Suitable for extended family of 7??

[AmberF]

Hi,
New to this so not sure if posting in the right place. Basically is a VW van a better choice for a family of 7 than a motorhome? Sometimes there are 3 of us, sometimes 5, rarely 7. I know we’d have to have a tent too for either a motorhome or vw but was hoping for some advice on how realistic a UK holiday would be with a VW over a motorhome. Currently use a 5 berth Ducato Escape but only has 4 seatbelts so limited to taking 2 kids with us rather than the full brood. I guess the majority of the time there’d be 5 of us. What is the interior space like? Cooking facilities? Storage space? Toilet??? Room for bikes and a stroller and car seats for 3? Sleeping space (OH claustrophobic). Grateful of advice and shared experiences.

 

[Ed Webb]

@Tourershine
He works with and owns a motohome so may be able to raise some views on the matter.

 

[Pauly]

We have 3 kids and travel/camp with the gang so 5 in total, if you are going to do it I think the key is a decent size awning
Are you planning a poptop ?
We don’t have have one so kids sleep in van on full width fold out Kombi bed (two are still young/small) and me and my wife sleep in awning
We use an external bike carrier so we can take them with us (4 max) and it works in a SWB albeit a little cramped, toilet I’m not so sure about

 

[AmberF]

@Tourershine
He works with and owns a motohome so may be able to raise some views on the matter.

Thanks

We have 3 kids and travel/camp with the gang so 5 in total, if you are going to do it I think the key is a decent size awning
Are you planning a poptop ?
We don’t have have one so kids sleep in van on full width fold out Kombi bed (two are still young/small) and me and my wife sleep in awning
We use an external bike carrier so we can take them with us (4 max) and it works in a SWB albeit a little cramped, toilet I’m not so sure about

The kids are aged 3 to 11. Planning a pop up but OH woukdnt sleep up there due to claustrophobia.

 

[Pauly]

I think the main thing for you is going to be sleeping/seating arrangements
If you need 7 seats then dont think you would be able to sleep in the body of the van which would leave you the pop top and whatever tent/awning setup you choose

 

[AmberF]

I think the main thing for you is going to be sleeping/seating arrangements
If you need 7 seats then dont think you would be able to sleep in the body of the van which would leave you the pop top and whatever tent/awning setup you choose

Yes, how would eating work out in there? The layout I’ve seen has two small side tables and not the diner like booth we are used to in the Escape. If the weather is bad I imagine things would be pretty miserable.

 

[Tourershine]

I guess it's a personal choice, but if you've had the space of the Motorhome and think about everything you take with you, store in the MH etc, you might find you have to remove most of it. I've done both, VW T5 Camper round Europe with my wife, and my current MH which is not only huge, but has a huge garage, loads of storage, loads of room for the 4 of us to be separate when needed.
Could I do what I do in my MH, in a T6, No way! Not at this stage of my life. I like my comforts far more.

In my opinion the T6 is a Camper, not a Motorhome, and if you are used to Camping with tents, using the site facilities, cooking outside and getting changed in tight spaces, then the T6 is perfect.
However, if you're used to siting round a table, your own bathroom, own toilet, own shower, loads of storage, and basically a slightly more luxury type of holiday, then a T6 will feel like a wrong move.
I love my T6, and it obviously drives better than my MH, but no amount of persuading would see me sell up the MH and move to a camper.

 

[T6 Dave]

Sounds like a crafter conversion might be better, "similar" dash to the '6, but more room.. Now have come away from merc and that orrible dash!

 

[CaliStu]

I think the main thing for you is going to be sleeping/seating arrangements
If you need 7 seats then dont think you would be able to sleep in the body of the van which would leave you the pop top and whatever tent/awning setup you choose

I believe you can make up the downstairs bed in a Cali Beach with all 7 seats in place, but you would definitely want an awning for living and sleeping space.

 

[RAD]

Beaten to it... I to was going to mention the VW Beach. It doesn’t come with any cooking facilities, what you would need to look at though is a tow bar mounted storage box.

 

[AmberF]

I like the MH but personally find it too cramped with 5 of us even with the awning up. There have been problems with the awning resulting in a £300 bill to fix it (someone out it up, without reading the instructions, in the wind) and there’s been a leak that’s cost £500 to fix so it’s starting to feel like a money pit. However reading this forum makes me think it’s going to be a lot dearer to have a camper and for less space.

 

[Tourershine]

You've kind of answered your own question. You find MH too cramped, a T6 will be a lot worse. A general camper or van conversion won't be any better.
So it's either a total change in how you use your holiday vehicle, or a bigger MH.

