Bürstner Lyseo I 744 motorhome

An A-class with lounges front and rear

It’s rare to find an A-class motorhome with a rear lounge but Bürstner’s Lyseo I 744 not only has a comfy seating area in the stern, it also has a dinette (providing extra travel seats) up front. And it has two drop-down double beds, one at each end, too.
Based on a 4,400kg Fiat Ducato, it comes with flush-fitting framed habitation windows, an awning, a 100W solar panel and 16in alloy wheels as standard.

The Flex-spec cab also brings with it all-season tyres, a leather steering wheel, a multimedia system with reversing camera, ESP, Hill Holder and Traction Plus, while the Heavy chassis includes the 180hp motor and eight-speed automatic transmission with start/stop and a low-frame chassis with wide rear track. Payload is generous at over 900kg.

Body construction includes a GRP floor and roof (plus a 10-year water ingress warranty) and the chassis is extended underneath to the very rear of the vehicle, but there’s no spare wheel – just a Fix and Go kit. There’s an XL entrance door (with window, bin and flyscreen) linked to the central locking and the trademark high-level rear brake light incorporates the Bürstner logo. 

At the rear, an exterior locker under the lounge can carry up to 250kg but this isn’t a full-sized garage as it is only seat height, so only folding bikes will fit. The fresh water tank is inboard and has a 105-litre capacity, the 90-litre waste tank is underslung and has a large bore outlet for quick emptying.

Two lounges and a double floor

Enter through the habitation door and the first thing that you notice is the flat floor throughout – from the cab right back to the rear lounge. That’s down to Bürstner’s Thermo-Floor, which is described as an insulated sandwich-construction floor. Another aspect that will immediately impress is the lighting, with an array of ambient strips and downlights.

Up front, the lounge is conventional. There’s an L-shaped settee, swivel captain’s chairs in the cab and a single side seat forward of the door on the offside. The table does seem quite dominant in this space, though. The TV is mounted at a convenient height adjacent to the doorway.

It’s in the rear lounge that you’ll want to relax and unwind and here the Lyseo I 744 shows its USP. This isn’t a classic, British-style U-shaped seating area, however, but an L-settee along the nearside and rear walls with a low-level sideboard and swing-out table opposite. 

As in the front lounge, there are Roman blinds for privacy but most of the time you’re sure to want to enjoy the view out through the picture window. There’s another TV point here but, with armrests and scatter cushions enhancing your comfort, you may just want to put your feet up. 

Washroom and kitchen

The galley and ablutions zones fill the centre of this layout, between the lounges. The kitchen backs onto the half-dinette and remains fully accessible with both beds in use. It’s an L-shape design incorporating a Thetford Triplex cooker (three gas burners and a combined oven/grill) to appeal to UK buyers.

A loose cover for the sink ensures there’s enough worktop space for meal preparation or appliances, which can be plugged into the nearby three-pin socket. There are cupboards on either side of the oven but more drawers would be more convenient. We like the slide-out storage for tins, though, and, completing the culinary quarters, the three-way fridge has a 142-litre total capacity (including its 15-litre freezer compartment and bottle drawer) as well as automatic energy selection.

Aft of the fridge, the toilet room is on the offside and includes plenty of storage but the toilet is quite high, on a plinth. Opposite, the separate shower is a good size but has a noticeable step in its tray.

If you can live without a full-sized garage, the Lyseo I 744 offers extra living space with that very comfortable rear L-shaped lounge.