By William Coleman
Like many people who adore the touring holidays a trip to a dealership is always an exciting day out. Mine was made even more exciting as I knew that I would be walking away with 67 plate Auto-Sleeper Kingham, so to say that I was a little on the happy side may have been a slight understatement.
I made my way from London to South Yorkshire at around 6am, as I wanted to make the most of the day once I picking up my touring home. After a 4 or so hour drive I arrived at the Marquis South Yorkshire branch. I was worried that the weather was not going to hold up but the sun was shining very bright when I arrived which made the white sparkle of the caravans and motorhomes that much better. There really is nothing like motorhome shopping on a bright sunny day.
The dealership was a hive or activity and had a really good buzz. Which I feel is such an important part of the buying process. Many times in the past I have walked into a dealership or forecourt and either not been greeted, sometimes not at all, which makes me instantly lose interest. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be at work, which makes you feel very reassured that you’re at a dealership where people care.
I was greeted by Martin, who is in charge checking the vehicles before they leave the forecourt. Martin also ensures that before the customers leave they have a clear understanding of how the vehicles operates. Although I had been in a fair few leisure vehicles over the years I had never used a van conversion so I was more than happy to be given the tutorial.
First of all Martin showed me around the Kingham just to give me an idea of the overall size and shape of the van. One thing that stood out to me was just how much Auto-Sleeper have been able to fit into the Kingham, without removing anything or condensing the practical space inside the living quarters. Auto-Sleeper is known for the quality build and the luxury of their touring homes and the Kingham stands out as a luxury.
So once me and Martin gave it a once over he then showed me some of the technical details I would need to know before setting off, and this is where I really impressed. I knew that Auto-Sleeper would not skimp on anything at all when it comes to adding the highest if quality fixtures. I won’t go into too much detail at this stage but let’s just say all the industry leading manufacturers are present. So once I was shown where all the hookups and pipes were I was then shown, in great detail, how to use them. There were a few subtle differences but anyone who is a seasoned tourer should have no trouble transferring their knowhow from a motorhome or caravan to a van conversion.
After this we moved to the inside of the Kingham. Once inside I instantly fell in love with it and could not stop thinking about all the little getaways this van conversion could make possible. For something the size of a long wheelbase van it really does have everything you need and it is clear it has been built for luxury not utility. I must admit that before collecting the Kingham I did have an image in mind of what I could find. I was wrong. This has everything a touring home needs and it is presented in style. Again I will not go into too much detail as the full review is not finished. Once I was shown how to use the washroom and cooking facilities I was ready to go. On my way out was introduced the the dealership manager, Andrew. The paper work was completed and so my adventure began.
Stay tuned for more coverage over the next few days.
