Bailey Adamo 75-4I 2024

We’ve really enjoyed running having the Bailey Adamo 75-4I as a long-term loan for the past six months – it’s allowed us lots of time to give the vehicle a thorough examination.

Bailey’s Adamo 75-4I is part of a range that was initially launched as a more Continental-style low-profile. Recently, it has become Bailey’s only conventional-width coachbuilt ’van, with the even newer Alora line-up offering an alternative for those who want something a bit more compact.

The ‘I’ in the model name stands for island bed, which this motorhome has, along with a washroom that is spread across the centre and a lounge fitted with parallel settees.

We’ve now taken the Ford Transit-based vehicle through France, across Wales twice, and for a quick trip back to its Bristol birthplace (not because there was anything wrong, it must be noted). So what did we make of it and does it offer the comfort and practicalities that we look for in the best 4 berth motorhomes?

Exterior and cab in the Bailey Adamo 75-4I

The Ford Transit’s detractors will often say that the van has a bit too much of a snout on its side profile, and that is indeed fairly evident here.

The ’van is almost 7.5m in length, and it certainly looks that long. Bailey is known as being among the best makes of motorhome and the Adamo is very easily identifiable as being from the manufacturer, both from the smart decals on the side and, of course, from the Bailey name across the top of the back panel.

The 160bhp engine makes relatively easy work of this long vehicle, with the automatic gearbox only having to think a little longer than a millisecond on the steepest of hills. If you’ve settled the ferry vs Eurotunnel with the former, you’ll find the gearbox to be a blessing when edging up to the vehicle in front on ferries.

Rear vision was good, too. When you’re driving a motorhome like this, with sides that protrude aft of the driver’s seat, it is also a bit unnerving when a passing vehicle only just seems to have made it past the cab. But the mirrors here meant we never had a scrape, and the rear-view camera provides a proper full view, not the half-hearted effort that some cameras we have come across elsewhere offer up.

The two settees in the rear each convert into a single forward-facing travel seat. Whoever sits here will have plenty of legroom and a good view out of the windows.

When you come to set up the pitch, however, it is a bit frustrating to find that the electric hook-up connection is just to the left of the habitation door. If you’ve bought the best motorhome awning, you’ll find the cable might interfere with it, unless you opt for a roll-out variety.  There is, however, a good awning light here.

Roughly the same distance to the right of the door – and also within the scope of a potential awning – you’ll find the toilet cassette access.

Living in the Bailey Adamo 75-4I

Stepping in through the habitation door, there is a proper handle on the inside of the door, a flyscreen, a grab handle, and hooks for leaving coats (in addition to the two that are handily positioned just inside the garage).

From the cab, there is a slight step down. Both cab seats swivel, and there are reading spotlights next to both of them (although there are no USBs here: the nearest are either on the dashboard or over the fridge).

If there are only two of you on tour, the seats swivel just about enough for each of you to use the settees as footstools, and from this position, you could both easily watch any TV that might be mounted near the sockets next to the hooks by the door (see: can you use a normal TV in a motorhome to make sure you have the right set for your ‘van).

The foldout table in the lounge is large enough to be reached by anyone either in the cab seats or on the settees. The one in our test motorhome feels ever so slightly wobbly, but it’s still an improvement on the foldaway tables that used to grace Bailey’s Autograph models, which had two thick legs that we found tended to get in the way.

As for lighting, daylight streams in through the opening sunroof and the large windows, while at night, you have plenty of light from LEDs under the lockers and ambient lighting.

Two heating vents – one coming out from the offside settee, the other in the step up to the washroom – keep things comfortably warm here.

Although there are no mains sockets in the lounge proper, the two located in the kitchen are within easy reach.

Kitchen in the Bailey Adamo 75-4I

The side kitchen comes with a large extension flap that doesn’t intrude too much into the lounge, and a wooden cover that you can put over the hob when it is not in use.

It is a pity that this neat innovation does not appear in the newer Alora models, such as the Bailey Alora 69-4S and the Bailey Alora 69-4T, which have gone back to having glass hob covers. Our testers have found it a real godsend, especially when you need extra draining space after washing up.

The dual-fuel hob, which is located above a separate oven and grill, is just about big enough for four standard pans. The whole area is well lit by a large window, ambient lighting and LEDs on the lockers.

The large Heki up above provides plenty of additional ventilation.

The slimline fridge sits across the way. There is no microwave installed as standard, however: that comes as a dealer-fitted option.

Washroom in the Bailey Adamo 75-4I

You have to step up to the washroom. Then, as you face rearwards, towards the island bed, the shower cubicle is located to the left and the main washroom to the right (10).

The area in between can be sealed off from the rest of the motorhome by using the swing door at the front and a sliding partition at the back.

To fit everything in, Bailey has had to make this ‘dressing area’ very compact. We found ourselves having to step into the shower cubicle to get around the swing door.

That said, the shower is a good size, with two drain holes and a concertina door that neatly tucks away – there’s no clingy shower curtain here. The wheel arch does intrude into the space, but not by much.

The main washroom is also well laid out and equipped, with a solid basin, an illuminated mirror, and the toilet in front of a clear window with a blind. The lighting for the whole washroom area is controlled by a pull-cord here.

Sleeping in the Bailey Adamo 75-4I

The best motorhomes with an island bed are going to have a comfortable, well-lit sleeping space. In the case of the 75-4I, there is another step up to reach the bedroom area, at the rear.

Once you’re there, the island bed can be retracted to make a very comfortable daybed, lit by the large Heki above. However, the same issues about squeezing everything in that are apparent in the washroom are evident here, too.

