Carado T135

Berths: 2 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 3,495kg Payload: 698kg

The combination of Hymer build quality and budget pricing is one that’s packed with appeal. OK, there are motorhomes at this price level that have more kit and more bling, but few motorhomes feel as sturdy, few will stand up to the rigours of life on the road as well.

New this year is the T135, adding a second 5.98m model to a range of low-profile coachbuilts that now totals nine, stretching up to 7.43m overall.

The layout is a bit of a classic but you’ll actually struggle to find many other French bed layouts in such a short body. And despite the van-conversion-matching length, the new T135 actually doesn’t feel too compromised inside.

The chassis is the ubiquitous Fiat Ducato with a wide rear track but the body sits quite high and there’s no spare wheel – just a Fix & Go kit. On the plus side, however, payload is a more-than-generous total of almost 700kg. There’s a flyscreen and electric step for the habitation door, plus a large overcab sunroof, as well as a five-year water ingress warranty. There’s a large external locker with access hatch on the nearside and a floor that’s stepped down to maximise stowage capacity within. Storage even extends underneath the bathroom floor.

Carado recognises that motorhomers here expect a higher standard of equipment than their continental cousins, so both the Chassis Pack and the Basic Pack are included for all UK models. The former adds features such as cab air-conditioning, ESP, a passenger airbag and cruise control, while the latter offers rooflights, a duckboard for the shower, cab seats with twin armrests, a mains socket in the external locker, a clothes rail in the bathroom and more.

If you want to enhance your Carado further, then the Chassis Comfort Pack gives you alloy wheels, a leather steering wheel, chrome-ringed instruments, LED daytime running lights, black framed headlamps and a gloss black grille for £1,150.

The T135 layout gives you a half-dinette seating area, plus a wall-mounted table and swivel cab seats. There’s no extension leaf on the table but its size should suffice for the ’van’s two occupants – there are no extra berth options here.

So, the only bed is the French-style double against the nearside wall. We measured that as 2.00m by 1.33m maximum, and, although the bed tapers, it doesn’t have the sharply cut-off mattress that so blights some rivals. That bed length is generous, too, and the small sideboard at the foot of the bed will be useful for night-time nicknacks.

On the offside, the kitchen is necessarily compact but comes with a new design of three-burner hob with sturdy pan stand. The fridge is an under-counter model but still manages a 113-litre capacity. The bathroom is well finished, has a swivel washbasin for better space utilisation and folding screens cover the bench cassette loo while you’re showering.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the July 2017 issue of What Motorhome magazine.

You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.