The Elddis Autoquest 115 Motorhome - In Summary

What the Autoquest 115 motorhome is like when:

Traveling

Quite comfortable even throughout a long-ish trip. Can struggle a little up-hill and there's a slight side-ways sensation when passing other larger vehicles such as trucks. It's important to 'stow' everything properly before setting off (we did have an incident with a loose water bottle). It is surprisingly manoeuvrable and responsive for a large vehicle but a little route planning is requiredto avoid really narrow roads. We found our portable Sat Nav very useful for this.

Sleeping

The Double bed configuration is really very comfortable, the single bed option is less so since the two single beds are rather narrow and require the use of the front seats as foot rests. (We are 5'7 and 5 10' and both of average build.) Whichever option you choose, because your bed is in the living area you do need to put away bedding etc during the day. Also there is little flexibility if one of you wants to retire before the other - or one of you is unwell.

Cooking/Eating

With a little organisation we managed to cook perfectly adequate meals using the facilities available. The fridge/freezer is not that big - so you need to be able to shop relatively frequently. There's a purpose built dining table which fits between the couches.

Storage

There's no doubt you would get better at making optimum use of the various cupboards, nooks and crannies available. That said, we managed to accommodate all our gear for a week long walking trip without too much difficulty. You do need to be tidy though! The bathroom is really quite handy as a place to hang wet jackets, walking trousers etc.

Relaxing

By using the side couches and the re-oriented driving cab seats there's a good combination of 'armchairs' and sofas. Reading lights are conveniently located at the end of each couch.

Working

The dining table can easily be used as a makeshift desk with plenty of room for a laptop!

Showering/Toilet

The facilities are there and perfectly adequate if needed. The reality is that you'd probably use a campsite's facilities when available (and clean enough). That said the on-board toilet is a real benefit in the middle of the night.

Dealing with 'the waste'

Once familiar with the mechanics of draining and disposing of the bathroom/kitchen sink waste, this didn't pose any great difficulties. The toilet disposal process was quite straight-forward with no unpleasant smells and odours. We didn't need to refill the toilet waste container with the necessary chemicals - but I gather this is also very easy, clean and odour free.

Choice/Price of campsites

The three campsites we stayed at in Somerset/Devon were in the range of £10 - £13 per night - which was actually cheaper than we'd expected. Also - not all mixed tent/motorhome sites include electrical hook-ups and in those that do - the hook-up is often extra (£2.00 - 3.00).

If you're not on a site with electrical hook-ups you will need to plan your use of electrical equipment so as not to drain the batteries. (The vehicle has two batteries - one for the vehicle and one for the living area. There is a switch to enable you to move from one to the other.) The fridge, cooker and space heater all operated from the on board propane gas cylinders. (Again this vehicle had two gas cylinders- one connected and one spare. We didn't need to buy any gas - but I gather most larger campsite that cater for motorhomes sell it)

Buying Advice

At the time of writing, the list price for this particular model was around £28,000 which is a serious investment for many people.

We found that the Autoquest 115 was big enough to house two people comfortably for a week long walking holiday. It is warm, comfortable and very well equipped. The bed is comfy, the accommodation well-appointed and the toilet/shower facilities efficient. It drives smoothly and handled well on motorways and on some smaller country roads.

It can allow you to enjoy some of the best features of camping (home - away-from - home, flexibility, the opportunity to spend time in many, beautiful locations) but in a lot more comfort - particularly if you have to contend with wind and rain.

If these are priorities for you and you're looking for accommodation for 2 people - then the Autoquest 115 motorhome is a really great option.

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