Auto-Sleepers' biggest and most expensive van conversion ever comes with Alde heating
Words & pictures ❚ Peter Vaughan
It’s rare for a test ’van to attract as much attention – and positive comment – on site as this, but there’s no denying that the M-Star is a handsome bit of kit. With its Mercedes-Benz alloy wheels, dark blue paint and privacy glass – plus graphics that are not overdone – it has a suitably premium appearance. There are other upmarket touches, too, such as the chrome bars on the grille and the illuminated step at the sliding door, which has a soft-close function. On the other hand, I’m not so sure about the shiny door handles!
Its estimated £115,000 price tag (for a panel van conversion) might herald a sharp intake of breath but it reflects the prestige of the three-pointed star and, perhaps more importantly, the fully loaded specification here. For once, this is a test vehicle where what you see is what you get – as standard. There simply isn’t an options list, although you can select the external colour (metallic paint, of course). And, while the M-Star takes up station as the company’s new flagship, it also adopts some key Auto-Sleeper themes, such as the automotive-style glazing (seen on all its Peugeot campervans), and the rear lounge layout (like an XXL version of the Warwick XL).
You could see the Mercedes M-Star as a significant departure from Auto-Sleepers’ usual fare, at over three-quarters of a metre longer than its largest current campervans and around £40k more expensive (comparing base prices). It even eschews the marque’s traditional Cotswold village names. But, in many ways, it is also an entirely logical extension of the range – a range that already includes a quintet of Mercedes-based coachbuilts but has never previously included a Sprinter conversion.
The M-Star is more than 7m long, so it’s a significantly larger vehicle than not only Auto-Sleepers’ Peugeot-based campervans but most other mainstream (van-based) models, too. It also has to come with a 3,880kg maximum gross weight (meaning you'll need a C1 category on your licence) to achieve a practical payload.
You certainly won’t be disappointed with a spec list that includes an external barbecue point, a Thule roll-out awning, TV aerial and 120W solar panel. Even the Truma Aventa rooftop habitation air-conditioning is standard, as is a 30-litre underslung LPG tank. Also under the ’van are a full-sized spare wheel and the fresh and waste water tanks. Both tanks are heated but the former is a tad smaller than we’d have hoped (70 litres), and the latter
