Motorhome test: Caravans International Elliot 98

A dozen or so days ago I had the opportunity to test a Caravans International camper in the version with an alcove. The Elliot 98 model was made available for testing by Camper Planet from Bielsko Biała, a dealer of vehicles of this Italian brand. We described the entire Elliot series more generally in the CI Elliot article - Ford Transit for your holidays .

Since the new Ford Transit was created and companies building campers started using its chassis in the production of new models, I heard only about the advantages of this solution, so I wanted to test it even more. I must also add that I like the silhouette of the Ford Transit and its large grill much more than the common Fiat Ducato. Below I described my impressions from using this vehicle for several days.

Route, fuel consumption and weight of the camper

Since we haven't been in a camper near our beautiful capital yet, we decided to go there and check the conditions at Camping 222 in Kaputy and Camping WOK in Warsaw itself. I can recommend both places to anyone looking for high-standard campsites.

During the entire route Bielsko-Biała -> Kaputy -> Siedlce -> Zegrze -> Warsaw -> Kluczbork -> Bielsko-Biała we covered 1,250 km and slept in the camper for three nights. The average fuel consumption of the camper during the entire route, which included various types of roads, was 12.5l/100km. I consider this a very good result for a car with an alcove, especially since this time my driving style could be considered rather energetic.

Before leaving, I weighed the camper on a digital scale and was ready to drive, with a full fuel tank (80 l) and a full clean water tank (100 l). Without luggage, passengers and driver, it weighed 3,050 kg. It is worth noting that the camper was already equipped with a wide four-meter Omnistor awning and 130W solar panels, which also increase the weight.

Engine and driving characteristics

And now we're getting to the point where I can shout "wow!" The 2.0 EcoBlue engine that meets the EURO 6 emission standard with a sensational power of 170 HP and 405 Nm of torque performs beautifully. This unit not only operates very quietly, but also performs perfectly when climbing hills. And this is even when fully loaded with five passengers on board. The power reserve is large enough to enable very flexible use of the gearbox.

The chassis is completely different than the commonly used Fiat Ducato. Despite its large dimensions and high curb weight, the camper holds the road very well and corners brilliantly (even at higher speeds).

I can say with full confidence that the Ford Transit with this engine is my current favorite when it comes to chassis used in campers. It is also worth noting that thanks to the small engine capacity, we can save a lot when registering a vehicle in Poland. In this case, the excise duty is only 3.1%, not 18.6%, as is the case for engines with a capacity of over two liters.

Interior layout, comfort and equipment

Like every camper with an alcove, this one also has a lot of space in the living area. In the left part of the vehicle there are two rows of seats facing each other and separated by a table. Unfortunately, like most other vehicles of this type, there are no drink holders here, which effectively disqualifies putting open drinks on the table while driving. It's a pity, because it is quite simple and a very useful feature. Above the seats there are two very capacious, lockable clothes cabinets, consisting of two shelves.

To the right of the entrance door there is a large wardrobe for hanging clothes and a smaller cabinet downstairs. There is still a lot of space above the wardrobe, so you can easily transport other items there, and the edges above the wardrobe will safely protect the items from falling while driving.

Just above the cab there is a huge bed in an alcove that can be raised, which greatly facilitates communication between the driver's and passenger's places and the living area.

Writing about the cab, I must add that Ford designed the dashboard and cockpit very nicely. The standard steering wheel is covered with leather and is equipped with cruise control and radio controls. There are plenty of storage compartments - they are exactly where they should be and they are the right size. And what deserves the greatest praise is the glove compartment in the dashboard, where there is a 12 V charging input. If we want to connect navigation, the charging cable no longer has to hang in front of the radio, but is beautifully hidden in the windshield. During the same trip, I tested the Mio Drive 65 LM Truck navigation - the test description can be found here: MiVue Drive 65 LM navigation test: navigation and camera in one .

The handbrake lever, located on the left side of the driver's seat, has a very interesting solution. After pulling it, the bar returns to the horizontal position so as not to interfere when leaving the car.

On the left side of the entrance to the camper there is a kitchen area, above which there are two clothes cabinets - the same size as those mounted above the table. And at the end of the camper, the width of the entire car, there is a double bed, around which there are also a lot of closed cabinets for clothes. On the left side of the vehicle, between the bed and the seats, there is a quite large bathroom.

Everything is arranged very nicely and combined with the colors used (dark, brown furniture and light upholstery and cabinet fronts) it looks quite nice. However, I don't know whether light upholstery will be practical.

When it comes to travel comfort, while there is nothing to complain about in the cab, the living area (where there are seats with belts for passengers) gets quite noisy while driving. This is probably due to poor vehicle insulation. The seats themselves are not super comfortable, especially because the mattresses come out from under the butt, which is caused by a very weak system for locking them while driving. Sometimes I could hear a creaking noise coming from the alcove, which was particularly annoying for the driver (and not at night J), but I still don't know why. The sound sometimes stopped and sometimes reappeared, regardless of the type of road we were currently traveling on.

