Precious metal

It may be shorter than most − but this island-bed motorhome has a lengthy spec list. Nick Harding runs the rule over it…

Titanium Ultimate is the name French manufacturer Chausson has given to its flagship range. The 788 here features an island double bed at the back (if you want twin singles, see the 777, its sister model). On-the-road prices are from £78,790, with this example coming in at a still-very-attractive £79,680 thanks to the addition of the £890 drop-down bed option. This makes it a full four-berth, but it also swipes some 45kg off the initial 378kg payload.

Creating a floorplan that fits an island bed into an overall body length just shy of 7.2m is no mean feat. So, does it work?

Build quality – 73%

The coachbuilt body, including the underside, is faced with glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) and it’s all backed by a seven-year water ingress warranty which entails regular service checks.

Chausson’s Technibox is a neat feature – a dedicated locker on the nearside that houses circuit breakers and fuses (all panelled off), plus the filler for the fresh water tank. This is very handy, and the mains hook-up inlet is adjacent. There is also an external gas outlet and a shower attachment point.

There’s two-way access to the garage – the larger door is on the UK offside (where you’ll also find the habitation door), plus there’s a hatch on the rear panel. The nearside is where you’ll find the gas locker.

What you see is what you get – the black alloys, awning, solar panel, flush-fitting windows (and more) are all part of the Titanium Ultimate standard specification.

Certain elements do, however, contribute to a rather low payload figure, especially if you plan to tour four-up. Chausson says it’s addressing this with the ability to upgrade the chassis weight limit on 2025 models.

Driving – 85%

Ford cab

Automatic transmission and a powerful 170bhp engine as standard give the 788 a flying start. It’s nimble, cruises effortlessly and there’s plenty of oomph on tap. Most drivers will expect to achieve at least 30mpg. It’s all pretty quiet, too, beyond the usual rattles from the blinds or your own touring kit.

Vision is good, thanks to electrically-operated mirrors, plus there’s a camera for help with reversing. The Xzent infotainment system also includes DAB radio, sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity.

As well as the likes of air conditioning and cruise control, Ford features extend to collision warning, lane-crossing monitoring, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, heated windscreen and more.

There’s travel accommodation for four, thanks to a pair of forward-facing Aguti seats that fold up from each settee base. However, there is a limited view out for the rear passengers, and the windows can’t be opened while on the move.

Daytime – 75%

Plenty of room for four up front

All the daytime seating is at the front, with sufficient room for a full complement of four to sit at the fixed pedestal leg table. The height of the table can be adjusted and it can be moved fore and aft. The top is hinged down the middle so it can be folded out of the way when required. Unfortunately the cab chairs do not sit at the same height as the settees, and the upholstery and cushioning feel a bit basic.

Heating is from a Webasto system running from the Ford’s diesel supply.

Night-time – 76%

Good-sized double

At 1.90m x 1.60m (6ft 3in x 5ft 3in) , the island bed is a bit longer and a lot wider than many. It is flanked by clothes storage – curved units comprising a wardrobe on the nearside (where there’s also a double USB portal and the water heater controls) and a shelved locker offside, containing ledges for storing small items at night. Plus there are lockers overhead on the back wall, with strip lights to their undersides. You can wind the bed manually to a height that best suits you and optimise the storage space below. A Truma water heater is housed in the base, but there’s also direct access to the garage area. A sliding door creates privacy in the bedroom, but it’s a tight squeeze around the foot of the bed.

In the lounge, the electrically-operated drop-down bed comes part-way down (in theory, you can still use the lounge beneath) and a clip-on ladder provides access. Again, it’s a decent size and very comfortable, but do note it cuts across the habitation doorway. 

Kitchen – 68%

Limited workspace

Kitchens in imported motorhomes tend to sport the bare minimum in terms of both equipment (large fridges excepted) and worktop space. Here, we have a space-efficient Thetford Triplex cooker with two gas burners and an electric hotplate, plus a combined oven and grill.

There’s a cutlery drawer under the circular stainless steel sink but the only worktop space is the small area in front of the sink (although Chausson has addressed this in later models with a fold-over extension).

There’s no cover for the sink, which seems to be an opportunity lost, as it could have increased the amount of work surface available. Storage is also a little limited. There are two shelved lockers: one overhead and another, larger one, directly under the cutlery drawer.

Across the corridor is a slimline, 142-litre Thetford fridge with freezer, with three-way automatic operation.

Washroom – 72%

Split washroom

Typically for a rear-island-bed layout, the washroom facilities are split – there’s a toilet room on the offside and a shower cubicle nearside. The latter is fully lined, with the shower on a riser bar, twin plugholes and a drop-down rail for hanging wet attire.

The toilet room has a solid-door, which can also be used to close off the facilities from the kitchen and lounge. It’s a standard swivel-bowl toilet, on a plinth that gives it a particularly high seating level. Adjacent is a part-sunken handbasin. There’s excellent storage in here: acrylic- and mirror-doored lockers, a third locker under the basin, even a hatch behind the toilet. Toothbrush mug and soap holders are present, while another drop-down clothes rail is a bonus. A rooflight provides the only ventilation.

Details – 82%

There is not room here to provide a full run-through of the many features in this motorhome, but some of the highlights not already mentioned are as follows: double USB portals over the cab passenger seat and in the kitchen (there’s also a mains socket here); habitation door flyscreen; wind-up sunroof between the kitchen and washroom areas; rooflight with electric fan over the rear bed; opening sunroof over the cab; central locking to all three main doors; and high- and floor-level bullet lights.

As you might expect from a motorhome that has travel seats in the settee bases and a drop-down bed, storage is generally limited – but remember that garage.

Verdict – 76%

The Chausson Titanium Ultimate may have a couple of niggles and storage and worktop space is limited. But it represents good value, drives extremely well and has a remarkable overall specification – it’s one for the ‘possibles’ list.