tf756 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Hi All My first post here - I am looking to buy a pvc and am very interested in the Globecar Globescout (5.99m) and the Campscout (6.36m). Apart from any comments on the relative merits of these 2 vans (any comments welcome!), I would like to get experienced campervanners' opinions on the potential problems of a van over 6m long. The 2 issues that I am aware of are: 1 ) increased cost on ferries with some companies and routes 2) parking problems. Are there any other issues relating to van length that I should be aware of as a potential first time buyer of a campervan? (Previously been camping for many years) Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 A load of threads on panel vans recently may be worth using search facility and having a read up I went to German show with the attention of getting either. and Adria or Globecar 636 after pondering for a couple of days at show,decided to go for a 6m van. we live in London, use it as second vehicle so it made more sense. wife has not forgiven me as she hates climbing over me.... *-) I will get a 636 auto next time though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 tf756 - 2012-03-06 10:24 PM Hi All My first post here - I am looking to buy a pvc and am very interested in the Globecar Globescout (5.99m) and the Campscout (6.36m). Apart from any comments on the relative merits of these 2 vans (any comments welcome!), I would like to get experienced campervanners' opinions on the potential problems of a van over 6m long. The 2 issues that I am aware of are: 1 ) increased cost on ferries with some companies and routes 2) parking problems. Are there any other issues relating to van length that I should be aware of as a potential first time buyer of a campervan? (Previously been camping for many years) Thanks in advance Hi, and welcome; I hope you find these forums as useful as I have; a very"sharing" and knowledgeable bunch of people! As I understand it,It's not just ferry charges. If you want to go Copenhagen to Malmo by road, over the Oresund bridge, it looks like it's double for over 6M ( so watch out for the bikes!!) (Info on AA website under european toll roads) cheers alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 But other ferry operators increase their charge at 6.5 metres. :-) Besides, even if you use one whose higher charges commence at 6.0 metres, how much extra is that, relative to the cost of an entire trip, and how often do you plan crossing the Channel or whatever, in an average year? Surely not a reason to compromise your preferences? A 6 metre van will be too long for many parking bays, so a 6.4 metre van will simply be a bit more so. These vans cost a lot in the first place, and I'd go for the one that I most like, and fix things like parking bays and ferry fares as circumstances arise. Our vans tend to have to be 6M max, because longer won't go on our drive - but that is another story. However, I don't think an extra 0.4 metres length would ever have got in the way of doing what we have done, had the van been that bit longer. There is no reason, IMO, for this to be a worry for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Width and height are the more troublesome elements but experience has taught me personally to go for the smallest possible whole-vehicle volume that supports the equipment and layout you need to fulfil your actual (not hypothetical) intended use. Beware though that what might seem like a small problem when envisaged - such as climbing over a partner to get out of bed - can become insufferable in reality. Much depends on your style of travel and intended destinations, we, for example, hardly ever use formal sites and often end up squeezing down very narrow roads. Not counting full-timers, there seems to be a very general trend for people to move down in size the longer they are into motorhoming. Read into that what you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I agree with everything Brian says...Yo are only really talking about a difference of just over 1 foot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 My suggestion would be that you buy the shortest van that suits your purposes, so maybe the inside layout will decide it for you. There's not much difference in length between the two that you mention, but it might seem a lot when you are trying to do a 3 point turn in the lanes of Devon ! ( .. or parking in supermarket carparks ) As has been mentioned it can make a difference to costs on ferries ( and possibly toll roads ) but if you don't intend to use a lot of those then it doesn't make much difference. