Once you get into the realm of A-class motorhomes, you really are at the top of the food chain, and should expect a ‘van that provides performance, luxury and high specification. And then there’s the price!
These are undeniably expensive vehicles, so whether you have the income to afford such treats or are selling up and throwing your hat (and savings) into the ring, you’ll no doubt be putting in the hours of research. Let’s face it, this is not a purchase to get wrong.
Fortunately, there are some amazing A-class models on the secondhand market – here’s just a taste of what you could be enjoying.
Rapido 880F (2019)
- BERTHS/TRAVEL SEATS 4/4
- L/W 7.04m/2.35m
- MTPLM 3500kg
- PAYLOAD 435kg
- PLUS POINTS Generous storage space in garage
- MINUS POINTS None that we could discover!
OUR REVIEW SAID…
The 880F benefits from the Castello furniture finish and Denver soft furnishings, and the forward-facing double travel seat can be made L-shaped for on-site use.
The main kitchen unit, on the nearside, houses a three-in-a-line gas hob, with the oven set low, below a cutlery drawer.
There’s more storage at the upper level, and an extractor unit. Other neat touches include a smart towel holder and a rack for spice jars.
A sliding door seals off the back of the 880F. Beyond are the separate shower cubicle and washroom, en suite to the island bed.
The pull-down double bed is manually operated. Like the island bed, it has a Bultex mattress on a slatted base. There’s a roof light overhead and lighting on both sides.
The island bed at the rear of the 880F is flanked by wardrobes and ledges, with lockers overhead and neat paddle lights.
Roller Team Pegaso 590 (2019)
- BERTHS/TRAVEL SEATS 4/4
- L/W 5.99m/2.35m
- MTPLM 3500kg
- PAYLOAD 635kg
- PLUS POINTS Roomy lounge
- MINUS POINTS Making up the ‘downstairs’ double bed
OUR REVIEW SAID…
In the lounge, with the L-shaped sofa, side sofa and swivelled cab seats, you should have room for eight here. But only shorter people would be really happy on the side part of the L-shaped sofa, because the housing for the blind makes sitting back a touch uncomfortable for taller folk.
The L-shaped kitchen includes a fair amount of workspace, and the hob has three gas burners, shifted into the corner.
The washroom door has a separate lock, so you are assured privacy. Once inside, there’s plenty of room to move around and to make use of the wardrobe, which has a half-height area on one side.
The comfortable manual drop-down bed lowers easily and is accessed via a ladder. There is another double below, made up by lowering the pedestal table and aligning it with the L-shaped sofa.
Itineo SLB 700 (2018)
- BERTHS/TRAVEL SEATS 5/4
- L/W 6.99m/2.35m
- MTPLM 3500kg
- PAYLOAD 490kg
- PLUS POINTS Generous full-width washroom
- MINUS POINTS Space in the kitchen is a bit tight
OUR REVIEW SAID…
The front lounge is very spacious. Both of the cab seats swivel, and once they’re in position, there’s room for five people to relax here in comfort.
The presence of the bunk beds and that large lounge does mean space in the kitchen is compromised. However, the amount of available work surface is maximised by the fact that the three burners for the hob are set neatly in a line.
The washroom is split across the centre of the Itineo SLB700. It sits to the rear of the kitchen, with a tambour-doored area on the offside housing the toilet and basin, and a shower cubicle on the nearside.
The Itineo SLB700 sleeps five, with three of those berths in the dinette. The children will sleep in the comfortable bunk beds. Meanwhile, the adults are sure to love the drop-down double bed over the cab.
Mobilvetta K Yacht Tekno Line (2017)
- BERTHS/TRAVEL SEATS 4/4
- L/W 7.38m/2.35m
- MTPLM 3500kg
- PAYLOAD 342kg
- PLUS POINTS The kitchen has been well thought out
- MINUS POINTS Lighting might be a bit over-the-top for some buyers’ tastes
OUR REVIEW SAID…
The designers have found enough space to incorporate an L-shaped seat and a small side seat to the right of the hab door.
In the kitchen there is only a three-burner hob, but it is cleverly tucked into the corner, and there is a large sink with a cover that acts as a chopping board and fits in a slot on a rail running along the top of the partition.
The washroom is split across the middle of the ‘van. A stylish stainless-steel basin, with soap dispenser and mug, takes up one side, with angled mirrors behind. There’s also a swivel toilet, plus a toilet roll holder.
The comfortable fixed beds at the rear are reached by steps, while the drop-down double bed over the cab turned out to be a little more complicated to put into position that we expected.
Adria Sonic Supreme i810 (2017)
- BERTHS/TRAVEL SEATS 4/4
- L/W 8.88m/2.32m
- MTPLM 5000kg
- PAYLOAD 1062kg
- PLUS POINTS Luxurious rear main bedroom
- MINUS POINTS No spare wheel fitted as standard
OUR REVIEW SAID…
In the front lounge, Adria has introduced informal seating by substituting the fixed seats’ backrests with those of the soft-filled, oversized scatter variety.
The kitchen is located amidships, with the main run of base- and high-level units on the UK offside, and the fridge/freezer across the aisle. Concave fronts to the high-level lockers add to the feeling of space without reducing the volume of storage.
Ahead of the boudoir is the central washroom and shower. Both can be made en-suite – a sliding door separates them, and a standard side-hinged door isolates this section from the rest of the ‘van.
The luxurious bedroom contains an island bed, which can be adjusted to make the most of the garage space beneath. Another double, a transverse, powers down from the cab ceiling with just the push of a button.
Knaus Sun i900 (2016)
- BERTHS/TRAVEL SEATS 4/4
- L/W 8.82m/2.34m
- MTPLM 550kg
- PAYLOAD 975kg
- PLUS POINTS Luxurious accommodation
- MINUS POINTS No awning
OUR REVIEW SAID…
The Aguti cab seats are fully adjustable and have ergonomically designed lumbar support and twin armrests. The nearside settee is L-shaped, but isn’t the usual compromise between travel and lounge seating – a sculpted corner cushion is replaced with a flatter, forward-facing one for travel.
The kitchen is split either side of the central aisle. All of the base units, with the hob and sink, are on the offside, with slide-out storage, a two-door fridge/freezer and a combi-gas oven/grill on the nearside.
The central washroom is one of the best we’ve come across; it can be separate or en-suite, and has a door that can be used to partition off or include the toilet.
‘Curved and conjoined’ was the best description for the generously sized, permanent single beds at the rear.
Hymer Exsis i474 (2018)
- BERTHS/TRAVEL SEATS 4/4
- L/W 6.64m/2.22m
- MTPLM 3500kg
- PAYLOAD 710kg
- PLUS POINTS Garage has high load limit
- MINUS POINTS Washroom is a bit limited for space
OUR REVIEW SAID…
Seating is in an L-shape; with no offside sofa this space is optimised for two, but rotating cab chairs offer space for guests. Two side windows allow in plenty of natural light.
Our test motorhome’s offside kitchen was boosted by two cost options: a separate oven and grill (£750), and a 142-litre tower fridge (£550). Standard kit includes three gas burners, a small sink with mixer tap, and three soft-closing drawers.
‘Multifunction’ is the key concept behind the nearside washroom. A vanity unit with sink and mirror is mounted on the sidewall – unlatch and swing it over the bench toilet to form a shower compartment.
Using an optional filler cushion, the rear fixed twin single beds can be converted into a large double. Up front, a pull-down double bed is also available.
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