On Test Carthago C-Line 4.2

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Words & pictures by Dave Hurrell

■ PRICE FROM: £64,219 OTR (exchange rate dependent)

■ BERTHS: 4■ BASE VEHICLE: Fiat Ducato Al-Ko

chassis cowl■ LAYOUT: Drop-down double bed and

swivel cab seats with lounge. Nearside kitchen and wardrobe, offside fridge and washroom. Transverse fixed double bed over garage in rear

■ ECONOMY: 23.4mpg

AT A GLANCE

Carthago C-Line 4.2

FINE LINERCarthago C-Line 4.2 on 3.0-litre Fiat Ducato

MMM’s A-class of the year 2009 aims to offer style and extra value for money in the world of upmarket A-class motorhomes

1 Front lounge gives way to Amidships galley and washroom

2 A comfortable cosy ambience pervades the interior.

Dismantling part of the sofa provides feet room for the

outside rear passenger

3 The heated double floor encloses all the plumbing and wiring

4 Nearside cab door is standard

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Aglance at a few coachbuilt motorhomes will tell even the most casual observer

that these beasts are mostly just big square boxes - many looking eerily similar. Luton overcab and low profile versions get a good

lump of their style from the base vehicles’ cabs, their look - successful or otherwise - is often down to how well converters have handled the transition between the driving department and the big box aft. A-class ‘vans are a bit different in this respect, as building a whole body allows designers to express their ideas more fully - almost completely hiding the base’s commercial vehicle origins in the process. Even so, it’s the crucial cab area that takes the lead - some look like you might board and be able to buy a return ticket, others - quite frankly - look pretty awful.

Enter Carthago’s Chic ranges: a combination of sleek nose, not-too-deep windscreen and unusual curved-top side walls makes these ‘vans look smoothly different - chic even. Build quality promises much too: a 10-year anti-leak guarantee inspiring the idea that what looks good, is good. Sticking my not inconsiderable oar in, I think that the Chic is one of the best-looking A-class ‘vans on the planet.

The Chic brand is divided into three ranges with (Mercedes Sprinter or Iveco Daily-based) S-Plus at its head. Taller than its siblings (thanks to a rear-wheel drive chassis), S-Plus features luxury appointments, including wet-radiator heating and double-glazing in the cab. Chic E-line offers S-Plus features, but on the Fiat Ducato with a low Al-Ko rear chassis. Latest-range, C-Line keeps the basic principles of Chic construction, but with a reduced specification.

The main reasons for this approach are to save weight (giving a usable payload on a 3500kg MAW chassis) and reduce the price: Carthago Chic motorcaravanning that’s better value should be the result.

C-Line is also the least tall of the three: it still has the double floor of its siblings, but it’s a shallower affair. Even so, all plumbing, tanks and wiring are enclosed in this insulated and heated space. These ‘vans just beg to be used all year round.

There are seven models in the range - all offering fixed beds of one sort or another. The C-line 4.2 tested here is a classic garage-equipped motorhome, where the drop-down A-class bed in the cab joins with an over-garage bed to offer four berths in two doubles. An L-shaped lounge provides two belted travel seats, while amidships galley and washroom complete the living facilities.

DIESEL DAZEIf, by miracle of DNA extraction or time travel, it was possible to bring Herr Diesel back to life, I don’t doubt that the inventor of the compression-ignition engine would be totally gob-smacked by Fiat’s 3.0-litre DERV drinker. Without doubt this motor is one of the best engines - of any type - that I’ve driven. Smooth,

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gear changes. In world where diesels from VW and Ford tend to hesitate a bit and/or are easy to stall, it’s refreshing to find that here, there’s no detectable turbo lag and a totally relaxed and reliable approach to pulling away from rest.

