Bed comfort in Dimension 2

[brougham]

As a Romahome wannabe (we haven't got one yet) I favour the Outlook for ease of parking, access to narrow lanes, economy and the fact that it is a coachbuild instead of a van conversion.

However my wife is concerned about lack of space, headroom and lack of access to the rear from the cab. My wife favours the Dimension2.

A concern of mine about the Dimension 2 is that the beds are made up from the travel seats and I wonder how comfortable these might be. The seats would have all the enhanced support around the edges for normal traveling - but surely these would become rather uncomfortable lumps in the bed whilst sleeping.

Has anybody any view on this?

Also any guidance on the fuel economy of the Dimension 2 would be welcomed.

Thank you.

Neil.

[snobbyafghan]

Neil

We wondered about this (but bought one anyway!). From the start, we carried extra duvets to put on top of the seats to make them flatter and softer. I can only say that it has worked for us. I was very pleasantly surprised with how comfortable the beds were. I was also worried that, in single bed mode, they may be too narrow but once again, this was no the case. Getting the beds ready at night and putting them away in the morning is literally a 5 minutes job - maximum.

Fuel consumption? Well, we have done about 1700 miles so far and, according to the readout, the average mpg is 34+.

Hope this helps.

Doug

[mike and heather]

Neil

You have asked this question on just the right day. We have just arrived back after an overnighter - part of the reason was to test our new Raskelf bed overlays. The seats are very comfortable for driving, but slightly hard for us when sleeping. We have already tried the extra duvet underneath which did help somewhat. So we decided to stump up for the one inch type memory foam which roll up to store easily in the pod.

The verdict - excellent! And I agree the width of the singles is fine. We assemble the bottom section of the double for our bedside clock!

Our MPG is very similar on journeys and a bit less on short trips, down to about 30 mpg.

Go for it! ;D

[brougham]

Many thanks Mike, Doug and Heather - reassuring about the seats.

30 -33 mpg is a little disquieting given the current (and future) price of diesel. The Outlook rises to the fore again I think. Pity there's no oven but one has to compromise when space is so tight I guess. I would also miss the shower room as space to dry wet clothes (with a fan heater - a tip from a friend).

Neil.

[snobbyafghan]

Neil

I don't want to argue against the Dimension because I love it but, if the oven is a main reason for considering it, I'd reconsider. Why? Well, our experience is that the oven is one of the least used (in fact, never, so far!) items in the van. We used the grill once for toast but quickly bought a cheap toaster from Tescos instead - it's a lot easier.

Doug

[Graham]

We have experienced a fair range of Romahomes we started with a C15 moved on to a Duo, then a Duo with toilet option and finally a Dimension and although the fuel consumption is a bit disappointing compared with the Berlingo vehicles we wouldn't want to go back.

The main things we like are that the Dimension is far roomier we don't feel so claustrophobic especially when the weather is inclement and of course the washroom and toilet has got to be a big bonus, especially if you want to save a bit of money and stay on sites with no facilities, I never thought I would be able to use the toilet for "No. 2's" but now have no problem with it and we have even used the shower which is pretty good too.

Its also great to get from the cab into the back of the van without going outside. Parking isn't really a problem it's not any longer than a Duo but perhaps a bit wider, the driving position is great you sit a lot higher up than a Duo, Pauline wasn't sure whether she would like driving it at first but now prefers it to the Duo.

Ours is a Dimension 1 which has an overlay that goes over the seats to fill in the little humps and bumps and we find it very comfy and plenty wide enough on the single beds.

As regards the oven we have used it occasionally and find it pretty useful, especially when we have started a barbecue only to find that it starts raining, with the Dimension its no problem just finish off the chicken in the oven. We've also used it for pizzas. There are also four gas rings of course as opposed to two in the Duo.

It all depends on individual tastes and needs I suppose, whatever you decide I am sure you will love it.

Graham

[Barbara and Graham]

brougham said:

Pity there's no oven but one has to compromise when space is so tight I guess.

A Remoska from Lakeland (see other threads) is a great substitute for an oven. We even use ours at home.

Barbara

[brougham]

Dear Doug, Graham and Barbara,

Many thanks for your comments, all very useful in deciding for the future.

Regards,

Neil.