simon says Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 As per the title I'm looking for a coach built under 6 mtr with preferably a compressor fridge and fixed beds. Diesel heating would also be a big plus. I've looked at a couple of Chausson and Hymers with drop down beds which come close. Any experience or advice welcome. Used vans between £45k and £55k are my target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Let's assume that your budget will restrict you to vehicles 2 to 5 years old and that your sub-6-metres length requirement is non-negotiable. These Continental-European manufacturers will have marketed coachbuilt motorhomes with a (just) sub-6-metres length Adria Bavaria Benimar Burstner Carado Chausson/Challenger Dethleffs Fleurette/Florium Hymer Knaus Laika McLouis Pilote Rapido Roller Team Sunlight Weinsberg Of these I think only Benimar and Chausson/Challenger used diesel-fuelled heating and (to the best of my knowledge) none will have fitted a compressor fridge as original equipment. A ceiling-mounted drop-down bed will have been quite common, as jamming a traditional fixed bed into that length of vehicle inevitably compromises the rest of the layout. (I owned a 2005 Hobby coachbuilt motorhome that was 6.39m long and had a fixed 'french' bed in one rear corner, and my 6.49m-long 2015 Rapido coachbuilt model had a rear fixed 'island' bed - but neither design would have worked successfully if the length had been reduced below 6m.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 I'm not sure if you could find one within your budget, but a Hymer Exsis-t 374 is a whisker under 6m long, has a pair of fixed single beds and (I think) may come with a compressor fridge. Heating will be via gas though. https://www.motorhomedepot.com/vehicle/hymer-exsis-t-374 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Get the right layout and a compressor fridge and diesel heating could be added later, whereas getting the wrong layout is much harder, and costly, to alter.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtravel Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Tracker - 2022-03-03 5:46 PM Get the right layout and a compressor fridge and diesel heating could be added later, whereas getting the wrong layout is much harder, and costly, to alter.. Gas Truma --> Diesel Truma may cost up to 3,500/4,000 pounds. Of course you could sell the used Gas heater for, let say, 1,000. Why compressor fridge ? I live in a quite hot country and never had problem with the usual 3-way ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weldted Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 Having a compressor fridge is ok if you plan to spend most of your time on sites with electric hook up. If wilding or using aires that have no ehu available you must give thought to how to power it as they will eat into your batteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 In Simon's first forum posting (7 July 2014) he said In my converted Sprinter I use the sterling b-b with 300 ah batteries and 250 watts solar. It's mainly needed to run a 12v compressor fridge/freezer which it does quite well. So the likelihood is that - having become accustomed to having a compressor fridge with the Sprinter (that, quite possibly, had diesel-fuelled heating too) - he wants to continue with what he is familiar with. In a more recent thread (June/July 2020) discussing travelling abroad then, Simon said "We only use Aires...". Consequently he must be aware of the downside of a compressor fridge for off-EHU usage and this will need to be factored in if he is going to buy a small coachbuilt motorhome and continue to follow an 'aires only' lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 We toured Europe for many years, always using Aires, never using sites, and we found that two refillable gas bottles, refilling an empty asap, with fridge, cooking and heating by gas worked very well for us. Two decent batteries and a rooftop solar charger gave us all the power we ever needed. I am a great believer in keeping it simple - less to go wrong and easier to fix if it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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