Most will measure a van from the start of the body to the end of the body. i.e. external length of the actual structure
But others will do it internally.
Curves in the profile will make it interesting.
Measuring the outside is easier.
Depending on the actual reason for taking the measurement you may need to include any storage boxes/spare wheel on the back.
Also, it is handy to know the drawbar length. For storage, perhaps.
While you are at it, get the body width and height.
Do it now, do it once.
If the weights are known, record them there too.
Record it all in a form that will stand the test of time.
Know where to look it up when needed.
It will save many arguments with yourself and others
watsea said
12:06 AM Jul 15, 2022
If we asked for the length of our van when booking into a van park, we usually answer with the body length and the overall length, ie including the drawbar. This is question usually is provide assistance about how big the site needs to be to fit the overall van. One park we that we tried earlier this year could not take us as we were too long for the sites. The van has an overall length of 7 metres. Lots of vans are longer.
Ivan 01 said
07:34 AM Jul 15, 2022
watsea wrote:
If we asked for the length of our van when booking into a van park, we usually answer with the body length and the overall length, ie including the drawbar. This is question usually is provide assistance about how big the site needs to be to fit the overall van. One park we that we tried earlier this year could not take us as we were too long for the sites. The van has an overall length of 7 metres. Lots of vans are longer.
Yes,
When sites are small in most caravan parks the manager will ask for the length including draw bar and maybe even rear bumper etc.
It is a shame that some parks are so small but many parks were laid out when a big van was 16 ft. The vans that now measure 25 to 26 ft incl drawbar can be a worry.
The measuring of boats can be confusing as well, some are measured around the gunwhale and others are measured in a straight line from front to stern. Then some include a bow sprit and some dont. Many model numbers of boats indicate its size.
Jayco do have a good system for van size in the model number.
-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Friday 15th of July 2022 07:35:31 AM
montie said
09:38 AM Jul 15, 2022
The industry still is back in the day of feet and inches.
Manufacturers publish their measurements as either internal or external.
External measurement is taken from the van body front to rear excluding drawbar, boxes or rear bars.
Internal is the total floor space lenght from front to rear wall.
Derek Barnes said
12:40 PM Jul 15, 2022
watsea wrote:
If we asked for the length of our van when booking into a van park, we usually answer with the body length and the overall length, ie including the drawbar. This is question usually is provide assistance about how big the site needs to be to fit the overall van. One park we that we tried earlier this year could not take us as we were too long for the sites. The van has an overall length of 7 metres. Lots of vans are longer.
One problem we get when we state the length of our 13 foot long Golf 390 is that we often get the smallest site in the park. During our recent holiday in Adelaide we were given a site beside the laundry lines which only just fitted our van with no extra room for annex or car! In central Queensland we were given a site which only just fitted the caravan and car with no extra room to set out our camp chairs.
gold dandelion said
04:44 PM Jul 16, 2022
thanks people.
Gundog said
02:10 AM Jul 19, 2022
We have never been asked our van length, when booking into a caravan park, however we do our due diligence by using comments from wikicamps. Because our van is a 25ftr but adding the drawbar we would be closer to 30 ft
Like "Levi Adelaide Holiday Park" sites are small. Rather than book into there and face difficulties parking our van, we choose elsewhere with bigger sites
Clarky 1 said
09:38 AM Jul 19, 2022
Yes the Levi Park can be fairly tight.
I was asked once when booking into Windsor Gardens Park as they also have a few small sites but my van is only just a tad under 25 ft incl the drawbar and it wasnt a worry.
When I asked them they said if I was longer they would put me in a longer site and keep the small sites for little vans.
I suppose it is all about getting the most out of every site while trying to keep everyone happy.
I am also amazed as to how many people with the smaller vans bitch and moan because they weren't given a huge site,
I think many park managers allocate a suitable site one they have eyeballed your van parked out the front of the office.
I know there are a lot of southerners in Qld for the winter just expect to get the same site every year which as I believe since Covid and more having local holidays is now not happening. Bookings become far too complicated when it becomes a designated site thing.
Gundog said
12:44 PM Jul 19, 2022
Clarky 1 wrote:
Yes the Levi Park can be fairly tight.
I was asked once when booking into Windsor Gardens Park as they also have a few small sites but my van is only just a tad under 25 ft incl the drawbar and it wasnt a worry. When I asked them they said if I was longer they would put me in a longer site and keep the small sites for little vans.
I suppose it is all about getting the most out of every site while trying to keep everyone happy.
