101-108 live-in romahome 5/8/01 4:27 PM Page 1
HELLO HYLO!
Romahome Duo Hylo on Citroen Berlingo 1.9D
Peter Vaughan tries the latest in a long line of Citroen-based
Romahomes, and finds that the same basic Island Plastics
design just keeps getting better
The Citroen C15-based Romahome has been with us since 1986 and,
despite recurring rumours of its impending demise, the little Anglo-French
camper continues to thrive in the new millennium. That's all the more
remarkable when you consider that the Citroen Visa car, from which the
C15 van was derived, dates back to 1975. And the Visa was itself a
development of the Peugeot 104, circa 1972.
Island Plastics themselves have tried to put a nail or two in the coffin
of the old faithful Romahome, by reinventing the model in the form of the
Duo. Launched in 1997, the Romahome Duo is undoubtedly prettier and
the glass fibre body sits on a much more up-to-date chassis, that of the
Citroen Berlingo. Duo costs just £2000 more than the (aptly) renamed C15-
based Romahome Classic, but still some buyers stick with the older model.
Perhaps that was, in part, due to the lack of a Hylo (rising roof) version,
though that gap in the range from the Isle of Wight company was plugged
at the end of 1999.
Now at last we've managed to get hold of this latest mini-motorhome,
thanks to Southampton-based dealer, Freeborn Garages. A brand-new
Duo Hylo was ours for five days last winter, when we used the little 'van to
MOTORCARAVAN MOTORHOME MONTHLY JUNE 2001 101
Body beautiful With the C15-based Romahome it was always the Hytop model that had the looks. Early Hylos were distinctly odd - even if they had an innovative compressor-operated roof. The 'mark two', which survives to this day, is slightly neater and uses more conventional gas struts, whilst retaining a roof that slides down over the top of the whole body. The newer Duo was designed with the help of an outside design consultant (well known in motorcaravanning circles) and the result is certainly handsome. The curvy body suits the Berlingo well, but the original curved windows came in for a degree of criticism. The forward window was designed to give rear passengers a good view, but that's only relevant with
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Body beautiful With the C15-based Romahome it was always the Hytop model that had the looks. Early Hylos were distinctly odd - even if they had an innovative compressor-operated roof. The 'mark two', which survives to this day, is slightly neater and uses more conventional gas struts, whilst retaining a roof that slides down over the top of the whole body. The newer Duo was designed with the help of an outside design consultant (well known in motorcaravanning circles) and the result is certainly handsome. The curvy body suits the Berlingo well, but the original curved windows came in for a degree of criticism. The forward window was designed to give rear passengers a good view, but that's only relevant with
Get The File | Download here
