Oh dear we fell in love..

[lunarman]

According to the Bailey user manual the width is 2770 mm (9ft) mirrors extended, 2489mm (8' 2") mirrors folded.

 

[Jenka]

Reading the comments on the width and driving then perhaps there should be a test for MH as I've driven the NC 500 ,Cornwall and most of Europe with out problems by using common sense and a good map! As for Bailey they are good value and in my opinion with a good dealer the warranty work is authorised and completed in a timely manner. I personally think the German brands are badge snobbery.

 

[LesW]

Swapping MHs after a few years is a mug's game.

I read a letter in this months C&CC, the writer was saying he'd had twentynine motorhomes/caravans in 53 years, that's about every three years, (must be made of money).

He admitted that on 'occasions he had chosen wrongly'.

The point of his letter was advising other people how to buy the correct vehicle for themselves.

We bought our 14 years old Inca two years ago, we've not seen any other moho we'd swap it for.

 

[tonyidle]

I read a letter in this months C&CC, the writer was saying he'd had twentynine motorhomes/caravans in 53 years, that's about every three years, (must be made of money).

He admitted that on 'occasions he had chosen wrongly'.

The point of his letter was advising other people how to buy the correct vehicle for themselves.

We bought our 14 years old Inca two years ago, we've not seen any other moho we'd swap it for.

I agree with you. I look at my budget then choose the best van for me regardless of age. First van was a Elddis bought at 11 years old, second was our foray into A Class ownership with a Tabbert FFD - 20 years old when sold, third was a 2008 Hymer B584, and the fourth bought a year ago this month is a 2012 Le Voyager. I paid £40K less than the price when it was new - I shudder to think what the first owner lost on it (40K + dealer margin). We've motorhomed since 1999.

 

[ABZSteve]

Having read through this thread to date I cannot imagine the comments would be the same on a good German manufacturer' owners' forum, certainly not our Niesmann&Bischoff one.

For example people swapping MHs not long after purchase. I and at least one other Member of our quite small forum bought our N&B models as first MHs secondand about 9 years ago - ours is now 15 years old and only had minor spares(plastic bits in fridge, door hinge, oil pressure transmitter)

I do not know what Bailey are selling their MHs for, but we bought our Arto(2003) at 6 years old with 16,000 miles for £27,500. Another member has just bought the same model one year younger(2004) 40,000 miles for £25,000.

I seriously urge the OP and any others to consider good quality secondhand compared to what some owners consider dubious qualty at new prices.

Swapping MHs after a few years is a mug's game.

Geoff

Obviously a lot of mugs on this forum according to you then

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[Cheshirecat57]

Having read through this thread to date I cannot imagine the comments would be the same on a good German manufacturer' owners' forum, certainly not our Niesmann&Bischoff one.

For example people swapping MHs not long after purchase. I and at least one other Member of our quite small forum bought our N&B models as first MHs secondand about 9 years ago - ours is now 15 years old and only had minor spares(plastic bits in fridge, door hinge, oil pressure transmitter)

I do not know what Bailey are selling their MHs for, but we bought our Arto(2003) at 6 years old with 16,000 miles for £27,500. Another member has just bought the same model one year younger(2004) 40,000 miles for £25,000.

I seriously urge the OP and any others to consider good quality secondhand compared to what some owners consider dubious qualty at new prices.

Swapping MHs after a few years is a mug's game.

Geoff

Everone is different
OP has fallen for a new home so a second hand one probably wont do them

For the record, I’m a mug as you put it ( non taken)
I wouldnt touch a second hand motorhome with your barge pole, never mind mine

But isnt variety the spice if life

 

[Solwaybuggier]

As for Bailey they are good value and in my opinion with a good dealer the warranty work is authorised and completed in a timely manner. I personally think the German brands are badge snobbery.

I agree about the importance of a good dealer. But having had 2 British vans, the second a new Bailey, and then a used Carthago (German brand but ours is built in Slovenia) I can assure you it’s not just “badge snobbery.” It just sounds and feels more solid. Of course, though, a lot of components are from the same producers.

It’s surely a matter of personal choice. Personally, I’d always go for a used van over new - let someone else have the initial depreciation and the almost inevitable teething problems. (And of course on German vans the delights of the endless options list!). We bought a new Bailey because there were inevitably very few around soon after their first introduction, and were also drawn by the longer warranty cover.

On the comments about slow filling and draining on Baileys:
- on ours, grey waste draining was speeded up significantly by removing a push-in insert in the pipe. You line up the lugs on the tap, from memory, and can then remove the tap insert by pulling it out. There’s a an insert in the pipe which halves the waste diameter and doesn’t appear to serve any function! Replace the tap, job done. This was on a 2013 Approach, it may be different now but continued comments on slow draining suggest maybe not. I guess a google search will find more precise instructions.
- as for filling, we found that filling direct into the top of the tank (by lifting the access hatch by the bed and unscrewing the cap - probably model-specific whether this is possible?) speeds things up, but you do need to be careful! I know some owners fitted wider gauge pipe in the fill system, but I’m not that brave!

