lennyhb Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Get what you want ignore the wife (at your peril) :D Mine said she would rather have RHD I wanted a LHD we paid extra for a RHD does she drive it - NO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 Lenny, this is, of course a tricky one..... ;-) The Pilote (lovely chassis and counstrucion) is a no-no regarding storage. I managed to get one recliner and the outdoor table in the floor space under the bathroom (the Hymer B544 has a deeper locker here) and that was about it! No room for the wife's chair >:-) not much else to be honest. Really liked the HYMER Tramp CL 698 but at 7.5m I wount get away with this one........... Had a look at the Hymer Exsis range which are an altogether more upmarket beast than a couple of years ago.Reckon I could get away with a 7.20m 698 although, even going 'easy' on the extras adds £5k along with another £2k (yes £2000!!!) delivery! Hmmmmm. The Rapido 983 seems very well specced without having to add so many extras (you know, the ones that are essential). Oh well, away in our van tomorrow and am sure we'll have a great time. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Rayjsj - 2013-01-13 2:37 PM A slight 'diversion' in praise of 'Duvalays', we used to have sleeping bags, but they get a bit 'Gamey' after a month or so away, even airing them at every oppurtunity, and not many washing m/c's accept a King size sleeping bag. Like 'Hymer' we now have Duvalays, plus two spare sets of covers, memory foam 'toppers' with duvets all together. The spare covers mean 'sweet smelling' beds (mostly). and a doddle to wash the covers, in any washing M/C. a revelation. Back to 'Feet-Up' lounging, when looking over a van, imagine yourself+missus + dog, stuck in the van during a rainy week in the lakes. That will focus the mind on priorities. OK, I know most folk head 'toward the sun', but you WILL be confined to the van sometimes there too. and plan ahead. Ray I don't know what it's called or who makes them but we have what is in effect two double duvets with a different tog rating for each. The two are joined together with large high quality zips to form a large double sleeping bag. Brilliant solution low tog rating on top if weather warm, high tog rating on top if cold. Covers can be taken off duvets and washed. It was even supplied with matching pillow covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Our AutoTrail gives us the best of both worlds at just under 7 meters. Transverse double bed (not too high) over a large garage gives plenty of storage. Twin benches at the front allowing feet up viewing of the screen mounted over the cab. Wife bags one and the dog and I fight over the other! On the longer one it is just possible to accommodate both me and the dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 On the subject of layouts,obviously likes and dislike are a personal thing but key for us is that a layout needs to have "defined" seating/bed areas, which need be able to "function" independently of each other..and at the same time... I suppose this can be acheived in several ways...be it a fixed bed layout,which we have(French bed)..or by a rear lounge/ front seating/dinette layout(which could have it's rear bed remain made up,whilst on site,with the front used for the seating..). Having said that,I like our layout(at the moment! (lol) ),as it enables the bed/washroom end of the van to be closed off from the cooking/seating/hab door end..this means that the OH can faff about showering/getting dressed in the "curtained" end of the van,whilst I can sort breakfast in the "open curtained/open doored" L-shaped dinette end.. ;-) The idea of paying out 50-60(70!)k+ for a 7mtr+ vehicle but which would still result in us needing to disrupt and/or dismantle the only seating/lounge area and wrestle with tables/cushions/duvets/sleeping bags etc, when ever we wanting to retire to bed(or even just take a short nap)just doesn't add up to my mind.. :-S (..that sort of tattin' about belongs in small campervans...and even half decent sized tents will have a seperate bed area.. ;-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 bolero boy - 2013-01-17 5:38 PM Lenny, this is, of course a tricky one..... ;-) The Pilote (lovely chassis and counstrucion) is a no-no regarding storage. I managed to get one recliner and the outdoor table in the floor space under the bathroom (the Hymer B544 has a deeper locker here) and that was about it! No room for the wife's chair >:-) not much else to be honest. Really liked the HYMER Tramp CL 698 but at 7.5m I wount get away with this one........... Had a look at the Hymer Exsis range which are an altogether more upmarket beast than a couple of years ago.Reckon I could get away with a 7.20m 698 although, even going 'easy' on the extras adds £5k along with another £2k (yes £2000!!!) delivery! Hmmmmm. The Rapido 983 seems very well specced without having to add so many extras (you know, the ones that are essential). Oh well, away in our van tomorrow and am sure we'll have a great time. Cheers. 