Dethleffs Advantage T 6611

Berths: 3 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Wide-track Chassis-Cab Payload: 648kg Maximum weight: 3,499kg

Dethleffs' Advantage range got the most attention from the company this season, with a new exterior look with sleeker overcab moulding, lightweight construction, and a trendsetting wide door.

Our test vehicle, one of six in the range, also benefits from the optional (and fairly pricey) alloy wheels and Titan Silver body sides.

Twin loading doors open into a garage offering just over a metre of headroom. It includes the gas locker with a slide-out tray.

While the chassis is low, the entrance is not. The slide-out electric step is essential to make a half-way hop between the road and the interior, some 62cm higher.

Inside, the Advantage sports a lighter, younger feel than some Teutonic rivals, with pale Noce Solista woodwork and fabrics that are perhaps not as well finished as the rest of the motorhome.

The front lounge incorporates swivel cab seats and an L-settee on the nearside, each facing the large fixed table. There’s plenty of daylight here from the overcab sunroof and the Midi Heki - a cheaper push-up type rarely seen in a continental motorhome. Reading lights slide on rails – neat!

Nosh for five people who can dine here will come from a compact galley that runs straight along the wall. The small flip-up worktop could be bigger as there’s not much preparation space. But the oven is set at a sensible level. And soft-close drawers provide good, practical storage.

Beyond the galley, two steps provide easy access to the high-level single beds which can be made into a double. But this configuration is not conducive to sitting up in bed as the lockers loom too close. A shallow wardrobe lives under the nearside bed.

A third bed can also be made in the lounge that's suitable for a child or small adult.

A sliding door is a great solution to washroom access and the swing-wall makes a good shower cubicle, albeit not a separate one.

Whichever Advantage suits your personal preferences, you get a lot of added kit on UK-bound models, but the extra spec takes the T 6611 (as tested) to nigh on £60k.

This Advantage fits a single bed layout with large garage into under seven metres, has a good spec and some novel features, but is a bit pricey.