multiplamum Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 We are on the verge of buying our first motorhome and having decided we needed a model with single beds we have now discovered that this has ruled out one of our other criteria - that the motorhome should be small. We are planning a long trip to France in the summer and felt that if the van was too long it would make it very difficult to use it as transport to go sightseeing, shopping etc. We have found a Chausson Allegro 96 which is 7.3m long which we really like, so can anyone tell me if it is possible to get around in a vehicle of this length and park in towns etc. We are planning to take bikes but these will be for short journeys only. Any experiences/advice gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 We currently have a coach-built van of 7.04m and i think it is too big for sightseeing (ok for shopping trips to supermarkets for fuel/supplies etc). We also have bikes, are pretty fit and can walk or cycle easily to visit from the campsite. However, my wife has a german electric bike which she loves and i will be getting one for this season. These will really increase your 'touring' range and comfort making it less likely that youll need to take the van about. My advice, get the van you like and get a couple of good crank drive pedelec bikes for getting about, they really are great. There are a few threads about recently discussing electric bikes, get good ones as advised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 If you want a small van then get one, there's plenty of vans much smaller than 7.3m with singles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 As has been said in reply to your other 'single bed' thread - Try before you buy! You may well like the Chausson - but have you driven it? Or anything resembling that size of vehicle? There are more compact single bed vans around - but I expect the trade-off will be in other areas, in fact it's always a compromise! There are a wealth of test reports on this site - including three on the Chausson in question! So I'll assume you've done your homework? If not then start - all part of the fun IMO, and may well save you a costly mistake. Look at your criteria in theory, and then again in practice with what's actually available - and within your budget. We actually have a Chausson just sub 6 mts - we also travel in France a lot. Personally, I think once you go much above 6 mts it becomes more prohibitive regarding parking and getting around towns, villages and off the beaten track for obvious reasons. Others I'm sure, will disagree but that will be borne out of experience - rather than speculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 multiplamum - 2014-03-17 8:39 AM We are planning a long trip to France in the summer and felt that if the van was too long it would make it very difficult to use it as transport to go sightseeing, shopping etc. . Obviously the bigger the van the less easy it is to park , and manoeuvre. Our van is only six metres but we do our shopping in supermarkets en route as they are almost always easy to park in. Once on site we use bikes or walking for local sightseeing. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Also, length isn't everything. We have a 6 metre coach built, which can be a bit daunting in some circumstances due to its width. We contemplated changing to a PVC for that reason, but decided we preferred internal space over external dimensions. As others have said, good bikes are a great boon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 multiplamum - 2014-03-17 8:39 AM We are on the verge of buying our first motorhome and having decided we needed a model with single beds we have now discovered that this has ruled out one of our other criteria - that the motorhome should be small. We are planning a long trip to France in the summer and felt that if the van was too long it would make it very difficult to use it as transport to go sightseeing, shopping etc. We have found a Chausson Allegro 96 which is 7.3m long which we really like, so can anyone tell me if it is possible to get around in a vehicle of this length and park in towns etc. We are planning to take bikes but these will be for short journeys only. Any experiences/advice gratefully received. If you on planning on using the van mainly across the channel 7.3m will not be a problem. France is Motorhome heaven, occasionally a medieval town will be too tight to drive through but there will always be parking on the edge of the town,. Most of the interesting towns will have a Camping Car Aire. We are in the process of changing from a 6.8m van to a 7.02 with twin beds, as the bikes will go in the garage in the 7.2m van overall it's actually shorter than the 6.8m one with the bikes on the back. There are quite a few twin bed vans at around 6.75m but the wash room will be compromised, the space has to go somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Our van is just under 5m which means we can use it just about anywhere. I use it instead of our car quite often. It has a shower room and can be made up into 2 single beds, but there is not a lot of space When we are parked up it is tempting to think of something bigger but when we are travelling around we are glad it is the size it is. I think you have to decide how you want to use it and what your priorities are. We have no interest in spending more than a couple of days on a site and even then only use it as a base for exploring,so mobility is our priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Whatever van you buy will be to big to really 'sight see' from a site with but you learn to compromise. Plenty of vans with single beds under six metres, we had a Swift 530 lp 2008 model which could be used as two single beds and had enough load capacity to carry a small scooter on the back. Bikes are useful, electric bikes an expensive not great means of transport, in my opinion, although if you are unfit or have a disability they enable you to get