Considering selling and moving to something bigger

[Boomer]

I just can't find a Burstner panel van B66 anywhere on the web as described here, with a round sit and a poptop. On buerstner.com only a B66 600 with the horrible 'dinette'. I can find a B66 big motorhome, but not a 6m panel van, nowhere... I'm curious! Anyone has a link somewhere? Is it a UK thing, perhaps?

It's the one posted above by PJM. It's a Burstner Lyseo Gallery motorhome rather than as panel van. They've just stopped production of them though so some good deals on the ones left.

 

[pjm-84]

We sat in one at the weekend and really liked it - felt really open with the rear lounge. The pop top felt quite substantial as well. What was it like to drive? And that's a great deal considering the original price.

Oddly its easy to drive and I'm really impressed with the Fiat 2.2 (smooth) and the ZF 9speed (very smooth). Seem very well matched. A few ratttles from the back, but the front dash / Fiat element is rattle / creak free (VW take note!), and I'm still finding storage pockets. Tech is impressive and even outshines our 2022 BMW X545E. Although the screen sensors do not like heavy rain

Its only 140hp and you do drop a few gears on some of the steeper climbs. I find it easier to set the cruise on the motorways as its certainly more responsive then my foot. You sit high in the cab and the seats are very comfortable. Windows are slightly odd due to the integral blinds. Normal on the outside, small on the inside. Visibility is really good noting the small windows and the blinds in the A pillar

The only really unusal thing is the brake pedal when you first drive it. Its small and close to the accelerator. Took me a few miles to get comfortable, particulalry in my size 14 hiking boots.

Heading up to Bowness on Windermere tomorrow for a long weekend. Loaded up and towing my rally bike..... so I'm hoping for a tail wind.

 

[sticky1]

We certainly did the same move from a smaller van to a motorhome as the kids started to grow, admittedly I did have four in tow. Now back down to the smallest van since the T2. I think it’s a common route.
You’ll be back!

 

[Boomer]

Oddly its easy to drive and I'm really impressed with the Fiat 2.2 (smooth) and the ZF 9speed (very smooth). Seem very well matched. A few ratttles from the back, but the front dash / Fiat element is rattle / creak free (VW take note!), and I'm still finding storage pockets. Tech is impressive and even outshines our 2022 BMW X545E. Although the screen sensors do not like heavy rain

Its only 140hp and you do drop a few gears on some of the steeper climbs. I find it easier to set the cruise on the motorways as its certainly more responsive then my foot. You sit high in the cab and the seats are very comfortable. Windows are slightly odd due to the integral blinds. Normal on the outside, small on the inside. Visibility is really good noting the small windows and the blinds in the A pillar

The only really unusal thing is the brake pedal when you first drive it. Its small and close to the accelerator. Took me a few miles to get comfortable, particulalry in my size 14 hiking boots.

Heading up to Bowness on Windermere tomorrow for a long weekend. Loaded up and towing my rally bike..... so I'm hoping for a tail wind.

Thanks for that. Good to hear. Our current van is based on the fiat 9 speed and all ok so far. Would be good to hear how driving through some of the narrower Lakes roads goes. The Gallery we saw was at a dealership in the northwest and we're very very tempted!

 

[bvddobb]

I just can't find a Burstner panel van B66 anywhere on the web as described here, with a round sit and a poptop. On buerstner.com only a B66 600 with the horrible 'dinette'. I can find a B66 big motorhome, but not a 6m panel van, nowhere... I'm curious! Anyone has a link somewhere? Is it a UK thing, perhaps?

OK, found it eventually! Buerstner call it the Eliseo C, here on the continent. But the configurator is ‘no longer available for this model’, only ‘immediately available models’ … So, end of life? Hence the offers, here and there? And still no poptop.

 

[ThomasHJ]

Check the Adria Twin posts. I have one on order!

Would love to know more about which one you went for and why. We have been looking at several Adria Twins in the last few weeks and they seem nice. We are 2 adults and 2 kids and they have good double bunk bed layouts.

 

[LRGS253]

Would love to know more about which one you went for and why. We have been looking at several Adria Twins in the last few weeks and they seem nice. We are 2 adults and 2 kids and they have good double bunk bed layouts.

We have a Adria Twin 600 SPB Sports on order. We didn't want to go larger than 6m as I need to use it for my commute, but I have parking at work! I like the openness of the pop top as I like sleeping under canvass. Toilet/shower swing wall is innovative and no curtain. We have had our Cali for 5 great years, but the Wife likes to sleep downstairs in the dark and I had nowhere to go when I got up in the morning, so wanted something with a dinette area. We looked at lots of vans at the October Motorhome Show, but the build quality of the Adria surpassed all. Not all of the 6m vans have a window above the windscreen that makes them quite dark - the Adria has an opening window and the light is great. The Knaus Boxlife was a close 2nd, but no pop top available at the time, but one was due. We purchased the Adria show van and got £11K off list. Looking forward to it.

 

[ThomasHJ]

Wow, sounds like you found yourself a great new camper. We're looking at second hand models. Specifically the Adria Twin SP Family. Which also is a 6m verhicle.

