Going large as a first timer

[Bfb1150gs]

On our search for our first motorhome we have found a few large 6 wheel motorhomes in our price range and as we are thinking of going full time in it the extra room is very tempting... Plus I'm not a lightweight if you know what i mean so the extra room would make life a lot easier... But as a first timer taking such a large vehicle on the road is a bit daunting but we both got a c1 licence and i got a bit of experience moving lorries around our works yard but never on the road... And how restrictive is it using such a large vehicle... I know i couldn't get to some places i love in Scotland in such a large motorhome.... How do others find using a 7m+ motorhome on the roads?

 

[David and Sally]

It might help if you use a sat nav system that you can input your dimensions into. We have a Garmin Camper and I exaggerate the dimensions slightly for a bit of safety. Works well in avoiding unsuitable roads.

 

[Bfb1150gs]

It might help if you use a sat nav system that you can input your dimensions into. We have a Garmin Camper and I exaggerate the dimensions slightly for a bit of safety. Works well in avoiding unsuitable roads.

I've got a sygic navigation app on my phone that i can upgrade to include campervan dimensions for 40 quid... Gonna do that when i get wherever we end up with and see how it goes.... A lot cheaper than a standalone tomtom/garmin...

 

[Jake Royd]

Similar to above I use Copilot which also tries to route you appropriately.
Many here will agree when driving it's width that is the main issue not length and you are no wider than a shorter motorhome, 2.3m.
Yes , length will limit parking and manoeuvring etc.
For this , plan ahead and always Google "motorhome parking in ..........." Or use S4S etc.

 

[ChrisL]

My first motorhome is 8.2 mtrs, however I do have experience of driving 7.5 tonne trucks. I would suggest you get in touch with an HGV school and have a couple of lessons, it will give you the experience and confidence to either go ahead or go for something smaller. That said, just take your time and plan your travelling for off peak times.

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[Mr porky]

On our search for our first motorhome we have found a few large 6 wheel motorhomes in our price range and as we are thinking of going full time in it the extra room is very tempting... Plus I'm not a lightweight if you know what i mean so the extra room would make life a lot easier... But as a first timer taking such a large vehicle on the road is a bit daunting but we both got a c1 licence and i got a bit of experience moving lorries around our works yard but never on the road... And how restrictive is it using such a large vehicle... I know i couldn't get to some places i love in Scotland in such a large motorhome.... How do others find using a 7m+ motorhome on the roads?

We have a 8.2m length motorhome.
I do have a lot of hgv driving experience.
We have been down many a small road in Cornwall/Devon and those picturesque villages in france can be challenging.
Just take your time and don't get flustered.
A sat nav you can input your dimensions into is a must have piece of kit.
We considered a smaller vehicle but in the end decided as we spend 9 months of the year in our motorhome it has to be comfortable with a separation between the bedroom and the lounge.
Occasionally we can't get to somewhere we want to go in the motorhome but then you have the option of buses/trains and trams.

 

[Carpmart]

I’m not sure 7m is considered large? It’s more an average sort of length.

With longer Motorhomes it’s just manoeuvres which require a little more thought. Longer wheelbases and in particular large rear overhangs mean lots of rear swing, which needs consideration when manoeuvring.

Other than the above and size relative to parking spaces, they are easy peasy.

 

[The joker]

On our search for our first motorhome we have found a few large 6 wheel motorhomes in our price range and as we are thinking of going full time in it the extra room is very tempting... Plus I'm not a lightweight if you know what i mean so the extra room would make life a lot easier... But as a first timer taking such a large vehicle on the road is a bit daunting but we both got a c1 licence and i got a bit of experience moving lorries around our works yard but never on the road... And how restrictive is it using such a large vehicle... I know i couldn't get to some places i love in Scotland in such a large motorhome.... How do others find using a 7m+ motorhome on the roads?

Mine's a reasonable size but not the largest, I find breathing in a lot helps As stated take your time, plan and you should be fine. I printed the dimensions/weights in large print metric/imperial for reference then put them on both sunvisor's so you and your co-driver always have a quick reference point just incase something unexpected pops up.

