nigelb Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Hi All, Just sold our caravan and looking to return to a motorhome. Last time we lived abroad and the large vehicle we had does not suit our lifestyle now. The problem I have is deciding on a PVC or a compact coachbuilt. I like the idea of a PVC to use it as a back up vehicle/second car but when you look at the extra space in a compact motorhome it makes me wonder why anyone buys a van conversion. I know these things are down to personal choice but would love to hear from experienced motorhomers what influenced their decision. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Panel vans more secure, they don't suffer the typical problems associated with CB ownership. easy to clean, easy to drive (more car like with better handling). no need for yearly damp checks...If you can live with the internal size on offer........whats not to like :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-08-19 1:01 PM Panel vans more secure, they don't suffer the typical problems associated with CB ownership. easy to clean, easy to drive (more car like with better handling). no need for yearly damp checks...If you can live with the internal size on offer........whats not to like :D What's not to like? Perhaps it's the internal size on offer? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Welcome to the forum Nigel; I think you have a problem; you seem to have dismissed a PVC already, so I think your search for a "roomy" compact coachbuilt that you can use as a second car might prove rather longwinded. The compromise between external dimensions and interior spaciousness will be particularly difficult for someone who has previously owned a caravan. not to mention the value for money aspect. I wish you well, but wouldn't expect a result any time soon. I think PVCs are particularly suited to "upsizing" from a VW or similar, rather than downsizing, Just a personal view of course, plenty of people do manage to move from a coachbuilt to a PVC; "The Judge" to name but one; I believe. regards alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 nigelb - 2014-08-19 12:51 PM when you look at the extra space in a compact motorhome it makes me wonder why anyone buys a van conversion. Thanks Extra space is a waste if you don't need it :-D . I prefer the compact size so I can use the van instead of a second car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Muswell - 2014-08-19 1:52 PM Extra space is a waste if you don't need it :-D . I prefer the compact size so I can use the van instead of a second car. I think that what you may mean is that you tolerate the compact size because you can also use the 'van as a second car. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 either of the PVC's we have had have had far bigger (king size) beds with more head room then a lot of CB's. also the extending shower in present van larger then many in a CB as well. we mainly travel in search of decent weather but find a 636 panel van more then roomy enough for our needs. Panel van design has come on a great deal in recent years with every conceivable layout available except Island beds, because of width restriction.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebeaches Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 We have a reasonably compact CB van, which we have owned from new, and now coming up to 4 years old. It is 5.99m long, 2.3m wide and 2.76m high. We like the layout very much and it has served us well. But, we are considering whether to replace it with another compact CB, or a PVC? We can see there are pros and cons to both. We like the layout and specification of the Globecar Campscout with twin fixed beds (or v large double) in the rear - but it is longer than our current van at 6.36m, which would be a squeeze to fit comfortably on our drive. We like the idea of individual beds so we don't wake each other when getting up in the night (we have a semi-fixed french bed at the moment). One of the prime reasons to change is to buy a new van with a comfortmatic gearbox - currently 6-speed manual. So the jury is still out for us, and I'll keep an eye on this thread. B-) Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Mike, there is a dedicated Globecar/Possl forum, not very active but a decent enough resource regards the make...the twin singles a popular choice, we went for the french bed model as it has a much more open aspect then most panel vans http://globecar.forumatic.com/index.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Today's pvcs are almost as large externally as yesterday's compact coachbuilts. Except pvcs have tapered sides and coachbuilts are more square so more internal space in a coachbuilt. If you use it as a car a pvc is still a very long and wide car and as such is not always easy to park. 