Auto-Sleepers Custom Air review

Being built on the previous generation of Ford Transit Custom - specifically the post-facelift 2016-2022 model - means driving the Custom Air is a simple affair. This particular vehicle is powered by Ford’s 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine outputting 170PS in either automatic or manual transmission, although the automatic option will add £2,000 to the price from new. The Custom has always been applauded for its responsive driving style and even when fully loaded with luggage and kitted out as a camper van it still feels light on the road, but I did find the brakes to be incredibly keen and a light touch was needed to stop things rolling around or banging about while driving. I think the main table - which spends its downtime stowed on the back of the main seat row that folds into the downstairs bed - came loose from its housing a few times while driving, and I did have to insert my jacket behind it to stop it from falling free, but it’s a minor quibble. Care must be made to make sure you lock the main seat row into place before driving as it can come loose and slide back and forth if the wrong slots are chosen in the sliding rail on the floor. The Transit Custom body size is also perfect for negotiating roads of all types, being small enough to fit down most country roads and negotiating towns and cities without causing you any problems with parking it. The vehicle is also well equipped with a wide range of driver assistance and safety options available as standard. The trim level of Ford Transit Custom used as the base comes with driver and passenger airbags, cruise control, parking sensors, park assist, two ISOFIX mounting points, pre-collision assist, blind spot monitoring, torque vectoring control, lane-keeping alert, cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, the excellent Ford SYNC 3 infotainment system, side wind stabilisation, traction control, emergency brake assist, electronic stability control, trailer sway control, hill start assist, remote central locking of cab doors and immobiliser, air con, swivel captain chairs for the driver and main passenger, CO2 alarm, smoke alarm, three-point seat belts to all designated passenger seats, and more as standards. Some of the most iconic and enduring campers are built on medium van platforms, and the Custom Air proves the Ford Transit Custom has the potential to be seen in the same light.

On the outside, the Custom Air looks smart - thanks in large part to the Ford Transit Custom already being a very smart looking van. Alloy wheels are set off by body-coloured mirrors, sills, bumpers and other aesthetic touches. The only indication that this is a camper is the mounted awning above the side-sliding door on the side and the water/power connections visible underneath the van on the driver’s side. But it’s on the inside that this vehicle shines and the careful design process is most evident. The upholstery is excellent - soft and luxurious in greys and golds on the driver and passenger captain’s chairs and the second row of seats that fold out into the main sleeping surface. The storage cupboards and cubbies are all finished in shiny white surfaces, with positive closing and opening mechanisms, and the flooring is hard-wearing grey material that I found surprisingly easy to hoover with a small hand-held one. From the first moment I opened the door, it just felt inviting and I enjoyed stepping in and out of the vehicle simply for that feeling. The tailgate at the back is also critical to this vehicle’s versatility - my family and I found ourselves making good use of the door for shelter from a sudden downpour and for shade when the sun came out. Control panels and anything needed to control the gas, water and heating is accessible but cleverly kept unobtrusive - you know where it is, but it doesn’t become an eyesore. All of the right choices have been made in design, I was very impressed.

For a family of four, the Custom Air is the perfect size. Two couples would also find this camper to be great as a base of operations for holidaying, but four adult bodies inevitably take up more room and it might be better to go for something bigger if that’s your need in a camper or motorhome. For my family of three, we had plenty of room at all points. My wife and I took the main bed, while my son had the top bed under the pop-up roof. Lunch and dinner in the main living section was a doddle with more than enough room to spread out. Cooking and kitchen use in general was also a simple affair, the surfaces being particularly easy to keep clean. The portable loo and shower, while nice additions, didn’t see any action from us but having them is nice peace of mind. Topping up the water tank, connecting power and using the gas cooker was simple, and the pre-driving checklist stuck to the driver’s door was particularly useful. There is nothing quite like picking a spot, rolling out the awning and setting up your folding chairs in the sun or shade to convince you that you’re a camper van person. I could see myself living with and in this vehicle without any problems - that in itself is key to the high marks here.