 

[Manic]

Getting a bigger motorhome doesn’t always mean you get more space

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

As a retired lorry driver I prefer driving our van to the car as you've got so much better visibility from the elevated driving position. Like the poster above the main thing to be aware of is if you have a large overhang at the back you have to be aware of the swing when leaving tight spaces, also invest in a satnav system which allows you to input your vehicles height which will generally route you to avoid low bridges, but don't trust it 100 percent always be aware of height restriction signs. It's easy to get seduced when looking for your first van but make sure that the layout suits your needs and you have sufficient payload. Use your mirrors very regularly, always be aware what's going on behind you. Good luck in getting the right van first time, don't rush it

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[Bfb1150gs]

As a retired lorry driver I prefer driving our van to the car as you've got so much better visibility from the elevated driving position. Like the poster above the main thing to be aware of is if you have a large overhang at the back you have to be aware of the swing when leaving tight spaces, also invest in a satnav system which allows you to input your vehicles height which will generally route you to avoid low bridges, but don't trust it 100 percent always be aware of height restriction signs. It's easy to get seduced when looking for your first van but make sure that the layout suits your needs and you have sufficient payload. Use your mirrors very regularly, always be aware what's going on behind you. Good luck in getting the right van first time, don't rush it

Thanks for reminding me of the rear swing from the overhang... Just realised i deal with that every day as i drive a sideloader in work and carry over 7m long slabs of timber on it and have to deal with the rear swing all the time... Forgot about that so thank you

 

[Orion]

I would suggest you get in touch with an HGV school and have a couple of lessons, it will give you the experience and confidence to either go ahead or go for something smaller. That said, just take your time and plan your travelling for off peak times.

This is a good idea. My youngest daughter recently took the course and her C1 test in order to drive her Iveco Eurocargo horse transporter. She gained a lot from the experience and it gave her the confidence to pass first time with a 100% clean sheet.

The free navigation app ‘Magic Earth’ has a Truck setting which can be set up for LxWxH dimensions, overall weight, axle weight, and maximum speed. I use it all the time on the Ducato Uconnect head unit via Apple CarPlay.

 

[Jev88]

If you want maximum space do consider American RV. We are 34 feet long and just avoid silly country lanes and all good. We do take bikes, motorbike or tow car depending on where we go.

 

[The Coops]

Who said size doesn't matter, ( I/we have a compact!) Apparently I can get into places that other motorhomes cannot reach

 

[Tombola]

Couple of hours in it and you'll be fine...have fun

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[Landy Andy]

A lot depends on where you wish to go. Europe is not a problem, but parts of the UK more consideration required.

 

[Brains]

We hired several before we bought.

Including a 36' American RV, which was fine in America, but no way would I own such a beast in Europe.
We also hired a 8.5m MoHo in Germany, again it was fine in Germany, but would be too large for the UK.
We hired a 6.7m MoHo for a UK tour and decided it was the perfect length for the UK

Therefore when we looked to buy, we put a maximum length of 7m as part of the spec.
We bought a 6.75m vehicle, which has been fine for the UK as well as extensive tours on the mainland over the last few years.

I'd be happy to live in it during the summer,
but I think any motorhome would not be where I want to be for an entire northern European winter.
An extra couple of meters is not going to make it much nicer.

Motorhomes are designed for short stays, moving on every few days.
If you intend to stay in one place for a week or two at a time then I'd be looking at a caravan, you get double the space for half the cost.

 

[nicholsong]

Thanks for reminding me of the rear swing from the overhang... Just realised i deal with that every day as i drive a sideloader in work and carry over 7m long slabs of timber on it and have to deal with the rear swing all the time... Forgot about that so thank you

With that experience you should have no trouble with a MH up to 8.5m.

Go for the one with the best layout and space for you.

 

[Bobandfay]

Our Motorhome is 8 meters only thing I find is with a long overhang I sometimes bottom out on the ramps on Ferries but having a tow bar it usually scrapes the ramp preventing any damage to the back of van just have to take time going up and down the ramp.

 

[funflair]

Our first MoHo was 8.5 metres I had towed previously and driven a van but nothing big so in at the deep end you could say, I guess that ground clearance could be a problem with longer overhangs on front wheel drive vans but a rear wheel drive chassis has more clearance and very often rear air suspension so not really a problem. If you are spending a lot of time in the van I think any slight inconvenience with the length is worth it for the extra space to live in.

