Full review

Based in southern Germany, Carado started building motorhomes in 1979, and focuses on the premium market (its Malibu sub-brand caters for van conversions and more affordable coachbuilts). Currently, UK prices start at £65,900, rising to £159,530 for the range-topping Highliner 62 QB.

Carthago claims to provide premium customer service (with 24/7 backup via an emergency breakdown phone number), via over 200 ‘partners’ from Limerick in the west to Moscow in the east.

This C-Compactline had Fiat’s 2.3-litre, 150bhp engine, coupled with the Comfort-Matic robotised gearbox. The driving position, on Aguti captain’s seats, is superbly comfortable and there’s a panoramic view through the huge windscreen. Coach-type mirrors, aided by a rear camera down on the driver’s right, provide a splendid rear view.

The narrow, twisty A685 from Kendal to Tebay provides an excellent test route, with plenty of steep hills and short, fast straights. With the Comfort-Matic tending to dither over its choice of ratios on hills, I preferred driving it manually. The lightweight, low-line Al-Ko chassis provided crisp handling and, though the suspension is firm, there were no interior rattles or creaks, even over bumps and potholes.

Externally, the I 144 appears to be a conventional modern A-class. Body construction is wood-free, with GRP roof, nose and floor and aluminium-clad walls and rear panel in conjunction with thick RTM Styrofoam insulation. The internal skin is also aluminium, faced with insulation board, as Carthago claims this operates as an efficient heat store.

Entering through the habitation door, via the low, electrically operated step, there’s an internal grab handle and moulded step up into the body – required because the Al-Ko chassis provides a deep double floor. The external step doesn’t auto-retract with the ignition but there’s an alarm buzzer and manual switch on the dashboard. Another slightly basic feature is the lack of central locking – that’s another option.

The island bed internal layout is ever-so-familiar and the décor is similarly orthodox, with warm Bright Ash woodwork, high-gloss ivory kitchen fronts and (optional) Malaga textile/leather upholstery. All the interior fittings are top quality, superbly finished and robust. What you won’t guess is just how lightweight everything is; enormous design effort has gone into cutting bulk, resulting in a 3,500kg motorhome with a really useful payload. Moreover, this hasn’t been achieved by weighing a basic, stripped-down version. Fresh water (20 litres) is included in the calculation, plus a driver and 90% full fuel tank. Carthago’s options list also specifies the weights of all the extras. What a sensible policy. The gross weight can be uprated and a Heavy chassis chosen for greater payload.

Seating on the nearside wall is little more than a residual perch (or footrest) despite a sumptuous backrest. Moreover, this settee cushion impedes the travel seats; passengers have to sit with legs skewed towards the centre of the vehicle. Once the captain’s seats are swivelled, the compact lounge is quite cosy for four. It’s well-appointed, too, with two extra speakers and excellent LED lighting wherever you need it (plus a skylight for daytime). A 22-inch television, best viewed from the cab seats, can be mounted alongside the habitation door.

The Carthago’s kitchen is somewhat basic, with just a three-burner hob to cook on. There’s no oven, no microwave, no grill. Only a Nespresso capsule coffee machine is offered as an optional extra, with a dedicated overhead cupboard. This just shows the vastly different priorities they have on the Continent. There’s plenty of high and low-level storage, including no less than five drawers, plus the slim 145-litre tower fridge/freezer opposite. Work surface is reasonable, given the limited space available, and part of the circular sink’s chopping board cover clips to the side wall, forming a small shelf.

However, there are no rails, drawer/oven handles or hooks on which to hang your tea towels or marigolds. Presumably, no one actually washes up in here.

Beyond the sliding privacy door, the I 144 has divided ablutions, with a washroom to the offside and shower cubicle on the nearside. Having an island bed to accommodate, it’s necessary to have walk-through access to both areas when not in use, so the shower tray contains a removable infill floorboard. There are two drainholes, plenty of head and shoulder room and the walls are easily wiped clean. There is a very small removable rail in the skylight, for wet stuff hung up with coat hangers.

Across the aisle, the well-designed washroom has a large basin, swivelling mixer tap and plenty of mirror-doored cupboards. There’s even a mains socket for your hairdryer. The toilet, at a sensible height, has plenty of elbow and knee-room and the only question is (again) where to hang your towels?

If there’s one aspect in which this Carthago excels, it’s the rear island bed. It’s HUGE! During the day you’d keep it retracted, its top section raised in recliner mode – at 68cm below the overhead cupboards there’s just enough headroom to relax. But, at night, the bed pulls out flat and the mattress (1.95m by 1.45m) is sumptuously thick, on sprung slats. It’s rounded off at the foot but, at that size, who cares?

Up front is the drop-down bed, which lowers manually. Here’s another plush mattress on a slatted base. There’s a shelf and reading lights over the nearside end and ample headroom. The only downside is the bed length, which is exactly six feet.

The I 144 boasts a capacious garage with doors either side, the larger one on the offside. Well lit, heated and with tie-down points and chequer plate metal flooring, it can carry 350kg. Full-width between-floor storage is accessed either externally or internally. A floor hatch in the lounge covers a large underfloor store with sufficient depth for a wine crate.

The Carthago is well-specified, though much of the equipment is optional. A Truma Combi 6E dual-fuel, gas/mains heater has no less than 10 blown-air outlets, and the fresh and waste tanks are both cosily situated between the floors.

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