Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition 2024

In May, I spent a couple of nights in motorhome heaven, when I tested the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition. Actually, I’ll qualify that – it would have been motorhome heaven if I was half of a motorhoming couple looking to buy a short leisure vehicle, for ease of driving and parking, but also wanting superb comfort.

That dream couple would need to be unconcerned about not having a huge amount of interior storage for big items such as bicycles (although my test model did have the optional extra Fiamma bike rack on the back).

And of course, there is one other thing they would need. Money, as in lots of. The starting price is just over £100,000, but once you take your pick from the huge list of extras, you are looking at an end price that would probably be nearer £130,000, an amount that would you’d expect to pay for one of the very best motorhomes.

The ’van in question that I’m talking about here is the Oasi 540.1, from Wingamm, Italy’s last privately owned make of motorhomes.

Based in Verona (rather than Tuscany, where many Italian automotive brands are found), the company is famous for producing low-profile motorhomes that are built with a one-piece or monocoque shell.

Wingamm has not had the easiest of rides recently in the UK, however, and for a couple of seasons it was not available in the UK at all.

Now, a new UK agent has been established, and the brand has already been taken on by six dealers spread across England and Scotland, with more very likely on the way.

I took the Oasi for a spin around the Lake District (see: the best campervan sites in the Lake District if you’d like to visit the region) to test its mettle – do note the picture used in the main image has a different trim level to vehicle I tested though.

Exterior and cab of the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition

The main reason why Wingamm’s motorhomes cost so much is because of that monocoque construction, designed to provide customers with a leak-proof and quieter interior.

The GRP shell is first made in a mould and then rotated in the factory, so that everything else can be fitted in.

This process takes up far more person-hours than would be needed for conventional modular construction – hence the cost.

Wingamm claims its ‘vans take on average 10 times as long to make as equivalent types of motorhome made the more conventional way. When you put it like that, the price sounds cheap.

But it’s not just the manufacturing process that accounts for the cost: superior materials are used, too.

The insulation between the two sheets of GRP forming the shell is 25mm of polyurethane, rather than the more usual extruded polystyrene.

Wingamm claims that 10mm of polyurethane provides the same insulation qualities as 17mm of extruded polystyrene.

All plywood in the vehicle is made of Italian poplar and finished to the same standard as it would be if it were left exposed – even if it is subsequently covered with a laminate.

In any case, it wasn’t just the build that impressed passers-by on my trip. Most of all, people commented on the length. At just 5.42m long, it really bobbed around those twisty Lakeland roads, even with just the standard 140bhp engine (180bhp is an option). And with Fiat’s nine-speed automatic gearbox (a £3658 extra), motorhome driving was so easy. It was also, of course, that much easier to park the Oasi, too.

While it might be a relatively small motorhome, it is quite tall. Its height, combined with a large Heki rooflight up at the front, almost makes it look top-heavy. I did occasionally have to watch out for tree branches.

There is no view out the back, but my cab came complete with a (£1059) reversing camera.

My model was also a Black Edition, which means that there are black graphics on the exterior. The Black Edition graphics cost £1966 in total, so perhaps that’s something to think carefully about.

I appreciated the deadening effect the monocoque shell had on interior noise once I parked up on site – particularly when I discovered that the caravan park I was at was slightly closer to a dual carriageway than I would have preferred.

But it had not been a completely rattle-free run. That could be the fault of a loose grill pan in the oven. There were no squeaks from the shell.

Lounging and dining in the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition

You need to be aware of the large bin on the inside of the habitation door (part of the £4914 Wingamm Pack) when you enter the ’van, so it doesn’t trap your feet in the stairwell.

But the bin shouldn’t be criticised – its size makes it worth having, unlike less practical offerings in some other, more conventional motorhomes.

The door also comes with a padded section you can grip on to close it, and a proper handle to open it again.

Motorhome layouts with a door towards the back have become uncommon, and it’s not entirely clear why. Perhaps because the door might not match with an awning. As it happens, this model comes with a roll-out Fiamma F45 awning, costing £1256, positioned over the door, saving you from having to think about how to choose a motorhome awning.

But with no door causing a gap up front, no step up to the cab, and no interfering handbrake (it has an electric one), the cab seats swivel properly to meet up with the large table, which slides aside for ease of access.

The L-shaped settee hosts two travel seats with colour-coordinated seatbelts (why does no-one else seem to have thought of that?) and is extremely comfortable.

The height of this motorhome makes internal headroom ample, even with the drop-down bed. Although there’s no sunroof, daylight floods in through the large windows.

The five LEDs below the bed can be switched on individually to provide warm white light, or switched again to turn a restful blue. A striplight under each of the overhead lockers can also be switched on individually for extra light to the sides. The switch for both of these striplights remains blue when they are switched off, so you can see them easily at night.

There are two USBs and a 12V socket under the front nearside locker, and a 12V and mains socket in the same spot on the offside. Each pair of sockets is a £191 extra. My test model had no TV bracket; I was told it would normally be above the travel seats. Don’t miss our guide to internet in a motorhome if you want to ensure you can stream your favourite shows.

Kitchen in the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition

It’s pretty clear from first sight that the kitchen in this motorhome isn’t really all bells and whistles.

For a start, it only has a two-burner gas hob. There could almost be room for a third burner, given the hob’s size, but having them spaced out means you can fit standard-size pans on here.

There is only a half height motorhome fridge, which might be large enough for the food of two.

There is, however, a substantial Belfast-style sink, which even has a small permanent drainer.

And while there is no microwave, my model did have a £1682 Dometic oven. That is only available in the “long kitchen” layout, with an enormous workspace that extends almost to the cab. If you feel you don’t need an oven, there would be drawers here instead.

