Large Vs Small

[Guest JudgeMental]

1footinthegrave - 2012-12-06 4:35 PM

 

Was that your advert I saw, Adrai Twin,one careful fastidious owner,

 

all joking apart we all have different takes on what suites best, the OP will probaly neither choose an Adria, or an IH, but at least he's got some viewpoints, one thing it seems we agree on is a PVC can be as good or better that a CB depending on your needs. ;-)

 

 

Amen......no not mine! :-D

 

I thought OP was considering a big van, and pondering the wisdom. I will bump his post as this one will end up on the rocks also :D

[Guest JudgeMental]

arjxh56 - 2012-12-05 10:22 AM

 

Whilst hunting around for a new motorhome i have noticed that the larger vans are hanging around much longer than they used to?

Are people starting to look more towards the compact vans or has it always been this way and i've only just realised?!

 

Although they are hanging around, the prices don't appear to have dropped or be dropping.. not even with seasonal change?

Some of the sellers are also unwilling to negotiate.. they are just sitting on a depreciating van for months with the original asking price getting more and more out of line with what the market is offering!

 

am i missing something? is this how its always been ?

 

bump....

[Guest pelmetman]

As its been nearly 30 years since we actually bought a camper :D................and if Horace ever snuffed it 8-)........then I reckon I'd go the stealth camper route as a replacement B-)

[bolero boy]

The new small coachbuilts from burstner/hymer appear to be the sort of compromise van that would suit someone wanting to go to a PVC but can't cope with the internal size constraints.

Other than no oven in either, they look good.

[rupert123]

JudgeMental - 2012-12-06 3:25 PM

 

mine cost 37 (45 here) and for us nice to have a practical multi purpose vehicle...recent house refurb meant about a dozen trips to dump..lined with hardboard and dust sheets, I am far from precious about a van.... its there to be used.

 

I will show you my idea of "fabulous" once I stop laughing..and less then some "bespoke" UK vans. fully winterised with double floors etc..(electric step and reversing seats standard equipment! 8-) )

 

http://www.la-strada.de/?app=configurator&mod=categorie&category=3&itemid=34&menuid=3&languageid=1

 

words like "nice" and "fabulous" are subjective and dont bare scrutiny when you look at spec and value for money. if you are fixated on an odd layout, little choice but the to pay over the top. but link above does have a rear lounge H van with drop don bed as well. rear lounge accomodates forward facing seat belts also

 

Quality looks good Eddie i must admit but it also brings a whole new meaning to the word cramped, no cooking facilities to speak of and a bed you would need to be an acrobat to get out of. Where does the value come from, looks very poorly equiped to me.

[Guest JudgeMental]

rupert123 - 2012-12-06 5:36 PM

 

JudgeMental - 2012-12-06 3:25 PM

 

mine cost 37 (45 here) and for us nice to have a practical multi purpose vehicle...recent house refurb meant about a dozen trips to dump..lined with hardboard and dust sheets, I am far from precious about a van.... its there to be used.

 

I will show you my idea of "fabulous" once I stop laughing..and less then some "bespoke" UK vans. fully winterised with double floors etc..(electric step and reversing seats standard equipment! 8-) )

 

http://www.la-strada.de/?app=configurator&mod=categorie&category=3&itemid=34&menuid=3&languageid=1

 

words like "nice" and "fabulous" are subjective and dont bare scrutiny when you look at spec and value for money. if you are fixated on an odd layout, little choice but the to pay over the top. but link above does have a rear lounge H van with drop don bed as well. rear lounge accomodates forward facing seat belts also

 

Quality looks good Eddie i must admit but it also brings a whole new meaning to the word cramped, no cooking facilities to speak of and a bed you would need to be an acrobat to get out of. Where does the value come from, looks very poorly equiped to me.

 

 

its in the fit and finish, they are a real quality van.with prices to match. but your right there are aspects i dont like, and you noticed the main one and that is the corridor looks tight, but they all are, I have been in them and could live with it . its a bit of an optical illusion anyway as its a longer maxi hightop so masses of storage and the height makes it look narrower then it actually is

 

 

separate shower/double floor/fully winterised/masses of storage/3 burner hob/plenty of room for oven/microwave/ rear bed lifts to accommodate bikes.

 

maybe you would prefer this!, as its a type of CB and PV hybrid :D

 

[Tracker]

One of the factors that is most significant is the build size of the occupants - if you are both jockey sized a pvc has far more scope for moving about in than if you are sumo wrestler size!!

 

So if our own size dictates our own preferences isn't it misleading to suggest our own preferences to people whose sizes we know nothing of?

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Maybe you'd prefer this, we used to go away in this our old Commer van with our two kids, with the only piece of equipment a cooker, mind you that did have an oven. Looking back I wonder how on earth did we manage, mind you I do remember I did pay £350 for it second hand.

