I take it you are discussing a caravan. Don't we have side door centre, side door to the rear, or a door at the back.
Door at the back may give a little more room with the layout, that's if you want everyone looking into your bedroom at the caravan park as they walk by and the doors open.
Side door in central, depends on the layout, but means if a fire starts in the kitchen lounge area you could get out.
Side door towards the rear may give a bit more usable space but depends on the layout. I have been looking at vans with recliner chairs at the back, in this case a side door towards the rear would be better.
Thank you everyone. You have mentioned things that I would not have thought about. Interesting. Yes, it is a caravans that we are looking at. I am sorry I should have mentioned that. This will be a our first van and like everyone trying to get it right first time. Thank you for your replies.
I think for me the rear door is preferable as it means the entry to the van is not in the middle of the outdoor living room (the space under the awning).
We set the space under the awning up as a room, and as such it just makes so much more sense to have the door to the kitchen/fridge in one corner. I think this is borne out when you look at people with center doors, they set the area between the door and the rear of the van as a room, loose a lot of awning space leaving access, then use the space in front of the door as storage.
It all comes down to personal preference, and what suits you.
The one thing we have found annoying with our van is the awning and where it ends to near the door, when it rains it hits the rails and sprays into the entry needing a end wall erecting, if the door was 400 further in all would be good also if you were parking for a few days you would put the end wall up and live with it.
we felt that a centre door would be great on our next 17 foot van with the bed up front, on suite at the back. It would give us a bit more room near the end of bed and that would also double up near the kitchen.
we would like to stay with a compact van, safety wise we think it may also have a plus it a long way from the bedroom to the escape door though the kitchen.
-- Edited by Radar on Sunday 5th of July 2015 05:04:25 PM
-- Edited by Radar on Sunday 5th of July 2015 05:06:44 PM
I went with a centre door to give a little more protection from side on weather when I have the awning out. Very happy with my choice.
Good point. We put a wall up on the door side to avoid the abovementionned weather issue.
Larry
Larry we were lacking experience on this issue and it never rared it head for a couple of years and then it happen nearly everytime we are away. They should employ us as rain makers. I am pretty good at erecting a blue tarp in a hurry.
The other thing I notice is the door hitting the window when it open but in general it don't bother me to much as long as I have a glass of red.
Doors in the side take up the same amount of room no matter where they are in the side. I was looking at a front bed with the door at the foot of it. SWAMBO said no way, no privacy for those sleeping in. We like the front bed arrangement so the door is to the rear of the van. If you have a rear bed arrangement with door towards the front the door will be the suicide type (opening from the front, hinged at the rear.) This has some ramifications if the lock gives way when travelling (many do.) If you hinge the door at the front then It will conflict with the awning arm and there will be nowhere to hook it to when open.
Doors in the back end are the way to go for small vans. the only privacy considerations are from the people behind. We solved this problem by having a removable awning that secured in a rope track with the width long enough to come down 2/3rds of the way down to the ground. Dust ingression is another perceived problem, that is only a problem to those who have not owned them, there is less rear end dust problem with rear doors, we have had more problems with dust entering rear windows and not with the rear door Nipper we had.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
Hope you do check this site again as there is still some good thoughts here.
My coments relate mainly to a compact caravan (17 foot) used for extended touring so far longest being 10 weeks.
we both get out of bed mostly at the some time and straighten the bed and would close the door when getting dressed at that privacy is not a issue, another vanner said people would sit on your bed, myself also not a real problem in 4 years only been a few times when we have been confined to the interior of the van for dinner.
We are looking at up dating our 2008 van and our thoughts with en-suite at one end we would be able to hide those ugly moments of changing dress. Storage of tyings you don't want seen.
Dust has never been a problem, our door being hinged towards the rear.
I do like the centre door for safety issue for escape from fire.
Once again we hope we have been of help. Ralph.
-- Edited by Radar on Monday 6th of July 2015 08:46:47 AM
We have been travelling full time for 3+ years now. Central door, front bed. Would not have layout any other way. Why are people worried about "privacy" when you are in bed?! If others come to your door and look inside, you are staying in the wrong cparks/camps!
No one has mentioned a FRONT (side) door. Is that what you mean with the term 'Centre'.
We have a front door that leads direct to the kitchen & food storage on the left which is handy, then the lounge on the right .. private & handy to the kitchen, then thru to the partitionable very private bedroom in front of the separate en-suite at the rear of the van.
I prefer the toilet/bathroom as far as possible from the eating / cooking area & entrance.
A very usable arrangement (time & motion compliant). Suits us perfectly. But we are all different.
Re. The open door impinging on the centre window. We have a rarely used extension rod that holds the door open at 90 degrees allowing the window to be opened fully. The dealer gave it to us.
I think that I would sacrifice the center lounge for a semi circular lounge /eating area (perhaps with recliners & fold out coffee table(s) ) at the front with a slide out side kitchen and center door opposite with the partitionable bedroom / en-suite at the rear.
-- Edited by Cupie on Sunday 12th of July 2015 12:01:33 PM
