Romahome R40

THE ISLE OF WIGHTS FAVOURITE MOTORHOME BUILDER DARES TO BE DIFFERENT

Words and photos by John Page

At Romahome they have a quaint philosophy – to build their Micro Motorhomes of the best materials they can find to create a machine that is tough, practical and long lasting. They are not part of a large conglomerate, their Managing Director thrives on challenges and they really listen to their customers. The result is that they have a large loyal band of customers who stay with the marque. In fact R40 the biggest yet and first four-berth owes much to customer demand for a family vehicle that can provide for two children or grandchildren in addition to the grown ups. Collecting R40 from the Isle of Wight was an opportunity to find out whether the island still retains a certain peaceable other worldliness that we remembered from more than a decade ago.

Today the number of new Motorhome designs from the UK and mainland Europe is quite remarkable – a symptom though of the steady growth of the Motorhome market over the past decade. However true innovation and inspiration are relatively rare. Now and again however a vehicle appears that is the result of a fresh look at the market and R40 from Romahome is just such a vehicle. Famous for Micro Motorhomes for more than two decades they have now created their first four-berth Overcab model with a Monocoque GRP shell based on the superbly appointed Citroen Dispatch platform cab. The semi-integral design has achieved a very attractive body shape to match the Citroen front end beautifully. Inside that super looking body the placing of the furniture and the fittings are built in such a way that transforming the centre space to and from lounge/diner and sleeper is achieved with minimum effort and hassle. The fact that it also looks good and feels good is a by-product of the common-sense approach to Motorhome design.

Construction

With a history of GRP fabrication for boats and Micro Motorhomes spanning more than three decades the Romahome expertise in designing and producing the R40 is well proven. The body shell for instance is double skinned and insulated to give impressive structural integrity and, probably unique for the UK, with a ten-year warranty for the complete GRP component of the vehicle providing the owner follows a few simple procedures. The seat bases and the galley unit also of GRP are bonded to the shell and the lap and diagonal belts to the forward facing rear seats are anchored to the chassis through the body.

Cupboard and locker fronts of timber supply a warm contrast to the interior surfaces of white GRP and cream fabric wall coverings. There’s more to the various doors though – a type of hinge that prevents slamming by a progressive and positive closure that then holds them firmly and noiselessly in place. One of the reasons that our R40 in motion was almost uncannily quiet. For the electronics a touch pad with four programmes has all the functions at your fingertips and should you, like me, be wary of such devices, let me reassure you that the way it works is simple and obvious. It also gave us a smile by insisting that the ambient temperature was -34oC, the interior reading was spot on though. Impressive as part of the regular specification is the excellent diesel fuelled Webasto heater with its obvious to operate panel of hieroglyphics and indicator lights. Did we really need space heating in late May? Yes actually given the extraordinary mix of sunny spring with Monsoon Mary. Even warmth from four ducts was fine. Hooks in the washroom and its heating duct came in handy for drying our togs. Wide but shallow windows to either side of the lounge area are an ideal compromise between good views of the countryside and minimising heat loss. Seitz supply the smooth operating cassette windows with their insect proof fly screens and blinds.

ON THE ROAD

New kid on the block and voted international Van of the year 2008, Citroen’s Dispatch is quite something in terms of specification and technology. But then as a Citroen owner from the year dot I would say that wouldn’t I? You can’t deny though that technically they’ve been ahead of the pack sine the 1930s. This however is 2008 when the Dispatch is the first compact light commercial to be fitted as standard with Trafficmaster satellite navigation and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking systems. ABS and EBA are standard with optional ESP and Electronic roll mitigation. The R40 Dispatch base vehicle is a long wheelbase chassis platform of 2963kg maximum load capacity and 368kg payload. That payload figure applying to our demonstrator prototype is due to be upgraded on production models as a result of modifications to the somewhat massive tables and sliding wardrobes.

Power unit is a 2-litre, 120bhp OHDi turbo diesel to the front wheels via six-speed transmission and sat in this cab you are likely to feel that it is the most carlike Motorhome cab to date. The seats are superb, pilot and navigator have air bags and the entertainment part of the Kenwood Smartnav includes the best, most obvious and therefore least distracting Radio/CD controls I’ve yet seen.

Suspension for the front wheels is Macpherson type plus the roll bar, matched for the rear wheels by independent coil sprung trailing arm suspension including a transverse beam, offset Panhard rod and inclined hydraulic dampers. Bit of a mouthful that but the idea supplies a pleasantly progressive ride quality that keeps firmly on course.

Our motoring was all via the Island roads so there was little opportunity to achieve sixth gear and fifth only for short periods but the overall feel and ride quality made for a pleasant ride all round. Newport in the rush hour was our busiest traffic experience but even that was a jolly compared to mainland city traffic warfare.

AT EASE

A versatile lounge this, to arrange as a four-seat diner around twin tables – as two couches to seat six or, for two only, feet up and lean back against the bulkheads. Additional peace and quiet can be had in the privacy of the cabs seats facing forward although a swivel for the passenger seat is available as an option. Cappucino, Espresso or Latte are the trim options and ours was the latter, a sort of creamy beige, with an easy to live with minimalist abstract pattern to it. Add the clever walnut type facings for the lockers and the whole is at once stylish but friendly. Cool operating LED spotlights throughout are Eco friendly and those in the washroom and upstairs sleeper are operated by touch. These worked well once we discovered that ones’ fingers needed to be damp to make the contact. Heating, necessary on one night only, took about 12 minutes to get up steam and thereafter maintained a steady 18oC with the control set at 50%. Radio, TV, the water pump, and the two banks of lighting, plus metering are all controlled from the touch pad monitor unit but with an overriding isolating switch immediately inside the entrance door. It was also possible to use the panel to remotely control the radio at night rather than scramble through into the cab.

