Tam, Jade and Franky's European Adventure

tonyidle said:
That and the fact that they're just not an A class :).
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I agree. I think I would find a PVC a little claustrophobic after the big window and lots of light of an 'A' Class, especially our 2003 Arto.

I also agree with Tam that the extra width is not a big disadvantage - not after having driven 7.5t trucks in some quite narrow streets in London; once had to turn one round into a doorway on a narrow lane in the City, which was very tight and I even got an applause from the patient Black Cab driver when I achieved it.

Geoff
 
I do still think coachbuilt do have their advantages too though , it depends on your usage ...i quite like to shut of the cab sometimes it gives some privacy without closing the blinds and making it obvious.
And I sometimes think it would make the back warmer in winter. So I'm ruling out neither of those.
 
nicholsong said:
I agree. I think I would find a PVC a little claustrophobic after the big window and lots of light of an 'A' Class, especially our 2003 Arto.

I also agree with Tam that the extra width is not a big disadvantage - not after having driven 7.5t trucks in some quite narrow streets in London; once had to turn one round into a doorway on a narrow lane in the City, which was very tight and I even got an applause from the patient Black Cab driver when I achieved it.

Geoff
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The difference between taking a panel van or truck down narrow lanes is that in one of either if you do happen to catch something you get away with very little damage or non at all but with a coach built because of the construction you are not going to get off so lightly,,Have reversed arctic tipper through a hawthorn hedge in the past to turn round with no damage but dare not brush against one with a coach built,,,BUSBY,,
 
nicholsong said:
I agree. I think I would find a PVC a little claustrophobic after the big window and lots of light of an 'A' Class, especially our 2003 Arto.

I also agree with Tam that the extra width is not a big disadvantage - not after having driven 7.5t trucks in some quite narrow streets in London; once had to turn one round into a doorway on a narrow lane in the City, which was very tight and I even got an applause from the patient Black Cab driver when I achieved it.

Geoff
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Ahh, but if you want a narrow van now you don't have to have a PVC - there are some A class vans that are about the same width as a PVC, but with a greater feeling of space due to the squarer shape, larger windows and higher ceiling.

Not that I'm doing down PVC's - I can see the attraction of them. Each to their own and what is right for one is not right for another, and all that.

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Northernraider said:
I do still think coachbuilt do have their advantages too though , it depends on your usage ...i quite like to shut of the cab sometimes it gives some privacy without closing the blinds and making it obvious.
And I sometimes think it would make the back warmer in winter. So I'm ruling out neither of those.
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Conversely, the cab area of an A class must be better insulated than a coachbuilt. My van is a coachbuilt with a "separate" cab, it's separated by a curtain from the back and is not intended to be used when on site, the seats don't swivel. It gets seriously cold in there so if it was intended to be used as part has area of the van, I think it would leak heat like mad. The exposed painted steel of the inside of the doors gets condensation on it at times.

The curtain does do a surprisingly good job of keeping the had area warm, but it also seems like such a waste of space to not use the cab and the rather comfy seats therein.
 
Feltwell said:
Ahh, but if you want a narrow van now you don't have to have a PVC - there are some A class vans that are about the same width as a PVC, but with a greater feeling of space due to the squarer shape, larger windows and higher ceiling.

Not that I'm doing down PVC's - I can see the attraction of them. Each to their own and what is right for one is not right for another, and all that.
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i can say i do miss the narrowness of a vw t2 or t25 , or the toyota hiace that was narrow . they fit really good down very narrow lanes with bushes etc sticking out . even the ldv convoys were too wide .
the change by so many to wider vans spoilt it .
once you get that bit bigger going a bit more bigger doesnt matter as you cant go there anyway.
i often wonder should i go back to an early vw or something like it .
here in cornwall there are so many places only the real narrow ones can go. same in spain etc . glad i carry a small m,bike for snooping around the narrow places .
 
These make a good selection of different solutions
 
We like the A class style, same width all way down the sides, and with the 584 we’ve got a huge area up front that gets used for all sorts of things when we’re stopped. I would love a garage tho!
Maybe in the next one!?!?

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Shrimp said:
We like the A class style, same width all way down the sides, and with the 584 we’ve got a huge area up front that gets used for all sorts of things when we’re stopped. I would love a garage tho!
Maybe in the next one!?!?
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You could trade it in for a big Frankia with a garage :D
 
I do like the Frankias but think yours would be too big for us.
I think when we change it will be to a 7 mtr van!
Got to get some dosh first tho!!!!
 
