Dethleffs Advantage I 6501 B - Practical Motorhome

The Practical Motorhome review of the Dethleffs Advantage I 6501 B, a smart A-class from the well known German brand

Verdict

A clever and civilised A-class offering from this established German brand.

Pros

Clever touches in the design-led interior; upgraded chassis.

Cons

Inefficient windscreen wipers; step up between kitchen and lounge.

Living

For comfort and adjustability, the seats in the cab are the pews of choice. Sadly Dethleffs did not think of putting a sliding window (instead of a top-hung one) adjacent to the dedicated travel seats so that rear passengers could enjoy some fresh air when on the move. In our experience, this is a frequently-voiced gripe of rear-seat passengers, especially those who suffer from travel sickness.

The inward-facing settee is fine, and the extending table has a mechanism that some other makers would do well to copy: when the table is pulled away from the wall, to accommodate the slot-in table-top extension, the leg comes with it so it is still at the end of the table top.

Kitchen

The importer has clearly taken note of Britain’s love affair with toast and grilled kippers, as a grill (and oven) has been included. The kitchen is based on an ‘L’-shaped base unit holding the hob and sink on the offside, with the fridge on the other side of the aisle.

There is the tantalising suggestion of some worktop space, but not enough to be truly practical. The fridge-freezer is a two-door domestic-style unit, while the Spinflo oven and grill can be found underneath the hob, just where many feel it should be. Incidentally, the controls for the hob are, surprisingly, not on it but underneath the sink (cynics may claim that this ‘feature’ was designed by someone who never has to use it). However, as a kitchen it is visually attractive, and there is an extractor fan.

Washroom

The Advantage has a bench-style toilet at the rear of the washroom area, a shower area in the middle and a washbasin in the forward corner, with some cupboard space beneath.

The door is a sliding one, which left a gap when ‘closed’ on our test model.

Beds

At the rear of the ’van we find a permanent low-level corner-double bed. At over two metres long it’s bigger than most, though rather puzzling is the additional window in its back panel, just where the pillows go. There are two reading lamps.

The cab drop-down double bed is also a fair size and has an opening rooflight which makes the area feel less claustrophobic.

Finally, there is an extra transverse bed that can be made up in the dinette area. This is also over two metres long but barely one metre wide, and clashes with the ladder for the drop-down bed.

Storage

There’s plenty of storage here for four to six people as long as they don’t all require wardrobe space. The Advantage has a particularly clever bit of storage space in the lounge, against the wall, with the table anchored to it – it’s a modern interpretation of a drinks cabinet complete with a useful, moulded, trinket tray on top.

There is loads of space under the rear bed, accessed by lifting the base on gas-assisted struts or via an access door from outside. There are also exterior doors for the generous gas lockers.