CALL ME A CAB The typical A-class cab is wide and this one’s no exception. Lots of space provides plenty of room for a pair of Aguti captain’s seats that benefit from built-in seatbelts. The nature of the A-class

cab means that sidewalls are further away from the seats, so this type of belt is a real bonus - easy and comfortable to use. On the nearside, a standard-fit cab door provides important access to the UK kerbside that the offside-located caravan door does not. To the rear, the travel seat is easy to use for the inside passenger, but setting it up for the outside traveller is more tricky. To do this, the forward section of the side seating has to be dismantled. With squab and backrest removed part of the seat box is also

quiet, responsive and with loads of torque, this unit is very nearly the most fun you can have with things that go up and down (pistons).

Naughty boy that I am, I found myself glancing in the offside mirror as, on exiting dual-carriageway roundabouts, I squeezed the loud pedal - giving overtaking cars in the outside lane a shock. Needless to say, maintaining legal-and-beyond speeds was effortless. This motor also makes driving more relaxed, as its high levels of torque require less

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On Test Carthago C-Line 4.2

pullout unit that contains a pair of recycling bins (high marks for these too), the kitchen’s base offers seven drawers of differing depths that make storage of items - and getting at them - supremely easy. In common with many of the other lockers, these have easy-to-use handles and instantly-engaging latches that mean - with no unlatched drawers flying open - you’ll not be swearing as you round the first corner after leaving site!

Above, a couple of handy small shelves sit below a pair of deep cupboards and that sexy glass cabinet.

In usual compact kitchen style worktop is scarce, with hinged lids over the three-burner hob and drainer-less sink offering non-permanent surface. Having said that, there is a

8gives desirable independent suspension, but a rather lacklustre handbrake that requires an almost Herculean effort to get it to hold the vehicle stationary. Unlike many A-class ‘vans, Chic is notable for its lack of conversion noise. You might possibly imagine that any motorhome that boasts a 10-year water ingress warranty might be well screwed together and you’d be right. The result is a motorhome that feels solid and suffers from few rattles and squeals. Only squeaks from the dash area and driver’s side window surround spoiled the peace when travelling over rough roads.

An in-‘van entertainment system is conspicuous by its absence, but a screen-mounted aerial by Bosch and six speakers (in cab, lounge and rear bedroom) stand ready to serve your own choice of kit. Far better this than some awful standard-fit item that insists on turning itself off every few minutes.

Hit the road in a good A-class and you should immediately get that holiday feeling - the view through the big screen egging you on to far away places with strange sounding names. Here, you most definitely get that impression: having driven some A-class ‘vans that make you think that you might be about to deliver bread or parcels, I know!

RELAX AND EAT Swivel the cab seats (a tad tricky on the driver’s side) and they become part of an L-shaped lounge-diner that includes an inward-facing side seat - the wide cab generating a feeling of space not found in ‘vans with conventional cabs. Settle yourself in a cab seat, look to the rear and you’re greeted by an interior that’s pleasing to both the eye and the emotions.

Rich-coloured, silver-trimmed wood and cream needlefelt linings look great and generate the kind of cosy ambience that us foul as well as fair-weather motorhomers need. Set twixt lounge and kitchen, a clear-doored cabinet contains Carthago monogrammed glasses: showroom bling? You bet, but they definitely add a touch of luxury to the interior and instantly contribute to the pride of ownership you’ll want to feel, having parted with a big chunk of your wedge. Upholstery is an unusual combination of faux suede with denim blue ‘hessian’ panels: love it, or hate it, the materials appeared hardwearing and easy to live with. There’s sitting space for six here, while four can dine from the fixed table, which adjusts here and there to make living with a touch easier.

As is usually the case with Continental ‘vans (and considering that this lounge is far from large), the table does tend to get in the way. If this ‘van were mine I’d be tempted to remove it completely and have a freestander custom made to fit the space. This done, the lounge should become a better space for relaxing and entertaining. This lounge also has a secret: lift a fabric-covered flap at the rear of the side seat’s backrest and a sharp pull on a metal handle sees a flat screen TV rise, ready for viewing. This set is at a good level for viewing from cab passenger seat and sofa. One of the beauties of this arrangement is the fact that the TV is all but invisible when stowed: nobody need know it was there and those with nefarious intentions would find it difficult to discover.

