Bedding options and storage for Nuevo EK

Brilliant Merv - that’s reassuring to know the duvalays fit ok!  And for everyone else who has responded. We won’t be buying new so ordering a cupboard instead of roof light is not an option for us. I’m reassured.

merv wrote:Brunothedog, only you can judge whether you prefer the low profile or the one with cupboards at the front instead; I do believe that you have to see them to judge.
We had the low profile Nuevo and now the low profile Broadway and we found storage in the low profile Nuevo to be no problem whatsoever. We had two single duvalays..one went in the offside locker and the other in the nearside.
We loved the light and airy feeling of the front skylight.

If you set your sights a bit older, the Nuevos up to early 2012 had very good overcab storage - 3 cupboards! There are two to the sides and in O/S we keep linen and towels for a month, the other side takes our fleece dressing gowns rolled up and the massive one Uber the windscreen holds TV, laptop, internal silver screens, a blanket, duvet and 4 pillows. Admittedly it is scientifically packed. 2012 new shape lost those and the wet locker beneath the N/S settee. In 2013 they introduced the option of a cupboard flanked by open shelves instead of the opening moon roof but that over windscreen locker is only about 2/3 red the height of mine. In 2014 they removed the gas locker and put in a gas tank which gives extra space in O/S bed locker but I have a feeling that they spoiled that by putting the heater in that locker. A 2011 or 2012 will be Euro 4 if that concerns you. Euro 5 came with the new shape in 2012' though ours is a special - 2011 body with Euro 5 engine. I forgot to say that 2011 does not have the wooden cabinet above the loo and has a double cupboard next to the cooker instead of drawers plus a single cupboard.

We seem to do things differently! We always make up the double bed (no problem swivelling the driver's seat in the Merc Stanton, which is the same habitation as the Nuevo)- steering wheel does not interfere and the handbrake lever folds down- with the brake still on) we sleep lengthways in the van, with feet on the rotated front seat squabs- the bed is absolutely massive! This way there is no clambering over someone if one party needs to "get out" in the night.

For the first couple of years we didn't bother with mattress toppers but then got a couple of cheapos with zip-off cover for washing. These fold up and live under the driver's side bench. The three pillows go in one of the top side lockers.

The front locker in the current (2014-on) low profile is really small, the earlier vans were much larger but were not exactly "low-profile" even if that's what AS called them! We decided that it wasn't worth taking that option and the overhead skylight is really great. The side bits of where the front locker would have been are useful storage for books, DVDs magazines, wooly hats and scarves etc. The front shelf is also good for soft stuff which usually stays put (I can only recall a straw hat falling off there once).

That sounds fabulous indeed.  I may be being a bit thick here....but I just looked at the Stanton on line.  It looks identical to the Nuevo and I don’t understand the difference other than it was on a Mercedes. Is it bigger?  It doesn’t look like it - it looks the same. Rather confused...

Pete Taylor wrote:We seem to do things differently! We always make up the double bed (no problem swivelling the driver's seat in the Merc Stanton, which is the same habitation as the Nuevo)- steering wheel does not interfere and the handbrake lever folds down- with the brake still on) we sleep lengthways in the van, with feet on the rotated front seat squabs- the bed is absolutely massive! This way there is no clambering over someone if one party needs to "get out" in the night.

For the first couple of years we didn't bother with mattress toppers but then got a couple of cheapos with zip-off cover for washing. These fold up and live under the driver's side bench. The three pillows go in one of the top side lockers.

The front locker in the current (2014-on) low profile is really small, the earlier vans were much larger but were not exactly "low-profile" even if that's what AS called them! We decided that it wasn't worth taking that option and the overhead skylight is really great. The side bits of where the front locker would have been are useful storage for books, DVDs magazines, wooly hats and scarves etc. The front shelf is also good for soft stuff which usually stays put (I can only recall a straw hat falling off there once).

It is a Nuevo on a Merc base vehicle as was the Devon before it. The dimensions of the overall vehicle will be different because it's a Merc. One reason A/S duplicated some layouts on both Peugeot and Merc is that Mercedes offered an automatic gearbox option and for that reason, among others, a large proportion of Merc based A/S vans are automatics. The Merc versions tended to cost more because the base vehicle is more expensive and with the additional cost for an auto box you're talking a substantial premium compared to the same age Peugeot based Nuevo.

There does actually exist a Nuevo with cupboards instead of the big sun roof window across the front over the driver's seat. We saw one in a dealer, decided we liked it, stepped out to go to a salesman only to be greeted by one, accompanied by a couple who had just bought it. We then toured all the A/S dealers in England looking for one but to no avail. I think you could order one but of course you would be paying full price for a brand new one.
We bought a four year old one, with 1,830 miles on the clock, for £40k. It is as new, of course apart from the Euro 5 engine and not Euro6. However at least we don't have to fill a tank with BlueTooth or whatever it is.
Ours came with two pieces of foam shaped to make the front seats flat when turned round. So you could then have very long single beds. I don't know if those foams are an optional extra or standard - ask the dealer. They are not home made glued together bits of foam, they are moulded exactly to fit the seat bases.
I've just finished Waxoyling mine and am hoping that MMM will publish the article I have written on how to do it.

