kelly58 Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 We are considering moving up to a larger and fixed bed model has anyone any experience of the Autocruise Startrail looking at the web site on 1st glance looks to fit our requirements but have yet to see one in the flesh so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Not of Startrail but we do like the way Autocruise vans in general were put together. That said the newer vans do not seem as well made as in the past and if the build quality of the parent company's products are owt to go on this trend of 'lightness' seems set to continue? We are in the process of switching our Autotrail Tracker to an Autocruise Starburst on the old Peugeot / Alko chassis as it does seem so much better made than the newer ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Richard - does that mean we'll have to start calling you Starburst now??? 8-) Wasn't that a sweetie ....??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Mel B - 2008-10-23 7:13 PM Richard - does that mean we'll have to start calling you Starburst now??? 8-) Wasn't that a sweetie ....??? Well actually Mel it's a Starlet II which is identical to a Starburst but with a different label on the side and produced for Marquis! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 Nope, sorry Rich, no way am I going to start calling you Starlet ... it invokes all kinds of images and I'm still strugging with the picture of Dave in the leather Miss Piggy outfit! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted October 23, 2008 Share Posted October 23, 2008 We had a right good look at them at the NEC last February. We compared them with the Autotrail Cheyenne 660 as we wern't sure then which to get. Our reasons for going with the Cheyenne were that they seemed to be built better, there was more storage and what there was was easier to get to, the extras we wanted, bigger water tank, aircon and different fridge freezer were able to be supplied, (at cost obviously!) by Autotrail from the factory whereas Autocruise just said no! The Autocruise does look better because of the lack of a "nose bulge" but that again is a lot of storage lost. We intend full timing in our van next year and are going touring for 6 months from the begining of Jan 09 in Europe so storage and bigger water tanks are important to us. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
le canichot depang Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 Hi, We have just returned to motorhomes after having a caravan for the last 17 years and bought an Autocruise Startrail (november)as it was the same layout as our last caravan which suited us. We loved the fact that it still had a nice roominess about it because of the front dinette area, we have found that it is more than adequete in the storage compartment, but I suppose it depends how many kitchen sinks you take with you! We foound the engine very ecconomical getting an average of 37 mpg cruising at a steady 60, we are now looking forward to our next years holidays, Scotish Highlands in June and France in September - we stay at home for the summer. Hope you enjoy whatever choice you make - happy cruising :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 In March 2008 MMM there was a test-report on an Autocruise Stardream that might be helpful when contemplating buying a Startrail. Looking at the Startrail specification on the Autocruise website I note that the water tanks (fresh and waste) seem a mite small (and external?), the only belted seats are the 2 cab ones, and that the toilet appears to be on the far side of the shower (Hmmm...) I also notice that - if Autocruise's description of what a Startrail's 3173kg Mass in Running Order comprises is correct ("The Mass in Running Order is the mass of the unladen vehicle including a 75kg allowance for the driver plus engine coolants and 90% of the fuel tank") - this 3500kg-chassis motorhome will have minimal payload once the weight of water, gas, passenger, baggage, accessories have been factored in. The Juddering Spectre continues to loom menacingly over all these Fiat-and Peugeot-based motorhomes, but every forum-member should be aware of that by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigrem Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Hi Tracker WE bought a Starburst on the old non juddergate chassis have been very pleased with the result. One thing we did fit was an input silencer to the diesel heater which reduced the start up noise considerably. Hope you get as much pleasure from yours as we have from ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizken Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 We had 2000 Autocruise Vista to our spec, built at the factory, and still have a 2004 Valentine, again altered to our spec, by the factory. Since the take-over by Swift. build quality is definitely poorer, customer service and aftercare is virtually non-existent direct to the factory, and the aftercare department has now been transferred to the Swift factory - ie no direct contact possible with Autocruise at Mexboro. It seems strange that when John Cockburn retired, and sold Autocruise to a private equity company, headed by an ex-managing director of Swift, 9 months later the administrators were called in, and Swift bought the company overnight. A serious competitor out of the market, or am I just being cynical? Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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