Geist Explorer Comfort 585

Berths: 2 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 735kg

The A-class motorhome concept can work brilliantly in a compact two-berth, thanks, in part, to the fact that the bed hides above the cab, descending in a couple of ticks to provide a transverse double for two. Geist’s Explorer 585 provides just that – and more besides.

At the business end there’s Fiat’s ubiquitous Ducato, providing excellent motivation thanks to its willing 130-horsepower motor and six-speed gearbox.

A nearside cab door is fitted as standard and, just inside, the cockpit is very well equipped, with captain’s seats, leather-clad wheel, cruise control and climate control.

Swivel the cab seats and you’re faced with what could easily be seen as the perfect living area for two. The very large lounge can seat up to six people in real comfort and the multi-adjustable table’s top is best described as huge. Only the nearside lengthways section of the seating blots the copybook as it’s rather narrow.

This ’van is only a two-berth, so the twin rear travel places might be considered superfluous. However, they’ll be welcome for day trips out with friends and even when pitched up (with extra beds located in an awning).

Above the cab, the drop-down bed is easy to deploy and stow thanks to a superbly engineered latching system that’s a pleasure to use. And the bed is big. Very big. It is 2.00m long and 1.43m wide,  equating to 6ft 7in and nearly 4ft 9in in imperial measures.

Aft, to the cook’s department, and the stars of this show are those two essentials, hob and fridge. The former is a new one from Thetford and it’s a hob/sink combo that’s very well designed. The three burners are set in a line – making every pan easy to get at – while one is the kind of high-speed unit that’ll be great for ‘woking’ and boiling your morning brew kettle in double-quick time.

Below, another Thetford appliance, a mini oven, is just that. No grill is included and, although small, it takes up a lot of the limited amount of available storage space. Not all is lost, though, as there’s a decent drawer and a huge shelved cupboard, plus the expected lockers at high level.

Opposite, it’s Thetford’s turn yet again and, as with the table, the descriptive word is ‘huge’ as the fridge offers 141 litres of cooled and frozen space, including a deep drawer in its base.

Centre rear and a door leads to the bathroom, which includes the large wardrobe that gives it changing room status to boot. A practical vanity basin, loads of stowage space and a good-sized separate shower all add up to a facility that’s very hard to moan about.

Last, but not least, general storage includes large external lockers front and rear on the offside and a smaller one at the front nearside, providing plenty of space for bulky kit.

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