Elddis Autoquest 196 - Practical Motorhome

Squeezing six berths and a UK-friendly twin-lounge layout into a 7.34m-long, 3500kg MTPLM ’van is no mean feat – check out the 2017 Elddis Autoquest 196

Verdict

If you’re after six berths in what is otherwise one of Britain’s favourite motorhome layouts – the rear lounge – then the Elddis Autoquest 196 is a good bet.

But you might find the drop-down bed itself on the narrow side, and probably best left for the kids.

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Pros

Front and rear lounges in a six-berth family ’van
There is a good amount of storage
You get a generous sense of space in this motorhome

Cons

There’s a lack of privacy for those using the rear bed
The drop-down double is possibly only suitable for children
The all-in-one washroom isn’t massive and doesn’t have a window

When Elddis introduced its 2017 model year motorhomes last summer, most of the attention focused on the new low-level chassis the County Durham-based manufacturer’s Autoquest range is now built on.

There was less attention on new layouts. But there was one new addition – the 196.

Its floor plan should already be familiar to fans of Elddis motorhomes, as it is almost identical to the already established 195, with a lounge front and back, and a washroom and kitchen in between. The only difference is a dropdown bed over the front lounge.

But that is quite a difference, because it introduces a six-berth into a range that has been the staple of many a dealer special edition up and down the country – taking it into territory where it could offer an Anglo-Saxon alternative to the Continental models that have been dominating the large family market in recent years.

An Anglo-Saxon alternative to the Continental models that have been dominating the large family market in recent years

Living

The two parallel settees in the rear lounge together could seat all six of you, and are separated by a lift-up flap to rest your drinks and snacks, if you don’t want to use the foldaway table.

The front lounge, with a side settee as well as the four travel seats, is a perfectly respectable alternative location where your children could while away a rainy Sunday afternoon while you read the papers up rear. Both lounges have spotlights, but nothing directional.

Kitchen

In the central kitchen, in between the black sink and three-burner hob, is a fair amount of workspace that can also be extended by another flap that opens out beyond the hob. This doesn’t get in the way of the habitation door. However, as the two mains sockets are this side of the hob, you might be tempted to place a kettle here, so there still might be some hazard to those coming in.

The family chef won’t be disappointed with kitchen storage in the Elddis Autoquest 196. You get four drawers down the middle between the 85-litre fridge and the oven and grill. There’s another pan locker under the oven, as well as a row of four overhead cupboards.

Washroom

The 196’s washroom seems initially to be all white plastic, an impression not helped by the lack of a window. However, you do get a salad bowl style washbasin, a separate shower for the sizeable tray in front of the basin, and the hint of a different colour in the good-sized wooden cupboard.

Beds

The two settees in the rear pull together to make a double bed that is regularly shaped and comfy. The front lower double is rather more elaborate to assemble.

Moving on to berths five and six in the drop-down double bed, partly to avoid any obstruction of the habitation door, that bed is only 1.2m wide. As it also comes with a copious safety net and a not particularly comfortable metal ladder, perhaps it’s only for two children who don’t mind sleeping close.

It’s also worth noting that the only privacy partition there is in the whole of this family ’van cuts both the wardrobe and the washroom off from the rear bed, which you as adults are possibly most likely to use. If those sleeping at the back like their privacy, that could be an issue.

Storage

The half-height wardrobe to the right of the washroom has five soft-close doors beneath it, so you won’t be wanting for clothes storage. And there is a good selection of overhead lockers throughout, including one over the cab.