Is 7m Too Long For A Newbie?

[laimeduck]

Is a 7M van too long for a newbie? Short answer.........NO! 

Just go with it in Cornwall, elsewhere in the UK over dirt road passes in the Alps, single track roads in the Somme..... Just go with it!

[Trev23]

Thanks for the helpful responses. There's only two of us, but my better half uses a mobility scooter, we plan to store this outside under the awning at night. If we go for a fixed bed the scooter would probably fit under it for traveling as it collapses into 4 parts. Really do like the idea of a 7m van just worried about the length being new to this. My current car is around 4.8m, will an extra 2.2 be that much if I adjust my driving style.....

[Brock]

Trev, my advice is to find a layout that suits your better half. Work out what the better half would need and also what they would love. Somewhere between those two is the van you should buy. Don't worry about the problems this will throw up because there are either acceptable solutions which will enable you to motorhome or unacceptable solutions which means you ought to buy a caravan, tent or use hotels.

 

A finger in the air suggests a garage model with room for the scooter would suit. The rear axle loading will need to be checked and possibly increased subject to your driving licence. Your better half must be able to clamber into a fixed bed whether it is a double or two singles.

 

There are some narrow motorhomes that may ease your driving concerns.

 

My eldest brother drives 12m long coaches and buses in the Peak District National Park. His advice has always been to slow down - people drive too fast on narrow roads - so you have time to position the vehicle where you want it rather than skidding to a halt in the middle of the road, always allow impatient drivers to overtake you by pulling over when safe to do so, give way to oncoming traffic when in doubt, keep your wheels on the tarmac unless you are absolutely sure the verges will take the van's weight, know how to reverse [reversing camera a useful accessory], look well ahead and anticipate where you will meet oncoming vehicles and time your approach so its at the best possible place, don't be afraid to cross white lines [not solid ones] when safe to do so, remain vigilant and concentrate . There's more but you can see that it is common sense rather than rocket science so you would probably soon get into the swing of things. There are numerous You Tube videos on how to drive a bus/coach or American RV.

 

You might also want to start a separate topic of how to motorhome when one uses a scooter. There are plenty of motorhomers who use mobility scooters. Warners run motorhome shows so if you could attend one of these, you'll be able to talk face to face with people.

[Trev23]

Brock, We've just viewed a Chausson Welcome 72 with a fixed bed and garage. Ticks all the boxes except for one. It only has a grill about 20cm high and no oven, it's really annoying. Has anyone come across this sort of grill, can you use them like an oven?

[Mike88]

Trev23 - 2017-07-23 2:16 PM

 

Brock, We've just viewed a Chausson Welcome 72 with a fixed bed and garage. Ticks all the boxes except for one. It only has a grill about 10 and no oven, it's really annoying. Has anyone come across this sort of grill, can you use them like an oven?

 

A dealer will fit an oven. Alternatively couldn't you take a small microwave oven?

[Trev23]

Is there a chance this grill is actually an oven as well, the spec says oven and grill? I took a photo of it but I can't seem to upload, it goes through the motions but the pic doesn't appear on the site.

[maggyd]

It depends on your driving experience , and as you have had to ask the question I think YES it is to long, does your wife intend to help with the driving ? we all look at the big vans when first looking , but you are camping and taking something on the road that you are nervous about is no fun until you get used to it, hire one and see how you get on.

 

 

[pepe63xnotuse]

Trev23 - 2017-07-23 3:23 PM

 

Is there a chance this grill is actually an oven as well, the spec says oven and grill? I took a photo of it but I can't seem to upload, it goes through the motions but the pic doesn't appear on the site.

 

Hi..

It is possible that this is also an "oven" , although to be honest, if it's anything like the eye level oven/grill that was in the 2008 Chausson Allegro we used to have, I wouldn't be banking on roasting joints of meat in it! (lol)

(I think we used it once or twice to heat up a pizza?..but in the main, it was just used as a plate warmer....)

Having said that, we supposedly had "proper" ovens in the two UK vans we'd had before it..and we only used them as bread bins anyway... :-D

[PJay]

Trev

As your wife uses a scooter, then you would be better with a fixed bed /garage version van. Re storing under an awning at night, Awnings can be a problem in winds, (can get blow over the roof), not always a good idea to leave out , at all times. (hence the garage for scooter), as long as your wife can get into the bed.

