The Practical Motorhome Bailey Approach Autograph 730 review - Get inside the four-berth Bailey Approach Autograph 730 with our Group Editor's review - Copyright: Practical Motorhome Productions
Just one new layout has been added to Bristol-based manufacturer Bailey’s flagship range of motorhomes for 2015
The Bailey Approach Autograph 730 is 2.41m (7’11”) wide, 7.62m (25′) long and 2.79m (9’2″) high – for more on the specification read Practical Motorhome’s review
The 2015 Bailey Approach Autograph 730 has a black Peugeot Boxer cab, but it’s still a very boxy shape from the rear
An enormous locker door gives external access to the storage space under the fixed transverse double bed in the Approach Autograph 730 – ideal for storing folding camping chairs
Access to the gas locker, water and electric connection points are
all on the offside of the Bailey Autograph 730
The freestanding table is a little flimsy and is stored under the rear fixed bed. A dedicated storage slot in the kitchen would be better
Bailey has made use of the Autograph’s different floor levels by installing small storage nooks and crannies that could prove handy for valuables
Bailey’s heritage as a caravan manufacturer can be seen in the front parallel lounge and midships kitchen. It works well but it precludes the inclusion of two additional belted seats even though the ’van can comfortably sleep four
A padded headboard adds to the comfort of the users of the fixed rear double bed in the Bailey Approach Autograph 730 and each has a spotlight for reading. There’s ample storage for clothing
The kitchen in the Approach Autograph 730 has all the kit you need in a motorhome, including a dual-fuel hob, separate oven and grill, fridge, stainless steel sink and good worktop space
The microwave is tucked discreetly away in an overhead roof locker, although it would be better placed over the worktop rather than the hob
The sink is forward of the worktop because the gas locker is located behind it. The curved cupboard makes good use of the space below the sink in the Bailey Approach Autograph 730
Whether four of you are travelling or you’re expecting overnight guests, it’s easy to make up the lounge bed. A slat framework pulls out from each of the front lounge sofas to create a double bed
The front double is not very wide at 1.21m (4ft) but it is a nice long bed, at 2.23m (7ft 4in), so tall people can stretch out or kids can sleep top to tail in the Bailey Approach Autograph 730
The 2015 Peugeot cab has improved fit and finish, a DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity, but where’s the reversing camera in this Bailey Approach Autograph 730?
In the Approach Autograph 730 washroom, a drawn shower curtain will keep the electric flush swivel toilet dry but maybe not the floor, which has two drain-away plug holes
In the Approach Autograph 730 washroom the fully lined, heated cubicle has ample space for washing and getting dressed. There are cubbies for bottles below the basin
The storage space beneath the front parallel sofas in the Bailey Approach Autograph 730 can be accessed from the front or the whole framework can be lifted instead
Bailey has added just one new layout to its Approach Autograph range for 2015 – our expert tests the 730, a four-berth motorhome with a fixed island bed
Verdict
Like its Autograph siblings, the Bailey Approach Autograph 730 offers an exhaustive specification list for a hyper-competitive price tag. It’s also vastly spacious, with a huge ‘spare’ bed, so the lack of additional belted travel seats is frustrating.
Pros
It’s ideal for couples
Luxurious bedroom area
External access to underbed storage area
Front double bed is 2.23m (7’4
Plenty of light
Alde wet central heating
Good storage
Cons
No reversing camera
Fixed bed is only 1.77m (5’10
Only two travel seats with seatbelts in this four-berth
Since it introduced its first motorhome in 2011, development at motorhome and caravan-maker Bailey’s Bristol manufacturing base has been frenetic. Two years ago came the Approach Autograph range, along with the more car-park-friendly Compact, and this year the firm launched the entry-level Approach Advance range.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that changes to the top-spec Autograph for 2015 have been minimal. There’s a switch to the new Peugeot cab, and the arrival of a new layout, the four-berth Bailey Approach Autograph 730.
At the time of its launch and our test, the Approach Autograph 730 starts at £46,965 on the road, and our test vehicle cost £47,373.
With large side and rear windows it makes a luxurious master suite
Living
In the lounge, you might be forgiven for thinking that you’re in one of Bailey’s top-spec caravans. And this is not accidental – with its front parallel lounge, central kitchen and washroom, and rear transverse bed, the 730 will tempt those looking to chug instead of tug.
It works well, too. The lounge feels huge thanks to the Autograph’s 2.4m (7ft 11in) width, and to our eyes the optional (£199) ‘Piccadilly’ upholstery works better in a larger ’van. We’re less keen on the flimsy table, though, which is stored under the rear bed.
Kitchen
You’d be hard pushed to find fault with the roomy kitchen. Worktop and storage space are superb.
The microwave is concealed in a cupboard, though we’d rather it wasn’t directly over the four-burner dual-fuel hob, which tops the separate oven and grill.
Washroom
Central wetrooms can feel pinched, but not this one. The fully lined cubicle has ample space for dressing or showering, with a curtain you can pull round to avoid soaking the whole room. There’s also a window
and a radiator in here.
Beds
The pièce de résistance is the transverse island bed – fitted with the optional (£209) bespoke bedding set on our test ’van. With large side and rear windows it makes a luxurious master suite, as long as you’re not tall: the bed is compact at 1.77 x 1.32m (5ft 10in x 4ft 4in). Your guests will have no such restriction: the sofas make up a second double that’s a huge 2.23 x 1.21m (7ft 4in x 4ft). It’s just a shame there’s no screen to separate the two sleeping areas.
Storage
Throughout the ’van there’s enough storage space in the overhead lockers, plus a full-height wardrobe and bed boxes to seriously test its 433kg payload. The largest area is to be found beneath the fixed bed, accessed by lifting the mattress or using the huge external locker door.
Bailey has even added a couple of underfloor lockers for valuables – very handy.
