The Best-Designed Caravan For Sale In Britain Is Actually French?! La Mancelle Liberty 440PC Review

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

If you want to know more about the La Mancelle range, these caravans are sold in the UK exclusively via Marquis Leisure. Check out the other models, specs and prices here: www.marquisleisure.co.uk/nawb

[@JoggerGraeme]

And THAT is how you do an intro. 👌🏻😂

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

😂 haha thank you!

[@sparkmeister4706]

haha you mean a british lad trying to speak french, but badly haha. :P

[@martinkitchin6204]

Great vid as ever Cameron ! Wonderful well thought out caravan. Curiously enough the only thing I didn't like is that chrome finishing on the lockers and the wash room door ... but that's me (moi)

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Thanks Martin ☺️ I didn’t love the chrome either, but it was substantial stuff, not like the sticky-back Halfords special chrome strips that you’ll famously find in Elddis and Buccaneer caravans in the UK 🤣

[@davidmbell]

Loving the cheeky French stick shot.

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Haha thanks David, you should see some of the stuff that ended up on the cutting room floor 🤣

[@rayovlight]

Great vid thank you for reviewing its a gorge caravan! Laughed out loud on your "certain club" bathroom section. Just needed Troy Silvans "Rush" as sound track hey ;-) And the chedder cheese had us in stitches! Bravo!

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Haha glad you enjoyed it, I always make stupid comments when filming and occasionally I leave a few of them in 😂

[@krippleinacaravanxxx707]

And so I had to watch the beginning over again as the first ten mins were lost in a heatwave after seeing you in those shorts! You naughty boy! The caravan is phenomenal as is the price but what a fabulous machine to own! Thank you for your wonderful detailed production and thank you for those shorts!😜😜😎😎😎

[@and3583]

Nice caravan, it looks well built like they used to be. I lived in a 30 year old one once for a year, it was still really sound. Bed and cooker were replaced with new ones but apart from that it was fine 😊

[@random22026]

Better accommodation than our flat!! C'est magnifique! :D 😍😍

[@buckryan8652]

Hi Cameron......I thought you might like to know that we were so taken with this caravan, having watched your excellent informative video that we went to look at one today and have purchased it. You are right in everything that you have said and pointed out. It is so well laid out and designed compared to the normal staple of modern vans that we see in the UK. We get to pick it up in a couple of weeks and can't wait. The added bonus is that it will also fit on our drive. Had it not been for your great video, we wouldn't have been aware of these fabulous caravans and all they have to offer......so can we say a big thank you for introducing us to this caravan and hopefully many happy years of travels and adventures........Kind regards.....Buck and Ruthie

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Wow this is one of the best complements I’ve ever received! Thank you so much, and I’m delighted that you love the Mancelle as much as I do. The beauty is really in the details with this caravan, and it’s incomparable to everything else that’s on the market at the moment. It seems to have the quality of a German caravan but with the character and cosiness of a French one. Best of luck with it, wishing you many happy years of caravanning with your La Mancelle. Do keep in touch and let us know how you get on with it ☺️

[@buckryan8652]

Hi Cameron,.....we are really looking forward to using it and making memories. Thank you once again for letting us all know about this great caravan......which is certainly not ..... "Just another white box "...!! ........Best wishes.... B and R.

[@Batesandrw]

Totally agree, fantastic caravan.

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Thanks, I think so too ❤

[@andrewjones-productions]

Well Cameron, you really are very, very naughty! You have completely sold me on this caravan! Seriously though, I wasn't particularly too keen on it when I first saw it a year or two ago, but seeing it on site and not in a show, already made it look a thousand times better even before you started speaking. I own a 23 year old French Rapido pop-up caravan and I can testament to the fact that whilst it is now looking a bit tired, very solid and works well. My caravan also tows very well and at the time of its launch decades now ago, was touted at being stable at 180kmh. No one will tow at those speeds of course (unless they are a mad raving law breaking lunatic), but I can say that it is very, very stable. Another similarity with La Mancelle, is the shoes drawer!! I actually don't use it for shoes because of a lack of external storage hatches, but damn is it useful and if I were to buy the La Mancelle Liberty, I probably would use it as a shoes box. I agree with you about the front lounge and I like the high windows ensuring plenty of light and privacy. Most people will park on campsites with the caravan backed in. Why would you want to look at the view of another caravan on the other side and have everybody walking by being able to see inside? I also hate the daft chest of drawers (except on Coachman who have got it right) which eats into the aisle between the seats and is nothing more than 'in the bloody way' (excuse my French). I also thought it was humorously ironic that a French caravan doesn't have a 'French bed'. Fantastic review, but I repeat. You are very, very naughty for selling it on me so well! I now want one.

