Hi 🖐

[tut_gareth]

Hi,

Have been Lurking and researching for a while now. Finally financially ready to start my Transporter Journey.

Coming from Touaregs and Discoveries, I'm nearly sold on the additional creature comforts and rear ventilation of a Carravelle or Shuttle.
Use will mainly be for carrying MTBs, DIY stuff and a max of 4 people.

Just cant decide whether to go SWB or LWB.

 

[Drive Wayne]

Hi,

Have been Lurking and researching for a while now. Finally financially ready to start my Transporter Journey.

Coming from Touaregs and Discoveries, I'm nearly sold on the additional creature comforts and rear ventilation of a Carravelle or Shuttle.
Use will mainly be for carrying MTBs, DIY stuff and a max of 4 people.

Just cant decide whether to go SWB or LWB.

We have forced a SWB to work for us, but when MTB's are involved the extra 40cm will come in handy!

 

[Sladie07]

I have a Caravelle….love it! It’s SWB and I suspect a LWB would come in handy but only infrequently on long trips so for our needs, the SWB is perfect 95% of the time. Carrying stuff like MTBs etc, I’d probably go LWB. Might be worth trying to find one of each and seeing the space difference

 

[Dellmassive]

Hi and welcome.

A LWB is the Holy grail for a camper conversion for 2+Dog and up for IMHO

But a calli and shuttle with rear stuff will hamper any future camper conversion.

So if its just a calli with seats out for a MTB, or DIY.material or 4x ppl transport then you can go either way.

I have a LWB for work, and swb for camper.... Tbh the drive the same,

The LWB looks longer and some ppl don't like that.

Get the decent engine size 150ps and up. Be wary of early 204ps biturbos bellow 90k as they potentially have problems.

 

[CAB]

I think Caravelles are only SWB?

May be wrong though.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Sladie07]

I think Caravelles are only SWB?

May be wrong though.

Welcome to the forum.

You can get them (I saw a few online when we were looking) but far less common. Probably should have tried to look at one in the flesh though I suspect SWBO would have vetoed it

 

[Bav]

LWB every time, notwithstanding the scarcity of LWB Caravelles.

 

[tut_gareth]

Thanks for the replies, I have seen a coouple of LWB caravelle's but they are very rare or converted. The shuttles on the market seem to be prodiminantly LWB for one with a reasonable spec.

Deffo lookiing for a 150 but will entertain a Bitdi if it has good history. Dont mind miles as some of my best buys have been highmiler's

I will definitely be taking a tape measure with me on test drives and fiddling with the seats. I will try both SWB and LWB, though think the SWB may be better for our day to day driving.

 

[JOG]

The California Beach doesn’t have a kitchen etc fitted making it more versatile. It is the Ocean which has all the rarely used furniture!

 

[Macp]

I have a SWB and its fine. I currently dont have space for a LWB, but if I did that would be my choice

 

[Dellmassive]

we would like to replace our SWB camper for a LWB camper - but that wont be till end of next year at earliest.

why? - just for the extra space, and to be able to use the slider area when the bed is left made - versus having to put away the RIB bed to everything to do anything.

but ours is a camper specific setup.

 

[tut_gareth]

I have a Caravelle….love it! It’s SWB and I suspect a LWB would come in handy but only infrequently on long trips so for our needs, the SWB is perfect 95% of the time. Carrying stuff like MTBs etc, I’d probably go LWB. Might be worth trying to find one of each and seeing the space difference

I must admit I was thinking caravelle with the bench removed and the 2 singles on one side, then bikes on the other could work very nicely.
Do you know if 2 or 3 MTBs would fit in that 2 seat on one side orientation?

 

[Sladie07]

I must admit I was thinking caravelle with the bench removed and the 2 singles on one side, then bikes on the other could work very nicely.
Do you know if 2 or 3 MTBs would fit in that 2 seat on one side orientation?

I’ve not tried that layout to be honest (from what I believe, removing the bench seat is a 2 person job at least, so I’ve never tried!), however I would think you could definitely get 2 MTBs in like that, couldn’t be sure about a third

 

[tut_gareth]

Thanks, could live with 2. I have read that they are heavy!

 

[Sladie07]

I took one of the singles out a week or so ago and that nearly crippled me!!