RV FEATURE
Hilltop framed this van with 20x40mm aluminium studs clad in composite aluminium . One spare wheel was provided , mounted to the three-stay rear bumper , along with a jerry can holder .
The A-frame setup was quite good , too . There was a checkerplate storage box split into two sections : the offside section contained the dual 9kg gas cylinders , while the nearside was for general storage or whatever you ’ d like to place on the slide-out tray , which was handy because the tunnel boot was half taken up by a slide-out barbecue . One point to make : I really liked that the gas bayonet was mounted into the wall , rather than being left to dangle precariously off the chassis rail .
But it was the underside of the van that particularly intrigued me . The 12mm marine-grade ply floor was actually protected by a sheet of vacuum-pressed aluminium . Yes , that added weight , but it would be worth it . On the same subject , all components were adequately protected by checkerplate , from the water tanks to the PVC piping , including the grey water spout .
SUMMING UP
Our H-17 was a ‘ premium ’ version of the Hilltop H-17 so if you were on a budget , there would be scope to scale it back a little , but in this ‘ premium ’ format , it had a great deal to offer in terms of long-haul travels around the country . More and more , I ’ m thinking about the van I ’ d buy for a big lap , and I reckon this one is now on my list .
QUICK SPECS Tare : 2360kg ATM : 2800kg Unladen ball weight : 220kg Overall length : 7.65m External width : 2.45m Travel height : 3.1m
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