Full review

The Etrusco brand may be unfamiliar to many. It’s only been in existence for three years and arrived in the UK for 2019. However, it has the backing of the Erwin Hymer Group and its vehicles are built at one of Europe’s most modern motorhome factories. Here, we’re looking at the low-profile T 5900 DB.

The cab will be familiar – it’s the ubiquitous Fiat Ducato, powered by the 130bhp version of the 2.3-litre engine. The Etrusco benefits from the wide-track rear chassis and this model has a 3,500kg gross weight, although there is an option to upgrade to 3,850kg (for £220). However, with the T 5900 DB’s 787kg standard payload, that option seems unnecessary for this model.

Cab air-conditioning, swivel captain’s chairs, cruise control, electric/heated mirrors and twin airbags are among the cab equipment fitted as standard.

But it’s behind the cab where the real interest lies. The layout is a continental classic with a fixed bed, but all squeezed into a sub-six-metre body. Up front, the lounge comprises the rotated cab seats, a single inward-facing seat and a half-dinette. Then there’s a central kitchen on the nearside and a washroom with swivel cassette loo and shower opposite. At the rear is a transverse double bed (2.10m x 1.40m reducing to 1.30m at the foot), which sits above a garage.

While the T 5900 DB has four travel seats and you can opt for a second bed (a single created from the front lounge), in reality this compact coachbuilt is for couples looking for the convenience of a ready-made rear bed.

At 5.95m-long, the T 5900 DB is the shortest motorhome in the Etrusco range, and this layout is nothing new­ – all Etrusco’s layouts have been selected because they have been the best-selling designs in ranges produced by more established Erwin Hymer Group brands (think Carado and Sunlight).

However, what’s different is the higher equipment levels and the décor, including the use of contemporary fabrics and colours to reflect its Italian heritage – less use of wood and a whiter, cleaner and lighter ambience.

Unlike many of its contemporaries, Etrusco also offers the option of a height-adjustable bed in this model. That means the garage, which has a limit of 150kg and can have dual-access as an option (one 1.10m-high exterior door is standard), is able to accommodate full-sized bicycles.

Right-hand drive models will also come with an enhanced spec compared with the rest of Europe. Here that includes removable carpets and gas/electric Truma Combi 6E heating. Also in the kitchen are a three-burner gas hob and a Thetford grill/oven. This sits alongside the cooler, so all the limited kitchen storage is found in the high-level lockers above, but you don’t have to be tall to see your toast.

For an entry-level motorhome, the T 5900 DB is a great couple’s coachbuilt with the practicality of a large garage, the comfort of a fixed bed, equipment levels to meet most motorhomers’ needs and all wrapped in a fresh design. Perhaps the only option you might want is alloy wheels but there is plenty spare for those within a budget of £50-grand.

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