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i have to agree with cabby a motorhome is much easier with young children. we bought a euramobil with rear bunks in april this year and although it worked ok it was a struggle reaching into the bottom bunk to get the baby out from her cot.....we have recently changed to another euromobil with twin beds at the rear and used it for the first time over half term. it worked brilliantly.....little one could play in her cot on her bed with big sis sat next to her reading and me within sight in the kitchen....it is so much better and feels alot more spacious....its much easier for me to deal with baby when she wakes in the night too without disturbing anyone else......
i also have to agree with cabby regarding buying a cheap one to start with....all layouts are different for different people and you need to find one that suits your needs......
One thing is fact: Kids love motorhomes! Maybe yours are too young to realize it yet, but it won't take long.
And so should parents: Just imagine, you are driving along with the kids in the back on the motorway, then the weather turns bad, something happens in front of you and you are stuck in a traffic jam for several hours, maybe even over night. In an ordinary car: A nightmare! In a motorhome: No problem!
About bed layouts: Your younger daughter is surely too young for the upper bunk bed, your older one might reach a suitable age soon. At least if the bunk bed is equipped with a safety net. Same goes of course for an overcab bed. But the lower bunk might be OK already, or you can place a cot onto it for the time being.
About the brands you have mentioned: Out of these three brands Laika is certainly the top quality one. (In fact, Laika is now for some years part of the Hymer group.) It is also well-renowned for good insulation and has - typically Italian as it still is despite the German ownership - many "bambini-friendly" layouts.
Best Regards,
Gerhard
______________________________________________________________ Euramobil Sport 585DS (C-class):
Not much to add to what has been said already... can only say how we compare caravanning and motorhoming...
We used to caravan, but found the whole experience exhausting before we could relax.
You have the hassle of hooking up to your car, loading the kids in the car, checking the lights, fixing the stabiliser bar and putting the extended wing mirrors on. Then you had a horrid ride in a car being bounced about by the caravan. And as Boff said, if you get stuck in a jam, your stuck in the car! Then once you get on site, if it was dark or the weather was bad, the kids had to wait in the car for 20/30 minutes while I disconnected the caravan from the car, got the caravan pushed into final position, wound the legs down, connected the hook up, got the aqua roll filled with water and wheeled it back to the caravan, connected the waste water, parked the car up and finally we could get in the caravan!
With a motorhome we get in, the kids have all their toys, games, dvd's etc for the journey and plenty of room. We start up and drive to our site. If we get stuck in a jam, we can keep the kids entertained or make drinks/food etc... AND, if anyone needs the toilet en-route, we can pull over in a lay-by and they can go, job done! Once on site, we park up, handbrake on, engine off, jump in the back and chill.
hopefully that gives you our view on how the two compare...
As for layout... you will know what will work for you when you see it... its a case of keep looking at as many as you can. Don't be suprised if you buy something you think will work well for your family and it turns out a different layout may be better... its all about trial and error... thankfully motorhomes don't tend to depreciate too steeply, as long as you get a good deal in the first place you can always trade later.
Whatever you do buy make sure it has proper seat belt fixings for your young children and you can sit near them if necessary while on a journey. Not sure how you fix child seats to a MH but I'm sure a dealer should know.
Hi Claire and welcome. Our last van was a 2002 laika ecovip 2.1 tw (on Iveco) is the one you saw Iveco or Fiat?
Iveco gives a bigger payload and rear wheel drive(better traction and turning circle) also a side couch and (on ours) a swivel cab seat. On that age van the Fiat seems less good. Later models give the fFat a double floor, so some advantage there.
I have to sign off now to cook tea but I can say many more comments (mainly good but a few wee niggly points)about a Laika of that age so fire away if you're still looking. Great layout though and pretty good quality overall.
______________________________________________________________ A motorhome is a backpack for grown-ups. Enjoy!
In the eighties, I had the same prob. Two young boys. Looked around for a motorhome that had a lockable cage at the rear with a sound proof curtain but very hard to find.
In the end we settled for a Pioneer on a Merc. Bit old, a bit crap really but just as much fun in an old one as a new one. In those days the kids used to jump up and down on the over head bed and loved looking out the top window.
It didn't seem a dangerous practice at the time but now of course, I know better. Even so, this attaction kept them occupied for miles and miles of traveling and it is just lucky I didn't have to stop suddenly.
It didn't seem a dangerous practice at the time but now of course, I know better. Even so, this attaction kept them occupied for miles and miles of traveling and it is just lucky I didn't have to stop suddenly.
Do you really know better now Pusser?
Or is it just that public opinion has swayed your judgement and made you part of the current culture which pounces immediately on any form of risk taking and brands you as irresponsible? It's a very effective strategy, making someone feel stupid and irresponsible soon inhibits them from doing everything they've happily done for donkeys years without incident.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that travelling with two kids bouncing around in the overcab bed is a good idea - but how many of us consider objectively the real risk factor before condemning someone elses "dangerous practices"?
I'm inclined to think that society these days is fast adopting the "don't get out of bed - the world is a dangerous place" attitude (they've never experienced bed-sores).
It'll be a dull existence when we've finally eliminated all risk from everyday life, we'll all live for centuries and eventually die from either suicide or terminal boredom.
Sorry - off topic - rant over.
______________________________________________________________ If you lend someone £20 and never see that person again, it was probably well worth it.
Hi Claire and wecome,I am sure you have taken all the advise in,but consider renting 1 to see what you need & want.I think there are dealers out there that will rent /knock off rental price if you buy???good luck! Terry
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