What are Auto sleeper motorhomes?

“Auto-sleeper” is a term thrown around a lot that often means a motorhome or a campervan, the term derives from the brand name 'Auto Sleeper' that manufacture campervans.

The company Auto Sleeper are a prestigious British manufacturer based in Willersey in Worcestershire. They boast a rich history with their hand-crafted converted motorhomes, brand began in 1961 by the Trevelyan family who had converted a commercial van into a motorhome to take on holiday with them, saving them time on buying a caravan and removing the need of going out and purchasing a motorhome for a single holiday when they already had the available tools to convert their van.

This was a success and the family had a great holiday and had come up with a business idea, upon return the family purchased another van and converted this into a campervan, this would garner interest from various companies who would place orders for these converted vans.

The process of converting the van was simple, create a Monocoque shell and build strength within without the need of joints to hold it together, this helped to prevent leaking and improve insulation.

Very quickly the brand started to develop and grow globally before being sold in 1997, the company would furthermore be sold multiple times before it arrived to Italian motorhome manufacturing company SEA Group. As of 2022 the company is wholly owned by a British firm and trades under the Marquis brand.

These motorhomes are completely unique due to their conversion style set up, they are based upon van chassis from various manufacturers including Mercedes -Benz and Peugeot.

The space and design are perfectly designed to give the user a great amount of well-utilised space in a small area, you’d be surprised about how much can be fit into one of these given that they are fairly simply a van with an entire motorhome in the back.

Auto-sleeper in general terms are perfect for any avid holidaymaker who cannot justify having a caravan or motorhome, think of it as a great space-saving home on wheels.

In the modern era these campervans come equipped with a lot of modern technology including onboard motorhome Wi-Fi systems made possible thanks to an antenna on the roof, this ensures you have a consistent connection to the digital age at all times whilst out and about, great for those cosy evenings when you can load up a streaming app and catch up on the latest movies and TV series.

The vehicles also have heating systems installed that work from gas and electricity to keep you warm on those cooler days plus showers, gas stoves and electric ovens.

Everything you could possibly want to find in a caravan you’ll find here, from comfy seating areas to a bathroom, a sleeping area and even a kitchen.

Benefits of opting for an auto-sleeper instead of your typical caravan or motorhome would be that they are extremely easy to use and functional, much like a motorhome they can be driven anywhere and are incredibly mobile whereas a caravan requires more thinking and often a car to tow it.

Not only that but many of these auto-sleepers can be driven on a standard car license provided you are over 18, this is thanks to new laws in the UK that state that anyone who has passed their driving test after 1st January 1997 can legally drive a vehicle up to 3500kg Maximum Allowable Mass (MAM).

Many motorhome/campervan manufacturers now build their vehicles with an MAM of 3500kg allowing anyone that holds driving license categories B, B1 and BE can drive a motorhome/campervan. These categories can be obtained simply by passing a car driving test. Anyone who has passed their driving test before 1st January 1997 can drive vehicles with a Maximum Allowable Mass (MAM) of up to 7500kg meaning a bigger auto-sleeper is an option.

Of course, there are also some negatives, the compact space means that if you are going away with more than just two people it can become a bit of a squeeze at times when people are trying to cook and clean themselves up in the evenings, especially if young children are being brought along for the journey.

The compact space means that they are not the most comfortable of living arrangements, if you are going away for a few days at a time then it is liveable, however if a longer holiday is being planned for more than a week then you may find yourself getting slightly cramped up and desperate for some extra space. In this instance, a motorhome would be better suited to your requirements.

Auto-sleepers whether it be the brand or the general ‘campervan’ style motorhome are a great way to travel and live day-to-day whilst out and about holidaying, the need for one purely rests on what needs and desires a holidaymaker requires from their home on wheels.