THESE two motorhomes present you with an interesting choice. The McLouis Tandy is the cheapest by £3,000, but at four years old, has two years' advantage over the more highly specified Elnagh Joxy.

To complicate matters further, the Joxy has clocked up less than half the mileage of its rival. The Tandy has a voluminous garage, but it also has the high-level bed that goes with the territory.

McLouis Tandy 670G Plus

• Year 2006
• Miles: 21,600
• Price: £26,995
• Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato 2.8 JTD

 

• Berths: 4
• Belted seats: 4
• Length: 6.59m
• Width: 2.32m
• Height: 2.75m
• MTPLM: 3,400kg
• Payload: 669kg

Highly specified throughout; superb kitchen; cycle rack


Some mould in a front corner locker needs investigating


Impressions

The Tandy immediately impresses with its satisfyingly chunky design; no unnecessary flourishes, just smoothly moulded, coachbuilt bodywork, low to the ground and integrating seamlessly with the Fiat cab.

Once inside, yes there is the presence of the love-it-or-hate-it blue, but here it is sparingly to the furnishings, successfully enhancing the pale upholstery in a very satisfactory manner.

Both cab seats swivel to face the double forward-facing seat, joined by a short, side settee.

You can make up a double bed here, although it is not really straightforward and would probably get a little tiresome to use night after night. The over cab storage area is not enclosed by locker doors, but is accessed via attractively rounded cut-outs in the front panel.

The L-shaped kitchen area is well equipped by continental standards, even having a four-burner hob and a very modern looking oven.


The work space is positioned in the corner section of the worktop, which isn’t ideal, but only a minor inconvenience. A large stainless steel sink of superior quality is located beside the central walkway, with a 135-litre fridge freezer opposite.

From here onwards, lies the crux of your decision over which of these two motorhomes has the most appeal.

The Tandy’s big lure is its huge rear garage, which even comes equipped with a scooter ramp, although the payload isn’t massive, so you will need to be careful.

In most cases, a rear garage will inevitable mean that there will be a fixed double bed perched on the top of the garage box. So it is here and access is via a ladder, as a large internal access point rules out the use of wooden steps.

Most people will probably be fine about this, but I have seen people take a quick look at similar arrangements and immediately walk away.

The other consequence of this type of layout is that you often get the toilet and washroom positioned along the opposite wall to the shower cubicle. As in this case, there is usually a sliding screen to create an en-suite bedroom.

Verdict

In great condition, so a very attractive purchase for anyone who requires a garage to carry bulky (but not too heavy) items.

Definitely a vehicle most suitable for accommodating two people at night, but that garage will allow you to carry any tent you like for two passengers.

Elnagh Joxy 46

• Year: 2004
• Miles: 10,300
• Price: £29,995
• Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato 2.8 JTD
• Berths: 4
• Belted seats: 4
• Length: 7.02m
• Width: 2.30m
• Height: 2.82m
• MTPLM: 3,500kg
• Payload: 500kg

Superb condition inside and out, a well planned interior and excellent value for money.


No lightweight, but no faults found at all.

Impressions

Being a stable mate of the McLouis you can expect a few similarities and it does seem to have a few component parts in common.

There are striking similarities in the Euro-style lounge, in fact the upholstery is simply a variation on a theme. Gone are the blue curtains and the over cab area has been filled in with a set of proper lockers in a dark, charcoal grey.

It is debatable if this is actually an improvement though and although the clip-on table looks of a better quality, the differences are so far minimal.
Turn towards the kitchen though and you can see that although the basic components are essentially the same, it has had a bit of an upgrade.

For a start, the work surface is on two levels and you get a substantial fixed mixer tap instead of the fold-down version in the Tandy.


Add a few little touches such as bottle holders and a waste bin and it starts to look decidedly posh, although at the expense of anywhere to put a clip-on drainer. Storage is also more sophisticated, with a carousel inside the cupboard and four kitchen drawers.

There is no full oven here, but there is a Smev mini-oven and grill on top of the fridge-freezer, which most people will probably be happy with.

Now we get to the real difference, as the fixed bed at the rear is set at standard height, yet still has a substantial storage area underneath. This sleeping area also has two large windows, which makes it look far more user friendly.

Then you have an all-plastic washroom, but the washing area, the toilet and shower are joined seamlessly in a combined unit that is obviously very practical, waterproof and easy to maintain. It is actually rather smart, with very modern looking blue mixer tap and splashed of blue detail.

Mart’s verdict:

Both of these motorhomes can be highly recommended for different reasons, but are not necessarily ideal for those who have a four-berth on their shopping list - take a tent with you and the problems are solved.

Overall, I would have to plump for the Joxy, as it is really quite difficult to fault. As a load carrier though, the Tandy wins hands-down.

Contact:

Becks Motorhomes
Martham Road, Rollesby, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR29 5DR
Tel: 01493 740274
Web (for most up to date stock information): www.becksmotorhomes.com (link will open in new window/tab)

• This company profile and details of the motorhomes featured were first published in the June 2010 issue of Caravan, Motorhome & Camping Mart magazine.