Advice please! 5.99 or 6.35m campervan?

[Adrienne]

Hello, we are just about to buy our first camper van and are undecided whether to go for a 5.99 length or 6.35. Someone said that some beach sites do not accept over 6m so we are leaning towards a 5.99. Does anyone have any advice/ experience of this? Are there other things to consider eg ferry fees, toll roads in France etc Thanks for any help you can give!

[spirou]

Never seen a beach that would limit anyone by lenght, but I've seen plenty with height barriers that limit anyone over 1,9-2m (nearly all vans).

Places that certainly do charge by lenght are ferries and bridges. Obviously not all and not all will charge differently for under/over 6m but it is usualy a common limit.

Potential problems with over 6m vans are also longer rear overhang (usually) which might cause issues bottoming out on sharp gradient transitions. Obviously it's also harder to find a parking spot where you don't extend halfway outside the lines into traffic lanes.

And overall weight pushing you against the 3.5t limit even with minimal gear inside.

Unless you routinely carry large items inside (bikes, kayaks...) I'd pick the 5.99

[mtravel]

It all depends on how far you travel abroad.

I chose 5.99 precisely because of ferries and bridges.

For example, the two Danish bridges (Storebaelt and Oresund) cost exactly double if you exceed six meters.

Not to mention Norway where you can take two or three ferries a day.

As for the ferries, it depends on the rates, some make the difference between less than six, between six and seven, seven and eight, and so on.

Others less than six, from six to seven, beyond seven.

But six remains the discriminating length more or less for everyone.

You have already been told about the possibility of parking in the historic centers, a stall big enough for a large Mercedes in 90% of cases is also enough for a 5.99.

Hardly a 6.36 (common measures in the Stellantis world).

 

Max

[colin]

As above, for access it's more about height not length, we've never come across a site where a 5.99m van is allowed but not a 6.26m.

As for ferry/toll charges, if you have a 5.99m van and put a cycle rack on rear you will be in same price bracket as a 6.36m van with a rear door mounted rack i.e. 7m.

[Tracker]

To me the primary consideration for buying any van is what do I want it to do and the most important part of that is the interior layout and how well it works, or does not work, for us.

It's one thing looking at a brochure, or a van in a showroom, but quite another living in it, especially when the weather is bad and the inside starts to feel very small and even minor inconveniences like the loo space, or cooking space and function start to wrankle!

[laimeduck]

Adrienne hello

I don't think the length makes too much difference as has been highlighted. Certainly in France it is the weight that makes a difference eg for tolls or for travelling on towns or some minor roads. 3500Kg is the magic number. 

My van is 3850Kg and was uprated from 3500Kg. So technically I can't go on roads with a 3500Kg limit and I should pay a higher toll charge on Autoroutes. However, the van looks like a 3500Kg van, and the automated toll booths always give me a 3500Kg ticket. Similarly we have never been queried on roads limited to 3500Kg.

I believe the automated toll booths assess the van more by height, and ours is relatively low profile, therefore incorrect identification.

I wouldn't worry too much about length ....... look for the van and layout that suits you and what you want to do and what gear you want to carry, now and maybe in the future. In warmer climates you will spend much time outside the van ... in colder climes maybe indoors and space may then be cramped?

Jeremy

[Brian Kirby]

6 hours ago, Adrienne said:

Hello, we are just about to buy our first camper van and are undecided whether to go for a 5.99 length or 6.35. Someone said that some beach sites do not accept over 6m so we are leaning towards a 5.99. Does anyone have any advice/ experience of this? Are there other things to consider eg ferry fees, toll roads in France etc Thanks for any help you can give!

Adrienne, I sense that you are at the beginning of a longish learning-curve!  🙂  If you have not already done so, my first suggestion would be to hire a van, as close to what you think you would like as possible, and try it out, before you buy.  It can be surprising how things that look fine turn out not to work, or to irritate, when actually in use.