CARTHAGO COOKS Enter the galley area and you’re greeted by my favourite motorhome storage solution: drawers. And drawers aplenty, apart form a

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removed (as two flat panels) to make room for the outside passenger’s legs. Of course, you must stow these bits and bobs in a safe place for travel - the garage springing to mind.

On the road, the Ducato’s good points come to the fore, with light steering and powerful brakes making for easy driving. Carthago’s big electrically operated mirrors do not have blind spot lenses, but they worked very well and are standard-fit items. Aft, the Al-Ko rear chassis

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included) the oven is high. A saving grace is its top-hinged door, which makes the oven and grill a little easier to use. There’s storage space below the fridge, and I would have been happy to lose this in order for the fridge and oven to be lowered.

BATHING Opposite the main kitchen unit and occupying a similar modest space, the washroom uses clever design to help it offer a semi-separate shower. Your introduction to the

■ OVERALL LENGTH: 6.80m (22ft 4in)■ OVERALL WIDTH: 2.27m (7ft 5.5in)

LAYOUT PLAN

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5 In the kitchen, drawer-based storage is superb

6 A swinging panel helps provide showering space in a small area

7 The toilet’s wheeled cassette makes dumping less of a strain

8 The lounge is a Continental classic with obtrusive permanent table. TV pops up from behind the nearside seating

9 The washroom offers good facilities and class-leading amounts of storage space

small piece of worktop in front of the sink that proved very useful. A tiny detail I know, but we’ll give three small cheers for the presence of electronic ignition on the hob. This useful feature is often lacking.

Opposite, stands the almost ubiquitous two-door fridge/freezer. This one’s a Dometic unit offering 150 litres of space and AES function (Automatic Energy Selection) that provides turn-on-and-forget convenience. Above this is an oven/grill unit that’s integrated with the fridge - the whole is named Tec Tower. In many ways an afterthought fitting (the version of this ‘van sold in mainland Europe will probably not have an oven

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a lucky number should be in ‘slap’ heaven. Pigeonholes to the left of, and one above, the loo, complete storage provision that’s surely a benchmark for a motorcaravan washroom of this size.

The wet-room floor sports a high gloss finish and twin drains, but did feel a touch flexible under my size nines. Only time will tell of its durability, or otherwise.

The toilet is the one of the latest from Thetford: the C250 sports a swivelling bowl, electric flushing and a cassette with wheels and a telescopic handle for easy dump duty. Sadly, this beautiful bog was mounted a touch too high for comfortable ‘enthroning.’ A footrest would solve the problem, but is a less than ideal solution.

Ever inquisitive, I wondered why the toilet was loftily placed: an inspection seemed to reveal that the too-close rear wheel-arch was to blame. Come shower time, a hinged plastic panel swings to cover the basin area and a multi-panel rigid screen slides around to complete the showering area.

Downsides and glitches? Well, this ain’t a big compartment and the shower mixer and

little room takes the form of a strong sliding door that’s part of a clever double-act. With the door slid open, a flexible concertina panel emerges from a slot opposite to engage with a magnetic strip on the door, enclosing the rear/bed area and including the wardrobe. The resultant dressing area is small in size, but cleverly contrived, giving direct access to the washroom - its door held open. Look up and you see that the tracks that suspend the doors are recessed into (not just screwed to the surface of) a ceiling-mounted plinth; a great example of this ‘van’s good construction practices and thoughtful attention to detail.

The washroom proper is dominated by a good-sized basin set into an equally generous counter. Plenty of room for ablutions accoutrement too, as to the right, a simply enormous (by washroom standards) two-door cupboard sports mirrors outside and big, sensible shelves inside. There’s a massive mirror on the back wall too. I found there was far more than enough visual information on offer for a bloke of my advancing years, while those who know No7 as more than just

head/riser rail - tucked in a corner - are not the easiest to deploy - fingers needing to be strong. In spite of this, the design works well, typically the shower will only be used on the odd occasion so shouldn’t be classed as a problem.

