Verdict
At just over £40,000, minus the delivery charge, we think this 2017-season Elddis Autoquest 195 looks like rather good value – especially following the mid-season price increases of many of its rivals.
What changes we can expect with Elddis now under Erwin Hymer’s ownership remain to be seen. Design wise, we’d only like to see the washroom made a little more user-friendly.
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Pros
The rear lounge and beds are very comfortable
It has a generous 608kg payload
Its low chassis means there is no need for an outside step
The kitchen has a high spec
Cons
The washroom could be a better design
The aisle is a bit narrow by the microwave
A cab sunroof isn’t on the options list
It is no surprise that Elddis has been angling its Autoquest range more and more at families, as, with prices starting only just north of £35,000, that is still the kind of price that young families can afford.
For 2017, the big news for families was the launch of the Autoquest 196, a six-berth with the County Durham manufacturer’s first ever dropdown bed.
The range as a whole has been made more comfortable and easier to drive with the introduction of a low-line Peugeot Boxer chassis, to bring the Autoquest into line with the other two ranges of Elddis motorhomes.
But if you don’t feel your family needs six berths, how about the 195? It has everything the 196 has, minus the dropdown bed. Which means more headroom in the lounge.
On the outside, Elddis has sought to alleviate the idea that this vehicle is just a large white box by including relatively discreet decals that are in line with the sleek flow of the Peugeot cab.
Under the bonnet, there’s a 2.0-litre, 130bhp, Euro 6-compliant turbodiesel engine. In addition, our test ’van was fitted with a rear-view camera (a £320 option) – the 195 does have a window on its back panel, but the reassurance this technology brings will be welcomed by many.
We’re also pleased to see that this family ’van doesn’t just sleep four people, it has four travel seats, too.
Lift the two parallel settees in the front lounge and you will find two Aguti travel seats. They can be lifted up once you have folded the settee frame away against the wall.
With corner cushions, four spotlights and ambient lighting, the rear lounge should be a perfect adult refuge
Living
One of the things that makes the Elddis Autoquest 195 a great family motorhome is that it has two lounges, one at the front and one at the rear. Let’s start with the former.
The absence of a dropdown bed makes the front lounge area feel more spacious. But although there is a rooflight, there is no sunroof over the cab – it’s not even an optional extra.
This means that the lounge isn’t quite as bright as it could be. However, a generous four spotlights and ambient lighting help to keep things bright in the evening.
Another grumble is that the nearest blown air heating vent faces straight out the door from the washroom wall.
Moving back, beyond the central kitchen and the washroom, you’ll find the rear lounge. It is usefully served by three large windows that let the light flood in.
Our test ’van has parallel settees and a central chest back here, but for £210 you can have a rear U-shaped lounge, which some buyers might like to consider.
With corner cushions, four spotlights and ambient lighting, this should be a perfect adult refuge. Especially as there is a second TV bracket here (in addition to the one in the front lounge) that folds away into a space by the overhead locker.
It’s just a shame the absence of a partition here means you might have to engage in a volume battle with the kids. However, unlike the front lounge, the rear area has a well-positioned heating vent, so should be a very comfy place to spend time.
Both lounges in this Elddis motorhome feel warm thanks to the honey tone of the woodwork and the soft grey furnishings. And, while it is stored in the wardrobe at the rear, the lightweight table fits well in either lounge.
But as there is a step up to the front lounge from the kitchen, you might be more inclined to keep the table at the rear, so that the cook isn’t required to remember that fact every time they serve dinner.
Kitchen
The kitchen itself has an adequate workspace, thanks to the inclusion of an extension flap at the end by the rear lounge. And this whole worktop is impressively lit with two LED lights.
Kit-wise, you get a three-burner gas hob including a rapid burner, a rectangular sink and two mains sockets, with just enough space for a kettle.
Underneath is a stack of four drawers between the 85-litre Dometic three-way fridge, with a removable freezer, and the oven and grill. There’s a small locker at the bottom of the stack and a pan locker under the oven.
You also get a pair of overhead lockers containing a mug and crockery rack, plus a Daewoo microwave. But if you’re using the microwave you might find space a bit of a squeeze – the aisle is not the widest we have seen and the washroom door opens outwards.
Washroom
From the outside, the Autoquest 195’s washroom looks long enough to include a separate shower cubicle, particularly as there is space enough to include a large mirror left of the door – a welcome and thoughtful inclusion.
However, it’s the circular loo that rests at the far end as you enter, with the shower tray left to take up space in the washroom proper. It is encumbered by a wheelarch, and only has one drain hole.
But at least you get a separate tap for the shower, as well as a rack for bottles of shower gel and shampoo.
You also get a fashionable salad bowl basin with a well-proportioned mirror above it, and a wooden locker above the loo.
Little, good-to-see extras inside this washroom include a towel rail and a toilet roll holder, while the room is well lit with a screened rooflight.
Beds
There are two double beds in the Elddis Autoquest 195. Either use the two pull-out slatted platforms to make a double at the front, or roll out the slats down the centre of the rear lounge to make up the double there.
In both cases, the Ozio mattresses are comfortable enough to disguise what can be considerable differences in the levels of support offered by the two make-up systems.
Only the rear lounge settees are long enough to be made up into single beds, and even then they are only six-foot long.
One other point to note is that even with the front double bed made up, there is still just enough space left on the offside settee to make a perching point if someone wants to make an early morning cuppa.
Storage
Overall storage in this ’van is good. And it starts with the wardrobe which is large and comes with two hanging rails.
There’s not much under the nearside settee in the rear lounge because of the electrics, but the offside space is clear and you get external access.
Up above there are four posi-lock overhead lockers in the front lounge, and six in the rear. Half of them are shelved as standard, while for £40 you can get your dealer to fit shelves in three more of them.
Finally, right around the top of the cab there is an open shelf. That will doubtless prove a handy home for keys, mobiles, chargers and so on.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 608 kg |
| MTPLM | 3500 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.34 m |
| Width | 2.69 m |