'Orses fer courses innit? Nobody yet markets a tardis conversion and the only one ever made is not for sale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Had Enough - 2014-08-19 1:57 PM Muswell - 2014-08-19 1:52 PM Extra space is a waste if you don't need it :-D . I prefer the compact size so I can use the van instead of a second car. I think that what you may mean is that you tolerate the compact size because you can also use the 'van as a second car. ;-) No I mean what I said. We have had 2 small vans because it suits our holiday and leisure use better and the second car part is a bonus. The lumbering big white box thing leaves us cold; if we want that much space we stay in a hotel, which probably works out cheaper anyway :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 We've had PVC and coachbuilt MHs, and currently have a PVC (Autocruise Accent) which we love. It has virtually the same layout as our last 2 coachbuilts (ie front dinette, washroom and kitchen opposite each other in the centre, and transverse rear bed. This layout suits us to a 'T' and being able to have it in a PVC has proved a real boon. Whilst we loved our coachbuilts, the Rimor Sailer 645TC was long and skinny at around 2.15m wide and 7m long, and the Chausson Flash 04 was fat and stumpy at 2.3m wide and 6m long, with our current PVC is 6m long and 2.1m wide. This enables us to go to places you wouldn't even want to take a narrow coachbuilt ... although we used to take our others to places that others would think twice about taking a car! It addition to the external size being smaller (and lower height) we LOVE the side sliding door and ADORE the rear doors ... others hate them but we 'embrace' the versatility this offers us and especially the openness it offers when on an aire especially those near a beach, lake, lovely view etc - slobbing about on the rear bed after tea with the doors wide open is bliss, and being able to slide open the side door whilst eating, cooking etc, and letting the 'world in' is great. We can also get a lovely breeze through the van with them open when it's hot, something that's not quite as easy with a coachbuilt even if you open all the windows. Hubby finds the PVC much more 'car like' to drive and doesn't worry about the extra width of a coachbuilt, making travelling more relaxing (he does most of the driving). I think it will be a LONG time before we consider going back to a coachbuilt (if at all!) and wish we'd got a PVC yonks ago (we had our reasons for NOT doing so). What you end up with is very much dependant on HOW you want to use it so think long and hard about what is important, not just about the 'second car' benefit as either a small coachbuilt or PVC would do basically the same thing in reality, but as the MAIN reason I assume is how you will 'holiday' in it, don't compromise this aspect too much as you'll end up regretting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HymerVan Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Hymers are famed for build quality. We visited the factory at Bad Waldsee in 2010 and saw vehicles being fabricated on the production line in about 2hours. The method of construction of CBs (even the best) means that they cannot have the rigidity or structural integrity of a panel van as a base vehicle. In the longer term this has implications for the longevity of the conversion. By no means the only reason for us switching from a compact CB to a slightly more compact PVC but it was one of the factors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 nigelb - 2014-08-19 12:51 PM I like the idea of a PVC to use it as a back up vehicle/second car but when you look at the extra space in a compact motorhome it makes me wonder why anyone buys a van conversion. IMO the only PVC that can be used as a second car with no (or very little) compromise is a VW sized van, certainly our last VW was my everyday vehicle, our XLWB x2/50 isn't used as an everyday vehicle, but it can be driven in a carefree manner where as in a wider CB you would have to drive with much more caution. It is large enough for myself and gf to be able to watch two different tv's (if we wish), and in normal use has more storage space than we need, we have also slept 4 people in it with no discomfort, so we find no reason to have a larger wider vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughman Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 We have a Possl Road Cruiser which is the same as the Globecar except for interior colours. Layout is same, and we bought it specifically because of the twin bed layout, having got well tee'd off with a previous big coachbuilt where you had to climb over each other. It drives well, doesn't rattle and shake like a coachbuilt, and as Judge says, is rot free and easy to clean. We've done 16,000 miles around Europe in the last 15 months and are still alive to tell the tale. Currently on a campsite in the Vallee d'Aosta near Mont Blanc. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I have recently bought a PVC and on page 2 of the thread titled - "That lounge. What's in a U shaped one?" I explained why I chose a PVC over a CB and why I chose one with a rear lounge. I chose a PVC mainly for the width as I thought it would be easier to navigate on narrow roads. This is no doubt the case but I am not sure that a CB would have been a real problem on the trips we have made so far. I do know, however, that a wider van would have been impossible to fit into the space on the drive due to the turning circle so I made the right choice from that point of view. The only advantage I can see with a CB is the extra internal width and feeling of spaciousness and I can definitely see the attraction there although we have not found the narrower width of our van to be a concern in any way. We have a Vantage Neo which is 6.36m and the extra length is really useful as you get the option of two singles or large double, a large kitchen worktop, lots of storage and a useful