Thank you - yes I have seen those with cupboards on the older models but none on newer models which means people ordering them must have mainly opted for the sunroof.  We won’t be going new.  I like the sound of those cushions for the single beds - I was wondering now one overcame the slope of the seat even wit a normal cushion.  My husband wouldn’t even notice as he falls asleep in 60 seconds but I probably would notice it.  I believe we will have enough storage in the Nuevo even with the sunroof option. I’ll be hunting down every Nuevo between now and next year to see.  Maybe serendipity will give me one of each for sale next year when we buy it so we can really compare.  

gassygassy wrote:There does actually exist a Nuevo with cupboards instead of the big sun roof window across the front over the driver's seat. We saw one in a dealer, decided we liked it, stepped out to go to a salesman only to be greeted by one, accompanied by a couple who had just bought it. We then toured all the A/S dealers in England looking for one but to no avail. I think you could order one but of course you would be paying full price for a brand new one.
We bought a four year old one, with 1,830 miles on the clock, for £40k. It is as new, of course apart from the Euro 5 engine and not Euro6. However at least we don't have to fill a tank with BlueTooth or whatever it is.
Ours came with two pieces of foam shaped to make the front seats flat when turned round. So you could then have very long single beds. I don't know if those foams are an optional extra or standard - ask the dealer. They are not home made glued together bits of foam, they are moulded exactly to fit the seat bases.
I've just finished Waxoyling mine and am hoping that MMM will publish the article I have written on how to do it.

I wouldn't worry about the angled seat base. We don't bother with supplementary cushions and our feet don't really notice. You certainly would notice if it as at shoulder or trunk, but not the feet.

On my van, and I would have thought most other vans, the driver's seat has a lever for rocking the whole seat fore and aft. When the seat is rotated this can be used to make the seat base level, so at least you have one level long single bed.
There's no such adjustment on the passenger seat.
Al.

Whilst the seats can be tilted fore and aft, it depends whether, in making the base level, the seat still matches the height of the linking bench. To save me the additional chore of winding my seat back horizontal under the dash to give me more than 6ft length, I'm going to experiment with setting the seat sideways so that my last few inches of foot are past the edge of the far side of the seat, unsupported. They will still be inside the Duvalay, so should be fine.

steamdrivenandy wrote:To save me the additional chore of winding my seat back horizontal under the dash to give me more than 6ft length, I'm going to experiment with setting the seat sideways so that my last few inches of foot are past the edge of the far side of the seat, unsupported. They will still be inside the Duvalay, so should be fine.

It won't be - it's very uncomfortable after a while. 

Why not use the separate table top (if you have one) or get a sheet of plywood to lay on the seat and extend the support for your feet. It shouldn't need padding since you use a Duvalay.

It worked for me, and (as you recall) I'm a bit taller than you. We have gone back to using the double bed in our van as it's far easier. Don't know the layout of yours so can't comment.

Dave

Great to hear that - I thought that’s where pillows might be squeezed in but my husband said no way. I even considered that it might be possible to get someone to make some doors over those open shelves.  Obviously I’m way ahead....we haven’t even got one yet!  It’s been occupying my mind a lot!  We are going to look at one on the way to Wales next week so I am going to make a note of things and take my tape measure.  We won’t be buying it...not quite ready yet but I’m going to sit in it for ages and ponder all these things.  I wondered if there would be enough space for things that would be useful to access from the locker from outside like walking boots and maybe blocks etc but sounds like there is!  This is all good to hear.  We are not far from you by the way (Devizes) . When you say Duvalays, did you mean the ones with the duvet built into the topper as an ‘all in one’ thing.  If not - do you put single duvets in the other underbed locker?   

Caraman wrote:We were concerned we wouldn’t have enough space when we exchanged our 4 berth caravan for a 2 berth 2019 Nuevo low profile but we have found we have plenty of stowage.  I am nearly 6’3” and the nearside single berth is v comfortable.  The rotated front passenger seat simply has to be moved back a bit.  Rotating the driver’s seat without releasing the handbrake is also not difficult.  We bought two compact Duvalay’s which are really comfortable and fit easily in their Duvalay bags into the nearside locker beneath the bench seat leaving room in front of them for bits and pieces that need to be accessed from the outside.  Our pillows are squeezed into the open fronted side lockers above the cab.  We carry a water roll in the loo and two loungers which either go in the shower or on the bike rack in lieu of one of the bikes.

