SHE’S GOT THE LUXE

From the super-comfy lounge to the spacious bathroom and stylish décor, the Arto 88LF is one classy number, says Bill Savidan

I wonder how long it will be before they are available on home fridges?

I liked the cast-iron pan holders fitted to the hobs. They are much better than the rattling wire grates provided with most gas hobs. And when in place, the sink cover provides extra bench space. So too do the two glass lids over the hobs.

WASHROOM

This consists of four separate spaces. On the driver’s side are the handbasin/vanity and shower stall. Kerbside are the toilet and wardrobe.

The handbasin is tucked into a corner beside the shower. There is a large drawer below the basin and a shelved medicine cabinet with mirrored doors above for toiletries and personal items.

Curved and corner-mounted, the shower stall glistens invitingly behind a pair of clear acrylic doors. Covering the floor is an imposing black ‘duckboard’ panel. A small soap and shampoo bottle shelf is mounted in the back corner.

With plenty of head and elbow room, it looks like an excellent shower, and it has a clever lever system for securing the doors while the motorhome is underway. Flip the lever in either handle then turn the handle 90 degrees; now push the lever back into the handle and the doors are shut tight.

Conveniently located opposite the shower, the full height shelved cupboard can also be used as a hanging locker, and there’s a mirror on the wall next to it.

Next to the mirror is the Jabsco toilet, in its own compartment behind a solid wooden door. Well-known in the marine industry, Jabsco toilets can discharge into ‘black water’ tanks (an optional 120-litre tank is available) or into a 19-litre cassette, as is the case here. It is a robust looking toilet that is both wall and floor-mounted, making it easy to keep clean.

ENSUITE

Each component of the washroom is top quality. But close the sliding doors at each end of the space and the suite moves up a couple of notches to premier class. Now you have a totally private pampering area. Open the door to the bedroom and it becomes an ensuite. When guests are aboard, the double door arrangement means they can enjoy private use of the washroom as well.

BEDROOM

The centre-piece bed (wider than last year’s model) has a super-comfy memory foam mattress over a sprung slat base. Surrounding the bed are numerous storage options: six overhead lockers, three large drawers at the foot of the bed, spaces under the steps, under the bedside shelves and soft wall pockets for books and magazines.

There is a second TV mounting point at the foot of the bed for watching late night shows or early morning news.

Two windows and a roof hatch make it a light, bright daytime space, with LED lighting providing moody ambience at night. Just as comfortable looking as the main bed, a pull-down bed over the cab is available for guests. Curtains cover the windows as the bed lowers and another can be pulled across to isolate it from the lounge. Easy to get into and out of, it is a very cosy arrangement.

ENTRY

The Arto 88LF doesn’t have an internal step-well. Instead, it has two very substantial, electrically powered steps that emerge from the skirt below the doorway when summoned. They must be retracted before driving off, otherwise a strident beep will sound until they are. A second switch on the dashboard allows the driver to do this while remaining seated. And on the subject of steps, while there is no step from the cab to the lounge, there is an unobtrusive one from kitchen to bathroom.

Facing the lounge, the TV is wallmounted beside the entrance, where it offers excellent viewing from the rotated cab seats and the kerbside settee. Below the television, behind a ‘Black Star’ panel, is a handy locker for stowing shoes.

CAB

The Fiat dashboard has undergone minor modifications, but everything is in the same place, more or less, including the gear lever for the new nine-speed gearbox. To the right of the steering wheel is a bank of switches, including one for the entry steps.

Glass all around offers the driver an excellent view of the surroundings. But Niesmann+bischoff have made sure the occupants maintain their privacy at night. When fully lowered, a full width aluminium roller blind closes off the windscreen. Separate concertina blinds cover each side window so you have both privacy and sunlight control. Another benefit; when partly lowered during the day, the windscreen blind functions as a sun visor.

HEATING

Cold climate motorhoming in the Arto 88LF is not an endurance test thanks to the latest Alde central heating system. Boiler-heated water circulating through radiator panels throughout the motorhome keeps the interior warm and dry. The same boiler heats the household water as well, so one piece of equipment does the job of two. And the whole system can be controlled either remotely using a phone app or in-house using buttons on the control panel.

OUTSIDE

Big and bulky it might be, but the Arto 88LF is also understatedly elegant. From

The super-comfy bed is surrounded by all manner of storage options

Tucked away in the corner is the well-equipped kitchen

A strident beep warns the steps must be retracted before driving off

The dining table can seat six once its centre leaf is deployed