Would love some advice,criticism or ideas.

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

As I have posted a couple of times recently, our free time that we have for motorhoming is now very limited.
We have a 5 berth , 6 belted coachbuilt Fiat Ducato of 2001 vintage which we have had for the past 5 years and enjoyed some good times.
Alas, it will now be dormant except for the usual run out to keep things sweet, and we are going to sell.
BUT, I don't really want to give up motorhoming, so we are looking at compromises.
Also, my car is getting a bit long in the tooth, and I would like something more upto date ( it's a 2008 Mercedes A class hatchback with 84k on it).
So. In order to avoid having one vehicle that will at best get maybe a couple of outings a year, and will still need all the bits like insurance, tax, mot and servicing, and another vehicle that will probably only do 6k a year getting to work and pottering about, but will also need tax, mot, insurance etc etc, my thoughts are heading towards replacing both with a day type van, with pop-top roof, rear seatbelted bed frame ( Rock and Roll type?), no bathroom and hot water, but with EHU facilities and fridge plus gas, similar to these vw transporter conversions, Mazda Bongos etc etc to use on a daily basis with the option of some sited camping/ campervanning when time permits.
Use will be mainly 2 persons when camping, but occasionally could have two smaller grandchildren ( 11 and 7) and I would want the facility of an awning or roll out canopy.
I would really appreciate thoughts, comments, ideas, pitfalls etc and welcome all, especially negative stuff on my thoughts.
One area that does concern me is the safety feasibility of the rear bed with inertia 3 point seat belts for transporting 2 children.
And, what are these sort of vans called?
Are they Campervans ,Dayvans, PVC conversions etc, and who actually commercially converts them from a van into a vehicle as described, and do they have any form of safety certification for the rear seats or crash-test conformation.?
I realise quite a few people have converted their own, but I just cannot do that, so I am exploring other avenues.
Please believe me, all comments are seriously welcome as we are at a crossroads in our short, but enjoyable motorhoming/ campervanning experience.
Thanks.

 

[davidroxburgh]

Fifer is a PVC done by East Neuk Motorhomes in Anstruther Scotland. When researching 5.4 meter vans we “did” some of Scotland and went to See them. Darren a Director was very helpful but had little certainty about an Auto we wanted.
We then bought a Wildax Pulsar which is as good as you can get in a matchbox!

 

[CAB96]

I would agree with much of what is written above.

A 'Day-van' is a term often used for a 'lite' conversion; often a 'crew' van / Kombi / Combi with a second row of seats, and with some form of sleeping / cooking arrangement in the back that folds over the back seats. A half-way house.

A full camper can be used as a single vehicle, many people do; you have the option of a pop-top roof or not; this will reduce cost but can be awkward unless you mostly camp in summer and use awnings / pop-up tents / cook outside etc.

I would echo Gromett , VWs are more expensive than equivalent Ford Transit Custom or Renault Trafic. The new Vauxhall Vivaro (and Peugeot / Citroen equivalent) are also slightly smaller than VW / Ford campers, which may make the compromise easier for day-to-day use.

Also echo the Devon Firefly; this is a 'rear-kitchen layout' campervan; google that term and you will find a dozen or more firms offering this; ours is a Leisuredrive Vivante VW, they also do this layout on Trafic and Transit Custom.

Often you get a loo in the back corner, which we have found invaluable, but you lose storage; the standard conversion with rock-n-roll type bench seat/bed usually has a large space below / behind for bedding, BBQ, chairs etc.

Best advice I can give: hire (beg/borrow/steal) one. You won't know if you can live with the compromise untill you have tried it.

 

[cyberyacht]

No-one has mentioned Romahomes if you want something fairly compact.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

No-one has mentioned Romahomes if you want something fairly compact.

Did think of those, but was not sure if they can carry 4 persons with forward facing belts?
Shall investigate further.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Parsloe]

Buy the car you need/want and stay in B&Bs or hotels for your limited number of trips, you’ll spend less than the depreciation and fixed costs of a vehicle that does nothing properly. Once a year put a tent in the boot. It know it’s heresy, sorry.

