Full review

Words and photos: Peter Vaughan

The Rimor Super Brig 95 Plus 

Rimor has developed a keen following amongst those seeking a latest-registration motorhome on a tight budget, with models such as the Kilig (see the review here) and Evo (see the review here) still priced at less than £70k in 2024. 

But what if you can stretch to a little more? Can this Italian value brand still compete with its flagship Super Brig, nautically named after a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts, or is your money better spent elsewhere? 

At £74,995 – it’s the same across each of six models – the Super Brig tops the Rimor range at a price point where many marques are just kicking off with their entry-level motorhomes. 

It is a full-sized motorhome, at 7.37m long, and offers a choice of overcab or low-profile body styles, as well as layouts with an island bed, twin singles, a transverse double or even a rear lounge. 

The spec

And that price is a real one – this manual gearbox 95 Plus model (low-profile with twin beds) costs exactly that as tested, with no  expensive packs to push it beyond your budget.

That’s because the importer, M and C Ltd of Hull (a regular at the Warners outdoor motorhome shows, where you’ll usually see a selection of Rimors) includes its own pack of goodies in the list price. 

So, you get a Pioneer radio with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 16in alloy wheels, a 120W solar panel, roof rails, a TV aerial, alarm and tracker, lithium leisure battery and additional sockets in the habitation area (some of which can be positioned where the customer chooses). That’s almost six grand’s worth of additional gear at no extra cost.

The cab

Unlike Rimor’s most affordable motorhomes, the Super Brig is based on a Fiat Ducato, rather than a Ford Transit and, predictably, it comes with the 140hp motor as standard, although the nine-speed automatic gearbox is offered as a £2,600 option.

The cab comes with the ‘essentials’ – cruise control, air-conditioning, twin airbags, electric/heated mirrors and ASR (anti-slip regulation), but no fancy gizmos like lane keeping, an electric parking brake or hill holder. 

It’s the usual functional, plasticky Fiat fascia but with the older-style central storage bin instead of cup holders and the wheel is plastic not leather, and it does not have radio/phone controls.

However, this Ducato is not lacking in one of the most important areas; both seats have twin armrests and tilt/

height adjustment. They are covered with a cream leatherette with neat stitching, but it looks a bit baggy in places. 

And, although the 7in radio screen might seem tiddly compared with some of the displays now on the market, it offers a clear display for the reversing camera in addition to the usual functions.

The exterior

Externally, the sweeping roofline and roof rails give the Super Brig a distinctive and quite handsome look.

It’s noticeably quite tall for a low-profile model as the chassis is a standard-height unit rather than the lowline version so often seen nowadays. 

On the offside is the large gas locker (nice and low for easy cylinder changes), while, on the nearside, the leisure battery hides behind a panel in the plastic skirt and there’s a small storage locker midway along the motorhome (ideal for levelling wedges, etc).

Underneath the motorhome you may spot the corner steadies (a rare sight these days), as well as the T-handle to quickly drain the 100-litre waste tank (heated). The 85-litre fresh water tank is inboard for full winterisation.

The garage

Of course, the key exterior feature is the garage, which comes with two large loading doors, generous 1.27m headroom and a width of 1.15m.

There’s a shelving unit on the offside for small items (including the Fix ‘n’ Go kit as there’s no spare wheel), access to the Combi boiler on the nearside and a full-width LED strip light so you can easily find all of your stuff. 

If you want to make maximum use of that space and the four berths, you’ll need to consider a chassis upgrade from the standard, licence-friendly 3,500kg – the payload is quoted as 368kg (modest, but not unusually so for a motorhome of this ilk). 

The drive

On test, ‘our’ Super Brig was lightly laden but the 140hp engine seemed to already be loosening up, with nearly 800 miles on the clock, and it performed strongly (also achieving around 28mpg).

The manual gearchange on these Series 9 cabs is slicker than earlier Ducatos and Rimor has done a good job in reducing, if not completely eliminating, rattles. 

As for the taller chassis, there was noticeably more lean on  roundabouts than with an Al-Ko-equipped motorhome, but we didn’t get a chance to test it in crosswinds.

The interior

Inside, that height results in a flat floor throughout the living area and it’s worth noting that the climb aboard is made easy via two internal steps. 

The habitation door has a flyscreen and a zipped storage pocket but isn’t linked to the remote central locking.

This 95 Plus model offers one of the most popular formats for this size of motorhome, with lengthways single beds over the garage, split washroom facilities and a front lounge. 

However, while many makers (even on the Continent) have followed fashion and adopted side sofa lounges almost across the board, the Super Brig sticks  with the half-dinette arrangement that was once de rigueur for imported models.

The lounge

Here, the two-tone upholstery in a suede-like fabric contrasts with the cab seats, but the pale sections looked like they might mark easily. However, comfort is enhanced by separate lumbar support cushions, while the cab chairs (at the same height) rotate through a full 180 degrees for feet-up relaxing.

