AUTO-TRAIL CHEYNNE 840D
Words and Phots by John Page
At 8.61m long, this isn’t a motorhome to tour the narrow streets of Devon and Cornwall, it’s more of a home from home that you’ll live in for those long holidays and exciting weekend breaks. For this test review, we headed towards the Mendip Hills and stayed at a superb campsite called Mendip Heights. This site has pitches that are long enough for the Cheyenne and is an idyllic venue if you want a little peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of general life. It also offered us the opportunity to drive on country roads as well as motorways.
Driving the Cheyenne
The Cheyenne is built on the new Fiat twin axle maxi chassis and there are two engines available: the 130 bhp and the 160 bhp Multijet ‘Power’, both with a six-speed gearbox under its bonnet. Our test vehicle had the latter, which is an extra cost option. This is a large motorhome with a top weight of five tonnes, and although we didn’t have the maximum load on board, the engine was magic. Fiat built their latest chassis with motorhomes in mind and they have done their homework well. The engine coped superbly with this gentle giant of a motorhome, taking us up steep hills effortlessly, and coasting along the motorways at maximum permissible speed as if it was just a lightweight.
There are a lot of electronics visible on the dash (perhaps too many) when all you really need to see while driving is your speed, fuel, revs, and the temperature gauge; it’s essential to read the Fiat manual to understand everything clearly. An airbag is fitted on the driver’s side but there isn’t one for the passenger – I’m not sure if a second could be fitted as an optional extra.
Checking the necessaries under the bonnet is quite simple as everything is fairly visible and easy to reach – you won’t see the engine battery because it’s located inside the cab area. You don’t get a spare wheel nowadays, rather a Fiat ‘Fix and Go’ kit comprising a canister of sealant fluid, a small compressor with a pressure gauge and adapters for inflation. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up to individuals, my gut feeling being (at the moment) that I would rather have a spare wheel. That said, if you do get a problem while driving, all you have to do is to telephone the Fiat Camper Assistance to sort it out.
I followed the Cheyenne when Chalky and I collected it from Chelston in Wellington and there was no sway whatsoever when Chalky passed other traffic on the motorway, or indeed when large vehicles passed him. In our opinion, handling is beautiful, rear views are more than adequate, the cab seats are comfortable, and I was particularly pleased to see two armrests on each seat. The Cheyenne, in spite of its size, is a pleasure to drive. We didn’t travel enough miles to thoroughly check the fuel consumption, however our ‘guestimate’ (based on our knowledge of the base vehicle and the limited mileage we covered in the 840D) would be in the low to mid twenty mpg range. I would be happy to get 23mpg but would expect it to be a little higher depending on driving factors.
Day to day living
Living in the Cheyenne is just as easy as living in your own home, the floor plan being designed for optimum comfort. Towards the front is a large lounge area with two settees, then comes the kitchen that is partially separated, next the shower and washroom, and finally at the rear is a separate bedroom.
I loved the décor throughout the Cheyenne with its two-tone wood finish on the lockers and I especially liked the soft furnishing. Two settees (our preferred option) allowed Chalky and I to sprawl, while the cab seats rotated so that they became an integral part of this large living space.
A freestanding table is ample for at least four people to eat in comfort, and when not in use it’s stored in its own locker above the cab. With just two of us on board we left the table up, pushing it towards the cab during the times when we weren’t actually using it for meals. Perhaps a small table on a swinging arm would be useful – something that can be ordered as an optional extra.
For tele addicts, this Cheyenne was fitted with the SE pack that includes a small flat screen at the cab end. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to try this out as we didn’t have any remote controls and part of the system was missing. We did, however, use the radio although the remote control was missing; it worked well and there are speakers in the bedroom so that you have entertainment while in bed. Of course, it would be possible to turn the radio on and off with the remote control to save someone (him in our case) having to get out of bed. Apparently, the television should have been in working order. The Cheyenne had been to the NEC show and to Chelston’s open weekend before our test and it appears a few components had disappeared.
I’m not too happy about the position of a television point on the wall to the right of the caravan door. There is a locker above the fridge that could be used for a television or a microwave; if it were to be used for a television, then holes would have to be drilled to take the electrical and aerial cables into the cupboard. If the television was positioned on the cupboard to the left of the door, then the cables would straddle the door – and that would not be safe. The obvious position for the television point would be above the cupboard to the right of the door, as all occupants would have a good view of the screen.