 

[Mike Warland]

www.devonconversions.co.uk have a Ford Firefly model that may work for you

I have always liked the Firefly it looks really good value compared to VWs

 

[CWH]

Maybe have a look at Jerba, something like the Sanna

Sanna - New VW T6.1 Campervan

The Jerba Campervans - Sanna is a long wheel base campervan conversion that we build from new to the VW T6.1, we can also build to T5 & T6 vans.

www.jerbacampervans.co.uk

 

[CWH]

Fifer is a PVC done by East Neuk Motorhomes in Anstruther Scotland. When researching 5.4 meter vans we “did” some of Scotland and went to See them. Darren a Director was very helpful but had little certainty about an Auto we wanted.
We then bought a Wildax Pulsar which is as good as you can get in a matchbox!

I have a 5m Pulsar which I love but I'm looking at other vans atm. East Neuk told me the lead time for a 5.4 Fifer AUTOMATIC is a year! tho they have a couple of MANUAL vans coming available in March.

 

[Birty]

Vw california every day! Or non California if money is tight!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Trackman]

We have a VW T6.1 LWB T32, converted by CMC Reimo in Kent. We went for their Hembil Escape with a few extras I specified. It has the 150 diesel engine & DSG autobox and drives beautifully. We get over 40mpg on motorways if we stick to 60mph. It's not easy to park in cramped car parks, but it's do-able & you get used to it. CMC are recognised by VW and register new vans as motorhomes, so that they can be driven at car speeds on the road, not commercial vehicle ones.
We have an underfloor gas tank, a diesel heater, EHU, lithium battery, solar panel and inverter, so probably more options than we really need. Our bed/rear seat slides on tracks in the floor, seats 3 with seatbelts & is certificated crash tested.
We have a roll out side awning which could be fitted with sides to make extra enclosed space. Our pop-top has a double bed that our 2 grandsons have used very happily.
We use the van as our only vehicle very successfully.
It was not cheap, but will hold its value, I believe. We love it & just wish we had even more time to enjoy in it.

 

[Bubba]

As I have posted a couple of times recently, our free time that we have for motorhoming is now very limited.
We have a 5 berth , 6 belted coachbuilt Fiat Ducato of 2001 vintage which we have had for the past 5 years and enjoyed some good times.
Alas, it will now be dormant except for the usual run out to keep things sweet, and we are going to sell.
BUT, I don't really want to give up motorhoming, so we are looking at compromises.
Also, my car is getting a bit long in the tooth, and I would like something more upto date ( it's a 2008 Mercedes A class hatchback with 84k on it).
So. In order to avoid having one vehicle that will at best get maybe a couple of outings a year, and will still need all the bits like insurance, tax, mot and servicing, and another vehicle that will probably only do 6k a year getting to work and pottering about, but will also need tax, mot, insurance etc etc, my thoughts are heading towards replacing both with a day type van, with pop-top roof, rear seatbelted bed frame ( Rock and Roll type?), no bathroom and hot water, but with EHU facilities and fridge plus gas, similar to these vw transporter conversions, Mazda Bongos etc etc to use on a daily basis with the option of some sited camping/ campervanning when time permits.
Use will be mainly 2 persons when camping, but occasionally could have two smaller grandchildren ( 11 and 7) and I would want the facility of an awning or roll out canopy.
I would really appreciate thoughts, comments, ideas, pitfalls etc and welcome all, especially negative stuff on my thoughts.
One area that does concern me is the safety feasibility of the rear bed with inertia 3 point seat belts for transporting 2 children.
And, what are these sort of vans called?
Are they Campervans ,Dayvans, PVC conversions etc, and who actually commercially converts them from a van into a vehicle as described, and do they have any form of safety certification for the rear seats or crash-test conformation.?
I realise quite a few people have converted their own, but I just cannot do that, so I am exploring other avenues.
Please believe me, all comments are seriously welcome as we are at a crossroads in our short, but enjoyable motorhoming/ campervanning experience.
Thanks.

What about a pick up truck with a bed camper.



View attachment Sb3b6886f33b7415e92b2fd0934377dd3S.jpg_640x640Q90.jpg_.webp

 

[scotzsue]

No-one has mentioned Romahomes if you want something fairly compact.

No longer made and very few had more than 2 seatbelts, loved mine. For a 4 belted seat but NB only 2 sleeping berths, look for a duo plus.

