Pilote Profile P670
FANTASTIC PACIFIC, LOOKS GOOD and DOES YOU GOOD
Words and photos by John Page
About the only thing that hasn’t changed for 2008 is the fundamental well-proven layout. Obviously the backroom boys have stepped back and considered in depth how they can give an already popular profile Motorhome that something extra. How to improve the way it works and to give it a fresh look. They have achieved their aims in considerable style as we’ll see. Essentially, our P670 Reference is in the mid price range of Pilote Motorhomes, has a length of 6.75m, with generous space for a family of four to co-exist comfortably en route, on site and asleep. Conservative in appearance as befits the premier French constructor with a shape dedicated to low wind noise and potentially favourable low fuel consumption.
Our plan was to make for the Caravan Club’s Losehill site in Derbyshire, which was full, so it was reliable Clumber Park again – that also was surprisingly busy given the dank weather. Testing, it’s not always possible to book ahead. For those who don’t know Clumber it is 4,000 acres of wonderful forest, meadowland and lakes with paths and cycle tracks through it all. A gem for active families.
Construction
Designed specifically for Motorhomes, the Peugeot medium wheelbase chassis cab on which the P670 is built has all the fixing points necessary to make sure that the complete structure forms a rigid unit. Peer underneath and the way it is all bolted together is reassuring. New skirts, the complete rear end and the powered entrance step are again well engineered. GRP is used for the roof cladding, the swept back shape above the cab and the back panel, with flat aluminium side panels. Sandwich construction includes Styrofoam insulation bonded to the exterior surfaces and a floor thickness of 36mm. On the inside there is a sturdy feel to all the furniture and fittings whether it be seat frames, cupboards or roof lockers, the latter unusually deep and wide. Thirteen sturdy spotlight plus an awning light are of a new type that avoids undue heat in operation. Fly screens integral to the pleated blinds operate more smoothly than anything seen before and should make it virtually impossible for flying wee beasties to make an entrance. The three roof vents including a large wind-up Heki type were simple and smooth in use.
GETTING MOBILE
Given the width of the cab doors and the wide running boards, climbing aboard will be easy even for the handicapped. Sit yourself down and if you can’t find a completely comfortable driving position relative to the dashboards and the controls then you probably haven’t found the neatly accessible adjustment levers that are part of the seat base. Massive rear view mirrors complete with power defrost provide a great view to the rear on both sides and as there is no rear window you’ll need to get used to relying on those mirrors. After all if the driver of a 44-ton artic can function without a rear view mirror so should we be able to. Deep effective sun visors did the job even with a diabolically low winter sun and they have sufficient area for the long and the short to use them effectively. In Motorhome terms the incidental noise level from the tyres and the airflow was encouragingly muted at up to 70mph. Engine noise partly muffled by the sound proofing under the bonnet and against the engine bulkhead qualified as low compared to any similar size Profiles tried by us during the last twelve months. Good enough for us to enjoy some easy listening from the occasional pop vocalists who use real words that can be identified as originating from the English language. A real benefit on several damp cold mornings was the cab air conditioning – in a few minutes after switch on, with the controls set at full warm and directed at the windscreen, we were clear to take-off. Normal engine temperature by the time we’ve reached the A1 and time to move quickly through the gears until the Speedo reads 70ish and the rev counter 2,600rpm. Not a rattle or a squeak from behind and a firm ride quality that stays that way even passing close to some of the seriously large trucks. And, for the most part the truck pilots tend to respond quickly to my light flicker that’s it’s clear to pull out and a later signal of their lights to say “thanks mate.” Less thoughtful road behaviour lies with some white van drivers who seem to reckon the speed limit is somewhere between 75 and 95mph!
An interesting but thoroughly practical quirk of these new Peugeot and Fiat special Motorhome chassis is the rear wheel track of 1980mm compared to the front wheel measurement of 1810mm. A handy extra 170mm to allow a decent body width but something to be mindful of when you’re close to the kerb or the verge.
TAKING IT EASY
You can’t find fault with the shape and comfort of the cab seats when they’re rotated into lounge chair mode. And while the dinette twin seat can’t match that, this 2008 version has far better shape and support than ever before. New materials also provide a cushion filling that stays firm and texture of the fabric that remains cool and comfortable. Walk into this lounge for the first time and if you’re not impressed then your sense of the aesthetics is not finely tuned. Some clever person or persons have designed the interior as a complete entity – with warm colours throughout, from floor to ceiling and wall-to-wall. Check out the lockers – enough space to stash all the gear and clothes two people might need even for a few weeks at a time. They all close firmly and open without effort. A goodly wardrobe with a couple of deep drawers under is handily close to the washroom.
The engineering of the table, the fixings and the extension manoeuvre are all straightforward, with loads of space for two or up to five to eat with the extension pushed into place. The matt surface laminate top of the table to match the galley worktops is another practical item. Late January was cold and wet most of the time so the new type Truma heater was in use most of the time on a setting of three that kept the temperature at a nicely comfortable 18oC. Most efficient and quiet in use but why was the control switch barely visible in the cutlery drawer? I have theory for that – a deliberate mistake no less to compensate for the excellence elsewhere leading to journalistic excess that might embarrass the Pilote hierarchy?
