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Having hired a few I see zero point in the "showers" you get in campers. A dribble of lukewarm water in a cupboard you cant turn round in.
I would like to self build one tho - for much the same reasons as others - I want a internal layout that no one offers. Medimum size van with a big bike "garage", a permanent double bed that you can use without using your sitting space. But I won't be putting a shower in and the on board bog would be for emergencies only
We have never used the internal shower in our motorhome, it’s just extra storage space for wet coats and wellies. We do however use the external shower, for washing off muddy legs at trip centres, washing filthy dogs, that sort of thing.
Not having internal space for the bikes is the only real shortcoming for us of our coachbuilt.
it’s 6m long but has parallel lounge seats which make either a massive double or two singles which are over 6’ long. Decent size kitchen with proper oven and a good amount of storage and worktop space & the washroom is a good size (even though as above, the shower isn’t used).
We looked at van conversions and they just felt too cramped inside, like long narrow corridors with no real lounging space other than the rotated cab seats. Self building was an option but when I fitted up the cost of what I wanted the coachbuilt was better value.
We use ours all year round so having decent heating and space to move around was important, means we don’t feel quite like we are cooped up in a metal box when the weather is awful. The lounge is as good as it’s name for afternoon naps etc...
We’ve done nearly 4 weeks away in it with plenty of room for everything we needed. If I could find the same layout in the same sort of size but with a garage I’d be all over it
There are only two of us but with two dogs and all our riding, climbing and walking kit the T5 conversion we used to have was just too much of a squeeze and I got sick of camper van Tetris pretty quickly.
I would like to self build one tho – for much the same reasons as others – I want a internal layout that no one offers. Medimum size van with a big bike “garage”, a permanent double bed that you can use without using your sitting space. But I won’t be putting a shower in and the on board bog would be for emergencies only
I've tried to work out a compromise without ending up with a massive van, and it's just not happening tbh.
So, I've gave up on the idea, and I'm gonna buy a wee XLWB Merc Citan, seats 5, rear seats fold flat to get full bikes in, but can also fold 2 of the 3 rear seats down for 3 of us and 3 full bikes. 60mpg, and I can also sleep in the back at races as well, and I'll just use Bed and breakfasts when we're going as a family.
Every van is a compromise, but it's your compromise, needs to suit you.
no doubt about it - even the smallest of coach builts feel bigger internally than an equivalent van conversion .
Even ancient ones.
the trade off is i don't have to wonder if i fit through a gap.
The big vans we hired on the highland roads felt like every time i met something coming the other way i was going to have a pile of kindling on my hands.
i still want a ducato for my next van some day.....if kid 2 comes along as there is no way to get 4 passengers into my current layout.
The price of coach-builts are horrific, wee old place near us that sells stinking looking faded yellow-but-used-to-be-white things for like 25 grand! I wouldn't spend a night in them, they look like a pish stained junkies couch.
they look like a pish stained junkies couch.
as oppopsed to a out-of-work-builder-come-hippy that the self-made conversions look like?
you want one of these. https://www.newmarcorp.com/luxury-motor-coaches/king-aire/
coach built, plenty of room for bikes. what's not to like?
All they basically are is injection moulded pieces, a few wires, pump and circuit board. It can’t cost them £20-£40 to build
Which is fine, when all you do is count the component cost. Any idea how much getting an injection mould designed and made is? Now spread that across what is a relatively small market...
Out of work builder ..... Nah . We lower than that. We are out of work delivery driver.
I'm quite ok with it looking rough as tits as I don't mind too much where I need to put it at events etc.
Let's just say it wasn't 17 grand despite being as ancient as the OPs example of a coach built van.
I wouldn't say the market for a Thetford bog is that small, and the classic bench style has only had one facelift on what must be a 30 year old design so it's had plenty of time to recoup any tooling cost!
When you look at what you get, it certainly doesn't cost that much. And until recently they were the standard supplier for caravans, and motorhomes, and DIY conversions.
I can’t fathom why motorhome type campers are so expensive, even second hand. They generally feel a bit cheap/depressing inside too.
I *think* it's because they have a 'proper' chassis rather than monocoque, so the vehicle will effectively last forever - you just bolt new bits on as bits break.
...and they do hold their value. My folk bought theirs new for £22k and after 8 years hard use they sold it to a *trader* for £19,000. They'd looked for a used one but found the same issue - the used prices were not much different to the new.
