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Hi

We used to have a 2003 Ace Award Transtar.  We used to find the overhead lockers an absolute pain.  Some of them had two sections - a door which opened upwards (fine) and a flap which drops downwards - and these used to fall down every time we towed.

We got used to securing them with bungees every time we travelled, just to prevent any possibility of damage.  The 'drinks' cabinet door used to fly open too.

After 2003, the design changed and the flaps disappeared.

Other than that, we loved the Ace Award and it was a sad moment when we traded it in.  It looked loads smarter than other vans of the same age and I still think the Ace's cut a dash whenever I see one.

We purchased a 2004 Northstar in Spring this year, and so far we think it's great (upgraded from a folding camper.) The few niggles we have with it are:

• Nowhere to put your dirty clothes (seems trite - but where *do* you put them??!)
• Nowhere to hang your towels
• I personally would have preferred the rectangular kitchen sink & drainer with a lid, to the round sink
• Ours had the facility to plug in a radio - so OH plugged in an old car radio he's stashed in the loft for years (gave him an oppportunity to be smug!)
• The TV cupboard is in a rather awkward place for us - we've banged our heads on the bottom corner a few times (but then we are both tall)

Other than that, no complaints. But then our choice of 'vans was restricted, as OH is 6'4". The only other 'vans he'd fit in were the Geist...

For towels, you probably need to put up a rail or a couple of hooks, how about one of those expanding shower curtain rails.

And for dirty clothes, we pop ours in a poly bag in the wardrobe, and when the bag is full we stash it right forward under the front seats.

Hi Jennifer,

Oooh, we hadn't thought of one of those. We'd looked at hooks in B&Q and had seen some fitted in the Baileys, and I was thinking of ordering some - but that's a good idea, thank you!

We did stash ours in a bag under the en-suite sink, but it got a bit full, so we slung the full bag under the bed and started a fresh one - but it was a bit awkward when there was two of you milling around that space. Our shoes live in the bottom of the wardrobe.