Fleetwood Pace Arrow

Would 300bhp be enough to move your home? Probably not – but the incredible Fleetwood Pace Arrow is as close to a house on wheels as you can get.

The Yanks love Recreational Vehicles, or RVs, and a host of UK firms import, sell and hire them out. Our example came from Herts-based StingrayRV.com and with its garish graphics, huge dimensions and chrome detailing, it certainly stands out like a sore thumb on narrow British roads.

The panelled body sits on a steel frame chassis and hides an interior you’d expect in a luxury yacht. Once the RV is parked up, hydraulic jacks keep the living quarters level, while a pair of slide-out sections increase the interior space. Facilities include a large living area and kitchen, plus a master bedroom and en-suite bathroom.

With a double fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, a pair of flat-screen TVs, air-con and that fully equipped bathroom, the Fleetwood has all the trimmings.A large generator powers this luxury lifestyle, while two water tanks supply clean and store dirty water.

This is camping without compromise, but what’s the journey to your destination like? The sheer size of this motorhome means you need an HGV2 licence to find out! Companies such as Stingray offer hire packages that include delivery and collection from your location of choice – and that’s no surprise, as driving an RV isn’t for the faint-hearted. Measuring more than 10 metres long, the Fleetwood isn’t suited to twisty lanes, while a body that’s 748mm wider than a Ford Focus’s means careful route planning is required to avoid width restrictions.

From behind the wheel, the huge windscreen gives a superb view of the road ahead, while the five-speed auto and large truck-style steering wheel are pretty conventional.Turn the key, though, and the smooth burble of a petrol engine comes as a shock. The front-mounted Ford V10 means this isn’t an ideal vehicle if you like fuel economy – or performance: the cruise from 0-60mph took a leisurely half a minute!

Tipping the scales at 10,000kg means that even at a steady cruise the Pace Arrow averages 11mpg. So fill-ups are fairly regular, while a 250-litre tank means they’re expensive, too. The Fleetwood is designed for smooth US freeways, so the soft suspension bounces around on bumpy roads, while the light steering and huge mass require gentle cornering.

There is no speed limiter, so it’s possible, although not advisable, to hit 70mph. However, side winds have to be taken into account to avoid wandering across the road. If you can take your time and ignore the kitchen utensils rattling away behind you, it’s the pleasure the Fleetwood gives you at journey’s end that lies at the heart of this 300bhp vehicle.

In detail:
* Price: £110,000
* Engine: 5.0-litre V10 petrol
* Power: 304bhp
* Torque: 617Nm
* 0-60mph: 30.5 seconds
* Economy: 12.0mpg

Details

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