Auto-Trail Frontier Mohawk - Practical Motorhome

Verdict

The Mohawk is perfect for those looking for a high level of comfort with the ability to carry enough kit to tour for long periods at anytime of year, thanks to its high payload and generous storage provisions.

Pros

Versatile, suitable for couples and small families
Improved spec and interior design

Cons

Ventilation in the washroom is inconvenient
Noisy road manners on some surfaces

Living

The centrally placed nearside habitation door effectively subdivides the ’van and is enhanced by an illuminated step, a grab rail and a three-quarter length mirror. In the living/dining area two longitudinal, dense foam bench seats face each other and offer ample seating for four.

There’s a small, adjustable circular table with a detachable boom leg next to the passenger seat, which Sue found created more problems than solutions. But when it’s removed there isn’t really a designated spot to store it, and when its in place the leg obstructs access to the power socket at the end of the lounge settee.

We like the sturdy, sizeable (95 x 58cm) freestanding lounge table, which has a very tight fitting designated storage spot in the bedroom. It dominates the space between the bench seats but offers plenty of room for plates and the like.

Although both cab seats swivel Sue found that there isn’t really enough legroom for them to be used simultaneously. We had to lower the steering wheel to gain enough space for the driver’s seat to turn. Once swivelled, we couldn’t persuade either seat to lock into place, resulting in irritating swivelling, too.

We loved the excellent ceiling-mounted fold-down LCD TV/entertainment unit (part of the Media pack), which is best viewed from the facing sofas.

Two good sized windows combine with an opening rooflight to provide abundant natural light and at dusk there’s a plethora of mood lighting available from a combination of dimmable LED strips, directional spots and discreet uplighting.

A courtesy light is nicely incorporated into the hanging rail in the full-length wardrobe, switching on automatically when the left-hand door is opened. Overall, we found that the white LED lighting in the Mohawk was a little glaring and didn’t mix well with the warm lighting elsewhere in the ’van.

Kitchen

Almost everything is provided in the compact galley. Set in the granite-effect, heat resistant worktop is a good-sized stainless steel sink with a domestic-style mixer tap. It has a small draining area and two nicely sculpted covers, which can be used to extend the 35cm worktop area to 100cm in length.

The glass-lidded dual fuel hob is full-featured, with three electronically ignited gas burners and one 230V electric plate, plus a gas grill and separate oven.

Although there’s a sliding window and a 12V roof fan/ventilator close to the cooker, she found that they were not practical to use during torrential rain so the lack of alternative extraction could be a problem at times.

Above the sink a slightly projecting cupboard with a silver tambour door houses a fitted 700W microwave oven. Beneath the sink, the 97-litre three-way Thetford fridge with small freezer compartment has a positive catch. We liked the fact that it opens into the entrance area, making it easy to fill and clean, too.

Washroom

The Mohawk has two separate washing areas. Offside there’s a shower cubicle with seamless walls, an adjustable shower head, a strong hanging rail, single drain hole and a frosted glass, bi-fold door.

On the nearside a circular Thetford swivel toilet is joined by the oddly shaped, narrow washbasin, which we found impossible to use without soaking everything around it. There’s a well-lit mirror, floor and wall cupboards with plentiful racks for toiletries and a full complement of quality furnishings – loo roll and toothbrush mug holders, towel rail and clothes hooks – although we did think it a shame that there’s no shaver socket. In addition to the small clear glass window there’s also a huge opening rooflight ensuring more than adequate ventilation.

The door to the toilet cubicle cleverly closes onto the forward area of the ’van creating an en suite washroom for the rear bed area. When the door swings open it has to negotiate a ceiling light so there’s an 8.5cm gap at the top when in en suite set-up. So it doesn’t afford complete privacy if using the toilet. When used simply as a toilet room, bending over the basin results in an attack from the prominent door handle and the toilet has to be swivelled to allow any knee room.

Beds

One of the main reasons for buying this vehicle will be the fixed, transverse rear bed. Two six inch deep mattresses are placed over a slatted base to provide a generous (2.13 x 1.38m) sleeping space. One problem we found with the mattresses is that they are so snug fitting that it can be difficult to tuck in a base sheet without breaking every fingernail or scratching the walls.

There’s a good-sized window in the bed area for sunrises and a large opening rooflight as well. A privacy curtain is available for when guests are using the other bed. Individually switched reading lights, a combination of lockers and easily accessible shelves plus a dedicated flat screen TV mount (TV not provided) at the foot of the bed are the final flourishes.

A second very comfortable double bed measuring 2.10 x 1.24m appears in seconds at the front of the ’van by sliding the bench seat bases together, adjusting the leg securing screws and re-arranging the four cushions.

Storage

Many buyers will also be attracted by the Mohawk’s garage. It can be accessed from either side of the ’van via generously-sized doors (74.5 x 85cm) and there’s a manually switched LED strip light on either side as well. The garage has chequerplate effect flooring, plenty of tie downs and hanging storage pockets. The available storage weight for the garage is 150kg, allowing for loads of sports kit, leisure furniture or shopping.

On the offside, a 110cm-long locker, which also houses the hook up point, is perfect for storing cables and muddy levellers, which can be washed down with the practical external shower connector placed close by. There’s a small compartment housing the 110Ah leisure battery with space for another if required.

Inside, the ’van’s roomy overhead cupboards offer a nice mix of storage options and are fitted with anti-rattle strips.

There’s good storage space under the lounge seating, with top or side access, although the space beneath the nearside bench contains the gas bottle locker and some air ducting, limiting its use to smaller items. Our test ’van was the lo-line model, which has capacious cupboard space over the cab, and a nice wide ledge to place small items such as keys and glasses.