(photo courtesy of Chausson)
All the types we’ve described so far have a lounge at the front.
But here we are referring to layouts without a fixed bed, so you’ll need to convert seats to beds at night, unless the main bed simply lowers from the ceiling.
Be sure to watch our complete guide to motorhome layouts.
Words by Rachel Scholes and Peter Vaughan
The front lounge layout
(photo courtesy of Pilote)
Drop-down beds have transformed this sector, especially when the mattress lowers electrically, right down to seat height.
Some drop-down bed models are super-compact at just six metres long but currently proving more popular are longer versions (still under 7m) that have XXL-sized rear washrooms and garages. These make great use of space for couples but, although marketed as four-berths, that means sleeping in double bunks, which probably won’t appeal...
Chausson was the originator of this part of the market, offering a choice of front lounge/drop-down bed layouts in different lengths.
That market position is under threat, however, from Bailey with its Adamo, as well as Swift’s Escape and Voyager. Don’t underestimate the French firm’s capacity to innovate, though.
(photo by Warners Group Publications)
Its X650 is a must-see compact model that’s been voted Motorhome of the Year 2024. Much more traditional front lounge layouts are long-serving British designs with an end kitchen, corner washroom and parallel settees up front. Usually found in smaller low-profiles, this layout is a design classic that still works for couples seeking a compact ’van without any rear travel seats.
Auto-Sleepers’ Nuevo and Elddis’ Autoquest 115 are both long-established examples. If the corner washroom looks too small to work for you, though, consider longer motorhomes with full-width end washrooms.
Auto-Sleepers and Auto-Trail offer traditional large end washroom layouts, but it’s the drop-down bed models with garages – as highlighted earlier from Adria, Bailey, Bürstner, Chausson, Pilote, Rapido and others – that have largely usurped the classic British designs.
Why should I buy one?
- ✔ Drop-down bed models can offer the best of all worlds for couples
- ✔ Spacious front lounges suit meeting up with friends
- ✔ Generous end washrooms can be used as a changing room, too
Top choices of 2024
- Elddis Autoquest 115
- Chausson X650 Exclusive Line
- Rapido 606F
