What questions to ask about Auto sleeper

[Rolyan]

Hi Everyone

We are looking to buy an Auto Sleeper in the near future. Budget is up to £15k. Our previous experience of camper vanning is a month in New Zealand in a van similar to the auto sleeper, and 2 weeks in South America in a wicked camper! The reason we are going for an auto sleeper is it seems to have a good layout, there is a toilet (very important when you're 60+), and not too big to drive. Cooker - we can easily make do with 2 rings and an oven. Shower - don't need it. Doors/Access - we prefer side and rear doors that open to light light and air in.

I wondered if anyone could give some guidelines on what to look out for, and questions to ask the seller, when we view some vans. Are there known issues to beware of? Whats vital to get checked?

Also, I would really appreciate help and advice on:
Petro or diesel (we're a bit worried about all the talk about banning diesel etc.)
High mileage (is 75k on a van okay).
Servicing/warranties etc.
Recommended insurers.
What dont I know that I will wish someone had told me about once I've bought one!!!

I appreciate that this is a lot of info, and it may already be answered elsewhere, so any and all help is appreciated.

 

[Viennese]

@Rolyan, I've had 2 Autosleeper Symphonies which I liked a lot. However, I think that Autosleepers keep their price and it's possible to get an equivalent cheaper. I only got a newer van because of the London Emissions Zone, as my partner lives in London, and if we are going south I like to be able to pick him up from home. Another reason for selling was that he is 6'3 and he found the bed too short, otherwise I should have gone for a Symbol!! The WildAx Constellation I have now ticks all my boxes and has the same layout as the 2 previous vans, so we are happy! It's also more economical on diesel.

 

[Rolyan]

I wouldn't worry about diesel too much, suggesting that they will become unusable is suggesting that 95% of motorhomes will become obsolete, I can't see it happening for a very long time....

Rust would be my primary concern if looking at older Transits....
https://www.practicalmotorhome.com/advice/32077-used-van-buyer-auto-sleeper-duetto-1994-2000

Driveability has improved vastly since the mid nineties.
I'd be looking for a more modern vehicle and you 15k budget certainly allows for it.

2005 Trigano Tribute for example

Having just looked at this Trigano, I must admit it looks nice and ticks the boxes. So for the same money I can get a much newer Trigano than an Auto sleeper. What's the general opinion/concensus about the Trigano amongst MHF members. Is there any hard objective facts or are there as many different opinions as there are people?

 

[Rolyan]

@Rolyan, I've had 2 Autosleeper Symphonies which I liked a lot. However, I think that Autosleepers keep their price and it's possible to get an equivalent cheaper. I only got a newer van because of the London Emissions Zone, as my partner lives in London, and if we are going south I like to be able to pick him up from home. Another reason for selling was that he is 6'3 and he found the bed too short, otherwise I should have gone for a Symbol!! The WildAx Constellation I have now ticks all my boxes and has the same layout as the 2 previous vans, so we are happy! It's also more economical on diesel.

Hi Viennese - good points those. I'm 5' 10" and my beloved is 5' 4" (until I make her angry, then she appears to be 6'). I hadnt seen the WildAx Constellation, so it's another to look into. Many thanks.

P.S. I've just seen the prices of the WildAx.....I might give them a miss.

 

[Viennese]

You will be lucky to find a WildAx at the price you mention.It's a relatively new company so not that many early ones around.

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[Rolyan]

You will be lucky to find a WildAx at the price you mention.It's a relatively new company so not that many early ones around.

Yep; they look very nice though. You must be pleased.

At the moment its autosleeper duetto (c1999) v trigano tribute (c2004). I just need some honest feedback/reviews from Trigano owners, because unfortunately I was brought up to believe that FIAT was Fix It Again Tomorrow.

 

[deleted-member02]

Having just looked at this Trigano, I must admit it looks nice and ticks the boxes. So for the same money I can get a much newer Trigano than an Auto sleeper. What's the general opinion/concensus about the Trigano amongst MHF members. Is there any hard objective facts or are there as many different opinions as there are people?

I suspect there's many different opinions.
Yes, an Autosleeper will likely be better built than a Trigano but is 5,6,7 years older an agreeable trade-off?
For me, a 2005 Fiat is preferable to a 1999 Ford but it's only my opinion.
When looking at 10-15yr old vans, I'd compare on a case by case basis, too many variables to make a hard comparison.
The one thing you do need to get right is layout - the van has to work for you!
Horses for courses as they say

 

[Rolyan]

I suspect there's many different opinions.
Yes, an Autosleeper will likely be better built than a Trigano but is 5,6,7 years older an agreeable trade-off?
For me, a 2005 Fiat is preferable to a 1999 Ford but it's only my opinion.
When looking at 10-15yr old vans, I'd compare on a case by case basis, too many variables to make a hard comparison.
The one thing you do need to get right is layout - the van has to work for you!
Horses for courses as they say

Indeed.

