tonyishuk Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Daf Murray - 2018-02-13 11:12 AM There are so many little bits that are so obvious when you know about them but you would never think of without a nudge! 8-) watering can brought. I’m off to curry’s to see if I can find a better looking tv than the Avtex. Just to advise you that you have to be careful of cheaper smaller screens. We had a small store to and if you viewed the screen at any angle other directly in front, thr colours and focus changed . The Avtex we got, could be viewed at almost any angle. Also we run the audio from the tv into the aux of the radio. This means we can listen at a lower volume as the sound is come from speakers nearer to us. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Daf Murray - 2018-02-18 10:06 AM PJay - 2018-02-18 8:56 AM You will have to have a permanent address in France , and any other country, to open a bank account You appear to be making yourself homeless, and I wonder just how far you have thought this through? You will have to come back to UK for MOT test when van is 3 years old , in order to keep it legal.Do you have health insurance?, as you will no longer be on Doctors list in UK. Please don't take offence, but maybe you are still grieving your sad loss of your wife. You are a VERY young man, with years ahead of you,.You will not be contributing to your state pension, so may not be entitled to one/ (mind you by the time you reach that age, there may not be one) Have you consulted any one? A solicitor perhaps ? Talked all the pros and cons over with others? It will not be the bed of roses that you believe it to be. As i said Please don't take offence, just my motherly instinct and concern , for what you are planning PJay Hi PJay, thanks for your concern, Im in a very strange place in life, (please don’t think I’m after sympathy, just sharing my story as to why I’m doing this)..... I’m under no illusions, this isn’t a holiday, it’s me finding out who I am now in this chapter of my life, I may fall in love with a country and never leave, who knows, one step at a time. Blimey......having read through your post i can understand your reasons for embarking on this venture. Have snipped it as this brings me to the point in question. PJay is right to mention re Doctors list. They can remove you (note the word 'can' but will come back to that later). The other point to consider is where you stand with NHS treatment, ie should you need any surgery etc you need to think about this part very seriously. This doesn't go down too well with some folk and i don't mind admitting it certainly didn't sit well with me either when i first learned about it, but the NHS are bound under a regulation commonly known as the "3 month rule" which basically means any UK citizen remaining outside the UK for longer than 3 months, ceases to be eligible for NHS treatment. There will be those who will tell you that's rubbish or nonsense etc but i took the matter up with my MP a couple of years ago and received a letter from Dept of Health secretary explaining this in detail (i can pm you copy of the actual letter if required). So you need to speak with your current GP about the above and i will be more than interested to hear what response you get back. Which leads me back to what i first mentioned about GP's 'can remove' (you from their list).....not all do. Some ignore it, shrug shoulders and say 'have a nice time' or as in the case of some friends of mine who 'full time' m/h, when they told their GP he just said, "i don't want to know about that". In my case, knowing i was out of the UK for lengthy periods, my GP threatened me with removal if it came to his attention i'd been out of the UK over 3 months. That's been made very clear to me in no uncertain terms but some are luckier than others in having a more 'flexible' GP.....you might just be one of those people. Apart from health insurance which is easily sorted, the other type of insurance is not so easy and that's vehicle. Not sure if this has been mentioned or if you've gone into this but you do need to find a company who will cover you for full time living in your motorhome....and not many companies offer it though there are some. It's not cheap either. It was discussed in a thread on here some time back and there is someone who lives full time motorhome, fully insured and his premium was in the region of £7- 800pa. You need to check this out to make certain of your policy. I think what you are doing is at the right time in life and you are right, you may well fall in love with another country enough to stay there. On my travels i've met a few Brits this happened to. All had one thing in common......not one had ever set foot back in UK.....and also had no regrets about leaving either. When are you planning to set off and which countries are you heading for? I'm leaving UK 1st June going through Germany and Poland into Ukraine and hopefully then Moldova. On to Bulgaria after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Simplest action is NOT