Full review

THIS new Majestic is quiet on the road, and it goes with considerable verve. Why? Because, unlike all other non-Al-Ko Peugeot-based coachbuilts (other than its cousin Accordo and its sister 125 layout) it sits on Peugeot’s – less lofty – camper-specific chassis (with lower chassis frame than the standard chassis-cab).

The 105 is low and its rear overhang is short too, so it handles in easy fashion. The 130bhp motor sees high-speed motorway work executed with little stress, and with plenty of power on tap for swift overtaking. Parking (or city driving) is not too much of a problem either as, designed to be compact, the 105 is slim at around 160mm (six inches-plus) narrower than a ‘standard’ coachbuilt and not much wider than a Boxer-based van conversion.

The Marquis cockpit is enhanced with some interesting kit, too, as I found out when the lights fired up unbidden on a dingy morning and the wipers operated randomly, and at need, as soon as rain wet the screen. Automatic lights and wipers are great features that car buyers are familiar with; if only they were found more often on our leisure vehicles.

And this purports to be an entry-level motorhome, despite their fitment – and twin armrests, air conditioning, two airbags, traction control, central locking, power windows and mirrors come as standard, too.

MOTORHOME LOUNGING

The front-lounge Majestic 105 seen here is part of a two-model range that’s new to Marquis and based on the Accordo from its maker, Elddis – confusingly, wider Autoquest-based Marquis dealer specials are also called Majestic.

The other new model, the Majestic 125, has a transverse rear double bed that folds away for extra storage. The differences between the Accordo and Majestic are in specification only, with items such as an awning, silver-painted cab, automatic lights and wipers, traction control and hill start assist all included in the Marquis’ price.

A RELAXING MOTORHOMING HOLIDAY

The lounge works very well for two, and this one will take on eight folks in cosy fashion if a bit of a party calls for it. What it won’t do is allow more than two (those in the cab seats) to travel anywhere.

On site, swivel the cab seats and our pair of owner-residents can sit in an armchair each, resting feet on sofas while watching TV: a bracket (and mains/12V/aerial sockets) are provided on the side of the wardrobe, just inside the habitation door.

Reading while relaxing here should be fine on bright days as a sunroof above the cab lets in plenty of light. However, there are no lamps provided in the cab area – something to retro-fit, or maybe you could persuade your local Marquis branch to add them as part of the deal. The sofas, meanwhile, get four halogen eyeball spots, two apiece, while bright ambient light comes from LED strips mounted above the high-level lockers.

As the brochure boasts of energy-saving LED lamps (other lighting is all LED-powered) it’s a shame that the reading lamps are fitted with battery-sapping halogen bulbs. This is easily fixed and shouldn’t cost more than £20 for LED replacements.

It’s worth mentioning, too, that there’s a step up into the lounge from the kitchen area, which levels the floor through to the cab, but reduces minimum headroom to a little less than 6ft at the frame of the Heki rooflight.

CAMPERVAN GASTRONAUTS

Dining first, and the table extracts easily from its slot in the wardrobe and is equally straightforward to set up between the sofas. This dining surface is not too huge – so it’s easy to approach and use – but big enough for a four-person dinner. In the kitchen, Theford’s Duplex oven/grill works very well.

Galley lighting is very good, with high-level and under-cupboard spots giving the cook – and then the washer-up – a great view of their work. The upper lights also let you see easily into the cupboards up top.

But there’s also a bit of a dark spot in this area as, with no ceiling lamp, it’s a bit gloomy the other side of the aisle when trying to see inside the wardrobe. Kitchen storage is basic, but quite roomy: the pair of two-door top cupboards are wide and deep, but have no shelves. There is, however, a mug and plate rack in one of them.

Down below, two cupboards (one huge, one smaller) extend this kitchen’s storage space into the generous zone.

To the fridge, and it’s a reasonable size, but basic. The freezer box is removable, so the cooling space is quite versatile, but the fridge is of the old-fashioned type whose only indicator of operation is a little analogue meter that tells when it’s lit on gas.

TUB THUMPING

A good-sized door – with domestic-style locking handle – leads over a substantial sill (yes, I tripped over it in the dark, but only once) to the washroom. This is a compact space, populated by Thetford’s omnipresent C250 loo (taking its flush water from the main tank), an integral wetroom-floor-style shower (with its own mixer, riser, head) and a plastic washbasin unit.

On the wall above the toilet lives a good-sized two-door cabinet, and with a big cupboard beneath the basin, storage is not an issue: think not only all of your cosmetics but cleaning materials and spare loo rolls stowed with ease. Downlighters – above basin and toilet – illuminate the scene properly and two big mirrors give a great view of finely chiselled features.

This washroom is rather small and the basin unit deeply old-fashioned (it’s the type that looks as though it was designed in the 1970s), so I was hell-bent on giving it a big helping of verbiage liberally laced with vitriol. And here, ladies and gents, is encapsulated the real value of a proper live-in test: these ablutions simply worked well.

Okay, it’s all a bit (a lot?) dated, and the room is bijou, but functionality is fine.

MOTORHOME BEDS

A transverse double or two singles are on offer, but first, a word on privacy. The cab comes with pleated blinds as standard, a feature that works well and provides great blackout, but doesn’t get in the way of the swivelled cab seats.

In the lounge, there are lined curtains (more for show and ‘cosiness’ than anything else). The blinds are of pull-down type that let light in at the bottom; light sleepers beware. Up top, sunroof and rooflights have pleated blinds that work well.

Back to the beds, and the transverse double is, or should be, easy to make. You simply pull the bases together (they have strong metal frames and sprung slats), drop in the backrests and that’s it.

The alternative singles use the swivelled cab seats at the foot, and you simply pull the sofa bases out until the backrests drop in – vertically – and the job’s done. This leaves enough aisle between for each sleeper to get in and out of bed without disturbing their partner.

This is an edited extract taken from the February 2014 issue of MMM magazine. You can download a digital version of that issue here.

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