This is no fairy tale… but once upon a time, all Auto-Sleeper motorcaravans were fitted with an elevating-roof. In addition, the company has converted Ford’s Transit since the very early Mark Ones. Thus, it’s not true – as some people claim – that it is a radical departure for A-S to build a pop-top camper on a Ford. That said, they have pulled out all the stops on the Auto-Sleeper Custom Air.
They’ve gone for a high-spec base with the 168bhp EcoBlue turbodiesel powering it along with consummate ease. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, with automatic transmission available as a cost option.
The top-spec German SCA elevating-roof is well engineered, plus it is easy to raise and lower. It sits so well on the Custom that many are likely to think it’s a standard ‘tin-top’.
Auto-Sleepers has taken a (welcome) minimalist stance on adding graphics, preferring the standard-fit alloy wheels to up the eye candy quotient. Those who prize driver-assist features as a deal breaker when choosing the best camper van, may be interested to know there were so many driver-assist systems fitted here that they had to be listed separately. After reading and digesting the list, many might conclude that it will drive itself… unfortunately not – though future incarnations might.
Fresh and wastewater capacity are each 40 litres and there is a 15-litre underslung LPG tank. The Auto-Sleeper Custom Air has five dedicated travel seats and four sleeping berths, the latter in the form of a brace of longitudinal doubles.
Entrance to the habitation part is via a slide-out step and a wide nearside sliding door. Seating area consists of the swivelled cab-pews and a three-seat Reimo Variotech seat/double bed.
It’s mounted on tracking and slides fore and aft according to how much ‘boot’ space is required.
A clever addition is the seat base mounted socket for the cranked table leg – thus when the seat moves, the table does as well, the type of handy feature that can make a difference in the best small camper vans.
The usable interior space is wider than that of the current VW Transporter, facilitating the inclusion of a normal-depth kitchen with a three-seat bench. In the VW, the inclusion of the wider seat would have required a slim kitchen.
The kitchen has a two-burner gas hob, a separate gas-fired grill, a sink with pumped cold water and a 12V/230V compressor fridge. The offside run of cupboards offers good storage for when you’re kitting out your campervan, which continues rearward of the back seat… the latter part accessed via the tailgate.
When not required, the table has dedicated storage on the rear of the back seat. There is a dedicated storage cupboard for the (included) Dometic ‘freestanding’ toilet, but the deployed lower bed blocks access to it. Better remember to remove it before making the bed!
The upper double bed is cantilevered, so it lifts up easily out of the way when not required. Don’t miss our tips on how you can make a camper bed more comfortable either, if you’re looking to improve your current setup.
The generous standard specification includes the latest Webasto diesel-fired blown-air heating and a Thule canopy-style awning, making this a genuine all-season campervan in moderate climates. There are other ‘all season’ advantages, too – its people-carrying, load-lugging DNA, matched to a car-like drive. Don’t forget to make sure you’re up to speed with “where can I park a campervan in the UK?” before hitting the road, too.
What to look out for in an Auto-Sleeper Custom Air
Base vehicle
Look for a full service history on time intervals, not mileage. This is important to maintain the validity of any transferable warranty. Insist on a full MoT, if applicable. Huge payload of 740kg (manual) 696kg (auto) should rule out tired rear suspension. Some keyboard warriors are frightening folk unnecessarily over the ‘wet belt’ saga. Contact the main dealer and ask what the revised period for cambelt changes is, and keep well within it.
Conversion
Walk away if it isn’t immaculate. Contemporary furniture has a wipe-clean, high-gloss surface, which should be checked for any misted areas, usually caused by ill-informed operatives using solvents.
Finally, check it will fit under your carport. Height with roof down is 2.12m (6’ 11.5”) plus any fitted TV aerial.
Our pick
A metallic red/orange/mid-blue/silver one. That covers them all. We would opt for automatic transmission, but that is just our preference.
What to pay
The oldest are ‘nearly new’ really, so buttons won’t buy one. Most will be between £50,000 and £70,000, but be patient, bargains do crop up, especially when folks’ circumstances suddenly change. We spotted a 2023 (23) automatic for sale at Motorhome Depot for an asking price of £49,999. One owner and under 10,000 miles. RRP for the equivalent brand-new is £76,245 OTR.
See what we made of a 2022 Auto-Sleeper Air when we put it to the test at the time too.
Essentials
- Auto-Sleeper Air on Ford Transit Custom
- Built 2022 – present in Willersey, Nr Broadway, Worcestershire, UK
- Steel panel van with GRP elevating-roof
- Three doors + tailgate
- Overall length: 4.97m (16’ 4”)
Custom Air driver-assist features
- Infotainment Touch-Screen Head Unit
- Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control
- Rear Vision Camera
- Parking Assist
- Pre-Collision Assist
- Blind-Spot Info System
- Cross Traffic Alert
- Torque Vectoring Control
- Driver Attentiveness Alert
- Traffic Sign Recognition
- Ford Sync 3
- Side Wind Stabilisation
- Traction Control
- Emergency Brake Assist
- Electronic Stability Control
- Trailer Sway Control
- Hill Start Assist
What we like
- Built up to a quality, not down to a price
- Wide crash-tested rear seating fitted on tracking
- Well-equipped galley
- Suitable for use as an ‘only vehicle’
- Sophisticated road manners
What we dislike
- Punctuation error on the bonnet decal! Hyphen has been left out of Auto-Sleepers. (I know… I’m an Olympic-standard pedant)
Alternatives to consider
Swift Monza, Westfalia Nugget, various Wellhouse Leisure conversions on new and pre-owned Custom base vehicles.
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