If you don’t choose the long kitchen option, there’d be an extra seat here. But I think this model already has enough seating, and it would be a pity to miss out on all that extra worktop.

The whole area is well lit, too.

Washroom in the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition

You certainly notice the monocoque design of this vehicle when you enter the corner washroom in the Oasi 540.1, because there are, of course, no seams to be found anywhere.

This area is lit in the same way as the lounge, with LED lights that can be individually switched to warm white, blue or off. There is also a clear window (with a blind) to let in the daylight.

There isn’t enough room here for a separate shower cubicle, and there is only one drainage hole in the floor, but the cleverly designed handbasin is a good size, with an excellent spread of mirrors in front of the cupboards above the basin.

Thoughtful design touches in the washroom mean that you also get a tooth mug, a towel ring and handily placed robe hooks on the wall to the right; there’s a toilet roll holder
in the cupboard, too.

Do bear in mind, though, that the washroom is the most likely place that you would store the ladder for the bed when it’s not needed. Nowhere else in the ’van is really big enough.

Sleeping in the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition

This is where the motorhome heaven bit really comes in, as you’ll want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to sleep well on tour. To make the bed, you just pull it down from the ceiling, attach the ladder at the bottom, and there you go.

The bed comes down to a height that should be pretty easily accessible for most people, you don’t need extra cushions, and with its slats, I found this to be one of the most comfortable motorhome beds they have ever slept in. During the day, you push it back again and almost forget it is there.

There are two individually switched lights at the head of the bed, and some Wingamm-branded padding at the top of the cab serves as a headboard.

Thanks to the rooflight, you can look out at the stars if you wish. You can also leave books and glasses of water on the shelf above the overhead lockers – where they will still be easily accessible if you forget about them until after you have put the bed back in the morning.

Sleeping in this bed made me really appreciate the benefits of monocoque design. On the first night, the region was hit by thunderstorms. Yet these were only a muffled noise inside, and they slept comfortably knowing no leakage was likely.

Storage in the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition

Let’s start on the outside. There are two lockers on the exterior – one for the gas bottles, another providing access to the area under the L-shaped settee inside. Both of these lockers are linked to the central locking system, so once you have unlocked the vehicle, you only need to press a button to open them.

Surprisingly, the largest outdoor locker – a ‘boot’ at the bottom of the back panel – is not included in this.

You unlock two bolts to access it, and the door is actually pretty heavy when it springs open. I also found it a bit of an effort to reach with the bike rack in position, even when there were no bikes on the rack. However, it would probably be large enough to hold folding furniture and parasols.

Immediately to the right of the door as you step in is a huge floor-to-ceiling cupboard, which is split into two. The top half has a hanging rail, while the bottom section should be large enough for more outdoor furniture and all of your boots and shoes.

To the right of the door, there are two cubbyholes that would be ideal for storing books and guides.

In the lounge, you get four overhead lockers, including the two over the kitchen. Lift the settee base cushions and you can also reach that externally accessible storage area (although this is a bit of a palaver).

In addition to overhead lockers, the kitchen has a deep double cupboard – big enough for large pans – below a large drawer, and another spacious locker under the oven. The washroom has one big cupboard behind the mirror and another under the handbasin.

Equipment in the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition

Once you have worked out exactly what the numerous available cost options are, and discounted them from the price, you could find that the standard equipment level on the Oasi might not be what you were expecting, given the amount of money in question here.

But then, as mentioned earlier, a great deal of that cost has gone towards the ’van’s high-quality construction. For example, you get Truma motorhome heating, not Alde – although it is perfectly adequate.

There is an optional combined oven if you go for the long kitchen layout, but a microwave is not even an option, and the fridge is only half-height.

However, the flexible, easily accessible lighting system is superior to many we’ve seen, and the manual drop-down bed is easier to operate than most of the electric versions that I have tried.

Buy if…

You are a couple looking for a vehicle you can reliably use for conventional touring for many years to come, and you are not particularly bothered about the need for large amounts of storage space to carry sporting equipment.

Alternatives to consider

The Auto-Sleeper Burford Duo has 4 berths but we think it would be ideal for couples on tour, providing plenty of comfort and an excellent kitchen work surface. For those who want a truly luxurious touring ‘van, the Carthago chic s plus I 61 XL LE could be an option – it may require a C1 licence but it has plenty of optional extras that allow you to create an opulent experience on the road.

Specification of the Wingamm Oasi 540.1 Black Edition as tested

Base vehicle

• Chassis: Fiat Ducato
• Engine: 2.2-litre, 140bhp
• Power: 140bhp @ 3500rpm
• Torque: 350Nm @ 1400rpm
• Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Features include: Safety pack (AEBS pedestrian, lane support, rain and light sensors, traffic sign and high beam recognition: £535), electric handbrake (£537), nine-speed automatic gearbox (£3658). Comfort pack (DAB radio antenna, steering wheel radio controls, automatic cab air conditioning, electric external mirrors, heated windscreen, leather steering wheel and gear lever: £1420). Drive pack (TPMS, ESP, ASR, Hill holder, passenger airbag, cruise control, Fiat 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, electric brake, 90-litre fuel tank: £1747)

Conversion

Monocoque GRP shell with 25mm polyurethane insulation glued to chassis. Poplar plywood used on all furniture inside, with Arpa Kèr laminate

Lounging and dining

L-shaped settee with colour-coordinated seatbelts, sliding pedestal table, blinds and flyscreens to all windows, sealed blind in habitation door window, Rubelli fabrics for upholstery, USB ports, 12V and mains socket, Truma heating. Individually switched LEDs that can be changed to warm white or blue

Kitchen

Two-burner gas hob, Dometic Series 10 two-way opening fridge, combined oven and grill

Sleeping

Manual drop-down bed with individually switched lights

Equipment includes

Shower, circular toilet

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