 

[Popeye]

I recall this being posted on here three years ago or so, certainly worth a look. At the same time I have seen the Bailey Scousebird has and it's lovely. My van is almost 9metres with the bike rack included, I would have struggled more with the extra width of the Bailey than I do with the length of mine.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

I recall this being posted on here three years ago or so, certainly worth a look. At the same time I have seen the Bailey Scousebird has and it's lovely. My van is almost 9metres with the bike rack included, I would have struggled more with the extra width of the Bailey than I do with the length of mine.

Now I have been told that it is not length but width that matters... or perhaps that was somthing else

 

[Popeye]

Now I have been told that it is not length but width that matters

Never mind the quality feel the girth.......

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[PeteH]

A Bailey isnt wide a US RV is wide

And some are TOO wide.. The one we wanted in the `states, we couldn't use in the UK!.

Having said that, I have had an R-V 30ft towing a 15ft twin axle trailer all up through North Devon. And if you like, delivering Static Caravans to some very obscure holiday home sites!. Now that's what I call "fun".

 

[Bart]

I have a 79-6, 2017, IT does have a few problems, Wrong rubber on front roof window causes whistling when over 45mph, (replaced by Bailey) Water fill, sink drain and draining of grey waste is slow due to small bore pipes. Dodgy seats in the dinette slide off, have to be gentle with the woodwork as it dents easily. It is low down to the ground, I have grounded under the drivers cab and at the rear. I now take more care!The internal lights are odd but a couple of on/off switches soon fix that.
However it has great heating, large Fridge with a good size Freezer, Microwave, Oven ,three gas rings and an electric ring, plenty of cupboard space. Plenty of room to roll around in and good pay load (Cat C D/L) The 160 bhp engine is plenty powerful and the stability with the AL CO chassis is good.
Value for money....definitely. Love mine.

Excellent thanks for the honest answers

 

[Bart]

We have the 75-2.
No issues yet with build quality.
There is one big design fault though.
When you hit a bump in the road if it's hard enough it opens the overhead lockers. We packed the edges out with foam pads which has stopped this.
Yes its wide. Theres no getting around the fact.
I was dreading our first trip out even considered cancelling the order.
Now it's natural it makes you a bit more aware of the road your on but as of yet no issues.
We bought mirror guards which make it look even wider to on coming traffic and tbh we get given the right of way a lot more than we did in the elddis.
The water filling system is a faf as you will need a water hog and whale external water pump for refills on site as a watering can wont work.
Any question just ask

Hi thanks for the reply , can I ask why a watering can is no use? As we currently use it mostly to fill our current Bessacarr E560.

 

[Paul and Kate]

The water inlet on the side of the motor home is totally different.
You need to use a whale filler block

 

[Blue Knight]

It's a wide old beast with a body width of 2.49m. We struggled with a 2.35m wide coachbuilt when touring the out-of-the-way areas of Scotland hence the reason why we went to a 2.05m wide PVC. The Bailey looks to be better suited to more accessible routes and caravan sites but it depends on what you want from a van.

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[Bart]

Now I have been told that it is not length but width that matters... or perhaps that was somthing else

I would say a combination of both, say you going through a narrowed double bend, tight left then tight right, well a shorter mh would deal with this situation than a long one with the risk of the longer one crossing over the middle line.

 

[Bart]

It's a wide old beast with a body width of 2.49m. We struggled with a 2.35m wide coachbuilt when touring the out-of-the-way areas of Scotland hence the reason why we went to a 2.05m wide PVC. The Bailey looks to be better suited to more accessible routes and caravan sites but it depends on what you want from a van.

Not to sit on a caravan site that's for sure,, mostly for the same as you by the sounds of it, to get around different places,, I am thinking more and more about ditching my new found love (the Bailey 79-6) and having another look for something a little more petite...... Ahh well true love and all that rubbish, its for fairytales

 

[Dazzler1969]

Bart,
We have just today decided on our 79-6 replacement! After an awful lot of leg work we have decided on a Pilote 650jg. Rear twin beds in a van the same length as a PVC and 2.3m wide. My wife finally decided she didn’t want to make a bed up every night and wouldn’t use the over lounge drop down bed! Got a great trade in deal and my new van has cracking payload and all the toys I would want!
I hope you manage to find what your after.
All the best
Darren

 

[Blue Knight]

Not to sit on a caravan site that's for sure,, mostly for the same as you by the sounds of it, to get around different places,, I am thinking more and more about ditching my new found love (the Bailey 79-6) and having another look for something a little more petite...... Ahh well true love and all that rubbish, its for fairytales

I wasn't happy with a 2.35m van and there were a fair few occasions when we turned around on some routes as it just didn't make sense to damage our new motorhome.

A PVC isn't for everyone but at 2.05m we are now sufficiently skinny enough to take on most of the roads.

