25 FEB 2025
LUXURY MOTORHOMES: THEIR FEATURES & WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
PRODUCT
Luxury motorhomes are the object of desire for many motorhome owners. Even those who prefer small and simple motorhomes have at least once secretly dreamed of getting into a luxury motorhome. After all, this is also the case with cars: you drive a city car, but you dream of a “supercar”… To build a luxury motorhome, you need a good base, and that's where Ducato comes up with the right chassis, powerful engines and high-level safety equipment. Many luxury motorhomes fall into the category of full-body motorhomes, abandoning the original cab to create a single-volume body. They therefore use the “chassis cowl” version of the Ducato (actually a motorised chassis with no cab). But there are also excellent high-level motorhomes in the categories of semi-integrated, overcab and even camper vans.
What makes the difference? A luxury motorhome differs from mid-level products in terms of a whole series of features, starting with an attractive exterior image. The engines are powerful: the Ducato comes with the 180-hp 2200 Multijet3, capable of outstanding performance on the road, and the combination with the sophisticated 8-speed automatic transmission comes naturally, for the utmost relaxation. The Ducato base also provides a high level of safety equipment, helping drivers on the road.
Automatic climate control in the cab, a digital instrument panel, reversing camera and large monitor to view the satnav maps are also available.
When it comes to the living pod, high-level motorhomes focus on excellent thermal insulation, even with the adoption of a double floor with a cavity of several centimetres. The low-profile chassis of the Ducato motorhome base makes it possible to create a double floor without increasing the height of the vehicle too much.
But Ducato is also an “open system”, the motorised cab is designed to be combined with low-profile non-standard chassis, even in the double rear axle version. A solution, the double-axle one, that allows you to create six-wheeled motorhomes of considerable length, well over 8 metres. However, even in the standard version, the Ducato base camper chassis makes it possible to build a motorhome approximately 7.5 metres in length.
Although there are excellent compact models, most luxury motorhomes feature an extended length, providing generous interior space. The very comfy sleeping area often includes a large double bed in a central position, whereas the bathroom is divided into three sections: the toilet on one side, a shower cabin opposite and a dressing area in the middle. The living area, on the other hand, generally has two sofas facing each other, or an L-shaped sofa and a side sofa. The seats are upholstered in stain-resistant technical fabrics or genuine leather. The kitchen offers solutions to make a true chef happy, including a refrigerator of considerable volume and a retractable coffee machine. You can watch TV in the living room and bedroom, with large screens connected to a satellite dish.
But we should not underestimate the fact that high-end motorhomes have superior technical facilities. For example, to ensure energy autonomy in free parking, even for several days, lithium batteries of considerable capacity are provided, combined with one or more solar panels installed on the roof. And there is also a high-power inverter to transform 12V electricity into 230V current. The water system makes use of generous tanks, normally well protected from frost inside the double heated floor. To heat the passenger compartment, the traditional hot air ventilation system is abandoned in favour of a perimeter convector system, which is quieter and distributes heat more uniformly.
And finally, luxury motorhomes can't go without a large rear load compartment, a veritable to carry a motorcycle or a couple of e-bikes.
Dream or reality? Luxury motorhomes are the stuff of dreams for many motorhome owners, there is no shortage of models on the market, and the Ducato motorhome base has the ability to meet the needs of the most famous manufacturers and the most discerning users.