Guest pelmetman Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 TonyC123 - 2020-05-30 7:16 PM I know you're talking sense Pelmetman, I just have to stop checking out these gorgeous Italian motorhomes :-D A friend of ours bought a "A" class version of one of those Bimbo's ;-) ....... Their screen cracked whilst it was sat on the pitch???? 8-) ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 Apologies Derek, I did mean to thank you earlier for this info. As my thinking on this evolves, I'm starting to rule out a PVC (with regret), on the basis that the ones I like are all too expensive (Wildax etc). I think the extra width in a MH, although its fairly small, might make a big difference in terms of how cramped they feel after a day stuck in because of bad weather etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 So are motorhomes female, like boats? I might need a nice Italian name :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 TonyC123 - 2020-05-30 7:34 PM So are motorhomes female, like boats? I might need a nice Italian name :-D That's another kettle of fish 8-) ....... Ours is called Horace, coz he's a reliable Tranny ;-) ....... I had a works Tranny that I called Fanny :D .......and blimey she was hard work and expensive to maintain 8-) ....... Even after I had her Banana replaced with a Essex V6 she still wasn't happy :-( ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceM Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 Re the fixed bed,/drop down bed issue; for what it’s worth, we too wanted to maximise living space whilst having the convenience of a made up instant bed so also opted for a drop down, after all, the time we spend in bed we’re asleep so where the bed is is of little concern to our unconscious selves. I think for a reasonably agile single person a drop down is absolutely fine. For two it requires a little more coordination but we’re absolutely used to it now and besides we’re still young (64). Maybe in 15 years we’ll have a different view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 Can I ask you something Mr P? I've done a bit of quick looking at some cheaper options, around 25k, and there are things like an Elddis Autoquest 130, 20k miles with an overcab bed, nice lounge, etc. But no garage. And that seems fairly common on the UK built vans. So how do people manage on extended trips or full timing without a garage? I guess you can hang bikes on the stern, but what if it was winter in the UK and you wanted to carry a genny, a petrol can, or an extra gas bottle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 Cheers Bruce, my thinking was exactly the same. Its good to know that there are people who have this view, and that they are happy with their choice afterwards. It gives me a b it more confidence that,at least on this issue, I'm not too wide of the mark, and that I wont regret opting for a drop down or make-up bed. I will say that from what I've seen, and certainly with van dwellers also, the majority favour fixed beds for convenience. It obviously works for them, and they stick to that layout. I dont know whether I have a very mild form of claustrophobia ot its just a normal preference, but I love a feelings of space in living accommodation. My ex seemed to prefer to minimise space, often by filling it with furniture or ornaments, and it did become a bit of an issue between us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 TonyC123 - 2020-05-30 8:26 PM Can I ask you something Mr P? I've done a bit of quick looking at some cheaper options, around 25k, and there are things like an Elddis Autoquest 130, 20k miles with an overcab bed, nice lounge, etc. But no garage. And that seems fairly common on the UK built vans. So how do people manage on extended trips or full timing without a garage? I guess you can hang bikes on the stern, but what if it was winter in the UK and you wanted to carry a genny, a petrol can, or an extra gas bottle? Us folk who fulltime without a garage have a box trailer ;-) ......... A excellent bit of kit that means you tow all that stuff legally........ that would put your camper over the weight limit if it was onboard B-) ....... Cant say given Elddis's history of damp issuses I could recommend them :-| ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 TonyC123 - 2020-05-30 8:32 PM I dont know whether I have a very mild form of claustrophobia ot its just a normal preference, but I love a feelings of space in living accommodation. My ex seemed to prefer to minimise space, often by filling it with furniture or ornaments, and it did become a bit of an issue between us. Another tick for a Autosleeper Legend with a rear lounge and windows all around ;-) ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceM Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 All this talk got me thinking about second hand motorhomes and I came across this https://kirkwall-automotiv.co.uk/cars/dethleffs-j-5830-integrated/ – is it a scam? A 2005 'A' class Dethleffs Esprit would fetch £24,000 in the UK and yet here it’s listed at 8,000 euros . A sensible 84,500 miles on the clock and whilst the devil’s in the detail it still appears to be mightily low priced given the package. Incidentally it has a drop down bed and I think a rear kitchen and small