front lounge as well, using the swivelled front seats. The biggest compromise is probably in the washroom which is compact although no worse than most other motorhomes, PVC or CB. Again not really a problem so far. Parking can be difficult with such a long van sometimes but a CB would be even more difficult I think and we have generally found a spot somewhere. One conclusion I have come to so far is that storage space and payload is really important. Our van is pretty good for a PVC without an under bed garage space and I have managed to fit in everything I need by careful choice of kit. The weight is right up to the max though. I have seen some bigger CBS that have less storage space. If I was buying another motorhome in years to come I will no doubt be faced with the same choice again. If I was using it as we do now, mainly for shortish breaks, I would choose a PVC as it looks less conspicuous on the drive, looks much more compact and feels more get in and go than a bigger CB. If I was, say, retired and was making more longer trips I would be tempted by the increased luxury of a CB which was not too long. At the end of the day what I or anyone else thinks does not mean much as it is a very personal choice but I also like to hear what other people like and why as it is all interesting if you are into life on the road.. All the best with your choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebeaches Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 JudgeMental - 2014-08-19 4:41 PM Mike, there is a dedicated Globecar/Possl forum, not very active but a decent enough resource regards the make...the twin singles a popular choice, we went for the french bed model as it has a much more open aspect then most panel vans http://globecar.forumatic.com/index.php Thanks for the link and the info! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebeaches Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Some really useful insights - thanks to the above posters, especially JudgeMental, Mel B, HymerVan, colin, hughman, and Don636. :-) Lots to think about. Reckon we'd like to get a PVC on the new face-lifted Ducato, with revised rear suspension and other updates. Anyway, off to Provence tomorrow.... B-) Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Do bear in mind that most, but not all, compact CBs have the very wide Fait mirrors on them so when driving are by no means compact. We are waiting to see what's on offer at the October NEC but currently intend to down size from our AutoTrail Apachie to an Auto Sleeper Warick XL very well equipped with all the kit and space we need and even air assisted rear suspension as standard. The simple truth is that I've become fed up with driving the,big Apachie and the effort needed to clean it, especially the roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 The main downside with a CB that we experienced was the parking...driving for hours in Southern Europe to get to a place of interest and not being able to park was the final straw to be honest..so frustrating!. A six metre van can get into any spot a car can, the 636 a bit more difficult. My coachbuilt spent most if it's life locked up on my hard stand, the panel van mainly on drive and used.....obviously it's to big for some journeys in London, would I go back to a CB not on your life! Took me two days to get back from Italy last week, likewise can get down to Spain in 2 days also...... I must of passed 100 CB's at least trundling along, it's a different style of travel and camping. There are far more panel van campers around these days because people realising they make a whole lot of sense on balance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 There are older low profile from Dethleffs which were only the same width as a PVC Globebus T1, 2, 4 & 11 (IIRC) range There are also the "new" generation of compact low profile compacts from Hymer & Burstner that are the same width & length as the PVC, but have a full lift tailgate giving easy rear access. Swift are also about to launch their 2 new Rio models. (previewed in latest edition of MMM) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 We've motorhomed quite happily for 20 years in nothing longer than 6.3m; 6m is our preferred size. We've used several of our motorhomes as our only vehicle. I wanted a PVC when we changed vans last year because of the added rigidity and ease of ownership but my wife always seemed to find some fault with whatever we looked at. In the end, I realised that she was not going to be seen dead in a PVC. And when she digs in, no matter how irrational, she's immoveable unless I want an earthquake. We bought a 6m a-class [drop down bed], a compromise that satisfies us both. It is our only vehicle unless our son offers to take us somewhere in his car. When she leaves me for the rich tomboy that she dreams about, me and the dream sugar babe will be off in a PVC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Had Enough Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Brock - 2014-08-23 10:44 AM When she leaves me for the rich tomboy that she dreams about, me and the dream sugar babe will be off in a PVC! If my wife was having dreams about tomboys I'd be very worried! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 That's the trouble with my new spell checker. On reflection, I might stick around ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.