around. For us a small scooter is ideal, in our case a Honda Vision 110, we can easily explore for 30 miles around a site and carry small amounts of shopping. To take this route requires some research, does the van have to axle load capacity to cope? As has been said width rather than length is the real restriction but it is all a matter of individual choice and how confident a driver you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 If you have never driven a van before I think over 7mts you are jumping in at the deep end ;-) that is only my opinion though!!! we had a 21' coach built that had singles that could be a very large double, but all that space up front that wasn't used except for the bathroom and side kitchen was silly all for the sake of having a biggish van! we now have a 6mtr PVC it has a double at the back,( but you can get similar vans with the two singles you are after) with the bathroom side kitchen and a dinette at the front, yes we have lost about 10" in width but its amazing how you get used to it, it is much easier to drive and more comfortable, we have taken it into a busy car park and managed a space although I much prefer to leave the van on site and use other means of transport to sightsee, We did take bikes on a rack with the last van but haven't as yet fitted one to this van. Ours suits us as we do most of our holidaying abroad when we sit outside under the awning! and if the weather is miserable we either sit up front or relax on the bed reading. Have a good look around before you spend all that money and be willing to compromise a little :-D its a lot of money to make a mistake with. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 multiplamum - 2014-03-17 8:39 AM We are on the verge of buying our first motorhome and having decided we needed a model with single beds we have now discovered that this has ruled out one of our other criteria - that the motorhome should be small.. We have an Auto-Sleepers Symbol panel van conversion - 5.65 metres (including a rear step) and we can either have 2 longitudinal single beds or a transverse double. Obviously so much depends on what folks want but for us it is our only vehicle and we have also happily used it for an 11 weeks trip over the other side of The Channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I go along with most of what's been said, it really is a case of what really rings your bell, so to speak. My particular aversion is that in so many vans the beds, whatever the layout, are simply not full size. A bed suitable for a grown up should be 6 feet 6 inches long, and if it's intended to be a double bed it should be at least 4 feet 6 inches wide, anything less and it's just a ledge on which some people might try to rest. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
multiplamum Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Thanks for all your replies. We are going to try before we buy but it's really useful to hear others views before we take the plunge. I think we have talked ourselves out of the long van despite the fact that it would have suited us down to the ground if we were just going to move from site to site and not want to use it inbetween. As someone said there is going to have to be a compromise somewhere and I think it is back to the drawing board for us. Not sure how much more surfing I can do though - my head hurts :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audgreen Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 We have an 8mtre motorhome. That was our one of choice as we are spending 6 months at a time on the continent and wanted space. It's fine for supermarkets but we never bother. We have 2 good electric bikes with good size panniers and use these. If you want to park up and do a lot of sightseeing then go smaller. Many campsites offer courtesy transport to railway stations etc and there is always the excitement of the local buses!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linfield Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 We also have an autosleeper symbol easy to park in carparks or streets without causing ofence to the usal we hate motorhome crowd . 4 week trips to france twice a year traveled over 40000 th miles so far with out problems, and feel that any thing over 6 m is to large to use as a site seeing holiday camper the only other way is to tow a car or motorbike . If you do this you are better of with a caravan . We are asked all the time by others if they can look inside our van as it is just the size that many can park at home & use all the year . Try doing a three point turn in a 7m van? Plus many sites dont have big enough pitches to park the big vans only 1 or 2 usualy taken up early & lots of the smaler aires in france are not that easy to turn around in Dont be suduced by the life style till you have tryed a big van in country lanes small towns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlc Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 We got our first motorhome a month ago and went through the same thought process as you by the sound of it. We had decided on a 6 mtre PVC and nearly bought one but had a last minute panic about the length of it. We finally got a 5 mtre East Neuk which offers single bed sleeping. We don't regret the decision as we use the van as a car when we are sightseeing, going walking and photographing. We haven't started using bikes yet but probably will. However, because we like to get in to remote locations carrying fairly heavy camera gear, being able to use the van to get there is essential. Good luck with your decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 The OP asked our opinion on how suitable was a 7.3m Fixed bed van for touring France. Don't understand why loads of you are telling him he should get sub 6 or even 5m van. As far as I am aware there are no vans of this size with permanent fixed beds, just a hotch botch of sofas. The fact that is he has chosen the Allegro 96 is because he likes the FIXED beds. In France he will not have a problem our first van was 6.8m, 7.3 is not much longer and we have never had any problems, got into some tight corners on occasion but we survived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 We had a 7.45 metre Rimor which we loved, but there were times when we thought it might not be sensible to go to places where it might be a bit too tight, and there were occasions when we had problems with the prodigious overhang that some of the longer vans have. We think we found the solution by having a 6 metre A class with drop down bed, CG sleeps on the dropdown and I have the settee. We have no problems going,places, if the bloke in the Transit can deliver to the shops we can follow, so we feel that there are no constraints, and we do like the big bay window with the sideboard in front. We think we have the perfect van................for us. