Motorhome Practicality

Rod, you’ve posted in Stories where you’re not likely to get many responses so maybe a mod will move this onto the forum for you where the topic is often discussed. 

We changed from a cvan to a MH a few years back and it’s all about your choice of vehicle. Less is more, as they say. Our previous MH was a 6.4m coachbuilt and was pretty good for getting around and parking but the width of the hab unit could be limiting. In a supermarket car park we often needed 4 bays. We now have a 6m panel van conversion and I’d say it will go anywhere that a large car/4x4 will go. It parks in one supermarket bay with about 18” overhanging either a second bay or a grass border.

Rod, I see you posted on the forum with similar thoughts some months ago. 

You could update that thread. 

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/discussions/sites-touring/uk-sites-touring/motorhome-size/

When it comes to MHs, our thoughts are stay as small as you are comfortably able to live and sleep in! Buying something so big all we could do was park it up on site and then rely on other transport would be counter productive for us. We tour, all over, all year round, with no parking problems. Use it everyday when away, unless we are not far from home or one of us is commuting, then we take our off roader for a bit of fun. We have kept our caravan as well. So in a nutshell, for us, staying in one place, Caravan is better. Doing a tour, short break, nothing beats the MH.

Rule number two........do you really need all the clutter and carp you use in the caravan? If you do, you will be on a learning curve. If you don't, you will find a MH a breath of fresh air.....

I see the topic has now been moved to the forum.

I think I said all I could in the earlier thread and in my post this morning. I guess you’re no further forward, Rod. Good luck with your decision making.

many thing affect 'practicality' in a MH....the driving/parking bit is just one, but an important one...

then there is the sleeping arrangements.....are you happy to make up the bed and use the sleeping area as the 'lounge'...where under bed storage is handy but rarely substantial..

or do you want a proper fixed bed which takes up living space (although many use fixed beds as very comfortable day beds) yet can provide huge storage for all your gear even jncluding bikes or motor scooters..

or what about a drop down bed that lives in the roof (or cab area) and doesn't compromise the lounge yet provides 'fixed bed' comfort and no making up of the bed every night, and allows bedding to be stored in place...

MH design is fairly sophisticated these days and pretty much any design can be obtained on virtually any size platform....

one other modern 'theme' is a return to slimmer vans, getting away from the full width 2.35m 'norm'....

our own is only 2.12m (against a typical PVC of 2.05m) but has more vertical sides adding more space higher up in the van...

so many different designs to consider...

good luck..

We have had Medium motorhomes x2, A large motorhome that we towed our car behind and now a 6 metre van conversion, which we are very happy with. Over the years we have had 3 caravans  and before them a frame tent.

Which outfit is best ? Well for the time, and our crcumstances, young children, etc., they All were. 

Now the PVC for 2 suits us fine.

Sometimes it's not a case of the motorhome being too big, it's a case of the driver not having sufficient skills. So the question cannot be answered without knowing how well you drive.

The reality is that you can't expect to park a motorhome as easily as a car. It will be worse than trying to park a Disco. Nor can you make a cuppa or go to the toilet in a car. There are restrictions with a motorhome, parking is just one of them, and you have to live with these in the belief that they are outweighed by the benefits.

If poking around in villages etc is your bag, then go for the smallest motorhome you can live with - probably a Panel Van Conversion 6m or less. My van is 6m x 2.34m. Suits us perfectly in Britain. But occasionally I need help from the missus to manoeuvre. And I can't always park where I want or when I want. Doesn't bother me in the slightest, I just go elsewhere.

Our 6M coach built is only fractionally wider than a PVC and is only marginally harder to park than my previous Kuga due primarily to its larger turning circle.  I don't expect to be able to squeeze into a spot that I could get my OH's runabout into. It just needs a little bit of forward planning and a willingness to walk a few hundred yards further.

Rod, I understand from your closed post that you are now looking at Panel Van Conversions. A good option if you can live with the restrictions PVCs have.

Most car parking spaces are 2.4m wide and 4.8m long so even a PVC will require two parking spaces or you overhang a patch of grass or similar. You are not allowed to overhang a public right of way such as a pavement or paths. PVCs can rarely get under height barriers.

A small campervan will almost fit into a standard parking space and should get under most height barriers. However, a campervan means more compromises eg few come with toilet compartments.

You should also understand that some height barriers will be lifted to allow large motorhomes through. Best to contact the location you are visiting and ask.

As I said before, my 6mx2.34m motorhome is unaffected by parking restrictions most of the time. A PVC will give you an extra 6 inches either side and this will prove useful on the road as well as parking.