Benimar Mileo 346

Berths: 6 Travel seats: 6 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato camper chassis Gross vehicle weight: 4,250kg Payload: 1.036kg

Marquis Leisure introduced three overcab motorhomes this year to extend Spanish manufacturer Benimar’s footprint in this country. The Mileo 346 is the largest, at 7.18 metres in length. It also has four rear travel seats – proper travel seats with three-point restraints.

Storage is good for a family. There are four deep overhead lockers down one side of the front lounge, plus another single locker over the side seat by the door. Although the three lockers over the rear transverse bed are smaller, Benimar has made use of two steps that take you up to the bed to provide extra storage. There’s a full-sized wardrobe, although some of this is taken up with the gas locker.

The rear transverse bed is one that can be raised manually, providing a full-sized garage underneath. Even with the bed in the raised position, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem with headroom in bed.

Kitchen storage is adequate, which is impressive given that with the UK spec you get a three-burner hob, a Thetford Triplex oven/grill, a Cata microwave and a 150-litre AES fridge. In among all that you also have two overhead lockers, two drawers below, and a cutlery drawer. But workspace is minimal.

In the washroom there isn’t much open shelving but there is a cupboard up top and down below, plus a decent-sized basin and plenty of legroom around the Thetford loo. The separate shower comes with two drain holes.

The pullman dinette can be extended widthways on both benches. With the table extended as well, there is easily room for six to eat here.

This dinette turns into a double bed relatively easily, although the table is heavy. It’s not the largest of doubles, so is probably best left for kids. But it is comfy, and there is still room for the overcab ladder.

The overcab bed is wonderfully roomy. Its occupants get a rooflight and reading lights. The overcab itself slopes down very gently, so even by the transverse bed, internal height is still 2.10m. Benimar has taken advantage of this extra space to provide open shelving at the top of all the lockers.

The 148bhp engine fitted as standard certainly helps smooth the drive. Cab spec also includes a DAB radio with built-in reversing camera.

This is an abridged version of the full review appearing in the May 2016 issue of What Motorhome. Buy it now.

A more extended review is now also available in the June 2016 issue of MMM. Buy it now.

This Benimar offers masses of storage and payload to match, while its extending dinette seats make it a really practical six-berth.