[Guest pelmetman]

Well compared that La strada we have much larger lounge, loads of worktop and a full cooker..........not to mention we're 3' shorter ;-).................and a permanently made up bed B-)

[Tracker]

Even that was bigger than our old Austin J4 1622cc (yeah the modern one with the bigger engine!) fixed low roof that 4 of us toured Scotland with in 1978 (ish)

 

Bloomin' thing was an old delivery van and had been to the moon and back in it's first life before being 'converted' into a sort of camper and it was a death trap, rusty as an anchor, dodgy clutch, no synchromesh, ineffective handbrake and prone to overheating (not that that was an issue in Scotland in summer!!) but we did over 2000 miles in two weeks and it never missed a beat!!

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Tracker - 2012-12-06 7:33 PM

 

Even that was bigger than our old Austin J4 1622cc (yeah the modern one with the bigger engine!) fixed low roof that 4 of us toured Scotland with in 1978 (ish)

 

Bloomin' thing was an old delivery van and had been to the moon and back in it's first life before being 'converted' into a sort of camper and it was a death trap, rusty as an anchor, dodgy clutch, no synchromesh, ineffective handbrake and prone to overheating (not that that was an issue in Scotland in summer!!) but we did over 2000 miles in two weeks and it never missed a beat!!

 

Blimey a J4, they were like the Commer a piece of crap the moment they came of the assembly line, I know I had to drive one for a delivery company for a while.

I'm reminded thinking back I bought and fitted myself an overdrive unit, then had a neighbor who worked at longbridge take my propshaft in, cut it to the new shorter length and weld it back up for me, van was still going strong when I sold it..............health and safety, bah humbug.

 

Strangely I can't remember the payload

:D :D :D

[Guest JudgeMental]

been there done that (commer) not as luxurious though, hand crafted by me and my mate for about £20 quid( van was £120) hand painted (roller) brown and white...had to get the chickens and mice out of it as it was on a farm.....proper bespoke UK stylee... :-D

 

it got to Morocco and back and all it needed was a new thermostat... whereas the VW on previous trip, we had to leave in Greece and that had a recon engine :-S

[Guest pelmetman]

BTW 1 foot, like the new avatar ;-).....................but have you been run over by a cyclist? 8-)

[Tracker]

pelmetman - 2012-12-06 8:18 PM

 

BTW 1 foot, like the new avatar ;-).....................but have you been run over by a cyclist? 8-)

 

Looks like Klingons on the starboard bow!

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

It's a birth mark,wasn't so quite noticeable when there was more hair to cover it years ago.

[Guest pelmetman]

1footinthegrave - 2012-12-06 8:46 PM

 

It's a birth mark,wasn't so quite noticeable when there was more hair to cover it years ago.

 

Ooop's :$

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

pelmetman - 2012-12-06 8:47 PM

 

1footinthegrave - 2012-12-06 8:46 PM

 

It's a birth mark,wasn't so quite noticeable when there was more hair to cover it years ago.

 

Ooop's :$

 

 

If that's not enough my parents named me Michael, why was that so bad, well with a surname Hunt, Michael gets shortened to Mike, so Mike Hunt, try saying it quickly. :$

[Guest pelmetman]

1footinthegrave - 2012-12-06 9:11 PM

 

pelmetman - 2012-12-06 8:47 PM

 

1footinthegrave - 2012-12-06 8:46 PM

 

It's a birth mark,wasn't so quite noticeable when there was more hair to cover it years ago.

 

Ooop's :$

 

 

If that's not enough my parents named me Michael, why was that so bad, well with a surname Hunt, Michael gets shortened to Mike, so Mike Hunt, try saying it quickly. :$

 

Well at least it hasn't affected your sense of humour Mike, perhaps I should change my forum name to Footinthemouth *-).............. apologies for the gaff :$

[mirage]

Sorry to dispel the myth that PVC`s don`t leak, they leak just the same as a coachbuilt around the roof fittings if not sealed properly. The Sevel roofs are corrugated and if a van is parked long term sloping back, water continually lies up against seals around such items as a rear lounge Heki.

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

mirage - 2012-12-06 9:40 PM

 

Sorry to dispel the myth that PVC`s don`t leak, they leak just the same as a coachbuilt around the roof fittings if not sealed properly. The Sevel roofs are corrugated and if a van is parked long term sloping back, water continually lies up against seals around such items as a rear lounge Heki.

 

Oddly enough I looked at this very thing earlier in the year, by luck or design our converter has mounted the Heki roof light on the top of the corrugations front and rear, so the lower corrugations from side to side take the rainwater away long before it can come into contact the Heki, unlike completely flat roofs on CB vans, in fact a friend with an autotrail has had water pouring through his roof around the Heki twice this year, with all the resultant damage, my view is that no vans, CG or PVC should have holes in the roof at all, I could live without the Heki just for the peace of mind.