It seems you are focusing the French coast for your trips, but my suspicion is that you will begin to start looking at different types of locations before long.  After all, one beach is pretty similar to another, whereas there is huge variety and interest inland.

It is impossible to outline all the pros and cons of different sized vans: one person's pro is another person's con - both for entirely rational (for them!) reasons. Motorhomes, and travelling around in them, are a series of compromises, and people find that they are willing to accept certain negatives to gain what they greater counter advantages.

It might help if you could give an idea of the sorts of places you anticipate visiting, and whether, for example small villages, cities, or what, appeal to you as well as beaches.  Generally, French supermarkets have more parking space that those in UK, so it is usually fairly easy to do your shopping even if you do need more than one bay to take your van, albeit you probably have to park further away from the entrance.

As above, ferries and the shuttle tend to charge by length, and need also to be told the vehicle height.  Toll roads and bridges/tunnels tend to have their own pricing/restrictions, so you need to do a bit of research on routes before setting off.  The more information you can give on your travel plans, the more people will be able to offer advice relevant to your needs.  Buying a van is expensive, but changing one because it doesn't suit what you want even more so.  So, take your time, and don't rush in!  Good luck.

[hja]

Our PVC is 6.4m long. We needed this length in order to get 2 fixed single beds. The same model in 6m long has a transverse double - no use to us as we both get up a couple of times a night, and neither wants to climb over the other! Inside layout is really important. Dont think parking in supermarkets is much trouble. With a PVC being narrower than our previous 6.4 motorhome, kerbside parking becomes a real possibility as well.

We live in Lincolnshire, and many coastal carparks have banned all vans, usually by height barriers. One or two do let in some vans - but only the smallest VW types.

Do look carefully at payload - eg we have a payload of 490kg, but the 6m version has a 410kg payload.

 

[peterjl]

Hi

we are on our 5th panel van and prioritised under 6 m for all of them for several reasons:

we enjoy Norway and the ferry prices, in country, double or treble over 6m

parking in supermarkets, when they are busy, isn’t always easy but under 6m, with judicious use of overhang means I more or less fit in.

for me the shorter van fits my parking at home much more easily

Turning round in tight situations is easier.( think single track roads in the mountains)

I would add that we have two fixed single beds in our 5.99 van and more storage than we need even with paddle boards and surf boards and accompany wet suits etc plus walking and outdoor gear. 
 

we are usually only away for 6/7 weeks at a time but have spent up to 3 months away in this sized PVC.

You could try hiring a van with a layout you like for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. 

 Peter 

[witzend]

9 hours ago, Adrienne said:

Hello, we are just about to buy our first camper van and are undecided whether to go for a 5.99 length or 6.35. Someone said that some beach sites do not accept over 6m so we are leaning towards a 5.99. Does anyone have any advice/ experience of this? Are there other things to consider eg ferry fees, toll roads in France etc Thanks for any help you can give!

Just booked a ferry Ply/Ros with BF difference between 6 & 7 mtr van = £20 . Never in 20 yrs heard or seen anything about beach site and 6mtr limit. Tolls in France are by height and vehicle type camping cars are in the lower group if your charged the higher amount press the mic button and say camping car  sil vous plais they'll then drop it

[John52]

I've had 6.36m Stellantis vans for 14 years.

That extra 36cm gives you another 2 cubic metres of space which is certainly useful.

I have rear camera and rear parking sensors which are a great help in getting in to tight spaces.  The factory fitted rear parking sensors on current van were expensive, but much better than the cheapo ones I have got from ebay or Netto on earlier vans.  Problem is they beep when you are about half a metre from the vehicle behind, wheras with the camera looking down you can see to within an inch or so.  And you often need to use that space to get in and out of roadside spaces.  The sensors also beep when you are close to something at the side which you are not going to hit.  So again its good to have the camera view to confirm you can ignore the beep from the sensors.  Sometimes I have to overhang parking bays, in car parks and on street - but have got away with that so far.

Not so the ferries.  Calmac charge a lot more over 6 metres.  Booked on as 6 metres, guy measured it, and I was sent back to the office to re book.  Given full refund and start again. 

