Your Motorhome. How Big is Too big?

[138go]

It is exactly the same with boats, This is Wicked Wench, manoeuvring in a Marina or navigating a tight lock she seemed enormous, out at Sea with a Force Eight on the bow and a forty mile passage to plow through she seemed mighty tiny!

Batten down the hatches and carry on!

View attachment 638931

Someone has stolen the sails.

 

[jongood]

in Jan 2006 we moved permanently to live in the holiday home in the Charente Maritime that we bought in 1989. We bought a second-hand 6m Chauson to try it out and to see more of France. Living at the end of a narrow lane lined with rough stone walls and a right-angled entrance I knew it was tight but the gates are 5m wide and inset by about 50cm so I didn't worry. I then discovered that getting in was ok but getting out is impossible going forward. The turning circle of the rear wheels is completely different to the front. I have to reverse out very carefully and take a bite or 2 to line it up. It it was 20cm longer it simply wouldn't work; so 6m is just perfect for us!

You might find it different with a rwd? I also live down a lane with a very tight corner that narrows on the way down,. For years I wanted a Clouliner ( as shown in my Avatar) but didnt think I could down there as I struggled with my then 7.4metre Arto FWD, and then I realised that its the wheelbase that makes the biggest difference and the MAN chassis as a truck has the front axle further back and as RWD has a tighter turner circle and it just fits ( no room for error though

Ive since noticed a lot of the new gen Ducato based Mhs have really long wheelbases and must be a nightmare in tight corners.

 

[Peter and Julie]

10m RV Great with the slides out, easily liveable with just 2 of us. We had a Comanche tag prior to this, lovely van but like the space. Driving wise it's practise, finding sites isn't a problem even if the website says 8m max a quick phone call usually overcomes the max length. Or look elsewhere!

 

[EzeeRider]

Length has never really bothered me as long as it fits in the drive (8m max) On the other hand width and height are of more concern when touring. Apart from being easier to park it is difficult to see the advatages of smaller vans when the width is the same and you still have to worry about height barriers.
Ezee

 

[138go]

We had a larger MH before this one which was 7.5. This one is 6.4 and I can tell you the smaller size does make a big difference for manoeuvring and parking.

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

 

[cyberyacht]

It is exactly the same with boats, This is Wicked Wench, manoeuvring in a Marina or navigating a tight lock she seemed enormous, out at Sea with a Force Eight on the bow and a forty mile passage to plow through she seemed mighty tiny!

Batten down the hatches and carry on!

View attachment 638931

When I had mine, I worked on the basis it was its length in feet(30) generally, the same figure in metres when scrubbing/polishing it and inches when caught out in a blow.

 

[Feltwell]

7.5m coachbuilt at the moment, but with 3 kids we can't really go much smaller. However - give it about 4 or 5 years and it'll probably just be the two of us, in which case definitely want to downsize. I do think the width of the van matters, depending on where you go - yes, we get the current van (2.35m width, so a bit of a fatty) everywhere we want to but in parts of North Wales, Devon, Cornwall etc there's no doubt that a narrower van would be a lot easier. Outside of the UK I'm not convinced it makes so much of a difference, or rather I'm yet to find anywhere where it really does!

A PVC looks attractive, I like the idea of being able to open the sliding door & rear doors in the good weather, but so many are based on the Fiat H2 semi-high roof - if you're tall, that means your hair is brushing the ceiling all the time at best, at worst you're stooping. A Merc Sprinter or VW Crafter base looks better, so long as the beds are longitudinal. There are a very small number of vans based on the Fiat H3 high roof, but they're few and far between.