[@ZLFLG30]

Stunning caravan very good review.

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Thank you 🥰

[@Vivi-hj8jg]

So well presented

[@philbrown9398]

Bien fait! Liberté! Egalité! Caravanité!

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Soufflé!

[@richardmoorhouse8030]

I really enjoyed that film and I also would buy one to without hesitation if I had the folding! It would excellent behind a P6 V8!

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

It’s a bit heavy for a P6 V8 unfortunately! This was a big deciding factor in why I didn’t buy one 😞

[@Batesandrw]

Not normally into modern caravans because I think the interiors are a bit cold figuratively speaking. My 1995 Sprite is so cozy and seems quite ahead of itself with the design features but that French caravan, yes would definitely have that. Got character. Andrew

[@iainmclean8509]

Love the shape of this and have done since I first saw it. Having seen them at the NEC, they are striking. Price wise, it is the same as my 2023 Bessacarr 580. Would I swap ... no ... no separate shower cubicle, small kitchen, no Alde or ATC. Also the air con over the bed is a curious place to have it ... the makers recommend having it in the centre of the van. NB all truma air con units have a remote control. Can I add that air con is outstanding ... wish I'd had it fitted years ago. Great review .... thanks

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Thanks Iain for your support as always. I think they get away with the AirCon over the bed because the roof is designed specifically for it. I do think Alde heating would be a really nice upgrade for the La Mancelle but they join the growing list of Continental manufacturers who add in extra vents to the blown air system to make it act in a similar way to the Alde system in terms of how it distributes heat.

[@Batesandrw]

I use my oven a lot. Very good too.

[@mikeshacklock6208]

WRT compressor fridges Eriba tourings have them in certain models of 500 series (535 GT specifically) & I believe all the new 600 series😉 Ok not UK built but UK available 😊 & similar price point, residuals….that’s a whole other debate?!

[@kezza5646]

No separate shower cubicle is a deal breaker for me in any caravan. The lack of a view at the front of the caravan wouldn't be an issue but being sat behind a table that is permanently there most definitely is! Feeling like I'm sitting in a café isn't my idea of chilling in a caravan on an evening. The lack of worktop space is ridiculous. I do however love the outside look of the van but I found the interior really disappointing in comparison. Then when I heard the price, I had to pick myself up off the floor!

[@sparkmeister4706]

Your comment about the front side fly screens etc. They are square and the window design is lost just ruined. That's a detail i think is lost in this. Baileys front windows have fly screen built in too. (although i think ive seen the latest have removed them ?) The kitchen area is too small for a massive cooker like that, do we actually need one ! ? Just stick a nice induction hob on it.

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

I hear what you’re saying about the front window blinds, I can’t say that it particularly bothered me. Bailey have only just introduced a fly screen on the large front opening window for 2024, historically, they’ve just been on the smaller windows. I agree about the cooker; the original French kitchen is amazing! Did you spot the quick photo of it? I love the fridge in a drawer idea!

[@andrewjones-productions]

I agree about the cooker. I'd much prefer the two hob of the French spec. If I were to buy this caravan, I would likely buy it directly from France anyway as I would need to import it to Japan. Ovens are not normally fitted to our home kitchens here, let alone caravans and Japanese cuisine doesn't require an oven to prepare it. The summers are far too hot here to have an oven on for 30 minutes to an hour anyway. Nope, the two hob plate of the French spec models is good enough I think.

[@sparkmeister4706]

I've had a fly screen on my 2017 and 2020 bailys front screen. Yeah i saw a quick glimpse of it. i nearly missed it as i was falling asleep. @@NotAnotherWhiteBox

[@joesoy9185]

@@andrewjones-productions I agree. I have an on-board oven, which I never use, as it just gobbles gas. Pas tous les rosbifs mangent le boef !