too tell your GP or any other official source that you plan to be out of the Country for a long period, what does the G P care any way, he is getting paid for you to be registered with him anyway, I did not have need to visit my GP for over 2 years until recently , and his comment when I saw him was Hi , haven't seen you in a long time ? same for the Dentist, etc, one is supposed to tell the State pension people that you are out of the Country for more than 6 months but who does that ? We have become very Nanny State and afraid to take a chance and go it alone, belt and braces etc, life is too short to worry unduly about these things and I think the OP s story is a very good example of why one should live for today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 A previous poster mentioned that full timeing Insurance can be as much as £800 per annum , well I pay over £400 for my Bungalow and contents Insurance and then I have to Insure the van too , £800 seems a bargain to me, as one has to Insure the vehicle any way and then there will be no need for home Insurance if one does not have a Home? with full time Insurance one gets more contents cover too as one carries more stuff in the van when full time, so another plus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Some Countries you may visit require a Green Card for Vehicle Insurance, this comes as standard with most Insurers , BUT when we visited Morocco we had to have a physical Green Card document to produce when entering the Country and it HAD to be green in colour, My Insurance company [ Comfort ] were happy to issue this to me but I had to pay £17 at that time for administration cost, Comfort wanted to know the dates of entry and exit to Morocco for this, I had a six month document for our visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 There are regulatory implications in what Daf seems to be planning to do that won’t apply to many UK motorcaravanning ‘full timers’. The NHS/GP issue has just been mentioned, and there’s also this https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk If the intention were to leave Earth and colonise a planet in a far-flung galaxy, there would be no alternative but to load up the starship with every conceivable thing that would be required on the trip and when the destination was finally reached - you have to take everything with you because you can’t turn round and come home. But that’s not the case with Daf’s foray abroad and, while the advice provided above should be invaluable, I do wonder whether it would not be better to plan for (say) an initial 3 months trip abroad during which practical familiarity with the Rollerteam motorhome can be gained and Daf can decide what things are essential and what are not. It’s to be expected that any new motorhome will require some ‘snagging’ and (as Daf’s motorhome was purchased in the UK and the 746 is a UK-only model) it should be simpler to have such under-warranty work carried out here. I just feel that trying to deal with everything (technical, financial, legal, warranty, vehicle modifications - you name it) with a rapidly approaching deadline is unduly ambitious. As the saying goes “Learn to walk before you run”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Daf Murray - 2018-02-12 8:05 PM i am now however curious if anyone has been pulled and checked either here or across the ocean? My van looks like an ordinary white van on the outside. I was pulled in for a weight check with the lorries on the way to Dover. Soon as I opened the side door the guy looked inside and said 'Oh its a motorhome, we don't weigh those' Then he sent me on my way without any checks (lol) PS I have never heard of a motorhome being weighed across the channel either. So I wouldn't worry about weight - within reason :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 You may well learn something from this, but if not its still an interesting read. Written by a guy who has done what you are planning http://www.livinginamotorhome.co.uk/ :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 vindiboy - 2018-02-19 10:23 AM Simplest action is NOT too tell your GP or any other official source that you plan to be out of the Country for a long period, what does the G P care any way, he is getting paid for you to be registered with him anyway, I did not have need to visit my GP for over 2 years until recently , and his comment when I saw him was Hi , haven't seen you in a long time ? same for the Dentist, etc, one is supposed to tell the State pension people that you are out of the Country for more than 6 months but who does that ? We have become very Nanny State and afraid to take a chance and go it alone, belt and braces etc, life is too short to worry unduly about these things and I think the OP s story is a very good example of why one should live for today. Hi Vindi......you could no doubt get away with doing that if not on regular prescribed medication, which from Daf's post i believe he is, just as i am. That's a hurdle which 'ties' you down