AUTO-TRAIL TRACKER
NEW TECH’ + TRADITION = VERSATILITY
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JOHN PAGE
That great oaks from little acorns grow is perfectly illustrated by the inexorable growth of Auto-Trail over a period of thirty years. In the beginning Bill Boasman and Barry Holmes started production, with the emphasis on motorhomes based on Mercedes chassis to give them the edge of that three-pointed star. They were the first Brit maker to construct a Low Profile vehicle. It was compact of length, width and height, although somewhat angular viewed from head on. Chunky rather than pretty, nevertheless it was low, compact and sold very well to buyers to whom the idea of combining the coachbuilt style with small dimensions was exactly what they had been looking for. Today, as an autonomous and highly effective part of the European Trigano company, Auto Trail manufacture a 28 model line up with variant floor plans and the alternative of Hi Line or Lo Line roof shapes. Fiat, Mercedes and Renault offer a chassis choice. Vehicle lengths range from 5.79m to 8.73m length for the top of the range Chieftain and Arapaho. Our left hand drive Tracker EKS, at 6.26m was something of a hybrid with upper and lower double beds, loads of seating space and a table for four but travel seating for only two. Were you to order something similar the layout could include rear forward facing seats or a lounge dinette arrangement. In ferocious weather of gale force winds and low temperatures EKS performed impeccably during the penultimate week of March. We said goodbye to it with reluctance.
Construction
As a measure of confidence in their product the brochure introduction to visit the factory and see Auto-Trail motorhomes in course of construction is unusual. Some of the techniques are also unusual, especially that of assembling the body before mating it to the chassis. Such a method makes for accuracy of the body dimension and structural integrity even before it is mounted on the chassis. That chassis, unique in the annals of motorhome production, has been made by Fiat in their new leisure vehicle plant to a design that breaks away from its commercial origins to concentrate on motorhome priorities. For example, the chassis features a wider track to improve stability for the relatively large body of a motorhome. Lightweight and a low height for the chassis frame with special contour swivel seats are also part of the Fiat technology. Sidewalls, roof and the rear panel are all in GRP, forming the exterior surfaces to a thicker than usual 40mm measurement for those sections. Neatly moulded side, front and rear marker lights are a safety feature and a thoroughly reliable central locking system for all doors also activates the entrance step, hall and porch lights. I liked the smooth effectiveness of DG Polyplastic windows with blinds and screens integral to thwart minuscule flying beasties. Pleated blinds all round for the cab worked well and came very close to eliminating condensation.
On the Road
At a height of 2.95m including TV aerial and with a blunt but rounded lump over the cab, EKS cannot lay claim to Low Profile. Yet, in stormy, snow laden conditions with a powerful northeasterly sweeping over the Lincolnshire Fens I didn’t have to work hard to keep the machine steady. Some buffeting of course but with a little bit of help from the hefty anti-roll bars we were fine.
The cab seats, Fiat again, are quite brilliant – in contour for lumbar and thigh support and with degrees of adjustment to put the long and the short and the tall easy and at the best height. Adjusting the telescopic steering wheel just so is another part of the comfort equation. Heater/ventilation controls are greatly simplified, instrumentation is clear and with a little practice all the buttons and levers become second nature. Look at our cab shot and goggle at the stowage space leaving no excuse for leaving anything valuable on show.
Noise levels, whether mechanical, from road surface or of body origin, were delightfully low, making the Radio/CD a treasure cruising at 60mph in sixth gear with 2,200rpm showing. After a short spell on the A1 at or near the legal 70mph maximum, the rest of our journey to The Caravan Club’s Incleboro campsite via the A17 and A 148 was at a leisurely 55-60mph. Miles per gallon (the best yet for one of the new Fiat diesel motors) was 36mpg. That this chassis was one of the first of the new chassis into the UK last summer and is therefore well travelled, proves the well tried maxim that diesel engines don’t give of their best until they’ve been a bit hammered. Two criticisms: no passenger airbag is unrealistic – and no spare wheel simply does not equate with a vehicle designed to travel far from home and to out of the way places. And the inflation plus goo emergency kit will do nothing to allay apprehension, especially as the book of instructions suggests the emergency treatment is only good for 50 miles! The seven-inch TV set in the cab is a gimmick – tyres and airbags are essentials.
The Lifestyle Formula
Who said Norfolk is flatter than a pancake? Whoever it was they’ve not been anywhere near West Runton, with gorse covered Incleboro Hill, Beacon Hill, Sheringwood or Weybourne Heath. To circle the outskirts of the Incleboro campsite alone you will have walked at least two miles. Views seaward, from the EKS lounge were superb. Four adults could get really comfortable in this lounge, so with just the two of us; sprawled feet up on one of the couches or leant back in one of the cab recliners, Tracker was a delight.
Clever, those Auto Trail designers who somehow contrive to create a motorhome interior that is easy on the eye without being schmaltzy, modern but not garish achieving a pleasing harmony between the woodwork and the fabrics. Apparently Acer is the warm brown woodwork finish and Sandwell the abstract pattern fabric in pale green – one of six fabric choices on offer. Soft indirect lighting AT have virtually made their own – restful at anytime unless you’re reading small print for which the individual spotlights are the answer. In total, furniture, fabrics and fittings are about right. Just inside the entrance door the 12-volt control and monitor unit is simple and obvious for its purpose, while the fire extinguisher is accessible in the cupboard below the sink.
