Benimar Mileo 286 Motorhome Review

The latest version of this Spanish motorhome has loads of extra kit and a layout that’s perfect for couples…

When the Spanish brand, Benimar, was reintroduced to the UK market by Marquis in 2014, the Mileo was its first model range. It has since been joined by Primero (entry-level) and Tessoro (on Ford Transit), as well as the Benivan campervans, with Mileo now acting as the flagship line-up of currently just four layouts (transverse rear bed, rear lounge and island bed, in addition to the model tested).

The 286 is the most compact of the quartet (just), at 6.95m long, but you wouldn’t guess so from its spacious interior, achieved by having a drop-down bed as the main sleeping space.

However, this isn’t just another copy of the end washroom/garage layout, first popularised by Chausson’s 640. Here, there’s more emphasis on the kitchen. And, unlike most European motorhomes, it has a UK-handed floorplan, with the habitation door on our nearside.

Of course, that’s made possible by the buying power of Marquis Leisure (with its 12 dealerships) and the fact that both it and Benimar are part of the vast French-owned Trigano Group. That connection also brings greater value in 2026, with the Premium Drive Pack, priced at just £95 but including extras worth over 12 grand.

So, rather than a 140hp motor and manual gearbox, your Mileo now comes with 180hp and the eight-speed automatic transmission, while the maximum gross weight is increased from 3,650kg to 4,400kg.

And, with that upgrade, you don’t need to worry about the addition of a bike rack, Thule roll-out awning, Trackstar S7 tracker (with a year’s subscription) and Truma Aventa habitation air-conditioning to the spec – there’s still more than 1,200kg of payload!

Black cab

Based on the ubiquitous Fiat Ducato cab with wide-track chassis, the Mileo comes with a black cab and alloy wheels, as well as a conventional low-profile motorhome body incorporating a large, opening overcab sunroof. Construction is described as “99% wood-free” with a GRP exterior and XPS insulation (25mm in the walls, a substantial 53mm in the floor and roof). It meets the Grade III standard, of course.

There are framed habitation windows, except (oddly) for the washroom, which gets a caravan-style window sitting proud of the bodywork.

Particularly neat is the effort Benimar has gone to to integrate the cab with the habitation bodywork, with extra mouldings on the doors merging the two.

The external spec doesn’t end there, as an external barbecue point and 200W solar panel are also featured. The leisure battery is a 100Ah AGM, so maybe a lithium upgrade could be due for 2027?

Tall rear garage

Even without a fixed bed, a 7m motorhome almost has to have a garage these days and here it’s served by loading doors on both sides. It’s a tall space (maximum headroom 1.30m) but relatively narrow, at 80cm, and well-lit by an LED strip right across the back wall.

It’s a pleasant surprise to find a full-sized spare wheel here (no worries about payload, although the garage is limited to 225kg), as well as access into the space from the living area. Not so good is that the free-standing dining table is stowed here – more on that moan anon…

At the other end of the motorhome, the cab is ultra-familiar, Fiat having changed very little of the design in 20 years. What has changed is the spec and the Mileo takes advantage of all the advances in tech, such as the electric parking brake (no more stretching to reach a lever), digital climate control (not just on/off air-con), adaptive cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, Traction Plus, hill descent control, pre-collision assist, speed sign recognition and lane keeping assistance.

Benimar doesn’t specify Fiat’s own touchscreen but the 9in display from Pioneer seems just as good and includes Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and the view from the reversing camera.

The other advance, of course, is the smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox, which takes a lot of the stress and effort out of driving. The 180hp motor should ensure you always have sufficient performance, too, although with only 500 miles on the clock this one had yet to loosen up.

As ever, the Ducato’s light steering and excellent stability made for an easy drive from Marquis Northampton to the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Broadway site in the picturesque Cotswolds. On the road, it was just a shame that there were so many rattles from the Mileo’s living area.

Spacious lounge

Step through the habitation door (linked to the remote central locking and fitted with a flyscreen) and maybe you’ll forgive those rattles, because there’s an instant feeling of space. Benimar has worked on the colours and illumination to brighten the Mileo’s interior for 2026 but much of the credit must go to the layout. This is one of those almost Tardis-like motorhomes that feels bigger on the inside…

It’s the front lounge that’s king here and the lack of a permanent table really does make a difference. Enough of a difference to forgive having to go out in the rain and retrieve a heavy table from the garage and lug it indoors? Only you can decide that – I just wish that Benimar had made it lighter to carry and found somewhere inside the motorhome to stow it. Or maybe it could fit a couple of small coffee tables, leaving the big free-standing one for dining al fresco?

Table aside, this is a super space, with an L-settee on the offside and a higher-backed straight sofa opposite. The different backrests also dictate the window size – higher and smaller on the nearside, larger and lower on the offside. The large overcab sunroof ensures there’s no lack of daylight and there are spotlights above the front seats and LED strips in the base of the drop-down bed for when things go gloomy outside. Roman blinds can provide privacy when required and there are concertina blinds around the cab.