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-03-07 9:33 AMI agree with everything Brian says...Yo are only really talking about a difference of just over 1 foot That's a slippery old slope though, a foot is a foot and an inch can often be too much! Depending how 'vans are used, restrictions grow exponentially with external dimensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 My Hymer is almost 8 metres in length,Tag Axle, and I have never had any problems regarding it's length. I have been to Norway in it and had to pay the extra tolls because of it's length but I knew that before I went.For some years we were almost full time in it and did not have another vehicle so went everywhere in the Hymer, shopping at supermarkets, local Hospital etc. and never had any problems.the length is something you get used to as is the width, the only consideration for you as far as I can see is will your proposed purchase fit on your drive at home if that is where you intend to store it, the bigger the van the more space you have and so more comfort, especially if you intend to spend long periods away in it, i personalty could not cope in a smaller panel van, I once had a VW Campervan and hated it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tf756 Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Many thanks for all the responses and advice - in the end it may well come down to a matter of deciding how important the slight difference in layout are between the 2 vans. Does anyone know of owners of either the Globescout 599 or the Campscout 636 on the forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Always a tricky subject as the number of threads/posts reflects. What suits one person will inevitably seem nonsense to another. I must admit I disagree with some points here............in my view I think motorhomers gradually aspire to a larger more comfortable van depending on their finances. I know we went from an end kitchen make up the bed van to a fixed bed version due to the bed making pain (I dont do sleeping bags - they are for Polar explorers,lol) and I am now looking at an A Class albeit less than 7.5 M. I have tried and tried sitting in panel vans and to consider spending many weeks/months in someting where feet-up lounging is a foreign concept isn't for me. Neither is this fixation with parking in supermarket carparks - we have electric bikes with paniers and can collect shopping without resorting to moving the van. We have visited France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark and all of the UK without too much difficulty. Having said all that...........................I was very impressed with the Globecar Campscout (at Excel) and did the best job yet of sqeezing the proverbial quart into a pint pot. I agree with Eddie in that the logitudinal singles (which can be easily deployed as a huge double) on the 6.36 chassis gives great room without the climbing over scenario. For the sake of 36cm try this van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Colin bought a Globecar scout last year. They are identical to the Possl (same company - same factory) If your happy with LHD good deals in Germany ....Here is a new Euro 5 2012 model for approx £34000. add another £1500 - £2000 for expenses etc.... and changing the headlights http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/showDetails.html?id=155342586&lang=en&__lp=2&scopeId=MH&sortOption.sortBy=price.consumerGrossEuro&makeModelVariant1.makeId=9800&makeModelVariant1.modelDescription=campscout&makeModelVariant1.searchInFreetext=false&makeModelVariant2.searchInFreetext=false&makeModelVariant3.searchInFreetext=false&vehicleCategory=Motorhome&segment=Motorhome&negativeFeatures=EXPORT&categories=VanMotorhome&pageNumber=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Jones Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Hi "TF," and welcome. It all depends on the use you plan to make if your new van. Mine is my sole vehicle, so when we chose it we went for the smallest external dimensions which would allow full self-contained camping. We also specified four belted seats, even though we only needed two sleeping berths - to make it usable as a "car." But I know we're exceptional in that (as in many other ways!!) If you're only expecting to use yours when you're actually living in it, then internal space will matter much more than overall size. In that case, give priority to the layout and let the length fit that. But if you're not planning for your van to double as a car, I'd be tempted to leave PVCs alone altogether, as you'll find more convenience and comfort in a similar-sized coachbuilt. That's what we're likely to go for when I retire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 tf756 - 2012-03-07 10:32 AM Many thanks for all the responses and advice - in the end it may well come down to a matter of deciding how important the slight difference in layout are between the 2 vans. Does anyone know of owners of either the Globescout 599 or the Campscout 636 on the forum? I might know one ;-) what do you want to know? I've clocked up several thousand miles on L2 L3 and L4 versions of the x250 panelvan (and a few on L1) whilst there is quite a bit of differance between driving the L1, L2 and L3 but there is very little differance between driving the L3(599) and L4(636) as far as manouvering is concerned, but there can be a differance in ride comfort dependant on what version of suspension you have. The L4 only comes with HD suspension, the L3 can be 'normal' or HD suspension, I find the HD suspension a bit harser than 'normal' suspension, but it's still fairly good. Check which max weight you can get in 599, I think standard is 3.3t if theres option of 3.5t with 'normal' suspension that would be good one for most people. 'At end of day' it's what layout suits you best, we where looking to change from a VW camper to the 599/Twin style layout but gf's claustophobia was quite bad in a Twin style whereas she's fine in the Campscout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 our twin SP is 3300kg and packed to capacity with full water and gas and bikes etc..etc....we still have some spare capacity and axle weights within limits.. I nearly ordered a 3500kg van, but German dealer talked me out of it because he said they are not that nice to drive.