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    Home › Reviews›Sunlight›T›57

    Sunlight T57 2009

    £33,519
    2009 Sunlight T57 exterior
    2009 Sunlight T57 exterior
    2009 Sunlight T57 kitchen
    2009 Sunlight T57 kitchen
    2009 Sunlight T57 washroom
    2009 Sunlight T57 washroom
    2009 Sunlight T57 locker
    2009 Sunlight T57 locker
    2009 Sunlight T57 exterior
    2009 Sunlight T57 kitchen
    2009 Sunlight T57 washroom
    2009 Sunlight T57 locker

    Published: February 9, 2011

    The Practical Motorhome Sunlight T57 review – get the expert verdict on this motorhome

    Verdict

    A solidly built offering from the entry-level arm of Dethleffs. Those seeking pizazz should look elsewhere, though.

    Pros

    Good construction; attractive and sensible design features

    Cons

    Not as exciting or as clever as some rivals

    Living

    It is in the roomy lounge area where compact coachbuilts really trump ’van conversion models of a similar layout. The Sunlight’s lounge table extends, but to do so you have to slide it outwards and pop in a fill-in piece, which doesn’t have a dedicated storage space when not in use. Since it lacks side-facing lounge seats, its lounge will accommodate only four, but it does so very well, with enough space for people to move around, even when the lounge is in use.

    Aptly, the Sunlight provides good natural light, thanks to a large window and rooflights over the kitchen and lounge. At night you’ll have to rely on the directional reading lights, though, because the main light fixture in the lounge area is positioned over the entrance rather than the half-dinette.

    Kitchen

    The Sunlight’s designers have dispensed with the side-facing lounge seat so an extra workspace can be squeezed in, a vital factor that allows you to do some real cooking in your ’van’s kitchen.

    Cleverly, the kitchen has been designed so the hob is furthest away from the bed, which in a ’van this compact is necessary both for safety reasons and to prevent cooking smells from seeping into bedding.

    Washroom

    The Sunlight’s washroom suffers from limited knee- and legroom for the toilet, and the shower curtain seems unlikely to prevent the rest of the washroom from getting wet. This problem will be addressed somewhat in the UK-spec model which will have completely plastic walls.

    Beds

    The fixed double bed is big and comfortable, although the three-rung ladder is pretty punishing on the feet. There are shelves for books and mugs at either end of the bed. These project far out over the bed, however, so you’ll need to mind your head when you wake up.

    The lounge bed is not intended for frequent use, being narrow and relatively short. The Sunlight’s swivelled cab seat becomes part of the lounge bed, which doesn’t make for the flattest sleeping surface.

    Storage

    Anyone who buys one of these motorhomes will be looking to make full use of the garage. The Sunlight’s has only one door, located on the farside, but at 105 x 65cm it should be big enough to allow for easy loading.

    There’s excellent internal storage provision, with numerous lockers throughout the vehicle, and a tall wardrobe. The gas locker is located inside the garage, which can make changing the two 7kg bottles a bit of a chore.

    Technical Specifications

    Payload830 kg
    MTPLM3500 kg
    Shipping Length5.99 m
    Width2.30 m

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