The front seats are higher, up a step in the floor, but there are no other variations in floor height (and no need for an external pop-out step on entry).

Telly not included

You probably won’t dine from the cab chairs (too high in relation to the table), but they make a great place to watch the 22in Avtex smart TV (not included) on a height-adjustable bracket above the rear travel seats (which have Isofix).

All the seats are upholstered in a pale beige faux leather that has fancy geometric stitching but won’t convince anyone that it’s real hide – it will wipe clean, though. In the cab, the chairs are covered rather than retrimmed so these might get baggy over time.

There are no high-level cupboards in the lounge, in order to allow the drop-down bed to come down lower, and under-seat storage is fairly limited – but don’t worry, as we’ll see there’s loads of storage at the rear. The Combi boiler is beneath the nearside settee, the 100-litre fresh water tank is properly winterised under the forward-facing seat, and the gas locker intrudes on the offside.

The waste water tank (105 litres) is underslung but heated and with an easy-to-use T-handle for draining, while the heating is another nod to the high specification here – a 6kW Truma with gas and 230V power.

The gas compartment is also convenient, housing cylinders side by side at a low level – no heavy lifting. Benimar seems to have got a lot of the practicalities right.

Best as a two-berth

Used as a two-berth, turning the Mileo’s lovely lounge into a bedroom is even more effortless.

Remove the sofas’ backrests and just keep your finger on a switch to lower the bed down to just 86cm off the floor. So there’s no need for a ladder to get into this 1.90m by 1.38m double, with extra room for toes to overhang if you’re especially tall. The bed is limited to 230kg and has headroom of 1.87m underneath when stowed. Of course, you can leave pillows and duvet in place when the bed is raised in the morning, so the only criticism is the rather harsh LED strip that provides lighting over the head of the bed.

It’s also possible to turn the seating into a bed, using two wooden panels with support legs (stowed in a compartment in the roof of the garage) and an extra infill cushion. So, you’ll be going outside again to get the kit but, once made up, this lounge bed is surprisingly flat and very long – 2.16m!

With the lower bed occupied, the drop-down bed has to be parked higher up, so both beds share the headroom and the upper berth has to be reached by a ladder. It’s the usual compromise with this type of layout, which is best viewed as a couple’s motorhome (with perhaps occasional potential for a weekend with the grandchildren). Think of it as a couple’s motorhome first and foremost.

Super spec in the kitchen

With so much to like in the front half of this motorhome, the kitchen could have been a disappointment, but it’s actually another highlight.

Arranged along the nearside, aft of the entrance, it again shows the effort made to suit UK buyers, with an oven/grill, a mains hotplate and a microwave all as standard. But that’s not the impressive part – it’s the amount of worktop space on offer here, even before you add the slot-in extension by the door.

Twin 230V sockets are conveniently situated at the end of the galley, there’s a Baraldi extractor hood and a removable draining board for the sink (for 2026, now mated to an on-trend black tap).

There’s loads of storage, too, although I’d have liked some of the cupboards to be replaced by drawers (a cutlery drawer and a deeper one below are provided).

What you do get is a full-height pull-out pantry unit for your packets and tinned foods and, then, on the offside you’ll find the super-tall absorption fridge, offering a generous 142-litre capacity and automatic energy selection.

Two wardrobes

Yes, two wardrobes! If you’re wondering about the two doors at the end of the galley, then the lower one gives access to the garage, while the top one is a wardrobe (XL-sized with an 86cm drop from the rail and a large shelved area). If you’re struggling to reach your new Levi 501s, then there are folding steps to aid you!

Opposite the kitchen (with a full-height, backlit mirror on the wall) is the washroom.

This ablutions area is not as palatial as those models that have the washroom right across the full width at the back of the motorhome, but you certainly won’t feel short-changed.

There’s plenty of room to use the loo and basin (the former on a plinth, so check that out if you have little legs) and the mirror-fronted cupboards have fiddle rails to keep your toiletries in place. There’s a towel rail, loo roll holder and a couple of robe hooks that neatly replicate the Benimar ‘b’.

Then there’s a decent-sized separate shower, complete with drying rail, twin drains in the tray and a shelf for your lotions and potions. Plus an opening window and roof vent to cater for ventilation, but it seems odd that the latter is over the toilet, not the shower.

Then there’s another wardrobe, only marginally smaller than the first one and again offering both shelved and hanging space. You’ll be able to take a LOT of clothes on your Benimar travels!

As an ultra-spacious motorhome for a couple, this Benimar excels, offering a huge lounge, comfortable drop-down bed, well-equipped kitchen and good washroom. It even has two XL-sized wardrobes and a garage (plus a massive payload) in a layout that’s a slight variation on the norm. It’s just a pity about that hefty table and its awkward storage.