As for the current MH being a money pit, sometimes it's hard to find a decent company that can be trusted in my industry, but if you struggle with issues, and no where to take it that's reasonable, just drop me a PM with your issues and location. I have a pretty good network of good smaller guys that won't change what a dealer will, and do a much better quality job.

Out of interest, what year and model is your current Swift?

 

[AmberF]

You've kind of answered your own question. You find MH too cramped, a T6 will be a lot worse. A general camper or van conversion won't be any better.
So it's either a total change in how you use your holiday vehicle, or a bigger MH.

As for the current MH being a money pit, sometimes it's hard to find a decent company that can be trusted in my industry, but if you struggle with issues, and no where to take it that's reasonable, just drop me a PM with your issues and location. I have a pretty good network of good smaller guys that won't change what a dealer will, and do a much better quality job.

Out of interest, what year and model is your current Swift?

It’s a Swift Escape 624, 2010.

 

[Tourershine]

It’s a Swift Escape 624, 2010.

Ok, end kitchen? That might be part of your issue if it feels a little cramped. Have you looked at different layouts?

 

[AmberF]

Ok, end kitchen? That might be part of your issue if it feels a little cramped. Have you looked at different layouts?

Yes, it’s at the end by the door so whoever is cooking is in the way of anyone coming in or out. Not looked at different layouts as OH is set on a VW as thinks the MH is going to continue being a money bit. Not sure how he thinks spending an extra £10,000 on a VW is economical.

 

[Tourershine]

We often see customers that are sold the wrong layouts, or they choose a layout that they think will work. End Kitchen is always going to be tough because a bulk of the interior space is taken up by the kitchen, and the bathroom down one side, along with possibly a wardrobe, and cupboards etc. This leaves little space for actual living.
I only have 2 kids, but always opt for end bedroom, with fixed singles. It gives a lot more room for actual living, and the kids get their own room. Like you, we also have a bed in the roof space, although ours is an A-class, and they managed to get a king sized in ours.
Your other half might be set on a T6 in general, but unless you consider using the van for actually travelling and carrying kit, and a huge awning with an annex (if you can get these for the Transporter) I genuinely think you will regret the purchase pretty quickly.

 

[AmberF]

We often see customers that are sold the wrong layouts, or they choose a layout that they think will work. End Kitchen is always going to be tough because a bulk of the interior space is taken up by the kitchen, and the bathroom down one side, along with possibly a wardrobe, and cupboards etc. This leaves little space for actual living.
I only have 2 kids, but always opt for end bedroom, with fixed singles. It gives a lot more room for actual living, and the kids get their own rooms. Like you, we also have a bed in the roof space, although ours is an A-class, and they managed to get a king sized in ours.
Your other half might be set on a T6 in general, but unless you consider using the van for actually travelling and carrying kit, and a huge awning with an annex (if you can get these for the Transporter) I genuinely think you will regret the purchase pretty quickly.

Thank you. I suspect you are right. I think it was a panic purchase as he’d saved up for years for one and got the first one he saw that he could afford. A waste of £25000 in my opinion! And you would t believe how he stresses over the kids touching the blinds or messing with cupboards. The storage space is fantastic in the MH and needed for the 3 year old still using a stroller for days out as she can’t walk all day and still needs a sleep in the day. He’s now panicking thinking he needs to sell it and get something more manageable but the VW is just not right for our needs in my opinion. As the kids grow they’ll need more space and I really don’t want him to make another mistake but it’s his money at the end of the day. I just hope he does his research this time before spending all that money!

 

[Tourershine]

I don't want to be responsible for him not getting a T6, because they are formidable beasts, and there is the added bonus that it can be used as a daily driver, but I genuinely thinks it's just a layout error. We see it all the time, and that's often just down to budget at the time, or a bad salesman who doesn't know how layouts work in the real world.
The plus is your Motorhome is still worth big money, and they don't really drop too much at that age. You should drag him to the NEC this weekend and get a feel for different layouts, because that's the key. You don't need to buy new, just use what's at a show as a guide on the layout.
As a general rule, if you want space and the feel of lots of it, you have to look at an A-Class.
His original budget would buy one, and possibly a better quality European one, but it would of been a bit older than 2010.
Again, if you struggle, PM me.
Good luck

 

[CaliStu]

I don't want to be responsible for him not getting a T6

Same here. Just let the poor guy buy a T6

 

[CaliStu]

Also see here for evidence of someone crazy enough to go camping with 7 people in a T6

Camping challenge, 7 with a Beach.