 

[soulstyledevon]

if you’re looking to upgrade from the California and still retain that Campervan vibe. It has to be a 6m Sprinter with Poptop IMO.

Positives:
Better all round camping experience
Onboard toilet
Standing space with the roof closed

Bad bits:
Not a fan of the Hymer rear seat
It’s not a daily driver
You will need to modify the van to your requirements (same as a Cali)

If you have a specific concerns . I’ll try and answer as honestly as possible.
But, genuinely prefer the bigger van and my 3 series touring for the daily duties over a California.

Last Christmas in the Alps, heading back next week for another few days skiing



The daily

 

[ThomasHJ]

if you’re looking to upgrade from the California and still retain that Campervan vibe. It has to be a 6m Sprinter with Poptop IMO.

Positives:
Better all round camping experience
Onboard toilet
Standing space with the roof closed

Bad bits:
Not a fan of the Hymer rear seat
It’s not a daily driver
You will need to modify the van to your requirements (same as a Cali)

If you have a specific concerns . I’ll try and answer as honestly as possible.
But, genuinely prefer the bigger van and my 3 series touring for the daily duties over a California.

Last Christmas in the Alps, heading back next week for another few days skiing

View attachment 144007

The daily
View attachment 144008

Your Van looks great! For us it depends on what the (local) second hand market has to offer. I'm afraid Sprinters aren't readily available. Also, for some reason we feel having a fixed roof might feel safer then a pop-top, although we know that's most a felling and not a fact.

 

[hirsty]

OK, found it eventually! Buerstner call it the Eliseo C, here on the continent. But the configurator is ‘no longer available for this model’, only ‘immediately available models’ … So, end of life? Hence the offers, here and there? And still no poptop.

I went on the Buerstner stand at the NEC Show (UK) last year where they'd brought pre-production Habiton models - really interesting options based on Mercedes Sprinter & aggressively priced:

Habiton | Bürstner Campervan

Der Habiton: Campervan auf Mercedes-Basis mit patentiertem Schiebebad & beheiztem Schlafdach. Smart, kompakt, innovativ. Jetzt entdecken.

www.buerstner.com

6M wheelbase, pop top or not, 4x4 option. still has the dinette layout referred to above, but they have an innovative 'sliding' bathroom (and therefore a non-fixed toilet).

 

[acer]

Love that sliding bathroom!

 

[Blackbrogue1962]

I’m hoping to check out a Knaus Boxcar 540 with a pop top tomorrow. On paper it looks ideal, especially as we currently sleep one up, one down in the Cali which we can continue to do unless the weathers too wet in which case both sleeping downstairs will be more comfortable than the Cali. My biggest concern is reliability and finish of Fiat Ducato base vehicle - aware that some of this is brand snobbishness!

 

[Foggy51]

Never thought this day would come, and not yet sure about it either, but we are considering selling the VW California and switching to a larger campervan. I know there's been quite some threads about people switching to a big white, but that's still a step too far for us. But we are thinking about perhaps a larger campervan.
Hoping we'd still have some of the charm of a van (sliding door, etc) and not all of the 'disadvantages' of a true big white. Although I realise it's quite the change.
Our kids are getting bigger but all of us still really enjoy the campervan way of spending our holidays and weekends. We never stay in one place longer then 1 night or occasionally 2, so we travel light and don't setup tents, awnings, etc.

Main reasons would be:

- fixed furniture instead of having to transform stuff (especially with 4 people travelling/sleeping in the Cali)
- fixed bed (double bunk beds in our case)
- fixed roof (somehow feels safer then the popup)
- more of a homey dinette-setting, less of a car-feel in the sitting-area
- hopefully some more room to store stuff, although I'm not that sure about whether that will turn out to be true.

extra reasons, but not decisive in the decision making:

- toilet / wet room
- 'real fridge', no more stacking
- a new 'adventure' (I'm honest, this is part of the allure also)

I realise these diadvantages:

- no more covered car parks because of height restrictions
- slower driving
- can't function as daily driver
- harder or impossible to get into the 'good spots' both on camp sites and while wild camping (this one hurts!)

Any people here with experience (or without) travelling with a larger campervan, who would like to suggest some things I haven't mentioned/thought about?

Buy an Eriba and keep the California…it’s a win win. You can sleep in one and the kids in the other.

 

[pjm-84]

We have both.....trying work out if my bike looks small or my MH is big ....its only 7m long.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

We have both.....trying work out if my bike looks small or my MH is big ....its only 7m long.

View attachment 144174

Small bike

 

[LRGS253]

I’m hoping to check out a Knaus Boxcar 540 with a pop top tomorrow. On paper it looks ideal, especially as we currently sleep one up, one down in the Cali which we can continue to do unless the weathers too wet in which case both sleeping downstairs will be more comfortable than the Cali. My biggest concern is reliability and finish of Fiat Ducato base vehicle - aware that some of this is brand snobbishness!

The execution of adding the poptop looks a bit naff compared to the Adria Twin and you loose the big front skylight above the windscreen which will make the dinette dark. Just my opinion.