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10 The reason-to-buy garage is generously sized

11 In the cab, the drop-down bed is one of the best

12 Rear bed is comfy and includes a clever privacy screen

A CHIC KIP Sleeping spaces start with the classic A-class drop-down double bed in the cab. This really is one of the best, with an easy-to-operate twist latch allowing the bed to descend easily from the roof. Stowing the bed is equally

easy, with the bed made up for instant use. Of course, before you do this the cab seats’ backs must be folded forward to give room and even this easy, as a twist of the reclining controls allows them to flatten instantly.

Unlike many of the type, this bed does

The reason-to-buy garage is generously sized

11 In the cab, the drop-down bed is one of the best

12 Rear bed is comfy and includes a clever privacy screen

The reason-to-buy garage is generously sized

In the cab, the drop-down bed is one of the best

Rear bed is comfy and includes a clever privacy screen Rear bed is comfy and includes a clever privacy screen Rear bed is comfy and includes a clever privacy screen

I LIKED■ Stunning looks■ Great to drive■ Standard-fit nearside cab door■ 10-year anti-leak guarantee■ Double floor■ Lovely, cosy-feeling interior■ Drawer storage in kitchen■ Comfortable, easy-to-use beds■ Big garage■ Gas/mains powered heating

I WOULD HAVE LIKED ■ Oven mounted lower down■ A second leisure battery

I DISLIKED ■ Bulky fixed table■ Difficult access to tank drain taps

not hang loose at the rear, but engages on column supports, making it sit solid as a rock. Inevitably, the size and shape of any A-class bed is dictated by the shape of the cab area it fills and here that shape allows the bed to be impressively spacious. Coming low to the floor, it’s easy to use the lounge’s side seat to gain access to a mattress that’s very comfortable for two. There’s good headroom too, with an opportunity to sit up in bed. Only lighting provision is found wanting, as a single fluorescent strip at one end seems a tad mean.

At the other end of the ‘van, the over-garage double is a cosy space with permanent access steps that proved easy to use. The bed is big and comfy, but the proximity of overhead lockers makes it impossible to sit upright for your night time Highland ‘cocoa’ or morning tea. Even so, I found it was possible to get propped up enough to read my favourite book. Do bear in mind though, that (in common with most high-level beds) you need a deal of agility to gain and leave - climbing over your partner if your sleeping space is to the rear.

There’s more lighting on offer here but under-locker lighting at the head of the bed is switched with similar spots across the rear of the ‘van. These proved to be a nuisance when reading, shining in my eyes. Methinks another switch would take care of this problem quite easily.

CARTHAGO CUPBOARDS Storage space starts and finishes with the reason-to-buy garage. This is a good ’un with loads of space and three points of access. A big external door on the offside, a smaller door on the nearside and a sliding door inside, let you get at the contents easily, and whatever the weather. Needless to say there’s loads of room for all your bulky, lightweight kit - bikes and the like should be no problem.

The test ‘van was built on a 4250kg MAW

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On Test Carthago C-Line 4.2Carthago C-Line 4.2Carthago C-Line 4.2Carthago C-Line 4.2Carthago C-Line 4.2On Test Carthago C-Line 4.2On TestOn Test

checking both all-up weight and all-important axle weights. Just aft of the kitchen, the wardrobe is a rather slim affair, so Carthago have supplemented this with a curtained-off hanging area just inside the garage’s internal sliding door. Quirky though this is, it could be useful when four are living aboard. A big space under the forward-facing dinette seat, overhead lockers and hatch-accessed small cavities in the double floor complete a menu of lots of space in lots of places.