But, despite these problems, I would still go for the 6.36 metre van again.

[B Dobson]

2 hours ago, John52 said:

I've had 6.36m Stellantis vans for 14 years.

That extra 36cm gives you another 2 cubic metres of space which is certainly useful.

I have rear camera and rear parking sensors which are a great help in getting in to tight spaces.  The factory fitted rear parking sensors on current van were expensive, but much better than the cheapo ones I have got from ebay or Netto on earlier vans.  Problem is they beep when you are about half a metre from the vehicle behind, wheras with the camera looking down you can see to within an inch or so.  And you often need to use that space to get in and out of roadside spaces.  The sensors also beep when you are close to something at the side which you are not going to hit.  So again its good to have the camera view to confirm you can ignore the beep from the sensors.  Sometimes I have to overhang parking bays, in car parks and on street - but have got away with that so far.

Not so the ferries.  Calmac charge a lot more over 6 metres.  Booked on as 6 metres, guy measured it, and I was sent back to the office to re book.  Given full refund and start again. 

But, despite these problems, I would still go for the 6.36 metre van again.

One would have thought the company would have overlooked your error wouldn't one . It's hardly likely you were trying to con them with false information to not pay the correct price for your van and deny them and in a way the tax payer the money . What company was it again for future reference? 

[breakaleg]

Hi, we have a 5.7m coachbuilt (Auto sleeper Nuevo EK) this suits our needs as we park on the road outside our home (terraced house) I feel that any bigger we would start antagonizing the Neighbours, I know that we could be larger but have to live with the Neighbours. lol

It also suits us while on tour as it fits in a normal parking bay (as long as all four wheels are in the parking bay you are parked legally within the bay even if the bodywork is outside of the bay.

we have two very comfortable single beds or the option of the double.

On saying that, the van works well for us.

Pete

[GandJP]

Adrienne, You should only worry about how the internal space works for you and not how long or short it is inless that is an issue with where you store it of course. If you are like me and go to europe for main holidays and do very little over here then the size of your outfit is irrelevant as the one thing you do have over there is space and you will see MH's that are so big you will be amazed they exist! (usually home made, one I saw had a staircase can you believe!) So then after deciding the longest MH you can accommodate then look at the various internal layouts and to which one is best for your needs. Remember that there are far less internal compromises to be made with a longer van. As to long and short wheelbases and the amount of overhang is concerned you will soon get used to whatever is needed when driving it and if that is a problem for you as a driver then find somewhere you can go to practice. Another thing to consider is any payload allowance that you might need but only you can decide on that side of things but it will probably have an impact on the size of your vehicle. There are so many things to think about so just take your time.

[John52]

47 minutes ago, breakaleg said:

(as long as all four wheels are in the parking bay you are parked legally within the bay even if the bodywork is outside of the bay.

Some councils yes, others no.

Unfortunately, parking in UK is seldom straightforward.

Private car parks can make up their own rules.  But the only private car parks I use are supermarkets and shopping centres - whose business model is not to derive their revenue from parking fines.

Some people say Edinburgh is bad for parking.  But I have overhung on-street parking bays many times in Edinburgh & Glasgow and had no bother. I might have just been lucky though.

[mtravel]

16 hours ago, Brian Kirby said:

As above, ferries and the shuttle tend to charge by length, and need also to be told the vehicle height.  Toll roads and bridges/tunnels tend to have their own pricing/restrictions, so you need to do a bit of research on routes before setting off. 

I believe that on ferries the height is requested just for on board volume planning.

Obviously vehicles taller than two meters can only be loaded where trucks and buses go, space is not infinite.

I can be wrong but I have never seen price differences due to height.

As for the French motorways (plus Mont Blanc and Frejus tunnels), regardless of the category (motorhomes, etc.), vehicles higher than 3 meters should be in class 3.

As far as I know, antennas and boxes do not affect the measurement, a roof air conditioner does.

