Back for the second year in their current new form, the Practical Motorhome Awards feature the best motorhomes, campervans and accessories available on the market today.
Birmingham. The expert team have decades of motorcaravanning experience under their collective belts. From the biggest A-Class to the most compact van they have tested them all over the years!
The judges say…
“If you do have the resources for a motorhome over £80,000, you’re in for a treat as this is the very top end of the market. You’ll be rewarded with spacious living areas, state-of-the-art fixtures and fittings, along with superb styling and build quality. This year, our category winner is the Burstner Lyseo Gallery TD Harmony Line 689G – we really like how it feels like a home on the move.”
The Lyseo Gallery TD is based on Bürstner's semi-integrated Lyseo TD with a functional Thermo-Floor throughout. With the additional inflatable over-cab alcove, the Lyseo Gallery TD unites the advantages of a coach-built vehicle with those of an over-cab bed model: Its second level is lowered completely and securely locked with an electric locking system whilst travelling, giving the vehicle the streamlined silhouette of a low profile coach-built. Once parked up, the alcove can then be elevated in 90 seconds with the aid of compressed air and a specially developed air chamber system.
In the environmental chamber, the Lyseo Gallery TD was tested in a number of climatic conditions. The inflatable alcove's resistance to heat, cold, wind and other weather-related challenges was tested in ten cycles, each consisting of a 24-hour test run. Bürstner's head of development Tim Niedick was extremely satisfied: "The alcove withstood all weather conditions. We tested it in temperatures ranging from -30°C to +80°C, in misty conditions, with a 1.5 m snow load, in the wind tunnel with the vehicle exposed to winds of up to 120 km/h head-on as well as sideways. The elevating and lowering mechanism as well as the locking system worked without a hitch in all conditions. The bellows and the folding mechanism remained intact. I am extremely satisfied, because all criteria were met, and we have achieved what we set out to do. With the Lyseo Gallery TD, you can travel in comfort all year round – in stormy and inclement weather, in sunshine and through snow.”
The vehicle then reaches a maximum body height of approx. 3.7 metres. The over-cab area is not angled like a standard pop-top roof but offers a usable second living floor as it is elevated vertically. A sunroof skylight is also available as an optional extra.
Elevating the roof creates a second floor with a comfortable sleeping area with 110 cm of headroom in the alcove, which is easily accessible via a set of fixed stairs. The interior is defined by two furniture finishes - Sandy Grey and Casa Pino. Ergonomic design was also taken into account in the Lyseo Gallery TD. Accordingly, the washroom, bed and living area accesses are generously sized, and all shelves and storage compartments are arranged in a user-friendly way.
