Cycle storage inside, any suggestions of models to consider?

Scottish Scrutineer

Scottish Scrutineer

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Fife, Scotland
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"Newbie", but use day-van for short camping trips
Looking for some help in our search for suitable motorhomes, either coachbuilt or PVC. Our requirements are:
  • 2 berth minimum
  • I'm 1.86m (6'1") tall, so bed needs to be reasonably long
  • less than 7m overall length
  • Secure internal storage for 2x road bikes, not folding bikes, so need about 900-1000mm headroom
  • Either under-bed or garage
  • Automatic gearbox option
I've got a short list, but willing to consider any others that I've not yet found, and welcome any feedback on those on this list.
  • Adria Twin Sports
  • Adria Compact (SL?)
  • Rapido C03
  • Rapido C55
  • Auto-Trail Expedition 68
  • Auto-Trail 620G
  • Burstner Delfin
  • Swift Escape 684
  • Pilote 696D
  • Pilote Atlas A696G
Would prefer a slimline, hence the PCV thoughts. Both of us have C1 licences and I used to drive and instruct on HGVs. Hoping to tour UK and Western Europe.

TIA
 
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A lot of those listed are Fiat Ducato based. You may care to read the thread below when deciding upon chassis:

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Steering on Fiat Ducato

Sorry to hear that Jezza3553, hope they get the repairs done quickly. It’ll be interesting to see if anything comes of the reports to the DVSA. Presumably Fiat will come back with a "nothing to see here" type response to DVSA.
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk

A garage over either a transverse double or twin singles seems like your best bet. Personally I would look for something with roughly equal size access doors to both sides of the garage. Access on one side on mine is very small and is an utter pain at times!!
 
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We bought an Expedition 68 last year. Very happy with it. 2 eBikes under the bed not too much faffing. Made my own stand for the front axels. One point to consider is available payload which is very good on this van. eBikes are + associated gubbins are not light.

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cyberyacht said:
If you're happy to look at A Class, then Carthago Compactline - decent garage and slimline body.
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Perfect but they have been discontinued for 2025 model year however plenty in the supply chain so new ones will be avalible for quite some time.

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Scottish Scrutineer said:
How much clearance is there under the bed on your Twin Supreme? Going to go to Struans of Perth over the weekend.
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Height 745 x width 1040 x depth 1450

I get 2 Bromptons on the right, chairs and whirly in the middle and on the left hooks for cables and still room to get to the storage hatches on the left.

Much more storage than my old coachbuilt but you pay for it being slightly more cramped inside.

Depends on priorities and individual preferences but I’ve had the 640SLB, bought from Struans, for 4 years in March and no regrets.



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Take a look at the Mclouis fusion range of motorhomes, you may find something that works for you.
Paul
 
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cyberyacht said:
If you're happy to look at A Class, then Carthago Compactline - decent garage and slimline body.
Click to expand...

I think that suggestion is hard to beat. We had a Thule Veloslide in the back of ours, loads of space in the garage and super easy access with the bikes. Hard to beat a rear bed/under garage layout in that sense.
 
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We have a Knaus Sun Ti 650 meg that meets all your requirements, I’m 6.1 and the bed is more than long enough. We’re currently on tour round Portugal and Spain and have two Haibike trekking EBikes and a giant Revolt gravel bike in the garage, loads of room left for table, chairs and other junk we carry 😂😂, there will be loads of other brands offering the same layout. One thing to be careful of is the garage weight limit, I know your road bikes will be light but still worth considering for future incase your needs change.

I think the new Adria twin max has an option of slide out bike rack, Google or YouTube it as it’s a pvc and probably meets your requirements.
 
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Our 2 Fat tyre e-bikes in the garage of our Weinsberg CaraCompact 640Meg Pepper Edition. We use 2 toast rack frames for rear wheels, and a Decathlon Bike Frame Adaptor Bar for Bike Rack across the seat posts to hold the bikes steady, with bungees to the rail eyelets in the floor. The spare tyre is in the pics, and the tables and chairs, air windbreak, awning extra supports all sit comfortably when using in the warmer months:


​

 
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I know it's not a motorhome, but what about the new Malibu Genius?. It has a garage for two bikes and it's built on a Mercedes base. I like campervans for many reasons over a motorhome to but one main reason, it will be more durable in the event of any accident and maybe more easy to repair. I'd feel safer in a campervan.

Probably opened myself up to some flack from the motorhome owners. Might just hide out inside the bunker for a while 😁.
 
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Adria Compact DL I am 187 cm and no problems, Folding pedals are a must whatever you buy to stop you barking your shins getting bikes in and out of the garage. Makes a massive rear bed out of the two singles I have a Fuji mountain bike and have to turn the bell over on the handlebars to fit it in the garage

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Hymer Exsis-i 576 or 580 have a big garage.

The 576 has BIG doors on both sides.
The 580 only on the right hand side (there are 2 doors - but left hand side is too small for a bike)
 
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Scottish Scrutineer said:
Chausson S697 is another contender
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We have one. Our first motorhome, we've had about 15mths. (Ours is a manual Ford chassis) Our two bikes are easy to put in the garage with the front wheels off and bars turned (We also have a rear rack but travel with the bikes 'hidden') One e-bike and either a Mtn, Road or Gravelbike (I made a simple wooden rack with fork mounts and just an old toe clip strap around the back wheel/timber base.
The van is 6.65m long and is a slimline so doesn't feel big at all. Twin beds, I'm 6ft and have no issues with bed length.
Happy hunting
 
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And when you’ve decided on your van, I’d echo Ridgeway ‘s recommendation of the Thule Veloslide. Expensive, but makes such a difference when getting bikes out and putting them away. A lot of our trips are cycling based, so they are in and out every day. Had to take the pedals off in our previous van due to space constraints and that slowly became a complete pain in the a….!
 
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Hymer MLT series would tick all the boxes.

If you get the 580 size the wardrobe can be made a half size cupboard, which then makes the 6'1" bed on the right side, can be about 6'7"

Internal height is about 7'

Massive under bed locker, big enough for a motorbike, easily fits two bikes and still enough room for our gazebo, inflatable canoe, food, and all the other 'useful stuff we may need'

Available as a 3.5t, 3.8t (Standard) and 4.1t

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Oh and on the garage size, you can never have too large a garage when it comes to push bike, you may want to take a spare😂

I’ve been known to take 3 bikes with me😮‍💨 although now often take 2.5 with different wheel sets giving me an endurance bike as well as something that can handle anything up to singles

Now we need to squeeze a tandem in as well.
 
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We get two MTBs in our garage easily (as well as a large dog trailer, two chairs two tables a mini oven a hammock, gas "bbq" folding ladder + 6 crates of assorted tools, fairy lights, beach toys, picnic sets, bike spares, etc etc. Dethleffs Globebus T7. Queen size island bed above the garage as well.
 
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Oh yes! We travel with 2 gravel bikes, each with a set of road wheels and off-road wheels, and 2 Bromptons for all the local pottering around. Or a dog.
 
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