Knaus Live I 700 MEG A-class

Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Price from: £79,500 Berths: 5 Travel seats: 4 Length: 7.51m Width: 2.32m Height: 2.79m Gross weight: 3,650kg Payload: 544kg

Words and photos: Peter Vaughan

The Knaus Live I 700 MEG

Knaus has been resurgent of late, now with 10 dealers around the UK offering a range that stretches from BoxStar campervans to the Sun I tag-axle A-class at over £140k. Below the flagship, its line-up also includes Van I compact A-classes and the Live I (which it refers to as L!VE – grammatical nonsense that our sub-editor won’t allow here).

The Live (which is also available as a TI low-profile and a Wave low-profile with drop-down bed) sits right at the heart of the Knaus portfolio and, in A-class ‘I’ format, it comes in three lengths, from 6.97m to 8.59m. The trio of models all have fixed single beds over a garage (a Teutonic staple) and this seven-and-a-half-metre 700 MEG seems like the sensible choice.

The company describes its Live I as “the striking one” and it’s hard to disagree. It lacks little of the Sun I’s visual impact and, despite a typical A-class boxiness to the body, it has a pleasing modernity to it. The use of chrome on the grille and badging, along with 16in alloy wheels and twin-lens bus-style mirrors, belie the relatively affordable price tag (by 2022 standards) and there are impressive features such as the full LED headlamps, as well as the Knaus Cateye LED tail lights. In fact, only habitation windows that sit proud of the body give the game away that it isn’t a top-of-the-range motorhome.

What’s included

The bodywork has a GRP roof and is covered by a 10-year water ingress warranty, while the optional Exclusiv habitation door is linked to the remote central locking and comes with an umbrella holder, a window, coat hooks and a removable shopping bag (for 2023, the Premium door becomes standard and also adds ‘follow me home’ lighting to the features listed). That and the awning were the only visible extra-cost items on the test vehicle loaned to us by SMC Motorhomes of Newark, but it had also been uprated to 180bhp and 4,000kg gross weight (up from 120 horsepower and 3,650kg).

Standard spec includes a leather steering wheel with radio/phone controls, cab air-conditioning, driver and passenger airbags, cruise control, ESP, Hill Holder, Crosswind Assistant and Post-Collision Braking System. More impressive is the Pioneer head unit with 9in touchscreen, DAB radio, sat-nav and reversing camera but most unusual is the head-up display that projects a digital speedometer onto the windscreen.

Before all that, however, it’s the Aguti captain’s chairs that will leave a lasting impression. As well as being height and tilt-adjustable, they have an improved mechanism to alter the angle of the armrests and even incorporate a cooling fan to stop you getting a sweaty back!

Forward vision is excellent, too, with the front of the motorhome not feeling like it’s in a different time zone, as you find with some A-classes. Engine noise is well suppressed and conversion noise only became an issue on the worst B-road surfaces. Most of the time, this is a quiet motorhome that performs well, although it’s worth noting that the 180bhp motor has less torque in manual form than when mated to the nine-speed automatic (380Nm, down from 450Nm).

The services

When you arrive on site, you’ll search in vain for one of those plastic mains hook-ups that you see flapping about as you go down the road. Here, the electric cable feeds through the floor into the Knaus ServiceBox, where you’ll also find the 100-litre fresh water tank and fresh, waste and boiler drains, all in one convenient location. There’s even a small hole in the floor to cope with spillages!

Equally well thought out is the garage, which comes with two large loading doors, heating and lighting, tie-down hooks and interior headroom of up to 1.17m. Only the maximum load in here of 150kg is down on some opponents, although a total payload of 844kg (in this spec) is quite impressive. There’s a spare wheel under the motorhome, too, although its location looked rather inaccessible.

That’s not an issue you’ll have when climbing inside the Live I, even if you have armfuls of shopping – the door opening measures 640mm across, which also helps with the initial feeling of space inside the 700 MEG.

The interior

On board, there’s almost 2m of headroom and the vast glazing around the full-width cab makes for a greater feeling of roominess than any equivalent low-profile. Not only is the windscreen panoramic, but the cab’s side windows are also super-deep.

There are few surprises when it comes to the layout, though, which sticks with classic continental ideas, rather than following fashion. The lounge eschews facing settees for an L-shape, the table is fixed and, aft, the washroom is in one zone, instead of being split across the aisle. Everything feels beautifully finished, however, and easily comparable with motorhomes from a price category above. Only the lack of a window behind the side-facing seat seems like a cost-cutting measure (and makes the upgraded, glazed door an essential item).

Up front, the Cool Grey upholstery lives up to its name, there’s a wind-up Heki sunroof, a Roman blind for the dinette window and a varied array of downlighters (including in the cab). But there are also a couple of novelties. Firstly, behind the rear double passenger seat, the kitchen shelf lifts to reveal slots for the automotive-style head restraints, which stow away to create a more open-plan feel. Then, there’s the removable section of lounge floor – leave it out and you have full headroom here, put it back in and the offside sofa has a more comfortable seat-to-floor ratio; the choice is yours.