For travelling, just remove the section that turns the forward-facing bench into an L-shape and pull on the colour-coded (only in an Italian motorhome!) seatbelts – so much quicker and easier than unfurling travel seats from beneath sofas and rearranging cushions. 

This type of lounge is preferable if you regularly carry rear passengers.

The table is fixed, but folds in half, giving you the choice of a 54cm by 67cm coffee table or double that size for serious dining, still on a commendably stable platform. I did find it just a tad too high, though.

Despite the omission of a window behind the offside single seat, this is a light lounge with a large overcab sunroof and a glazed habitation door contributing. 

Even better is the artificial illumination – with ceiling downlights, mood lights, LED strips and floor-level blue pin lights, you should be able to set the tone just so.

Look up rather than down and the overcab shelves are much more practical than most, thanks to deeper-than-average lips.

Under-seat space is devoted to the fresh water and gas supplies but the top lockers here are a good size, especially for ones suspended from a drop-down bed.

The drop-down bed

That bed requires nothing more strenuous than turning a key and pressing a button (no moving of seats or cushions). 

It’s not a huge bed (better, perhaps, for a couple of grandkids than adults), but it’s comfortable, fully rectangular and has decent headroom (67cm max), twin reading lights and a roof vent close by.

It comes down across the doorway, but 1.37m headroom beneath doesn’t restrict entrance/egress solely to Quasimodo and you can even (just) sit in one of the lounge seats, or still use the cab chairs. 

When stowed, pillows and duvet can stay in situ on the bed. 

The bedroom

If the deck hands sleep up front, the captain will kip astern; a sliding door separates this en suite cabin from the living area. 

Here, the Super Brig’s characteristic dark wood is most noticeable, enhancing the vehicle’s premium feel. And,  in a nod to the nautical theme, there’s a porthole-style frosted window in the toilet door. 

The rear beds are long, particularly on the offside, with the mattress here measuring 2.08m. They are firm and comfy on slatted supports and, with large side windows and a small roof vent – it’s another bright space that’s also well served with artificial lighting. 

The flexible wand reading lights incorporate USBs, too, so it’s a shame that, once again with this type of floorplan, cupboards over the bed heads prevent sitting up. Flat cassette blinds are fitted throughout, but the cab makes do with silver screens (cab blinds are one of the very few omissions to the spec and the cab curtains are more decorative than functional).

Storage-wise, there are also open shelves with deep lips at each side of the bedroom and a fairly large wardrobe sits below the offside bed. It has a drop of 74cm from its rail, includes a couple of L-shaped shelves and it can be accessed conventionally from the front or by lifting the whole bed on gas struts.

Opposite, there’s a cupboard mounted above the Combi boiler (which is gas only as standard or easily upgraded to 230V for £495) – perfect for keeping clothes warm in winter.

There’s a TV point (with 12V and aerial sockets) at the foot of the offside bed, while the central section of mattress between the beds can be extended from 1.15m to 1.38m with an infill cushion, so you could sleep transversely in a 2.15m-long double bed. Access is then via a short ladder.

The washroom

Whichever arrangement you prefer, the ablutions are en suite. On the nearside, the shower cubicle is one of

the star features of the 95 Plus. It’s a really good size, with a smart, backlit tower onto which the showerhead clamps magnetically at whatever height you choose.

It’s a supersized showerhead, too, giving a great spread of water – the only downside here is the small single drain in the centre of the tray. 

On the other side of the motorhome, the toilet door is just that – it doesn’t act as a partition and doesn’t clip into an open position, so there’s no privacy between the shower and the bedroom.

In here, there’s a clear salad bowl-style basin and a swivel cassette loo.

Oddly, the window isn’t frosted (thankfully, it has a blind). The large mirror above hides a useful cupboard and a loo roll holder is concealed in the locker under the basin. 

A robe hook and towel rail are fitted and sitting space on the throne is good, but the room can feel quite tight when standing at the basin.

The kitchen

The galley might be quite compact but it seems well designed, from the cabinet’s curve towards the floor, so your feet don’t kick the furniture, to upmarket touches like the damped Blum hinges on the top cupboards and the built-in extractor hood above the Can three-burner hob.

Negatives are the limited worktop space and the slightly flimsy feel of the positive-locking plastic cupboard catches (everything else feels nicely sturdy). 

However, there’s plenty to like here, not least the gigantic soft-closing drawers (the upper one having split levels – above for cutlery, utensils, etc, below for plates and bowls). 

The stainless-steel sink is also noteworthy for its domestic-sized outlet (a marked contrast to the one in the shower) and its hose-style extending tap.

Opposite the main kitchen unit is the 153-litre fridge/freezer, which ticks all the boxes – separate freezer, doors that open either way and automatic energy selection. 

And, above that, is the Can oven/grill – at 1.50m off the floor, it was a perfect eye-level for me, but shorter chefs may disagree. 

Motorhome supplied by M and C Ltd
Tel: 01482 448157
motorhomesandcaravansltd.co.uk

Insurance: £708.06
Tel: 0800 975 1307
shieldtotalinsurance.co.uk
For quote details: motorhome.ma/QuoteInfo