Best non-fixed bed motorhome £70k-£100k in 2022

Introduction

This isn’t the first continental model to try the UK favourite format of a rear lounge, nor even the first from Pilote. But, when we compared it head-to-head with another new end lounge model from across La Manche, it came out as the victor. It’s not hard to see it pinching sales from British motorhomes, too, as it has features you’ll not find from the home teams. The new layout comes in Évidence spec, too, which has already been hugely successful here.

That’s hardly surprising when you see the list of standard kit, which includes Fiat’s nine-speed automatic gearbox, alloy wheels, GRP side walls, a side skirt storage locker, 100W solar panel, cab blinds, leather steering wheel, carpets, insulated waste tank, a roll-out awning and Pioneer multimedia unit with 9in screen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, sat-nav and a reversing camera.

On site, you’ll forget about that cab spec – and, indeed, the cab itself. You just slide a door across and hide all the Fiat bits until it’s time to hit the road again. Considering that the cab is usually the coldest part of the living space, that has to be good news for winter camping.

A second sliding door shuts off the washroom from the rest of the motorhome and, in between, 1.09m of this motorhome’s length (across the full width) is allocated to a washroom par excellence.

That’s the sort of ablutions space usually associated with super-sized A-classes at £200k!

On the offside are the cassette toilet (the superior Dometic type), the washbasin, a large mirror and plenty of storage. The toiletries cupboard even has upstands to keep everything in place.

Then, opposite, as well as a generous shower cubicle with wooden duckboard, you’ll find the wardrobe and cupboards below for folded clothes. In between is a vast area for drying yourself off and getting dressed – having a tango, even!

There also are two roof vents here, a hidden loo roll holder (in the under-basin cupboard), a towel rail and robe hooks. And, although the floor is higher in the washroom than the rest of the living area (the same level as in the cab), there’s still almost 2m headroom.

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The central table is fixed but it folds in half, doubling to 900mm by 815mm for family dining. Importantly, it’s also height-adjustable – you can even lower it right down as a coffee table. You can also adapt this lounge to incorporate two rear travel seats.

And that’s not the only trick that this seating serves up. The space under the settee, across the back wall, can be accessed from outside but it may surprise you to see the size of the hatch here (500mm by 750mm) compared with the height of the storage area at a modest 360mm.

That is explained when you realise that the seat bases across the back wall can be raised, creating a sort of garage area that you can use while travelling (though you’d want to reclaim the seating space as soon as you park up). It’s a feature you might not use very often but it adds versatility.

Beneath the sofas you’ll also find the 130-litre fresh water tank – beating most rivals for capacity. Meanwhile, the waste water tank is underslung, heated and insulated, and emptied via a simple T-handle that sees your suds splashing away with speed.

Occasionally four

Another point to note is that the bed doesn’t cover all of the offside sofa, leaving somewhere to sit to take off your socks. And that’s in addition to the separate seat in the entrance, where you can rest your derrière to remove footwear, before placing it in the shoe cupboard beneath. With coat hooks as well, the doorway area is very well thought out.

There’s an electric step for the entrance, too, and this automatically retracts on turning the ignition key. Then, on the opposite flank of the motorhome, you’ll also discover another area for storage – in a lidded drawer (rated at 70kg) that pulls out of the skirt.

The star feature of the kitchen is the two-door, 153-litre fridge/freezer with automatic energy selection. For cooking there’s a Duplex oven/grill as well as a two-ring hob. Storage includes four drawers and a trio of large top lockers, while a small shelf caters for condiments – plus it has hooks for lightweight utensils and tea towels.

Behind the sink are 12V and 230V sockets, as well as a double USB port, while another mains power point and more USBs are located opposite, where there’s a small flat surface for appliances as well as some extra cupboard space.

Why it won

With a wonderful washroom and luxurious lounge that just begs you to put your feet up and stretch out, this Pilote is sure to find friends with ease. Add in the Évidence spec and it seems great value, too.

Watch our video review

About Pilote

Pilote has been represented in the UK longer than any other continental motorhome brand, with Hayes Leisure (still a Pilote dealer) originally acting as the French marque’s importer as long ago as the mid 1980s. It was probably the very first manufacturer to offer low-profile coachbuilts here (as well as being an early adopter of A-classes).

The brand actually goes back even further – to a first caravan in 1962 and a Pilote motorhome in 1978, followed by A-class models from 1985. In 1990, the company acquired the German firm, Frankia, while in 2004 it opened a new factory close to Angers in the Loire Valley as an additional production site, while still maintaining its premises near Nantes.

Today, Pilote offers a wide range of low-profile Pacific and A-class Galaxy models, as well as Pilote Van campervans.