First timer with loads of kids

3831 Views 14 Replies 10 Participants Last post by suffolkian, May 6, 2009

123071

Discussion Starter · May 3, 2009

Hello all. First timer here with a fairly unique set of requirements!
Looking at getting a motorhome later this year. We have'nt settled on a budget yet but realise this won't be cheap! We have 5 young children under 9 making a family of 7 but my oldest daughter is in wheelchair so we would need wide doors and ramps or lifts. I know nothing about motorhomes so would really appreciate your input.

Thanks

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

moblee

· #2 · May 3, 2009

Hello & Welcome

We too have a large family of 8 the two older ones don't travel with us anymore 23 & 19 we're too boring :lol: So there's six of us mum/dad plus four children 12 & under so its definitely achievable.

I'm sorry but I can't help you with the Wheelchair part of your question but hopefully someone will be able to.
All the best
Phil.

JohnsCrossMotorHomes

· #3 · May 3, 2009

Deancosmos said:
Hello all. First timer here with a fairly unique set of requirements!
Looking at getting a motorhome later this year. We have'nt settled on a budget yet but realise this won't be cheap! We have 5 young children under 9 making a family of 7 but my oldest daughter is in wheelchair so we would need wide doors and ramps or lifts. I know nothing about motorhomes so would really appreciate your input.
Thanks

I think you are going to have a task finding something suitable for 9 people with wheel chair access as well.

Looking for a large van with seat belts for nine., wide doors and a ramp......

RV sounds more like your scene frankly.

Peter

teemyob

· #4 · May 3, 2009

Size

Hello,

Toy Hauler RV sounds near as I can think

We manage 8 in our Eura but it only has 4 seatbelts. The others have to sit rear or side facing. But we are all able bodies.

Swift do a six seatbelt version of the 630L variety but no chance of a wheelchair. Same goes for Burstner and Deffleths on Iveco chassis.

Otherwise a large minibus and Caravan, bespoke build or try caravan salon in Germany.

Best I can think of.

Trev.

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123071

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 3, 2009

JohnsCrossMotorHomes said:
Deancosmos said:

Hello all. First timer here with a fairly unique set of requirements!
Looking at getting a motorhome later this year. We have'nt settled on a budget yet but realise this won't be cheap! We have 5 young children under 9 making a family of 7 but my oldest daughter is in wheelchair so we would need wide doors and ramps or lifts. I know nothing about motorhomes so would really appreciate your input.
Thanks

Click to expand...

I think you are going to have a task finding something suitable for 9 people with wheel chair access as well.

Looking for a large van with seat belts for nine., wide doors and a ramp......

RV sounds more like your scene frankly.

Peter

Thanks Peter, just to clarify; there are 7 of us. What is the law regarding seatbelts?

JohnsCrossMotorHomes

· #6 · May 4, 2009

Deancosmos said:
Thanks Peter, just to clarify; there are 7 of us. What is the law regarding seatbelts?

Hi,

Strangely enough I asked our Andy the same question on Saturday and I think he said:

Front seats, passsenger and driver, full diagonal lap belts, if there is a belt fitted on another seat, thats it only three people can travel, I could well be wrong so stand to be corrected there.

If there are no other belts fitted, do what you like! Sounds crazy to me but evidently new legislation just coming in.

Whether it is retrospective on older vans, havent a clue.

Subject came up as I was discussing fitting extra belts to sideways facing seats and the answer was that we would be leaving ourselves wide open to potential injury claims in case of accidents as the human body doesnt bend very well to sideways forces.!

Best to give him a ring and ask him

Peter

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mandyandandy

· #7 · May 4, 2009

Hi,

Have a look at the Rollerteam 700 this sleeps 7 and has seat belts for 6 but the separate 2 seats can also have seat belts added, or you could remove the one front facing one and have a wheel chair anchorage fitted there.

Not sure about door width that could be the sticking point. It has a huge over head bed that would easily sleep 3 little ones ( up to 6ft tall we know as our son was up there till that height) then 2 bunks leaving the double and single below spare for you and somewhere to sit in a morning when anyone gets up and wants a table and chair.