After experimenting we found the most comfortable day time arrangement of seats was to have a single dinette at the offside for our meals, or as a desk, with the nearside a straightforward couch on which to sprawl, spread out the maps and newspapers or tackle the day’s crossword. Three types of foam give the cushions plenty of supportive resilience, tried and tested during the hours when these notes were put together.

Sleeping

Without a manual but with a high level briefing mostly remembered we set about transforming the variously shaped cushions into a wall-to-wall double bed transversely across the gangway. Actually it all fitted together rather well as neat as a jigsaw puzzle and immovable when completed. Were you a restless sleeper then by pressing all the cushions into use it is possible to create a Kingsize 1.93m by 1.84m double. A third less labour intensive scheme is to drop both tables into the gap between the seat bases on either side and use two of the backrest cushions to complete twin single beds with a gangway between. With window and roof light blinds pulled and the well-made curtains to the cab drawn the interior is quite snug. Over the cab a reasonably generous 1.84m long by 1.22m wide double has sufficient space to accommodate two compatible younger people who gain access from the ladder. A small side window can supply the ventilation and bed is permanently in situ. For us the space was used for rucksacks, camera gear, outdoor tackle and anything else that would look untidy downstairs. Useful at night time was the pair of spotlights independently wired just outside the washroom to be used by the considerate person who might otherwise stumble and wake whoever was sleeping soundly. Our only niggle was the habit of the control panel to switch itself off to conserve energy during the night, causing a sleepy walk to the master control to get it back on tune again.

KITCHEN MACHINERY

Considerately planned all round with a good expanse of worktop, and dedicated stowage for the implements and the utensils. No crude plastic cutlery drawer or space for pots any old how but decent wooden drawers that shut securely for travel. A deep sink also, large enough to wash a dinner plate in, and with a substantial mixer tap. A thoroughly efficient cooker with medium size oven and three-burner hob unit had the pot drawer neatly tucked beneath it. Dispelling the usual kitchen vapours was dealt with briskly by a turbo in/out two-speed fan over the area – rather more versatile perhaps than a conventional extractor for the job. Three spotlights were better than ample right above the scene of activities. Twin mains sockets placed well away from the plumbing and out of the reach of young children underline the common sense approach and so, overall we were impressed with the thinking behind one of the best of galleys for 2008. Spice racks due to be fitted on the wall below the roof lockers will add the finishing touch to production vehicles.

WASHROOM

A well-made sliding door for access makes sense where space is restricted and the same logic applies to the folding wash basin. Were it fixed then inevitably it would be much smaller than this one. At a sensible height for all ages the shower faucet and its controls were ideal. Wipe clean surfaces all round, hooks on which to dry wet clothes and a mirror at the right height to shave by were all plus points. We would have liked a rather deeper wall cabinet and some form of shower mat but the latter will be supplied as a standard item. Temporary murky weather on the spring bank holiday was the trigger to switch on the blown air heater for a while – totally effective to keep the entire Motorhome including the washroom comfortably warm.

STOWAGE

The capacity is unlikely to be a problem given the space under all the seats, the large area above the overcab bed, the roof locker array and a pair of slide-out wardrobes just outside the washroom. Kitchen stowage space is decidedly ample for the food and the machinery. Under the cab roof and therefore almost completely hidden is a lipped shelf for documents and anything else you may want to keep hidden. You need to look carefully in the cab for other useful nooks and crannies.

Summary

Romahome’s foray into the four-berth Motorhome sector is a landmark for the independent Isle of Wight constructor. As with all prototypes there will be a number of items to be fine tuned including the introduction for a swivel for the cab passenger seat, additional shelves for the galley, as well as some simplification of the double bed make-up with lighter tables when they are used as supports for the bed cushions. We have suggested that a small increase in price of £164.50 to cover the cost of changing the air bag status from option to standard feature would be welcome by all. A small price to pay for the potential safety of one’s other half. R40 is a refreshing change from the armies of vehicles currently using one of many variations to the conventional Chassis cab types and, like other Citroen machines through the ages, the R40 by Romahome dares to be different.

TECHNICAL DATA

Vehicle specification: Romahome R40, four-berth Overcab Motorhome.

Price of vehicle tested: £39,898.50

Vehicle kindly loaned for testing by: Romahome Ltd. Prospect Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 7AD

CONVERSION

Overall length: 5.90m

Overall width: 2.10m excl mirrors

Overall height: 2.77m

MPTLM: 2963kg

PAYLOAD: 368kg

Construction: double skinned GRP with insulation

Fresh water capacity: 61-litres

Waste water capacity: 64-litres

Gas storage capacity: one 6kg and one-3.9kg cylinders

Auxiliary battery: 85ah

Refrigerator: Dometic 97-litre capacity

Water and space heater: Webasto diesel fuelled thermostatic heater with blown air system

Lighting: twelve LED spotlights

Upholstery: Latte fabric with abstract pattern

Other equipment fitted: Kenwood sat nav and tracker system incorporating radio and CD player, cab air con’, passenger air bag, ABS, remote central locking

BASE VEHICLE

Type: Citroen Dispatch long wheelbase platform cab

Power unit: two-litre OHDi turbo diesel

Maximum power: 120bhp @ 4000rpm

Maximum Torque: 300Nm @ 2000rpm

Transmission: six-speed manual to front wheels

Steering: power assisted rack and pinion

Braking system:  servo assisted system to all wheel discs with ABS and EBA

PERFORMANCE

Fuel consumption: 32mpg estimated

Maximum speed: 80mph estimated

Comfortable cruising speed: 60-65mph