84 September 2019 Caravan and Motorhome Club Magazine http://www.camc.com
TEST BEAUER 3X
Rob McCabe takes a look at an inventive and stylish
F rench tou rer t hat sta nd s out f rom t he f lo ck
H
ot on the heels of last month’s radical
Wheelhome Dashaway comes a cylindrical
French-built offering that extends to three
times its ‘on-the-road’ size at the twist of a key.
(Next month: a caravan that raises itself 15 feet
o n s t i l t s s o t h at yo u c a n lo ok d ow n o n fol k w h e n
you’re pitched; portable escalator included!)
The BeauEr 3X – named after its inventor
Eric Beau and because the floorspace increases
threefold when extended – is being officially
i mp o r te d to t h e U K by Yo rk s h i r e - b a s e d
motorhome conversion specialist RP Leisure
(t r a d i n g a s R P Mo to rho m e s). It w i l l h ave a q u i te
different spec from the French-market model that
we have for this sneak preview – but the wonderful
technology that underpins it will be the same.BUILD QUALITY
Having pitched the caravan in your desired
position, undo the safety latches and insert the key
into the slot by the A-frame; turning it activatesBE AU PE EP
The BeauEr is bound to
turn heads on siteelectronic actuators that slide one segment out
to the left (as you face the caravan) to form the
lounge area, and one to the right to form the fixed
double bedroom. During this process – which
takes less than a minute – the furniture inside
folds into place automatically. Lower the corner
steadies, unlock the sliding entrance door around
the other side... and you’re in.
The opening and closing procedure can
be powered either by the chunky 100Ah
lithium-ion battery or by hook-up; and in
the difficult-to-imagine event of neither of
these sources being available to you, there’s
a manual override.
The curvy polyester body panels are smooth
and thumptastically sturdy. Indoors, the joinery
is all very neat and precise; and although the two
b i g w i nd ow bl i nd s we r e co n s i s te nt ly aw k w a r d to
retract, it’s nothing to concern would-be buyers
in this country – all the windows will be served
by the blind/flyscreen combination we’re allfamiliar with on ‘normal’ caravans. It’s one of
many upgrades that the importer will lavish
upon UK-market models.TOWING
At first glance, the MTPLM of 1,300kg looks
a little bit on the high side for something that
packs away so small when ready for the road.
But it’s that minuscule footprint that makes
tow i n g (a nd s to r i n g ) i t s o s t r a i g ht fo r w a r d.
T h e 3X i s le s s t h a n 13f t lo n g a nd , at ju s t 6f t 5i n
wide, it is only six inches broader than a
Volkswagen Golf.
As with many continental caravans the
A-frame extends for miles (nearly), which
is a boon to stability under tow; and the
built-in hitch stabiliser is, as always,
a reassuring fitment. Almost by necessity,
everything is compressed into the space over
the axle, so weight distribution is about as
good as you could wish for.