Key Features
| Model Year | 2013 |
| Class | Overcab Coachbuilt |
| Base Vehicle | Fiat Ducato |
| Price From (£) | 43,130 |
| Engine Size | 2.3TD |
| Maximum Weight (kg) | 3,500 |
| Berths | 6 |
| Main Layout | Rear Lounge |
At a glance
Full review
The Italian-built Auto-Roller 746 is a coachbuilt motorhome which offers sleeping berths for six, as well as six belted travel seats. However, it boasts an interior layout that is traditionally more popular with UK buyers.With on-the-road prices starting at a keen £42,490, the Auto-Roller 746 initially looks to be superb value for money...
ON THE ROAD
Fitted with the ubiquitous 130bhp version of Fiat’s 2.3- litre Multijet diesel engine as standard, the Auto-Roller rolls along quite happily, as long as you’re not in a hurry.
It’s quite a big vehicle, at 7.33m long, and with a large overcab bulge, so there’s a lot of bulk to push through the air once you get up to motorway speeds.
I found it cruised most comfortably at around 60-65mph on motorways, sitting in sixth gear until motorway slopes required a change down to fifth or fourth.
The cab seats are just the original Fiat seats with covers fitted but they do the job and the driver’s seat is heightadjustable, which is great for a six-footer like myself.
UP FRONT
A large pullman-style dinette, with belted seats for four people, mean a total of six people can travel in this motorhome (though those facing aft just get lap belts).
If you want to dine here there’s also the ability to extend the seating sideways, so that three people can sit on either side of the table – which also extends thanks to an extra clip-on section of tabletop.
However, you don’t need to dine here at all if you don’t want to, since a free-standing table, which stores in the wardrobe, can be set up in the rear lounge.
Perhaps the only thing lacking in both these areas are the large Heki-style rooflights that we have become used to in motorhomes.
Instead, three old-style square roof vents are fitted as standard. However, you can upgrade to a larger Heki-style rooflight for the rear lounge, at an extra £275.
REAR LOUNGE
The rear lounge doesn’t feel too dark, thanks to the large windows that surround it at the sides and on the back wall.
On cold days, both lounge areas (plus the rest of the interior) are heated by the standard-fit Eberspächer diesel-powered blown-air heating.
This is a fairly rare fitment in coachbuilt motorhomes, let alone a budget one, so full marks here.
KITCHEN
The kitchen features a three-burner gas hob, together with a combined gas oven and grill.
There’s also a threeway fridge, plus a circular stainless-steel sink with a large chrome-effect mixer tap.
The kitchen also boasts a fair amount of free worktop, plus a pair of well-placed mains electrical sockets, fitted in their own console-style moulding on the worktop.
WASHROOM
This Auto-Roller features a fair size washroom and it manages to fit in separate areas for the toilet and the shower.
You don’t get an isolated shower cubicle, since the washbasin is also in the shower area, but at least the toilet should stay dry thanks to a folding plastic screen which shields the shower area from the toilet.
The showerhead consists of the pull-out faucet from the basin, so you’ve also got to wiggle the tubing from this back into the tap stem once you’ve finished showering.
All-in-all, not a bad washroom, and the dark wood wall covering gives it an upmarket feel, even though it’s fairly basic in here
BEDS
When it’s time to battle the kids into bed, you’ve got a choice of three different sleeping areas.
Little ones will probably love the thought of sleeping in the overcab bed and once they are in place, you can secure them with netting screen that pulls up.
This area is also quite well designed, being more spacious than most, with a pair of side windows plus a large opening skylight at the front.
The bed here is absolutely huge, measuring 2.16m long by 1.68m wide, so well over 6ft long and 5ft wide.
The front dinette bed is also a good size, and can be extended to the side.
Finally, the rear dinette-derived double bed is just as impressive as the overcab bed, though it does rely on several seat cushions to make it up, so it’s a bit bumpy – I usually get round this by having one duvet under me, as well as one over the top!
Another option would be to use the sides of the rear U-shaped seating as two instant single beds.
STORAGE AND CONSTRUCTION
There’s a good selection of under-seat space and a number of roof lockers, plus quite a large wardrobe, so the Auto-Roller scores well here.
There’s also decent external storage under the rear lounge.
I was impressed to see that the rear lounge area is supported underneath by solid chassis extensions, which bolt to the standard, painted steel Fiat chassis.
This should also make it easier if you plan to have a towbar fitted.
Both fresh and waste water tanks are of over 100 litres capacity, so important for a family motorhome.
Staying with quality, I was also impressed by the use of tough GRP panels for the outer bodywork, which boasts wood-free framing, using a more durable plastic material instead.
In addition, Styrofoam is used instead of polystyrene in the side wall insulation – this more expensive and better-insulating material is often only used in floors (even in much more expensive cochbuilts like those from sister company, Auto-Trail).
Read the full version of this review in the February 2013 issue of Which Motorhome
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