I’ve just had a 10 minutes discussion about the virtues of a newer fiat with my much better half. She listened patiently, then told me we’re off to see an autosleeper on Saturday.

 

[TheBig1]

beware the transit option as they are so simple to steal. modern fiat vans are really reliable. 90% plus of all motorhomes are built on the same van, badged fiat peugeot or citroen built in the same factory

 

[Pausim]

No one stole my Ford based Duetto when I had one. It was my first motorhome and there was a lot I liked about it. I had one without a turbo and it did huff and puff a bit, one with a turbo would have performed a bit better. However, I would put age, condition and price higher on my shopping list than going a bit faster up hills.

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[carolyn]

We had a 2003 autosleeper symbol diesel turbo for 3 years. We bought it as it was the right price and the bed was nice and big. The small coachbuilts in our price range had very narrow beds and although I can sleep standing up Nick is a bad sleeper. We had great fun in it and due to it's teething problems we discovered Motorhomefun so win win. On our retirement we upgraded to a bigger fancier PVC as we realised that we like them. Good luck.

 

[Rolyan]

We had a 2003 autosleeper symbol diesel turbo for 3 years. We bought it as it was the right price and the bed was nice and big. The small coachbuilts in our price range had very narrow beds and although I can sleep standing up Nick is a bad sleeper. We had great fun in it and due to it's teething problems we discovered Motorhomefun so win win. On our retirement we upgraded to a bigger fancier PVC as we realised that we like them. Good luck.

How did you find the double, was it easy to put up every night and was it comfortable?

 

[TheBig1]

we had a duetto way back and after messing about with the cushions to make up the double bed once, switched to using the narrow singles. so much easier to get to the toilet at night too

 

[carolyn]

How did you find the double, was it easy to put up every night and was it comfortable?

We found it easy to put up and it was more comfortable than the bed in our new IH630rl. We used to have a quilt to make it a bit softer but have needed duvulays in our new van.

 

[The Lord Squid]

I have a van conversion with a rear lounge (2010 Autosleeper as it happens) and very much enjoy sitting in the van with the rear doors open, temperature permitting.

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[Rolyan]

I have a van conversion with a rear lounge (2010 Autosleeper as it happens) and very much enjoy sitting in the van with the rear doors open, temperature permitting.

It grew on us in NZ. Throwing the doors open while still in bed.

 

[Rolyan]

We found it easy to put up and it was more comfortable than the bed in our new IH630rl. We used to have a quilt to make it a bit softer but have needed duvulays in our new van.

Many thanks for that.

 

[Rolyan]

we had a duetto way back and after messing about with the cushions to make up the double bed once, switched to using the narrow singles. so much easier to get to the toilet at night too

I know this is all subjective, but did you find the singles ok to sleep on. It’s one of the few things we can’t fully check before buying!!!

 

[Rolyan]

This may be a question I should have asked at the beginning, but are the Autosleeper Duetto and Symbol (c1999-2000) rear wheel drive? If so, does this affect the drive at all e.g. in bad weather. While we’ve no plans to travel in winter, we could easily be out and about in wet/muddy autumn.

I have a rear wheel drive car which I put to one side in winter in favour of a fwd. To be honest I never really thought about the vans being rwd or fwd. Do all models differ or are they traditionally rwd? Sorry to be asking so many questions but I’ve been genuinely surprised and pleased by just how helpful people are on here, and this is a new question that has just popped into my head, partly because it took me 3 hours to get home tonight because of a bit of snow causing huge traffic jams!

 

[TheBig1]

duetto of that age was a rwd transit and the symbol a fwd peugeot or fiat

the single beds as you say are subjective. I managed ok.ish as I am 6ft4 and heavily built, but Brenda was fine at 5ft3

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[Riverbankannie]

Beds are totally subjective, we didn’t mind making up the Topaz for example but lying on the joins was uncomfortable. We bought an IH630 RL but unlike @carolyn we find them supremely comfortable.

 

[ambulancekidd]

We own a year 2000 Autosleeper Executive. The rear body is built as a monocoque which means there are no seams to worry about. This means that leaks & damp aren't usually a problem.
Its a nice short but nicely equipped motorhome & not too unwieldy in towns.
At your heights you wouldn't find the beds a problem, I'm 6ft 2in & Hazel is 5ft 11in & the beds are a wee bit tight as singles, but when the bed is made up to a double its huge & very nice to chill out in.
We've had very few problems, mostly just doing little tweaks to suit our lifestyle.
The side windows can begin to fail at the age of van your budget range, but there is a specialist window maker out there who provide a swift return once you've sent them the details.
Our van has 70k on the clock & runs very sweetly.
I'd certainly recommend this model but I'm sure that whatever you choose you'll get a lot of enjoyment from your purchase.
Good luck....Robert & Hazel.

