Knaus BoxLife 600

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato LWB Gross weight: 3,300kg Payload: 460kg

The Knaus Boxlife 600 MQ – the 2016 Motorhome of the Year - presents one of the most common high-top fixed bed layouts around: a transverse rear double installed inside the just-under-six-metre-long version of Fiat’s Ducato.

Forward of the bed there’s the expected washroom and wardrobe, then the kitchen partially in the door’s aperture, with a half-dinette opposite.

Styling is simple, modern and well done. The aisle leading to the rear bed is rather narrow – just 467mm. But the table is a whopper at 650mm wide. And yet the lounge still feels spacious. With the swing-out table extension deployed, there’s an ocean of space for four people to dine in comfort.  The forward-facing seat includes a squab that extends into the aisle to provide more space for two to sit.

Above the lounge Knaus’ designers have managed to fit a drop-down double bed. The bed descends electrically, flattening as it lowers to rest just above the table. A slide-out (sideways) section at the foot completes the bed, while access is gained with a wooden ladder. This bed is plenty big enough for two adults.

Of course the bed, when stowed, reduces headroom considerably, makes the lounge a bit dark, and reduces the view through the windscreen.

The Fiat Ducato base drives like a dream, is comfortable and easy to handle and park. Lowdhams, has upped the UK specification to include alloy wheels, reversing sensors, leather-wrapped steering wheel and LED running lights. £495 extra gets you the Celebration Pack with cruise control and cab air-conditioning.

The kitchen’s main unit is very compact and occupies part of the side door’s aperture. As usual, there’s a flip-up working surface at the forward end, but Knaus has also fitted it neatly flush to the cabinet with a handy shelved locker below. A useful reversible worktop/chopping board can sit on the quite decent-sized sink.

Cooking is courtesy of just a two-burner hob. The forward section of the kitchen unit houses four internal drawers. Cleverly these are accessible from outside, too. Inside, there are three more deep drawers – the best storage solution. Above, a translucent-doored cupboard casts a pleasant glow after dark.

Directly aft of this sits the 12V compressor fridge offering waist-height, easy access and a respectable 90 litres of volume. This type of fridge uses no gas, running solely on the leisure battery - a good thing as the gas locker takes just one 11kg cylinder. Finally, the single overhead locker sports a galleried shelf, a pigeonhole and enough space inside for tea and coffee kit.

The washroom is unsurprisingly compact, but still manages to include a very respectable vanity basin. There’s a tray-style counter space while the mirror above is big. There’s a locker below, and another locker and a fiddled shelf above.

There’s a window and a small, circular roof vent, so ventilation should be no problem. The shower is surrounded by a dreaded nylon curtain, but sewn into the curtain at waist height is what appears to be a bicycle inner tube that stiffens the material when inflated, preventing clinging.

Many transverse fixed beds in this layout fold up to allow you to store big items. But raising such beds can be fiddly, as duvets slide and fitted sheets come off the mattress.

The Knaus, in contrast, has a system that raises and lowers the bed while it’s horizontal, so bedding stays in place. This is achieved without electric assistance as the bed is suspended on cables, controlled by a gas strut. The bed is wide, too, and comfortable thanks to a compliant mattress and sprung staves.

OF course as a result there’s no room for overhead lockers, although there is a slim wardrobe and a large cupboard with removable shelves and a hanging rail beneath the fridge.

But the fitted front bed option robs you of lockers, too, so with four people on board you’ll probably need squashy-bag storage that might be stashed on the rear bed during the day.

With three 75kg people on board you’ll only have 235kg of payload left. So, the 3,500kg chassis upgrade option (£450), which adds 200kg to the payload and doesn’t stop anyone with a car licence driving, is a no-brainer.

With 110 and 90 litres respectively, there’s plenty of capacity in the fresh and waste water tanks.

Heating and hot water is provided by Truma’s Combi – here in less powerful 4kW guise. It still kept us cosy and warm – a testament to the Knaus’ insulation.

The heater comes with the iNet-ready control panel, which allows the addition of a unit that, in turn, permits it to be controlled using a phone/tablet app.

There are plenty of sockets scattered around the interior, both mains and 12V, although the only USB outlets are mounted at the head of the front-end drop-down bed.

Lighting proved a bit disappointing as it consists mainly of harsh little LED strip fittings.

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

A worthy winner of the award, particularly as it manage to provide loads of storage and four adult-sized beds.