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MOTORCARAVAN MOTORHOME MONTHLY MAY 2003 121

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German manufacturer Bürstner produces arange of low profile, overcab coachbuilt, andA-class motorhomes. The A747-2 is at the topof their A-series Fiat Ducato-based range, inboth size and price (bigger still is the Iveco-based A850). Whether it is a coincidence ornot, naming one of your largest motorhomes

‘747’ sums up its character neatly. It may notbe a jet, but it sure is a jumbo.

Let’s play tagThis model could be designed for people whowant the lot in terms of motorhome flexibility.At over eight metres long, the big Bürstner

makes an impact straight away, and the mainclue to its generous nature is the tag-axlechassis. Al-Ko provides the rearunderpinnings and two rear axles, to create asix-wheeler with a low chassis and largepayload. The bodywork is unremarkable,being a solid-looking plain sandwichconstruction coachbuilt with GRP luton, roofand rear panel. That low chassis frame allowsthe construction of a double floor with hugestorage and fully winterised plumbing. Sowhen you buy this Bürstner all-year-roundmotorcaravanning is included in the price.

Family ‘vanMake a list of desirable features you wouldlike to see in any ‘van and you will probablyfind them here. Large comfortable beds,good provision for lounging and dining,spacious kitchen with lots of work surface,washroom with separate shower, plus thatmodern motorhome 'must-have' - a garage.As with most imports, the cab may be right-hand drive, but the living quarters are laidout to suit driving and parking on the right -that is with the caravan door on the UKoffside.

This door is the first clue to the goodquality of design and construction. Its fit andfinish is excellent and it even has a two-pointlocking system and gas strut stay, rather thana nasty plastic hold-back clip. There are onlytwo keys on the keyring, one for the vehicleand one for the caravan. A suite of easy-to-use Seitz locks has been fitted - so you won’tspend time thinking up new swearwords as

Looking back from the luton. The deep blue and silver upholstery is relieved by sycamore-coloured wood. Light floodsinto the lounge/diner from the Heki 3 rooflight above.

BÜRSTNER OR BOEING?Dave Hurrell 'flies' the jumbo-sized Bürstner A747-2,with its first-class luxury and vast cargo hold

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you try to find the right key for a particularlocker. The double floor means it is two stepsup to the interior, and the first one is a single-tread electric item, while the second internalstep has the thoughtful inclusion of a coconutfibre doormat.

The six-berth layout is typicallyContinental, with the garage dictating a centrekitchen and washroom. Directly behind thelarge luton is the Pullman dinette, with a long

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View forward sees the washroom door on the right with generous, curvy kitchen opposite.

In the cab Bürstner have added captain’s chairs and ‘faux' wood trim. The rear camera system is an excellent addition,but its LCD monitor is poorly fitted to the centre of the dashtop.

Motive powerBolted securely to the Al-Ko chassis andgrafted on to the Bürstner bodywork is Fiat’sDucato cab - the most popular form of motivepower for the modern motorhome. Beneaththe bonnet lurk 127 horses of turbo-diesel

Curvy cupboards mean the oven ends up too high for easy use by most normal heighthumans.

sofa opposite. Next is the nearside L-shapedkitchen ahead of a two-door wardrobe, withthe washroom opposite. The garage fills therear, with a double bed located above it.

Decor is fresh and modern with sycamorefurniture finished with dark wood and silvertrim, while the upholstery is a stylish deepblue and silver with non-functioning decordrapes and the usual Continental net curtains.Blinds and flyscreens are fitted throughout.

Storage compartments are numerous and capacious andit’s just as well - food and drink for six takes a lot of space!

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power, every one of which will earn its keeppulling this large ‘van along the highway. Inthe cab there are no surprises from Fiat, withthe recently facelifted dash providing a myriadof heater/fresh air vents, and storage thatincludes a good-sized locking glovecompartment.