 

[Abacist]

We love our 8.8m tag axle Arto. The length does not bother me and you soon get used to watching the rear overhang. I now even tow a Citroen C1 behind on an A frame and its fine. The design and space internally is great and we can sit 8 around the table at a push. The fixed bed and bedroom is good and there’s a door to close off the bedroom, shower and toilet for privacy. We breathe in on the lanes sometimes but the width is no more than any other and the mirrors are very close to the body without restricting the view. The only downside that comes to mind is that the turning seats are rather firm and can get uncomfortable for lounging so I am wondering if there is a firm who can not only recover them but improve the comfort aspect at the same time.

 

[busby]

I thought most "big vans" had black tanks so no worries in that department or maybe our definition of "big van" differs.

Talking Morelloes,Concorde etc,,don't think other than Leikas many European vans have marine toilets,,,I am prepared to be proven wrong but do notice that I don't see many large cassettes coming out of larger vans. BUSBY.

 

[funflair]

Talking Morelloes,Concorde etc,,don't think other than Leikas many European vans have marine toilets,,,I am prepared to be proven wrong but do notice that I don't see many large cassettes coming out of larger vans. BUSBY.

Trouble is a large cassette would hardly be user friendly

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

 

[Landy Andy]

They won’t do bigger cassette. Old farts appear to struggle with the weight already.

 

[busby]

Trouble is a large cassette would hardly be user friendly

Why?? I have been using one for 20 odd years..BUSBY.

 

[busby]

They won’t do bigger cassette. Old farts appear to struggle with the weight already.

Well I am a really old fart and don't find it difficult,,BUSBY

 

[funflair]

Why?? I have been using one for 20 odd years..BUSBY.

Oh OK I thought you meant larger than had ever been offered before, we had a large one in a caravan, bench style toilet I believe but I do remember it being quite heavy when full.

 

[bobnick]

I don't have any issues with the cassette...................................wifes job

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

 

[Tony50]

I think 7 metres is the golden size ...if you can get the right layout.

But ground clearance i think is the most important thing over length. Width makes little difference in most places but the longer the rear overhang the higher it needs to be off the ground or its gonna drag on any Ramo or steep incline.

I agree ground clearance and rear overhang are very important, with rear overhang you need to be careful when turning, I remember specing some 2 Axle trucks and the Draymen complained like hell about the overhang saying on tight turns they have hit buildings as they we used to Small artics , but, I reduced the fleet of trailers.

 

[jongood]

Talking Morelloes,Concorde etc,,don't think other than Leikas many European vans have marine toilets,,,I am prepared to be proven wrong but do notice that I don't see many large cassettes coming out of larger vans. BUSBY.

Most of the bigger ones do, Concorde, Morelo, Phoenix Vario, Carthago you can even get a black tank as an option on the Flairs, bigger Arto,s and s class Hymer, its a lot easier and more pleasant flushing it with your foot. We just need to find a drive over every 9-10 days or so.

 

[Mr porky]

We started at 9m tag axle.
We now have a 8.2m morelo on a iveco daily chassis.
We are actively looking for a below 6.5m motorhome or pvc.
Currently leaning towards the adria or pilote brand but time will tell.
We are hoping to do greece and turkey next year from the end of march into the summer and I'm not comfortable using our current motorhome for this.
However this will then be our third and they do say the thirds the one.

 

[Googlebot]

Ours is a Hymer Exsis at 6.7m.

The ground clearance is quite good and doesn’t have a massive overhang either. It fits 4 of us and just about the payload to carry what we need, the places we go in it, I wouldn’t fancy taking anything bigger and a PVC would be better, but doesn’t have the room for 4.

Below is an example of a wild spot in France, I walked the gravel road down to it first and decided it was too much for it. However it looked much better from the cab so I chanced it and it was absolutely fine.

That’s the great thing about motorhomes, you don’t have to have a one size fits all. If we just went to sites, a huge tag axle would be great! Sometimes I want a 4x4 Hymer PVC, this is the best compromise for us.