CHIC KIT With a heated double floor that encloses all the tanks and plumbing (plus high levels of insulation), this motorhome should be ideal for winter camping. The test ‘van came with the option of mains electric power for its Truma Combi boiler, something that’s to be recommended. This gas-saving option ticked over nicely during the test, quietly keeping me

VEHICLE SUPPLIED BYLowdham Leisureworld, Lowdham Road, Gunthorpe, Notts (tel: 0115 966 3838; web site: www.lowdhams.com) WE STAYED ATClumber Park Caravan Club Site, Lime Tree Avenue, Clumber Park, Worksop S80 3AE (tel: 01909 484758; web site: www.caravanclub.co.uk)

chassis with over a tonne of payload (the 3500kg MAW version offers 430kg of carrying capacity), but even so, if you plan to carry heaver kit, such as a scooter, it’s always wise to visit your local public weighbridge:

There’s access to the garage from inside, while tank drains are got at through a rather awkward-to-use hatch

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KITCHENNearside-located main unit includes two shelved cupboards and illuminated glass cupboard above, seven drawers and pull-out rubbish bin unit below, one hatch-accessed under-floor area. Fridge housing opposite, includes deep drawer below and oven/grill unit at high level■ Sink: Cramer square stainless steel unit with

hinged glass lid and chromed swivelling mixer tap. No drainer

■ Cooker: Cramer stainless steel three-burner hob with hinged glass lid and electronic ignition. Dometic oven/grill with top-hinged upward-opening door and electronic ignition

■ Fridge: Dometic RMT 7655L three-way fridge/freezer with Automatic Energy Selection (AES). Capacity 150 litres

WASHROOMTwo-panel sliding door encloses room. plastic vanity basin with swivelling chromed mixer tap set into counter top, two-door shelved cupboard below, three storage pockets, large mirror, two-door mirrored cabinet above. Thetford C250 swivel-bowl cassette toilet with electric flushing and wheeled cassette. Hinged plastic panel and four-panel rigid screen enclose two-outlet wet-room floor to provide showering area served by mixer tap riser rail and shower head

BEDSA-class in-cab double■ Length: 1.98m (6ft 6in) max■ Width: 1.60m (5ft 3in)■ Headroom: 840mm (2ft 9in) maxRear over-garage double■ Length: 2.08m (6ft 10in)■ Width: 1.37m (4ft 6in)■ Headroom: 900mm (2ft 11.5in)

STORAGE Lounge: Four un-shelved overhead lockers with adjacent external shelves, top-accessed space under side and forward-facing seats, two under-floor hatch-accessed storage areas. Bedroom: Single-door wardrobe with side-to-side hanging rail and lower shelf, four un-shelved overhead lockers, two corner shelves. Rear garage with two external side-hinged access doors (on either side), one internal sliding access door

LIFE SUPPORT■ Fresh water: Inboard. 115 litres (25.3 gallons)

■ Waste water: Inboard. 115 litres (25.3 gallons)

■ Water/space heating: Truma Combi 6 Boiler with blown-air, gas-mains operation

■ Leisure battery: 80 amp hr■ Gas: 2x 11kg cylinders■ Lighting: Cab area: 3 LED downlighters,

4 halogen downlighters. Drop-down bed: 1 single-tube fluorescent. Lounge: 8 halogen downlighters, amber LED rope light. Kitchen: 7 halogen downlighters. Washroom: 2 halogen downlighters. Bedroom: 7 halogen downlighters. Garage: single-tube fluorescent. Awning light

■ Sockets: 230V: 3 (adjacent to caravan door, in kitchen, in washroom). 12V: 2 (in kitchen, washroom)

■ Control panel: Mounted above caravan door. Displays/controls clock, external/internal temperature, vehicle/leisure battery Voltage, fresh/waste water levels (per cent), fresh water pump, lighting

■ Blinds/curtains: Pleated blinds to all windows/rooflights, flyscreens to all caravan windows, rooflights, caravan door. Roman blind-style nets to lounge and bedroom windows, privacy curtains to beds

■ Badged as NCC EN1646 Compliant: No

OPTIONAL EXTRASFitted to test vehicle■ Base: Upgrade to 3.0-litre 157bhp

engine (£2120), right-hand drive (£1900), air-conditioning (£1060), cruise control (£280), dash trim (£460), reversing camera (£1190)

■ Conversion: Tec Tower oven/grill (£680), upgrade to mains powered heating (£440), glass cabinet (£270), removable carpets (£320), cushions and bed cover (£203), pop up TV (£725), wiring/speakers for radio, solar panel, satellite system (£525)