Good luck with it , you would love it and so will the children, it changed our lives and I am sure it would yours.

Mandy

wakk44

· #8 · May 4, 2009

JohnsCrossMotorHomes said:
Deancosmos said:

Thanks Peter, just to clarify; there are 7 of us. What is the law regarding seatbelts?

Click to expand...

Hi,

Strangely enough I asked our Andy the same question on Saturday and I think he said:

Front seats, passsenger and driver, full diagonal lap belts, if there is a belt fitted on another seat, thats it only three people can travel, I could well be wrong so stand to be corrected there.

If there are no other belts fitted, do what you like! Sounds crazy to me but evidently new legislation just coming in.

Whether it is retrospective on older vans, havent a clue.

Subject came up as I was discussing fitting extra belts to sideways facing seats and the answer was that we would be leaving ourselves wide open to potential injury claims in case of accidents as the human body doesnt bend very well to sideways forces.!

Best to give him a ring and ask him

Peter

Have a look at >>>THIS<<<< thread for the law on seatbelts.

123071

Discussion Starter · #9 · May 4, 2009

Many thanks for all your replies. What a great forum! It seems to me, after reading through several posts and articles that I am going to need either an RV adapted slightly (wider access and ramp/lift) or a bespoke UK spec. We will not require hoists or tracking at the moment, the main wheelchair issue is space and accessibility. And for the rest of my large family the issues are space, sleeping and seatbelts.
Guess I'll subscribe to this site and keep checking back.
Thanks again.

georgiemac

· #10 · May 4, 2009

If I am not mistaken you can buy a new home minus the VAT if it is for a whhelchair user I think thats right

JohnsCrossMotorHomes

· #11 · May 4, 2009

wakk44 said:
Have a look at >>>THIS<<<< thread for the law on seatbelts.

Looks like Andy was well on the ball then!

Nice to know my staff know their stuff.

Thanks for that.

Peter

Where seat belts are fitted, from May 2009 the directive will prevent more passengers being carried than there are seat belts in the rear of vehicles. This will mean that from May 2009, in any vehicle of whatever age, where seat belts are fitted in the rear, more passengers may not be carried in the rear than there are seat belts available.

The critical point for owners of older motorhomes(pre Oct 2007) is that it will not become illegal to carry passengers in the rear, provided that no seatbelts are fitted to any seats behind the driver and front passenger seats.Be aware that the police could prosecute if the vehicle is overloaded and exceeds the MGVW.

Owners of any motorhome that has belts fitted to any seat in the rear will need to be aware that, from May 2009, it will be illegal to carry passengers in any unbelted seats.

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JohnsCrossMotorHomes

· #12 · May 4, 2009

georgiemac said:
If I am not mistaken you can buy a new home minus the VAT if it is for a whhelchair user I think thats right

Very valid point that but does it cover children, one has to be very carefull these days as the Customs have tightened up very much over VAT exempt

Peter

Fatalhud

· #13 · May 4, 2009

Wash my mouth out with soap, but I would say the only option you would have to safely and legally carry your family would be perhaps a Minibus and Caravan

Alan H

jhelm

· #14 · May 6, 2009

Just received our Italian camper magazine and they have a nice article on campers equiped for the handicapped. One thing they mention is something called Easy Rail, it's a rail that attaches to the ceiling and has a kind of sling that allows someone in a wheel chair to move about, without the chair.

Here's the site http://www.icmobility.it/ There are also some companies making HC accessible campers. Elnagh CPT, Marostica Royal System II 700Handy, Blucamp Sky Free, are the names listed, no websites.

The Easy Rail site is all in Italian but if you write to them in English I'm pretty sure they will write back [email protected]. Check out the links, lots of info there too.

suffolkian

· #15 · May 6, 2009

Also you have to calculate the overall weights on each axel and the gross weight in running order, I'd go along with the MPV and caravan option.

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