WINGAMM OASI 540.1 BLACK EDITION

You’ll need deep pockets, but this impressive two-berth offers supremely comfortable touring

- Peter Baber

In May, our tester spent a couple of nights in motorhome heaven. Actually, we’ll qualify that – it would have been motorhome heaven if they were half of a motorcaravanning couple looking to buy a short leisure vehicle, for ease of driving and parking, but also wanting superb comfort.

That dream couple would need to be unconcerned about not having a huge amount of interior storage for big items such as bicycles (although our test model did have the optional extra Fiamma bike rack on the back).

And of course, there is one other thing they would need. Money, as in lots of. The starting price is just over £100,000, but once you take your pick from the huge list of extras, you are looking at an end price that would probably be nearer £130,000. Phew!

The ’van in question is an Oasi 540.1, from Wingamm, Italy’s last privately owned motorhome manufacturer.

Based in Verona (rather than Tuscany, where many Italian automotive brands are found), the company is famous for producing low-profiles that are built with a one-piece or monocoque shell.

Wingamm has not had the easiest of rides recently in the UK, however, and for a couple of seasons it was not available in the UK at all.

Now, a new UK agent has been established, and the brand has already been taken on by six dealers spread across England and Scotland, with more very likely on the way.

We took the Oasi for a spin around the Lake District to test its mettle.

Exterior and cab

The main reason why Wingamm’s motorhomes cost so much is because of that monocoque construction, designed to provide customers with a leak-proof and quieter interior.

The GRP shell is first made in a mould and then rotated in the factory, so that everything else can be fitted in.

This process takes up far more person-hours than would be needed for conventional modular construction – hence the cost.