Full review

The thinking behind the Quartet makes perfect sense. The desire to downsize is clear - there is a definite move to smaller coachbuilt motorhomes and campervans.

But van conversions especially are, by definition, more compact than coachbuilts. This means that the designers have to be very clever in what the produce, especially when they are attempting to make a viable four-berth family motorhome from a six-metre-long high-top Peugeot Boxer/Fiat Ducato panel van that is just 2.05m wide.

To give credit to Autocruise, their designers have done an amazing job transforming the inside of this van into a usable family space.

INSIDE the Autocruise Quartet

Kitchen
The kitchen is well equipped, with its three-burner hob, grill and oven, 72-litre fridge (OK this could be a little larger for a family) and a worktop that is long and wide enough to be practical.

The fridge sits above the reasonably sized cupboard, which was home to almost everything, as storage – other than for kitchen utensils and food – is pretty limited.

The cab area proved another worthwhile dumping ground – this time for the two child seats. Indeed, storage is a real issue that needs some consideration for a family of four.


Washroom
The rear washroom that is one of the highlights of the Quartet.

The fully-functioning bathroom is great, with a shower (although this has only a 66-litre fresh water tank) fold-down basin and flush loo.

For me, in this market it is Volkswagen’s California that wins by the fact that it has a rising roof, which is home to a comfortable and hassle-free double bed… but it then loses by the fact that there is no loo.

For a family ’van, having a loo is a major selling point and a godsend at 3am when one of the children decides ‘now’s the time’.

So perhaps, the Quartet is worthy of consideration after all.


Lounge
The lounge area also works well for four – the forward facing half-dinette seat is just wide enough for a pair of children to eat side by side.

This leaves the two cab seats for the adults – the one lucky enough to grab the driver’s chair will eat comfortably.

The adult in the passenger seat will have a stretch to reach the table and also has the disadvantage of having dangling legs as the step-up is just a little too far away.

As this is a family camper, I feel it should be equipped to safely carry child seats. However, as is common throughout the industry, there are no Isofix points on this motorhome’s seats.

Autocruise tell me this is because there is no customer demand for these fixings, which allow child seats to be attached directly to the seat’s sub-frame.

However, Autocruise, along with some other manufacturers, are looking at introducing these fixings on future models.

Beds
Sadly, there is also a more major issue with this camper – the sleeping
arrangements.

The rear bunks are perfect for children and, indeed, the lower bunk proved a perfect bolthole for very tired adults to get some sleep.

Each bunk gets its own light and a supremely comfortable, high-quality, one-piece mattress.

As mentioned, the bottom bunk (at 6ft 1in by 2ft 1in) is perfect for a child, or even an adult. But the upper bunk is only the domain of a ‘small person’, as it is just 5ft 8½in by 1ft 10in.

Each night it was a toss-up as to which of our twins got the privilege of climbing the metal steps to the top.

But that bottom bunk bolthole was needed, as we found the transverse double that is created in the lounge to be not only a hassle to make, but also uncomfortable and too small for two adults.

Part of the reason for it being uncomfortable was because we had decided to remove the carpet so it would not get muddy.

However, removing the carpet meant the two supporting legs that slide out from the seat base were too short.

Add the resulting sloping base to the mishmash of cushions and the inability to lay fully stretched meant very uncomfortable nights.

So uncomfortable that we found ourselves waiting for the children to wake so at least one of us could get some shut eye in that lower bunk.

As this is a family ’van, I expected some compromises, but this is one too far – a good night’s sleep makes for a good holiday; a poor night’s sleep makes for a very stressful one.


Want to know more? Read the previous reviews of our Autocruise Quartet long-term test

An extended version of this motorhome review first appeared in the October 2012 issue of Which Motorhome magazine.