Downsizing. Do you have to be small/thin/agile to make a pvc work for you?

[Blue Knight]

Payload from 330kg according to their website, plus the Mercs are not a paper exercise to up plate!

Yes, you're right there Jez. We included the Elara in Jim's Teenie Weenie Payload thread in August; here it is:

 

[carolyn]

You can only uprate it to 3850kg without doing things to the rear suspension as well so even more cost. We looked at it about 6 months ago. Obviously there is a technological term , it might have been air suspension but I had zoned out by then as I didn’t want one!

 

[Minxy]

2.22m wide, a PVC is 2.05m wide, so that's 17cm more, nearly 7 inches. Certainly not as wide as a lot at 2.30m or even 2.35m but still too fat for us!

But there are others, like the one you chose.

I'm not aware of any other makes that are as 'narrow' as the Carthago Compactline models at 2.12m wide though, are there any?

Look at an Exsis-T, at the point where the cabin joins the coach build part. You'll notice de width difference is very, very slight. The Exsis-T has the same width as an ML-T with an actual body width of 2.12m. 1.5 inch wider on each side.

The Exsis and ML-T are 2.22m wide not 2.12m according to the blurb I've read, that's 7 inches inches more than a PVC and 4 inches more than a Carthago Compactline. We did look at Exsis a-classes previously but that extra 4 inches is just too much for us.

 

[StephDeLux]

I'm not aware of any that are as 'narrow' as the Carthago Compactline models at 2.12m wide.


The Exsis and ML-T are 2.22m wide not 2.12m according to the blurb I've read, that's 7 inches inches more than a PVC and 4 inches more than a Carthago Compactline. We did look at Exsis a-classes previously but that extra 4 inches is just too much for us.

Yeah, I know what's written on the price list. That's why I mentioned the actual width of the box and I said look at the motorhome, not a theoretical paper. The difference in witdh with a PVC is clearly shown at 0:56 in this video:





Here is an M-LT from behind:



You can see the lower part is wider than the rest of the motorhome. The 2.22m measures the widest part. But most of the motorhome is actually 2.12m. It is the same thing with the Exsis-T:




Now, regarding other brands:

• Adria Compact: 2.12m
• Bürstner Travel Van: 2.2m
• Dethleffs Globebus: 2.2m (again, having seen it "in the flesh", this is the width of the lower part. The box is not as wide)
• Carado Van: 2.14m

 

[Minxy]

Yeah, I know what's written on the price list. That's why I mentioned the actual width of the box.

Here is an M-LT from behind:



You can see the lower part is wider than the rest of the motorhome. The 2.22m measures the widest part. But most of the motorhome is actually 2.12m.

I understand what you are saying but with it's fat 'bottom' bit it could still make it interesting to drive on some narrow roads etc, especially to the places we go (assuming hubby won't want to wrap it up in cotton wool!).

Below are a couple of photos of our previous camper next to our Carthago, you'll notice that the Globecar had some wheel arch trims which in reality probably added 1-2cm overall to the width of the basic van, so probably around 2.07cm width. The Carthago has some wheel arch trim bits too so the main body is probably nearer 2.10m, or maybe just under. One advantage though is that we have the bus mirrors which don't stick out as much as standard mirrors so that they will go 'over' the top of the mirrors on most cars/4x4/vans and especially idiotic motorhome driver's mirrors too (it was a stupid MH who slammed the mirror on a previous camper of ours!).

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[Beemobile]

I'm so pleased I downsized, my previous was a five birth and I loved it but it was hard at times to pop to shops, navigate narrow roads, backing it when on my own was tricky at times. I got shot of it and now have a 5 mtr 2 birth with loo, shower, kitchen, just right for me and the dogs, for my summer away days it's ideal, but it wouldn't do for constant living in, horses for courses I guess.

 

[Stumpie]

Don’t think I would have been relaxed doing this in our old coach built?

 

[Lusky]

Is that Woodhyde by chance ?

 

[Stumpie]

Yes it is, well guessed