If the operator agrees to pass you in class 2 it is only his kind concession and not the rule.

See for example https://www.autoroutes.fr/en/vehicle-classification.htm

https://www.vinci-autoroutes.com/fr/conseils/autoroute-mode-demploi/classe-de-vehicule-peage/

Max

[laimeduck]

49 minutes ago, mtravel said:

 

As for the French motorways (plus Mont Blanc and Frejus tunnels), regardless of the category (motorhomes, etc.), vehicles higher than 3 meters should be in class 3.

As far as I know, antennas and boxes do not affect the measurement, a roof air conditioner does.

If the operator agrees to pass you in class 2 it is only his kind concession and not the rule.

See for example https://www.autoroutes.fr/en/vehicle-classification.htm

https://www.vinci-autoroutes.com/fr/conseils/autoroute-mode-demploi/classe-de-vehicule-peage/

Max

In my experience, manned Autoroute toll booths are really quite rare now... most are automated. I believe I read somewhere (probably on here?) that vehicles are measured for height with a camera system, and that vehicles are not weighed at the toll booth. That is how the automatic booth decides if you are Cat 2 or 3. Hence, even though my Benimar is 3850Kg max, it is only 2.8 Metres high, so it gets classed as Cat 2 by both automated and manned toll booths.

I imagine that an automated camera system would classify a motorhome with a roof box as Cat 3, but may struggle with a smaller antenna? 

I doubt that there is workable technology in place for European toll operators to automatically asses a vehicles weight and/or registration information from eg the DVLA (or a Country equivalent).

Adrienne, I think the most pertinent advice, given by most on here, is to not worry unduly about length. Look at what you want the van to do for you, what kinds of holidays you want to use it for, what sort of places you want to visit, and what sort of things you want to take with you. 

Then go out and look at a range of vans .... and compromise!

Jeremy

[Brock]

We traded down from a 6.34 AClass to a 6m as our needs changed. The only thing we miss is lounging space. Sometimes our bones ache because we can't stretch out inside. You may find it a bind to climb over a sleeping partner in a 6m whereas the 6.34 should give you full length single beds which can be made to a double.

You'll not find the perfect van. We make the 6m van work for us, good and not so good, and have no regrets for trading down. My advice is to buy what best suits you and make the van work for you. 

[Brian Kirby]

6 hours ago, mtravel said:

I believe that on ferries the height is requested just for on board volume planning.

Obviously vehicles taller than two meters can only be loaded where trucks and buses go, space is not infinite.

I can be wrong but I have never seen price differences due to height.

.....................................

Max

My fault, I didn't make what I meant very clear.  🙂  It was exactly the request for the vehicle height I was referring to.  Once you say it is a motorhome or camper, so has to go onto taller decks or carriages, you tend to pay more than you would for a car of similar length - because it will take up some of that scarcer, higher, space.

[mtravel]

15 hours ago, Brian Kirby said:

My fault, I didn't make what I meant very clear.  🙂  It was exactly the request for the vehicle height I was referring to.  Once you say it is a motorhome or camper, so has to go onto taller decks or carriages, you tend to pay more than you would for a car of similar length - because it will take up some of that scarcer, higher, space.

Brian, I haven't been clear either.

Obviously, in 99% of cases, a motorhome must go to a deck of appropriate height.

Hence the statement that only the length counts affects the cost of the ferry.

Curiously, the price difference between less and more than six meters is minimal on long routes, for example on the Kristiansand (N) -Hirtshals (DK) (about four hours) they cost respectively € 132.00 and € 154.00 (Color or € 110.00 and € 162.00 (Fjord Line).

