Verdict
It’s hard not to like the Elddis Autoquest 180 when it offers so much at a competitive price. Yes, you have to sacrifice storage and a big washroom. But, the comfy rear lounge and its sociable space far outweigh these minor niggles.
Pros
Comfy rear lounge
Roomy overcab
Cons
Not much storage
Washroom
The 180 is a new arrival in the Elddis Autoquest range for 2006 and it’s also the biggest in this particular range. However, it comes in at a rather reasonable £28,195 – excellent value for a motorhome that boasts six berths and six three-point seat belts to safely carry the family.
It’s also the first ’van in this range to have a U-shaped rear lounge. However, does the Elddis Autoquest 180 require you to forego some creature comforts, or do excellence and value go hand-in-hand?
Living
The rear lounge of the Autoquest 180 may not be as generously proportioned as some other motorhomes’ U-shaped lounges, but it’s still big enough for four to sit in reasonable comfort and five to dine.
There is a fold-up television table at the front of the left-hand sofa and behind it there are all the necessary power and aerial points on the wall. For those wishing to watch television in the forward lounge, there’s another table that folds down from the wall on the left-hand side of the overcab bed area.
Four can fit around the front lounge table comfortably, with the single-legged table attaching to a fixed bar on the wall which allows it to slide. The rear lounge table is a folding, free-standing, affair and both tables stow away in a dedicated cupboard, underneath the wardrobe.
There are many spotlights underneath the overhead lockers for evening reading, while the Truma heater warms the ’van quickly, even without a blown-air system.
Kitchen
For a six berth ’van, we feel that the Autoquest’s kitchen could prove a little on the small side. The four-burner hob is big enough to cook a family meal, as is the oven, but storage space is limited.
More of a problem is worktop space. If you need to use the sink while preparing a meal, there is no work surface. There is a fitted cover for the sink and drainer, which is stored in a dedicated slot between the cooker and the fridge. With this cover in place, there is a little room.
Underneath the sink is the 77-litre Dometic fridge, with internal freezer compartment.
There is a small cutlery drawer to the right of the fridge, with a second drawer and some space below in the upright cupboard and two overhead lockers.
Washroom
The washroom is the one spot where the ’van doesn’t quite deliver. Some of the plastics aren’t well finished, especially the double cupboard doors under the sink. The sink’s tap also doubles as the shower head, so the washroom can only be used by one person at a time.
However, we like the large, frosted, washroom window, which helps brighten up the interior and stops the space from feeling too constricted.
Beds
Fitting three double beds into a motorhome of this size is a juggle, yet Elddis has managed to make all three a decent size. Admittedly, the front lounge bed is best suited to children as it’s not quite long enough for six foot tall adults, but it would make an ideal guest bed.
The overcab bed’s base is normally stowed away to allow for better headroom when coming through from the front cab. Its base slides out to its full length and then the mattress cushions are pushed into place. It’s not quite as neat a solution as a pull-down overcab bed, but it’s easy to use.
The rear lounge bed offers the greatest comfort and space, and is easy to assemble.
Storage
If there are six of you heading off on a long holiday, this ’van may struggle to fit in lots of clothes and equipment. The five overhead lockers in the rear lounge and three lockers above the front lounge are easily-accessed, but provide only limited storage.
The wardrobe to the rear is a decent size and is the largest single storage space here. There is also room under the lounge sofas, but the fresh water tank and hot water heater foul the space slightly. A family of six will need to be neat packers to make the most of the Elddis.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 673 kg |
| MTPLM | 3500 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.10 m |
| Width | 2.53 m |
