Auto-Trail versus Auto-Sleepers Van Conversions

Your style of holiday sounds the same as ours............

We do it in an Autotrail 615 coach built being 6.34m long...

The roads/ferries in the highlands & islands would be even easier in a PVC but we like/need the extra width of the coachbuilt, transverse beds are not big enough for me, I'm 6'2" and for that reason some of the longitudinal beds aren't long enough either.

You are basically correct, the smallest M/H you can manage with gives you the most flexibility, sit in a few and imagine being in it in the rain in bonny Scotland for two weeks, will it be big enough...??

You could even hire one for a week to see if it suits.....

Tintent115 04/03/2018 17:14

Thanks for you rapid reply. I will take a look at the AT 615. Is that Imala? How do you find the quality and reliability of Auto-Trail .

Thx, Dave.

Dave, I'm going to touch wood as I type.......!!

We bought it new in Nov 16 and haven't had any problems yet.....!

It does exactly what we wanted, but we knew what we wanted as we have both been caravanning and motorhoming  since we were small children....!!

As with everything in life, you get what you pay for, it may not be built like a Hymer or as plush as  an Auto Sleeper, but neither of those were what we were looking for.........I will keep it a few years then buy another new one, so "longevity" of the furniture was not an issue for me.....and obviously all the real engineering bits are the same (Fiat/Peugeot) whatever brand you buy, unless you can afford a Mercedes based AS coachbuilt....!

There are lots of horror stories of just about every brand of M/H, caravan, car, TV, vacuum cleaner etc on the internet, most people only write about it if dissatisfied.  We are still happy with ours.....!

Tintent115 04/03/2018 17:33

Thanks again for you advice, which is very welcome.

Dave

have a look at motorhomefun, Motorhomefacts and outandaboutlive forums as they are far more MH biased than this one.

generally there will be sections on each brand which will give you some more in depth info, similarly AS and AT have their own forums...

a few hours well spent, you'll find....

Hi, Dave. I think you’re very much on the right track in your thinking both in terms of vehicle and the way you intend you use it.

We changed a few years ago from a caravan to a 6.4m Autosleeper coachbuilt MH based on a Merc Sprinter. Last year we took it to Orkney and Shetland and managed pretty well. We wouldn’t have taken our caravan there.

However, we decided if was time to downsize further and wanted something sub 6m and definitely narrower than the coachbuilt.

We looked at the 5.5m Autotrail V Line but found it cramped (for us) and really wanted something with two full length bunks. 

We then looked at and bought the 6m Warwick (not the XL). We didn’t really want the extra length of the XL and preferred the layout of the shorter version with the kitchen opposite the sliding door. This allows more room to bend and reach into the fridge and oven. We find the 2litre 160 engine in the 2017 Peugeot to be smoother and possibly more powerful than the 2.2 150 Fiat in the V Line we tested. No way does the Pug compare to the Sprinter though.

Problems - well, we bought the Warwick at the tail end of last season and have only stayed in it for a few days, although we have taken it out for several day trips over the winter. We found a few issues with the build but, in all honesty, nothing as bad as some people experience. The fridge overheated due to, we think, the heat shield being incorrectly installed, both water taps were fitted wrongly, and the driver's seat cover had a hole in it. All were corrected under warranty. A drawer front fell off but was refixed by us and the reversing camera is pretty rubbish.

This year we're heading for the Hebrides so I'll tell you more after that. We have, though, found the reduced width from the coachbuilt a big advantage and losing nearly half a metre on length is good as parking is now easier. Being FWD, the Pug has a poor turning circle which hampers manoeuvrability but we are comparing it to the RWD Merc.

Good hunting. I’m happy to answer any other questions either here or by email (see profile).

Tinwheeler 04/03/2018 19:21

Thank you very much for your in depth reply and the time you spent composing it. Did I read elsewhere that you spend a good bit of time here in Scotland?

I have looked at the Warwick Duo and based on your experience will have another good look. The 6m length may be better than the XL. Living/sleeping cabin is the same size as the XL and the only sacrifice is a smaller bathroom. That could be a good choice for us too. Thanks for the heads up on quality and engine choice. Not sure we need the media pack. What do you think?

Once again thanks for you exemplary reply. Cheers, Dave

We looked a Warwick when we brought the Rhythm. Both were very similar. We wanted 2 single beds and ease of accessing the other facilities  at night. What made the decision is that the wardrobe overhangs the bed in the Warwick thus having to sleep one way unless you feel like banging your head when you wake up.  Found the Peugeot and Autocruise quality good. This is our 6th Campervan and went from a mid length Autosleeper  which in retirement and longer trips was too small and the bed making a faff with restricted access at night. Spend over a month each year fishing in North Scotland and find the 6M length no problem

You're welcome, Dave. Happy to help.

We all have different priorities and make different choices depending on what’s right for us. I'd recommend reconsidering the 6m Warwick if only to compare it with the XL.

We bought ours off the forecourt - a brand new conversion on a 5 month old base vehicle so had no choice about extras. We have the club camper satnav which doubles as the screen for the reversing camera but I’d not go out of my way to buy either. We had reversing sensors fitted at our local Pug dealership and find them more use than the camera.

We have been touring Scotland for many years but have gone more off the beaten track since we had a MH. We went to the far NW - Durness, Scourie et al one year, the Northern Isles last year and now heading for the Western Isles. We have the Isle of Man and both parts of Ireland in our sights, too.

Thank very much, Fisherman. Your post was very helpful indeed. I was completely unaware that Swift had a PVC range. That is not surprising  because I know next to nothing about motor-homes. The 2018 version of your Rhythm seems to be the Select 122 and that is the ideal length and layout for us. So special thanks for sharing your extensive experience. Amazing what you learn by asking and listening. Thanks again, Dave.