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 JudgeMental - 2012-03-07 1:21 PM our twin SP is 3300kg and packed to capacity with full water and gas and bikes etc..etc....we still have some spare capacity and axle weights within limits.. I nearly ordered a 3500kg van, but German dealer talked me out of it because he said they are not that nice to drive.... But as I stated Eddie, it depends which suspension, Adria Twin in 3.5t only has HD suspension, if the Globescout has 'normal' suspension in 3.5t guise it will be hard to tell differance between that and your Twin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 6.36 metres in relation to 5.99, is around 15 inches in old money. Assuming the base vehicle was enlarged for the bigger market of general load carrying, as opposed to motorhoming, was the chassis extended, or is there just a bigger rear overhang of the tin can on top? Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Tin can? Better that then a CB made of marshmallows, candyfloss and cardboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 The rear overhang is increased to 1380mm, makes the rear swing out a tad more than the L3, but due to the long wheelbase of either vehicle not realy noticable except in extremely tight spaces, nowhere near as much as jumbo trannies or cb's on MWB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 crinklystarfish - 2012-03-07 8:56 AMWidth and height are the more troublesome elements but experience has taught me personally to go for the smallest possible whole-vehicle volume that supports the equipment and layout you need to fulfil your actual (not hypothetical) intended use. Beware though that what might seem like a small problem when envisaged - such as climbing over a partner to get out of bed - can become insufferable in reality.Much depends on your style of travel and intended destinations, we, for example, hardly ever use formal sites and often end up squeezing down very narrow roads.Not counting full-timers, there seems to be a very general trend for people to move down in size the longer they are into motorhoming. Read into that what you will.Not sure about your generalisation; we, 30 years ago now, started with a tiny pop-up roof van conversion but have always progressed to larger vans. Now have a coachbuilt just over 6.5 m in length and in a couple of weeks time, on return to U.K. changing to a new Tribute 725G which is 6.95m in length. Jean and myself find no problem driving or parking vans of this size, but as many of you know we do spend most of our time in our van in France. If Touring U.K. then might take a different view, but for us internal layout is the key and only a reasonable sized coachbuilt gives us the layouts we like. Good luck down narrow roads with your outfit as pictured! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I completely accept that generalisations are just that and exceptions abound. I'd kind of put you guys in the full-time camp anyway. There does though, I maintain, tend to be a trend for people to start small, move to something bigger, maybe bigger still, and then back down again. This is not to equate up or downshifts with the type of build, be it A class, coachbuilt or whatever, it's purely an observation about overall size. Naturally, there is little problem in taking a very large motorhome on trunk roads, and, as I wrote earlier, much depends on intended use. 8 Metre+ tags are indeed an easy drive on good roads, but maybe not so useful if, like me, you just can't resist seeing where that winding track up into the mountains goes. When off the major highways, one foot difference in length can mean you either now have a 1 inch deep scar in your pride and joy, or you missed that unseen fencepost by 11 inches! Absolutely a case of horses for courses. Thanks for the good tidings too, the 'outfit' tends to forge its own path though and removes the need to worry about most things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Personaly we would prefer a smaller van, but the one we've got is the smallest that fits in what we want. We are no strangers to larger vans, in North America we hire RV's they suit the country(s), in 2010 we hired a 6 berth Rimor, it did not suit our usage of vans especialy driving around Devon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Had demountable campers for a while, and thought about getting the large land rover pick-up (until I drove one *-)) the idea of being able to fix it with a hammer myself appealed and the simple bolt on panels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tf756 Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 Many thanks for all your advice - my thoughts now are that that having an extra 36cm is not a critical factor, whereas layout is. I will let you know what we decide - should make a decision in the next few weeks as we can't wait to start campervanning! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tf756 Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Well, we decided on the Campscout (6.36m) - delivery end of May hopefully. Can't wait! Thanks again to all who gave advice. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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