Talk me out of an A class?
Discussion
We've had a Bessacarr E560 (our first motorhome) for 9 years and its been brilliant.
It's time for a change, must haves are Island bed, good storage, under 7.5m and 3m high.
I fancy an A class, Mrs TF says they look like a bus and that you don't actually get anymore space.
Friends say that maintenance and insurance are higher, windscreen cover expensive etc.
Any owners here like to advice?
Also if you were to group manufacturers on build quality would you put the German vans top?
It's time for a change, must haves are Island bed, good storage, under 7.5m and 3m high.
I fancy an A class, Mrs TF says they look like a bus and that you don't actually get anymore space.
Friends say that maintenance and insurance are higher, windscreen cover expensive etc.
Any owners here like to advice?
Also if you were to group manufacturers on build quality would you put the German vans top?
Afraid I can’t - I’m just in the process of changing myself.
I’ve had two A classes to date (Hymer B640S and Concorde Charisma I880f) and just about to get into a Dethleffs Globetrotter XLi. I’ve also had Rimor & Dethleffs coachbuilts.
In fairness, I’d have kept the current coachbuilt for 10yrs had it not have had issues but the difference in ambience in an A class is a game changer.
To me, it makes the whole experience more immersive (both in terms of the landscape during and following the drive and the living room experience).
I’ve never had any discernible difference in running costs.
If anything I felt the a classes were more robust, warmer and better at warding off damp. I’ve had windscreens replaced on both A classes and I’ve only ever paid the excess of £100-200. Yes, you require specialist windscreens that may take a little longer to order but no issues which caused me any concern.
In terms of what to look for - personally my favourite has been the Concorde in which i fulltimed for 18months. It was a 2005 I bought in 2017 and sold in 2021 for more than I paid for it.
What is your budget?
I’ve had two A classes to date (Hymer B640S and Concorde Charisma I880f) and just about to get into a Dethleffs Globetrotter XLi. I’ve also had Rimor & Dethleffs coachbuilts.
In fairness, I’d have kept the current coachbuilt for 10yrs had it not have had issues but the difference in ambience in an A class is a game changer.
To me, it makes the whole experience more immersive (both in terms of the landscape during and following the drive and the living room experience).
I’ve never had any discernible difference in running costs.
If anything I felt the a classes were more robust, warmer and better at warding off damp. I’ve had windscreens replaced on both A classes and I’ve only ever paid the excess of £100-200. Yes, you require specialist windscreens that may take a little longer to order but no issues which caused me any concern.
In terms of what to look for - personally my favourite has been the Concorde in which i fulltimed for 18months. It was a 2005 I bought in 2017 and sold in 2021 for more than I paid for it.
What is your budget?
We looked at a few A Classes when we nearly changed our bed over cab MoHo 2 years ago, found out that some do use generic windscreens, if memory serves Pilote. The windscreen thing was scaring the hell out of us, after reading on here tales of £4,000 windscreen not covered by insurance. We decided the Coachman Travelmaster was the better option for us after all, not sure how much they are these days but the quality felt a cut above most other things.
No, no update, we’re very much want to go to nice warm places and explore, mostly on foot and only use the van for sleeping. (A rear lounge is our idea of yuk).
I think we’ll just wait till something comes along that we both go wow we like that, if it’s this year or next I don’t think we’ll mind.
I think we’ll just wait till something comes along that we both go wow we like that, if it’s this year or next I don’t think we’ll mind.
tight fart said:
No, no update, we re very much want to go to nice warm places and explore, mostly on foot and only use the van for sleeping. (A rear lounge is our idea of yuk).
I think we ll just wait till something comes along that we both go wow we like that, if it s this year or next I don t think we ll mind.
Makes sense not to rush into anything.I think we ll just wait till something comes along that we both go wow we like that, if it s this year or next I don t think we ll mind.
I also can't stand the idea of a rear lounge. There are more and more unique ideas for layouts coming out and what we've found from our 8th motorhome in 13yrs, there's always something which could work better/differently and time/life events also mean different layouts can come and go / work or not work. I'm currently exceptionally happy with my Globetrotter XLi, even though when we first looked at it 18months ago, it didn't make an awful lot of sense. Now it does.
Each to their own, but rear lounges seem to appeal to a lot of people who spend a huge amount of time in their vans rather than that time spent being outdoors and exploring. Maybe if I were fulltiming again or retired and spending a lot of time on the road, I might consider the space taken up by a large lounge to be the right compromise, but for me it's not the right layout.
I've lived in an (old) A class for almost the last four years. It's primarily just me and the dog, with a depressingly transient series of women.
For full timing, a rear lounge is a very useful thing.
I think if you're using a van for a holiday a few weeks at a time, the argument that you just want a van to sleep in while you explore where you are is valid. If it's your full time home, having a separate seating area is a godsend.
People assume I'm on holiday all the time, dining out every day, and exploring local bars each evening. The fact is, like a lot of people, I spend the majority of my evenings at home, in the van.
For full timing, a rear lounge is a very useful thing.
I think if you're using a van for a holiday a few weeks at a time, the argument that you just want a van to sleep in while you explore where you are is valid. If it's your full time home, having a separate seating area is a godsend.
People assume I'm on holiday all the time, dining out every day, and exploring local bars each evening. The fact is, like a lot of people, I spend the majority of my evenings at home, in the van.
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