Incidentally, we were visiting the camp site in Roy Bridge a few months ago and a Bailey van got well and truly stuck on the humpback bridge that gives access to the site. It was a rental van and the guys onboard apparently crapped themselves because they thought it had broken the chassis - poor things.

 

[tacr2man]

I work on the principle that most places have a bus service , so if a bus can go there so can I , its worked OK so far mind you finding a parking spot !!

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[PeteH]

Access to sites, has, I have to say never been an issue, Having done 24 point turns in some of North Yorkshire`s narrowest, or reversed hundreds of yards up narrow farm tracks, (often with a ditch either side!) because there is no turning room at the end!, before to-day. IMV once you get your head around the width and with sensible use of the mirrors, Navigating on 99% of the UK`s roads is no big deal. But then there are people who do not have spacial awareness, and who struggle to park a "Smart" in Tesco!. Training and practice are the key in my view, to the majority of the issues in that situation. And (most important) Confidence. As a previous poster said, If a place has (or as is increasingly the case, has had) a bus service, you can get any size of Motorhome there.

 

[Jim]

As a previous poster said, If a place has (or as is increasingly the case, has had) a bus service, you can get any size of Motorhome there.

Yes as a long time driver of wide motorhomes I’ve often heard that said. “If the bus, the skip lorry, the binman can get there, then so can I. That is of course true. the problems I have had over the years is finding them there, that is, the bus, the skip lorry and the bin man head on.

The other thing is that the skip and bin lorry don’t mind getting in a hedge when they meet other cars trucks and vans, whereas we are reluctant to do the same and collect the scratches.

As you say, planning is the key. To get to particular beach spots in Wales and in Cornwall we’ve taken a 36ft RV down miles of the tiniest roads where even if you find a passing place it’s too small. But we’d be doing it at 4am when the bin man and bus driver are in bed

 

[PeteH]

Yeah, and the Bus driver wont move until it`s his scheduled time, the Bin men need to finish their "snap" (and 20 more bins), and "Skippy" will tell you he`s off the "tacho".

Hey-Ho, the delights of motor-homing Eh?. Still many of the "off grid" places are worth the effort (mostly). AND more importantly life`s too short (and getting shorter) to spend too much time on "What if".

 

[Bart]

In a way a agree with the idea of "if a bus goes there then so can we" HOWEVER you have to bear in mind that most of the places we go to it will be our first time there and we would be looking for somewhere secluded to wild camp / Park. Not somewhere that the local bus would be driving to.

 

[Jim]

In a way a agree with the idea of "if a bus goes there then so can we" HOWEVER you have to bear in mind that most of the places we go to it will be our first time there and we would be looking for somewhere secluded to wild camp / Park. Not somewhere that the local bus would be driving to.

Don't worry, Bailey vans are not wide enough to get you into trouble and you'll enjoy the extra space once you have it where you want it.

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[steve 6644]

Is it an Approach or an Autograph?

The thing I saw was just so much much less than yours. I will try and find the layout,it was indefensibly crap.

And yes, I bought my first motor home about 18 years ago, A swift Sundance 590Rl followed by a fantastic Autotrail Cheyene 635 SE.

View attachment 285565
Are you sure motorhomes are for you?? As unlike a 5 bedroom house they are limited to spaces so things do end up beside other things,, here is a pic of our current MH with the fixed bed opposite the oven with zero issues for us in this relation.

 

[JonP]

Thanks Darren, what mh's have you had in the past size wise ? Just so I can get an idea of what your idea of a beast is, our current mh is 13cm narrower that the 79-6 Autograph BUT and an important BUT could be the fact that our current is 7.04 mtrs with the 79-6 Autograph being 7.98 mtrs, so nearly 1mtr longer.

Never found the length a problem other than the extra ferry costs, but width really can be an issue driving thru towns with cars parked at odd angle and ours is only 2.27 and when and if we downsize it will be to a compact line/van at 2.12

 

[c.sims680]

I am picking up my Bailey Autograph 79.4 from Don Amotts Hilton Derby,may be they could help you
Hope you have lots of fun in your van. I am definitely looking forward to it, although I will be sad to see our Swift Escape go

 

[Keypresser]

Bought my van from Southampton. Good deal but i found in the first year no other authorised dealer would touch it. I kive in north wales so in the first year the van did 750 miles going up and down the country having it fixed. I found that if you get a local service dealership to service and hab check the van they will do the warranty work but that was after the 1st year. 5/10 for Freeborn Southampton (now Wilmotts) and 10/10 for Spinneys Cheshire.

 

[fairford rambler]

I feel I can speak from experience here. My last motorhome was exactly what you want to purchase and I would not put you off at all and it's a fantastic motorhome. I only sold mine for one reason, and that was to downsize to a PVC. Downsizing would give me more freedom, because smaller and easier to get around in. They are well built now and are well designed and pretty bomb proof. Bailey are very accommodating with their owners anyway. Go with your gut instinct and you will not go far wrong. As for the warranty bit and taking it back, well you wont need to worry about that because there's always a way round that one! I never needed to get any warranty work done anyway.

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