This is an area where the Custom Air excels in terms of the equipment at your disposal, but is maybe let down slightly by the table inside. The kitchen is incredibly well kitted out with a two-burner gas hob, mini grill with piezo ignition, stainless steel kitchen sink with cold water tap and a 45-litre Dometic compressor fridge. The kitchen storage is also excellent with a cute little cutlery drawer, multiple cupboards and even an under-sink cubby hole ready to be packed with whatever you need. Seating internally is provided by the rotating captain chairs used by the driver and main passenger, and by the main seat row that folds out into the downstairs bed. We ate inside the vehicle once and out under the awning twice. The internal table is easy to set up, and its parts conveniently stored underneath and on the back of the folding bed/seats, but could do with some extra support as it leaned slightly down from its offset support and felt like too much weight would damage it. It is fine for one person to use for eating or reading, but three of us struggled to use it at once for anything more involved than playing a gentle board game. Being a loan vehicle, we erred on the side of caution and mainly ate off our laps when inside as a result, but I can see this being something that seasoned ‘camper vanners’ might call out as needing improvement. Outside, however, we used a fold-out table and chairs under the awning, which is definitely the right way to use a camper van. In summary, everything you need to make food is right there in the kitchen and it’s very nice to use, but eating at the internal table is tricky due to its small size and weight-bearing ability. For the best experience, cook inside and eat outside under the awning, or eat off your lap if you can’t eat outside.

Auto Sleepers knows a thing or two about people being comfortable while sleeping if the beds in this vehicle are anything to go by. The main bed in the vehicle is downstairs, created by simply unfolding the main seating row and placing a mattress segment at one end - job done. My wife and I slept comfortably overnight on this bed. The upstairs bed is also easy to set up by simply raising the roof - once in the bed, which is sprung nicely by compact plastic springs, you can pull up a cargo net to stop yourself falling out and ventilate the area by opening one of the many zippable windows. My son slept well in this bed, although my wife and I heard every movement he made from the bed below. I would imagine four adults would find sleeping an easy proposition. The main bed is 6 foot 7 inches long and 4 foot 4 inches wide, the upstairs bed is slightly longer at 6 foot 8 inches long and the same width. My favourite feature was a pop-up device charger at the head of the downstairs bed, which made bedtime use and charging of my phone easy and felt more secure because I could keep it close by. Top marks here!

At prices starting from £74,245 OTR, the Auto Sleepers Custom Air is relatively expensive for a medium van camper, especially when compared with larger motorhomes built on larger van platforms also available from the company for slightly less OTR pricing. But considering how well kitted out it is I wasn’t shocked by the price - especially when you consider the reduced space to work with while making this into a liveable vehicle and the excellent design and build quality. Upgrading to the automatic gearbox is an extra £2,000 and eats into your payload by 50kg, so weight carriers will need to weigh up that extra cost, but for ease of driving I’d go all in. The kitchen and beds, undoubtedly the jewels in this camper's crown, are excellent and exactly what’s needed in a vehicle like this. But it’s the whole package put together that has to be taken into account. The modifications, including the water, power and gas distribution, the upstairs bed, the awning, shower, fitted kitchen, bags of storage, the table and everything else I’ve missed off this list but covered elsewhere, are definitely worth the money because it all falls together seamlessly. The trim level of Ford Transit Custom used as the base of this conversion is also well equipped, with a wide range of vehicle safety and driver assistance technology included as standard, including cruise control, blind spot monitoring, parking sensors and reversing camera. Finance options are available and one of the more likely payment methods to acquire this vehicle, I would imagine.

Because it’s a great example of what makes a luxury medium-size 4-berth camper van and offers a lot in return for the money you’ll pay to have one. A family of four, or four adults, will have no trouble getting away on a lovely and comfortable holiday in this vehicle. It’s as smart looking on the outside as it is on the inside, thoughtfully designed to offer great use of space without compromising on essential features, like a fully-equipped kitchen. A very impressive camper van.