under floor garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 BruceM - 2020-05-30 8:56 PM All this talk got me thinking about second hand motorhomes and I came across this https://kirkwall-automotiv.co.uk/cars/dethleffs-j-5830-integrated/ – is it a scam? A 2005 'A' class Dethleffs Esprit would fetch £24,000 in the UK and yet here it’s listed at 8,000 euros . A sensible 84,500 miles on the clock and whilst the devil’s in the detail it still appears to be mightily low priced given the package. Incidentally it has a drop down bed and I think a rear kitchen and small under floor garage. Is it cheap? ;-) ....... Or is someone trying to offload a new century piece of doo doo :-| ....... Can you still get all the bits for them? :-S ....... I can get all the bits for my old van because they're made by some bloke in India with a hammer :D ...... New century vans need stuff made by expensive robot computors 8-) ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 BruceM - 2020-05-30 8:56 PM All this talk got me thinking about second hand motorhomes and I came across this https://kirkwall-automotiv.co.uk/cars/dethleffs-j-5830-integrated/ – is it a scam? A 2005 'A' class Dethleffs Esprit would fetch £24,000 in the UK and yet here it’s listed at 8,000 euros . A sensible 84,500 miles on the clock and whilst the devil’s in the detail it still appears to be mightily low priced given the package. Incidentally it has a drop down bed and I think a rear kitchen and small under floor garage. I have to say Bruce, I'm not a big fan of this van personally . At 84,000 miles I would be wondering how long its going to carry on before you start getting repair jobs cropping up- suspension, steering, engine maybe... That won't frighten a lot of people, but unfortunately I've driven lease cars for the last 20 years and gotten lazy, and I have zero practical knowledge of maintenance/repair. I haven't even changed a wheel in a decade. I reckon the habitation bits will probably be holding up ok, and faults will be fixable etc, but that seems a lot of miles for a 2 litre engine carting over 3 tons about. It will have lots a of character and interesting features, but those miles worry me tbh. I know this sounds a bit lazy, but I did my midnight emergency roadside repair stuff back in the 80s and 90s. Nowadays my priority is that the vehicle needs to just keep working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 30, 2020 Author Share Posted May 30, 2020 BruceM - 2020-05-30 8:56 PM All this talk got me thinking about second hand motorhomes and I came across this https://kirkwall-automotiv.co.uk/cars/dethleffs-j-5830-integrated/ – is it a scam? A 2005 'A' class Dethleffs Esprit would fetch £24,000 in the UK and yet here it’s listed at 8,000 euros . A sensible 84,500 miles on the clock and whilst the devil’s in the detail it still appears to be mightily low priced given the package. Incidentally it has a drop down bed and I think a rear kitchen and small under floor garage. Had another look and they have this: https://kirkwall-automotiv.co.uk/cars/mobilvetta-k-yacht-87/ This is a 2011 A class for under 11k, and with 55k miles... The site looks legit, visually, but that price looks too good to be true. I guess it might be a repaired insurance write-off or similar category that means there is a bit of risk with it, but at that price it looks like those gumtree and ebay scams that have become so depressingly common. If you could check out some reviews of the company, verify it wasn't an insurance category, and an expert could check it over, and if you collected in person before you parted with any cash whatsoever, maybe its that rare thing, a genuine bargain? It would worry me tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adiebt Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 StuartO - 2020-05-29 4:00 PM Sadly British built MHs are poor build quality and lack durability and residual value compared to the better Continental makes. What a load of generalising tosh . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 totally agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 TonyC123, the pegaso 590 you are looking at doesn't have a garage, thats why there is a bike rack on the back, the 600 kg pay load might not be enough, if you were wild camping full water would add probably 100kg, the generator 20 kg, all your bits and bobs and other kit, can you fit in the shower room? as has been said climbing ladders to bed gets tiresome as you get older! and it is a total myth that british vans are rubbish i can assure you there are some dodgy german/italian/ slovakian vans out there, and be prepared to be handy with screw drivers and tools and glue! because they all drop in bits German or not!! I wish you luck and happy travels Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rael Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 Adiebt - 2020-05-30 11:10 PM StuartO - 2020-05-29 4:00 PM Sadly British built MHs are poor build quality and lack durability and residual value compared to the better Continental makes. What a load of generalising tosh . I sometimes find myself disagreeing with Stuart, but he is correct. generalising? possibly, but he has a good point. I have owned 5 motorhomes over the years, all LHD so all "continental' I've looked at British ones, but most are so dreary and lack imagination, are poorly built and the prices are crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rael Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 And in response to the OP, I think the answer is, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 TonyC I don't see you ever owning a M/H, the more you read others views the more confusing it gets with all your reasoning and thinking about a M/H, a narrow boat, and why not an aircraft. I see the oozelum bird in the background waiting to make its appearance. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adiebt Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 rael - 2020-05-30 11:06 PM Adiebt - 2020-05-30 11:10 PM StuartO - 2020-05-29 4:00 PM Sadly British built MHs are poor build quality and lack durability and residual value compared to the better Continental makes. What a load of generalising tosh . I sometimes find myself disagreeing with Stuart, but he is correct. generalising? possibly, but he has a good point. I have owned 5 motorhomes over the years, all LHD so all "continental' I've looked at British ones, but most are so dreary and lack imagination, are poorly built and the prices are crazy. Bailey motorhomes ( as an example ) dreary ? Spacious. , airy and well lit inside , lack imagination ? Well if locating an oven above head height or below shin height is imaginative well crack on , most continental vans Ive been inside are claustrophobic and chronically under use the internal dimensions of the van , poorly built ? I dont buy poorly built products so quid pro quo they are not , and jeepers if you want to splurge oodles of cash go buy continental , spend in haste repent at leisure ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 TonyC123 - 2020-05-30 5:48 PM So with those two priorities at the top (large front lounge and no longer than 7 metres) I effectively ruled out the idea of fixed bed. All of the 7 metre vans I've seen so far with rear beds had lounges that felt too cramped, and I thought that if there had to be a compromise, it would be the fixed bed that had to go. Knaus & AT both make a french bed style that has a parallel lounge set up in the front. Both have good storage. The AT has a small round table at the front of the n/s lounge that works well for 2 so no issue for 1. It also has a bigger table that resides next to the frig and is great for use under the awning. The Knaus is 6.9M & the AT is 7.03m. If you prefer German then the Knaus is the best option. Having said that we looked at both and chose the AT. After 5 years I am not disappointed with our choice. The AT is very much lighter inside due to the hugh skylight and lighter timber tones. We are not full time but are in ours for 4-5months in any one year.In making your decision you should look at Knaus Skywave 650MF or Knaus Sun TI 700leg if you want bed over big garage. The latter is however a bit over 7 mtrs. The AT is called Tracker FB available with or without luton. We have found the luton is a fantastic storeroom for jackets, bedding, yoga mats, kites etc. hope this helps. cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 silverback - 2020-05-30 11:02 PM TonyC123, the pegaso 590 you are looking at doesn't have a garage, thats why there is a bike rack on the back, the 600 kg pay load might not be enough, if you were wild camping full water would add probably 100kg, the generator 20 kg, all your bits and bobs and other kit, can you fit in the shower room? as has been said climbing ladders to bed gets tiresome as you get older! and it is a total myth that british vans are rubbish i can assure you there are some dodgy german/italian/ slovakian vans out there, and be prepared to be handy with screw drivers and tools and glue! because they all drop in bits German or not!! I wish you luck and happy travels Jonathan Thanks Jonathan- the Pegaso 590 does have a garage, but its not all that big, and I think at 6 metres its the smallest end of my range for full time living, and there are 6.5 and 7m vans that are almost as affordable. And thanks to advice given here, I've ruled out any van without a garage. Sadly that includes the Bailey 66-2, which looked great. I have seen some videos that show concerns about a number of different manufacturers, and this one, by a Toyota vehicle quality inspector, has put me off the idea of buying a Swift (although the Autotrails and some others look ok): I'm not over the moon about the idea of climbing a ladder into bed, I will say that. At the moment I'm ok with it physically, and hopefully will be for another decade yet, so I feel ok accepting that compromise (after all its only normally done twice a day). That said, my ex would not countenance a bed ladder for a moment, and I do know a time till come when that becomes very difficult, and even dangerous. So then I will re think my priorities. I also don't like the claustrophobic-looking nature of drop downs- that makes me really pause for thought. So with these various snags (about which I had no idea) now having been very kindly pointed out to me by yourself and the other members here, I've gone back and revisited my original must-have priorites of having a van under 7m, and having a large lounge- and as things stand, those two