and as you mentioned you didn't need to visit your own GP for 'over 2 years', that tells me you are not on any regular prescribed meds because if you were, you would (or certainly should!) have 12 monthly reviews at your surgery practice. Regards Dental treatment, i was with an NHS dentist but lost that last year as they wouldn't agree to the '3 month rule'....their maximum was two months so as soon as i told them i wouldn't be back before then they removed me from their list despite telling them i knew of the '3 month rule' and was within that. Believe me, i'm not alone in having gone through all this crap which is possibly the only consolation and i agree with much of your sentiments....but the reality is very different. The ruling which comes under NHS (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2004 to give it it's full title, has in my opinion, not been thought through as effectively it's victimising people requiring regular medication. I can see the official side of the coin, but they refuse to see mine....and there is usually no budging on it. As mentioned, some GP's will give a little more latitude and Daf may well be fortunate enough to have a GP like that.....but he needs to find out and i'm afraid to do that he has to inform his GP of his future intentions. vindiboy - 2018-02-19 10:30 AM A previous poster mentioned that full timeing Insurance can be as much as £800 per annum , well I pay over £400 for my Bungalow and contents Insurance and then I have to Insure the van too , £800 seems a bargain to me, as one has to Insure the vehicle any way and then there will be no need for home Insurance if one does not have a Home? with full time Insurance one gets more contents cover too as one carries more stuff in the van when full time, so another plus. To put it into perspective, my Buildings & Contents insurance premium is £160 with Saga and that includes a 3 month unoccupancy. I must admit that was the best quote i got after much phoning around and running quotes through comparison sites but oddly when it comes to vehicle insurance, motorhome or car, Saga aren't even close to achieving a decent quote. To insure my van with them would cost more than double my premium with Scenic. Not sure i agree with you about 'carrying more stuff in a van'......maybe you should come and take a look in my Garage! That's only one 'room' and i'm dreading clearing the place out!! Probably need to order a skip!! vindiboy - 2018-02-19 10:53 AM Some Countries you may visit require a Green Card for Vehicle Insurance, this comes as standard with most Insurers , BUT when we visited Morocco we had to have a physical Green Card document to produce when entering the Country and it HAD to be green in colour, My Insurance company [ Comfort ] were happy to issue this to me but I had to pay £17 at that time for administration cost, Comfort wanted to know the dates of entry and exit to Morocco for this, I had a six month document for our visit. I've had 'green card' insurance the past five years or more now and it's always been green, hence the name. It's just a single sheet of card. Scenic make no extra charge for it at all which was one reason i went with them plus they also cover countries which other insurance companies wouldn't such as Albania, Serbia etc. Yet to find out if they are ok to cover me for Moldova as i've not been there before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Derek Uzzell - 2018-02-19 11:21 AM There are regulatory implications in what Daf seems to be planning to do that won’t apply to many UK motorcaravanning ‘full timers’. The NHS/GP issue has just been mentioned, and there’s also this https://www.gov.uk/taking-vehicles-out-of-uk If the intention were to leave Earth and colonise a planet in a far-flung galaxy, there would be no alternative but to load up the starship with every conceivable thing that would be required on the trip and when the destination was finally reached - you have to take everything with you because you can’t turn round and come home. But that’s not the case with Daf’s foray abroad and, while the advice provided above should be invaluable, I do wonder whether it would not be better to plan for (say) an initial 3 months trip abroad during which practical familiarity with the Rollerteam motorhome can be gained and Daf can decide what things are essential and what are not. It’s to be expected that any new motorhome will require some ‘snagging’ and (as Daf’s motorhome was purchased in the UK and the 746 is a UK-only model) it should be simpler to have such under-warranty work carried out here. I just feel that trying to deal with everything (technical, financial, legal, warranty, vehicle modifications - you name it) with a rapidly approaching deadline is unduly ambitious. As the saying goes “Learn to walk before you run”. Sound advice Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daf Murray Posted February 19, 2018 Author Share Posted February 19, 2018 Laimeduck, thanks for the steer, ive just looked up FairFx, maybe a good back up for