Geist Explorer Premium i710 motorhome

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 402kg

Geist is an Anglo-German marque now sold exclusively by Lincoln-based dealer, Camper UK. The brand was originally set up in 2004 to market motorhomes from LMC (Lord Münsterland Caravans) that were redesigned for the UK. Today, it’s simply rebadging. LMC is even less well-known than Geist here, but you’re sure to have heard of its parent company, the Erwin Hymer Group.

It is only A-class models – a range of three – that come here under the Geist brand. The latest ’van in the range is the Explorer Premium i710, a four-berth, 7.35m-long, 3.5-tonne A-class with twin single beds ahead of an end washroom. The single beds measure 1.96m by 0.78m on the driver’s side and a slightly shorter 1.91m by 0.76m on the passenger side and have tip-up supports at the head end, for relaxing with a book, etc.

Unlike some rivals, there are no overhanging wardrobes to restrict foot-space and the bedroom is also very open to the rest of the motorhome, with just a dividing curtain for privacy. Of course, being an A-class there is also a drop-down double over the cab, which measures a very respectable 1.95m by 1.43m.

The rest of the layout holds few surprises, with an across-the-rear washroom and a front L-settee ahead of the galley on the nearside, which faces the entrance door and fridge (with oven above). Unusually, there is no fixed side seat in the lounge – there’s a wardrobe here with a flip-up jump seat instead, which makes a great footrest for the swivelled driver’s seat.

The specification on the base vehicle – a Fiat Ducato – holds some pleasant surprises even in the basic 130bhp manual trim: you get (as standard) swivel captain’s seats with armrests, twin airbags, cruise control, sat-nav, a DVD player, reversing camera, a multi-function steering wheel, LED headlights, alloy wheels and air-conditioning.

In the living area, you benefit from a flyscreen on the door, rear corner steadies and a well-equipped L-shaped kitchen with an extractor hood, three-burner hob, large circular sink and a small Thetford oven, placed high above the slimline 140-litre fridge (also by Thetford). All kitchen drawers are soft-close, while the hob has a glazed splashguard to protect the adjacent bedding. Kitchen worktop is minimal.

The rear washroom comes with a swivel cassette loo, a central washbasin with storage below, and a shelf and small cabinet above. To the right is a separate shower area with folding doors and a small opening rooflight above.

Payload on the standard chassis is 402kg, but if you require more (or you intend to carry four people), you can upgrade to a 3,850kg chassis (if your driving licence allows it) for £300. There’s no garage, but the under-bed area on each side can be accessed externally.

All the Geists come with LMC’s 12-year integrity and water ingress warranty for the wood-free construction of its ’vans (Long-Life Technology).

If you enjoyed this review, you can read loads more like it in What Motorhome magazine. You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.