Chausson 788 Titanium Ultimate low-profile motorhome

You’ll find a Smart Lounge and island bed in this fashionable Ford low-profile

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Chausson 788 Titanium Ultimate

French motorhome giant, Chausson, slimmed its range considerably for this season to focus on building as many as possible of its best-selling models at a time of component and, especially, chassis supply shortages. Previous options on spec level and choice of base vehicle have gone by the wayside in order to improve vehicle availability. 

So, there’s a pair of compact Sport Line models and six larger low-profiles to choose from, all based on the Ford Transit. The ‘full-width’ models come only in Titanium Ultimate finish (except for a limited run of 650 First Line ’vans), which aims to provide everything you’d want in a high standard spec.

Here, we have the 788, which is the island bed model. In the same 7.19m overall length (around 30cm shorter  than many rivals), you can also have a twin bed layout (777GA).

The exterior

In common with its sister models, the 788 has a new look externally, featuring more discreet graphics and a new entrance door with a gas strut. Inside, there’s new Sirocco furniture and a new upholstery.

Mechanically, the Titanium Spec includes Ford’s potent 170PS engine. Cab air-conditioning, cruise control, ESP, automatic lights and wipers, fog lamps, Stop&Start, lane keeping assistance and 16in black alloy wheels are standard, too. 

Then, the IRP bodywork features GRP on the roof, floor and side panels, while the Technibox provides convenient exterior access to the RCD, habitation fuses and fresh water tank. Another key attribute is the  garage, which not only has a large door on the offside but also a top-hinged hatch in the rear wall. There’s no access from the nearside because of the location of the gas locker, which is quite compact as heating here is from a 5.5kW Webasto diesel system. 

The garage width is 840mm, while headroom of 800mm can be increased via the manual wind-up Easy Bed system. Don’t get too carried away loading this space, though, because total payload is a fairly modest 378kg.

The interior

Inside, the 788 follows the Smart Lounge theme seen across all of its sister models bar the one-of-a-kind 660. It’s a much-copied format of side settees that convert into two forward-facing travel seats using flip-up Aguti backrests but not requiring extra cushions. 

On site, it’s not the biggest relaxation zone but it feels plenty big enough to accommodate four folk around the folding table (830mm by 900mm when expanded). An overcab sunroof ensures there’s plenty of daylight, too. 

The bedroom

Just as important as the lounge in a layout like this is the end bedroom. Here mattress length is 1.90m and width is a class-leading 1.60m, but that reduces on either side towards the foot of the bed. The broader bed has been achieved by shaping the bedside wardrobes accordingly (a hanging rail is fitted on the nearside, shelves on the offside). 

There’s storage under the bed that can be reached by lifting the whole mattress on gas  struts and you’ll also find the gas boiler here. A sliding door closes off the bedroom but leaves only a 160mm gap to the bed.

The washroom

En suite ablutions place the shower on the nearside and the toilet opposite. The cassette loo will be uncomfortably high for many as it’s mounted on a plinth but the shower cubicle is a reasonable size despite the step in its tray. A duckboard, roof vent, soap dish, two drains and a clothes drying rail are all fitted here.

All the rest

A 1.89m by 1.40m (narrowing to 1.19m) electric drop-down bed is optionally available (it costs £910 and reduces payload by 45kg). No seat cushions need to be moved when lowering it but it requires a ladder for access and the bed makes using the habitation door quite awkward. 

Better is the kitchen – one of a number of aspects upgraded for the UK market. So British buyers get a Thetford Duplex cooker with mains hotplate and a combined oven/grill (not shown in our photos) as well as the 142-litre AES fridge/freezer.

Where to buy

Chausson has 15 dealers around the UK. In Northern Ireland it is represented by Central Motorhomes, while in Scotland the dealership is Knowepark Caravans.

In Wales, you’ll find Chaussons at 3 A’s Motorhomes in Carmarthenshire.

Then, in England, there are retailers as far north as Tyne Valley Motorhomes (Newcastle), as far southwest as Highbridge Caravan Centre in Newton Abbot, Devon, and down in the southeast at TC Motorhomes of Herne Bay. 

If you’re heading off on a grand tour, it’s reassuring to know that there are Chausson dealers as far afield as Bulgaria, Lithuania, Sweden and Greece.