Throughout, the seating is firm (typically German) but well-shaped and UK spec includes a set of removable carpets.

The kitchen

The galley backs onto the dinette and that serving shelf, which can (as an option, not fitted here) also hide a pop-top TV, again demonstrates its usefulness. Not only will it assist in plating up your dinner, but it’s also the ideal spot for any appliances (kettle, toaster, coffee machine, etc), with a trio of three-pin power points above. There are more 230V sockets in the lounge and bedroom, too, but USBs are not so plentiful.

At the other side of the kitchen (to the rear, rather than across the aisle) is the fridge – one of the biggest available, at a 177-litre capacity, and featuring automatic energy selection as well as doors that open from either side. Above the freezer is another nod to the demands of the British market, but the Thetford oven/grill’s location won’t suit those who are vertically challenged; the oven’s shelf is 1.67m above the kitchen carpet.

If that’s the Achilles’ heel of this area, there’s still plenty to like. The two drawers are large and glide softly closed; the top one is equipped to hold cutlery and utensils. Even the top cupboards have soft-shutting mechanisms, as well as shelves with upstands. You’ll need to plan your use of the extra-deep cupboard under the sink carefully, though; I could only just reach the back of this space and that’s sure to be where the item you want has slid to!

A further plus is the hob, which is laid out with its gas rings in a line, leaving more worktop space in front. Even the knurled finish on the cooker knobs is a nice detail.

The washroom

Opposite the kitchen, the washroom also includes some excellent details, not least the cylindrical shower and its Star Trek overtones. It comes with twin drains, a wooden duckboard, a clothes/towel drying rail, a recess for shower gel and a roof vent. It’s hard to think how it could be better.

In the other half of this ablutions room, you’ll find the superior Dometic cassette toilet and a basin (with integral countertop) that’s large but shallow. There’s no problem with space to bend down and give your fizzog a good splash here.

As well as robe hooks, toilet roll holder and a mirror-fronted cabinet, this washroom also has a shelf with fiddle rails and even a tissue holder. A lot of thought seems to have gone into the design.

However, when you step out of the washroom, you are in the centre of the motorhome, not a private en suite as you would be in many rival models featuring shower and toilet areas on opposite sides of the layout. It’s not even practical to step into the bedroom area for a bit of privacy as the curtain here would barely even cover you from the waist up!

You won’t be short of fresh clothes to change into, though. Under the foot of both single beds is an illuminated wardrobe and each is accessed by a conventional door at the front, or by lifting its ‘roof ’. The larger, nearside wardrobe (hers?) has a 750mm-long hanging rail and a drop of 760mm, while its opposite number has a similar, shirt-length height but a lesser width of around 550mm.

Then, there’s a third wardrobe sandwiched between the nearside bed and the fridge/freezer. It’s super-slim (just 130mm across) but it runs floor to ceiling with a shelf (and second hanging rail) at mid-height. Remove the shelf and you could accommodate a couple of long dresses or coats.

The beds

Of course, a key aspect of a layout like this is the rear bedroom and two steps give reasonably easy access to long single beds – 1.92m on the nearside and 1.98m on the offside. With a central cushion between them, at shoulder level you have the whole width of the motorhome to spread out in. Just don’t sit up in a hurry because, despite the reading lights and illuminated headboard, you’ll be reaching for the ibuprofen after your bonce makes contact with the overhead cupboards!

There’s a small roof vent in the bedroom and just one window, on the offside. However, even if you choose to sleep in the alternative transverse double bed set-up, you still can’t sit up as there are open-fronted lockers at either side.

Converting from singles to a double is easy, though, as you just slide out a centre panel and the attached ladder and add a small infill cushion. You might want to add some Velcro to the latter, though, to stop it making its escape in the night…

Like most A-classes, the Live I also has a drop-down double in the cab, but not all the Knaus’ rivals do it as well as this. There’s a belt and braces approach to securing the bed in its stowed position (which seems also to prevent bedding being left in situ); however, it’s easy to lower it manually and the mattress is a super size. There are ceiling lights and even magazine holders, as well as a roof vent, but this bed could really do with its own privacy curtain.

Flat blinds cover the lounge, kitchen and bedroom windows but allow a little daylight to appear underneath. Better are the curtains for the cab side windows and the excellent pleated fabric blinds for the windscreen.

Finally, although there are only four seatbelts here, it is also possible to make an occasional berth in the lounge, using the lowered table, a board and an infill cushion.

Motorhome supplied by
SMC Motorhomes
Tel: 01636 670760
smcmotorhomes.co.uk

Insurance: £716
Tel: 0800 975 1307
shieldtotalinsurance.co.uk
For quote details: motorhome.ma/QuoteInfo

The bold, modern exterior here is not matched to the latest fashions in layout but, apart from a lack of bedroom/changing area privacy, the Live I doesn’t seem to lose out. Where it scores is with a comprehensive spec and top-notch build quality, all at a price that seems pretty competitive as we head into the 2023 season.