A classic British model with a French bed layout
WHILEthe French bed layout has quietly slipped out of many manufacturers’ model ranges, it lives on in the Broadway line-up from Auto-Sleepers. Here then, is a traditional floorplan from that most traditional of marques, combining a fixed bed with a spacious lounge and a fairly modest overall length of 7.20m. Usefully, this model is on a 3,500kg chassis to suit any driver, although the payload of only 338kg may require a degree of caution when loading. As a pure two-berth (there are no foldaway rear travel seats as in some of the competition), that’s less of a worry, but you’d need to do your calculations carefully if opting for the £1,100 option of a half-dinette-style lounge with seatbelts.
Where the Broadway now falls into line with more of the competition is in the use of a Fiat Ducato cab; previously, Auto-Sleepers favoured the closely related Peugeot but supply issues have forced a switch. It comes with a silver metallic cab, which blends well with the grey sides of the motorhome body.
Externally, this motorhome comes with GRP sides and aluminium skirts, plus fully framed habitation windows. As with any Auto-Sleeper, you’ll also need to budget for the £3,350 Premium Pack, which adds the alloy wheels, Thule roll-out awning, reversing camera, 80W solar panel and heater blankets for the underslung fresh and waste water tanks (102 and 71 litres, respectively). On the outside, you’ll also discover the filler for the 25-litre LPG tank and the TV input on the offside, then the external barbecue and 230V sockets on the nearside.
The Metalarte habitation door has a flyscreen and is linked to the central locking but the high floor (this is not the lowered Fiat chassis), means the external electric step is very necessary for access. A flat floor throughout is a bonus, but the taller floor is a downside for weight distribution and, therefore, handling.
Inside, it’s the open-plan feel of this motorhome that’s the big appeal. With side settees, two large rooflights (an overcab Skyview sunroof and a push-up Heki above the lounge) and no fixed table, it feels like a spacious vehicle for its size. The fact that the bedroom is a far more integral part of the living area than in many island bed designs helps, too.
The Premium Pack comes into play again, featuring cab blinds and wheelarch insulation blankets, while removable carpets (not shown in our photos, taken at Choose Leisure near Canterbury) are standard, too.