Our Duvalays were purchased circa 2007 before they offered a variety of mattress thicknesses. They roll up tidily and we recently purchased four purple webbing straps which pull the roll, up very tight, much more than the original elastic loops. Both Duvalays and our four pillows fit in our overcab locker.

Talking of small tables, which we weren't, Does anyone know of a use for the chromed table leg volcano just behind the front seats? I took the leg from the wardrobe and stuck it in the hole then I took the small table and it doesn't fit. My conclusion is that the tall leg is really a big ash tray, or person-preventing bollard. I can't think of any use for it or the volcano thing.

The ones A/S install don't have quite the same fitting as the Fiamma version, which may be where your problem lies. The angles of the cone fittings are slightly different so they don't mutually mate up.

If the van was pre-loved when you bought it, the leg and/or table may have been bought and left by the previous owner.

Or Messrs A/S cocked it up somehow?? 

My leg fits the volcano and the table perfectly.

Sorry, I mis-explained what I meant, as a Politician would say. My table leg and table fit the cones perfectly - the van although four years old, had only done 1800 miles when I got it. My point was that with the driver and passenger seats in their normal positions you cannot fit the small table on the leg. I suppose you are only meant to erect it when you have swivelled the seats round, but it is just as easy if not easier to get the big table erected. Perhaps A/S put it there because the fuel tank or other bits of chassis are below the floor where you could put the cone and the pole and table without bothering with the front seats.

gassygassy wrote:. Perhaps A/S put it there because the fuel tank or other bits of chassis are below the floor where you could put the cone and the pole and table without bothering with the front seats.

I suspect the small table is in lieu of a dinette arrangement and intended to be used by people sitting at the swivelled cab seats. 

We left ours st home for the first 4 years of owning this van and used a small folding  table for pretty well everything, inside and outside, only getting the big one out when numbers demanded. This year we put it in the van, left the small folding table at home and, after using it for a month, will continue with this arrangement. 

Like you we would like it to be able to be used either fron the cab seats or centred on the bench seats - as we did with the flat- folding table- and our next step was to go underneath and find out if a floor mount could be fitted between the bench seats.

I have always felt a bit envious of those with dinettes or fitted tables being able to leave out computers or sit down to a meal without having first to set up the table.

Quilter wrote:Like you we would like it to be able to be used either fron the cab seats or centred on the bench seats - as we did with the flat- folding table- and our next step was to go underneath and find out if a floor mount could be fitted between the bench seats.

I have always felt a bit envious of those with dinettes or fitted tables being able to leave out computers or sit down to a meal without having first to set up the table.

It can be done, and we totally agree with your thoughts on the matter. In fact we rarely use the big table. This doesn't address all of your wish list, but it certainly helps. 

It's particularly handy to be able to leave the little table in situ while we are en route. A quick stop for a snack or a few frites and a steak hache is so much easier. The offset boss on the underside of the table also adds greatly to it's versatility.

The small table and leg went into my garage roof the day we bought the van (along with the carpets) they have not moved since. 

That dog leg and table boss are quite different to mine, Grommit. I don't have the dog leg and the boss on my table is central. I guess one can buy the dog leg, and can easily move the boss. Is that a mod you have done or is it an A/S feature from an earlier model?
I have just fitted a Shurflo pump plumbing and today I will do the wiring. I've fitted a washroom light switch where each and every single purchaser would want it - I cannot imagine anyone actually wanting light switches on the ceiling. A/S aren't alone in this, I am constantly amazed at the number of caravans / campers which have ceiling switches.

gassygassy wrote:That dog leg and table boss are quite different to mine, Grommit. I don't have the dog leg and the boss on my table is central. I guess one can buy the dog leg, and can easily move the boss. Is that a mod you have done or is it an A/S feature from an earlier model?
I have just fitted a Shurflo pump plumbing and today I will do the wiring. I've fitted a washroom light switch where each and every single purchaser would want it - I cannot imagine anyone actually wanting light switches on the ceiling. A/S aren't alone in this, I am constantly amazed at the number of caravans / campers which have ceiling switches.

Hi

Couldn't agree more. It's trivial little things like those light switches which make such a difference - specially at three in the morning when your eyes are half closed!!

The dog leg is an optional extra from A/S. It's bloody expensive, but we have never regretted buying it as it's in constant use, and one of the most useful additions we've made to the van.

The little table with the offset boss is from a previous Nuevo. I held onto it when we traded in, and swapped it for the new table (with its central boss) which was left in the old van.

Take care if you consider moving the boss as the tables have egg box centres, and I expect there's a bit of wood under the boss for the screws to bite into. Won't rabbit on now, but if you want to do it I'll tell you how I did one - which has lasted about 7 years with no problem. (Send a PM in case I don't notice the post)

Dave

Thanks Dave, I'll pm you