 

[Northernraider]

We started at 9m tag axle.
We now have a 8.2m morelo on a iveco daily chassis.
We are actively looking for a below 6.5m motorhome or pvc.
Currently leaning towards the adria or pilote brand but time will tell.
We are hoping to do greece and turkey next year from the end of march into the summer and I'm not comfortable using our current motorhome for this.
However this will then be our third and they do say the thirds the one.

Ooft you will struggle going from the morelo to a PVC. No storage space.

That said you should have a wad of cash left over unless you buy a very expensive pvc

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

 

[CazPaul]

Ooft you will struggle going from the morelo to a PVC. No storage space.

That said you should have a wad of cash left over unless you buy a very expensive pvc

Yes you would really struggle living in a PVC that’s for sure with storage the main issue.

 

[Verteuil Man]

I think the size of the toilet cassette was changed a few years ago to comply with the EU manual handling regulations. I think its 20kg?

 

[Northernraider]

Yes you would really struggle living in a PVC that’s for sure with storage the main issue.

Yeah its where to put outside stuff, chairs, table , etc and store tools .

 

[Jim]

Yeah its where to put outside stuff, chairs, table , etc and store tools .

We carry all that and more. With a fixed transverse bed we have masses of rear and inside access storage, tables x 2, chairs 2. leg rests 1 windbreak, comprehensive tool box, silver screens, outdoor cooker, Morrocan mat, Flag pole, and an extra 24can beer fridge, water container and all the other bits you need, Still with plenty of room for wetsuits and bodyboards etc.

 

[nicholsong]

We carry all that and more. With a fixed transverse bed we have masses of rear and inside access storage, tables x 2, chairs 2. leg rests 1 windbreak, comprehensive tool box, silver screens, outdoor cooker, Morrocan mat, Flag pole, and an extra 24can beer fridge, water container ad all the other bits you need, Still with plenty of room for wetsuits and boduboards etc.

How much of that is outside access storage?

I would not fancy lugging those items from and back to inside storage every one or two nights.

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

 

[Jim]

How much of that is outside access storage?

I would not fancy lugging those items from and back to inside storage every one or two nights.

Everything accesed from outside or in. But easier from the outside.

 

[63720]

Ours is a Hymer Exsis at 6.7m.

The ground clearance is quite good and doesn’t have a massive overhang either. It fits 4 of us and just about the payload to carry what we need, the places we go in it, I wouldn’t fancy taking anything bigger and a PVC would be better, but doesn’t have the room for 4.

Below is an example of a wild spot in France, I walked the gravel road down to it first and decided it was too much for it. However it looked much better from the cab so I chanced it and it was absolutely fine.

That’s the great thing about motorhomes, you don’t have to have a one size fits all. If we just went to sites, a huge tag axle would be great! Sometimes I want a 4x4 Hymer PVC, this is the best compromise for us.

View attachment 640319

Agreed. We have an Exsis-t and love the narrower body especially now I've changed the mirrors for shortest arm after losing a long one to a white van in a country lane. Narrow matters more to me than length, we've so much storage space that we can't fill it even when going south for the winter and it's still ≤3.5t.

 

[Googlebot]

Agreed. We have an Exsis-t and love the narrower body especially now I've changed the mirrors for shortest arm after losing a long one to a white van in a country lane. Narrow matters more to me than length, we've so much storage space that we can't fill it even when going south for the winter and it's still ≤3.5t.

Even with 4 of us and all the kit we can still be underweight without the water. If we go wilding, I just take less stuff so we can take a full tank.

Not many motorhomes that can do that.

 

[Mr porky]

Yeah its where to put outside stuff, chairs, table , etc and store tools .

I have been taking careful notes of others whilst on rally and campsites. I must admit I do like the look of a 6.3 adria with the rising bed at the back.

 

[63720]

Even with 4 of us and all the kit we can still be underweight without the water. If we go wilding, I just take less stuff so we can take a full tank.

Not many motorhomes that can do that.

Weighed up prior to leaving, for 3 weeks in France, without water - to be added before leaving.
I a Hymer.

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