Electric windows and mirrors feature, alongwith cab door central locking, all adding tocomfort, safety and convenience. Bürstnerhave added ‘faux' wood to the dash, while thecaptain’s chairs are upholstered in the samematerial as the rest of the living area.Strangely, the passenger seat has a swivelfitted, but this is of little use as the doublefloor dictates that the cab is a good deallower than the living area and entirelyseparate from it.

The dash-mounted gearchange and right-hand handbrake are very welcome here, asentry to the rear is a tight squeeze - owing tothe step up, lack of a cab roof cutaway andthe protrusion of the dinette rear-facing seat.If you’re bigger than me (5ft 11in and mediumbuild) you may find access via the caravandoor the best option.

Another important addition to the cab is arear-view camera. There is no rearwardthrough-vision. So seeing tailgaters behindyou and reversing should be much easier witha camera. The system is also fitted with amicrophone and speaker, letting you hear aswell as see things directly behind.

However, I was not very impressed withthe standard of the installation, as the LCDmonitor had been poorly fixed to the pop-upmap holder in the middle of the dash(negating its use) and garnished with blackinsulating tape. Do make sure you’recompletely happy with any fitted extras beforeyou take delivery - this kind of thing wouldmake sure my dosh stayed in my wallet until itwas sorted.

Six wheels on my wagonIt is easy to be daunted by the size of this‘van and indeed you should consider carefullybefore you take on a motorhome that willrequire two parking spaces in the average carpark and has the character of a small truck.Once on the road, all the well-known traits ofthe Ducato make themselves known. Powerfulbrakes, well-weighted power steering, and asimply superb gearchange are all there,making this large vehicle surprisingly easy todrive.

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The large sofa opposite the dinette gives an excellent dining/lounging combination. With a lighter stowable table thisarea could gain much-needed floor space.

Lounge and dineThe combination of Pullman dinette with sofaopposite is dominated by the free-standingtable. Although large and heavy, it could, intheory, be moved to open up the area forlounging, but its bulk and weight mean that (inpractice) it will have to stay where it is.

A lift-up flap extends the table's length,allowing diners to reach it from the sofa. Sixpeople could eat here, at a pinch, withcomfortable dining for five being the norm.The table has a massively engineered frameand a mechanism that lowers the top to halfheight to bridge the gap between the dinetteseats to become part of the bed base. I wouldhave preferred to see a lighter table withdedicated stowage so that it could beremoved to open up the lounge and make thisarea - which lacks floor space - more versatile.

The longitudinal sofa is over six feet longand benefits from a sprung stave base andbackrest, making it the perfect place to relaxwith your feet up. Be prepared to fight to get it!

A TV locker is mounted high up, directlyabove the rear-facing dinette seat and hasslide-out shelf, but no turntable. Watchingfrom the sofa or forward-facing dinette seat ispossible but could turn out to be a neck-aching experience. Some manufacturers nowprovide TV lockers that lower the set to amore comfortable viewing height and it wouldhave been great to see an arrangement likethat here. In this situation the mostcomfortable way to watch telly will be whilereclining on the luton bed.

KitchenA six-berth motorhome needs a decent galleyif all the occupants are to be properly fed andwatered, and this L-shaped offering scoreshighly, with plenty of practical work surface.Eliminating pan-juggling and swearing, thiswill go a long way to keeping cook happy. Thecurvy nature of the kitchen has not helped theBürstner designers in their ‘where the heckcan we put the oven that the Brits love somuch’ dilemma. The Smev oven and grill is avision in stainless steel and, apart from havingno spark ignition, works brilliantly.Unfortunately, as it is mounted high up on theright-hand side - you’ll need a stepladder tosee what’s cooking. With the ever increasingnumber of Continental motorhomes findingtheir way to these shores I think it’s time thatmanufacturers started designing-in ovensfrom the beginning. You may not want to useone in the barbecue season, but slow-cooked

In common with many, the TV locker is mounted too high for comfortable viewing from anywhere but the luton bed.