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Lenny - the opening post did not mention having fixed beds as a criterion. The original criteria were: single beds and a small van. That is why I (and presumably some other contributors) mentioned a specific van or type of van. I certainly wouldn't be so presumptuous as to tell somebody what van to get or not get! It was interesting to read multiplamum's recent posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 "multiplamum" - thanks for your comment; glad you've found some of the replies useful. All the best in finding a van that suits you and your lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linfield Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Have a look at your nearest supermarket car park & look to see how white van man parks & how much room he takes then think that most coach builts are wider than a van , You will need 2 spaces to park or you wont be able to get out of your own door . and if youir dont get used to parking only within white lines then you will soon be racking up fines. Take your time read all of the well intended coments & then think again, the bigest new market for campers by a long way is the T5 camper van plus the other makes as pepole give up on the big ones as the local town planers make it more & more difficault to park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
multiplamum Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 It's really helpful to read everyone's views. The reason we wanted fixed single beds was because we didn't want to have to build a bed every night, French beds appeared to us to be a no-no if you are both quite tall and I don't have the ability to climb up and down ladders to get in and out of bed. However reading the comments has confirmed what I think I already knew, namely that the bed layout was obviously making the mh too long for our purposes. A chance remark at a dealers has now sent us off in the direction of drop down beds so we are searching for suitable ones to check out . We are hoping to track down a couple of the Chaussons to see where that gets us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
globebuster Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Whilst the current rage for drop-don beds seems to continue, for me there is an unacceptable trade-off if the only seating area is directly below. If the bed is dropped to the lowest point, the lounge cannot be used - should one wish to stay up, or rise earlier. Even if the bed is used in the higher position, space is still severely restricted if you want to relax beneath. As is noted in many test reports, the smaller - 6ish metre vans, will often have some restriction to the hab door access too. Whilst I was watching MOTD 2 on Sunday morning in bed, at least the other half could get up make coffee/toast and sit in a front swivelled chair with a table to relax at(lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 multiplamum - 2014-03-19 9:58 AM It's really helpful to read everyone's views. The reason we wanted fixed single beds was because we didn't want to have to build a bed every night, French beds appeared to us to be a no-no if you are both quite tall and I don't have the ability to climb up and down ladders to get in and out of bed. However reading the comments has confirmed what I think I already knew, namely that the bed layout was obviously making the mh too long for our purposes. A chance remark at a dealers has now sent us off in the direction of drop down beds so we are searching for suitable ones to check out . We are hoping to track down a couple of the Chaussons to see where that gets us. I think you are confusing a French with a transverse over garage bed. A French bed is a low level double bed with a cut off corner they can be quite large, our last van had one 7' long by 4'6" wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
multiplamum Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 lennyhb - 2014-03-19 7:27 PM multiplamum - 2014-03-19 9:58 AM It's really helpful to read everyone's views. The reason we wanted fixed single beds was because we didn't want to have to build a bed every night, French beds appeared to us to be a no-no if you are both quite tall and I don't have the ability to climb up and down ladders to get in and out of bed. However reading the comments has confirmed what I think I already knew, namely that the bed layout was obviously making the mh too long for our purposes. A chance remark at a dealers has now sent us off in the direction of drop down beds so we are searching for suitable ones to check out . We are hoping to track down a couple of the Chaussons to see where that gets us. I think you are confusing a French with a transverse over garage bed. A French bed is a low level double bed with a cut off corner they can be quite large, our last van had one 7' long by 4'6" wide. No, I may be confused about a lot but not about the French bed. Some of the French beds we have seen are so cut off that my feet would have to levitate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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