Dedicated Van for Motorhome

[Mixyblob]

Currently sat in an aire looking at all the different coachbuilt motorhomes and I would say that 90% of them have a Sevel made base vehicle.
All of them have a cab which is substantially narrower than the body.
Can anyone explain why no vehicle manufacturer appears to makes a base vehicle the same width as the most popular coachbuilt bodies.
Surely motorhome converters would jump at the chance to produce a more aesthetically pleasing motorhome based on such a vehicle.
Of course there are A class motorhomes but I know absolutely bot all about them and even less about what lurks under their brick shaped exterior. Apologies to all A class owners, no offence meant.

 

[Guigsy]

This A class has had a bit of a frontal and side

View attachment 755284
View attachment 755283

I'm not convinced a semi-integrated would be better in any way that counts. The passenger compartment would be roughly the same and it'd still be a total wreck.

 

[Pausim]

As the 'cab' area of the vehicle is wider than a fiat cab then unless the drivers seat is relocated to the right the you will naturally be further in from the side of the vehicle (at the cab point).

I specifically said no further from the widest part of the vehicle. Yes further from the side in the cab area making it less cramped and removing the false impression of a narrower vehicle.

 

[Westbarn1]

I hope the occupants came off okay, that is a sad sight and to be fair, it looks like it held together fairly well, considering.

 

[Lenny HB]

Do you have any links please Lenny HB

Can't find the one I was thinking of this one is a bit extreme but you can see the end result is similar for an A Class & CB.

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[EuroTrotters]

Any particular reasons?

I find them easier to drive, judge and feel somewhat safer.

We have had a Big Overcab, Big A class, A La Strada Nova M (not sure how you would class that) and currently a Hymer A Class.

A Class are great on site mind.

 

[Jacasino]

This discussion puts me in mind of the MB Vario which was 2.2 metres wide, it was over 3.5 tonne empty though,

I think Mercedes dropped it in the early 2000s, in the eighties we had forward control Iveco Z100 vans fitted with Deutz 5 cylinder diesels, they flew even though they were fitted with light armour. Just as flat fronted as an A Class - they quickly went rusty of course.

I guess Mercedes and Iveco found that the market for wide, heavy vans was better served with a chassis cab derivative.

Bring back the Commer Walkthrough

 

[Pausim]

As regards distance from the front then I need access to an A class and a measuring stick to clarify that point, but it always appears to me that there is a lot of 'nothing' between the driver and the bottom front of the windscreen.

Hope these pictures help. From the driving position the dash slopes down giving a clear view of what is just in front of the vehicle, you can also clearly see the top edge of the bonnet. The second picture shows that the bonnet is near vertical from the top edge and only protrudes further forward by a few centimetres.

 

[uzsnowdrop]

It's what makes forum discussions interesting!

Anyway, simple answer to the original question is that it's not worth the manufacturers time/cost. Not big enough market to make money.

It's what makes forum discussions interesting!

Anyway, simple answer to the original question is that it's not worth the manufacturers time/cost. Not big enough market to make money.

For sure if you start your title with ‘Help neede’ you almost always get a prompt and helpful answer,

Anything else can go popcorny quite quickly, especially the old chestnuts
Dogs
Toilets
Awnings
Oven or not
A class v working class

 

[VXman]

My favourite looking front end is the Ford base coach-built motorhomes. Like the big bonnet - slighty American look.

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[Lenny HB]

My favourite looking front end is the Ford base coach-built motorhomes. Like the big bonnet - very American looking.

I think they are ugly, it's only like that so they can fit a north/south drive train for the US market.

 

[Pausim]

My favourite looking front end is the Ford base coach-built motorhomes. Like the big bonnet - slighty American look.

How much does that big bonnet add to the overall length? The F72 is 7.32m long.

 

[VXman]

I think they are ugly, it's only like that so they can fit a north/south drive train for the US market.

Well, as the saying goes - 'Beauty is the eye of the beholder.'

 

[dunnah01]

Currently sat in an aire looking at all the different coachbuilt motorhomes and I would say that 90% of them have a Sevel made base vehicle.
All of them have a cab which is substantially narrower than the body.
Can anyone explain why no vehicle manufacturer appears to makes a base vehicle the same width as the most popular coachbuilt bodies.
Surely motorhome converters would jump at the chance to produce a more aesthetically pleasing motorhome based on such a vehicle.
Of course there are A class motorhomes but I know absolutely bot all about them and even less about what lurks under their brick shaped exterior. Apologies to all A class owners, no offence meant.