2 Grand for delivery they are winding you up, standard Hymer delivery charge in Europe (apart from UK) is 500€ about £400. Hymer's UK agent has been making big noises about how UK dealers will be working on the same margins as dealers main land Europe and the prices will be in line with the continental dealers . Just looked up the price of a 698, 78850€ add on 1500€ for RHD and your 5k of extras allowing for a 10% discount you always get and for the extra 1% vat I would expect to pay around £63500 for a 698. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Our 'Savannah' has just that set up, twin singles at the back, with the shower and washroom toilet rooms all seperated from the Kitchen lounge/dining area by a domestic type door. Twin settees at front, although shortish, are ok for 'Feet-up' lounging if you rotate the cab seats as well. Thick roof/floor/walls insulation, Water tanks insulated and heated, all that without buying 'foreign' and having to put up with their 'idiosynracies',(see previous post of 'Dislikes') and paying a fortune for 'Extras' that should be, and are fitted as standard on British vans. This 'opinion' is based on looking for a 'New' replacement for our Autocruise starlet 2. We would haved got a 'Bentley' but we all know what happened to them, so, thank goodness we didn't. happy with the Autotrail and it's quality and finish. (Length 7.6 metres but more 'managable' than the 6.1 Autocruise) I know that Autotrail are 'Owned' by Trigano, but they don't seem to Impose foreign van 'Norm's' on them. Ray and the 'Hab' door is on the UK 'kerbside'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Rayjsj - 2013-01-18 12:46 PM Our 'Savannah' has just that set up, twin singles at the back, with the shower and washroom toilet rooms all seperated from the Kitchen lounge/dining area by a domestic type door. '. Ray - have you tried using the beds for TV and feet up lounging - any drawbacks or advantages - apart from not having to make the bed up? It always seems like a good idea on vans with your layout but I can't quite convince myself that it is what we want in reality as we kinda like the all round visibility of the front seats and front windows for lounging and people or view watching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Colin Leake - 2013-01-17 7:15 PM Our AutoTrail gives us the best of both worlds at just under 7 meters. Transverse double bed (not too high) over a large garage gives plenty of storage. Twin benches at the front allowing feet up viewing of the screen mounted over the cab. Wife bags one and the dog and I fight over the other! On the longer one it is just possible to accommodate both me and the dog. sounds like our layout lounge (ours is a French bed rather than transverse) but we sit the other way around, in the cab seats with our feet on the sofas watching the TV which is mounted on the fridge/freezer sidewall and can be swung around to be seen from the bed aswell. I guess if we had a cab drop down TV we might adjust our position, but I suspect we'd use our TV the way we do now. Still, no one way to skin a carrot (sic) as my old boss (God rest his soul) used to say! ps He had a whole 'glossary' of these malapropisms..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 pepe63 - 2013-01-18 9:36 AM The idea of paying out 50-60(70!)k+ for a 7mtr+ vehicle but which would still result in us needing to disrupt and/or dismantle the only seating/lounge area and wrestle with tables/cushions/duvets/sleeping bags etc, when ever we wanting to retire to bed(or even just take a short nap)just doesn't add up to my mind.. :-S (..that sort of tattin' about belongs in small campervans...and even half decent sized tents will have a seperate bed area.. ;-) ) Totally agree Pepe. We wouldn't change from a fixed bed now, although the drop down bed in an A class can be deployed without affecting the lounge usage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 lennyhb - 2013-01-18 10:02 AM bolero boy - 2013-01-17 5:38 PM Lenny, this is, of course a tricky one..... ;-) The Pilote (lovely chassis and counstrucion) is a no-no regarding storage. I managed to get one recliner and the outdoor table in the floor space under the bathroom (the Hymer B544 has a deeper locker here) and that was about it! No room for the wife's chair >:-) not much else to be honest. Really liked the HYMER Tramp CL 698 but at 7.5m I wount get away with this one........... Had a look at the Hymer Exsis range which are an altogether more upmarket beast than a couple of years ago.Reckon I could get away with a 7.20m 698 although, even going 'easy' on the extras adds £5k along with another £2k (yes £2000!!!) delivery! Hmmmmm. The Rapido 983 seems very well specced without having to add so many extras (you know, the ones that are essential). Oh well, away in our van tomorrow and am sure we'll have a great time. Cheers. 