Elddis Encore 295 low-profile motorhome

A motorhome with a classic rear lounge layout that's supersized for just two people

The Elddis Encore 295 motorhome

Words: Peter Vaughan, photos courtesy of Elddis
 

Surprisingly, this classic style of very British two-berth motorhome no longer figures in the Swift range and can only be found from Auto-Trail in its more entry-level F-Line range. 

True, there are rivals from Bailey and Auto-Sleepers but the former’s Autograph has been beset by chassis delivery issues and the latter is over three quarters of a metre shorter than this Elddis. 

The interior

At 7.41m, this is indeed a large motorhome for a model with just two travel seats and no fixed bed. 

It will come as no surprise that this newest member of the Encore range has a rear lounge – those big windows on three sides give the game away. However, you actually enter the 295 just behind the cab, where there’s a sideboard and tall wardrobe opposite the washroom. 

Despite the furniture here, both cab seats swivel, making a handy little area should one of you be late to rise or early to bed. There are also two mains sockets here for device charging.

The washroom

The washroom really benefits from the space available in this long motorhome. With the toilet on the left, basin ahead and shower on the right, it feels really spacious. 

There’s plenty of room on the loo and it’s set at a sensible height, too, while a heated towel rail alongside indicates the presence of Alde heating, which, rather than blowing hot air, is a wet central heating system like you’ll have at home, thus offering a more even heat distribution.

The washbasin is set on a counter with room for your toiletries; on the move you can stash these in the lockers below or the one above the toilet. 

The separate shower is a good size, too, with a proper door, a drying rack and a small shelf for your gels, etc, but only one drain outlet. 

The washroom also has an opening window (with concertina blind and flyscreen, even though it’s opaque) and a rooflight. 

The kitchen

Opposite the washroom and forward of the door, the tall unit contains a microwave at a convenient height, with a counter below. 

There’s high-level storage here but no low-level cupboards as this is the location for the externally accessed gas locker. Adjacent, however, the wardrobe is tall enough to contain two hanging rails (one above the other).

While the food nuker stands alone, the rest of the kitchen is aft of the entrance. Additional cooking is care of three gas burners and an electric hotplate, with separate oven and grill below. 

There’s some worktop, but more is created by deploying the flip-up extension to the right of the hob. Storage comprises three drawers next to a cupboard for the table, which is a free-standing unit. There are also two low-level cupboards, plus three high-level lockers.

The tall fridge/freezer is on the offside, next to the washroom. It has a double hinged door and a huge 177-litre capacity. 

The bed

Finally, there’s the rear lounge with its comfy U-shaped seating group. This can create single beds, but the settees aren’t as long as you might expect, so bed lengths are only 1.73m and 1.89m. Better, then, to sleep in the double created by pull-out slatted bases from each side and a filler cushion. 

Sleeping across the motorhome, this bed is 2.10m long. Beds made from seat cushions can be a little uneven for lighter sleepers, but this is easily remedied with a memory foam mattress topper. 

The base vehicle

Unlike the bulk of Elddis’ motorhome range, which is based on the Peugeot Boxer, the top-of-the-range Encore comes on the closely related Fiat Ducato chassis. 

The 140hp engine and manual gearbox are standard, but automatic transmission can be specified with the same motor for £2,895, or £5,026 in combination with the 180hp unit.

Where to buy

Elddis has 45 dealers for its motorhomes around the UK, including one in Northern Ireland, as well as a representative in Eire. 

Many of its larger retailers rebrand the motorhomes under their own special edition model names – including Evolution (Brownhills), Majestic (Marquis), Platinum Edition (Perthshire), Vogue (Spinney) and Supreme (Preston). 

Elddis also has a substantial network of approved service centres around the UK.