by Daniel Cartwright

In Week 3 of our long term test, we look at what it is like to drive the Auto-Trail Tribute 670. In this review, I will look at different common driving questions followed by a brief summary for anyone who is a novice and also a summary for the more experienced.

Before we start the Tribute review, a few words on what our test has included: As per the outline of our real world test we have covered 2,150 miles in the first three weeks of the test. We have taken on every type of road from small single track country roads to motorways and we have fully tested about town by driving and parking in central London (including parking on brick lane at 5:30pm on a Friday) and central Birmingham.. just for fun.

Cab and comfort

The Tribute 670 cab is a very pleasant place to be. Firstly, the driver and passenger seats are a pleasure, they are wide, supportive and both the back and base can be adjusted meaning you can find your perfect driving position. Not having a bed above the cab makes the cab feel very light and spacious, furthermore it makes getting in and out of the cab both from the driver’s door and the habitation much easier. No bent shuffle required anywhere in the Tribute 670. The dash is well equipped with everything from cruise control to USB and Auxiliary connections so you can listen to your audiobooks on those long journeys. Storage is more than ample and my wife and found that a picnic hamper sits very well between the driver and passenger seats. Finally, unlike some motorhomes the passenger is not left out. they have a fully adjustable captains chair and because of the layout there is loads of passenger leg room.

Transporting ‘rattle snakes’

We considered putting the inevitable rattle section into comfort but for the Tribute we thought it deserved a section of it’s own. Anyone who has driven a few motorhomes know that they rattle, some bang and rattle but it’s rare to find a motorhome that out on the road doesn’t sound like you’re transporting a nest of ‘rattle snakes’ in the back somewhere. On long drives no matter how comfortable you are, that rattle can drive you wild until you stop to search around and find it. The Tribute is that rare beast, that once the cooker top is secured, is rattle, crash and bang free. Rattles when driving a motorhome are generally because some fixture or fitting is either loose or the frame of the habitation area moves slightly with the bumps of the road. Being a van conversion certainly helps Auto-Trail achieve this reduction in rattle but it is also down to the quality of the design, engineering and craftpersonship when building the motorhome. Anyone in the trade will tell you a rattle-free motorhome means it’s very well put together.

Long Trips
Before picking it up, I noted it had the 115hp Fiat engine, and given the 750 miles a week planned test I did think perhaps the 130hp engine would have been better for those long distances. Once again I was wrong. The Tribute is perfectly well powered, and you have good acceleration all the way past 70mph meaning changing lanes even in heavy traffic is easy. The engine and gearbox seem perfectly aligned for its weight and our roads, i.e. 70 is a very comfortable 2500rpm and just about in the torque range and that at 50mph the Tribute can be in 4th for that extra acceleration or 5th gear for that bit of economy, neither of which strain the gearbox or engine. The motorway driving experience is also greatly aided by being a van conversion. it is not only aerodynamic for better road use and handling, it is also much more resilient to cross winds. Think about putting your favourite seat in a big modern estate car and that’s driving the Tribute.

About town and parking

Taking the Tribute into central London and parking it on street outside our office (70 Wapping Wall) was easy. In traffic the hill start assist is a joy and pulling away is smooth. on congested roads third gear will give you a hassle free drive between about 10 and 35 meaning you’re not changing gear all the time. The brakes are progressive so when you’re in stop-start traffic and someone pulls into your lane causing you to brake suddenly, the Tribute deals with it without fuss and again without the whole van shaking. Once in a town centre on small busy roads you start to notice the turning circle. despite being “reasonably” long (by van conversion standards) the turning is incredible and more than compensates for the length. The 670 feels like it can turn on the spot, 3-point turns in a road only just wider than the Tribute is long are no problem at all. Not only being able to cope with around town, the Tribute offers some benefits for those who have never tried it, the elevated driving position gives you a perfect view of the road and traffic ahead to manage your speed and keep constantly moving.

With the incredible turning circle and the huge split angle rear view mirrors, on street reverse parking is easy. In both London and Birmingham I was able to easily fit all 4 wheels into a single bay both length and width. It might be worth looking for two spaces to help give you space to get in but once in, a single space will do. This also means you buy a normal car parking ticket not one for commercial vehicle parking.

