Carthago C-tourer I142 - Practical Motorhome

Get inside the Carthago C-tourer I142, only with the expert review from Practical Motorhome

Verdict

Outstanding build quality now offered at a more affordable price, for those who can do without the luxurious levels of specification found in Carthago’s premium ranges.

Pros

Outstanding build quality, compact dimensions and sporty good looks.

Cons

Fixed-leg tables aren’t to everyone’s liking, as they involve some manoeuvring for a sociable front lounge.

The new C-tourer motorhomes are considerably less expensive than the premium Carthago ranges

Living

Step inside a Carthago ’van, and the first thing that strikes you is the sheer thickness of the furniture, which it inherits from the more upmarket Chic C-Line range. Up front, the I142 has an L-shaped lounge with single-seater side sofa, all sited around a fixed-leg table, with a solid table top that slides forward and back, and sideways. A branded Carthago flatscreen TV is concealed in a metal frame behind the sofa back, and rises on runners when required. The forward facing seat bench has two seatbelts, and the side sofa quickly and easily converts to a fifth, forward-facing belted seat. The double floor is level throughout the whole motorhome, and conceals 110 litre fresh and waste water tanks.

Kitchen

An L-kitchen sits amidships on the UK nearside, with a cream veneer to its locker doors and chrome-look furniture handles, that differentiates it smartly from the rest of the motorhome interior. A massive 160-litre fridge/freezer, sited opposite, is new for the 2012 season. There’s a chrome look swan neck tap, large circular sink with matching lid, and the hob has three gas burners with spark ignition. All UK-specified Carthagos will have an oven and grill fitted (layout permitting).

Washroom

Rear of the fridge/freezer is the washroom, which is well-sized for a compact floorplan. The entire floor is line with plastic, a sensible solution for the washroom, with a circular indent cut into it for the hard, sliding rigid shower door, and a vent overhead. The shower tray has two drain plugs, and the large toilet is of the swivel-head variety. Overall, it feels larger than it is, largely thanks to the huge mirror. Storage is adequate in here, and the large basin is thoughtfully shaped to maximize space.

Beds

The I142 offers four supremely comfortable sleeping berths. A transverse double bed is sited above the garage at the rear, with large wooden steps for climbing in and out. The massive pull-down double bed over the cab seats is hugely comfortable too, and easy to used with generous headroom.

Storage

The massive rear garage space is lined with plastic, and this storage space can be accessed from within the motorhome via a sliding door in the bed base, which has a lined partition curtain for better insulation properties. There’s also an abundance of overhead lockers, and a decent-sized wardrobe.