With four rear wheels paired one behindthe other, roadholding is superb and itcorners as if on rails, with no noticeable leanwhile tackling fast roundabouts. Increasedpayload, it seems, is not the only benefit ofthe fitted tag-axle. Rearward vision isadequate through the external mirrors, withthe rear-view camera allowing you to seedirectly behind, although strong sunlight canmake the LCD screen difficult to see attimes.

Pulling power and acceleration is good,but the very high top gear fitted to the DucatoMaxi seems to have met its match here, and Ispent long periods in fourth. A lower ratio topgear or final drive would make the gearboxmore useful, as the amount of time when topgear can be used will be even less when thevehicle is fully loaded (to a maximum weightof five tonnes).

Passengers are well catered for with fourthree-point restraints fitted to the forward andrearward-facing dinette seats, giving a total ofsix belted travelling seats including those inthe cab. The CD/radio is a Blaupunkt unit andhas matching speakers in the lounge area. Italso works with the ignition switched off foron-site entertainment.

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beef in red wine would probably go down verywell after an energetic day on the piste!

The rest of the kitchen gets top marks,with a good-sized cutlery drawer and loads ofstorage above and below, plus theaforementioned curvy cupboards making itlook stylish and modern. The stainless steelthree-burner hob has a flush glass lid tofurther extend the preparation area and thematching drainer-less circular sink has a fittedplastic chopping board that enhances thisversatile and spacious work area.

A large Dometic Powerfridge completes apicture that allows the storage andpreparation of enough food to keep five of theresidents insisting that burping is correctmotorhome etiquette when thanking the cookfor a lovely meal!

WashroomA fully winterised motorhome with separateshower is a really good idea. After all, stayingin for a douche has to be preferable to a sub-zero dash to the ablutions block with the

danger of frozen hair snapping off on the wayback! This washroom has all the bits andpieces you would expect to find. The swivel-bowl, electric-flush loo is flanked by a strongcircular basin and mixer tap set into a marble-effect counter giving plenty of space to standtoiletries.

Below is a locker with twin tambour doorsand fiddled shelf, and above a large mirror-fronted two-door shelved cupboard. Theshower has a rigid bi-fold door and strongtray, albeit with only one waste outlet. Theshower mixer holds a preset temperature andthere is a shelf for gel and flannel. Thiswashroom has it all: the only thing it doesn’thave is quite enough space. Close the doorand there isn’t a lot of room to move. Get inthe shower and it’s just a tad narrow. This is ashame, as just a few extra centimetres ofspace in here would have made all thedifference. Some people smaller than me maydisagree, so apply the three main rules ofmotorhome purchase: try, try and try againbefore you buy.

Sweet dreamsStar of the show when bedtime comes is thefixed double berth above the garage. Sittingon a sprung-stave base it is long, wide andcomfortable and benefits from a goodquality domestic-style latex foam mattress.Shaped steps make for easy access and,once aloft, you will enjoy excellentheadroom, while two windows and anopening skylight mean that hot summernights shouldn’t be too stuffy.

Stowed in a slot next to the wardrobe is aconcertina-style room divider. This flexiblescreen hangs from a curved, ceiling-mountedtrack and closes off the rear, giving en-suiteaccess to the washroom and wardrobe. Thisis great for night-time privacy and gettingchanged without having to draw all thecurtains. This feature is well-designed, simpleand practical - a real gem.

At the other end, the luton bed is equallybig and comfortable with the same stave baseand latex mattress. No cab cutaway means itis always available and it’s great for kids, withgood ladder access and ample headroom(although there is less headroom than in therear fixed bed).