[cerro]

We bought our IH van because it is easy to park, With it being metal and not fiberglass is easy to repair we went for none metalic because I can spray it myself and blend local areas in instead of the whole panel as with metalic paints. The boot at the back we can get a mobility scooter in stripped down as ours takes to bits plus the Honda Generator. the draw back is the bike rack but I am in the proccess of welding an aluminium platform that fits on the tow bar for the bike and empty water carriers and light bits and bods. will try to upload Photos.

[Guest JudgeMental]

1footinthegrave - 2012-12-07 10:54 AM

 

mirage - 2012-12-06 9:40 PM

 

Sorry to dispel the myth that PVC`s don`t leak, they leak just the same as a coachbuilt around the roof fittings if not sealed properly. The Sevel roofs are corrugated and if a van is parked long term sloping back, water continually lies up against seals around such items as a rear lounge Heki.

 

Oddly enough I looked at this very thing earlier in the year, by luck or design our converter has mounted the Heki roof light on the top of the corrugations front and rear, so the lower corrugations from side to side take the rainwater away long before it can come into contact the Heki, unlike completely flat roofs on CB vans, in fact a friend with an autotrail has had water pouring through his roof around the Heki twice this year, with all the resultant damage, my view is that no vans, CG or PVC should have holes in the roof at all, I could live without the Heki just for the peace of mind.

 

 

I think this probably had the edge..do you want me to help you? :-D

[Colin Leake]

We keep thinking downsizing to a PVC would be a good idea. More fuel efficient, easier to clean, better to drive (especially in high winds) etc.. Then we go and look in one and think na we will stick with our existing AutoTrail. May be when we get older we will make the change. If we do it will most likely be an IH, they seem to have the nack of feeling more like a CD. I like the solid rear panel they use and the general high quality of construction with a slightly warm homely feel. Being used to a garage storage space could be a problem but I have seen a bike rack that swings out to one side to allow access to their rear locker.

 

They are pricy but by the time we are due to change I will be very near 80 so,it may well be our last van and it should be well capable as they say of seeing us out.

[colin]

Last year, for a couple of weeks I had to use a mobility scooter to take the dogs for their walk, it was then that I noticed that if needed I could lift the beds and drive it straight in the back of our PVC. Well hopefully it will be many years till I have to use a 'pensioners hotrod' again, but it's nice to know I'll still be able to use our van with no trouble.

[Paul M Who]

JudgeMental - 2012-12-07 12:25 AM

 

mine cost 37 (45 here) and for us nice to have a practical multi purpose vehicle...recent house refurb meant about a dozen trips to dump..lined with hardboard and dust sheets, I am far from precious about a van.... its there to be used.I will show you my idea of "fabulous" once I stop laughing..and less then some "bespoke" UK vans. fully winterised with double floors etc..(electric step and reversing seats standard equipment! 8-) )

 

http://www.la-strada.de/?app=configurator&mod=categorie&category=3&itemid=34&menuid=3&languageid=1

 

words like "nice" and "fabulous" are subjective and don't bare scrutiny when you look at spec and value for money. if you are fixated on an odd layout, little choice but the to pay over the top. but link above does have a rear lounge H van with drop don bed as well. rear lounge accommodates forward facing seat belts also

 

I've used this Konfigurator before when researching  PVCs. With the same config as the UK van I was looking at, the price was 61,000 euros. That's 49,000 pound. The same price for a similar UK spec van. Winterising, air con, reversing sensor, fog lights, cruise control, electric step, extra leisure battery, etc, etc, are ALL extras JUST as they are on  the UK models. But no where in any Konfigurator that I've checked out from any Euro PVC maker is there an option for a cooktop/griller/oven or underslung LPG tank and these ARE standard on most UK conversions.

 

Yes you can get a bargain with a Euro van if you go second hand or haggle over the mass produced entry level PVCs like Globestar/Possl/Adria. And what do you get - a two burner hob incorporated into the sink; a few extra draws in lieu of a real cooker/oven; virtually no food prep area; a shower/toilet in the middle of the van so they can get more space in the dinette area; yes there is a large storage space under the rear bed but it can only be accessed by a small door or lifting the entire bed up and then groping through the clutter or opening the rear doors to get to the stuff you packed at the back. Been there done that and it's a pain in the butt.

 

This whole presumption of Euro mass produced vans being of superior quality to UK bespoke vans is a fallacy. I traveled around in a brand new Karmann (one of the better quality Euro makers) earlier this year and the quality and finish is no better or worse than the WildAx Aurora I just ordered at the NEC Show in October. Mind you after checking out all the competition at the NEC I wouldn't be considering anything with Auto in front of it either.