Verdict
If you are buying a Moto-Trek X-Cite EB, to get the best spec you’d need to go for an Elite model; it’s at a price nearer to A-classes than the low-profiles that it more closely resembles.
But if you really value living space, this British-built slide-out motorhome offers some true innovation.
Pros
The slide-out means a spacious living area
Headroom in the shower is generous
Storage space impresses
Cons
There are compromises with the sleeping area
It’s a bit tight in the washroom
Moto-Trek only moved into motorhomes five years ago, having set up a considerable presence making horse boxes.
The company specialises in slide-outs, so some models have layouts that are unfamiliar to your standard motorhome buyer, and come with overall weights that are way over 3500kg.
But the low-profile X-Cite range – particularly the end-washroom EB model – is more mainstream, and not just in terms of weight.
The company’s horse-box manufacturing origins haven’t completely disappeared, which is why there’s no standard motorhome white on the outside of the ’van. Instead, you get a mixture of black and silver.
There is almost too much space in the lounge!
Living
So what’s inside this ’van? Up front is a standard parallel-settee lounge, with one of the sofas forming the slide-out.
It’s still habitable even with the slide-out retracted – handy if you’re only stopping quickly.
But arrive on site, extend that slide-out (which takes the maximum width to 2.7m) and the advantages of such technology become clear.
There is almost too much space: the occupants of one of the two settees might have to stretch to reach the table!
That table is cleverly stored behind the back cushion of the nearside settee.
The sofas themselves are boxy. But the Moto-Trek X-Cite EB’s lounge is well lit, with two rooflights to let the daylight in, and two LED lights, two spotlights and an ambient strip in the slide-out at night-time.
It is cosy, too, with two heating vents, and there are two mains sockets. Oddly there are no curtains on the windows – only blinds.
But you won’t notice this at first, because the shiny wood finish on all of the furniture makes the interior look sufficiently opulent as it is.
Kitchen
The central kitchen feels a squeeze after the lounge, but Moto-Trek keeps all of the kitchen drawers and cupboards on the right-hand side of the nearside unit, so you don’t have to move around much.
There’s even a cutlery drawer cleverly positioned right next to the door, where it can be easily accessed from inside or out.
You also get three overhead lockers, one large pan locker, and a small shelf.
In terms of equipment there is a three-burner gas hob, an oven beneath it and, across the way, a microwave above a 105-litre Dometic AES fridge with a removable freezer compartment.
The oven and fridge are a considerable Elite step-up from that of the standard X-Cite model, which just features a 30-litre fridge.
The only major flaw is that the sink cover, sensibly hinged to stop it flying away, obscures a good part of the workspace when you lift it.
The kitchen is well lit, with a rooflight and a striplight. There’s a heating vent, too.
Washroom
The end-washroom in this Moto-Trek X-Cite EB initially seems a squeeze.
The central washbasin and vanity unit is small, and there isn’t much room around it – although it is well lit by a rooflight.
The shower, with its own rooflight, is a different matter. It’s of average size, but because you step down into it there is lots of headroom.
Beds
Conventionally you create the X-Cite EB’s standard double bed by pulling out a platform beneath the slide-out settee, readjusting the cushions and adding one infill.
That creates a comfortable bed which is 1.87m in length, but it feels longer because there’s space at both ends.
It’s effectively a transverse bed, so one partner must clamber over the other to get out – the other partner also gets no headboard.
By slightly bringing in the slide-out, you can make a more accessible double across the ’van with the same platform that is narrower and slightly longer. Both parties then get a headboard, but the bed partially blocks the door.
Storage
Nor is that the only sign of fresh thinking, because storage is a real plus-point in this ’van.
The underseat areas of both settees are completely free of clutter, and you get a large wardrobe with two hanging rails.
There are seven overhead lockers in the lounge, and two more in the washroom. There’s an external locker, too.
Admittedly this ’van only has a 300kg payload, but that should be enough for two.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 300 kg |
| MTPLM | 3500 kg |
| Shipping Length | 6.38 m |
| Width | 2.09 m |