Downstairs, both the sofa and the dinetteconvert into beds. Drop the table to halfheight and rearrange the base and backrestcushions to create a generous single,although the shaped backrests make it a bitlumpy. The slatted base and backrest of thesofa fold and slide sideways to meet thedinette extensions and, along with someinfills, this creates an enormous double bedthat would sleep four close friends with ease.However, this set-up is fiddly to achieve andprevents the use of the luton ladder. If youuse the dinette and sofa as singles, then youhave comfortable sleeping for six andeveryone has easy access to both kitchen andwashroom.

Central servicesWith many motorhomes you will find themass of the equipment that makes thingswork dotted about in a seemingly haphazardfashion. Leisure battery under the driver’sseat, mains circuit breakers in the wardrobe,battery charger under one of the lounge seats- that kind of thing. Prepare for a refreshingchange. Inside an exterior hatch on the front

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With hot water aplenty, a separate shower makes sense,but if you’re big enough to reach the oven, you may be toobig to use this bijou bathroom.

Over-garage bed is generous in size and comfortablethanks to its latex mattress. It has neat curved steps toallow easy access.

A room divider emerges from its slot to create en-suitefacilities for the rear double.

The big luton bed has a radiator at each end and a comfy latex mattress.

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nearside is located the majority of theelectrical controls along with the waste tankdump valve and water system drain valves.There is no grovelling underneath to drainanything down; even the inboard fresh waterdrain has a simple plug on a chain that pullsout from inside the tank. Twin leisurebatteries give an excellent 150 amp hrs ofcapacity and all the fuses and circuitbreakers are easily accessed, should a faultdevelop. Here we have systems designedproperly with commonsense engineering tothe fore.

The 12V control panel is mounted abovethe caravan door and provides the usualfunctions, including an analogue ammeterallowing the monitoring of current flowing inthe low voltage circuits.

Fresh water is fed to the kitchen andwashroom via a submersible pump and thetank has a large access lid for easy cleaning.Good heating is important in a ‘van that hasall-year-round capability and the A747 is fittedwith an Alde Combi boiler that produces hotwater and feeds wet radiators, using bothmains electricity and gas. Radiators are fittedthroughout, including at each end of the lutonand along the rear bed, as well as in thebasement and cab.

This system is superb. It uses a water-jacket heat exchanger principal to heatdomestic water, so even with the waterdrained down during lay-ups, the system canstill be used for space heating, as the heatingcircuit water is frost-protected with anantifreeze. (Great for airing the ‘van out during

periods of non-use.) The control panel ismounted adjacent to the rear bed, so it iseasy to switch on in the morning. Two thingswould go down well here: a time switch toturn the system on automatically in themorning (or while you are out), and a bulk gastank to take away the worry of running out offuel when not using a hook-up.

Lighting throughout is taken care of byhalogen spots of one sort or another. There iseven a Star Trek-style ceiling lamp above thetable, which has a halogen spot at its heartthat casts a warm glow onto the surfacebelow. Areas needing better illuminationincluded the kitchen, the shower - wherethere was no lighting at all - and the reardouble berth - where, for some reason, thelights seemed very dim.

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Drop the table to half height and add the backrest to make a large single. The sofaopposite could make single number two.

Slide and hinge the sofa base and backrest to create a huge sleeping area: big enoughfor a whole family of Victorian peasants!

Open a nearside hatch and you have access to most of the service controls. Even thewaste tank drain valve lives here in a back-friendly, muck-free environment.

The inboard-mounted fresh water tank has a simple plug-on-chain draining system anda large inspection hatch for cleaning.

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Take it all with youWith a payload of one and a quarter tonnesyou really can take it all. The usualcomprehensive range of aircraft-style lockersare in evidence - unfortunately withoutpositive locking catches - and the two-doorwardrobe is more than adequate in size.Under the forward-facing seat, two handyplastic storage bins have a myriad of uses.Outside, storage moves up a gear, and as youopen the large side-hinged garage door, youare greeted by stashing-space that can onlybe described as cavernous. The garage islarge, with plenty of room for scooters orbikes. Additionally, the basement created bythe double floor has loads of space, in spiteof being home to waste tanks and electrics.Two rear hatches and one side door are alsoprovided, the former allowing the loading oflong items such as surf boards. The onlycriticisms here are the lack of access from theinterior and the lip on the bottom of thegarage door opening that might make loadingscooters difficult.

