Hi all, im new to this site and was hoping some of you could help out.
the situation: me and my partner are looking to move into a touring caravan for up to 3 years on the in-laws drive so to be able to save mass amounts for a mortgage.
the drive space is 10FT width and they typically want around 2.5FT - 3FT of walk space and will also need around 6inch from the wall for the other side.
the help needed: we have measured that we could possibly go as high as 7FT' 3inches in width and would want around 16-18FT in length as we will be living fulltime in it.
we also require a fixed bed layout. so if not mistaken a 4 berth. dose anyone know of a make/brand/model that can fit these requirements?
Perhaps not quite as simple as just the width of the van compared to width of drive. Most vans have the entrance door on one side and ALL the services (Water inlet, Mains Electric inlet (often in with the Battery compartment), and Cassette toilet tank locker) on the other, and you'll need a good couple of feet gap to access those! Some even have the Gas cylinder locker on the side! Also the corner steady winders are often accessed from the side at least at the front end, again you'll need a couple of feet to get the winding handle in! Vans aimed at UK market have entrance door on nearside and services access on offside, continental vans are the reverse.
TBH, once you are inside a van it's difficult to tell one brand from another, they all pretty much follow a similar layout which is as much dictated by practicalities of achieving correct weight distribution for towing as anything else. The appliances such as cooker, heater, fridge etc. are all bought in items and common to many van brands. Once a van is a few years old and out of warranty the brand almost becomes incidental, you need to concentrate mostly on the quality of the individual van you are interested in, damp, soggy delaminated floors and such like become your prime concerns. Layouts change little over many years, and changes are often little more than cosmetic.
'Berths' can be misleading, often any berths other than the main bed (be it make up or fixed) are only kiddy sized in both dimensions and weight bearing capacity! Fixed bed dimensions can be a little short and not best suited to tall people! You need to measure and/or check specs closely to ensure they suit your needs.
Caravan Finder web site is as good a place as any to do some armchair research to see what's out there, what ticks your boxes, and what's within your budget. Be warned, demand has sky rocketed since Covid forced people to holiday in UK, and prices are driven high by demand, expect any van purchased now to be expensive and take a big dive in value in 2 or 3 years time when demand has subsided and people return to foreign holidays, probably flooding the market with vans! https://www.caravanfinder.co.uk/caravans.html
Some vans are a bit narrower at 7'4" most 7'6". The overall,length quoted includes the A frame at the front.
Our caravan is 21' long and 7'6" wide. The actually living part is approx 17' long. It has 2 fixed single beds.
If you look on the makers websites they show layouts and dimensions.
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As Monty15 says, you will need access to the offside of the caravan to get at the services. Six inches from a wall will prevent you getting at them, you will need at least 2 - 3 feet. Not normally a problem if you are just storing it, but if you intend to live in it you will need to keep pulling it in and out. The electricity inlet, water inlet, waste water outlets, and toilet cassette will all be on that side, and possibly the gas bottle locker too. Whether it's a British or continental caravan, the services are always on the opposite side to the entrance door. Realistically you need at least 3 feet either side of the caravan at all times if you are to avoid having to constantly keep pulling it in and out.
Noted thank you, but is it a possibility to slide it out from one end (so it's diagonal in a sense) to reach these every week or fortnight? Or is that unrealistic?
You’ll be emptying the toilet every 3 days or more often unless you’re always using the house toilet. Ditto the grey water, though you could maybe rig up a drain pipe to a gutter at the house unless you’re on a slope. Hopefully you can do a direct whale connection to a standpipe at the house for your fresh water.
It sounds like a great idea but it needs more planning.
Quote: Originally posted by kylelewis89 on 12/10/2021
Noted thank you, but is it a possibility to slide it out from one end (so it's diagonal in a sense) to reach these every week or fortnight? Or is that unrealistic?
not all fixed bed caravans have the toilet on the non awning side, so perhaps that could be one thing to look for, to make sure the toilet in on the caravan door side?
most caravans have the water pump at the front corner so its possible that it could be refilled using a hose pipe fastened on to a bit of wood to aim at the top of the water barrel, the grey water can be redirected so it came out the rear of the caravan, and the ehu could be plugged in before the caravan was moved into its final resting place, leaving you with the issue of getting the steadies on that side to wind down. which is you used a cordless drill would fit in the 6 inches
Quote: Originally posted by kylelewis89 on 12/10/2021
Noted thank you, but is it a possibility to slide it out from one end (so it's diagonal in a sense) to reach these every week or fortnight? Or is that unrealistic?
What you have to appreciate is that the axle(s) are approximately midway along body, therefore that is the pivot point, so whatever 'gap' you create at one end, the opposite end will swing the opposite way! So creating a 3ft gap at one end will mean the other end will swing 3ft the other way (into a space that really isn't there)!
Practically, to change a parked 6 inch full length gap into a 'working space' of 3ft, you've got to move the entire van forwards (or backwards) until you have that space!
Certainly if two of you are using the onboard loo, the waste tank will need emptying every 2-3 days max! PLUS, most (if not one of those few vans where the flush water is supplied from fresh water inlet/onboard tank) have the toilet flush water tank filler positioned just above the waste tank locker, that'll need refilling every 3-4 days!
Normal practice is to only connect 'services' once the van is parked on a pitch with access all round, things like the grey water outlet (kitchen sink, bathroom basin and shower water) are only rather tenuous push fit fittings without any locking feature, chances are if you made the connection and then moved the van the pipes would pop off!
TBH, 'parking' a fully functional van with only a 6 inch gap on the 'service' side is a bit of a non-starter! There are a host of reasons why it's less than ideal for a van in storage (access to corner steady winder, wheel locks, battery etc.), but a 'liveable' van takes on a whole different dimension and lacks any kind practicality.
You culd look for a Caravelair Alba 400. This has fixed double bed across the front table & seats in middle with cooker fridge & toilet at rear. It fits within your required dimensions. 5.9mtres long though so the shorter Alba 390 with similar layout is worth you considering as well. You also have the Sterckeman make with same layouts. Google for websites of both these makes & you will see what I mean. You need to work in metric though not imperial to make choices easier.
Both makes do higher spec models with same layouts as well.
Yes you could move it to empty toilet. You would only need to wind up legs slightly & skew it across.
How much do you intend to spend ? The less you spend the more you will have to compromise on layout over condition.
I had a problem at my storage with a car parked just a bit too close to the front corner steady to get my winder in. I used the socket that I engage the winder with. It needed much less clearance and while it wasn't as quick and easy as the usual winder, it was OK for a one off.
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I think the best plan is to find a van with the toilet cassette on the door side and re-route the water and waste water pipework to the rear or door side if necessary.
Electric connection can be moved underneath the van by fitting a blue socket under the van connected by a short cable to the original blue socket inlet point.
The front stabiliser leg can be wound down with a simple socket set. I think it's a 19 mm socket and a ratchet handle would do it easily by lowering it most of the way down before manoeuvring the van into position and fine tuning the leg position after.
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Topic: touring caravan width HELP!
via mobile 12/10/2021 at 6:14pm
