We live in the Highlands and plan to buy an Eriba. We have had two campervans but feel that an Eriba would suit us better. We are looking at a second-hand or new Triton 420. The big bed appeals to us also the lack of disturbance to ones partner during the night! How do other 420 owners get on with the layout? There seems to be a choice of either sprung or cold foam (new this year perhaps?) for the cushions/bed and we wondered if anyone could give us any more information. We need a firm bed (with mattress topper if necessary) but are having difficulty getting information. We travel a lot all around Scotland as well as France and use ACSI a lot. Are there any other members in the Highlands and if so do you have any problems with the cold? This is a great site, very friendly and we look forward to reading all the information.

Hi Linda,

We just bought a Triton 420 (currently being made so don't have it yet). We have a WV T5 campervan and love it but, after a couple of weeks away from a super king size bed at home, we tire of the bed in the campervan, and we go away for long periods across Europe. We are keeping the T5 but looked for a very small caravan to take along on longer trips. I really didn't want to go bigger than the Familia but we went and saw both, took our shoes off and lay on the beds in both... for quite a long time, several times! The bed across the familia was just not suitable for us. I am over 6ft and I dont actually mind my feet hanging over the end of a bed, like I have to do sometimes in hotels etc. But when you have a wall either end it feels cramped, even though I dont actually sleep laid flat out. The Triton has not only the length but, made up to the double, its obviously very wide... you also get the extra length towards the middle at the head end with the shape of the van. You could also put the tv on top of the fridge unit and watch tv comfortably in bed -we just use a laptop for the occassional film and that would have to be sat on lap in bed in the familia.

I feel a bit stupid in that I dont know for sure what the mattresses are but I would lay money that they were sprung. They were quite firm, which suits us. To save the faff of trying to tuck a sheet in round the cushions every night when we make the bed (and keep it there), we will get a light topper and I will sew a sleeve sheet for this so the whole thing can be rolled out or away at once. We bought from AL in Poole and they told us that there were serious limitations to choices internally over here, despite a wide choice of fabrics etc. for those buying across the water, so not sure if this applies to mattresses? Fortunately I have some of the material I curtained the van with, so I am going to remove the curtains that come with it and make them to match the van and add a more personal touch.

Not sure what discounts are to be had this time of year with dealers but having already made our decision we went to the motorhome show at the NEC and got €1000 off (sterling that is, no pound sign on my tablet keyboard grr!) or you could have a free Reich mover. The C&C show at the NEC is in Feb and AL are showing there... maybe Jandi are too? - although if you buy new then, you might not get in time for a good part of the new season.

I'll try and help.

Firstly you need to be aware that standard Eriba Touring ex factory are very basic vans and there's a long list of options you can add, rather like BMW cars but a bit cheaper. The UK Eriba dealers will order you a van to your own spec, but it could take a while to build. They all order in a supply of stock vans built to their own standard spec which normally have a list of options already added.

Cold foam is the standard filling supplied by Hymer, but as an optional extra you can have sprung bench cushions. Virtually all Eriba Tourings built for the UK market have the sprung cushions as the UK dealers tend to include it in their standard spec. The only items that get the springing are the seat cushions as the backrests are cold foam anyway.

I've slept on both and couldn't really tell any difference. The sprung versions use up some of the van's payload as they're a good bit weightier than the foam.

You have two choices of interior when choosing a 420, as you do with the 540 which has the same rear benches plus a single dinette/bed across the front, where the 420 has its kitchen. What's considered the standard layout is a big table with a single folding leg and an attachment that clips to the rear of the van. Then there's the 'central chest' layout, often referred to as the 'British' layout because the Continentals aren't keen on it. This has a central chest at the rear with a cupboard and, depending upon year, a fixed top or a sliding extending table top. The big table is freestanding and can be used anywhere, including your garden at home. It doesn't need the side of a van to cling on to.

Storage of the big table has varied over the years. In early 2000's it was stored vertically on the nearside up against the side of the wardrobe. From 2005 'til 2009 it was stored flat, in a cradle, under the offside big bench. Most recently it has been fitted with press studded retaining straps and lays flat on top of the offside bench cushions.

With the standard layout you only have two bed options, singles or a double. With the central chest version you can half extend each single, still leaving a narrower walkway and providing an extra 6ins of width to the single beds.

We've been out in v v cold weather when we had our Eriba and we've been totally snug, the heating has been more than enough to cope.

HTH

Hi Andy, I forgot the bit about the slide out beds. We have the central chest version with the freestanding table... I didn't want the chest but I wanted to be able to slide out one bigger bed if either of us wanted a nap during the day or one of us was poorly etc. Of course, I will keep the chest (with the curtains) in case we ever sell it but will probably put it in the attic - mind you, does the interior finish on the newer models fade? If so, I'll have to store somewhere where it will get light on it.

You're right, they did say we could spec the van but we'd have had to wait until like the end of the 2014 season to get it....this would make no sense as your van would then be a year old before you had any real use of it, so effectively it not a real option most would consider.

We've been out in v v cold weather in our T5 with just a little electric plug in fan heater (the pop top is a tent) and we've always been fine. As Billy Connoley said "there's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes". Never be withou your thermals!

Never be withou your thermals!

Or your wellies

That's reminded me Rog., when we had the Eriba Mrs SDA had this cunning plan to keep the Duvalays unfolded but covered with a tasteful throw, tucked in around the bench cushion. All very fine for 5ft 2ins person, but for a 6ft 2ins person those few extra inches of cushion meant the back of my bonce was always in contact with the wooden window valance or whatever, below the overhead lockers. Not comferable at all.

I believe the colloquial term for both the 420 and 540 Eribas is Langslaper (Long Sleeper) in Dutch and nothing to do with the character of any ladies on board.

Hi
welcome to the forum
you may find a blog written by Hob
Hob was ere part 4 a useful read (although all the blogs very informative)
not being able to locate the eriba model desired, took a different route
Modifying an import from Europe for UK use.

Oy!! Nothing wrong with "compact people". Any more of that and I'll get my mate Poptop 320 onto you Longshanks!!!

Ironic that. Longshanks was King Edward 1's nickname and 'my' steam engine GWR no 6024 is a King Class locomotive named 'King Edward 1' but in these unholy times the steam engines nickname is 'Spud 1'

After having spent several years sleeping in a Hammock (not continuously I must add LOL) no bed, sprung or cold foam, come up to my expectations of what comfort should be. So, to be perfectly honest, I simply have not idea how on earth our mattresses are constructed in the 430 Triton. When thinking about the subject of comfort the wife and I wanted a bit of insulation from that wide open space under the bed and also something to protect the longevity of the mattresses from our sweating bodies. Right on cue - Aldi to the rescue - and last week they were offering incontinence covers (shush, don't tell everybody for goodness sake) for a touch over 5 Euros so we bought two. The wife sewed the two together and now we have something resembling a fleece covering for our mattress with the added advantage that we don't have to go to the loo during the night. Oh alright then, scrub the last part but for the miserly outlay of 10 Euros we've got both warmth and protection. On offer from Aldi next week are bedpans which we might also consider buying.

Thank you to everyone for the welcome and good advice, we have found it very useful!