me. Tonyishuk, I settled for Avtex’s L327TRS. Not installed yet but fingers crossed it was the right choice, good tip regarding the audio! Bulletguy, thanks for the advice, my GP has been a family friend for as long as I can remember, I initially told him of my intentions a good 8 months ago and its come up a few times during conversations since, at no point has he said anything about removing me, fingers crossed he will just leave me on the system gathering dust in the background. But you never know!! I was give a period of free insurance by my dealer, this runs out in just over 3 weeks, I have had a quote from caravan guard, £811, supposedly covers everything including replacement motorhome hire and breakdown cover, I wasn’t too confident in the person on the phone so asked for the quote to be sent to me in the post before I committed to purchasing, still waiting for it to arrive, Comfort is another company thats been recommended to me, I will ring them tomorrow for a quote, if you know of any others that insure full timers with 365 day Europe cover id be very greatfull if you could share the names. My house sale completes on Wednesday this week, I move into a Travelodge for 7 nights, my van will be ready for me at the end of the 7 nights (having all the extras added). i will then move into the van and hang around snowdonia for a little while, I am having to wait for the sale of a block of flats to complete, my solicitor thinks 5 weeks max, as soon as I’ve signed ill be heading off. i Think the few weeks in the van will give me time to figure out the bits I’ve missed and the bits I’ve waisted money on as well as time to iron out any teething issues. Realistically it will most likely be the start of April when I land in France, I hand on heart have no itinerary what so ever, I was thinking of heading to Norway, Sweden and Finland first as according to the internet the weather isn’t too bad at that time of year, if I do end up going this way I would then most likely get the ferry from Finland to Estonia and carry on from there. How long are you away for? Have you done that route before? I do fancy the Ukraine but have read its a nightmare to get into? Vindiboy, I like your style! Live wild and free!! even if I end up paying £2k for insurance (hopefully a little over estimated) I will be saving a fortune, My monthly outgoings are going to drop to fuel and food for me and the dogs. Bargain. In regards to the green card, is it just Morocco that this is needed for? I do intend on buying the AA’s European rules guide book so I can make sure I don’t fall foul of the Law but any info I can get to sink in now is a bonus. Derek, wise words! it is a very steep learning curve! the info shared on this site has been amazing and I can’t thank everyone enough. I need to nip back to North Wales for a couple of days late November (this would reset the clock on a myriad of things for me), I was planning to see how things went and if any snagging popped up I could get it done then at the dealer I brought from (unless its urgent), this gives me 7/8 months on the road, hopefully in that time will of sussed out what full timing is all about and if I have loaded things I’m not using ill have the ability offload into a friends garage before heading off into the sunset again. John, thank you, That was my suspicion! and thanks for the link, hadn’t seen it before, tonights bedtime reading sorted! Thank you folks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Daf Murray - 2018-02-19 7:14 PM Bulletguy, thanks for the advice, my GP has been a family friend for as long as I can remember, I initially told him of my intentions a good 8 months ago and its come up a few times during conversations since, at no point has he said anything about removing me, fingers crossed he will just leave me on the system gathering dust in the background. But you never know!! That will prove extremely beneficial. Ask him where you stand re NHS and regular prescribed meds (which i assume you are on?) I was give a period of free insurance by my dealer, this runs out in just over 3 weeks, I have had a quote from caravan guard, £811, supposedly covers everything including replacement motorhome hire and breakdown cover, I wasn’t too confident in the person on the phone so asked for the quote to be sent to me in the post before I committed to purchasing, still waiting for it to arrive, Comfort is another company thats been recommended to me, I will ring them tomorrow for a quote, if you know of any others that insure full timers with 365 day Europe cover id be very greatfull if you could share the names. It's pretty much a case of phoning around rather than using online quotes.There is a good blog here you may find useful from full timers. The bit under the sub header "The price of honesty" is well worth reading.....and thinking seriously about. They make some very good points and 'worst case scenario' you end up having to make a claim, that's the testing point as to whether you chose the right insurance and right company. A policy can be