Other options■ Base: ComfortMatic auto gearbox, only

available with 3.0-litre engine (£1457), air suspension (£2567),

■ Conversion: Rear steadies (£281), wind-out awning from(£873), cab insulating screens (£301), additional leisure battery (£308), alarm (£766), outside shower (£177), SOG toilet filter with roof-mounted outlet (£224), upholstery change from (£277)

E&OE

LIVE-IN TEST DATA CARTHAGO C-LINE 4.2

TYPE■ A-class coachbuilt

PRICE■ From: £64,219 OTR ■ As tested: £74,392 OTR

(both exchange rate dependent)

BASICS■ Vehicle: Fiat Ducato Al-Ko chassis cowl■ Berths: 4■ Three-point belted seats:

4 (including driver)■ Warranty: 2 years base vehicle, 3 years

conversion, 10 years water ingress

CONSTRUCTIONAlloy clad sandwich construction, with double floor, ABS/GRP mouldings, alloy skirts. Caravan entrance on UK offside, cab door on UK nearside

DIMENSIONS (*manufacturers figures)■ Length: 6.80m (22ft 4in)*■ Width: 2.27m (7ft 5.5in)*■ Height: 2.86m (9ft 4.5in)*■ Wheelbase: 3.80m (12ft 5.5in)■ Rear overhang: 2.03m (6ft 8in)■ Max authorised weight: 4250kg■ Payload: 1140kg (after allowance for

driver (75kg), 100 per cent fuel, 90 per cent fresh water and gas, mains hook-up lead)

INSIDE STORYDrop-down double bed and swivel cab seats with lounge. Nearside kitchen and wardrobe, offside fridge and washroom. Transverse fixed double bed over garage in rear

THE VEHICLE■ Engine: 3.0-litre turbo-diesel producing

115.5kW (157bhp) @ 3500rpm■ Transmission: Six-speed manual gearbox,

front-wheel drive■ Fuel consumption: 23.4mpg■ Brakes: Servo-assisted discs all round

with ABS and ASR ■ Suspension: Front: Independent with coil

springs. Rear: Independent with torsion bars■ Features: Driver’s airbag, electric window to

cab door, trip computer, variable windscreen wiper delay, electric mirrors, Aguti captain’s seats with integral seatbelts, adjustable steering column, central and driver’s side storage bins, pop-up map holder, 12V socket

LOUNGING AND DININGSwivelled cab seats, L-shaped sofa and side seat served by D-shaped fixed pedestal table with laterally-adjustable top

warm through some chilly nights.In keeping with the rest of this motorhome

widow blinds are all of the superior pleated kind with matching examples providing cab blackout. A neat concertina flyscreen also protects the caravan door. Lighting is comprehensive in almost all areas with lots of halogen downlighters in attendance. LED lights are fitted in the cab and beside the caravan door (downlighters and an ‘rope’ mood light), but I’d preferred to see more of these power-saving devices. Of course, this could be an easy DIY fix, as replacement LED bulbs are increasingly available.

With all this power-hungry kit fitted, I was

somewhat perturbed to discover only one modestly sized leisure battery. No matter, the battery locker has been designed to allow the fitting of a second - something I’d recommend. Any other glitches? Well, only one really: the tank drain taps are located under a hatch in the floor outside the washroom, but unfortunately the door fouls the hatch, making it a faff to lift and replace. Last, and by no means least, is the fact that Carthago supplies a reasonably comprehensive instruction manual, written in good English. This did not appear to be completely up to date, but included lots of useful information.

CHIC CONCLUSIONOne of the best A-class motorhomes I’ve had the pleasure to test, the Chic C-Line 4.2 looks stunning and is very nicely screwed together - the 10-year anti-leak warranty adding confidence. Compromises include modestly-sized lounge and washroom, but this is in part, down to the fact that this ‘van includes a large garage in a relatively modest overall length. Pure pleasure to drive, I’d order my C-Line with the optional 3.0-litre motor that’s one of the best at any price. It’s also worth noting that the extras-laden test ‘van still offered very good value for a motorhome of this quality and in these poor exchange rate times.