The caravan market leader is running at full steam with its motorhome range.

The latest Conquest models start with a 6500mm-length (20-foot) model and that's where our Conquest testing started.

The Conquest 20 (it's all in the name) is a motorhome built on the Fiat Ducato 130 light-truck cab/chassis. That means 2.3-litre turbo-diesel performance and economy, with car-like safety features and driving 'feel', plus car-licence status.

The $99K Conquest 20 is unashamedly designed for a travelling couple. It does have four-seat capacity, with lap/sash belts in all four positions, as well as twin car-seat anchor points, but the vehicle is best suited to a pair that only occasionally has the need to carry additional people, or the grandchildren.

There is no second bed provided and only the driver's seat is mounted on a swivel, making the dinette a two- to three-seat proposition. The LPG stove is a two-burner model. There's a definite pattern emerging.

The $105,000 7200mm (23-foot) version is designed for four-up travelling, with a more powerful engine, a convertible dinette section and a four-burner stove.

There's also a choice of front-wheel drive Fiat or rear-wheel drive Ford Transit as the base, and low- or high-roof variants. The Conquest range is rated to tow a 1500kg braked trailer.

Talking technically

Externally, the Conquest motorhomes are similar, with Luton cab peaks and one-piece cab surround and rear panels, but the 23s have noticeably more rear overhang than the 20-footers and more body length between the cabin and the entry door. Both body sizes use Jayco's 'toughframe' side walls and vacuum-formed insulated floors.

The colour co-ordination isn't ideal, because the Fiat cab and the Jayco panel and moulding 'whites' are different, as are the motorhome side door and service panels. In some light situations the effect is actually quite patchy.

Colour differences aside, the integration of the cab/chassis, the body panels, and the access openings, is pretty good.

On the inside

Inside, the Conquest 20 has overhead cupboards with push-lock, lift-up doors around almost the entire perimeter. The roof houses a Coleman 240V airconditioner, a Remi opening hatch with sun blind and a wind-up TV antenna.

Although the Conquest 20 is available in low-roof configuration only the head room is more than adequate. The same can't be said for the bed which is a tad short for people around the 6ft mark. Tall buyers might have to opt for the Conquest 23, which has a full-width bed layout.

The entry door on the Conquest 20 is restrained at 90 degrees by a removable strut and this arrangement prevents a clash with the cabin passenger-side door.

(The 23s have a full-swing entry door.) The door is a two-piece design, with flyscreen inner section, that shuts with a reassuring 'clunk'. Entry is made very easy by an electrically-operated swing-out half-height step that retracts automatically when the vehicle moves off.

The two rear travelling seats face a movable table and the driver's seat can be swivelled around to face the table as well. The swivel-mounted, 15-inch flat-screen TV (19-inch on high-roof Conquest 23s) sits in the Luton peak, between two cupboards, where it's easily seen from the dinette bench.

The standard Dometic three-way fridge is small, with a bench on top of it, below a high-set microwave oven, so there's ample room to a fit a larger fridge/freezer, if required.

Opposite the fridge is a sink and stove cupboard module, with a swing-up table top on the doorway end.

The combination toilet/shower module is mounted in the far right corner and the Thetford cassette is easily accessed from outside the vehicle. A folding basin allows plenty of elbow room in the shower, as well as clearing sitting space above the loo. Hot water comes from a 240V/gas Truma system and the gas supply is a pair of 4kg bottles.

We had no trouble packing all our camping requirements into the Conquest 20's cupboards and external storage areas. The 100Ah deep cycle batteries (two in the test vehicle) bolt under the bed, which has a swing up base, supported by strong, gas struts. This area has ample space for large items and the struts keep the bed base clear, allowing two-handed loading and unloading of gear.

The Fiamma awning cranks easily in and out, and the exterior light and power outlet help make outside living very comfortable. The privacy curtains are quick and easy to set up and there are plenty of 12V lights in all the right places.

We liked the central control panel, with its simple switching and LED indicators for battery and fluid levels. The only issues we had were the short bed and the tight swivelling action of the driver's seat.

In the end

The Fiat Ducato 130 makes an excellent motorhome base and Jayco has done an excellent job of packing great volume and features into a compact package.
 

Allan at the wheel of the Ducato-powered Conquest 20

We spent only a couple of days in the Jayco Conquest 20 and came away impressed with its functionality - it drove and camped very well.

We travelled two-up, took around 200kg of gear with us, filled the 125 litre water tank and had a half-full, 80-litre grey water tank. In that trim the Conquest 20 tipped the scales at around 3.7 tonnes and performed beautifully on the road, despite the diminutive 2.3-litre diesel under the sloping bonnet.

Common-rail-injection, highly turbocharged European diesels have come a long way in recent years and the little Fiat engine certainly felt like it was producing every one of its 95kW and 320Nm. To put those figures in perspective the Fiat engine has more 'grunt' than the now-superseded LandCruiser 4.5-litre, naturally aspirated six-cylinder diesel.

Although the Conquest 20 accelerated well and had a ratio for every occasion, we felt the gearing was a tad on the tall side, giving 2300rpm cruising capability at 110km/h, but at the cost of low engine speed flexibility. There was slight clutch 'judder' at lift-off and noticeable vibration when reversing. Owners who spend most of their time on the open road won't care about the tall gearing, because the trade off is excellent economy: our 'green' machine averaged just under 15L/100km around town and the consumption dropped to 13L/100km on the highway. Cruise control is part of the package.

The Fiat cab/chassis comes with a slick six-speed transmission that's stirred by a stubby dashboard lever. The clutch action is car-like. Next year there'll be a 3.0-litre, 115kW/400Nm engine in the Conquest 20, with an optional automatic transmission. Buyers who want to tow with the 20 would be well advised to wait for the 3.0-litre with the auto box.

The Conquest 20 handled like a big car, with front-wheel drive manners, a flat cornering stance and powerful ABS-assisted brakes.

Vision was excellent, thanks to a vast windscreen, power-adjustable main and spotter mirrors on both sides and a rear vision camera with bright viewing screen.

The tyres are 225/75R16 Continentals, designed specifically for motorhome use with a combination of high-speed capability and 1250kg per tyre load capacity. The front seats have arm rests and the driver's chair is adjustable for cushion height. The second-row seats, unlike many arrangements, are comfortable for adults.

The Conquest 20, like any two-wheel drive vehicle, has its limits off the beaten track. The ride is firm and the suspension is not designed for long journeys at high speeds on corrugated dirt roads. Nor is the chassis intended to go off-road and the vehicle will soon become bogged on loose or slippery ground. Fortunately there's a very strong rear recovery point and up front there's a screw-in-ring bolt provided.

A big thanks to David Carrick and the gang at Sydney Jayco, 63-67 Glassop Street, St Marys, Sydney NSW. Tel: (02) 9623-1971.

Article published in Caravan + RV magazine, Summer 2008. Words Allan Whiting, photos Mark Bean.