Motorhome test: Pilote P716 Essentiel

On the occasion of the trip to the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, we had the opportunity to check for ourselves how the semi-integrated motorhome of the French brand Pilote, model P716, works. Below we present the first, but certainly not the last motorhome test that we will conduct for you.

We received the vehicle from the exclusive distributor of the Pilote brand in Poland - CarGO! Rent a Camp from Poznań . Our copy was built and registered in 2015, and at the beginning of the test its odometer showed 30,000. mileage.

The route and burning of the motorhome

The camper crew consisted of two adults and a 10-month-old child. For 11 days we traveled the route Poznań –> Düsseldorf –> Amsterdam –> Hamburg –> Potsdam –> Poznań, driving a total of 2100 km.

On highways we usually traveled at a speed of 110-115 km/h, where fuel consumption was 11-11.5 l/100 km. When driving faster (approx. 130 km/h), consumption should be assumed at the level of 13 l/100 km.

The average fuel consumption of the motorhome from the entire route was 11.5 l/100 km, which I consider a very good result, especially if we take into account that the weight of the vehicle with passengers, luggage, full water and fuel tanks was almost 3.5 tons.

Engine and driving characteristics

The motorhome we tested was built on the most popular motorhome chassis, i.e. the Fiat Ducato. The 130 hp 2.3 MultiJet engine performed very well throughout the test.

More power (150HP versions are available) could be useful only during typical mountain journeys or when towing, for example, a trailer with a motorboat (a motorhome can tow trailers with a DMC of 2.5 t). However, if you are not planning trips to the mountains, this power is enough.

Pilote P716 also performed very well when cornering on smaller access roads, which was influenced by the very good distribution of weight (thanks to the engineers from the Pilote factory).

Interior layout, comfort and equipment

Pilote motorhomes are considered premium class vehicles, especially when it comes to interior finishing. The whole building was made in such a way that even after 30 thousand. km there was no creaking or knocking sound. Almost! If we were to pick on something, it would be the softly creaking system of the suspended bed. However, as we have already seen at the Caravan Salon 2016 - in the new Pilote models this system has been changed, so the problem has probably been solved.

All upper cabinets are made of polished wood, which confirms the high quality. Drawers, locks and furniture doors worked flawlessly and there was no need to close them several times. The interior of the motorhome is very well lit through a large roof window located above the driver and through the other two openable roof windows (one in the kitchen area and one in the sleeping area). During the day, there is no need to use any additional indoor lighting.

In the roof window located directly above the suspended bed, a very efficient Dometic Fresh JET 1700 air conditioning has been installed, which can be used after connecting the vehicle to the electricity network when parked. It was very useful during the heat that prevailed in Düsseldorf (35 degrees in the shade).

Unfortunately, its use requires lowering the upper bed by approx. 10 cm, which may slightly disturb taller people when walking around the vehicle, and if we plan to use the air conditioning while sleeping, it may be a nuisance for people sleeping on this bed.

Both the roof and side windows have very nice, pleated blinds that allow partial or complete covering of the windows. All windows are made of double acrylic, which is of great importance due to the insulation.

The interior lighting was made entirely in LED technology. It has been arranged in such a way that the perfect light power can be obtained just where we need it. And in the evening we can create a very pleasant atmosphere. Even in the wardrobe there is a small lamp that adequately illuminates the interior - thanks to this, there is no need to turn on another light when we want to quickly reach for a piece of clothing.

The camper was equipped with swivel seats for the driver and passenger , thanks to which we could easily - depending on the needs - increase the number of comfortable seats at the table or increase the living space. When it comes to sitting at the table, we will spend time most comfortably in a group of up to four people, but up to six "revelers" can fit there.

When it comes to the comfort of people traveling in the back of the motorhome, I can definitely say that it is very comfortable. So much so that during the entire trip my wife came to see me, forward, just a few times and usually for a while. She was definitely more comfortable in the back.

We use a rear-facing car seat on a daily basis (we wrote more about it here: How to safely transport a child in a car? ). I was a little afraid that it would not be possible to mount it in this way in the motorhome - but it did not cause any problems. The only inconvenience is the inability to attach additional straps to the floor, but the seat was very stable even without it.

The car was additionally equipped with the ALDEN One Light 60 antenna with the option of automatic satellite search. Personally, I am not a fan of watching TV during caravanning trips, but after checking the device, I find that the system works very well and quickly picks up the satellites needed for reception. All you need is a decoder from an operator and you can watch your favorite programs like at home.

