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As my 12 year old is getting too big for our medium 413 Sprinter panel van conversion I'm weighing up the pros and cons of getting a coachbuilt motorhome vs a panel van conversion. We need a loo an shower on board!
Maximum length is 6.4m for a coachbuilt though, so the garage would be underneath a single bunk bed (probably). Anybody got any useful comments? Is it realistic to get 3 bikes in this space?
see this one here : https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202003238703095?utm_source=triggered_emails&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=email_a_friend
Our previous motorhome was about 6.5m I think (a CI Carioca 656) and it had a garage over bunk beds (the bottom bunk could be flipped up to make more room in the garage). I'm pretty sure that'd have taken 3 bikes although I doubt I'd have tried it as we used both bunks in that van as that was when we still holidayed with our kids. Instead we had a 4-bike rack on the back.
The garage in that was probably smaller than the one you listed, although ours did have doors on both sides of the garage.
The current van is a bit bigger (7.3m I think) and has a garage under a double bed and that has room for loads of bikes (I've definitely had 5 in it at times).
I visited my local motorhome sales place recently to get some water tank cleaner and spent most of the time looking at 6m motorhomes with garages!
We currently have a small 5m panel van conversion which is great for weekends but not so good for longer trips.
If you need a garage, toilet and shower then I think that only coachbuilt will suit, I am not aware of any panel van conversions with a garage.
There are several 6m vans with garages however from memory they are mostly 2 berth, maybe 3. Most major manufacturers seem to offer a van of this type, not sure about second hand availability.
Happy hunting 😀
You’ll get 3 bikes in that with bars turned and maybe pedals off no problem.
My old school mate builds Sprinters/Crafters with garages. When I win the lotto, I'll be a customer 🙂
https://www.mclarensportshomes.co.uk/
Yeah that is the kind of van @epicsteve the CI Carioca is on my radar (but getting on a bit now).
Pretty interesting stuff yes indeedy 😉
Also this is doing my head in now. Yeah most panel vans are 2 birth, the xlwb and super high ducato has potential but I'd probably have to get it built up and that is ££
https://www.lastrada-mobile.de/en/vehicles/avanti/avanti-hplus this is pretty cool
<a href="https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202007221540669?sort=price-asc&postcode=sy45dt&keywords=garage&advertising-location=at_motorhomes&berth=4&price-to=30000&radius=1500&page=3"
Nice try but that's too long at 7.2m for my 'drive like space' 🙂
The garages under traverse double beds can be pretty big - this is the one in our Rollerteam 600G. That one is a bit over 7m but I have seem some smaller vans with garages that are similar size.
We use a storage place to keep ours it, so that might be an option if you want a bigger van but don't have space at home.
one of these would fit without annoying the territorial neighbours too much I think.
But they have a reputation for damp ...
Great that's so helpful. 🙂
So a double bed garage is pretty flipping big. Takes 3 bikes easily with room for an electra-glide by the looks 🙂
What mbike is that? Must be a Kawa with that colour... unless some Yam MT. cannot make it out ;/
Now all I need is a picture of a single bunk garage....
I’d be interested in how much those vans cost johnw1984 - I assume a freaking lot. Would love that 4x4 beast.
What's the payload like in those?
We've got a McLouis Lagan 212. It's 6M long, we're running it as a 3 berth with a permanent garage, double overcab bed for me and Mrs Hoppy and a rear single bed for Hoppy Jr over the garage. It fits 3 bikes with a bit of care, front wheels out and padding in between along with all the other stuff that needs to be carried (biking clothing, chairs, BBQ, maintenance kit, etc).
It has an onboard toilet and there is a shower in the washroom but I'd not be using it out of choice, but then I wouldn't in any van, YVMV.
It's pretty similar to that chausson you put up.
I’ve got a Swift 695 which is 6.8m long - it’s got two rear bunks, bottom one has been removed (5 mins work and reversible) leaving us with space for 3 adult bikes and 1 kids 24” bike as well with careful packing. We keep Pedal’s on and use a couple of bike shrouds to protect them. W front wheels hang from bunk above and there’s space for bags and shoes etc. We’re careful to not overload it. Daughter has bunk nest she loves and we have choice of drop down bed or lower bed, we usually sleep down below and pull the mattress off the drop down ! Shower, heating, oven etc . Great van for the money.
What mbike is that? Must be a Kawa with that colour… unless some Yam MT. cannot make it out ;/
Honda MSX125 also known as a Grom. It's tiny and only weighs about 100kg.
On payloads - ours is a 3850kg van so quite a decent payload (850kg I think) but it can be an issue with the 3500kg vans.
Nice one @mrhoppy - that goes on the list. Do you know if you have a compressor or an absoprtion fridge? To me it looks like a dometic absorption fridge but I'm not sure.
My Sprinter is a dual wheel so no issues with payload but yeah on some vans they can be uprated.
Thanks everyone for being super helpful. Far more so than the motorhomefun forum (which is anything but fun).
Bonus on the McLouis the front seats swivel (see here
Thats pretty rare. My research suggests that most overcab motorhomes have fixed front seats due to the overcab intrusions or something or other,
So : on your McLouis does it have screen blinds? If not then do you use an exterior or interior sun thingy on the windscreen & side windows?
Remis blinds are nice but cost quite a bit, not used them in practise though.
Not sure on the fridge, we tend to be on hookup and run it off electric or for weekends just put some ice blocks in and use it as a cool box.
There are interior curtains to the cab but we got a proper external thermal cover which does a far better job at regulating temperature and keeping the sun out overnight, pull up blinds/fly screens on the rest of the windows. We ended up swapping the swivel seats for a bench as it was easier for travelling with Hoppy Jr, keep looking at sorting a double seat swivel base but it's a ball ache.
We've just got back from a week in Dumfries the sites in Scotland - there the facilities are covid locked down so we had to use a loo tent and cold water showers - it wasn't very luxurious 🙂 Then again we're a tough bunch 🙂
Good to know about the bench seat - in the sprinter I swapped the single for a bench as well. Now little un can use the dinette if it has rear belted seat.
Was looking at this place over the weekend. They have a good stock of new and 2nd hand at the Hampshire depot.
https://www.marquisleisure.co.uk/motorhomes
On payloads – ours is a 3850kg van so quite a decent payload (850kg I think) but it can be an issue with the 3500kg vans.
Still a 3500kg van for us whatever way you cut it. A C1 licence doesn't feel worth it for the sake of 350kg. Hmm...