When it’s fully extended, the bed butts up against the sliding door. Anyone trying to reach the toilet at night would face quite a squeeze. We found it easier to keep the door open most of the time, except that way, you do have daylight coming in through the roof vent in the shower. Admittedly, that might not be a problem for some.

Whichever way you have the bed, however, it is comfortable, and there is plenty of headroom, thanks to the absence of overhead lockers at the back.

You get sensibly placed directional spotlights to read by, although the switches for the ambient lighting are over by the second set of TV sockets in the nearside front corner.

Up front, the settees aren’t really long enough to make up into single beds, but they can form part of a double.

You lower the table electronically via a switch by the fridge – no struggling with levers here – and then rearrange most of the backrests, leaving the base cushions where they are. You’ll need the three infill cushions to fill the gap.

You don’t, strictly speaking, have to shut any cab blinds, because Bailey has provided a generous curtain that closes off the cab from the lounge. Should you wish to, however, we were impressed to find that you raise the windscreen blind upwards from the bottom.

Bailey has wisely opted out of using concertina blinds you pull in from each side, which in our experience are only too happy to snap out again. There also seemed to be less condensation inside the windscreen in the morning.

Storage in the Bailey Adamo 75-4I

You will have plenty of storage space in the ‘van – just ensure you know how to load a motorhome properly. The Adamo’s excellent garage is lit, heated and fitted with mains and 12V sockets and holds for bungee cords (but no external shower).

The second door to it, on the offside, isn’t large enough for a standard bike to get through, but we found that it did allow you to reach in to make sure that any bike pushed in from the other door is properly secured.

Inside, the areas under the settees in the lounge are largely taken up with the travel seats, so two large overhead lockers and a shelf above the cab are the main storage areas here.

In the rear bedroom, there are no overhead lockers at all, although the two wardrobes are a good size. They each have little cubbyholes in the side, so you can store your glasses or mobile when you go to sleep.

There is a big double cupboard under the bed, but you really need to have the bed rolled back to reach this properly.

There are cubbyholes in the steps on either side of the bed, but they are mostly taken up with the heater and the water tank – items that might have been located under the settees were it not for the travel seats.

The kitchen has an ample overhead double and single cupboard.

There is a shallow drawer under the sink for cutlery, but what looks like a large cupboard below is actually the rear of the gas bottle locker. The pan locker underneath the oven is adequate.

The washroom has a cupboard under the basin, some open shelves and more shelving behind the mirror.

Equipment provided

Truma Combi 4E heating is installed in this model. Our testers found the motorhome heating system more than adequate, even during a week-long stay at the freezing start of December last year. The 100-litre water tank gives several showers on the go, so is generous, as is the similarly sized waste-water tank – easily emptied by using a pull handle.

Provision of USB ports is fine for two, although there might be a squabble if there are more of you. Having good cab blinds and a separating curtain is a plus.

In the kitchen, we might be tempted to opt for adding a microwave, although installing this would take up one of the overhead cupboards, so you might find it a compromise too far.

Buy if…

You prefer the thought of having a British motorhome, it is mostly going to be just the two of you touring, and you want an island bed. This also makes a good buy if you’re planning to tour in colder climes and enjoy getting active – the garage is plenty big enough for lots of kit.

Alternatives to consider

Coming with an MTPLM of 2650kg, the Benimar Mileo 294 is ideal for those who are looking for an island bed ‘van which is on a Fiat Ducato base vehicle instead. If you’re interested in the Ford Trail Transit base vehicle, the Pilote Atlas A656D is another option worth considering. It’s shorter, at 6.60m, but is an ideal choice for the more active motorhomer.

Bailey Adamo 75-4I specifications (as tested)

Base vehicle

• Chassis: Ford Transit
• Engine: 2.0-litre turbodiesel
• Power: 160bhp @ 3500rpm
• Torque: 405Nm @ 1750-2500rpm
• Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Features include: 16-inch alloys, cab air-con, cruise control, ABS, ESP, TPMS, twin driver and passenger airbags, engine immobiliser, electric windows, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, automatic headlights, daytime running lights, heated wing mirrors, radio with Bluetooth connectivity, reversing camera, cab blinds, captain’s seats, two USBs

Conversion

Glacier White GRP Alu-Tech bodyshell, aluminium external framework with no external fixing points, timber-free upper body panels, plastic internal skeleton, high-density polystyrene insulation, GRP inner wall lining and single sheet GRP outer skin, strengthened floor panel with GRP underside protection, contrasting exterior graphics with chrome badging, LED awning light, polyplastic double-glazed windows, double-glazed opening sky view rooflight over cab, heated garage with GRP sidewalls and vinyl floor, with mains and 12V sockets, internal 12V striplight and lashing rings, low-profile rear ABS bumper, fixing points for rear-mounted cycle rack

Lounging and dining

Bailey Mendip Ash Satin Cashmere and Anthracite furniture finishes and locker doors with chrome detailing, Odyssey soft furnishings, pleated blinds and flyscreens
to all principal windows, contrasting fabric window surrounds, Dove Grey split-section loose-fit carpet, Dark Oak finish floor vinyl, two dimmable reading lights in cab

Kitchen area

Thetford separate oven and grill with dual-fuel four-burner hob, Thetford 141-litre tower fridge with 12-litre freezer compartment, stainless-steel round kitchen sink,
Nebula Silver kitchen worktop with extension and hob cover

Berths

• Rear island bed: 1.85 x 1.59m
• Front double bed: 2.22 x 1.21m

Equipment includes

Truma Combi 4E heating and hot-water system, Status 570 telescopic digital TV aerial, two TV points with mains, 12V and aerial sockets, wall-mounted TV bracket in lounge, pre-wired for optional Avtex mobile Wi-Fi system, smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm

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