Verdict
The Auto-Sleeper Topaz is lovable, and works perfectly for couples seeking as much of the British coachbuilt experience as they can have in a van conversion. However, the price is extravagant and the lack of an options list is poor – rivals do better in both departments. You really have to want a Topaz to see it as a clear-cut winner in this market segment.
Pros
Quality of build
Custom-fit crockery set
Standard equipment
Cons
Awkward cab blinds
Not much floor space in shower
Living
The Topaz’s lounge doesn’t require swivelled cab seats – the side-facing sofa and forward-facing rear passenger seat are more than sufficient for two, although when you’re on-site you’ll probably want to swivel the cab seats sooner rather than later, because they’re needed for the bed.
Once the cab seats are swivelled, it really is a comfortable lounge for two – it offers loads of feet-up lounging space.
Two tables are provided; both are two-piece maritime-style units, made up of a tabletop and a circular leg. The main dining table slots into a hole in the middle of the lounge, and provides enough space for three diners. It effectively prevents passage through the ’van, though.
There’s also a second, smaller table, which slots into a bracket located just within the nearside sliding door. Use it for quick cuppas, or even light meals – it’s a particularly pleasant place to eat when the weather’s nice enough for you to leave the sliding door open.
The tables aren’t that easy to put away, though. The dining table clips into the storage area above the cab – it can be annoying to have to remove items stowed there in order to get the table in and out. The tea table, on the other hand, goes into the large cupboard in the washroom and is slightly easier to retrieve and stow.
Kitchen
The Topaz’s kitchen is split into two units, which face each other across the ’van’s central corridor. The far side unit houses the sink and fridge, while the nearside unit houses the grill and the two-burner hob.
There isn’t much work space, and you won’t achieve any big gourmet feasts, but the grill and twin-hob combo are just right for light meals at teatime.
In terms of storage, there’s one locker above each unit; the nearside one is ideal for foodstuffs, while the far side one is almost entirely taken up by Auto-Sleepers’ special crockery set. The cutlery tray is located in the cabinet under the sink, much of which is taken up by the sink unit itself. The tray is suitably spacious, but it’s an uncharacteristically flimsy piece of design, which pops out of its plywood brackets far too easily; especially when it’s fully loaded.
Alongside the under-sink cabinet is a set of slide-out racks with clips for two wine bottles, and under the grill is a large cupboard that should take all your pots and pans.
Washroom
The Topaz stands or falls by the quality of its washroom, which is likely to be the main draw for couples contemplating this motorhome. We found it to be a well-designed area, making very good use of the limited space. Along the nearside wall are a tip-up sink, mirror and bench toilet. The shower cubicle provides all the available floor space and the far side wall is occupied by two storage areas: a large cupboard at waist-height, with hanging rail, and a smaller locker at eye-level. There’s storage for toiletries behind the mirror, while toilet chemical bottles and a spare loo roll can go in a handy cubbyhole located behind the bench toilet. The shower curtain can be fiddly and there isn’t much floor space, but otherwise this is a perfectly respectable washroom, especially in a camper this size.
Beds
The lounge area in the Topaz can be made up into either a large double or two single beds using the lounge seating and swivelled cab seats. Making it up involves flattening the single seat and sofa, and positioning fill-in cushions to deal with the gaps and unevenness.
For a lounge bed, it’s not difficult to assemble and Auto-Sleeper has kept the number of fill-in cushions to a minimum. However, it’s not great for tall people or for those who like perfectly rectangular beds.”
Despite the number of gaps between the different parts of the bed, we felt that it fitted together tightly enough to ensure that elbows aren’t lost between cushions in the midst of slumber.
Making the Topaz’s bed into two singles takes slightly less time and allows both sleepers to easily access the washroom in the middle of the night.
Storage
The large washroom cupboard is useful for storing outdoor gear; it’s taller than it is wide, however, so its contents can easily degenerate into a messy tangle. We would prefer it if the door swung out 180 degrees, which would make it easier to access the cupboards from outside. As it stands, if you put a hook-up lead in there, for example, you’re going to struggle to reach around the door to get it out.
Storage for folded clothing is in short supply – you could use the locker above the cab, but you’ll need to move the clothes every time you want to use the dining table. There’s space under the side-facing sofa, but you’ll need to be comfortable with having your clothes in a disorderly heap. There’s also room under the front-facing passenger seat, although considering its proximity to the entrance you may prefer using that for footwear.