easily be voided if they find something they aren't happy about. http://ourtour.co.uk/home/the-price-of-being-honest-full-time-insurance-for-a-motorhome/ Realistically it will most likely be the start of April when I land in France, I hand on heart have no itinerary what so ever, I was thinking of heading to Norway, Sweden and Finland first as according to the internet the weather isn’t too bad at that time of year, if I do end up going this way I would then most likely get the ferry from Finland to Estonia and carry on from there. How long are you away for? Have you done that route before? I do fancy the Ukraine but have read its a nightmare to get into? 3 months. I was in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania last year. Parts are nice though neither of the three countries are particularly cheap. Some roads in Lithuania were undergoing repairs and the hardcore was made up of rough rock which shook the van around like crazy. That went on for miles too...not pleasant and i was glad to get out of it. Once down in the east of Poland the border crossing over to Ukraine isn't so far off and intend heading somewhere around Lviv. All depending on time etc. You won't get in without green card insurance so whoever you go with, make sure they supply it as not all do. If ever you want any tips on places of interest in Poland, let me know....it's almost like a second 'home' to me as i love the place...great people too. Even the bottled gas in my van is Polish! Here is a travel blog done by a nice Australian couple i met in Albania one year which you might find interesting. They've done a fair bit of touring and mapped each out on their blog so will give you some ideas. http://www.travelbunyip.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 John52 - 2018-02-19 1:35 PM ...PS I have never heard of a motorhome being weighed across the channel either. So I wouldn't worry about weight - within reason :-D People have reported on UK motorhome forums that their vehicles have been weighed at police roadside checks in France and this article refers: http://camping-car-conseil.over-blog.com/article-ptac-charge-utile-le-camping-car-en-tout-94523488.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 We are into the realms of: "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence", I think! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 A few years ago I was pulled into a layby in Spain by the Spanish Police it was a weighing stop, it was heaving down with rain at the time and the cops had an Articulated lorry on their weighing device , each wheel of the truck was on a what looked like large bathroom scales, I was homeward bound in my then tag axle Hymer and had lots of wine etc on board, OH dear I thought, after about half an hour the truck went on it's way, the cop walked over to my van, walked round it and then waved me on, I think that because of the rain they could not be bothered with my van ,adjusting the scales etc.My Hymer always rode high on its wheels so probably did not look over weight, either way I was not weighed , and sighed a sigh of relief,.I am always conscience of the weight thing and try not to carry too much crap around with me , my van is now a 3500 kg lowline so I am further restricted in what I carry around , unlike the Hymer that was 4500 kg and had a huge garage to store stuff in, , So I suggest folks are careful about weight as one never knows when one may get pulled, although I was surprised to read of the low penalties if caught over weight , there is a web site one can read about being over weight and the penalties thereof. QUOTE from the site. How much can you be fined for an overloaded van? If a police or VOSA officer finds you to be lugging around more than your legal maximum weight, they will impose a fixed penalty fine, the amount of which depends on how much you have gone over the legal limit. The current penalties are below: Amount over limit Fine 5%-10% £100 10%-15% £200 15-30% £300 More than 30% Court summons As you can see, the authorities allow a leeway of up to 5% before they hand out a fine, unless the excess weight is more than one tonne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 vindiboy - 2018-02-20 12:42 PM A few years ago I was pulled into a layby in Spain by the Spanish Police it was a weighing stop, it was heaving down with rain at the time and the cops had an Articulated lorry on their weighing device , each wheel of the truck was on a what looked like large bathroom scales, I was homeward bound in my then tag axle Hymer and had lots of wine etc on board, OH dear I thought, after about half an hour the truck went on it's way, the cop walked over to my van, walked round it and then waved me on, I think that because of the rain they could not be bothered with my van ,adjusting the scales etc.My Hymer always rode high on its wheels so probably did not look over weight, either way I was not weighed , and sighed a sigh of relief,.I am always conscience of the weight thing and try not to carry too much crap around