Bailey Autograph 79-4T motorhome

Bailey’s Autograph is back in this new Series 4 edition, with more spec, more payload and an automatic gearbox as standard

The Autograph is perhaps the most ‘Bailey’ of Bailey motorhomes. It has always had an Al-Ko chassis and Alde heating as its USPs and, through three series, it accounted for the lion’s share of the company’s sales until Covid – and the consequent drying up of Peugeot chassis deliveries called time on it.

Since then, it has been Transits that have filled the Bristol production lines, with the Adamo taking the leading role. This October, however, a new (Series 4) Autograph returns to the stage to take top billing in the company’s portfolio. Although not quite as long as an Adamo XL, it brings the Al-Ko chassis and Alde radiator heating back into the equation, while its Peugeot cab gets an automatic gearbox for the first time.

This isn’t just a return of the old model, based on the latest Stellantis cab. It’s a completely new range of, initially, four models (with two more to come next February). The 79-4T (twin beds) and 79-4I (island bed) get revised layouts, while the 72-2 (front lounge, rear washroom/garage) and 81-5 (front and rear lounges, two drop-down beds) are all-new. It’s the 79-4T (prototype) that we have here and it gains two important features – a bigger garage with larger loading doors on both sides, and a continental-style split washroom with shower on the offside and toilet opposite. It is a four-berth, four-travel-seat motorhome but, surprisingly, doesn’t come with a drop-down bed.

In true Bailey fashion, it doesn’t have an options list, either, although you can specify from the factory an alternative Jasmine soft furnishing scheme. A towbar and Avtex mobile WiFi are available as dealer-fit items, while the cab mats shown are from the Prima accessories catalogue.

Alu-tech body construction

This is undoubtedly the best-looking Bailey motorhome yet, with the exterior finally shedding the company’s caravan roots. A new overcab pod with large opening sunroof sits above the facelifted Boxer cab, resplendent in Graphite metallic. A greater transformation comes at the rear, where the new look features bold tail lights and built-in bike rack mountings. Whilst the appearance is homogenous, there are several sections here to reduce the cost of repairs should you be paying insufficient attention to the reversing camera.

Construction is, of course, Bailey’s Alu-Tech system with impact-resistant GRP on the outside, wood-free upper bodywork, high-density polystyrene insulation and a GRP skin on the inside and under the floor. Cold chamber testing has attained Grade III classification for heating and insulation.

Aesthetically, the sides are Dove Grey with charcoal and bronze graphics, but the most noticeable updates are probably the smart, flush-fitting Polyplastic Piuma windows and the wider Hartal door (linked to the central locking).

External features include a barbecue point and 230V/aerial sockets on the nearside, while the Thule awning (with a black casing in future) and the alloy wheels are standard. The fresh water filler uses a Whale fitting that isn’t always ideal, while the 115-litre tank is underslung but heated and insulated. No such winterisation is applied to the waste tank, which perhaps seems at odds with the Alde heating promoting all-season use. The grey water drains fairly quickly but the pipe looks vulnerable and it would have been nice to have an electric dump valve on Bailey’s premium model.

Enhanced spec for off-grid touring

The larger fresh tank is part of a concerted effort to focus on off-grid use. So, the new Autograph also comes with a 200W solar panel, two 95Ah AGM batteries (lithium would have been even better) and a larger gas locker (for two 13kg cylinders). The Autograph also deliberately eschews the trend for compressor fridges and sticks with an absorption cooler that will be less hungry of 12V power (although less capable in scorching weather).

Long tours also require plenty of storage, so the 79-4T has a larger garage offering an internal height of 98cm and width of 80cm. There are four fixed lashing points on the floor and a long LED for illumination on the back wall, while the flooring looks durable and incorporates drain holes at either side. Power sockets (12V and 230V) are fitted just inside the nearside door and there’s additional shelved storage (useful for toilet chemical, levelling wedges, etc) on both sides. Unusually for a single bed layout, a sliding door provides garage access from the living area.

It’s a commodious space but not as tall as you’ll find in many continental models (check careful if you have bikes to load in here) and lacking an external shower. The biggest bugbear, though, will surely be the table’s stowage position in here.

Peugeot cab with 180HP and eight-speed automatic

As well as the eight-speed automatic transmission (the Peugeot cab was previously manual only), the new model comes as standard with the 180hp motor. In combination with the super-stable attributes of the Al-Ko chassis, I was looking forward to the test drive but, sadly, it was not to be. Still very much a prototype, ‘our’ Bailey wasn’t yet homologated for road useInstead, I had to content myself with a read of the extensive standard spec, including a 10in display with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth and reversing camera. There’s automatic air-con, too. Then you get the latest safety kit – intelligent lane keeping, speed assist and emergency braking. An electronic handbrake banishes the stretch down to reach the manual lever and the spec is completed by a heated windscreen, wireless smartphone charger, digital dashboard, LED headlights with automatic high-beam, front fog lights and a leather steering wheel. It’s a very comprehensive tally – only heated cab seats are missing.