Lighting in the Cheyenne is tastefully thought-out. There are two 230V lights with a dimmer switch near the cab end, and hidden lights above all the lockers plus reading lamps. It all adds up to a really cosy environment, especially on those cooler winter evenings. Well done to the designers.
A great bonus with the Cheyenne is that Auto-Trail has done away with curtains and provided inbuilt blinds to the cab windows. They worked well and stopped most of the condensation during our stay at Mendip Heights in the cooler days of early April.
Catering
For me, the kitchen is a very important part of any motorhome as I enjoy cooking, and the Cheyenne arrangement meets my wholehearted approval. I love the L-shaped unit with its cooker (three gas and one electric burner, grill and oven), sink with bowl and draining board. There is ample workspace and judicious use of the cupboards both above and below the unit should prove adequate for pots, pans, and food. Perhaps the only part of the design that I would change is in the corner of the unit where there is a large space between the cooker and the sink. At present, Auto-Trail have utilised the space as a cupboard with exterior access, whereas I would like to see a couple of top-accessed bins for my vegetable peelings and other kitchen waste. They could be emptied via the exterior door so it wouldn’t alter any of the general tooling required to manufacture the Cheyenne.
A huge 180-litre refrigerator with full width freezer compartment sits opposite the cooker, again something that suits my way of cooking perfectly as I don’t want a large freezer. That said, we are all different and I’m told that the fridge can be replaced with a fridge/freezer if new owners would prefer that option.
Washroom and Shower
I’ve never been one to want huge facilities for washing and showering, after all we don’t spend a lot of time using them – it seems more appropriate to use the space for actual living in. The 840D features a separate shower and washroom with a corridor between them that becomes a dressing area when the washroom door is in its alternative position shutting off the main living area. We found the shower perfectly adequate with a good flow of water from the showerhead. There are also small shelves built into the centre pillar for soap and shampoo, and a large towel rail within easy reach on the washroom door completes the spec. Full marks to Auto-Trail for putting a roof vent in the shower compartment, something that I personally think is essential. On the first day at the campsite, we were slightly down at the front so we were left with a shower tray full of water as the drain is rearward. I would like to see a second drain in the shower tray because it isn’t always possible to be completely level.
The ‘little’ room is just that: it’s a tad too small. I found it necessary to keep the window blind in the bedroom closed so that I could use the washroom with the door closing off the main living area. Nevertheless, there is a simple solution. If there was another door at the bedroom end (and it only needs to be a folding one that isn’t necessarily wood), then the problem would be solved. The second door would also give the occupants of the bedroom privacy if the friends or family were using the second bed in the lounge. I have since spoken to Auto Trail about this and have been told that a concertina door will be fitted at the bedroom end as normal spec.
The second problem with the miniscule size of the washroom arises when using the corner sink. Auto Trail has fitted a toothbrush holder and soap dish just above the sink (very useful in most instances) but I constantly banged my head on them as I cleaned my teeth or lowered my head to splash water on my face. I think I would ask for the accessories not to be fitted and use alternative methods to keep my soap and toothbrushes.
Sleeping
Sleeping arrangements in the Cheyenne are excellent, the crowning glory of this motorhome being the end bedroom with its queen bed. No more climbing over your partner to get out of bed as there is space at the end and on either side to walk around. His and hers wardrobes and central lockers form a halo around the top end of the bed, while corner cupboards (one doubling as a laundry basket and the other with a make-up tray, both with top and front access) fill the remaining corners. Provision for a flat-screen television is above one cupboard while a large mirror is above the other.
Natural light and ventilation is superb courtesy of windows either side of the bed and a large roof vent above the bed. What I really loved in this bedroom was the lighting; it’s exceptionally good and perfect for our tastes, as it is in the living quarters.
Although I would imagine that most owners would use the Cheyenne as a two-berth, there are always occasions when you would like family or friends. The lounge settees transform into a huge double or a huge single bed, both very comfortable and perhaps one of the easiest transformations I have ever encountered. Both bed bases slide towards the centre so easily that I could almost do it with one finger, although they never moved while in settee mode. The flat cushions just fall naturally into place on both sides of the main cushions, the result being an immensely comfortable sleeping area.
