Larger or Shorter A-Class? Advice from owners please

[pepe63xnotuse]

I'm probably in no way "qualified" to comment on this ( we haven't owned an A class and don't think we've ever spent much longer than a fortnight stretch in the van anyway?)..but...

 

Personally I wouldn't want to be driving around in a vehicle that I thought could, at some point become a "liability" on the road.. (ie too long, too high, too low etc).

 

I get that long periods in a shorter van may not sound ideal..but if you're going to go "stir crazy", then I doubt an extra metre or two of van is going to help much..

 

I would've thought that how well the van's interior has been laid out, and how "airy" it feels, is just as(more) important than it's overall size. :-D

[bolero boy]

we have a 6.4m Carthago Compactline A-class which is also slimmer than std at 2.12m.

easy to drive, has a garage below a very large reat bed, takes two electric bikes and wine....

we run it at 3.5t, but c an be 3650,3850 or possibly on a heavy 4250 chassis.

lounge seats five, plenty of room for two, we have an oven in place of one of the six kitchen drawers.

solar, twin batteries, sat system, inverter (not at Opus levels I hasten to add) but pretty much go anywhere with relative ease.

if you need an a class with a decent garage, decent build and a manageable size, there aren't many about.

good luck.

[Brian Kirby]

It is 90% a question of personal preferences and choice.

 

You speak of travelling widely around Europe, so my two penn'orth is not to exceed 7 metres, and if possible stay below that. Height, even at 2.7 metres can be a bit challenging in places, but practical considerations (e.g. comfortable internal height) dictate the minimum external height. If you stay under 3.0 metres you should be OK.

 

Width, IMO, is the greatest constraint when trying to access out of the way places.

 

Our first van (2005) was 2.3 metres wide and 6.0 metres long, and my experiences with that persuaded me to change it (2007) for a narrower one at 2.07 metres wide (manufacturer's figure, not checked) but still 6.0 metres long. Both were coachbuilt, one Fiat FWD, the other Transit FWD. No 3 (2013) was an A class (Hymer Exsis-I, Fiat base, FWD) at 2.12 metres wide x 6.75 metres long. No 4 (2017) is a Ducato van conversion at 2.05 wide x 6.0 metres long.

 

So why the changes?

 

First was width, especially width over the mirrors. Otherwise it was a good van.

 

Experience with No 2 was arguably the best to date overall - which is why we had it for 6 years! However, we had four problems with water ingress in that time, none serious because caught early, all fixed under warranty - but in the end I lost confidence in it and didn't want to keep it once the ingress warranty had expired.

 

The Hymer was a bit of a paradox. I ordered it with a Confortmatic box, which I spent the next 4 years shouting at! Like that famous little girl, when it was good, it was very, very good, but when it was bad it was horrid! :-) The length brought space and comfort, the equipment level was good, heat was well distributed in cold weather - but it rattled and squeaked worse than either of the previous two, and I couldn't kill the rattles. Due to its added length, it was also more of a handful in tight spaces, not best helped by the restricted view forward and down, both ahead and to the sides (high cill lines). I had anticipated the side view problem by fitting a side mounted camera in conjunction with the reversing camera, but it was not as good as I had hoped.

 

I had two replacement windscreens on No 2 in 6 years, but the Hymer was (only just!) on No 4 at the time it was sold - in 4 years! That large, quite vertical, screen mounted well forward just caught whatever was flying. Also, I found the "A" pillars were obstructive on winding roads.

 

Haven't used No 4 long enough to give an overall impression (though present experience is encouraging), except that it is on the "Maxi" chassis which, in conjunction with its more rigid bodyshell, gives a better ride with less shake rattle and roll than any of its predecessors. So, if you want the extra space (= extra weight), I'd say just go for the maxi chassis as, among other things (and with items such as scooters/e-bikes in mind), it has higher individual axle loads than the standard chassis.

 

All were/are LHD.

 

Where did we go? Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, Greece, Croatia, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Luxemburg, Holland, Belgium and Germany. We do not use motorways except for rapid transit, and prefer to visit towns, cities, and villages as we travel, making the journey part of the trip. So, a lot of minor roads, a few of which have been very minor, including minor, steep, and twisting passes.

 

How long for? Usually, circumstances permitting, 8 - 10 weeks in spring (occasionally a little more) and about 8 weeks in the autumn. We usually stay on campsites (seldom for more than a week), using aires etc. as mid day stopping places where possible, as they often have interesting villages etc adjacent which we visit in conjunction with our meal break.

 

Other thoughts? Don't under estimate payload (especially rear axle load), and bear in mind that the longer the van the longer the wheelbase or rear overhang, or both, which means that unless the ground clearance is also greater than usual (meaning that height increases), the risk of grounding at the rear and midships will increase. Compromises, compromises! :-D

[Travelbob]

Thankyou for your input, we have been there with the coachbuilts & the caravan, caravan almost 8 years while the kids were growing up, but now we want a bit of luxury while we can.