with me , my van is now a 3500 kg lowline so I am further restricted in what I carry around , unlike the Hymer that was 4500 kg and had a huge garage to store stuff in, , So I suggest folks are careful about weight as one never knows when one may get pulled, although I was surprised to read of the low penalties if caught over weight , there is a web site one can read about being over weight and the penalties thereof. QUOTE from the site. How much can you be fined for an overloaded van? If a police or VOSA officer finds you to be lugging around more than your legal maximum weight, they will impose a fixed penalty fine, the amount of which depends on how much you have gone over the legal limit. The current penalties are below: Amount over limit Fine 5%-10% £100 10%-15% £200 15-30% £300 More than 30% Court summons As you can see, the authorities allow a leeway of up to 5% before they hand out a fine, unless the excess weight is more than one tonne. Well so far thats 2 of us on this forum who have been pulled in for a weight check. Neither of us made it as far as the scales :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Brian Kirby - 2018-02-20 11:34 AM We are into the realms of: "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence", I think! :-D I'm sure its possible for a motorhome to be weighed (and fined.) But since none of us have that suggests its unlkely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daf Murray Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 Bulletguy - 2018-02-19 10:07 PM 3 months. I was in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania last year. Parts are nice though neither of the three countries are particularly cheap. Some roads in Lithuania were undergoing repairs and the hardcore was made up of rough rock which shook the van around like crazy. That went on for miles too...not pleasant and i was glad to get out of it. Once down in the east of Poland the border crossing over to Ukraine isn't so far off and intend heading somewhere around Lviv. All depending on time etc. You won't get in without green card insurance so whoever you go with, make sure they supply it as not all do. If ever you want any tips on places of interest in Poland, let me know....it's almost like a second 'home' to me as i love the place...great people too. Even the bottled gas in my van is Polish! Here is a travel blog done by a nice Australian couple i met in Albania one year which you might find interesting. They've done a fair bit of touring and mapped each out on their blog so will give you some ideas. http://www.travelbunyip.com/ I can imagine it not being very pleasant when the roads are filled with rough rock! Fingers crossed its improved slightly or I am a little luckier with my route! I would most definitely like to pinch some of your knowledge on Poland, there and Czech Republic have been on my bucket list for a long time. Jenny and Ewouts blog was a good read, I may steal a few of the routes……. Brian I think you have just given me my new favourite line! “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”. 5% is a fair amount of leeway, I’m still yet to have the van weighed (I’m waiting for everything to be installed so I know my true base weight before I weigh the individual items to go inside it) but have worked out that I should end up with roughly 300kg of storage, take 50kg off that for my dogs and another 10kg for me as I’m 85kg not the 75kg they allow and I’m left with 240kg. as I’m going solo I hand on heart see me going nowhere near that figure and (famous last words) if by some miracle I do go over it certainly won’t be 5% or 175kg over…..just watch, ill end up being the one person weighed and made to unload at the side of the road! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 When I went to the NEC Show yesterday I visited the Roller Team stand where a 746 model was being displayed. I asked a salesman whether he knew about the insulated cab separation curtain that was available as a factory-option or as part of the “Thermo Pack”. He said that he had never had a buyer specify the Thermo Pack and had never seen the mysterious curtain. We looked at the 746 cab and concluded that the ‘curtain' would probably be a pair of curtains running on a track around the padded curved section above the cab seats and would be drawn forwards along the offside of each seat to meet in the cab’s centre in front of the seats. That arrangement is standard fitment on my Rapido motorhome as shown in the attached photo, and the curtains' positioning allows the Rapido’s cab seats to be rotated and still be used when the curtains are drawn. However, this would not be relevant for a Roller Team 746 as the cab seats do not rotate. I’m not sure how straightforward it would be to retrofit this curtaining arrangement to a 746, or even if one would want to. This earlier thread discussed cab curtains http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Cab-Curtiain-/22353/ and it might be better (and definitely simpler) to just lengthen the existing