Options options options

With any leisure vehicle there are numerous options you can add to the drive, engine, habitation and media. The model I tested had the “drivers pack” added to it. This includes things like hill assist, steering wheel controls, air conditioning, passenger airbag and some cosmetic upgrades on the exterior. This model did not have reversing cameras or parking sensors, would I get them if I were to own it? no I wouldn’t, because often I don’t like 3rd party technology added to my vehicle. The Tribute 670 is small and nimble, the split angle wing mirrors are excellent and more than ample.

That said, there is one addition that I would add if I owned the Tribute – a rear view mirror. Not only is there some visibility out of the back window which you could make use of with a rear view mirror but it would be very useful to have a quick glance at what is happening in the rest of vehicle while you are moving. If you have a child in rear seats or if you miss packed something and it moved during driving, simply being able to glance behind would be great. There is a fixing in place so I imagine this would be a cheap and easy to fit optional extra.

Overall

If after driving the distance from lands end to John O’Groats and back and then on to Doncaster the only thing fault I can find is not having a rear view mirror, then driving the Tribute is very good in my opinion. This Tribute 670 model won the 2016 caravan and motorhome club “Design Innovation” award it is easy to see why.

For the beginner

If you are new to the leisure vehicle market or new to motorhoming, a more automotive driving experience you will not find (to use technical jargon).. in the real world, if you have never driven a motorhome before then driving the Tribute 670 compared to your average car is much like the difference between driving a Nissan Micra and Volvo estate.

For the experienced motorhomer

Give this a try – on paper the Tribute 670 doesn’t come as standard with all the bells and whistles, and despite that probably being about range differentiation, the Tribute doesn’t need them. If you have a big motorhome and are considering a smaller one or a small van conversion and are considering a bigger van conversion, the drive and the quality of the Tribute make it a very very capable.

by Daniel Cartwright and Tom Evans

In the second blog of our long term test of the Auto-Trail Tribute 670, we look at how the Tribute performs for the short getaway, that weekend reprieve or the impromptu break.

As you probably expect and I hinted to it in the Vehicle practicality review last week. This is the where the Tribute really excels. Being so pleasant to drive and having everything you need and more, means you can go away at a moments notice and have the time of your life.

Van conversion motorhomes have always been popular for the “short breakers”. They are the mainstay of people who use a leisure vehicle to support another hobby such as cycling, surfing, climbing, hiking, snorkelling, model airplane flying, paragliding and even dog showing or even following country music festivals up and down the country. It’s easy to see why, their manoeuvrability and facilities mean you pack up and go at a moments notice, you can stay anywhere and you chase your desired weather, waves, snow, sunshine around the country. For this blog we will be reviewing the Tribute against this class of vehicle.

So what is a Van conversion motorhome? Well essentially it does as described it is a motorhome fitted in the full shell of a production van as opposed to a coachbuilt motorhome that has a purpose built shell around the cab. Van Conversions can range from small VW T6 conversions where the back seats drop down to bed and there is a small “burners only” kitchen, and no bathroom to the likes of the Auto-Trail which are bigger with all the mod cons. Each have their benefits and limitations but this gives you an idea of the scale of the class. A quick note on cost, the cost of the vehicles are based around the work that goes into fitting the van and the components used rather than the size or specification. So you can pay as much or even more for T6 conversion as the Tribute, but it is what suits your wants and needs.

In this short break blog there will be a bit from me, Dan – at 36 I have a wife and an 18 month old Toddler daughter – and a bit from Tom – a 27-year-old who has been using the tribute with his girlfriend for short breaks.

Dan’s Family Trip

As described above, if your idea of a good weekend is leaving work on Friday, sitting in traffic for hours until you reach a remote destination, sleeping for 6 hours and waking up at the crack of dawn to squeeze yourself into some lycra and spend Saturday braving the elements then you probably already have a vehicle like this. and if you don’t already, buy one! There you go, a short review for the thrill-seekers. If like me, however, you’re an average Joe, is the Tribute going to inspire you to get out more, to get away at the weekends and justify the investment?

I think so – I’ll explain this with one simple story. Whilst my family and I have used the Tribute for planned weekends away this one example I hope will tell you more than you would expect. It was a very sunny Saturday in July. We decided to do something we have done a number of times even before we had the Tribute on test, visit the Beach! So an hour in the car, get sandy, have some lunch then head back home whilst the baby has a nap and stop at the local swimming pool to clean up and get the last of that toddler energy out before tea (I’m northern) and bed.

