Full review

Long gone are the days when the Tracker nameplate was attached only to Auto-Trail’s most compact motorhomes. That’s witnessed by the arrival of this latest addition for 2018, the LB which supplements – rather than supplanting – the existing RB with its transverse island bed.

Here, then, is a more conventional lengthways island double in the same 7.60m body length. It’s another heavyweight, too; its 4,250kg chassis requiring a C1 category licence. It’ll be interesting to see if both models survive into 2019, or whether the arrival of the LB signals the death knell for the RB.

In the meantime, here’s everything you expect of an Auto-Trail, from the rear spare wheel carrier to the choice of cupboards (Lo-Line) or bed (Hi-Line) in the luton (with its big sunroof). Either way, this is a tall ’van, at over 3m high, and it sits quite high on the standard Fiat chassis, so watch out for crosswinds and passing trucks. You need an exterior step and an interior step when clambering aboard, too.

On the plus side, that high chassis results in a flat floor through the living area and here there’s the classically British front lounge of parallel settees, too. Although, if you specify the upper bed, you’ll also want to go for the half-dinette lounge option, which adds the extra pair of rear travel seats.

In standard form the settees aren’t especially long (the nearside’s is really a single seat) but you’ll need to lounge here to watch the TV (part of the Media Pack) that drops down from over the windscreen. The free-standing table is ideal for dining, but for snacks there’s also a round coffee table, which is a nice addition.

The galley is L-shaped and does rather reduce the open feeling of the lounge as it just out into the aisle adjacent to the offside settee. There’s no faulting the spec level here, though. You get a full cooker (including mains hotplate, separate grill and oven) and above that is a fitted microwave. Opposite is a tall, slim, 142-litre Thetford fridge.

The rear island bed is chopped off at the foot on both sides and its measurements of 1.86m by 1.43m are not the largest out there. Check out the room to get around the bed, too, and remember that this space gets tighter when you’ve added a thick winter duvet.

The bedroom does come with continental-style en suite ablutions – offside shower and nearside toilet room, with the door to the latter closing off the bedroom area. There’s no privacy between the shower and the rear bed, and, although the separate shower looks good, it hasn’t got the most generous headroom.

Finally, the payload here is pretty impressive, so you’ll be able to make good use of the locker under the bed. It is served by two smallish external loading doors and has 400mm internal height, so it’s far from being a ‘garage’ though it will be a useful home for your outdoor gear.

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