Cycle storage inside, any suggestions of models to consider?

[Scottish Scrutineer]

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

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

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.

n+1

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

Thank you all for the suggestions and comments so far. The short-list is getting longer
Off to the Adria dealer this weekend , and maybe the following one will be looking at the German offerings.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

We had a look at an Adria Compact SL yesterday. Big garage, 2m long beds, nice layout and finish. Unlike other Fiat based options, the cab window blinds were much neater integrated and the windscreen blind did not reduce the height of the upper edge as much as others. Also the offset to the steering wheel did not seem as pronounced, maybe they use a different swivel mechanism?
Still going to look at the Knaus 640 Meg on the MAN/VW cab next week as I’m not that confident about Fiats, especially with the automatic gearboxes. Weinsberg and Chausson are another manufacturers models that we want to look at after the recommendations here.

 

[Abgs]

I've had a Carthago Compactline 138 and now a Hymer MLt. Both are slimline at 2.12 m wide, have decent length beds - ( I'm 6'3'), and good sized garages.

Decent garages for bike storage was a major criteria for me - I can get my XL Specialized Ebike in either garage without resorting to removing the front wheel.

I'd throughly recommend either of them, but for different reasons. The Carthago for build quality, the double floor and amazing amount of usable storage space for it's 6.4m length. The Hymer for the All Wheel Drive system, and general look of thuggishness!

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[379inca]

We had a look at an Adria Compact SL yesterday. Big garage, 2m long beds, nice layout and finish. Unlike other Fiat based options, the cab window blinds were much neater integrated and the windscreen blind did not reduce the height of the upper edge as much as others. Also the offset to the steering wheel did not seem as pronounced, maybe they use a different swivel mechanism?
Still going to look at the Knaus 640 Meg on the MAN/VW cab next week as I’m not that confident about Fiats, especially with the automatic gearboxes. Weinsberg and Chausson are another manufacturers models that we want to look at after the recommendations here.

Also check out the Knaus 650 meg. Basically the same as the 640 but with 10cm more headroom and the over head lockers above the beds are also mounted higher making it easier to prop yourself up in bed. (Very important for the morning cuppa). The MAN/VW chassis is an excellent easy drive with a smooth shifting auto box. We have had ours just over a year and covered 11,000 miles with no problems. Easily holds 2 full sized e mountain bikes (one is xl frame)in the garage without having to remove the front wheels. From memory the garage doors are bigger than the Adria compacts. (They were on our shortlist too).
An added advantage is it hardly uses any adblue. We haven’t had to top up once yet with an indicated range of 16000 miles still showing.

 

[Stoosal]

Benimar Tessoro 483. End of line now so may get a deal?

 

[Brains]

Thank you all for the suggestions and comments so far. The short-list is getting longer
Off to the Adria dealer this weekend , and maybe the following one will be looking at the German offerings.

Our short list got so long that we made some basic decisions to go right at the top of the list.

1st decision was to only buy a German van: On the basis they were mostly well built and they really were winterised.
2nd decision was no wood construction: Very few of the German vans used wood construction, so this was easy.
The 3rd decision (Which we might have been a bit flexible on) was if you are going for a german top, then get a matching German bottom as well, which means Mercedes rather than Fiat.

Once got rid of those on the list that did not fit the spec above, the list got a lot smaller!

We then got a Mercedes Hymer MLT
Twin beds over a massive garage
Under 7m