Again, as you can predict from my previous blog, the Tribute is about the best vehicle ever to take on this day trip, so I detached the table, strapped in the baby car seat and away we go. We had great hour by the beach, the Tribute again provides us a place to change whilst keeping our drinks cold. After an hour it is obvious that our daughter needs an early nap. No problem in the Tribute just put her down and we can sit outside, have a drink, some food and wait for her to get up in a better mood! About lunchtime the baby awakes (she never misses a meal) and demands food straight away – luckily we have it all stocked in the Tribute, so with food done we’re back on the beach. A couple of hours later we hit decision time, we were all having loads of fun at the beach but if we didn’t leave quickly the pool would be closed before we got there! My wife said maybe there’s a swimming pool round here that is open later. Two mins of thumb tapping and scrolling later, my wife proclaims all the swimming pools round here are in holiday parks!

You can see where the story is going, one quick call and we had booked a pitch on a local campsite with heated outdoor swimming pool (all of which was less than £10 more than swimming for all 3 of us!) and relax and enjoy another hour by the beach.

Now this is where the Tribute’s flexibility but also specification come to the front. We get to the holiday park and we are still uncertain about whether we will stay or not. I’m for it, my wife less so but the beauty of the Tribute is because you are using it anyway you can decide as you go. It turns out the holiday park was a lot of fun, the baby played in the pool, on the playground and with other children until way past her bedtime. We put her to bed in a cot (yes that’s right, a cot.. explanation later) and my wife and I eat oven pizzas alfresco, sat watching the sun go down over the Suffolk coast.

So a wonderful and unexpected weekend away, that cost us less than £10. More to the point would my wife had agreed to this to smaller van conversion without space for a travel cot, limited fridge space and having to walk to toilet every time she wanted used a bathroom? No, the fact that the Tribute crams so much into a small space does limit things like bed sizes and storage but what it adds to versatility and comfort is huge. Could I do that weekend in my caravan? Yes but not without planning, I would never randomly take my caravan on a day trip. Would that weekend have been different with a coachbuilt motorhome? I don’t know – I think now that maybe I would be less inclined to take a big motorhome on a day trip but maybe that will change when I live with a big one!

Tom’s Weekend Away

Having worked in the industry for many years I, like Dan have reviewed and stayed in many leisure vehicles. My significant other on the other hand has not. Introducing the fact that I was about to do a weekend test in the Tribute was met with the usual displeasure at the prospect of not seeing her for a whole weekend. When I informed her she would be coming with me that changed initially to confusion then to trepidation. Having spent years reviewing leisure vehicles of many types at Ferry Meadows Caravan and Motorhome Club site I decided this was our spot. Nestled in the Nene park area of Peterborough this is not only an amazing country park but also close to Peterborough for shops, brasseries and coffee shops, for the less committed camper.

The drive up from Croydon to Peterborough on Friday night gave her the opportunity to get acquainted with the benefits of the Tribute. When stuck in traffic, yes there is your favourite drink in the fridge, followed by the big captains seats allow you to recline in comfort and space with your feet on the dashboard.

Arriving on site late Friday night she said “OK so what do you have to do set up, will it take more than 20 mins because love island is on in 20 mins?”. Three minutes later after “hooking us up” we were done, I was about to tune the TV but she had already logged on to the wifi and was watching.

Having had a good night’s sleep the next morning things had changed, with the other half up and out for a run, I sorted breakfast – evidently Ferry Meadows is a much more inspirational place to go for your Saturday morning run than Croydon as she came back happier than ever.

The weekend continued in this way, the Tribute literally dealt with everything, from hairdryers to changing rooms, nipping into town and parking was a breeze too when the shopping bug hit. I think the biggest sign of approval was being asked “so how do you hang pictures in here.. and what about the carpets Can do you a different colour in the bedroom”.

by Daniel Cartwright

Here, at CaravanTimes we have reviewed literally thousands of caravans and motorhomes over the years. We have been involved in challenges, events and press junkets and now is the time to take it to the next level with long term reviews.

Our long term reviews are real life reviews, not technical reviews. We will be living with, in and around these leisure vehicles for long periods of time. We will be taking them on long trips, short breaks and doing everything from wild camping to family holidays.

Our aim is not to tell you the inside dimensions of the overhead locker but to give you ideas of how you can use it, to inspire you to use your leisure vehicle more and provide that “my friend has one and says” insight into owning each vehicle.