All-new décor

It’s an easy step through the wide door into the Autograph, thanks to the low chassis and inset step well and, once inside, the first thing that strikes you is the feeling of space – or more particularly, the headroom (up to 2.13m!).

The décor is new, inspired by the range-topping Alicante Grande caravan, featuring darker Natural Oak furniture, Basalt worktops, Mulberry soft furnishings with four large scatter cushions and Mocha split-section removable carpets.

There’s plenty of daylight, with multiple rooflights (all push-up type) throughout the living area and, of course, the super-sized overcab sunroof. Artificial lighting is good, too, with downlights under the top cupboards and ambient lighting above. Particularly welcome are the flexible reading lights (with built-in USBs) in the cab.

Another new aspect is in the entrance, where you’ll find a useful shelf for keys, etc, as well as a wireless phone charger and USB-A and C sockets. Above, there’s room for a TV of up to 32in – the telly isn’t included, just the bracket that swivels it to horizontal for viewing.

The lounge comprises the swivel cab seats, a sofa on the nearside and L-shaped seating (incorporating the rear travel seats with two Isofix positions) opposite. Both seats feature backrests that wrap around the B-pillars, which is a nice touch both visually and for comfort. Another welcome addition is the new round coffee table.

There’s a step down from the cab to the lounge, which leaves the sofas rather high off the floor, unless you have very long legs. It’s a homely space, nevertheless, but it becomes compromised when you retrieve the giant table from the garage (hope it’s not raining!). As a free-standing unit, this makes sense when dining al fresco but it’s simply too cumbersome inside the motorhome and moving around it is awkward.

British-style kitchen

Whilst there are countless imported rivals to this new Bailey, none will surely match the spec of its galley. Here, you have a Thetford cooker with mains hotplate, three gas rings and a separate oven and grill. Up above, there’s a plateless Russell Hobbs microwave.

The new L-shaped format of the kitchen allows a tad more worktop, which is generous when the loose sink cover and solid cover to the hob’s glass lid are deployed. The sink has a fancy hose-style tap and its lid reverses to become a chopping board. Behind are twin 230V sockets.

Storage includes two reasonable-sized, soft-closing drawers and a pull-out rack for tinned and packet foods, while the tall top locker may be a stretch to reach. Then, opposite is a 142-litre tall/slim fridge with bottle drawer and 15-litre freezer section. It’s hard to see what else you could want in a motorhome kitchen.

Rear en suite

A 175mm step takes you up from the living area to the rear en suite bedroom, where the new 79-4T and its island bed sister now adopt the popular theme of a shower on one side and a loo on t’other, with the toilet door opening round to separate the rear of the motorhome. There’s also an upholstered concertina screen that pulls across to divide ablutions from bedroom.

The toilet area is cosy but usable with its door closed and has an Alde radiator, towel hooks and a loo roll holder hidden inside a cupboard. Its mirror-fronted storage is generous but needs fiddle rails to keep things in place. The worktop (into which the white basin is recessed) matches the kitchen and there’s a roof vent above. The biggest issue here (especially if you’re vertically challenged) will be the height of the cassette toilet.

The shower cubicle also has a roof vent (with fold-down drying rail), while its dark tinted bifold doors stow with magnetic catches (but still need anti-rattle padding). There’s plenty of room to hose yourself down and water pressure from the Ecocamel showerhead is good, while twin drains ensure that suds flow away. However, there’s a step in the tray which could be inconvenient for those with large feet.

From the washing zone, it’s just a step away to reach fresh garments from the wardrobe under each of the single beds. These each have a drop from the rail of around a metre and the nearside wardrobe includes shelved space, too. Not so welcome are the vents in the floor which might bring dust and dirt from the road into the area.

Extra clothes storage can be found in two drawers under the offside bed, while smalls could be kept in the cupboard at the foot of this bed (warmed by the Alde unit).

Spacious bedroom with twin beds

Not having any top lockers in the bedroom makes for a much greater feeling of space, while also ensuring that there’s nothing precluding you from sitting up in bed. The mattresses are firm but comfortable and longer on the nearside. Reading lights, padded headboards, a central coffee table and cupboard with USBs and a rooflight complete a bedroom that is the 79-4T’s best feature.

It also has the usual infill to extend the middle of the bed to 1.21m. Typically, a ladder now provides access rather than the two steps and the support for the extra cushion is a rather clunky panel that has to be lifted out and slotted back in.

The front lounge bed also looks like it could do with further refinement. The slide-out support on the nearside is easy enough but the panel that removes from the offside wall to bridge the gap seemed fiddly to locate. Then you have to add a very large folding infill to complete a long but lumpy bed. Think of it as an occasional berth for grandchildren and it’ll suffice but, if you need a four-berth more regularly, a drop-down bed would be a better bet.

Bailey’s Series 4 Autograph is the company’s most upmarket motorhome yet with a standard specification that wants for almost nothing. Longer than many rivals, at almost 8m, it feels spacious and its bedroom and kitchen are star features, while the Alde heating remains a USP. The big, bulky table stored in the garage is the biggest downside.