Full review

Pilote’s Premium Class range includes 19 motorhomes, from 6.8 metres in length up to 8.55m. Here, we’re testing the LV7.8LU. This snappy moniker isn’t a postcode: it signifies a 7.8m length with a lounge, U-shaped!

Despite a starting price of £87k (rising to £103,000 once all the usual options are added), this is competitive with similar A-classes.

This bright white Premium has the new company face, its gloss black grille leading up neatly to headlights with LED daytime running lights. The foglights have matching, curvy black surrounds, while black, coach-type hanging mirrors provide a smooth transition to the cab windows. The rear window has a generous black surround.

Apart from aluminium skirts, the motorhome is clad in tough GRP, with a convex roof to prevent water collecting. Both nose and rear are one-piece, but is this good for accident damage? There is a reversing camera.

With an electric step, the Hartal door is wide at 610mm. Inside, there’s another step which holds a shoe store, plus full-length mirror, coat hooks and shelving. Control panels, including for the optional Alde heating, are above the entrance.

The front lounge, approached between the offside shower and nearside washroom through a sliding door, is a four-seater with swivelling cab chairs and rear travel seats that must be some of the comfiest around.

The rear lounge, a sumptuous, U-shaped settee around a fixed table, is next to the kitchen. That, in turn, is located rearwards of the habitation door, with fridge and wardrobe opposite.

If you like beige, you’ll love the Pilote, where leather upholstery matches cool, pale woodwork, cream panels and light oak flooring. All windows have blinds, with nets and faux curtains to all habitation windows, except the kitchen.

The cab provides comfortable seating and excellent visibility with few blindspots. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, but this example featured the Comfort-Matic robotised ’box and an uprated (148bhp) engine, which propelled the big bus powerfully. Cab air-conditioning, cruise control and twin airbags are standard.

The front lounge ceiling, being the drop-down bed’s base, is lower and slopes forward. It has five adjustable lights, making up for no skylight.

The rear lounge, up a small step, is more luxurious. The large fixed table has a folding/movable top for access. Aside from overhead cupboards and handy corner shelves, a deep ledge behind the seat has a lift-up section with sockets.

There’s also a sophisticated sound bar (a £240 option) above the rear window, complementing the DAB radio. Lighting is excellent, with windows on three sides, a wind-up Heki and copious artificial illumination.

A half-height cupboard at the nearside provides a handy surface, containing a pull-up socket tower, while the TV bracket is wall-mounted above. The limiting factor is legroom around the table.

The kitchen is well-designed, the two-burner hob and rectangular sink positions being staggered, releasing worktop in front of the hob and some behind the sink.

Daylight from the kitchen window and skylight is supplemented by an LED strip under the overhead locker. There’s excellent storage in two shelved cupboards overhead, plus a large cutlery drawer, two further drawers and two huge, deep drawers. All are soft-close and have a central lock for travelling.

Across the aisle, the Tec-Tower contains the 160-litre AES fridge. Above this, at a reasonable 1.63m, is the oven/grill. Underneath the fridge there’s another big drawer, with a full-height larder alongside.

Ablutions are split, with a washroom door and privacy screen closing off a spacious bathroom. The Thetford swivel toilet sits alongside a vanity unit supporting a free-standing, white acrylic bowl with mixer tap, all with plenty of elbow room.

There’s a mirrored, three-door cupboard overhead, the full gamut of equipment and good lighting. The roomy shower opposite has smooth, easy-clean walls, a central drain plug, a towel rail and light from two ceiling clusters and the large skylight.

This Pilote should sleep four, with two in the drop-down bed up front and up to two in the converted rear lounge, with the fixed table lowered to form a base.

In the LV7.8LU, the front bed is lowered electrically (another option, at £792). A broad rung ladder stores between the mattresses and a couple of small cushions fit at the front to make a comfortable bed. You could sleep transversely too. There’s reasonable headroom, two lights and a skylight, plus a shelf, sockets and the TV.

The garage is spacious, though compromised by the settee base. There’s an external shower, lights and power sockets, but a spare wheel (not supplied) would reduce capacity.

There’s a plethora of other external storage. An offside area houses a 200Ah battery, electric cable reel and fusebox. On the nearside, there’s shelved storage at the rear, and a service bay containing the Alde heater and fitted hose reel to fill the fresh water tank.

Internally, there are two floor cubbies, one for access to both water tanks. The wardrobe is capacious with useful cupboards underneath.

This is an abridged version of the full review appearing in the Summer 2016 issue of MMM. Buy it now.