Very different that of the ferries inside Norway where the differences are considerable, below is a list of those collected at the time (the first cost is for vehicles under six meters, the second over):

Skarberget ‐ Bognes kr179 kr397

Forøy ‐ Ågskardet kr98 kr241

Vennesund ‐ Holm kr128 kr315

Kaupanger ‐ Laerdal kr119 kr266

Jektvik ‐ Kilboghamn kr245 kr592

Nesna ‐ Levang kr115 kr284

Lodingen ‐ Bognes kr245 kr592

Ytre Oppedal ‐ Lavik kr106 kr260

Arsvågen ‐ Mortavika kr460 kr542

Hodnanes ‐ Jektavik kr90 kr222

Jondal ‐ Tørvikbygd kr106 kr260

Melbu ‐ Fiskebøl kr152 kr368

Linge ‐ Eisdal kr82 kr205

Nesvik ‐ Hjelmeland (towards Preikestolen) kr82 kr205

Ropeid ‐ Sand (towards Preikestolen) kr70 kr200

Oanes ‐ Lauvvik (Hole) (From Preikestolen) kr82 kr205

Vennesund ‐ Holm kr128 kr315

Horn ‐ Anddalsvåg kr114 kr277

Tjøtta ‐ Forvik kr260 kr305

Nesna ‐ Levang kr115 kr284

Hellesylt ‐ Geiranger kr1,095 kr1,555

[John52]

The cross channel ferries charge the same for a 'small motorhome' up to 7 metres

 

[ernst]

dfds ferries dover calais or dunkirk charge any motorhome up to 10 mtrs 

it will depend on how far you are going to travel ,how many ferries ect

go with the layout that suits you dont worry to much about length.

[John52]

2 hours ago, ernst said:

dfds ferries dover calais or dunkirk charge any motorhome up to 10 mtrs 

 

up to 10 mtrs is 'large motorhome'

up to 7 mtrs is 'small motorhome'

 

[Keithl]

Guys,

It looks like you are all talking amongst yourselves here! The OP has not logged in since posting the question... "Last visited Monday at 07:03 PM"

[david lloyd]

Adrienne, as someone who, over the years, has owned many different leisure vehicles from BE camper to American RV and one or two caravans in between, I have never put too much emphasis on the length of the vehicle - although it does have some bearing on how usable/enjoyable your experience will be in certain circumstances.

Perhaps the most important advice you have been given so far is more to do with how you intend using the van - and you may not be able to answer that fully yet if it is your first one. It is not uncommon to see Motorhomes for sale at one year old or less and many of these will be from people who made the wrong choice - I speak again from experience.

if, after looking over an assortment of Motorhomes at dealers or shows, you are still unclear about what would suit you best, then renting one of the type you THINK may suit is a good option. When looking at Motorhomes during your search my advice would be to first make a list of the things that you think your ideal vehicle

Must Have, Should Have and Could Have

When you get to see a vehicle in the flesh and after the first flush of ‘this is lovely’ start to work your way around it. Sit on the seats pretending you’re watching TV, lie on the bed - if it has to be made up then make it up to see what that entails. Stand in the kitchen and imagine where everything will go - how you would actually prepare and cook a meal. Set up the dining table. In the bathroom pretend to have a shower to see if you will get any bruises and try finding your face over the beautiful table top bowl without cracking your head on the handy cabinet above it or the shiny tap that doesn’t swivel out of the way.

a little tongue in cheek, I know, but believe me these vehicles are a very different beast once they are out of the showroom and in practical use!

One other thing you may consider, if you have not got your heart set on a panel van conversion, is a small, narrow coachbuilt - of which there are many around. Our present van is a coachbuilt and at 6.15 metres long and only 2.2 metres wide has an across the rear bathroom with separate shower, a good size, well equipped L shape kitchen, twin opposing settees that make a double bed or two singles and, of course, swivel front seats. It is a layout we find is probably the best we have used so far. A friend who has bought his first van, after years of caravanning, came to see our previous PVC to see if they would feel comfortable in a 6 metre van and thought yes it would probably suit. However, following some of the above advice (and with no coercion from me) has bought a 6 metre coachbuilt with twin rear settees, side kitchen and side bathroom opposite as they felt it was much more comfortable in pretty much the same footprint.

It’s a huge decision but enjoy the ride and I hope you get to buy the right van for you.

David