Carthago Chic E-line I 50 motorhome

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 4,500kg Payload: 1,140kg

The E-line range is based on Fiat’s Ducato with an Al-Ko chassis, although its worth knowing that this layout is also available on the Iveco Daily (in the S-Plus range) with rear-wheel drive. Seen here in single-rear-axle form, weighing in at 4.5 tonnes, you can also opt for the Liner-class tag-axle, which has a gross vehicle weight of 5.4 tonnes. And that’s one of the real benefits of buying a Carthago, the options available are so extensive that you can customise almost every single element to meet your needs.

New this year is a swish washroom. In this model it is split across the corridor, with the toilet and washbasin on one side and the shower opposite. The toilet door has a neat trick. It opens and pivots to shut off the washroom and bed area from the rest of the motorhome, while an extra door attached to this allows the toilet to be made private from the bed area.

This washroom looks plush, but is also practical. A redesigned layout has created more floor space and shoulder/elbow room around the toilet – some washrooms of this type can feel decidedly snug, even for the slimmer-framed motorhomer.

The loo roll holder is neatly hidden away under the basin, as is a small laundry basket. The white matt-effect basin is both modern and solid and the tap, soap dispenser and glass all have an air of understated luxury. There is also an Alde central heating radiator here.

Across the aisle, the shower is more redolent of that in a hotel, with its stone-type lining and two different water delivery methods. Use the overhead rain shower, which is neatly set into the rooflight above, or the standard showerhead attached to the vertical rail. There are also snazzy LED lights recessed behind a black panel, making this look and feel very special compared with your usual standard of motorhome facilities.

Moving further forward, the kitchen offers the same level of refinement, with plenty of storage, although some of this is lost if you opt for the low-level oven. A pull-down coffee machine is optional, too. The galley is a compact space but the curvy shape offers some worktop and the sink lid can double as a shelf, too (see photo above).

The lounge offers luxurious seating, with an L-shaped sofa, decent-sized side seat and swivel cab chairs. There’s a flat floor from cab to lounge and the captain’s chairs are superbly comfortable both on the road and as armchairs on site. A double bed drops down from above, making this a four-berth.

Another key reason to buy an E-line is the garage capacity.  It has two equal-sized doors of 1.25m height, interior headroom of 1.32m and carrying capacity up to 450kg.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read loads more like it in every issue of What Motorhome magazine.

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