Full review

THE much lower Al-Ko chassis is unusual at this price, but has enabled Bailey to build a genuine low-profile vehicle, not just an overcab coachbuilt without the luton bed. And the really clever bit is that the addition of a drop-down bed means the 765 is still a true six-berth. It's a worthy Family Motorhome of the Year.

Motorhome exterior

The low, sleek body (compared with its overcab six-berth rivals) should mean better fuel economy (we got 27.7mpg on our first trip, with a delivery mileage engine), but the most noticeable advantage is its surefootedness on the motorway in comparison with the loftier, wobbly-in-the-wind opposition. You’ll simply relax more driving the Autograph, even if the Peugeot lacks the refinement (or automatic option) of its Fiat Ducato twin.

The Bailey one-size-fits-all policy (as with the sole 130bhp engine option) pays dividends when it comes to spec: remote central locking (including the habitation door), height-adjustable seats with twin armrests, cruise control and air-conditioning take care of your comfort, while twin airbags and ABS with EBFD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) and EBA (Emergency Brake Assist) ensure your safety. 
In the meantime, Bailey’s justifiably proud of the work it has done crash testing its motorhomes at Millbrook Proving Groud in Bedfordshire. As a result of its testing, Bailey has extensively reinforced the rear-facing dinette backrest, fitted anti-submarining hoops under the seats (to stop pasengers disappearing into the seat base in a crash) and it’s even tested the drop-down bed to check it stays where it should in a crash. Of course, as one would expect, this six-berth also comes with a full complement of six seatbelts.

Inside the motorhome

Up front, the cab seats swivel, though we’ve yet to be tempted to turn them (except for photos), such is the amount and variety of seating on offer here.
Firstly, there’s that pullman-type four-person dinette up front. Then there’s that wrap-around U-shaped rear lounge. Whether you want space to entertain, or room for kids and adults to enjoy their own quarters – or even both – the 765 delivers in spades. It’s not unique, but this layout is usually associated with bulbous overcabs and here the generous interior headroom and large skylights above the cab and the rear lounge only add to the spaciousness.

The Bailey is wider than its rivals too – as much as 212mm (over eight inches) wider than an Elddis Autoquest, for example. You can feel that extra width on site but I have been pleasantly surprised, so far, that it has not made the Autograph too daunting to drive, even on Norfolk’s B-roads. 
 

Motorhome dining

The front dinette has room for four to dine here, and serving up is more convenient from the adjacent galley. If you prefer the more spacious rear seating then the table has to be extricated (more easily) from the wardrobe. This one is free-standing, so could also be used outside. 
After dinner, you can enjoy the cab stereo’s tunes played through speakers in the rear corners of the end lounge, or there’s plenty of room to put your feet up with a book, or the latest MMM. Each corner of the rear lounge has its own swivel reading light (LED, of course), as well as a shelf just big enough for a cup of cocoa or a G ‘n’ T. 

Making an entrance

As you enter, the kitchen is on your right, while what looks like a large cupboard forward of the door has no internal access as here is the gas compartment. It does give the cook extra worktop to use, though.
A removable draining board frees up more preparation space so, with the possibility of a large table close by too, chefs much more accomplished than me should be happy working here. They’ll be pleased with the Thetford Caprice cooker too, as it comes with a mains hotplate, three gas rings and a separate grill and oven. A microwave resides in its own locker over the hob. And there’s another cupboard above that, emphasising the Autograph’s generous 2.09m internal height. You’ll need to be tall to reach those top cupboards!
Down below, storage is a little limited. More of an issue is a fridge that may struggle to feed six!

At the double

The electric drop-down bed is the best bed in the house, with a thick mattress, Froli springs, safety nets and a 150kg weight limit. Underneath it, the dinette can be rearranged into another similarly-sized double, though here the bed narrows towards the front. Headroom drops from a more-than-adequate 760mm to a claustrophobic 450mm under the cupboards attached to the underside of the upper bed (compared with a consistent and adequate 590mm headroom for the bed above). Maybe it’s best to think of this one as more of a single berth.

There’s no doubt that mum and dad will bag the big bed at the back. Shorter parents might be able to use the 1.79m settees as singles but this area works best as a huge double. This time caravan-style pull-out slats (rather than the table) provide the centre filling, while an infill cushion is required to make up the basketball-player-pleasing 2.20m transverse bed length.  
 
WASHROOM
Step up into a carpeted area with a swivel cassette loo under a small vanity locker, with a towel rail, robe hooks and Alde radiator on your left. Just check that there’s enough shoulder-room for when you’re sat on the throne and, while you’re about it, get the dealer to re-site the toilet-roll-holder from the pantomime ‘it’s behind you’ location. But with the back-up of decent-sized (underfloor) water tanks and two large shower drains there is plenty of room in the shower.

This is an edited extract from the August 2014 issue of MMM magazine. To read the review in full, order your digital copy HERE

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