Full review

Words: Val Chapman  Photography: Richard Chapman

The La Mancelle Liberty 490 SA

Who would have thought that varnished wood-effect would work on caravan graphics? And who would have thought that a frontline shape akin to the bow of a superyacht would work on a caravan? Yet they do, massively. 

French-made La Mancelle Liberty models are trendsetters; eye-catching in the extreme and luxuriously appointed. Equipment includes an on-board water tank, an extractor fan directly above the hob – and a Truma Aventa air-conditioning unit.

La Mancelle caravans are made in Le Mans; the name derives from a type of nineteenth century house styling typical of Le Mans. The company was founded in 1960. By 1982, seven models were being produced and, in  2000, La Mancelle was bought by the giant international Trigano Group that encompasses brands including Adria – and also owns Marquis Leisure, the 13-branch retailer that now imports La Mancelle caravans to  Britain.

Four models are available in Britain. The Fantaisy 360 CL (three-berth) and Fantaisy 440 CL (four-berth) have less spec, and rather more traditional bodylines, than the stunning bow-nosed Liberty. The Liberty 440 PC won  the 2024 Caravan magazine title of Coolest Caravan – and the 490 is its larger sibling. 

We went to Marquis Leisure’s South Yorkshire branch, at Dinnington, to explore the 490 in detail.

The lounge

First, the pointy front-end shape gives rise to a lounge that is like no other in a caravan – except a Liberty 440, that is. Its curved shape creates an ultra-cosy look, definitely reminiscent of a seating arrangement you may  find in a luxury yacht.

In true continental caravan design, this is a dining lounge, as distinct from British tourer design, which puts lounging first and then adds a free-standing table when it’s time to turn it into a dining area. 

The 490’s curved, almost triangular, table stands on a monopod base, and can be swivelled to the left or the right to make  getting in, and around it, easy. And it’s large, measuring 96cm wide at each of its two widest points.

The backrests are nicely supportive and the twin colour scheme of pale cream and muted turquoise adds to the cool image of the 490’s curved lounge. While you can’t relax with your feet up as you might in a British-style caravan that has parallel seating, the Liberty’s seating is most definitely comfortable.

The kitchen

The kitchen is just a little like one that you might find in a  motorhome, with limited surface space. There’s a 20cm-deep area behind the three-burner hob but, once the hob top is raised for cooking, that’s out of reach.

There are small areas both in front of and behind the circular sink. With both of the glass covers down, though, there is a 91cm-stretch of surface, so this is a kitchen in which you’d prepare all your food before starting the cooking process. 

There is, though, a 40cm by 35cm surface to hinge up to the left of the kitchen, but it comes partly across the doorway, and you’d have to lift items destined for here over the stylish curved part-wall that is the forward border of the kitchen. 

We can envisage the ideal use of this table being to place dishes en route to a table outside; after all, we can all aspire to al fresco dining, and it is de rigueur in France! 

We love the position of the extractor fan, directly above the hob. The tall, slimline fridge is conveniently directly alongside the kitchen. There’s a full oven and grill but no microwave. 

The storage

Storage in the kitchen comes in the form of three drawers, 40cm wide, the top one fitted for cutlery; they have soft-close mechanisms and robust button catches, plus wide chrome handles. Like everything about La Mancelle Liberty models, it’s quality.

There’s an additional cabinet opposite, 37cm wide, with two shelves and a drawer, plus a wall cabinet above it. And above the main kitchen area are two cabinets, one measuring 41cm and the other 46cm. 

Altogether, the 490’s kitchen storage arrangements will, we feel sure, be viewed as practical by most prospective buyers.

The interior

Before we explored the showering and sleeping zones, we devoted some time to take in the ambience of the lounge/dining area. The front window is roughly triangular, and so are the side windows.

The absence of curtains means it’s down to the window frame shapes to convey the style message – and they do, especially the front one; broad, gloss-finish – and accentuating the yacht-like front line of the caravan.

This area converts to a double bed, using the table as the central portion of its base. The bed is 2.14m at its longest point, and 1.50m wide.

A feature that we particularly like is the drawer that pulls out from the seating area that is closest to the door; it’s the perfect place for footwear as you step inside.

The bedroom

The luxury yacht ambience continues in the bedroom, where the styling is very boutique. Fine-quality eyeletted curtains and voiles hang on chrome poles, and two curtains in a much heavier fabric, also on a chrome pole, seclude the bedroom.

The Liberty’s rounded rear body line, which means that the rear wall of the bedroom is curved, somehow accentuates the feeling of cosiness. Wardrobes and shelves are on each side of the bed and a triple run of lockers is above the bed, which is almost king-size, at 1.95m by 1.5m.

Shelves are recessed into the wardrobes, each with a mains socket and USB ports. 

The under-bed storage area measures 1.35m by 1.32m; an exterior hatch (1.03m by 46cm) is on the nearside, meaning that loading in large items is easy. Where the 490 differs from usual under-bed storage is at the front of the bed space, where there is a large drawer (44cm by 39cm).

The 490 has three wardrobes; slim ones on each side of the bed, plus a 52cm-wide wardrobe forward of the bed, with a cabinet of the same width beneath it. In total, the 490’s bedroom storage provision can safely be regarded as first-rate.

The washroom

The shower shares its space with the toilet – but there’s something extraordinary about the design of the washroom. The washbasin and mirror are attached to a white pole on the right-hand side. 

On the left side of the mirror is a magnetic catch; when you ease it away from the wall, it swivels to become a partition that shields the toilet from shower water – and reveals the shower rose, mounted on a gloss black panel that is outlined in a stunning rim of bright blue light.

The wheelarch provides a perfect shelf for shower gels.

When the washbasin unit is swivelled back towards the wall, the blue light then shines around its edges, backlighting it. This is superb styling. 

The lighting

More blue light, in the form of floor-level spotlights, can be seen in the bedroom and between the lounge and kitchen areas. Lighting frames the bedhead, too; this time white.

And all of the spotlights, both in the bedroom and elsewhere, have touch controls; one for minimal light, and a second touch gives you bright light. The Liberty 490 SA is definitely a head-turner!