Hi all
We've recently parted company with our bailey ranger caravan and looking to buy a motorhome.
We've looked at various types and seem to keep coming back to the continental type as they seem to have more fixed island or twin bed options, whereas the uk manufacturers seem to sometimes have a fixed double in one side of the back of the van, which is one of the things that started to bug us with the caravan, having to climb over my husband if I got up in the night!!!
Can anyone tell us if we are missing something negative about buying a continental (right hand drive) motorhome????
It depends whether you are buying new or secondhand. I think you will find the layouts you want in a new UK van but suspect they might be more difficult to find secondhand. The UK manufacturing base is much smaller than in Europe so I expect they tend to be more conservative. Many of the Continental vans imported into the UK are righthand drive but the habitation door remains on the European site but I can't see that being a major issue.
If you want to tour mainly on the continent the right hand habitation door is a positive benefit. I'd go for German make. Probably better built and usually longer fixed bed.
Our last MH had the hab' door on the UK off-side and although I thought it was going to feel "odd", in reality it made very little(if any!), difference in use (and we only MHd in the UK).
I suppose if you'll be routinely carrying rear passengers(children?) and they'll be using the hab' door, then whilst in the UK I suppose stepping into the road isn't ideal...but you have to judge how often that is likely to be happening..?
On campsites, we found the location of the door made no difference at all
(and even on the more "regimented" of campsites, we just orientated the van accordingly..)
The only thing that I could add to this is that when I've been touring in Europe that I rarely see British made Motorhomes; plenty of German, French, Italian etc all with their GB stickers though
Thanks all - we really like the adria coral also looking at the burstner nexxo, I reckon we will defiantly go for a continental van. We will do a bit of touring in the uk but our main (long trips) will be on the continental.....
We have a RHD Chausson Welcome with an island bed and habitation door on the 'continental' side. Have travelled in both europe and the uk and have enjoyed every minute of it. The orientation of the door has never been an issue, but we were CC&C members for a while and they always made us park with that door facing away from our next door neighbours!!! The island bed is great and has a small wardrobe either side and plenty of storage underneath. I don't see any negatives, but suggest that you should have a think about what you want from your van and buy accordingly - that's what we did before we bought it.
We have a chausson 510 and it has been great, i do not miss the lack of an oven at all! Well made loads of space, if going for a continental and the euro being so strong buy direct from A dealer in europe. Wish we had done that and will be doing it in the future :)
Agree also with payloads that is more important than lots of other aspects. Ours has a massive 900kg payload, where as some vans very little to the point of being unusable.
I have a french made mooveo made by pilote, I can honestly the door being on the offside has made no difference for me, me and the kids use the van in both the uk and abroad, if I park on a busy road the kids and dogs just get out through the passenger door,
After having owned British and German caravans in the past I was put off buying British after a leaky swift caravan and my friends 7 year old auto trail motorhome leaking like a sieve. The model of lunar caravan I also now own was made by a company in Belgium and not by lunar
Just my opinion of course but I have lost faith in British manufacturing. I have had the mooveo 4 years nearly and on the last service there were still no signs of damp despite the van being nearly 7 years old.
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
We have a 2011 French Rapido with continental sided Hab Door.
This has been no problem for us at all.
In fact it's quite a bonus as we regularly go with friend who have a UK M Home. This means we can park door to door and share an awning if needed. Big benefit for when we are on foreign Aires.
It's probably one of the last Rapido' where they have used traditional cherry/Rose wood type furniture.before their attempts to go modern.
They certainly don't seem to have their 'modern' look anywhere as good as the Knaus units which would be my preferred choice if we were looking again or maybe the Deffleths.
But like others have said, payload is critical as on continental vans you need to factor in for additional things ove UK vans such as awnings and spare wheels etc.
I would be looking in the region of 600 kgs plus, 400kgs just isn't enough.
Island bed has got by far the best theoretical layout having room for both to get out easily. It is however a sacrifice of needed space and usually means a longer van needed to accommodate.
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Topic: Uk vs continental vans.....