General Storage
Well, what can I say? The internal and external storage in the 840D is excellent. There are loads of lockers throughout the motorhome to take care of all the clothes and personal possessions that any owner may have. There is a veritable cavern below the fixed bed, part of which is taken up by the Truma boiler. There’s also space below the two settees, a vast number of overhead and floor-level lockers, and an assortment of shelves. The small shelves below the main lockers have doors, but the shelves are extremely narrow so would only take books, games or other shallow objects. Nevertheless, I prefer to see the doors as they keep the overall appearance of the motorhome looking tidy.
Externally, there is an assortment of storage spaces for levelling ramps, barbecues, and general necessities of life. It’s quite unusual for a motorhome without a garage to have a locker that will take our large camping chairs, but top marks again as our chairs fitted quite well in the space that goes from side to side under the rear bed. There would also be room for a couple of folding bicycles if owners didn’t want to fit a rack on the back.
What else?
The Cheyenne on test came with the optional SE pack so we had the use of an external shower, gas barbecue point, awning and the rest of the package. Our 840D was a low-line with two settees, however the 840D is also available as a high line with a large pull-out double bed (no extra cost), and with double or lounge dinette with additional seat restraints (cost option). We didn’t actually use the rear corner steadies although they are fitted on the Cheyenne.
Central locking is standard, the electric step coming out automatically as the lock is disengaged; the step also retracts as soon as the door is locked, or if the engine is switched on.
The 840D is a motorhome that is designed for living in, whether it’s in warmer climes or in the colder weather of the British winter – the walls and ceiling are 40mm thick while the floor is 45mm. There are two 100Ahr leisure batteries (located in one of the external lockers) so there should be ample 12V power to keep the lights etc functioning for a few days, even if you aren’t on an electric hook-up.
This is a large motorhome to keep warm, so we are happy to report that the heating worked well during the colder evenings, and we always had a good supply of hot water when we needed it. The small washroom apart (and that will be acceptable with the additional door), everything has been well designed to enable comfortable living for long periods. Don’t forget, if you prefer single beds, then there is always the sister 840S to consider.
Auto-Trail Cheyenne 840D based on Fiat Maxi twin-axle chassis fitted with ‘Power’ Multijet engine. Price as tested £56,065 OTR. Ex works price including VAT £52,536; optional SE pack £949; engine upgrade to 160bhp £1,530; OTR charges £1,050.
Vehicle kindly loaned by Auto-Trail VR Limited, Trigano House, Genesis Way, Europarc, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN37 9TU; telephone 01472 571000; email [email protected].
Choice of 130 Multijet or 160 Multijet Direct Injection diesel engine; turbocharger with intercooler; six-speed gearbox; double overhead camshaft; front and rear disc brakes. Engine produces 130bhp/157bhp at 3,600rpm. Brakes: six wheel disc system with ABS and electric brake force distributor.
Overall length: 8.61m
Overall width: 2.31m (ex mirrors)
Overall height: 2.97m
MTPLM: 5,000kg
Payload: approx 1,000kg depending on spec
Beds: Queen bed 190cm x 13ocm
Lounge double 2005cm x 150cm
or single bed 80cm x 100cm
Standard Specification includes:
central locking and electric cab windows; keyless gas cylinder locker (2x13kg); 135-litre fresh water tank; 68-litre waste water tank; pleated internal window blinds; wind up panoramic roof lights (one in bedroom and one in main living area); Victoria décor; concealed ‘aircraft type’ over-locker lighting; 2 230V lights with dimmer switch; isolation taps for gas appliances; smoke alarm and fire extinguisher. 12V courtesy light in wardrobes, Auto-Trail power management system; Truma water heater (gas and electricity) and blown air heating system. Separate shower and washroom.
Kitchen:
Domestic single lever mixer tap; inset sink with bowl and removable drainer; waste bin in caravan door; 180-litre fridge with full width freezer; Cooker with three gas and one 230V cooking rings, grill and full oven; cutlery drawer; crockery storage; 12V roof fan/ventilator.
SE Pack:
cab air conditioning; recessed awning; radio/CD/DVD/mp3 player; flip down colour TV monitor; multi channel television/radio (Freeview) receiver; colour infra-red reversing camera; external hot and cold shower; exterior gas barbecue point; special SE graphics; Auto-Trail umbrella.