I am also amazed as to how many people with the smaller vans bitch and moan because they weren't given a huge site,
I think many park managers allocate a suitable site one they have eyeballed your van parked out the front of the office.
I know there are a lot of southerners in Qld for the winter just expect to get the same site every year which as I believe since Covid and more having local holidays is now not happening. Bookings become far too complicated when it becomes a designated site thing.
We used to stay at Windsor Garden every year untill 2019 when new owners took over the park from Olympic Industries and installed managers who had no people skills. I used to get Site 9 which was behind camp kitchen, I could connect to the telstra free wifi on the phone box nearby.
What broke the back was their lack of consideration, watering the lawn around us with sprinklers on, going flatout everything under the awning was saturated, whem I approached the managers I was told to pack everything away so they can keep the grass green FFS I blew a gasket and told them to shove the park where you use dunny paper, next morning we moved to a KUI park on the Main Nth Rd between Gawler and Munno Para.
Lodged a complaint with the new owner, he traated it as if the managers had done nothing wrong, so I told him where to go, 2 days later another van who was across from us turned up at the Kui Park, he got booted because his dog barked .
Can someone tell me the correct way to measure a van, is it from back to front, or back to the start of the draw bar.
Thanks
Most will measure a van from the start of the body to the end of the body. i.e. external length of the actual structure
But others will do it internally.
Curves in the profile will make it interesting.
Measuring the outside is easier.
Depending on the actual reason for taking the measurement you may need to include any storage boxes/spare wheel on the back.
Also, it is handy to know the drawbar length. For storage, perhaps.
While you are at it, get the body width and height.
Do it now, do it once.
If the weights are known, record them there too.
Record it all in a form that will stand the test of time.
Know where to look it up when needed.
It will save many arguments with yourself and others
Yes,
When sites are small in most caravan parks the manager will ask for the length including draw bar and maybe even rear bumper etc.
It is a shame that some parks are so small but many parks were laid out when a big van was 16 ft. The vans that now measure 25 to 26 ft incl drawbar can be a worry.
The measuring of boats can be confusing as well, some are measured around the gunwhale and others are measured in a straight line from front to stern. Then some include a bow sprit and some dont. Many model numbers of boats indicate its size.
Jayco do have a good system for van size in the model number.
-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Friday 15th of July 2022 07:35:31 AM
Manufacturers publish their measurements as either internal or external.
External measurement is taken from the van body front to rear excluding drawbar, boxes or rear bars.
Internal is the total floor space lenght from front to rear wall.
One problem we get when we state the length of our 13 foot long Golf 390 is that we often get the smallest site in the park. During our recent holiday in Adelaide we were given a site beside the laundry lines which only just fitted our van with no extra room for annex or car! In central Queensland we were given a site which only just fitted the caravan and car with no extra room to set out our camp chairs.
We have never been asked our van length, when booking into a caravan park, however we do our due diligence by using comments from wikicamps. Because our van is a 25ftr but adding the drawbar we would be closer to 30 ft
Like "Levi Adelaide Holiday Park" sites are small. Rather than book into there and face difficulties parking our van, we choose elsewhere with bigger sites
I was asked once when booking into Windsor Gardens Park as they also have a few small sites but my van is only just a tad under 25 ft incl the drawbar and it wasnt a worry.
When I asked them they said if I was longer they would put me in a longer site and keep the small sites for little vans.
I suppose it is all about getting the most out of every site while trying to keep everyone happy.
I am also amazed as to how many people with the smaller vans bitch and moan because they weren't given a huge site,
I think many park managers allocate a suitable site one they have eyeballed your van parked out the front of the office.
I know there are a lot of southerners in Qld for the winter just expect to get the same site every year which as I believe since Covid and more having local holidays is now not happening. Bookings become far too complicated when it becomes a designated site thing.
We used to stay at Windsor Garden every year untill 2019 when new owners took over the park from Olympic Industries and installed managers who had no people skills. I used to get Site 9 which was behind camp kitchen, I could connect to the telstra free wifi on the phone box nearby.
What broke the back was their lack of consideration, watering the lawn around us with sprinklers on, going flatout everything under the awning was saturated, whem I approached the managers I was told to pack everything away so they can keep the grass green FFS I blew a gasket and told them to shove the park where you use dunny paper, next morning we moved to a KUI park on the Main Nth Rd between Gawler and Munno Para.
Lodged a complaint with the new owner, he traated it as if the managers had done nothing wrong, so I told him where to go, 2 days later another van who was across from us turned up at the Kui Park, he got booted because his dog barked .