The control panel installed in the motorhome was equally easy to operate. In a simple way, I could check the filling level of all tanks, the state of charge of the batteries, or turn on or program the launch of the Truma Combi 6 gas heating, which heats both the water in the boiler and the interior of the motorhome.

Solar panels with a voltage regulator installed on the roof also operated maintenance-free and, if necessary, recharged the parking batteries. The 149L Thetfordo fridge (with a separate freezer compartment) had enough space to store food for the three of us, and when switched to automatic mode, it automatically selected the power source - gas when stationary, 12V when driving and 230V when connected to the mains.

Bedroom

The motorhome has been equipped with two fixed double beds and an additional double bed that requires unfolding and folding. At the very beginning we thought that the baby would sleep alone on the bed in the back, and me and my wife in the drop-down bed in the front of the vehicle, but the three of us slept without any problems on the semi-French bed in the back. Above the bed there are storage compartments for clothes, to which we had easy access, and the opening roof window allowed us to have perfect ventilation during sleep.

A second fixed but drop-down bed is located in the middle of the vehicle. Lowering and lifting is very simple, using the remote control. However, in order to lower them, you must first put the backrests of the sofa under it. A huge plus is that even in the lowered position, the bed does not block access to the front door in any way.

A third, folding and rather "occasional" bed is also located in the middle of the vehicle. In order to unfold them, you have to leave the table and "rebuild" the sofa. Unfortunately, in order to make it a fully valuable bed, we should carry additional mattresses in the luggage hold, which will take up a lot of space. This is especially important when we plan to travel with five people - and that's how many seats equipped with belts this motorhome has.

Kitchen

The kitchen in the motorhome was arranged in the shape of the letter L, which I consider an ideal layout. The 3-burner stove and sink have been covered with a glass top, thanks to which we have a lot of space to use when we are not cooking or washing up.

Cupboards for dishes placed above the kitchen and drawers under the countertop are of the right size and perfectly fulfill their functions. Because we love coffee, we carry an espresso machine with us. Unfortunately, it needs 230 V to operate, so we lacked a power inverter in the motorhome to use it "on the road". Of course, however, both the inverter and the coffee machine powered by 12 V are devices that can be equipped with your camping vehicle.

Bathroom

At first glance, the bathroom seems very small, but in practice it is quite enough. There is a baby bath in the shower, which was very important to us. Taking a shower by an adult is also not a problem. The bathroom is very well lit through the glass in the roof or - at night - through sufficiently bright LED lighting.

The tank for clean water (130 l) and dirty water (95 l) was enough for us for about 2-3 days with a daily shower of two adults, bathing our little traveler and sparingly washing dishes.

The Dometic cassette toilet performed just as well and emptying the cassette was no problem. We used Dometic PowerCare tablets for the toilet, which I consider a much more convenient and cleaner solution than liquid chemicals.

Storage compartments and trunk

The motorhome has a lot of cabinets for clothes and necessary things. In some compartments, the manufacturer has used useful solutions, such as bottle holders or, for example, wine glasses. The shoe storage is located at the very entrance to the motorhome.

Unfortunately, the main trunk initially seemed a bit too small for our "stuff", and there were plenty of them: a bicycle trailer for a child, a playpen, a stroller, two large boxes (64 l) of various things, two camping armchairs, a table and a gas grill. Well, but the most important thing is that with the right arrangement everything fits!

Test summary

After 11 days and nights spent in the Pilote P716 motorhome, I can say with a clear conscience that it is a very comfortable camping vehicle . I think it can be an ideal motorhome for a family with two children, but four adults will also travel comfortably. The manufacturer has paid a lot of attention to various details and small amenities that are of great importance in a motorhome. In fact, I can't wait to travel again with this manufacturer's motorhome.

I liked:

• high-quality interior finish,
• easy access to the trunk through the bed,
• automatically lowered/raised bed,
• a large number of lockers,
• fully automated heating, electricity and water control system,
• very good insulation and soundproofing,
• automatically extending footrest,
• drop-down bed that does not block the entrance to the motorhome.

I would like it better if:

• the pleats in the windows worked a little better (they didn't always fold in accordion),
• the lamp under the awning had power regulation (sometimes it seemed too strong),
• was equipped with a power inverter,
• you didn't have to leave your bed to use the air conditioning,
• the trunk was a little bigger,
• the rear seat had ISOFIX for quick installation of a child seat,
• keys and registration card stayed with me for longer.

We wrote more about Pilote Pacific motorhomes in this article: Pilote Pacific P716P - one of eighteen