 

[paddimac1]

I have been viewing this forum for a number of years and just subscribed so I can post! and perhaps put up a For Sale advert.
Excuse the long reply but it may be of interest (or not!) to other Funsters.
We have a Toyota Hiace Duo pop top, a Japanese import with a brand new conversion. Purchased from poplar Motorhomes https://www.poplarmotors.co.uk/vehicles.php in October 2009
The poplarmotors web site does not seem to have the details on this model which it used to have so I have listed a bit of the specification :-

The Hiace is slightly larger than the Bongos and VW's (which we did look at) it is 4,7m x 1,8m has 4 (+1) Forward facing belted seats.
If you are interested in such a vehicle I could send you photos of the layout, large (flat) double bed made up from Forward facing seats & rear facing full width bench seat (which is behind the driver & passenger seats).
Very well equipped, Galley is at the rear with plenty of cupboard space, Cold water container & pump to combined Kitchen sink & Gas Hob (no grill!). EHU, Petrol blown air heater, Triple mode fridge.
Sliding doors both sides, Fiamma F45S Awning rails both sides. LED strip lighting for awning, inside & in pop top.

This is beginning to sound like a sales pitch, which it is not (well not yet), but just to give you an idea of the type of quality conversions Poplar Motors have been doing for a long time on Toyota Model imports.
We have been caravan touring for 30+ years and in 2013 decided to have a static caravan on an open all season pitch, complementing it with a Hymer Car Sydney Ducato based Campervan for touring/holidays.
In 2017/18 due to an eyesight problems (Gloucoma) DVLA did not renew my licence and we had to sell the Hymer & the small car we ran.
Fortunately after operations in both eyes & retesting for DVLA (at a different opticians) I was able to get my licence renewed, thats when we decided to get another campervan, hence the purchase of the Toyota
Unfortunately due to Covid restrictions and subsequent family health problems we have never been able to get touring in it, just a few days out.
Even though the eye operations were a success in keeping the pressures down, for a few years at least, the reason the Toyota may be up for sale is that in March this year I did not meet the FOV test requirements, so in my 80th year I decided not to contest the results (as I had successfully done in the past few years, but thats another story!)
A Toyota Hiace or other Model conversion may suit your requirements to cover both touring and as a daily drive.

 

[Captain Yoghurtpot]

I have been viewing this forum for a number of years and just subscribed so I can post! and perhaps put up a For Sale advert.
Excuse the long reply but it may be of interest (or not!) to other Funsters.
We have a Toyota Hiace Duo pop top, a Japanese import with a brand new conversion. Purchased from poplar Motorhomes https://www.poplarmotors.co.uk/vehicles.php in October 2009
The poplarmotors web site does not seem to have the details on this model which it used to have so I have listed a bit of the specification :-

The Hiace is slightly larger than the Bongos and VW's (which we did look at) it is 4,7m x 1,8m has 4 (+1) Forward facing belted seats.
If you are interested in such a vehicle I could send you photos of the layout, large (flat) double bed made up from Forward facing seats & rear facing full width bench seat (which is behind the driver & passenger seats).
Very well equipped, Galley is at the rear with plenty of cupboard space, Cold water container & pump to combined Kitchen sink & Gas Hob (no grill!). EHU, Petrol blown air heater, Triple mode fridge.
Sliding doors both sides, Fiamma F45S Awning rails both sides. LED strip lighting for awning, inside & in pop top.

This is beginning to sound like a sales pitch, which it is not (well not yet), but just to give you an idea of the type of quality conversions Poplar Motors have been doing for a long time on Toyota Model imports.
We have been caravan touring for 30+ years and in 2013 decided to have a static caravan on an open all season pitch, complementing it with a Hymer Car Sydney Ducato based Campervan for touring/holidays.
In 2017/18 due to an eyesight problems (Gloucoma) DVLA did not renew my licence and we had to sell the Hymer & the small car we ran.
Fortunately after operations in both eyes & retesting for DVLA (at a different opticians) I was able to get my licence renewed, thats when we decided to get another campervan, hence the purchase of the Toyota
Unfortunately due to Covid restrictions and subsequent family health problems we have never been able to get touring in it, just a few days out.
Even though the eye operations were a success in keeping the pressures down, for a few years at least, the reason the Toyota may be up for sale is that in March this year I did not meet the FOV test requirements, so in my 80th year I decided not to contest the results (as I had successfully done in the past few years, but thats another story!)
A Toyota Hiace or other Model conversion may suit your requirements to cover both touring and as a daily drive.

