Advice/tips on owning & driving 8.7m tag axle van

Just ensure that when booking site, as you have noted, a call to the site as a "reminder?" not many have more than a couple of pitches that will comfortably  accommodate the size you may buy,

Are you also going to have another  add mode of transport   ,if you want to get out and about  in the areas you are staying

Thanks for this JVB66.  We are planning to take bicycles for runs into small towns and villages.  I’ve been told that size issues for sites aside, the length won’t be more of a factor than a 7.5m van. However I am wary so your and others real life experience is hugely appreciated. 

Thanks again

John 

I should have said that our year long tour is in the UK. So we expect some challenges. 

i hope your AT has a garage for the bikes otherwise the van will grow to be nearly 10m which is pretty vast..

we have two electric bikes which store in a 6.4m van with a garage and probably wouldn't consider going much larger, having come down from a 7.5m version of a similar van....

im sure the sites (and CLs) you wish to use will be fine, as long as you check but, either way, its still a fair chunk of van to be moving about.

we have some pretty enormous vans here on the site in Spain but they (mostly) stay put for 3-6mths....if you really are going to be 'touring' the UK for a year, you'll come across some places (Scotland, some of Wales, the West Country, for example) that will be fairly tricky to even get to the site...

i wish you well but large isnt necessarily good in all departmemts of touring.

Thanks for this Boleroboy.  

Yes the AT is a Chieftain and with a huge garage and payload.  However since posting my question I've seen that finding somewhere to store it safely before we go is almost impossible and even finding somewhere local to load up before we go may be difficult.

We live in London and single deck buses are c.14m so I thought 8.7m would be OK but I'm beginning to doubt this.  I've asked others too and I'm hearing that continental touring is easier (if more expensive) with longer vans.  

So maybe my van quest continues... and needs to focus on sub-8m motorhomes.

With thanks and good wishes 

John

touring in a MH often involves compromises as the quest for 'acres of space' usually conflicts with 'drivability/ease of pitching/setting up'.

we keep our van at home on the drive which makes setting up and unloading easy....on the other hand, our pals (a couple of miles away) have a larger 7.7m van but live in a terrace with no dedicated pitside parking, so this means carting 'stuff' to their storage area (ok, not far) in a car which is a right pain..

'comfort' in a van for longer trips is an individual thing....we spend 6 mths a year overseas in our van over two 3 month trips, plus a few odd weeks in the UK in summer...and our van is more than two metres shorter than the AT but we feel we have plenty of space....for a couple of reasons...

1. we generally are in good weather, so spend our relaxing time outside the van....we dont have an awning or other clutter, if its sunny and warm (the majority of our time away) we are outside, if not we sit in the van.

2. our van lounge will seat five at a push but is very comfortable for two... we bought it for us, not for socialising with loads of others..do you really need an 8-seater lounge?

smaller vans can still have large water tanks for self sufficiency, along with multiple leisure batteries and solar panels..

our garage easily swallows the electric bikes and our other touring gear and has storage in the double floor....

im sure 6.4m seems a tiny van against 8.7m but im just illustrating that 'size' is a very personal interpretation.

i also realise that touring the UK rather than on the Continent will place for demand on 'understanding the climate'....sitting inside watching the rain...

and if you do get prolonged periods of bad weather (certainly likely if spending a year in the van in the uk) then getting out and about, even on bikes (which we love) isn't much fun.....

the alternative of taking the Cheiftan out for the day isnt that easy either, so you might look for sites with public transport but that goes against the impromptu feeling of touring...

you could think about something smaller....you could tow a small car, you could spend the crappy UK winter somewhere a lot warmer and just do 6 months in the uk when the weather gives you a bit more freedom to get out...

i wish you luck, seems easy doesnt it....buy a nice van and off we go...

With your circumstances ,noted via your latest posts  ,   the rise of motor caravans in the uk seem, mostly  ,to be used as a towed caravan    , we have had many caravans, then In 2000 until 2012 had motor caravans (two), and as our caravans,    had to be stored away from home (3 miles),

We have since,    returned to towing a caravan, and have not regretted doing so   ,,we now again do not have to consider where we can or cannot pitch up in the UK   , to be near ease of access to any  towns/villages  etc, as we have our tow vehicle alongside,    available to go where ever when ever we want,    as there are just the two of us and our collie ,   it is our add payload of things that we "need", and we can be in and out of sites and, storage as quick as if not quicker as the "stuff" that goes home is already loaded at home 

Just my take on your situation ,  if you are not touring other the uk , going out of this country where motor caravans have the space to park up off sites then ignore my ramblings 

I think you're wise to reconsider, John. Your circumstances are out of the ordinary and I can understand your desire for space. However, I think the disadvantages of a van that size would outweigh the pros.

Keep searching, you'll get there.

Thank you all so much.  Your experience and wisdom is gold dust!

We prefer a motorhome and the dog doesn't travel well in a car so towing a caravan isn't an option.  I am persuaded and now think we need an 8m limit but in light of Boleroboy's comments we will look again at 7.5m too.

The UK climate is our challenge as we can't pack for just one season and we will be packing-up and letting-out the house so we can't come back and re-pack!  

So the search continues...

Hearty thanks to one and all. It's hugely appreciated.  

 John

Accessible self storage could help with storing your off season gear. 👍

Has your dog travelled in a MH? I don't want to be a scaremonger but ours was far worse in the van than in the car, especially when he got old.