This cropped up in another thread and I was quite happy to find that other people have found similar problems to me - finding a van with suitable layout for the taller caravanner.
I can't be counted as a taller caravanner at 5ft 1 but my OH is nearly 6ft 4 and my two sons are getting close to danger height. We manage quite happily in our little Bailey for now but one son is in the awning and the other will follow in the next few months. I'd love to find a van with beds to fit us all so we can do overnight stops without the awning but most of the current layouts just don't seem to provide decent length beds.
So how does everyone else manage? IS there a van out there that will be my holy grail? Decent sized double bed and two singles yet still having a washroom you can get into?
I'd love to hear of any possible contenders - we'll have to upgrade at some point and it would be nice to know where to start looking
It will depend a lot on what compromises you are willing to make, our van has a huge king size fixed bed at one end, we have a bunk room for the girls - the bunks are 2' 3" by 6' 2" and will take the weight of a pretty heavy adult (me if you're wondering) the shower room and toilet is next to the bunk room and both take up the other end of the van.
So number one we gave up the option of being nosy - we have no end seating area.
The kitchen area is next to the shower room and opposite the entrance door, and has cooker fridge and sink
Between kitchen and main bedroom is the seating area which we could (should we ever want to) make up into a double bed - although only a 6' by 4' one - opposite the seating area is a wardrobe and side storage/tv area (should we ever get a tv)
The design of the caravan was to give a permanent sleeping area for the family, adequate washing area plus a cooking area where the person cooking did not get disturbed by people moving in and out of the van.
Everything, including the awning has a home, we can do a one night stop over and not have to shift anything from the van and be comfortable, two nights or more and we use the full awning and very often spend more time in it than the caravan.
The caravan is a twin axle 7 metre by 2.4 metre wide but you would never be able to buy one from a dealer - it's taken 8 months so far to get it to a stage where we can use it - with luck it may be finished by next summer.
------------- Caravanning is a way of getting a cheap holiday out of an expensive hobby
My husband is 6'7'' and would love a van he can stand up in! We have a 2006 Elddis with headroom of 6'3'' at the moment and he is permanently stooped. The maximum headroom we have found is the 6'5'' which is common for most makes nowadays.
He prefers our caravan bed to the one at home as it is over 7' long. We make it up each night and sleep across the width of the van. Our boys are only 8 and 5 at the moment so will still be ok in their 6' bunks for a few years yet. They are narrow though at only 2' wide.
I think our next van will be a twin axle double lounge layout. There will be room to sleep the boys in the winter and in the summer they can sleep in the awning or pup tents whilst we use the rear lounge as a permanent bed. We would love a fixed bed model but doubt they will ever bring one out with a bed long enough!
I'm hoping he will lose a few inches as he gets older and will eventually fit in a caravan without stooping!
I think we're going to have to go with a twin axle next time as well. I can't see us managing with a fixed bed as most of them don't have room for him to hang his feet over the end. The Stealth looks the best so far but there isn't a possibility of single beds for tall kids there.
The bunks in german vans tend to be more substantial - those in our Geist are a good width and will both take an adults weight, although they don't look that long (not sure what the length is).
Our double bed (made-up from the lounge) is excellent - I'm 6' 3" and I don't touch the sides even if lying dead straight (but I guess there is only a couple of inches spare). And we have a decent-sized end bathroom with separate shower...
------------- 'In later life, you will be more disappointed with the things you didn't do than with the things you did.' - Mark Twain
The SB layout is an absolute marvel with big double at front,good kitchen, good strorage all round, on board water tank, four external locker doors to access under rear fixed single beds which are ideal for children or tall adults (very long) and a partition to split off rear and front. Plus a good sized rear washroom inc shower, sink and C250 toilet. The fixed beds can be used as a second lounge with throw cushions in day and long bolster cushion at the back.
That's restored my hope. I spent this afternoon going into every van at our local dealers and coming away thinking that we probably just need to leave a child at home. The Elddis Avante 515 was the best bet but the washroom on the Lunar is far more what I was hoping for.
We had previously owned a bailey Pageant Bretagne with side washroom, side dinette, front lounge bed and fixed rear bunks but these became increasingly cramped for our two growing lads so we had a similar predicament to yourself. Bunks or fixed single beds and most bunks are too small and lack headroom so fixed single beds it was. Myself and my OH are tall ourselves 6' 2 and 5' 11 respectively and have no problems with dimensions of front bed so everybody is happy.
Quote: Originally posted by JayEss on 13/9/2010
This cropped up in another thread and I was quite happy to find that other people have found similar problems to me - finding a van with suitable layout for the taller caravanner.
I can't be counted as a taller caravanner at 5ft 1 but my OH is nearly 6ft 4 and my two sons are getting close to danger height. We manage quite happily in our little Bailey for now but one son is in the awning and the other will follow in the next few months. I'd love to find a van with beds to fit us all so we can do overnight stops without the awning but most of the current layouts just don't seem to provide decent length beds.
So how does everyone else manage? IS there a van out there that will be my holy grail? Decent sized double bed and two singles yet still having a washroom you can get into?
I'd love to hear of any possible contenders - we'll have to upgrade at some point and it would be nice to know where to start looking
Have you thought of the Adria 542 DK .
Number of berths 6
Dimensions of front double bed 2.10 M x 1.36-1.24 M / 6’ 11” x 4’ 4 1/2’
Dimensions of rear double bed — 1.92 M x 1.3 M - 0.8 M / 6’ 3” x 4’ 2”-2’ 6”
Dimensions of bunk bed — — 2x 1.9 M x 0.8 M / 6’ 2” x 2’ 6”
The bottom bunks are huge and if one of your lads is too heavy for the top bunk there is aside dinette that makes up as a double. All beds are very long.
SORRY JUST READ AGAIN. THE WASHROOM ISN'T WHAT YOU WANT
I'm curiously drawn to Adrias but we do find having a decent sized washroom useful for getting changed.
I'm tending towards struggling on for now. The Bailey will be aboslutely perfect for the two of us in a few years when the kids want to stay at home. Having said that I've sort of fallen in love with the Pegasus 462...
How old,heavy and tall aare the kids? We have the Adria 542DT which is the triple bunk version. They are again huge They have a max weight of 70KG but I have to say I think this ering on the side of caution as aswell as the fixing to the wall at both ends and outerwall part of the bunk is also supported by the washroom wall. I am 100KG and hve been on the top bunk and no sign of any problems (No kids below me I hasten to add) The top two bunks are 6'2" and the bottom is slighter shorter because of the heating duct . I think 5'10". The kids can then be shut of behind the curtain.
It also has a huge washroom and the shower doesn't spray the toilet or sink. It s greaat for getting changed.
One other bonus is that the extra berth is the side dinette which we leave up all of the time. Its so wide we can seat 4 round it (2 adults and 2 kids) so don't often use the front table.
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Topic: Tall caravanners and their vans
