Auto-Sleeper Kingham 2017 model campervan

Berths: 2 Travel seats: 2 Base vehicle: Peugeot Boxer Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 433kg

There’s no shortage of fixed bed campervans on the market. Inspired by the Adria Twin (originally called Van Win, though most remember it only as the far-catchier title of Twin), most follow the transverse bed format, while a more recent trend has been towards twin beds.

The lengthways double or French bed is a much rarer sight in any van conversion, but it’s this route that Britain’s oldest converter has taken with its first – and, so far, only – permanent bed van conversion offering.

Based on the extra-long (6.36m) Boxer window van, the Kingham not only takes advantage of the largest base vehicle available from Peugeot, but does so with factory-fitted athermic glass aft of the cab. This gives the vehicle a clean appearance with a single sweep of dark-tinted, single-glazed fenestration down each side, but it does limit the number of opening sections.

In familiar Auto-Sleeper style, this model comes in a choice of four paint colours –Aluminium Silver, Bianca White, Golden White or Azzura Blue. Inside, there are Moonstone and, more contemporary, Catalan fabrics to choose from, with each offered in a selection of three colourways.

Powered by Peugeot’s latest 160bhp Euro VI power unit, the Kingham boasts more performance than most rivals, while the new, downsized engines are a lot more refined than the Euro V versions.

For those needing an automatic, a 150bhp Fiat Ducato with Comfort-Matic can be ordered at extra cost.

Whichever base vehicle you go for, you’ll need to budget £2,500 for the Premium Pack, which is an essential part of any Auto-Sleeper and which brings the specification up to top-drawer level. The Pack includes alloy wheels, Al-Ko Air-Top suspension, cab air-conditioning, cruise control, a Thule roll-out awning, colour reversing camera, Garmin sat-nav, 80W solar panel and leather steering wheel and gearknob.

Further options are the Media Pack (£995) which adds a Maxview satellite system, and the Winter Pack (£295) for cab blinds, water tank heaters, wheelarch insulation and a Truma heater upgrade.

The Kingham’s reason-to-buy is, of course, its rear bedroom, complete with a mattress that can slide back to raise the rear section to provide backrest support. There’s a large storage area under the bed, too, with easy top-loading access.

Alongside the bed, the washroom has a tambour door to aid entry, while further forward is a vanity unit with mirror.  Then, completing the layout on the nearside is the kitchen. This comes well equipped with a microwave, combined oven and grill, a selection of drawers and a worktop extension flap.

Unusually for a van conversion, the Kingham is a pure two-berth with no rear travel seats. Instead, it has a side-facing settee, complete with armrests and scatter cushions, which joins the pair of rotating cab seats (which are at a slightly higher level).

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the April 2017 issue of What Motorhome magazine.

You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.