2 Grand for delivery they are winding you up, standard Hymer delivery charge in Europe (apart from UK) is 500€ about £400. Hymer's UK agent has been making big noises about how UK dealers will be working on the same margins as dealers main land Europe and the prices will be in line with the continental dealers . Just looked up the price of a 698, 78850€ add on 1500€ for RHD and your 5k of extras allowing for a 10% discount you always get and for the extra 1% vat I would expect to pay around £63500 for a 698. at least £4k more in the UK. the delivery charge quoted was from the back of the Hymer UK brochure......in VERY small print! >:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Tracker - 2013-01-18 2:53 PM Rayjsj - 2013-01-18 12:46 PM Our 'Savannah' has just that set up, twin singles at the back, with the shower and washroom toilet rooms all seperated from the Kitchen lounge/dining area by a domestic type door. '. Ray - have you tried using the beds for TV and feet up lounging - any drawbacks or advantages - apart from not having to make the bed up? It always seems like a good idea on vans with your layout but I can't quite convince myself that it is what we want in reality as we kinda like the all round visibility of the front seats and front windows for lounging and people or view watching? Rich, our own local MH dealer also supplies Auto-Trail and I have looked at the Savannah. Nice van. It has a front lounge which, as Ray says, accommodates feet up lounging leaving the bedroom free for concurrent sleeping. The beds could definitely be used for lounging (2nd area) and there are decent windows. My wife often reads feet up on the bed while I am reading in the lounge, nice to have two separate usable areas, makes for a roomy, open feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Rich, There is a 'point' on the wall for a TV, with mains point,12v point/aerial socket in the bedroom. so yes, you could feet-up watch from the bedroom. but the 'Media pack' includes a fold down TV/dvd screen which is non-movable in the front lounge, so, it would mean carrying an extra TV. (we still have our avtex from the Stalet 2) so we could but the missus isn't too keen. The rear beds have inclining rests built in. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Rayjsj - 2013-01-18 7:37 PM Rich, There is a 'point' on the wall for a TV, with mains point,12v point/aerial socket in the bedroom. so yes, you could feet-up watch from the bedroom. but the 'Media pack' includes a fold down TV/dvd screen which is non-movable in the front lounge, so, it would mean carrying an extra TV. (we still have our avtex from the Stalet 2) so we could but the missus isn't too keen. The rear beds have inclining rests built in. Ray Ray - we too have the media pack but not only is the tv far too small for comfortable feet up watching the larger Avtex (which I fitted on the wardrobe wall) gets a far better picture from the same aerial! We sit with backs against the cab seats and feet up on the beds and it is very comfortable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Rich, what size screen is your 'media pack' tv ? ours is 15", same as our avtex (16"). think Autotrail upgraded them. Hope you are happy with your Autotrail ? read about your weight capacity upgrade plans, done that yet ? The missus still misses the Starlet 2, (i don't miss making the beds) and i miss the Heating/hot water system. Apart from that the quality is as good as Autocruise. And a darn site better than the 'Swift' produced ones, before they 'canned' them. Think it is a mistake of british producers to 'narrow' their ranges, Compass,Ace,Autocruise,Buccaneer, Herald all had their 'devotees' (more market share) even if ,in the end they were only 'badge engineered', the only alternatives now are to buy Foreign (which themselves are only made by 2 or 3 large manufacturers). Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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