things still have to take priority. So, reluctantly, I'm accepting the compromise of a drop down bed- its far from ideal, but at the moment it seems to be the least unpleasant compromise to live with on a day to day basis, for myself travelling solo anyway. The other reason I like the drop down idea is that it still leaves a make-up guest bed from the sofas at a lower level (which I can maybe use in the really hot weather). I don't expect guests all that often, but it would be great to be able to accommodate some if and when they arrive. The payload was something i hadn't given any serious thought to before I posted here (I blithely assumed they would all be ok somehow), so that's been a major wake up call that 600kg might not be enough, and once again I thank you and the other guys for pointing these things out. If I had jumped into a purchase without asking advice from expert users here, it might well have ended up with major regrets and frustration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 Will86 - 2020-05-30 11:20 PM TonyC I don't see you ever owning a M/H, the more you read others views the more confusing it gets with all your reasoning and thinking about a M/H, a narrow boat, and why not an aircraft. I see the oozelum bird in the background waiting to make its appearance. Will Hi Will, I'm happy to say that the advice I've had here has actually removed some of the confusion I had about options, and I'm very grateful for it. I think if my thought process has appeared to be meandering, that is a reflection of a real-life change of attitude I have had over the last two years. For a long time I was torn between a narrowboat and a motorhome, and i looked long and hard at both lifestyles. It was only a conversation with an old work friend a month ago that finally made me come down on the side of a motorhome- and it wasnt an easy choice because both offer very different (but very real) pluses, and minuses. I've tried both for short periods but that hasn't given me any idea what it would be like to actually live in them full time, and having spent my entire life in bricks and mortar, I do have some concerns and some fears about the downsides of a mobile lifestyle. My asking here is to try to gain a better insight into the realities, from people who have spent years doing exactly this lifestyle. There is literally no better place I could seek information and advice. So yes, the process of asking here has helped to shape my thoughts rather than confuse me, and if my personal circumstances don't change between now and mid-August, I will be taking the plunge on a van. What I'm trying to clarify now is what would be best for me personally, from the hundreds of potential options that seem to exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyC123 Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 Geeco - 2020-05-31 6:02 AM TonyC123 - 2020-05-30 5:48 PM So with those two priorities at the top (large front lounge and no longer than 7 metres) I effectively ruled out the idea of fixed bed. All of the 7 metre vans I've seen so far with rear beds had lounges that felt too cramped, and I thought that if there had to be a compromise, it would be the fixed bed that had to go. Knaus & AT both make a french bed style that has a parallel lounge set up in the front. Both have good storage. The AT has a small round table at the front of the n/s lounge that works well for 2 so no issue for 1. It also has a bigger table that resides next to the frig and is great for use under the awning. The Knaus is 6.9M & the AT is 7.03m. If you prefer German then the Knaus is the best option. Having said that we looked at both and chose the AT. After 5 years I am not disappointed with our choice. The AT is very much lighter inside due to the hugh skylight and lighter timber tones. We are not full time but are in ours for 4-5months in any one year.In making your decision you should look at Knaus Skywave 650MF or Knaus Sun TI 700leg if you want bed over big garage. The latter is however a bit over 7 mtrs. The AT is called Tracker FB available with or without luton. We have found the luton is a fantastic storeroom for jackets, bedding, yoga mats, kites etc. hope this helps. cheers, Thank you very much Gary, I will take a look at all of those models you recommend. I've been impressed by all of the Autotrails I looked at so far. When a MH was a potential holiday purchase, I wasnt keen on those big overcab beds, thinking them ugly and old-fashioned. But when I think about full timing in a MH, those overcab bed areas look like invaluable storage space for lightweight but bulky gear, and that layout is still on my shortlist as a viable alternative to a drop down bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 TonyC You and I are poles apart in our thinking ... I'm someone who analyses everything I see as I see it and am able to form opinions within minutes on whether I should buy it or do it. My working days were structured the same. I see you as someone who waits until a door opens and then, and only then, begins to seek advise about it. So Tony I shall continue to read but will not post any more comments, best wishes on whatever you decide. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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