Full review

Tribute was once the poor relation of Auto-Trail and its earliest vehicles – although very keenly priced – showed their budget sector positioning all too clearly. Those conversions were built in Italy at Trigano’s specialist campervan factory, while the more recent Tribute coachbuilts have always rolled down Auto-Trail’s production lines.

Now, for 2018, Tribute van conversions are made in Grimsby, so Auto-Trail has taken the opportunity to bring the three-model Tribute van range closer to its own products. Furniture, construction, trim and upholstery in this 2017 Tribute are all very Auto-Trail. So much so, in fact, that it even wears the parent company name as a subscript on the back doors and has its logo on the grille.

This test campervan hardly looks basic in metallic silver with a colour-coded front bumper. That’s because it has the Driver’s Pack, a £1,499 option that in reality will be fitted to almost every Tribute. As well as the paint, it brings to the party ESC, Traction Plus, Hill Holder, plus the usual cruise control, cab air-conditioning, passenger airbag and electric mirrors. And, in a step up over many an imported ’van, you also get Fiat’s integrated radio with Bluetooth and steering wheel-mounted controls.

The lack of a step at the 670’s sliding door is certainly going to make exiting this way a bit of a leap of faith. It’s a single jump of 460mm. Elsewhere, the interior of the Tribute shows few signs of cost cutting. Lighting is good – LED, of course, and including four reading lights in the rear and even a quartet of spots in the back of the cab headlining. The upholstery is to Auto-Trail’s usual high standards, there are removable carpets in four press-studded sections and there’s a Heki sunroof at the rear. You even get a 25-litre underslung gas tank, which I definitely wouldn’t have expected at this price level.

The combination of four travel seats and a second lounge at the back creates a very versatile vehicle – and a British best seller. The rear lounge is a cosy place to relax with just about enough space to put your feet up – as long as you’re not too lanky. Opening windows all around make it light and airy, but beware of clouting the open nearside window when sliding the side door! If the weather’s good enough, it’s better just to fling open the back doors and really savour the outdoor life.

Not so lucky with the British climate? Then pull the posh concertina blinds, turn up the gas/electric Combi 4 heater via its simple iNet-ready digital control panel and put a warming cup of cocoa on the central, island leg table.

There’s storage under the rear seats, though most of the offside seat base is taken up by the Combi boiler and the charging unit. High-level lockers abound in both lounges, all with concealed positive-locking catches that work well, especially as they are mated to anti-rattle strips.

You’re unlikely to have any qualms about the kit fitted in the kitchen. OK, the fridge is only a relatively basic model with push-button ignition for the gas mode, but some say these simpler coolers are more reliable. There’s no microwave, but that’s a good thing in my book as the extra cupboard is pretty essential in a compact space – and the three gas burners and combined oven/grill give you plenty of options at meal times. My pizza was cooked perfectly in the Triplex unit. The three drawers face forward at the end of the galley, where they’re as easily reached from outside (great when dining al fresco). The galley is also well served with mains sockets – one at each end and another hidden away in the top cupboard. Then there are further sockets in both of the seating areas.

The end lounge actually has a second mains point (and a 12V socket) tucked away under a top locker, ideally placed for mounting a TV on the bathroom wall. To convert the lounge into a bedroom is a quick and simple conversion. Good-quality seat bases just slide out from each side and meet in the middle. Add the backrest cushions on top and a 6ft 1in long by over 4ft wide double bed (broader by 3½in on the nearside) is ready. It’s free of any annoying lumps or ridges and provided a good night’s sleep.

It’s best to be tall when ‘on the throne’ because the latest design of cassette loo is mounted at a foot-dangling altitude. Of course, this is an all-in-one washroom that requires you to use a shower curtain when hosing yourself down, but space in here is actually pretty good. And it all looks modern and practical, with the shower head separate from the basin’s tap – though it’s worth noting that the trigger release dictates holding it with one hand while you wash, clipping it to the wall only when you turn off the water.

The hide-away washbasin is a huge step forward from the plasticky folding basins of old but it does splash a little when folding away. Likewise, the mirror-fronted cupboard above could be improved enormously by the simple addition of some elasticated straps to stop all your potions cascading out when you stop on site and open the locker for the first time.

It’s the price that will draw you to this Tribute – at £42k, including the Driver’s Pack – it seems very good value. More importantly, perhaps, it feels like an Auto-Trail.

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