models available with different bed arrangements. All Ducato based, 6000 long and about 2150 wide, plus two more @ 6300 long. Similar range of compact A class vans in their I range. You minght also look at Hymer Exsis as compact A class. ....I hadn't forgotten the Globebus, or the Exis - I mentioned them in my first post above *-) ;-) As far as the Exis is concerned, the current mini A-Class range are built on the Transit, and echo the trim dimensions and layouts of the respective similarly numbered HymerVans. I've already said I preferred my Hobby to the similar HymerVan, but had looked early in my search at the Exis, only to be really disapointed with both finish, and the design and build of the drop-down A-class bed (which I didn't need anyway). I'd take the current HymerVan over the current Exis any day. The previous (short-lived) model Exis, however, is a completely different beast, and a very compact semi-integrated coachbuilt bought by owners for exactly the reasons in the OP. If you can live with one, they are very versatile. They are "marmite" vehicles, however; many owners absolutely love them - I couldn't live with one! (A family member owns one, so I have some close experience). The following link gives a good overview: http://www.becksmotorhomes.com/vehicle/2005-hymer-exsis-sk/ (Sleeping arrangements far from ideal, I would think, though it doesn't seem to worry my elderly realtives :-S ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Hi RH OH has just said he's been fancying one of those. On the link it's now marked as "sold". Any idea what the price was?? Some of the models mentioned up thread ARE present on this campsite... we may well get into conversation with the owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Robinhood - 2012-02-15 6:34 PM...............................I hadn't forgotten the Globebus, or the Exis - I mentioned them in my first post above *-) ;-) .............................. Why, so you did! I owe you a haunch of venison by way of recompense! Hope the Sheriff isn't eavesdropping, it's quite fresh! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Brian Kirby - 2012-02-15 8:31 PM Robinhood - 2012-02-15 6:34 PM...............................I hadn't forgotten the Globebus, or the Exis - I mentioned them in my first post above *-) ;-) .............................. Why, so you did! I owe you a haunch of venison by way of recompense! Hope the Sheriff isn't eavesdropping, it's quite fresh! :-D OK...........just as long as it really is venison and not mutton! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Gwendolyn - 2012-02-15 6:46 PM Hi RH OH has just said he's been fancying one of those. On the link it's now marked as "sold". Any idea what the price was?? Some of the models mentioned up thread ARE present on this campsite... we may well get into conversation with the owners. ....not at all sure on price, I simply searched for a page with a good overview including photos. However, the following will give a clue on potential pricing. From direct reference of the dealer's page, I don't think this is still available either, but it implies that the advert is prior to current date, and that the price range is a possible for you. http://www.practicalmotorhome.com/forsale/used-motorhomes/motorhome-dealer-group---poole/hymer-exsis-sk/00037863 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Thanks RH for that. I am going to enjoy "going shopping" when we get back.... Trying now to think of [legal] ways of upping the budget..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Or for a review of the Hymer Exsis on this site http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Motorhomes/Reviews/Motorhomes/Motorhome-review-Hymer-Exsis-SK-on-MWB-2-3-litre-JTD-Fiat-Ducato/_ch1_rw837 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 There's also the City Van (think bread van shaped A-class!): http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Motorhomes/Reviews/Motorhomes/Motorhome-review-CityVan-CV57P-on-2-3-litre-Fiat-Ducato/_ch1_rw701 http://www.stowmarketcaravans.co.uk/cityvan_motorhomes.html http://www.caravanselecta.co.uk/motorhomes-for-sale/cityvan-for-sale.aspx http://www.highbridgecaravans.co.uk/usedmotorhomedetails.php?ID=00024449 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Oh, and the Dethleffs Fortero tooooooo ... http://www.becksmotorhomes.com/vehicle/2006-dethleff-fortero-t5975/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendolyn Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Still the suggestions keep coming.... Overwhelmed by the responses... and spoilt for choice by the reading of it! Thanks One and All Gwen x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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