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[DJIT]

We have a van so we can get most places - certainly everywhere that a DPD (or similar) delivery van can get - ours is 6.4m and some vans are over 7m.
In terms of driving it I think the added width would be more of an issue, although for parking and turning clearly the length is a factor.

 

[Ridgeway]

Width is typically much more challenging than length on a day to day basis. Length will restrict you here and there on some small sites but a wider van will be wider all day long on narrow roads.

Tags do get charged more on toll roads though.

 

[Bustup15]

In choosing a motorhome there's only 3 considerations.

Layout
Layout
Layout

Our 1st and only motorhome is 8.4m tag axle. Never regretted it, never stopped us going where we wanted. Well, until a small Italian village and a missed turn on the sat nav .......

You will quickly get used to driving a vehicle irrespective of size, just make sure the layout is what you want/need.

 

[Marie-Claire]

We are 9m tag axle , although the length has to be kept in mind it doesnt stop us going anywhere we would like, parking off grid can be an issue but a bit of thought and planning gets around it. We have e bikes so can get out and about , in the uk we take the toad if we are staying on a site and touring the area.

 

[Pixies]

We had an 8.6m tag, and didn’t have any issues driving it. But you are limited if you stay in campsites. Lots have limits on length, and even in France, lots of sites won’t accept tags because of the clientele who sometimes drive them. We were pleased in the end to downsize to a 7m van, and loving the freedom we have without losing that much usable space inside

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[Brains]

In choosing a motorhome there's only 3 considerations.

Layout
Layout
Layout

Our 1st and only motorhome is 8.4m tag axle. Never regretted it, never stopped us going where we wanted. Well, until a small Italian village and a missed turn on the sat nav .......

You will quickly get used to driving a vehicle irrespective of size, just make sure the layout is what you want/need.

In choosing a motorhome there's only 3 considerations.

Layout
Layout
Layout BUDGET!

 

[cyberyacht]

Came down from Ayr via Wanlockhead to Moffat. Wouldn't have wanted to do it in a 'biggie'. Going big means restrictions just as going small does.

 

[Bazzagas]

This is a good idea. My youngest daughter recently took the course and her C1 test in order to drive her Iveco Eurocargo horse transporter. She gained a lot from the experience and it gave her the confidence to pass first time with a 100% clean sheet.

The free navigation app ‘Magic Earth’ has a Truck setting which can be set up for LxWxH dimensions, overall weight, axle weight, and maximum speed. I use it all the time on the Ducato Uconnect head unit via Apple CarPlay.

Just downloaded that magic earth app..its quite good..haven't used it yet but have to see...
I've usually used Google maps and found it good , we travelled around France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Spain...with no problems , but I can't find anywhere on it to put my dimensions in...does any one know if that's possible
Thanks........

 

[CJK]

On our search for our first motorhome we have found a few large 6 wheel motorhomes in our price range and as we are thinking of going full time in it the extra room is very tempting... Plus I'm not a lightweight if you know what i mean so the extra room would make life a lot easier... But as a first timer taking such a large vehicle on the road is a bit daunting but we both got a c1 licence and i got a bit of experience moving lorries around our works yard but never on the road... And how restrictive is it using such a large vehicle... I know i couldn't get to some places i love in Scotland in such a large motorhome.... How do others find using a 7m+ motorhome on the roads?

As long as it’s not too wide and the wheelbase not too long, (I think shorter wheelbases are easier even with a big overhang) you can adjust to lengths. We travelled on lots of small roads in Scotland but you do have to be able to reverse out of trouble. We always reckon if you meet a boy racer, sit tight and he’ll reverse forever or whip by just fine but if it’s a ‘Sunday Afternooner’, they often sit in the middle of the road looking terrified and you have to reverse until a motorway size space opens up.

 

[zac]

We have an 8.5m tag axle. They're are only 2 of us and we have not had any issues driving in the UK or in Europe. We went for the layout that we wanted rather than compromise and I am glad we did. We regularly tow a small 4m car trailer as well so over 12m and still have not had any issues again uk or abroad. We plan where we are going and in fact it works out better as we don't ever head for the sites near beaches as they are always to crammed for our liking. Instead we head inland a bit then set up a Base and travel around in the car. Something I would also do if we were to full time.