When you look at what you get, it certainly doesn’t cost that much
Sounds like a lucrative market. You should dive in - you're sure to clean up. 😉
I quite fancy building something around a Kip Shelter format in the back of a van. With a tailgate.
Having hired a few I see zero point in the “showers” you get in campers. A dribble of lukewarm water in a cupboard you cant turn round in.
You can get pretty big showers these days. The pumps are still weak as anything though, consequence of 12V.
The price of coach-builts are horrific, wee old place near us that sells stinking looking faded yellow-but-used-to-be-white things for like 25 grand! I wouldn’t spend a night in them, they look like a pish stained junkies couch.
Is that the place across from MFI? Assume you don't mean Borders!
Having hired a few I see zero point in the “showers” you get in campers. A dribble of lukewarm water in a cupboard you cant turn round in.
I would like to self build one tho – for much the same reasons as others – I want a internal layout that no one offers. Medimum size van with a big bike “garage”, a permanent double bed that you can use without using your sitting space. But I won’t be putting a shower in and the on board bog would be for emergencies only
We're pretty much building what you want, except we are having a shower. Getting rid of the shower would give you a 180cm wide bed with matching garage under.
Our shower tray arrived today 🙂
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Is that the place across from MFI? Assume you don’t mean Borders!
Na, wee sales place on rhs entering Prestwick, just before petrol station, though it seems to have went west recently.
Borders is the opposite end of the market!
Na, wee sales place on rhs entering Prestwick, just before petrol station, though it seems to have went west recently.
Borders is the opposite end of the market!
Don't think there was anything in it last I drove past a couple of days ago.
We had a look in Borders before buying the van last week, they've got some nice looking stuff and some that look like they've been designed for my 90 year old nan. None that would fit bikes in though!
Actually one thing I will add was that I spoke to a guy who is on the design team at Hymer. We had hired a Grand Canyon S on the Sprinter platform, which by the way was the most amazing drive for a van, and had managed to squeeze 3 bikes in under the bed but it was a phaff. When we returned it he was at the dealer and we got chatting. I outlined a design which would have more transverse space under the bed for bikes and he was of a view that they could easily do that for a factory order, they could shift the gas locker. Easy to say for an 89 grand van but was an interesting chat. They designed it with walkthrough as they assume everyone is retired and want it. The fact we wanted dry, separated bike space was unique but he was a cyclist so got it. The Hymer finish is rather lovely.
I have no interest in the technicalities of building camper vans, but I thought it was an excellent, funny, well written article. Best I've read in ST in a while 🙂
I have a T5 day van at the moment but would like something bigger,not really into the whole self-build thing but might be a case of needs must and a winter project.We should have been in Spain for most of this spring/summer and we would have made the T5 work but it could have become a proper ball ache constantly juggling things around.
Anyway this is my dream van
StuE - they're known as race vans, ebay camper section for race and you'll find a number to look at for ideas. I have one each year, bikes underneath, bed on top and in the middle and full shower, toilet etc.
i've never had an issue with shower being poor in a van, always fine for me and 12v pumps can generate lots of pressure.
Just to state that I enjoyed the article, and the happy outgoing view of the writer and gentle love story (makes me sound like a right softy). But their van just got me thinking. Might have something to do with my pal also having a van conversion and the one time I stayed in it I found it very cramped and compromised but he loves it so to each their own.
Can't help thinking there must be a better way!
Maybe in the future when cars are self driving and nobody owns them, just have a monthly lease/hire agreement, where they can change what car/vehicle they get depending on the type of trip and number of occupants required. Owning a camper van for half a dozen trips a year will seem like an expensive daft idea.
Essentially I want one but I'm not willing to pay or put up with such a compromise.
I am liking nobeerinthefridge's idea though as I could replace the family car with it (actually only car).
NZcol - I hired a custom Hymer build a few years ago. the hire place had them built to their spec rather than using an off the peg spec. It was just inside the 3.5 tonne licence category, had a fixed double bed and the "garage" beneath the bed would take the tandem without dismantling
coach built, plenty of room for bikes. what’s not to like?
Narrow lanes, interesting campsites, fuel bulls.
Out of work builder ….. Nah . We lower than that. We are out of work delivery driver
Not even sure where I fit in to this categorisation system. Out of work... refrigerated goods delivery guy?
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