Coachbuilt to Van Conversion

Ray, yes David did mention a move to a PVC, but its fairly obvious from his post that he and Margaret have some reservations about downsizing that far, all in one go...

i, and Aspenshaw, have just added another option into the mix, to give David something else to consider, something that may have many of the advantages of a PVC with, perhaps, less of the drawbacks...

perhaps David might hive his view as to wether a smaller/slimmer coachbuilt is certainly off the agenda.

whilst i have given examples of continental vans, i also mentioned (at least twice) upthread that there are uk models that are of similar dimensions.

my own view is that a 6.4m x 2.12m coachbuilt can be as easy to drive and park as a similar sized PVC, due to its shorter wheelbase, something that gives PVCs a larger turning circle and thus more difficult parking. 

downsizing can take many forms, i just added a little more choice into Davids dilema.

if i upset you (your post seemed a bit terse)  i apologise, just trying to get all the options out there.....

 "Concorde" are making those such models  !! Nearside door etc.

Pilote have in the past, ray. I understand they didn't sell well enough to justify the cost of production.

No not terse, when we are happy with our own choice of motorhome its natural to suggest that others might be happy with it too.

I know thats how i feel about mine, anyway.

Shame that more continental manufacturers, dont take the trouble to adapt their products to suit UK use, as Benimar have, if they did, i might be tempted too, but not otherwise.

some uk buyers purchase Continental vans to tour in europe and are happy with LHD and a door on the wrong side.

how this volume compares to those who want a continental van to tour 'home' as well as away, i dont know....

these buyers will be using the van in both markets and, inevitibly, the door will be in the wrong place some of the time....

we do slightly more away than home so the door is ok for us...

however i prefer RHD.....i feel more comfortable with RHD 'over there' than LHD 'over here'.

as ASpinshaw points out, it will be the volume of sales that determines if a change to the 'norm' proves viable.

Marquis must have a big commitment with Benimar to make it worth their while, all power to them, sales are great at the moment...

the lower volume Mobilvetta A-class, (a lovely van...) also imported by Marquis, is unlikely to have the door moved....just not worth it...

FWIW, i dont think it matters one jot, home or away, when on site....its really only an issue if youre getting in and out of the van regularly on busy roads....

David's concern is about the impact on his garden if the exit door is on the driver side.

Having had 16 years of having the door on the driver side, including one with no cab door when we had two youngsters, our experience suggest for most people it won't make much difference 'on the road'. All of us park sensibly; we check the wing mirrors to ensure the road is clear before jumping out. In a car, the driver exits from the off-side.

I'd prefer my van to have the exit door on the passenger side and the cab door on the driver side but UK manufacturers do not want to build a van to suit my specific needs. Shame on them.

Further up-thread someone mentioned that in cold weather Coachbuilds are warmer than PVCs ---- As I have recently been looking at PVC's  I did notice that there seem to be fewer apertures cut into the side of the van. - So - Can somebody please shed light on the question  What is it that makes them not so warm ??.   

I've also been up to the factory in Anstruther where they build the Fifer range of PVC's... Must admit to being impressed by their design and build quality. 

Cheers................K

less insulation, the sidewalls, floor and roof of a coachbuilt are virtually ALL insulation...there is none to start with in a PVC its a metal box, it is added as part of the conversion..

any apertures (lockers) in a coachbuilt are (should be) cut from the same insulated sidewall....

no metalwork showing throuh in a coachbuilt...metal is a wonderful conductor of heat, away from the van...

thats not to say that a PVC cant be warm, a decent heater can warm up a small box, but it may have to work harder than in the same sized coachbuilt..

I'd say my pvc has as good insulation properties as my last Autotrail coach built. Having pulled apart most of the inside while adding wiring etc, last year, I'm more than happy with the build and quality of insulation. My van being only 6 meters long has a truma combi heater and we can easily be toasty warm with the thermostat turning it off in 20 minutes.

Another thing to possibly bear in mind is the ability for towing. I have a towing capacity of 2500 kgs and I regularly tow my twin axle caravan or my car on a trailer with ease. Not all coachbuilts can tow as they are built with chassis extensions that prevent towbar installation.

My opinion having had four coachbuilt motorhomes from 6 to 8.5 meters in length is that if your looking to go small a pvc is far more useable and driveable, and maybe not so depreciative as a coachbuilt?