ceiling-mounted curtains that shield the over-cab sleeping area. A pair of floor-length curtains could then be pulled across behind the cab seats. Care would need to be taken that a pair of heavyweight insulated curtains hanging from the existing ceiling-mounted track would not overstress the track and/or it’s fixings, but otherwise the approach is simple and should be effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daf Murray Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 Derek, taking the time to share your knowledge by responding to a question is a very nice thoughtful thing to do, taking time out of your day to physically hunt down answers is next level Blue Peter badge winner nice, thank you so much for doing this! Hope you haven’t spent too much money at the show! Being in the newbie stage id be buying everything there 8-) The idea of lengthening the ceiling curtains is ingenious and definitely the way I will go. Ill go shopping this afternoon for curtains to match the interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Several curtaining approaches are possible, but which would be the best choice will to a large extent depend on how you plan to use the overcab bed. The 746 is a ‘family’ design of motorhome, with multiple sleeping options. When children are carried, it’s likely that they would use the overcab bed at night with the adults sleeping in the U-lounge (or vice versa) and the standard short high-level curtains would allow the overcab bed to be privacy-screened from the motorhome’s living space. But you will be able to sleep where you like and might choose to use the overcab space for storage rather than sleep in it. This is what we did with our first motorhome that was relatively small - besides which an overcab bed tends to be cold and clambering up and down a ladder at night ain’t much fun. The 746’s overcab bed hinges up to ease access to and from the cab, but if you could tolerate leaving the bed in its lowered position (which doesn’t appear too inhibiting) you could just hook/press-stud a curtain on to the front of the bed, lower the curtain when you wanted to isolate the cab and chuck the curtain up on to mattress the rest of the time. Our previous motorhome had concertina cab blinds and ‘stick-on’ interior screens for the cab windows. For extra insulation at night (and to minimise draughts through the cab’s air vents) I bought a suitable length/depth of thick curtain material and sewed to its top edge hooks that could be attached to the sun-visor mountings and to handy fixing-points to the rear of the cab doors. The principle was similar to the curtaining in the Rapido photo, except the implementation was cruder and putting up the curtain at night and taking it down in the morning more laborious. On the other hand the exercise cost peanuts and no holes needed to be drilled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Daf it is up to you. But my advice will be on wild camping to go low profile.For example In a van Mercedes sprinter whit a suitable interior kit And whit a gearbox lock like the bearlock. And 4wd. Hope you can make it happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet1956 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Daf I have been following all the expert advice you have been given. One day me and the better half plan to do the same thing. Once you have launched yourself on what will be the adventure of a lifetime it will be great to have updates from you on your progress. I wish you well. Seems to me all of the potential problems can be solved by throwing money at them so if that's not a worry who cares? Bon Voyage! Veronica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 The best insulation i have on my cockpit a class screen is a covertech 8 layerb who covers outside the front wndow ans the full side sreens. No condens in the morning when freesing on the inside on the windows. it protects a a large area on the front including the sctuttle plate area and wipers. Better tha Hindermann.. covertech is an italian insulation specialist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daf Murray Posted February 26, 2018 Author Share Posted February 26, 2018 Derek, thanks for all the help and advice, I have opted for a long set of curtains to hand from the ceiling rail, I have also purchased some press studs as a back up if the long curtains don’t work as I hope they will. Monique, thanks for the advice, unfortunately I have already purchased my van, I am looking at all security add on so will look up Bearlock. Veronica, thank you for the nice words, I hope you and “the better half” get to follow your dream soon. This site has been amazing for getting me ready, so much I had not thought of, i will happily share updates as I go, I am considering writing a blog to capture all that me and the hounds get up to (in reality I think its just to give me something to do at night!). we shall see. Take care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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