Sleeping
EKS offers choice – of two singles downstairs if you can manage on beds of 1.68m x 0.74m, or an exceedingly generous double bed at 2.08m x 1.66m. The singles are of course in situ, and with no more than a little fuss, the cushions of both beds can be pulled together to form the double. The bed bases are all of slatted beech for good firm support and aeration, although supporting struts at the corners of the base could do with some strengthening. Beautifully comfortable though with spotlights within arms reach no matter which way round you place the pillows. Preparing the upper bed is a simple matter of extending the base rearwards over the cab and clipping the access ladder firmly in place. The ladder has to be removed when the lower double is in use but works fine in conjunction with single beds. Twenty-four inches of headroom upstairs is generous enough to avoid feeling cramped up there. With overnight temperatures of minus 4˚C the convector heater on minimum took the chill off. It was also easier to fine tune than the more common Combi heaters and does incorporate a blown air system.
The Meal Machinery
Kitchen at the rear nearside and console forward of the entrance door is probably the most common of all motorhome configurations. Its rationale with the washroom in the offside corner is that such an arrangement frees off the bulk of the floor space including the cab for the serious business of sprawling any old how, eating and enjoying ones surroundings. It’s not ideal when the duty chef has to make way for traffic through the entrance door but otherwise it’s great. The cooker is potentially safe in its corner, the sink alongside has a useful detachable drainer and there is plenty of locker space above and below the working bits. With the inclusion of the console top the overall worktop area is more than ample although as it is also the intended place for the goggle box there many be the occasional conflict of interests because it is the safest place to boil an electric kettle. Excellent lighting above both areas, neat, capacious stowage for crocks and cutlery: Alison claimed she would be “happy to put together a complete Christmas dinner here without drama.”
Washroom
In terms of practical design and the quality of the fittings this washroom is good. The only drawback is the rather restricted floor space in the immediate vicinity of the hand basin and the toilet, the latter awkward when operating the valve lever. Otherwise, lockers shelves and the mirror are well thought out and helpful. A towel rail on the door and a removable one in the shower cubicle useful also for wet outdoor gear were appreciated. Ventilation is taken care of by the side window and the adjustable roof vent both of which are fitted with blinds and flyscreens. Space in the shower cubicle is ample, recesses for the toiletries sensible and the plastic washboard a positive safety feature.
Stowage
Just three keys are all that is necessary to start the motor and access the facilities as well as the external stowage compartments. The ignition key also activates the central locking, immobiliser and rear step. The second key is a quick release tool for access to the gas locker and a rear compartment for the spare wheel should you select it as an option. Personally, I wouldn’t go without it although a repair kit and compressor are included as standard. Roof rack and ladder are also options but hardly necessary given the generous total stowage capacity. Bags of space beneath both couches, lots more above the cab, a warren of spaces around the cab and cab doors, as well as an array of deep roof lockers each with adjoining lipped and enclosed shelf for all manner of small tackle you might prefer to keep hidden.
Summary
Tracker EKS was a small marvel, for its precise handling, encouraging fuel consumption and the trouble free operation of its equipment even when gale force chill winds gave us a battering. The inventory with SE pack included in the £37,872 price, as per our demonstrator, is impressive including as it does; the outdoor shower and barbeque points, cab air con, Radio/CD/Mp3 player, recessed awning, colour TV monitor, infra red reversing camera and special graphics. For two people the lifestyle is both spacious and comfortable in the true sense of the word. Only two minor niggles concerned the slightly restricted space in the washroom and the fiddlesome slide-out bed base supports. EKS however does represent extremely good value when compared to similar size motorhomes.
VEHICLE DATA
Vehicle specification: Auto Trail Tracker EKS, four-berth Overcab Coachbuilt motorhome. Price of vehicle tested: £37,872 on the road
Vehicle kindly loaned for testing by: Auto Trail VR Ltd, Trigano House, Genesis Way, Grimsby, North east Lincolnshire, DN37 9TU. Tel: 01472 57100
CONVERSION
Overall length: 6.26m
Overall width: 2.26m excl mirrors
Overall height: 2.95m incl aerial
MTPLM: 3,300kg
Payload: 385kg
Construction: laminated construction with GRP exterior – roof and walls 40mm, floor 45mm
Fresh water capacity: 100-litres
Waste water capacity: 68-litres
Gas storage: one 13kg and one 7kg cylinder
Auxiliary battery: 100ah
Refrigerator: Dometic 90-litre fridge/freezer
Water heating: Truma gas/electric water heater
Space Heating: Truma gas/electric convector heater with blown air
Lighting: soft concealed lighting throughout, plus spotlights and diffused fluorescent lights for the galley
Upholstery: Sandwell pale green abstract pattern fabric
Other equipment fitted: reversing infrared camera, fold down TV monitor, built in awning, radio/Cd/Mp3 player, external BBQ point and shower connection.
BASE VEHICLE
Type: Fiat 3000mm wheelbase chassis cab
Power unit: 2287cc 130 Multijet turbo diesel
Maximum power: 130bhp @ 3600rpm
Maximum torque: 320Nm @ 2000rpm
Transmission: six-speed manual to front wheels
Steering: power assisted rack and pinion
Braking system: 4-wheel disc system with ABS
PERFORMANCE
Fuel consumption: 36mpg
Maximum speed: Estimated 87mph Fiat quoted
Comfortable cruising speed: 65mph