I think the base van width is worked around a standard freight pallet width. No point being much wider internally than a pallet so exterior width is pretty much fixed. No huge benefits for budget vans to remove the chassis cab steel and replace it with lots of plastic instead. Once you start upping the price you can add the bling and form an A-Class

 

[VXman]

How much does that big bonnet add to the overall length? The F72 is 7.32m long.
View attachment 755829

That's an interesting question that I don't know the answer to. However, it does raise the point - maybe manufacturers should give the size of the habitation area not just the length of the vehicle. I guess some longer vehicles could actually have less space than shorter ones.

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[Lenny HB]

That's an interesting question that I don't know the answer to. However, it does raise the point - maybe manufacturers should give the size of the habitation area not just the length of the vehicle. I guess some longer vehicles could actually have less space than shorter ones.

Strange with caravans they always give both internal and external lengths but not Motorhomes.
I also notice some converters where they offer the same layout on a Ducato & a Sprinter the Sprinter is longer. I've checked and distance from steering wheel to the front of the vehicle is the same for both.

 

[cyberyacht]

Not all coachbuilts are significantly wider than the cab. My previous Marquis(Elddis Accordo) was 2.14, so only 8cm wider than the cab. Current Compactline A Class is 2.12, so again not much wider than a standard cab. Judging bonnet length isn't that hard. Biggest issue with motorhomes is probably the swing at the back, particularly if you have a long overhang.

 

[peterc10]

Not sure I understand your point (or was it a joke I don't get?)

A classes come in all shapes and sizes. Normal vans (what's a normal van?) come in all shapes and sizes. I was referring to the positioning of the driver in relation to the cab sides and front in an A class. I.e. further back from the front end of the vehicle and further in from the sides.

That is a complete fallacy. The distance from where I sit to the front of my Fiat based A class is the same as the distance of my previous Fiat based C class. It is still based on the same chassis. The reason the screen is further forward is because it takes up the external area of the bonnet in the C class. That, and the extra width, gives us a more spacious cab area.

The difference in driving experience is that now I am looking through a panoramic window rather than a letterbox. I am not very tall but I found in my previous C class that the extra height of the swivel seat meant I had to lower my head to see all of the road when we got to hills.

There are other advantages with an A class such as better insulation and heating in the cab area. I would never go back to a C class. If I wanted to downsize I would go for a PVC, with an electric sliding door, but that would start another discussion.

 

[DerryW]

As the 'cab' area of the vehicle is wider than a fiat cab then unless the drivers seat is relocated to the right the you will naturally be further in from the side of the vehicle (at the cab point). Maybe different A class models/manufacturers are different. Some I have seen definition look like the driver/passenger are sitting in the middle of a space with lots of room between them and the side windows. Can you drive with your arm out the window on A class? (Not that I do that but just as a test)

As regards distance from the front then I need access to an A class and a measuring stick to clarify that point, but it always appears to me that there is a lot of 'nothing' between the driver and the bottom front of the windscreen.

By the way, I'm not anti A class. I think some look awful but I also like some. Sadly the ones I like are beyond what I consider reasonable to pay for a motorhome.

I second your last paragraph. Ho how I would like a nice Adria, Hymer or even a Carthago A class sitting in the drive. But I too cringe at £150k and that’s before you start adding all the boys toys.
But as I always say each to their own.

The nice thing is no matter what the mode of transport 99% of people who own / drive a MH are all like minded when you meet them and start chewing the fat. That’s what so good about being a MHomer.

 

[eddie]

Some manufacturers do take things seriously.

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[Lenny HB]

Some manufacturers do take things seriously.

Obviously a real life test for everyday situations.