Re the oven, we have one and to be honest, have used it maybe 3 or4 times in 10 years, it get used as storage, as others have said. A microwave has been suggested, but you would need electric hookup to use it (I believe !) Best to hire a van in the set up you think would suit you

Best of luck with your search. The van for you will be out there somewhere!!

 

PJay

[colin]

As above, maybe hiring is the way to go.

Couple of points, whilst the bed in the 72 may be fixed it's not what they are generally called, it is termed a 'island bad', as for an oven, maybe you could get one fitted or maybe you need to consider just having a grill, in the decades we have camped, caravaned, motorhomed, I can't recall ever using a oven, two gas rings and a grill is all we need, but then whe're not interested in 'sunday lunch', I should note that due to the usage of our van in cold weather hot meals are always on the menu.

[Derek Uzzell]

Trev23 - 2017-07-23 3:23 PM

 

Is there a chance this grill is actually an oven as well, the spec says oven and grill? I took a photo of it but I can't seem to upload, it goes through the motions but the pic doesn't appear on the site.

 

This review of a 2010 Chausson Welcome 72

 

https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/motorhomes/reviews/motorhomes/details/chausson-welcome-72-2010-motorhome-review/898852

 

mentions that the model had a "Smev overhead grill”.

 

And in this 2012 MHFun discussion

 

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/chausson-any-good.45041/

 

the owner of a 2008 Welcome 75 said “...only crit is that it has no oven just a grill a continental trait”.

 

if you cannot get a photo to attach to your posting, it’s probably because the file containing the photo is over the 100KB size-limit set by the forum’s software.

 

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[Brian Kirby]

PJay - 2017-07-23 7:04 PM

 

Trev

As your wife uses a scooter, then you would be better with a fixed bed /garage version van. Re storing under an awning at night, Awnings can be a problem in winds, (can get blow over the roof), not always a good idea to leave out , at all times. (hence the garage for scooter), as long as your wife can get into the bed................................PJay

Pauline makes and excellent point, especially in GB which, being (basically) an ocean island, is a windy place. Roll-out awnings tend to rattle and clatter in almost any wind, and can be a real nuisance at night for that reason. Calm evenings not infrequently morph into windy mornings as fronts pass over, and in the end it becomes necessary to wind-in the awning to prevent it being damaged, as Pauline says - even in your jim-jams in the wee small hours! Not fun if it's raining as well! Continental weather tends to be more settled, but is still not guaranteed to remain calm.

 

Your original post expresses concern about length relative to Cornish roads/lanes. As has been said above, width is more likely to be the major problem, and an island bed layout cannot be accommodated in a narrow van.

 

Under the circumstances, I think you will find a rear "garage" layout far more satisfactory, with the scooter consigned to that on any night where there is a risk of wind or rain.

 

Your choices for permanent bed layouts will really lie between longitudinal twin beds, which are widely available with "garage" layouts, both on panel van conversions (which should also solve the scooter problem via their rear doors, and are the narrowest at about 2070mm wide) and on narrow coachbuilts, or transverse double beds over a "garage" (ditto re width and availability).

 

You could largely avoid the awning problem by using a free-standing, gazebo type, awning with removable side walls, that you should be able to accommodate on most camp-sites providing your van is not too large for both to be accommodated on your pitch. Some sites may charge extra for this. However, it then has to be erected, and not all can be put up single handed, especially if it's windy!

[AndyLou]

We had a week in Cornwall in early June our van is 7.48m long and 2.34m wide (mirrors folded).

 

We had no problem with the roads. We did avoid going into the smaller towns choosing to park outside and travel on public transport or cycle. Also there are lots of places to see and do with going to the little villagers.

We have an over cab bed so you get the advantage of a fixed bed and a large living space too.

 

If you are not going to do much entertaining though I am not sure what the advantage of all that living space is.

 

We have seen a number of vans with fixed singles at the back over a large garage. The living space is usually on the benches either side of the table (sometimes only 1 bench). These seem great and I am very tempted but I think the lack of space might get to me. If we did longer stays then an awning would alleviate the living space problem. Why are there always so many choices? :-S