 

[Rolyan]

We own a year 2000 Autosleeper Executive. The rear body is built as a monocoque which means there are no seams to worry about. This means that leaks & damp aren't usually a problem.
Its a nice short but nicely equipped motorhome & not too unwieldy in towns.
At your heights you wouldn't find the beds a problem, I'm 6ft 2in & Hazel is 5ft 11in & the beds are a wee bit tight as singles, but when the bed is made up to a double its huge & very nice to chill out in.
We've had very few problems, mostly just doing little tweaks to suit our lifestyle.
The side windows can begin to fail at the age of van your budget range, but there is a specialist window maker out there who provide a swift return once you've sent them the details.
Our van has 70k on the clock & runs very sweetly.
I'd certainly recommend this model but I'm sure that whatever you choose you'll get a lot of enjoyment from your purchase.
Good luck....Robert & Hazel. View attachment 207292

Many thanks ambulancekidd

Yours looks very nice, and thank you for your comments. We’ll probably go for the lower model, as my Angel wants to feel the wind in her hair with the back and side doors open.

Is yours rwd? The duetto’s are, and I wondered how camper vans run with rwd. Are they okay in inclement weather?

 

[ambulancekidd]

Many thanks ambulancekidd

Yours looks very nice, and thank you for your comments. We’ll probably go for the lower model, as my Angel wants to feel the wind in her hair with the back and side doors open.

Is yours rwd? The duetto’s are, and I wondered how camper vans run with rwd. Are they okay in inclement weather?

The Peugeot which underpins our motorhome is front wheel drive, its a close cousin of the FIAT Ducato.
The Transit Duetto is front wheel drive as you say, beware of poor security as many of them are stolen which is a great shame as its a very smart PVC motorhome.

 

[Pausim]

My Duetto was rear wheel drive and I was happy with how it behaved. My current Hymer is also rear wheel drive. In between I had a couple of front wheel drive motorhomes. It is worth remembering which are the drive wheels when manoeuvering on wet or muddy fields but for me it is not a big issue when deciding what to buy. I would concentrate on finding one in good condition with the right layout. I found the sleeping arrangements comfortable but I am a shorthausen and at the time was single.

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[Rolyan]

The Peugeot which underpins our motorhome is front wheel drive, its a close cousin of the FIAT Ducato.
The Transit Duetto is front wheel drive as you say, beware of poor security as many of them are stolen which is a great shame as its a very smart PVC motorhome.

This is twice now that I’ve heard that the ford transit, so presumeable the Duetto, has poor security. Is this a known problem because if it is, I’ll give it a miss. We will be leaving the van in spots while we walk, go birdwatching etc. The last thing I want is to be worrying about whether it will still be there.

How big a problem is the poor security on the Duetto?

 

[Rolyan]

My Duetto was rear wheel drive and I was happy with how it behaved. My current Hymer is also rear wheel drive. In between I had a couple of front wheel drive motorhomes. It is worth remembering which are the drive wheels when manoeuvering on wet or muddy fields but for me it is not a big issue when deciding what to buy. I would concentrate on finding one in good condition with the right layout. I found the sleeping arrangements comfortable but I am a shorthausen and at the time was single.

Thanks for those comments, most helpful.

 

[TheBig1]

This is twice now that I’ve heard that the ford transit, so presumeable the Duetto, has poor security. Is this a known problem because if it is, I’ll give it a miss. We will be leaving the van in spots while we walk, go birdwatching etc. The last thing I want is to be worrying about whether it will still be there.

How big a problem is the poor security on the Duetto?

the issue is huge, anyone can buy a device on ebay for about £20 that opens the transit tibbe locks in seconds

 

[Pausim]

I have had three vehicles broken into over the years. A Citroen, a Smart and a Peugeot. In two cases they smashed a window and in the third a screw driver was used to smash the lock. They don’t need to spend £20 on ebay to get in and security devices are available.

 

[Rolyan]

the issue is huge, anyone can buy a device on ebay for about £20 that opens the transit tibbe locks in seconds

Good grief. I’m not risking that, so the Duetto is a no go. I can’t believe that they continue to do them if it is so bad; it’s ridiculous.

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[Rolyan]

I have had three vehicles broken into over the years. A Citroen, a Smart and a Peugeot. In two cases they smashed a window and in the third a screw driver was used to smash the lock. They don’t need to spend £20 on ebay to get in and security devices are available.

I know where you’re coming from, but that doesn’t help if the Ford transit really does have such poor security. It’s one worry we don’t need. Especially living where we live.