Bunk beds rise electrically in this super-versatile model
WHILE some brands are content to offer the predictable island bed and fixed single floorplans, you can count on Chausson to offer something unique. The 720 is unlike anything else in the market – and for those seeking more than two berths (all the time or some of the time), it really is worth a close look.
Based on the Ford Transit, it’s spec’d to the hilt in 2023’s Titanium Ultimate guise, with black alloy wheels, 170PS motor, automatic transmission, ESP, Stop&Start, automatic lights and wipers, lane assist and front fog lamps. The body uses Chausson’s IRP construction featuring a 65mm floor and GRP exterior panels, while an awning and solar panel are standard, along with external shower and barbecue fittings.
The most important feature outside, however, will be the garage, which is 75cm wide and 76cm high. Deploy the manual winding handle, though, and headroom can be increased to 1.10m. There’s a small hatch on the nearside and a full-sized door on the offside, where you’ll also find 12V and 230V sockets and a light.
Inside, the back of the motorhome is also where you discover Chausson’s innovative approach. As well as the garage, there are bunk beds here. The lower bed measures 2.00m by 82cm (big enough for an adult) and it can be just 74cm off the floor (or 1.07m when garage space is maximised). You need to have this bed in its lower position if you want to deploy the second bunk, which can be stowed in the ceiling when not required. Press a button and this bed (a tad smaller, at 1.90m by 72cm) comes down to 1.37m above floor level. Each bunk has its own privacy curtain and light and, if you lift the lower berth, you’ll find storage compartments underneath – great for the kids’ toys.
But the rear of the 720 isn’t just about offering beds for your offspring. It includes the ablutions and can become a super-generous changing room, too. It really is the most versatile of spaces and it can be entirely separated from the front of the ’van by rotating the toilet door.
The loo area is a good-sized space, too, with a window, roof vent, robe hooks and a basin sunk into the countertop. Opposite, the shower cubicle is also plenty big enough, with minimum headroom of 1.92m. It has its own roof vent and a duckboard and, although there’s a step in the shower tray, it’s not really an issue.
More unusual is that this area also includes a huge wardrobe, with a 90cm drop from the rail, three shelves and even racks for a couple of pairs of shoes. And, as you can close off the back of the
