Auto-Sleeper Pollensa - Practical Motorhome

Read more about the Ford Transit based Auto-Sleeper Pollensa in the Practical Motorhome review

Verdict

The Auto-Sleeper Pollensa is well made, handsome and capable. However, the small overcab means it struggles to convince as a family ’van.

Pros

The Ford Transit is a great base vehicle
It looks smart and has a nicely finished interior

Cons

Some rival ‘vans are cheaper
The washroom doesn’t have the same quality as the rest of the ’van

Living

The layout really excels at the end of the day, when you want to have a meal and relax. You can seat four at mealtimes and the tall backrests lend extra support during extended meals.
The Auto-Sleeper feels smaller than some rivals due to short seat-base cushions. The reason for this is the raked seat backs (which make for a more comfortable lounge in the evening).

Kitchen

The kitchen is strung across the back of the ’van, occupying the space between the washroom wall and the side wall. This limits available space on the worktop but Auto-Sleeper has worked around it.
At a size of 77 litres, the refrigerator is fairly small, because it has been fitted over the wheel arch. Storage is limited, too, and food preparation facilities around the sink and hob area is non-existent. On the plus side, the sink is large and has a recessed drainer, which makes it easier to stack the washing-up. The kitchen is well equipped, too, and has plenty of storage. There’s a three-burner hob with electric hotplate and an oven and grille.

Washroom

A swivel-bowl Thetford cassette toilet is standard, with a separate external filler on the ’van’s outside wall.
The separate shower controls are a nice touch and a cut above the integrated hand-basin/shower control units many rivals.

Beds

There are two reasons for the Auto-Sleeper scoring so poorly in this section of the test. First, the overcab is little short of pathetic in terms of sleeping, and suitable for children only – but even they might turn their noses up at the mattress, split into several thin foam pieces and spread across a plastic base. Headroom, too, is incredibly tight, which makes the area an occasional overcab berth at best.
Second, the dinette can only really be made into a double bed, rather than double and single versions. Nevertheless, the bed is really easy to make up, very flat, supportive, and comfortable. However, having room for one double and a child in the overcab puts the Auto-Sleeper at a major disadvantage. If you are after a family motorhome, this simply will not fulfil the brief.
One really nice feature of the Pollensa is the radio cut-out switch which means you don’t have to clamber through to the cab to turn off the music if listening in bed.

Storage

There’s a large locker door that allows access to the locker under the bench seat: this provides excellent external storage space.
Inside, there’s plenty of storage under the seat bases for things such as bedding, while numerous roof-level lockers line the areas above the lounge and dinette.
If you do more with your holidays than watch the telly, Auto-Sleeper provided has a removable shelf so that you can use the TV cabinet for an alternative use. All the ’vans have a half-height wardrobe.
Although the folding overcab bed base makes a pretty hopeless bed, at least it makes a secure, large, overcab storage area without putting things out of reach.