Sleeping
I can remember when I thought and quoted an opinion that fixed beds were for the feeble – a waste of space no less. I’m converted, they cut out all the hassle at bedtime, can be used to leave all sorts of gear on during the day, are useful for a nap anytime and create a warehouse underneath for all the gear that normally clutters up the living space during the day. Boots, barbecue, cables, fishing tackle, etc, etc, it will all fit there nicely. And you can lift the bed on its struts from inside for access. True, the electric trip switches and main fuse box are also down there but they are accessible at that point. The mattress is luxuriously deep, firm and superbly comfortable, has reading lights easily reachable and small corner shelves for your specs and watches you need to be handy. For two extra crew who may be along, the dinette plus extra cushions stashed downstairs make up into a double bed of 1.20m width and 2.20m length. Privacy between the two sleeping compartments is by a sliding partition that encloses the fixed bed and the washroom.
THE FOOD MACHINERY
Staying true to the concept of an angled kitchen as a chef friendly layout, the 2008 arrangement is designed around an English style cooker and new look 150-litre Dometic fridge/freezer. It proved to be ideal in terms of the worktop area and generous stowage capacity for food and the machinery to prepare it. Lighting directly above the working area was also well placed, although the 12 and 240v sockets immediately above the hob were not ideal. An ideal alternative would be towards the window end of the worktop, although one can appreciate that keeping the all the galley wiring together makes sense from a constructional viewpoint. The detachable draining board is logical to make the most of every square centimetre of prep’ space. Often ignored but totally realistic here were two waste containers – a compact one with lift out bucket flush with the laminate top for food scraps and a larger one integral with the entrance door for packaging, kitchen towels and similar. We did use the oven for a stew and two hobs frequently for heating the broth and our stainless steel retro looking but highly efficient kettle. The cutlery drawer was deep enough to accommodate every bit of our galley toolkit plus odds and ends and the much deeper drawer underneath took nearly all the non-perishable food plus a baguette sack. Twin mixer taps for the washroom and the galley were quality items that didn’t dribble and last but not least this kitchen sink was plenty big enough not to create a drama.
WASHROOM
Making full advantage of the good internal width of the P670 allows not only the full 1.38m width of the double bed but also one of the most spacious of washrooms alongside it. Clever shaping of the washroom wall has also helped to create space. Intelligent design has made the very most of the space with a splendid wash basin complete with a decent diameter pivoting plug and plenty of space for your tooth mug and any other clobber that is normally used in the washroom. The shower cubicle with elbow room completes the picture and it only remains to say; “all makers of toy town washrooms in Motorhomes please copy.”
STOWAGE POTENTIAL
Within an overall length of only 6.75m (22’0) this Motorhome is awash with lockers and stowage capacity. And apart from the obvious vast space under the bed and the profusion of drawers and lockers throughout there is also a through vehicle ski or fishing tackle locker low down to the rear of the vehicle. Easy of access is the gas locker with two 13kg cylinders and a changeover valve and, for those who have yet to experience the new Peugeots and Fiats, their cabs have bags of space for maps, documents and travel information.
SUMMARY
If all the 2008 Pilotes have been subjected to this degree of upgrading the quality and bringing about a sea change in user friendliness then the competition will have to watch out. Not only does this new character for the P670 look great all round, it also represents one of the most thorough going fresh approach to the business of going camping with a Motorhome that we’ve been associated with for some time. Either the Pilote team have been canvassing owners in depth to find out what campers deem important or, the designers and computer analysts have been turned away from their computers to spend time in the field literally. The machine is undoubtedly value for money even though the Euro isn’t kind to us at the moment but when the chips are down real value for money is still the best criteria.
TECHNICAL DATA
Vehicle specification: Pilote P670 Profile, four berth Motorhome
Price of vehicle tested: £43,990 (extra £1,600 for 160HP engine)
Vehicle kindly loaned for testing by: Pilote UK, Walsall Road Darlaston, West Midlands, WS10 9SS. Tel: 0121 526 3433
CONVERSION
Overall length: 6.75m
Overall width: 2.36m
Overall height: 3.00m
MPTLM: 3500kg
PAYLOAD: 510kg
Construction: aluminium side panels, GRP roof and rear panel. Styrofoam insulation
Fresh water capacity: 130-litres
Waste water capacity: 80-litres
Gas storage capacity: two x 13kg cylinders
Auxiliary battery: 105ah
Refrigerator: Dometic 150-litre fridge/freezer for gas/12v/240v
Water heating and space heating: new type Truma gas/electric 6000w Combi heater.
Lighting: 13 spotlights in total
Upholstery: Ambre bronze and gold warm texture fabric
Other equipment fitted: cab air con’, radio/CD player, TV locker with connections, prewiring for solar panels, interior gas shut off control, electric mirrors with power defrost.
BASE VEHICLE
Type: Peugeot Boxer medium wheelbase special Motorhome chassis cab.
Power unit: 2.3litre JTD 130bhp motor
Maximum power: 130bhp @ 3500rpm
Maximum torque:
Transmission: six-speed manual transmission to front wheels
Steering: power assisted rack and pinion
Braking system: dual circuit servo assisted system to four-wheel disc wheels, with ABS
PERFORMANCE
Fuel consumption: estimated 26mpg
Maximum speed: estimated 85mph
Comfortable cruising speed: 60-70mph