 

[eddie]

Winnebago are the only manufacturers that bolt a safety hawser onto the back of the fridge freezer to stop it going through the windscreen after killing the occupants en route after a collision

The reason they drop every model on the roof is to redesign anything that comes loose

 

[tonyysue]

Currently sat in an aire looking at all the different coachbuilt motorhomes and I would say that 90% of them have a Sevel made base vehicle.
All of them have a cab which is substantially narrower than the body.
Can anyone explain why no vehicle manufacturer appears to makes a base vehicle the same width as the most popular coachbuilt bodies.
Surely motorhome converters would jump at the chance to produce a more aesthetically pleasing motorhome based on such a vehicle.
Of course there are A class motorhomes but I know absolutely bot all about them and even less about what lurks under their brick shaped exterior. Apologies to all A class owners, no offence meant.

Buy an A Class!

 

[Mixyblob]

Buy an A Class!

Other than not wanting another motorhome, an A class would be at the very bottom, no, not even on my shopping list.

 

[peterc10]

Can anyone explain why no vehicle manufacturer appears to makes a base vehicle the same width as the most popular coachbuilt bodies.
Surely motorhome converters would jump at the chance to produce a more aesthetically pleasing motorhome based on such a vehicle.
Of course there are A class motorhomes but I know absolutely bot all about them and even less about what lurks under their brick shaped exterior. Apologies to all A class owners, no offence meant.

The motorhome market is a cottage industry and no vehicle manufacturers (except VW with small vans) makes dedicated motorhomes. Instead converters take different types of chassis based upon standard van and truck chassis and add the motorhoming bit on. Most use van a chassis and so they are only as wide as your standard courier van or small flatbed. But converters do make them wider as you requested and they are called A class coach builds. In addition higher end converters use a truck chassis and make the motorhome the width of the truck cab, although most don't use the cab chassis. But they just look like larger A classes. So you can get what you want but you don't like the look of them.

Aesthetics are personal. Personally I do not like the look of the C classes as they remind me of a bastard love child conceived when a caravan rear ended a flatbed truck. And it's like a poor wig; you can always see the joint. But aesthetics are only part of the decision you make when buying a motorhome. Practical matters, like payload, layout and build quality are more important if you are going to be inside it a lot of the time. But if you don't like the look of the A classes on the market you are stuck with a C class or a PVC.

Other than not wanting another motorhome, an A class would be at the very bottom, no, not even on my shopping list.

Have you actually ever been in one?

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[Guigsy]

A-classes do have good visibility. Unless it's raining and you've got a model that uses the standard Ducato windscreen wipers clearing only the centre of the screen that's now significantly further away from you.

 

[Mixyblob]

The motorhome market is a cottage industry and no vehicle manufacturers (except VW with small vans) makes dedicated motorhomes. Instead converters take different types of chassis based upon standard van and truck chassis and add the motorhoming bit on. Most use van a chassis and so they are only as wide as your standard courier van or small flatbed. But converters do make them wider as you requested and they are called A class coach builds. In addition higher end converters use a truck chassis and make the motorhome the width of the truck cab, although most don't use the cab chassis. But they just look like larger A classes. So you can get what you want but you don't like the look of them.

Aesthetics are personal. Personally I do not like the look of the C classes as they remind me of a bastard love child conceived when a caravan rear ended a flatbed truck. And it's like a poor wig; you can always see the joint. But aesthetics are only part of the decision you make when buying a motorhome. Practical matters, like payload, layout and build quality are more important if you are going to be inside it a lot of the time. But if you don't like the look of the A classes on the market you are stuck with a C class or a PVC.


Have you actually ever been in one?

No, I've never even thought about it.

 

[peterc10]

A-classes do have good visibility. Unless it's raining and you've got a model that uses the standard Ducato windscreen wipers clearing only the centre of the screen that's now significantly further away from you.

Never heard of that and I suspect that will fail an MOT. Our Hymer A class has three 21" wiper blades that provide a large swept area. What model are you referring to?

 

[pappajohn]

You won't find a car manufacturer who makes a model specifically for disabled drivers.....not financially viable for the number they would sell

 

[peterc10]

Some manufacturers do take things seriously.

When Hymer first brought out their PAUL sandwich panels for wall and roofs for their caravans and motorhomes they photographed a motorhome parked on a caravan roof to show how strong it was.

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[Lenny HB]

Never heard of that and I suspect that will fail an MOT. Our Hymer A class has three 21" wiper blades that provide a large swept area. What model are you referring to?

No problems with my wipers and only have two but they are 26" & my vans a bit narrower.