Pilote Foxy Van V540G - Practical Motorhome

Clever and compact, the brilliantly named and excellently executed Pilote Foxy Van V540G could be all the motorhome you ever need – read on to find out why

Verdict

The many cost option upgrades to our V540G test ’van couldn’t obscure a sound design and quality build. This Foxy Van’s layout is available elsewhere, but Pilote’s version is up there with the best.

It’s an easy-to-drive, easy-to-park, go-anywhere vehicle for couples who want to keep things compact. If you can cope without an oven and microwave, the V540G has pretty much everything you’ll need. And to see other Pilote motorhomes for sale, click here.

Pros

Its compact footprint – it’s just 5.4m long
Fit and finish are excellent
Clever use of multi-function spaces (washroom and bedroom)
There are good storage solutions, including the double floor and the sliding wardrobe

Cons

The Comfort Pack is a must-tick option – but it costs £3496
There’s no microwave or oven
The washroom’s size won’t suit everyone
If you’re taking bulky items on tour, they’ll need to be removed to deploy the bed

Whatever its origins, all of us at Practical Motorhome think that ‘Foxy Van’ is a fantastic name for a motorcaravan. And the latest addition to the Pilote range is bang on trend, too – joining a succession of new-for-2016 5.4m-long van conversions to appear in our buyer’s guide this season. The V540G joins the V600 and V630, so the popular lengths of Fiat’s Ducato vans are all covered in the range.

An easy-to-drive, easy-to-park, go-anywhere vehicle for couples who want to keep things compact

Living

The lounge offers the typical suite of rotating cab seats and dinette table with a movable section, so up to four people can gather at mealtimes. The dinette table can be easily lowered to form the base for the optional third berth, if specified.

Kitchen

With a kitchen fitted out like a campervan, you’ll struggle to whip up a Sunday roast in the Pilote Foxy Van V540G, but resourceful cooks will still get by.

A pair of gas burners sits next to a small stainless steel sink with a mixer tap, itself located above a 65-litre compressor fridge. There’s no lid for the sink to use for additional work surface while cooking, but a tip-up worktop extension is available.

Washroom

Working with such compact dimensions, the Pilote Foxy Van V540G’s washroom is of the walk-through variety – one uses two sliding tambour doors to protect one’s modesty.

With its wooden infill removed, the floor becomes the shower tray; washroom equipment also features a swivelling cassette toilet, fold-down sink and several recesses for lotions and potions. It’s a good use of the available space, but will favour those built for speed rather than comfort.

Beds

A folding transverse double bed at the rear of the ’van is on standby for sleeping, although one could leave this in the lowered position if not needing to use the bedroom for storing leisure kit.

In use, the bed’s comfortable foam mattress perches on sprung slats. A pair of reading lights is fixed to the underside of the offside rear overhead lockers (for those who prefer electronic entertainment, the TV bracket in the dinette has a folding arm to direct the screen rearwards).

Storage

With a 650kg payload, the V540G will accept a respectable amount of touring equipment. Most of it can be accommodated at the rear, in the space vacated by the folding transverse bed, supported by storage units on both sides of the ’van.

Around the motorhome you’ll also find five overhead lockers, an overcab cubby, a hidden compartment in the dinette, and cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, plus a clever sliding wardrobe in the bedroom.