By William Coleman
We have had an in depth and exclusive look at the 2020 Auto-Trail Tribute range and one of my favorite layouts is the F70. We were able to take it away for a weekend to see how this new Ford based motorhome can make a weekend away easy, affordable and comfortable.
The first thing I will say before I go into the details of this motorhome is that I am a huge fan of all things Ford from the transit, Focus, Fiesta, Mustang, so naturally I very much enjoyed my time with this Auto-Trail.
The entire range is very impressive and it is quite tough to pick one over the other. There are 4 new layouts for the 2020 Tribute range, you have the F60, F62, F70 and the F72 all of which range from 2-4 berth with an option of 2-4 belts. So again Auto-Trail are designing their vans for both couples and families alike.
When looking at the Tribute range one of the first things that pops to mind is just how customisable they are. Yes you can choose how many belts, yes you can choose how many berths and what about having 7 chassis colours to choose from? They even do my two favourite colours, Blazy Blue (navy) and Kapor Red. So right off the bat you can have a motorhome that looks like no other.
The F70 features fixed rear twin beds and a front drop down double bed, which is an optional feature. For me, the drop down bed is a must as it saves a lot of time and more importantly provides a lot of extra space without any compromise. Oh, and the added fact that you do not have to pack away the bed each day is a massive bonus.
There is a saying that a Ford is a driving man’s (or woman’) vehicle. The Ford based F70 has certainly been designed for those who love to drive. It may not be as small and nimble as Auto-Trail’s Adventure but the F70 handles the roads like a much smaller RV.
You may not be able to navigate those narrower lanes but it can handle pretty much every road surface you would expect to find when touring.
The standard engine size that comes with the price tag is 130BHP, with an optional upgrade to 170 or a 6 speed automatic, and is quite good on fuel consumption but we did not have much weight on board as it was just an overnight trip. Obviously the weight on board can play a factor when looking at how many miles you’re getting from a tank.
Coming in at an overall length of 7.34m it can be daunting if you find yourself in a narrow spot, but with a bit of calm and a splash of patients you’ll be back on track fairly quick. Add to that the built in colour reversing camera and you’ll have almost zero issues at all. I know I have been saved a few times by Auto-Trail’s reversing tech.
The F70 is ideal for extended touring and seeing multiple destinations over say 4-7 days. On board you have all the usual storage for both ambient and refrigerated food. This model actually comes with a full size fridge that you’d have trouble filling up and the kitchenette has a small, intentionally so, 3 ring hob that leaves a lot of surface space which I prefer to the more traditional larger cooking surface.
Usually I do prefer an end washroom as it tends to be a bit more spacious and laid out better but this centred washroom the perfect fit for a van like this and means that you can have the two rear beds without any assembly required.
So what do you get for your money? In a phrase, quite a lot. It is one of the larger Tribute models and it comes packed with features and has an even longer list of optional extras to make your trips more comfortable. The addition of the drop down bed makes packing away and setting up much easier. If you want more from your motorhome is it hard to look beyond Auto-Trail and the F70 proves that they know exactly what they are doing.