Sleeping area

Above the cab, in the alcove, there is a very large bed (1960x1450mm), which is wide enough to comfortably sleep three people. Unfortunately, there is a small gap in the middle of the bed, which makes it difficult to sleep comfortably in the middle, so only two people can count on comfort. On one side of the bed there is an opening window with a blind and a mosquito net, thanks to which you can easily regulate the flow of fresh air.

The second permanent bed with dimensions (2070x1330mm) is located in the rear part of the vehicle and can also comfortably accommodate two adults. An interesting solution is the ability to adjust the height, which allows you to increase or decrease the capacity of the large garage located under the bed. If we want to transport tall items (such as a scooter or a bicycle), just place the bed higher. But after such a maneuver, we will have to use a ladder to climb onto the mattress. At its highest point, the edge of the bed will be 130 cm (which gives a garage 130 cm high) from the floor level, and if we lower it all the way, it will be only 95 cm high.

A third bed for two people is created by lowering the table located between the two rows of armchairs and rearranging the mattresses accordingly. After such a maneuver, a bed with dimensions of 1250x1886mm will be created.

A very good solution in both fixed beds is a safety net installed immediately, thanks to which anything placed on the mattress will not fall while driving. This way you can also protect small children while they sleep.

An equally nice solution are the curtains in the alcove, which allow you to darken the bed if someone wants to go to sleep, while other travel companions prefer to sit in the living area with the light on.

Among the additional equipment, I missed roller blinds on the cab windows that would allow the windows to be quickly covered when parked, and parking air conditioning. However, if someone wants to install air conditioning, this will not be a problem because there are three windows installed in the roof. One of them can be replaced with a cooling device.

The camper was equipped with solar panels, which made us independent of access to the electricity grid. When we connected to the electricity network, we immediately noticed that the external power connection was located in an inconvenient place, more or less under the middle of the awning, i.e. near the place where people walk most often or where the table is set up. I think it would be better if the connection was on the other side of the camper.

External lighting on the awning side is only available as an accessory - this is also quite difficult for me to understand, since such lighting is used almost as often as headlights in a car.

A very big minus is the number of electrical sockets - I found only two. Unfortunately, I did not find any USB sockets that would allow you to charge phones while parked without a 230 V mains connection. The only solution was to use a USB adapter plugged into the 12 V input, which was located above the entrance door to the living area.

Kitchen

The kitchen is large and very comfortable to use, mainly due to the large countertop located to the left of the stove. The three burners can be closed with a glass cover, thanks to which the entire countertop, when not cooking, can reach dimensions of 140x60cm.

Under the countertop there are two very large drawers in which we can easily fit all the necessary dishes and pots. Both dish drawers have very nice, smaller drawers for smaller items, such as cutlery, cloths or garbage bags.

Well, garbage bags... it's a pity that Elliot's producer didn't immediately think about installing a garbage can. Some manufacturers place them right in the entrance door - unfortunately, there was no such facility here.

On the right side of the kitchen there is a very large and fantastic refrigerator that operates in three ranges (12 V, 230 V and gas). Fantastic - mainly because of the lower drawer, which can be easily pulled out and placed large bottles of drinks in a vertical position. I definitely recommend this solution.

Bathroom

The bathroom is also quite large and comfortable. It has a separate shower cabin, a Tethford cassette toilet and a washbasin with a cabinet underneath. The only downside I noticed was the poorly designed shower door. If their central part is pushed out too far, water dripping from the door may escape outside the shower tray, which in turn may lead to a small flood. This must be remembered.

Storage compartments and trunk

I consider the number of storage compartments in the camper to be sufficient to accommodate the luggage of all passengers. A very spacious garage with adjustable height is very practical and allows you to freely select large equipment needed for your vacation. Unfortunately, as is often the case in a camper, our freedom in packing is significantly limited by the vehicle's GVM, which is 3.5 tons. Taking into account the weight of the vehicle in ready-to-drive condition, there is only 450 kg left for luggage and passengers. The solution may be to travel without fresh water, which will save us an additional 100 kg.

Summary

Taking into account the fact that campers manufactured by Caravans International do not belong to the premium segment, and are therefore available at relatively low prices, much can be forgiven. I think the Elliot 98 model is a very good camper. Especially in combination with the Ford chassis and a fantastic engine, it is a camper worth recommending to all those who want to start their adventure with caravanning and are looking for a new, large and affordable vehicle.

I can also strongly recommend Camper Planet to anyone interested in renting or purchasing campers of this brand, which has a very nice and professional staff, which guarantees successful purchases and the highest level of after-sales service.

I liked:

• Ford Transit chassis
• 2.0 170 HP engine
• cockpit
• leather steering wheel as standard
• glove compartment with 12V input
• nice storage spaces in the cab
• raised bed in the alcove
• safety nets next to beds
• large bathroom
• large garage with adjustable height
• drawer in the refrigerator.

I would like it more if:

• blinds were installed on the front windows
• the central lock also closed the door to the living area
• the alcove didn't creak
• the shower door did not allow water to leak out
• external lighting above the entrance was installed as standard
• the electricity connection was located on the other side of the camper,
• loudspeakers were installed in the living area,
• there is a waste bin in the kitchen,
• there were more electrical sockets and at least one USB.