AS Caravans Kensington
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Key Features
Model Year
2011
Product Class
Single Axle
Price from (£)
£29995
Berths
4
Full Review
IT’S the first caravan to have a power mover as standard. There’s an extractor fan in the shower. Its television rises electronically from a cabinet. The wardrobe has two entrances. And the heating unit is mounted under the floor.
Those are just five of the features that mark out the three-model AS Caravan range as totally different.
Motorhome manufacturer Auto-Sleepers saw a gap in the market when a number of its customers said they’d like to switch from motorhomes to caravans but couldn’t see anything they liked.
So AS Caravans was established. And the first three models, sold by Marquis Caravans at its nine branches, are packed with a long list of features designed to attract people who appreciate bags of kit. With this equipment level comes a high price and a high weight.
Our test example of the range is the 5.6-metre Kensington, a four-berth, with bunks making from an offside dining area.
In importance terms, top of the Kensington’s long list of equipment has to be the ATC stability control system.
A single-axle caravan weighing up to 1800kg benefits more than most models from this safety feature that detects and corrects any tendency to sway.
We were anxious to see how the Kensington towed behind Go Caravan’s Kia Sorento.
Predictably, it felt heavier than caravans we’ve tested which are of the same weight but on twin axles. Heavier not in a power-drain sense but in the sense that it was slightly less responsive to the car on corners than single-axles of comparable size.
AS caravans have the new AL-KO Mammut mover fitted as standard (it’s also available to retro-fit and we test it in our next issue). All models also have underfloor insulated 40-litre water tanks with all piping within the caravan.
The Whale heating unit is mounted under the floor, so there’s no imposition on the layout. There are only three outlets for the blown air but, on test, we were surprised how quickly the Kensington warmed up.
The microwave is mounted below top-cupboard level, making it safer for short people. Above the hob is a Dometic Circulair, an air filter containing a carbon element to absorb and smells. Also on the standard equipment list is a first in caravans – a hairdrier, mounted by the mirror in the washroom. It switches on automatically when you pick up the nozzle. But its power is only 700 watts, so don’t expect it to dry your hair very quickly.
The surprises continue outside; there are front road lights at both top and bottom of the body, and three orange running lights along the sides.
The large rear washroom is a sheer joy. The shower is rectangular; twice the size of most caravan showers. The mirror has 14 bright blue LED lights set into it. The washbasin is clear plastic, fruit-bowl style. The toilet has a padded lid so you can use it as a seat. And the wardrobe can be accessed both from within the washroom and by a second door into the main living area.
But in this area we discovered a problem. The table is stored in a slot under the wardrobe. You have to open the washroom door to extract it – a bit of a nuisance, but worse was to come. When folded, the table leg locking arms protrude beyond the table. This means that when you slide it into its slot, rather than slide on the table edge (as is usual), it has to slide on the locking arms – and that means it doesn’t slide at all. The result is that extracting and replacing the table is a struggle.
There’s plenty to like about the Kensington, though. Lighting is amazing. Strips of white LED run above the lockers and illuminate the lockers inside, too. There’s a good, big light above the kitchen plus two spotlights above the hob.
Those are just five of the features that mark out the three-model AS Caravan range as totally different.
Motorhome manufacturer Auto-Sleepers saw a gap in the market when a number of its customers said they’d like to switch from motorhomes to caravans but couldn’t see anything they liked.
So AS Caravans was established. And the first three models, sold by Marquis Caravans at its nine branches, are packed with a long list of features designed to attract people who appreciate bags of kit. With this equipment level comes a high price and a high weight.
Our test example of the range is the 5.6-metre Kensington, a four-berth, with bunks making from an offside dining area.
In importance terms, top of the Kensington’s long list of equipment has to be the ATC stability control system.
A single-axle caravan weighing up to 1800kg benefits more than most models from this safety feature that detects and corrects any tendency to sway.
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We were anxious to see how the Kensington towed behind Go Caravan’s Kia Sorento.
Predictably, it felt heavier than caravans we’ve tested which are of the same weight but on twin axles. Heavier not in a power-drain sense but in the sense that it was slightly less responsive to the car on corners than single-axles of comparable size.
AS caravans have the new AL-KO Mammut mover fitted as standard (it’s also available to retro-fit and we test it in our next issue). All models also have underfloor insulated 40-litre water tanks with all piping within the caravan.
The Whale heating unit is mounted under the floor, so there’s no imposition on the layout. There are only three outlets for the blown air but, on test, we were surprised how quickly the Kensington warmed up.
The microwave is mounted below top-cupboard level, making it safer for short people. Above the hob is a Dometic Circulair, an air filter containing a carbon element to absorb and smells. Also on the standard equipment list is a first in caravans – a hairdrier, mounted by the mirror in the washroom. It switches on automatically when you pick up the nozzle. But its power is only 700 watts, so don’t expect it to dry your hair very quickly.
The surprises continue outside; there are front road lights at both top and bottom of the body, and three orange running lights along the sides.
The large rear washroom is a sheer joy. The shower is rectangular; twice the size of most caravan showers. The mirror has 14 bright blue LED lights set into it. The washbasin is clear plastic, fruit-bowl style. The toilet has a padded lid so you can use it as a seat. And the wardrobe can be accessed both from within the washroom and by a second door into the main living area.
But in this area we discovered a problem. The table is stored in a slot under the wardrobe. You have to open the washroom door to extract it – a bit of a nuisance, but worse was to come. When folded, the table leg locking arms protrude beyond the table. This means that when you slide it into its slot, rather than slide on the table edge (as is usual), it has to slide on the locking arms – and that means it doesn’t slide at all. The result is that extracting and replacing the table is a struggle.
There’s plenty to like about the Kensington, though. Lighting is amazing. Strips of white LED run above the lockers and illuminate the lockers inside, too. There’s a good, big light above the kitchen plus two spotlights above the hob.
- This review was first published in Go Caravan magazine.
