Coachbuilt to Van Conversion

We too had a towbar on our pvc, very useful, ours was intended for a boat trailer. Unfortunately we found the eberspacher heater wasn't very good, it was noisy although running off EHU on diesel was good. Our pvc, a rebranded autosleeper was great to use but not as well insulated as our present small coachbuilt. However  it was sturdy with no problems with the actual build.  Now that new pvcs have higher insulation grading I expect things will have improved all round.

Me as well, and a rear tow step. As for insulation, my PVC has a double floor, so all wiring, pipework etc., is inboard and as above the Combi heater very quickly brings it up to comfy temperature. My Autotral coachbuilt was certainly no warmer. 

Kennine, I cannot say for sure that a coachbuilt is better for insulation because it depends on the different models and design/build parameters. 

I can say it is easier to insulate a coachbuilt because of its shape and ease of access for assembly. It is also easier for coachbuilt manufacturers to design and build motorhomes with no thermal bridges. These bridges can result in a reduction in the effectiveness of the insulation.

Since the introduction of the 'Grade 3 standard' for insulation, it seems most manufacturers have ensured their vans comply either by getting the insulation right and fitting a modest heater or just fitting a great big heater with modest insulation. Even then, you get coachbuilts like mine that gets a Truma 6 in a 6m van and excellent insulation simply because the large vans in the range need the Truma 6.

We love our Fifer, its the 5m version, and is great.

as this thread got bumped to the top, i had a quick re-read...

i was wondering about David's (the OP) response to an earlier point as below..

"David, could a continental van not be driven onto your drive meaning the door would be in the same side for loading at home?

More difficult because reversing in I can reverse over a low step and straighten up but of course I can't drive over the same same step. It might work for the smallest PVC but I suspect the larger ones would be an issue."

what would be the issue with driving over a step as opposed to reversing over it?

as Aspenshaw says, getting the right van would be the priority, and an arrangement of step/garden to suit (should it be required) would seem another approach.

whilst restricting yourself to a UK handed van (small coachbuilt or PVC) might still give you a reasonable choice of van (though less likely to be a fixed bed version if thats what youre currently used to) ruling out all continental vans would mean missing out on some great 'different' designs...

small/slim A classes with large lounges and drop down cab beds, other small coachbuilts with either fixed rear beds or drop down lounge beds, PVCs with fixed beds and large storage.

storage (especially of outside gear) may well be an issue in small non-fixed bed PVC.

have you thought as to whether you wish to stay with a fixed bed or return to making up the bed?

again, consider storage and payload.

as you say, you currently have a long 7.5m van which you tour in for longish periods so carry plenty of 'stuff'....will you be able to do the same?

have you weighed your current van to ascertain your current load?

how did you get on at the NEC?

come on, time for an update, perhaps?

The update is that there is no update really. Unfortunately since the start of the year Margaret has been suffering from an Arthritis based problem in the shoulders and various tests have suggested its rheumatoid arthritis and she is waiting for an appointment at the hospital. This has meant that we have not been away so far this year. Depending on the outcome and treatments could well influence the choice of motorhome layout so I expect a decision will now be delayed.

We did visit the NEC and looked various ranges of UK manufacture. We did like the AT V-Line van conversions, we also looked at the Bailey Advance range which whilst still a coach built is narrower. But all this is a bit academic at the moment. 

Regarding the driving in/reversing in. Driving in would mean mounting and demounting a 6 inch step which I doubt would be much good for the suspension? 

Best wishes to Margaret, sorry to hear about the arthritis problems. I think one big thing to ponder is getting in and out of a motorhome. Some are very high and require an arm and leg movement to get in, others are much easier. I found the side entrance on our PVC easy because it was low plus the electric step. The rear, although we had a step and later a tow bar step was more tricky. Our present coachbuilt has a fairly low threshold and an electric step, it also has a grab rail just inside the door.

Hope you make good progress with the hospital visits and will be out and about soon.

We also have a 6.3m Autosleeper and struggled at first with the reduced space but now find it absolutely fine. We carried too much with the caravan. A van conversion would be an even tighter squeeze and I wonder what would be gained if the length is the same. Obviously a bit easier to drive and a bit narrower but the height reduction makes little difference when touring.

I really think we have gone as small as we would want to. The next step might be a tent!

Thanks Brue

The advantage of the Bailey is that its on a low profile Al-Ko chassis so the step is incorporated into the entrance. Having looked at a few PVC's now I know what you mean. The entrance seems so wide compared to a coachbuilt. If Margaret's condition persists, even at hopefully a lower level of discomfort it might mean we have to rethink layouts and move away from a fixed bed that we have now. Also anything you have to climb up into will be out of the question although we never did like that sort of arrangement.

David