Full review

HOBBY isn’t the only manufacturer to have twigged this compact low-profile dimensions and twin single-bed layout’s appeal.

The likes of the Bürstner Travel Van t 620 G, Hymer Van 562 and Knaus Van TI 600 ME prove that faith in this sort of town-friendly vehicle is strong.

This is quite a significant model for LMC, for this is the company’s first UK model to take the latest Ford Transit as its base vehicle.

Outside, the LMC distinguishes itself from some of its rivals by being quite clever in some elements of its design.

The garage, for instance, despite having only one access door and no lashing points, is of a practical size and shape, sports its own light and dedicated heating vent (making it ideal for drying soggy clothes) and affords easy access to the boiler and fuses (on the nearside) and unusually wood-lined gas locker (on the offside, closest to the door) via a pair of locking inner doors.

On the other side, what at first appears to be the gas locker opens to reveal another wood-lined locker, this time with a removable shelf.

You enter the habitation area via the lounge, which comprises the usual half-dinette (complete with three-point seatbelts) allied to swivel cab seats and a single seat on the offside wall.

And, like its rivals, it’s pretty good in there, with supportive, comfortable seats and a table that, even in standard guise, is big enough to accommodate even the most expansive games of Rummy.

Lighting is considerably better than average, too, not least because of the welcome presence of a simply enormous opening sunroof over the cab.

There are myriad reading lights, too, including a pair of particularly powerful halogen units sunk into the rooflight surround, while doorless shelves and storage pods surrounding the cab roof make the whole area feel pleasingly open-plan and spacious.

Come mealtimes, the LMC demonstrates more clever thinking. Slot the tabletop extension into place via a pair of extendable metal arms and a rather flimsy-looking plastic retainer, and the occupant of the offside seat can join those sitting in the half-dinette and passenger cab seats in being able to reach their plate.

Having somewhere dedicated for this extension to live when not in use would have been the icing on the cake, however.

Further back, the gap between the half-dinette and kitchen is rather narrow, although there is a cut-out forward of the sink to provide a crucial extra couple of inches. The washroom door is inset relative to the forward-facing seats by a good five or six inches, though, so the chef should have plenty of room in which to manoeuvre.

The kitchen itself has near-mirror-image kidney-shaped hob and sink units, which open up a modicum of worktop space.

The washroom opposite is – unsurprisingly, given the vehicle’s overall length – quite compact, but LMC have employed one or two tricks of the trade – namely twin huge mirrors and a superabundance of lighting – to make the room feel bigger than it really is.

But what of this motorhome’s main raison d’être: its twin single beds? The good news concerns the pleasingly spacious feel that’s often missing from motorhomes of this type.

Having beds so relatively close to the ceiling can make such rooms feel a bit claustrophobic, but not so here, where a sensible proliferation of open shelving and plenty of both natural and 12V light makes the whole area feel surprisingly accommodating.

But on the downside the nearside bed is a full four inches shorter than its offside counterpart.

Verdict
This is a valiant effort from LMC. There’s some good attention to detail but the different sized single beds and poor driving position count against it.

A full version of this review first appeared in the June 2008 issue of Which Motorcaravan. To order a road test reprint ring 01778 391187 or to subscribe to the magazine, click here.