Each week we will blog on different topics and at the end we will produce a full review based on that leisure vehicle. There’s no point talking about how 2-berth fares for the family holiday!

Our first test is the Auto-Trail Tribute 670. The Tribute 670 is a 2-berth van conversion with 4 belted seats, swivel captain seats and a front dinette with a centre kitchen and a big (for a van conversion) centre washroom. The Tribute is a very nice place to be and has all of the luxury features you would expect from Auto-Trail. You can see the full specs here: https://www.auto-trail.co.uk/range/tribute

To kick our reviews off we will talk about practicality – how does the Tribute fare as a vehicle?

In today’s leisure vehicle market many people are trying to choose between a caravan and a motorhome, either for first timers who are new to both or for those considering a swap. One big factor in this decision is the practicality of using a motorhome as a vehicle, compared to say a second tow car. It was job one to test the Tribute as a vehicle – not the driving, but the practical side of using it as an everyday vehicle.

For anyone who is a regular reader of my features you might have picked up that I’m an “ardent caravanner”. That doesn’t mean I don’t like motorhomes – because I do. But I have always viewed them as a caravan with an engine. A holiday vehicle that will inevitably spend longer on the drive than on the road… I was wrong. Let me explain how the Tribute has changed me.

Being a van conversion, the Tribute is a total pleasure to drive. Having driven to pick up the Tribute in a Citroen C3 Picasso the swap to the Tribute was instant, it had better more comfy seats, better dash and console, it drove better, turned better and accelerated better – but this isn’t a driving review it’s a practicality review and it was the practicality that really got me. Having had the Tribute for less than two hours I was still driving home, south on the A15 towards Lincoln, and then suddenly my phone lights up and starts vibrating, I ignore it, less than a minute later the same thing happened again – the office needed to speak to me and it sounded urgent. I saw a lay-by and pulled over. I started calling the office who needed some information from my laptop . My laptop battery was very low, normally this would mean a huge delay in getting the info and making it home as I find somewhere to stop and have to spend money on a coffee whilst I charge my laptop etc. but not the in the Tribute! I simply swivelled my chair, plugged in my laptop and put the kettle on (yes, I had put some water in it). 10 mins later I’m on the road again, with the wife happy that I’ll be home on time and the office happy too. That started me thinking.

The next day I was due to test how the Tribute performed driving around town and with tight manoeuvres – what better place to do that than commute to the office 70 miles from Suffolk to Central London in rush hour, park and then go home. As I’m on the A120 I hear on the radio there is a big delay on the M11 and Google estimates a 1 hour delay. Once again I simply pull over in a lay-by, swivel my chair, plug in the laptop, link my phone and call the office – I’m working, not sat, sweltering on the M11.

Over the coming week, I used the Tribute for everything I could and every time I used it, I fell more and more in love, the Tribute isn’t just a leisure vehicle it’s a practical and luxury vehicle that helps you through life, it’s better than a car if you want to use it as a second vehicle. Airport runs with delayed flights are no problem, just take the Tribute and have a coffee or a nap whilst you wait. Trips to the supermarket when your toddler has a melt down half way there are no problem now. One of you stays and does the shopping, the other takes the toddler to the Tribute, gets them a cold drink and puts on Peppa Pig! The practicalities are endless for this as an everyday vehicle.

So it works as a vehicle. A damn good vehicle at that. But not only that, but the versatility changes what you can do and where you WANT to go. I got a phone call from an old friend saying he had some time off and wondered if I fancied going to the British superbikes’ free practice on a Friday afternoon and camp overnight so we could have a few beers together. Without the Tribute I would have been camping in the rain drinking warm beer that has sat in a car all day and eating horrible packeted food that doesn’t go off. it was a possibility but I probably would have said no. With the Tribute I not only said yes but I was really looking forward to it. I simply went to the supermarket the day before, switched on the fridge, drove it into work, picked my friend up at lunchtime and two hours later we’re at BSB with fresh food, cooking facilities and cold beer. When the inevitable rain came we sat in the Tribute watching old races on YouTube! The next morning, after a good night’s sleep, a decent wash and a simple breakfast, we’re home to our wives, refreshed and ready for the day – not looking and smelling like extras from a zombie movie after a rainy uncomfortable night in a tent!

The Tribute passes our Vehicle Practicality test with flying colours. There are always compromises with any vehicle and the space in the Tribute is limited but that’s a different test for a different day. Keep an eye for our next instalment from our new Long Term Tests!