Fly off in a jumboAside from a spatially compromisedwashroom, this big Bürstner just about has thelot. Six can travel and live in comfort and -thanks to a generous payload - take all theirtoys on holiday. A family of four would enjoyeven more comfort, with all facilities availablefor instant use. The A747 has excellent buildquality, competitive pricing (undercutting manysmaller, less well-equipped motorhomes) andgood design. Double-floor construction andwet radiator heating are the marzipan andicing on a motorhome cake that can beenjoyed all year round.

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Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Maxi Al-Ko Engine type: Four-cylinder, 2.8-litre intercooledturbo-diesel Output: 94kW (127bhp) @ 3600rpmGearbox and drive: Five-speed manualgearbox, front-wheel drive

Make and model: Bürstner A747-2Body type and construction: Sandwichconstruction with aluminium outer skin. GRPluton, roof and rear panel sectionsConversion badged as EN1646 compliant: No Electrical equipment: Two 75 amp hr leisurebatteries and charger. Mains hook-up with RCDand MCBs. One Continental-type mains socketin kitchenLighting: Halogen spotlights fitted throughout(two in luton, four in lounge, two in kitchen, twoin washroom, two in over-garage bed area).Lighting in garage and wardrobe. Featurehalogen ceiling lamp above dining table Cooking facilities: Smev manual ignition ovenand grill. Cramer three-burner manual ignitionhob. Both in stainless steel Refrigerator: Dometic RM6401L, three-way,103-litre PowerfridgeWater heater: Alde Compact 3000 Combi unit,gas/electric, 8.5-litre capacity Fresh water tank: Inboard, 115 litres capacity Waste water tanks: Inboard, in basement,100litres capacity Space heating: Alde Compact 3000 Combiunit, gas/electric, feeding wet radiators in livingquarters, cab and basement Gas locker capacity: Two 7kg cylinders Rear restraints: Four three-point inertia-reelseatbelts fitted to forward and rear-facingdinette seats Additional features: Electric step, wind outawning, Blaupunkt radio/CD player with rearspeakers, removable carpets, rear-view camera,Heki 3 rooflight in lounge, garage

DimensionsOverall length: 8.16m (26ft 10in) Overall width: 2.30m (7ft 7in)Overall height: 3.15m (10ft 4in)Interior height: 2.00m (6ft 7in)Bed dimensions: Luton double 1.95m x 1.58m (6ft 5in x 5ft 2in)with headroom of 600mm (23.5in)Downstairs double 2.16m x 1.93m (7ft 1in x 6ft 4in)Over-garage double 2.00m x 1.44m (6ft 7in x 4ft 9in) Max authorised weight: 5000kg Load capacity: 1250kg

Price (all prices include VAT) Standard model: £43 950 on the roadAs tested: £44 600 on the road

Optional extras (starred options fitted to test vehicle)Base vehicle options: Satellite navigation(£1973), cab air-conditioning (£905), LHDchassis (less £1165), ABS (£593), driver andpassenger airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners(£473) Caravan options: Awning (£650)*, on-roadheating (£313), bike rack (£206), motorbikecarrier (£1030), leather upholstery (£1924), rear corner steadies (£153), air-conditioning(£971), nearside garage access door (£251)

Bürstner A747-2 kindly supplied forevaluation by:Barrons Motorhome Centre, Chapel Lane,Coppull, Lancs PR7 4NE (tel: 01257 795995;web site: www.motorhomedeals.co.uk).

Beneath the forward-facing dinette seat plastic bins provide useful storage. Garage is cavernous and rear hatches (at bottom left) allow the loading of long itemssuch as surfboards.

SPECIFICATION

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