Fleurette Magister 74LMF 50 Edition motorhome

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 311kg

This special 50th anniversary edition motorhome is not just an existing model with some fancy logos and a bit of extra bling, but a new layout for 2018. And, unlike other models in the line-up, there’s no Florium-branded equivalent with a more contemporary twist.

The exterior design is familiar but with a silver metallic cab – Fiat Ducato, of course – with 15in alloy wheels and a glossy black grille. The ’50 Edition’ graphics (repeated on the cab seat backrests) are pretty discreet, while the duo-tone beige upholstery and exterior decals are unique to this model.

But the layout is likely to strike a chord with British buyers as it combines the popular island bed and en suite ablutions with a very open-feeling lounge. Were it not for the fixed circular table the floorplan would seem to belong in a British-built motorhome – an Auto-Trail, perhaps – but there are continental-style features here, too.

First, there’s a drop-down bed up front – a double that narrows slightly towards the offside but actually still restricts access through the door. The hob lid can’t be raised with the bed down, either.

But what’s the point of the extra berths when you’ve only got side sofas in the back? That’s the clever bit, as the settees convert into individual forward-facing seats, using slot-in backrest sections.

For lounging, the sofas seem slightly higher off the floor than ideal and the floor steps up into the cab. We love the round table, though, which folds in half to be less obtrusive outside of meal times. Extended, the table would easily serve four to six people.

There’s a further break from the norm in the galley. Where the majority arrange the cook’s quarters in an ‘L’ shape, the Magister goes for a simple, linear format with the hob (featuring three gas rings in a row) set well back to leave preparation space at the front. There’s a Baraldi cooker hood above and three XXL-sized drawers below. A tall, two-door fridge/freezer is opposite.

The en suite bedroom is up a small step and you’ll find the nearside shower and offside toilet room before you get to the bed itself. The shower is a good size and not significantly impaired by the wheelarch intruding into the shower tray. A drying rack is useful.

The toilet door (with cosmetic padded panel) opens to reveal a white ‘salad bowl’ basin, a stylish framed mirror and the latest swivel cassette toilet mounted on a plinth (check for comfort if you have short legs). There’s a decent amount of washroom storage.

We measured the island bed at 1.91m by 1.43m and found that it can be raised electrically to increase the capacity of the locker underneath from 1,900 to 2,300 litres. There are two large external loading doors for this space. The limiting factor will be the overall payload, if you need your ’van to be plated at 3.5 tonnes.

For those seeking even more luxury, Fleurette is also making a 50 Years Edition Discover A-class (on Fiat Al-Ko chassis) with a similar layout to this.

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