[@mr.wibble]

Great vid, thank you! Couple of questions, is there an awning, or an option for one? Also colours and other options as per the manufacturers website - are these available to spec also? Thanks in advance. Oh and just to confirm, you are literally saying for up to circa £40k - this is the one!!! Just checkin'!

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Thanks! I think there’s an option of a fitted canopy style awning, but you’d have to check with Marquis. The option is available on the continent, so I can’t see why it wouldn’t be in the UK. As for the graphics, I’m not sure how it works in the UK. In France, the graphics denote different spec levels. The Plaisance trim is the top one in France. I think it’s the standard spec in the UK because in terms of equipment, it puts the Mancelle closer to the sort of specification that British caravans offer. Again, have a word with Marquis and see what your options are with this, as they’re pretty accommodating. You might be able to order one especially. And in terms of what else is out there for £40k, absolutely, this is the one! Have a look in some of the British vans at the same price level, the quality just doesn’t compare 😉

[@mr.wibble]

@@NotAnotherWhiteBox thank you for such a comprehensive reply, much appreciated. Just considering getting into caravanning so that’s really helpful, thanks. 🙏🏻 I plan to check out the NEC show early next year. ☺️

[@joesoy9185]

Some good design features to be sure. The floor of the shower has to be dried in order to conveniently access the toilet, a downside for me.

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

Sadly, that’s a compromise of the layout. It’s worth bearing in mind that the caravan is only 4.4m long in body length, so it’s actually pretty small by modern standards. It’s the same size as a Sprite Alpine 4 or Bailey Phoenix GT75 440.

[@OBLIVIONevolvedurbex]

really cool caravan and a sexy man with it

[@magistersax]

So would you buy this La Mancelle caravan, or the Bailey Discovery D4-4L, and why? Thanks.

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

You can’t compare them as they’re two completely different caravans representing opposite ends of the market. Personally, I would love to buy the Mancelle as it was such a joy to use and felt like something really special. But with five vintage caravans, I can’t justify buying a new caravan as well that might get used a couple of times per year.

[@magistersax]

@@NotAnotherWhiteBox My mistake , sorry, I was thinking of the smaller Mancelle Fantaisy 🙃

[@hero193]

May I know the materials the caravan body is made of?

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

It’s made entirely of polyester and it’s bonded at the seams. It sort of forms a monocoque shell.

[@robbeard6929]

And er, how can you sit at the front whilst having your breakfast, dinner or tea whilst looking out the front window........you can't, it's a shit design. Think about it. Forget hotels, you buy a caravan to get away from hotels, you sit in a field, you look at the view out the front window, your kids playing, have a drink of wine with a candle on, watch the sea, watch the birds, watch the comings and goings of other caravans coming and going, watch the world go by, you cannot do any of that in this caravan, period. It's about time these reviewers started critisizing caravans and not creeping around them. Incat if you think all the moderns are so good, why are you so interested in old Sprites and other older classic caravans. Because they have charm and elegance, easy to repair...........and you can see out the front and the back, you have a draining board and a proper bloody stove and simple egonomics, modern caravans are shit, preety and posh but shit and you know it.

[@NotAnotherWhiteBox]

No need to be confrontational about it… the last three campsites I’ve stayed on I’ve had a lovely view of the front end of another caravan 🙄 A walk around the site shows people sat with their backs to the front window watching TV in the evening. The Mancelle absolutely works to give you some privacy when you’re sat down, but allows you to see out very easily when you’re stood up, which virtually no other caravan does. I criticise a caravan if I feel it needs criticising. I flagged a few things in my Tab 400 review and one or two shortcomings in the Bailey Discovery D4-4L review. I personally feel that the Mancelle Liberty is genuinely one of the best built and best designed caravans on the market at the moment. But I also have four vintage caravans that cost me nothing other than annual storage and a pittance towards insurance. I simply cannot justify financing £40k for a caravan that I’d ultimately end up using less than a handful of times per year, otherwise I’d have this La Mancelle Liberty in a heartbeat.

[@tivet4]

Europe designs wrong shower , bed , small measuring for old age