Thanks for the reply.
If you would like to send me details and any photos I would like to take a look asI am unfamiliar with this model / make / conversion, but am aware of imported vehicles that are converted.
Please contact by PM.
Thank You.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[CAB96]

VW Caddy?

Had one pop up on an email. Seems a few convertors do them, on both new and used vans.

Basically like a VW Transporter campervan but shrunk.

No bigger than a big estate car, Two belted rear seats, roof bed for two kids.

If you can cope on the narrower foldout bed then worth considering?

 

[CJK]

As I have posted a couple of times recently, our free time that we have for motorhoming is now very limited.
We have a 5 berth , 6 belted coachbuilt Fiat Ducato of 2001 vintage which we have had for the past 5 years and enjoyed some good times.
Alas, it will now be dormant except for the usual run out to keep things sweet, and we are going to sell.
BUT, I don't really want to give up motorhoming, so we are looking at compromises.
Also, my car is getting a bit long in the tooth, and I would like something more upto date ( it's a 2008 Mercedes A class hatchback with 84k on it).
So. In order to avoid having one vehicle that will at best get maybe a couple of outings a year, and will still need all the bits like insurance, tax, mot and servicing, and another vehicle that will probably only do 6k a year getting to work and pottering about, but will also need tax, mot, insurance etc etc, my thoughts are heading towards replacing both with a day type van, with pop-top roof, rear seatbelted bed frame ( Rock and Roll type?), no bathroom and hot water, but with EHU facilities and fridge plus gas, similar to these vw transporter conversions, Mazda Bongos etc etc to use on a daily basis with the option of some sited camping/ campervanning when time permits.
Use will be mainly 2 persons when camping, but occasionally could have two smaller grandchildren ( 11 and 7) and I would want the facility of an awning or roll out canopy.
I would really appreciate thoughts, comments, ideas, pitfalls etc and welcome all, especially negative stuff on my thoughts.
One area that does concern me is the safety feasibility of the rear bed with inertia 3 point seat belts for transporting 2 children.
And, what are these sort of vans called?
Are they Campervans ,Dayvans, PVC conversions etc, and who actually commercially converts them from a van into a vehicle as described, and do they have any form of safety certification for the rear seats or crash-test conformation.?
I realise quite a few people have converted their own, but I just cannot do that, so I am exploring other avenues.
Please believe me, all comments are seriously welcome as we are at a crossroads in our short, but enjoyable motorhoming/ campervanning experience.
Thanks.

When I looked into the back seat options for our little van, the RIB seats are safest because they’re fully bolted and the seats don’t slide. Also, they are flatter to sleep on. Problem with any rear forward facing seats is they take up a lot of room.

 

[paddimac1]

Thanks for the reply.
If you would like to send me details and any photos I would like to take a look asI am unfamiliar with this model / make / conversion, but am aware of imported vehicles that are converted.
Please contact by PM.
Thank You.

Thanks for the reply.
If you would like to send me details and any photos I would like to take a look asI am unfamiliar with this model / make / conversion, but am aware of imported vehicles that are converted.
Please contact by PM.
Thank You.

Hope this works!
I have taken some new photos as we has some mods done to accept a larger toilet in the Rear Cupboard.
btw I the fridge is just 12v but does last a quite few days on battery alone.
They did have an "Aussie" version based on the same vehicle which had the Galley immediately behind the Driving/Passenger seats with bench seats along the rear sides
to make up into 2 singles/1 Double.
They also had Hard top versions of each (but we thought they were too high, limiting places to visit!
Other Toyota models based on a Granvia were available but I think they were only 2 berth.
I have also attached a few of the HymerCar Sydney which we really liked and in hindsight (pun|) should have kept it if I had known I was going to get my licence back for a few more years.
Hope these give you a bit of an idea of the 2 Campers.
I do have lots more Photos but thought this selection would suit what you need.
Kind regards
Clive