Downsizing to panel van, advice welcomed!

[Tracker]

Hi Vicki, nice to see you back again and I hope you are staying as I for one miss your valued contributions.

 

Some general observations -

 

A fixed bed is convenient for sleeping and has storage underneath but takes up so much floorspace that lounging and just moving about can be difficult.

 

A bed you make up has the potential to be wider and in return for the inconvenience you get better lounging and more floor space.

 

If you go for a VW size van you generally only get one choice of layout and bed and that is narrow, not renowned for comfort and blocks off all the floor space at night leaving nowhere for the porta potti - assuming you were able to get it out of it's locker with the bed made up.

 

A pop up roof gives you access to some car parks but it does depend on the make and style, but the payback is no high level stowage which, allied to not a lot of low level stowage does call for a total rethink on just what is essential and what is not.

 

We borrowed a VW Autosleeper Trooper for a weekend once but having been spoiled for years by a compact coachbuilt were only too pleased to return it!

 

On the other hand VWs are good to drive and make an excellent day out van, but then again not a lot of fun on a wet weekend away!

 

Auto Trader has a large motorhome for sale section which might be worth a trawl through?

[Vixter]

Well, we've done it, and there's no going back now!

 

The OH is currently in UK collecting the camper.....it's a used LWB T5 VW, Bilbo's Nexa conversion with twin bunks (yes, I know what I said about narrow bunks, er - I will just have to go on a diet - one day)

 

The OH says it's in very good nick, I must wait two whole days until he gets back home with it.

 

Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make their useful suggestions, everything you have said has helped us with choosing this van. I am sure to have lots of questions to put to you guys once we have been away in it.

 

The next challenge will be to register it here in France.

[alan]

`Hi Vicki

 

I don't think you'll be sorry buying a Bilbo Campervan. We've had ours now for just over a year and have successfully had an eight week trip in it without any real inconvenience of storage, etc. When we unloaded our old coach built van, we found things we didn't know we'd bought, never mind used! The advantages of the VW are too numerous to list, height being one of the main ones.

 

I agree with some of Tracker's comments on the VW - we deliberately went for an end kitchen which gives us the advantage of not having to get out to get to storage lockers, free passage to our beloved electric portaloo and we can move up and down between the beds. If we want to, the beds will push together. There is ample lounge space for 4 during the day when the two front seats are swivelled round and as we tend to spend most of our motorhoming on the continent, the door is permanently open and when staying more than one day the sun canopy goes up. Last year, while having a drink in a bar on site (highly unusual!) a storm was threatening and we made a scramble to take down the sun canopy and sides, all packed up folded and stored within 7 minutes. So although we haven't got the advantage of the old wind-up, it's still pretty quick. The table also fixes to one of the rear passenger seats as well as inside, so we can eat outside if we want.

 

Hope you enjoy your new VW!

Regards

Alan

[Vixter]

Thank you for your kind wishes Alan, I am sure to need to pick your brains in the future!

[Vixter]

To Tracker and Alan.

 

I have just put a posting on the Duvalay Topper thread, not doing too well with the hard bunks, but - as always - there is a solution. You may be able to help please.

[Randonneur]

Hiya Vickie, pleased you have got sorted. Many people on here would not know that you used to have a whopping great German van called Big Brian and then you downsized to a coach built so you had already downsized to a certain extent. This latest van will be a compromise again but we are sure you will cope as usual. I anticipate the site of seeing Roger on a bunk.

 

We finally got our Pilote on UK plates and have been able to use it a few times now.

 

Sylvia and Martin

[Vixter]

Sylvia and Martin - I am absolutely delighted to hear from you, please, please send us a newsy Email.

 

Pleased that you are still enjoying your motorhoming, and that you have the Pilote in the UK system. We have started the ball rolling to get the camper French registered, it was never going to be easy....!

 

The heady days of full-timing in the Clou Liner are long past now, though it was fun while it lasted and we're glad we did it. Room to swing a cat? YES!

 

Nowadays we recognise that our needs have changed, and the Nexa is a smart everyday second vehicle/ day-van/ occasional camper, and that suits us just fine. I'm having problems finding space for all my clothes, shoes and handbags though..............(only joking folks). Room to swing a cat? Er, NO!

 

Roger hasn't yet slept in the van, I need to make it a bit more comfy first. I slept out there (parked in the drive), once. There were a few creepy night-noises so I pressed the key to lock it. Settled down to a few Zzzz's but was woken up by the alarm blasting away. I managed to stop it, but then it happened again - several times. Our little village is normally SO quiet at night, and I was SO embarrassed. I had to wake Himself up to come down and sort it out - I had fallen foul of the motion sensor (not used to such sophisticated equipment). Needless to say I spent the rest of the night indoors, and R showed me the button on the dash to cancel the motion sensor. His fault.