Full review

First impressions of the Compact 540 are certainly promising. It ups the ante versus its imported opponents here with its use of an Al-Ko chassis extension to the Peugeot Boxer cab, as well as standard features such as Alde’s ‘wet’ central heating and hot water system, although whether such a high-performance piece of kit as this is needed within the confines of a 6m-long motorhome could be open to debate.

Also, although the Al-Ko chassis offers better ride and handling characteristics, thanks to giving the whole vehicle a lower centre of gravity, the way the undercarriage is on view doesn’t help with overall looks. You can see the chassis from many angles, and the spare wheel is very much on show. Some kind of side skirting would have helped the aesthetics.

Rather than keeping overall height lower, Bailey has opted to give the Compact a maximum 2.10m interior height. It’s a full-width vehicle, too, at 2.35m. Giving the cab a slate grey finish (the official title, although it’s dark enough to be almost black) is a bold move.

Because of the chassis, on-board it’s a step down from the cab to the main living quarters. Subsequently, the cab seats sit considerably higher than the rest of the lounge seating when you’re on site.

There’s a rather intriguing (or just plain odd) cupboard unit behind the driver’s seat (with two mains sockets atop). Yes, it offers valuable extra storage, but it somewhat impedes the driver’s seat swivel action.

Aft of the lounge, there’s a galley, with the main unit on the offside hosting a sink, three-burner hob and Thetford’s Duplex oven/grill.

The circular sink has a chopping board cover and an add-on plastic drainer. There’s an 80-litre Dometic 8-series fridge (removing the freezer box gives you an extra five litres) opposite, with further work space adjacent. The former is subject to some minor adaptations in production models. There are hessian-style fronts to the overhead lockers over the main kitchen, with the one on the right pre-wired and vented, should you wish to carry a microwave.

Across the back of the Compact 540, there’s a washroom with a full complement of equipment – including a roomy separate shower cubicle – extending to a fixed washbasin and a swivel-bowl toilet. The wardrobe’s in here. But, it’s noticeably lacking in actual space to move around in. Ventilation is courtesy of a window as well as a rooflight.

So, the sleeping? It’s a rather odd set-up, but there is a facility for a single bed in the lounge. Meanwhile, the upstairs bed also has a rather intriguing shape to it – the curve tapering from 1.40m to 1.20m, somewhat at odds with Bailey’s official width figure of 1.54m. Also, despite that curvature, there’s still a slight issue of access to the habitation door.

Full marks to Bailey, though, for providing a Froli bed base. Something you might expect to find in far more expensive vehicles, those individual multi-jointed plastic supports really do add to the comfort and support (and only the Bürstner here offers anything similar).

There are also safety nets either side of the bed, but you need to be careful to pack them away under the mattress when not needed – or the rising mechanism will make them mark the ceiling. But a particularly neat touch is the stowage point for the ladder – on the back of the washroom door.

• Taken from the March 2014 issue of Which Motorhome magazine - download the digital edition here.
   
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