# 1st trip in 550!!!



## Nickynoo (May 18, 2007)

Hi all . Well we eventually got away in our new van and took her up to the Caravan Club site Gibson Park at Melrose in the Scottish Borders. We thought we would use somewhere with facilities in case ours had teething probs ! Guess what? Everything worked!  
We loved the drive no more crawling up the hills or feeling like you are about to take off in a high wind if you do over 50mph. Parking is easier fits a normal space.
We are only going to change one thing ; the doors to the opposite way round on the wardrobe so that you can still open the wardrobe with the bed made up.
We actually quite like the way the bathroom door makes a changing area as it means you can get changed and only drop the kitchen and back door blind so we don't frighten the other campers  
The bed is very comfy and suits us mainly weeknders . and the underneath makes a perfect den for our pooch.!
We realise it is early days but we've enjoyed it so far and long may it continue . Happy travels everyone!


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## Sagedog (Jun 28, 2005)

Glad you are happy  and even more happy everything worked for you.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Sounds like you had a really good weekend. Hope you have many more  

Gerald


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## oldenstar (Nov 9, 2006)

Glad you liked it Nickynoo, but I thought you would.
The van has so many plus points going for it that I am really regretful to change it next year.
It is solely because of our intended long trips (one to two month) next year, when the making up of the bed and the compromising of the van with the bed made up make our change to a fixed bed desirable.
If we were sticking to max 2 week trips we would keep the 550.
Interested to hear you liked the washroom door as supplied. I found it such a pain to walk past the door before I could open it and get inside that we had it reversed.
See how you feel after living with it for a while.
Happy camping


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## 105062 (Jun 10, 2007)

Great News Nickynoo, did you need the heating on during the night ?

We will be using ours all winter so I am looking at insulating the van a bit better eg there is no insulation to speak of in the rear doors. So far I have spent an evening in the van and recorded -0.5c inside ( I have fitted one of them weather stations that will record max and min temps inside and out as well as humidity and pressure) My 650 heater keeps the inside temperature up ok but needs to be running just about all the time when its below freezing outside.

As Oldenstar says the toilet door is a pain but you can keep it as a privacy blind and just change to these hinges. That way the door fully opens so you can easily walk past it.

See my post 
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-32469-tribute.html+toilet+door

Hope to hear of many more happy trips.
Cheers
Paul


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## kevwright (Oct 13, 2007)

We looked at a new 650 last week, and the bathroom door already had those hinges on, so it looks like someone is listening?

Kev


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## oldenstar (Nov 9, 2006)

I don't think they could fit those hinges on a 550-there is simply not enough clearance between the open door and the kitchen unit. At least not on my van with about one sixteenth clearance.
When I looked at a 650 in the dealers showroom there was much more clearance.
Be interesting to see if they have managed to do something with the 550
door.


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