Female Drivers/Owners

[Deactivated user]

Hello

One reason I am looking into buying a Romahome rather than another van is because as it is small and reasonably light I am hoping it is easy to drive! I am 5’1” and not terribly strong. What is the experience of other women drivers/owners on this site?

What van do you have, and do you find it heavy to drive and manouever? For shorties, is the seat positioned high enough to see out the windscreen and forward enough to reach the foot pedals comfortably?

How about lifting and shifting things to make up the bed, etc?

Please tell!

Thank you

[Annie van]

Hi GypsyMe and welcome to the forum.

I am 5'3" and I love driving the R20. I have no problem with the drivers seat position or anything. It's as easy to drive as our Ford Focus that we sold. We had to sell our folding camper because I could no longer help unfold it etc due to having major surgery four years ago, and I must always be careful how I lift things etc. I have no problem at all with the R20, even bed making up I can manage. So I'm sure you'll not have a problem.

Good luck with choosing your Romahome. Let us know what you decide.Mary

[peterholden]

In the R20 if you choose the Pullman option for one person you can leave the table set up and on the other side the bed is always made up. Shorties will not need the bed extension.

Good luck with your decisions

[rogerw8]

I have just got back from a meet at Woverley and there will be answers to your question later from the Ladies who drive their Romahomes.

Welcome to the forum

[Deactivated user]

Thanks for all your welcomes and useful words! Mary, good to know you can manage the van well. Peter, I should think the single bed option would be too narrow - I am a bit of a restless sleeper but maybe I could even leave the double made up sometimes and do without a table? It would save the bother of having to switch from 'living' to 'sleeping' mode and back again every day if the lifting and shifting became a chore. Anyone tried that?

[jessiem]

Peter, I should think the single bed option would be too narrow - I am a bit of a restless sleeper but maybe I could even leave the double made up sometimes and do without a table? It would save the bother of having to switch from 'living' to 'sleeping' mode and back again every day if the lifting and shifting became a chore. Anyone tried that?

we have an outlook and we are both short!! My hubby says the outlook is better to drive than our focus!! On the bed situ, we have tried both using the single option and double, our preference is the single bed!! mainly because it was easier than having to mess around making up a double every night. I am a restless sleeper too but managed to stay on the bed, As Peter says if you have a single you can leave the bed made up, and no messing about with tables! Try it both ways, then see what your preference is

[Tentpeg]

This is going to be a mixed answer. I do not own a motorhome but I have started to take out some on test drives and really that is what you have to do to find out what suits.

When I took vehicles out I found the bigger vehicles like the Dimension or something like an autosleeper symbol easier in some ways then the small roma! Although they are bigger you are sat up higher and have much better visability .. I was surprised I really enjoyed driving something bigger. Power steering means it is not heavy to handle at all. The outlook is long and thin and you have very little visability out the back window and you are sat low so it feels bigger than it is. (Not trying to be negative we are just talking drivability there are many aspects to a motorhome).

What I am saying is that do not think buying something smaller is necessarily going to make it easier... try and test drive a few motorhome not just one and see.... Do not be nervous of trying you will have a sales rep beside you guiding you give it a whirl...... I must admit I felt I owned the highway driving the dimension it was GREAT sat up high, nice big mirrors and good view all around, look out world I am coming through sort of feeling.

I am in love with the little outlook and the R25 but I do not think they are necessarily the easier drive..... (R25 have not driven but suspect similar to outlook). What suits you driving wise is very individual at the end of the day nobody can tell you just have to try.

The thing to watch for on the vans is not the steering that is dead easy with power steering it is the handbrake reach.... That can be a problem... but there are fixes for that.

[Deactivated user]

Roamingsue,

Thanks for your thoughts

When you test drive the vans are you able to take them out for a few miles, or just around the yard? Do you know of somewhere that keeps a good selection in stock and lets you take them out for a reasonable test?

[Tentpeg]

Brownhills at Swindon were the ones that got me started trying them, a rather young rep persuaded me to have a go... FOR GOD'S SAKE THOUGH DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM BROWNHILLS their reputation is dreadful but they do have a selection of vans.

All good dealerships will take you out for a drive of a couple of miles. Ant took me out in an outlook and a dimension. He is great, no pressure sales and romas definitely are a favourite of mine they are so brilliantly made and they have a back up service with an excellent reputation in the form of Ant. I drove a very big motorhome at a show and that was my idea of hell.. but the van conversions you may be surprised.... The dimension, it was a wonderful drive...

It is very individual, like what car suits you, but do not limit yourself you may be surprised. Also think the outlook is a wonderful van.

Cheers

[Deactivated user]

Thanks Roamingsue, I will heed your words about not buying from Brownhills. What is it about Swindon dealers? I bought a car once from a large dealer there - don't remember the name - and the whole experience was a nightmare and pushy in the extreme. The car was a dud too but I had no help from them whatsoever after I had handed over my £.

I am looking fwd to trying out some vans, and hopefully getting one in the near future.... then I can join the club properly

[Twinkletoes]

Hi Gypsy Me

I am a mere 4ft 10 and a bit and 72. I have always had problems driving cars because of my short legs. I drive a Duo Plus and have tried various combinations, sitting on loose cushions, sliding the seat as far forward as possible, and alternatively making up a padded back to push me further forward on the seat to test out what is most comfortable. The padded backrest has ended up the best solution.

I have attached haversack type straps to the bottom corners and 2/3rds of the way up, they can be tightened at the back of the seat frame and secure the cushion in place. The drive between Dorset and Wolverley was very comfortable and the padding did not move or twist when getting in or out.

By having making the padding thicker at the lower end, and the seat back very upright, the seat edge does not cut the back of your legs, and with the thinner top, your head is still near the headrest.

We left the 2 single beds made up all the time, just putting the pillows in the cab during the day. We took two small folding tables instead of the single large one supplied.

Our Duo is an 02 registration and has power steering and I find it better than the power steering on the Honda Civic I drove previously.

Definitely have some test drives. Take some cushions or padding with you to get a better feel of what is possible.

Good luck on your search, and hope to see you at a meet.

Ann

[Deactivated user]

Great info Ann - many thanks for taking the time to describe your padded seat set-up . I am used to doing that sort of thing too - if I am going to be driving a hire car or a friends' car for instance I always take cushions, but have never made something as sophisticated as you speak of..... yet!

[Ian.C.S]

I notice that your home location is dorset, so why dont you go to the romahome centre in southampton its on your doorstep,and they have a wide choice?
Ian

[jessiem]

I notice that your home location is dorset, so why dont you go to the romahome centre in southampton its on your doorstep,and they have a wide choice?
Ian

we got ours from Southampton and they were very helpful, answered lots and lots of questions, took hubby for a test drive, leave you to look on your own with no pressure. We looked at the website to see what they had to offer then e-mailed to keep us up to date on what was coming in.

[Deactivated user]

Hi Jessie and Ian,

S'ton and B'stol are about the same distance for me as I am in the north west of the county, and as everyone recommends Ant so highly I thought I would go to him, esp as he is willing to let me Try b4 buy. I will compare the two websites and see which carries the larger stock.... I guess it would be S'ton. Maybe I will go there and have a good look at all the variations and drive some, and then go to Ant and see if he can get me whatever type I most like.

Thanks for your input