I really like the front styling of the new Frankias look similar to N&B now. Agreed would be nice to get one at 7Mtr length with the scooter garage at rear, but probably not possible. Great Specs but as expected you do pay for them.
Les
 
We went from an A Class to a panel van conversion 5 years ago and have just got another one. :h:
Love um .:LOL:
They are a bit marmite :eek: the previous owner that had it before us only managed a few months. :LOL:

But for us that have 5 months of continuous holiday it's never been so easy, go anywhere park anywhere. (y)
We had years of 'Oh this looks nice ' by the time you found somewhere to stop you gave up, :rolleyes: and that was without the trailer and Smart car. :D2 Bob.
 
Feltwell said:
Now if they could just make that layout in a narrow bodied van with a garage big enough to take a decent size motorbike.........

I have to say I don't quite get the focus on the length of a van. Unless you've got very specific circumstances, such as being very tight on driveway length, why does it matter if a van is say 6m or 7.5m? Neither will fit in a standard car park space. Ok there are occasions when the shorter van will have an advantage, but not many I think.

Whereas the width of a van makes a very real difference if you like to go to places with narrow roads - I'd far rather drive a 7.5m long 2.1m wide van down a very narrow road than a 6m long 2.3m wide van! Mine is 2.4m plus mirrors and I wish it was narrower.
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Most recovery firms don't work above 6 metres, it's also dearer on the ferry, and other things I can't think of at the moment.

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Nice spot of lunch in town today and then it was the Palm Sunday procession which is mostly focussed on the kids ...was nice to watch but that's me eastered out now so off up to the mountains for a day or two tomorow then might pop in to totana end of week ....will see.
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Northernraider said:
but that's me eastered out now
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Eastered out !!!! :Eeek: There's 7 more days & 5 with parades here still to go :rofl:. & the big ones don't start until wednesday for the kids & Thursday& Friday for the main event.

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gus-lopez said:
Eastered out !!!! :Eeek: There's 7 more days & 5 with parades here still to go :rofl:. & the big ones don't start until wednesday for the kids & Thursday& Friday for the main event.
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Yeah I might check out the Easter weekend ones in murcia city next week but need a change of scenery for a few days
 
Feltwell said:
Whereas the width of a van makes a very real difference if you like to go to places with narrow roads - I'd far rather drive a 7.5m long 2.1m wide van down a very narrow road than a 6m long 2.3m wide van! Mine is 2.4m plus mirrors and I wish it was narrower.
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On our 2nd narrow A Class, last one was 7.2m x 2.22m and current one 7.5m x 2.22m. Find them both easier to drive than the previous 2.35m wide van, although the current van is longer at 7.5m its easier as it has a shorter overhang and longer wheelbase than the last one.
 
Lenny HB said:
On our 2nd narrow A Class, last one was 7.2m x 2.22m and current one 7.5m x 2.22m. Find them both easier to drive than the previous 2.35m wide van, although the current van is longer at 7.5m its easier as it has a shorter overhang and longer wheelbase than the last one.
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Does 13cm really make that much difference?

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Nice Pics Tam.
Couldn't help but notice that it must be a very solemn ceremony, there was not a smile on anyone's face, not even the kids!:(
What propels some of those Floats, the ones with the long valence/skirts one guy was pointing towards?
Not the first Spanish hover craft by any chance?:D
Have a nice rest at Totana.
Les
 
TinaL said:
Nice Pics Tam.
Couldn't help but notice that it must be a very solemn ceremony, there was not a smile on anyone's face, not even the kids!:(
What propels some of those Floats, the ones with the long valence/skirts one guy was pointing towards?
Not the first Spanish hover craft by any chance?:D
Have a nice rest at Totana.
Les
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We were commenting at that yesterday some of the kids looked happy doing it mostly the younger ones but others looked bloody miserable. I figured it's one of two things, either they don't have a choice in doing it either by parents or school. Or they are told to look expressionless lol.
That said the speed it goes at and the fact it takes a whopping 4 hours to go from start to finish I reckon it's hard going on them.
The kids are off for a week from school and there's a parade every day of that week.

The floats that aren't carried are on wheeled carts , there's a driver at the front who steers and then several others pushing it , the skirt round the bottom hides them.
 
Another example if you go off the beaten track and are not afraid to explore little narrow and gravel roads you find beautiful places like this lost up in the hills

It's absolutely stunning!!
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