Auto Campers turns Leisure into Day campervan

The all-new Leisure Van from Auto Campers

Keen observers at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC, Birmingham may have spotted that the 2015 Campervan of the Year, the Auto Sleepers Leisure Van, had been transformed into the Auto Sleepers Day Van. And to add to the confusion there was an entirely new Leisure Van on display. We asked Steve Wood to clarify and he explained what was going on, “In 2014 we started with an eight-seat passenger vehicle and called the Lo-Line version a Day Van because of its height. However, we called the same 2014 model with Hi-line and Pop-Top, Leisure Vans because they offered more space for leisure.”

It was the Pop-Top Leisure Van that won the MMM Award and it featured removable furniture. This is now a Day Van. Steve continued, “However, we had plans to introduce a more traditional model with fixed furniture down one side and a double bed/seat which is now more appropriately named the Leisure Van. Essentially the Day Van is recognised as being based on an eight-seat passenger carrying vehicle with removable furniture and seats, available with three roof options. The Leisure van is defined by its leisure use. Both share our trademark twin doors, but appeal to different customers.”

So, let’s have a look at the all-new Leisure Van. This is based on the Transit Custom Van with three 2.2-litre TDCi engines offering 100ps, 125ps and 155ps. All with six-speed gear boxes. It has four travel seats, between two and four berths, a Hi-Line and Pop-Top version and measures 4.972m long. The fuel tank can take 80-litres while there are 40-litre tanks for fresh and grey water. The Hi-Line sleeps a maximum of two people but the Pop-Top makes use of a roof bed to increase this to four.

The new Leisure Van has traditional furniture fixed down the right side of the campervan but adds a second sliding door on that side. There is also the option for sliding furniture. The Pop-Top has a Reimo elevating roof, high-pressure laminate furniture with edge-banded quality trim and Tambour doors. There’s a two ring gas hob, oval stainless steel sink, LED lighting, extra wide and a fixed double rear travel seat/bed.  The Hi-Line has Ford’s steel roof, full height barn rear doors, a full height wardrobe extension, kitchen and over cab upper lockers system with shelf and a black-out blind and insect net.

There are some different versions of each one, with a Base model, Trend and Sport versions. The Trend option adds metallic paint and full wheel covers, projector cornering headlights, fog lights, front and rear parking sensors, radio/CD, cruise control, leather-trim steering wheel and front and rear speakers. If you want all that and go faster stripes then the Sport edition ramps the power up to 155ps and throws in 18inch alloys. It has the Ford Appearance pack that includes a variety of paint effects all over the body, a choice of coloured furniture and a rear spoiler.

For the Pop-Top prices start at £33,000 for the Base, £34,500 for the Trend and £39,000 for the Sport. For the Hi-Line it’s £30,000 for the Base, £31,500 for the standard Trend and £32,500 for the 155ps Trend. More details available at auto-campers.co.uk.

Read about the latest motorhome reviews in Which Motorhome every month or check out places to go in your campervan or motorhome with MMM magazine.

News