# AutoSleeper crockery?



## ChrisandJohn

Unlike many others, it seems, our 2000 Medallion didn't come with its set of crockery. This didn't bother us when we bought it as our first motorhome in February but I'm now wondering what we're missing. The crockery we're currently using doesn't really fit the dedicated crockery cupboard but I'm reluctant to remove the moulded insert, at least until I'm sure I'll never replace the missing crockery with an authentic set.

I'd like to know:

Is the AutoSleeper crockery any good? Can it be supplied either by AutoSleeper or anyone else? I've only ever seen one set, in a Nuevo that we nearly bought. I can't remember what it was like but seem to think it was suitably plain off-white. Is there just one design/colour or are there choices?

Any experiences, advice or information very welcome.

Thanks 

Chris


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## vardy

I've never seen any, but everyone who's used the sets says they are really nice. I might contact autosleepers when I get some spare cashflow. Bet they still supply it! - Where else are an army of wrinklies going to get a replacement plate? 

- Lets know if you find em!


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## Jagman

Hi Chis

Ours came with full set of 4x: mugs, small plates, large plates and small 'cereal' bowls, which I have always assumed are the originals from 2002 as they fit the moulding and the pattern (blue on white) is in keeping with the general 'feel' of the van's interior. They bear the following inscription: 'Wood and Sons / Made in England / Fine Tableware / Dishwasher Proof / Microwave Proof.

However ......... we removed the lot after six months and replaced with M&S crockery that was on offer last year at £1-a-piece or less, partly to 'preserve' the original set which we were bound to break as time went on, and partly because we didn't particularly like the original stuff. The white replacement stuff fits well enough for me not to consider removing the moulding.

Even cheaper Tesco plates also fit but they not as nice so we went for the M&S.

hope this helps


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## Bagshanty

Our 1992 Talisman had Bilton crockery, and replacements were easy to get. For starters, we replaced the stupid little cups that freeze in an instant with mugs of the same set


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## Zebedee

Hi Chris

When we bought our new Nuevo last year I specified that I did not want the dedicated crockery holding plastic thingy fitted, so both it and the crockery set was supplied separately in their cardboard boxes.

Storage space is limited in the Nuevo (as you will know) and to "waste" a whole top cupboard with just a few crocks seems silly to me, and although it's very nice, it's obviously fragile. (It would probably not have survived the Irish roads on our recent trips!!) 8O 8O

Our set is therefore in the loft, and I have built a vertical storage rack for a relatively expensive melamine set, which has more items than the A/S set and is pretty well bomb proof. (I mention an "expensive" set because the cheapy ones stain very badly, whereas if you pay about £20 to £25 the quality is very much better and staining is minimal).

The nett result of this is the crockery takes up less than half of a _smaller _top cupboard than the one it would have been fitted in, and there's plenty of room for the wine glasses and tumblers as well.

My suggestion would be to remove the plastic thingy and do something like I did. (Finding the screws in the plastic thingy is a bit of a puzzle, and involves feeling for them and/or shoving your head in the cupboard, :lol: but it's not very difficult.)

I suppose you will be wanting a photo now? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hope this helps


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## Rapide561

*Crockery*

Pretty much off topic, but I have a Kontiki with a dedicated crockery storage rack as supplied by Swift. I have removed this and use storage from www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk

I know many people really like the pre moulded storage rack, but for me and my Denby, it was just not suitable.

R


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## wynthesurfer

My 1992 Harmony still has the original bilton crockery and have also found some spares in charity shops,if anyone wants any for an older Autosleeper then charity shops are a good source.
Wyn.


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## spykal

Hi

In our Executive we find that the fitted rack works really well but we have substituted melamine plates, & bowls and four slim melamine mugs fit into the cup holders. All that I needed to do to accommodate the slightly larger plates was to add an extra bit of tape with a ring at the end to marry up with the velcro'd tape strap that holds them in. The weight saved is quite a bit but the best thing is that the melamine plates travel silently and they do not break :wink: We bought the set as a set from our local caravan accessory shop.

I do agree that you could maybe use the cupboard in a better way ...but it is very convenient and it works well for us... and we do chuck a few extra things ( soft stuff like tea towels) in there on top of the mugs when travelling . A picture is worth a thousand words ...so I have added one ...I was working in the van this morning and had the camera handy :lol:

Mike


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## pneumatician

*Autosleeper Crockery*

Our last two Autosleepers had crockery sets which we put into store and replaced with Melamine as both a minor weight saving device plus an attempt to reduce the attricion rate when Val washes up. This works apart from glasses, we hate plastic and use good quality glass which are replaced as and when required.
I think the storage method is good and have replicated the system in our current van.

The company that supplied our last "Autosleeper" vans crockery 2002 has disappeared as indeed have a lot from the "Potteries" even Aynsley are selling Chinese in their factory shop.

Steve


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## ChrisandJohn

I suppose you will be wanting a photo now? :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Yes please, Dave



Thanks
Chris


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## ChrisandJohn

Thanks everyone,

You've given me a lot of useful information and a lot to work on.

Chris


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## Zebedee

ChrisandJohn said:


> I suppose you will be wanting a photo now? :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> Yes please, Dave
> 
> Thanks
> Chris


As requested.

Much better use of space in my opinion, and Mrs Zeb likes it too.


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## miagi

Hi that looks great. Could you please tell us where the cup holders were from ?? Thank you


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## Zebedee

miagi said:


> Hi that looks great. Could you please tell us where the cup holders were from ?? Thank you


I think they came from Marquis in Tewkesbury, and were very difficult to find about four years ago when we bought them.

Since then I have seen them in a few paces, including at Broad Lane in Alcester.

Not looking for them now so we tend not to notice, but I think they are back on the shelves in a number of accessory shops now.

I think JCM has them too - where are you Peter?

Cheers


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## ChrisandJohn

Thanks for the photo, Dave. That looks like a really good arrangement. My first impression was that your cupboard was much bigger than ours but surely not? Did you make the plate shelf unit yourself or could I get one somewhere?

Chris


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## ChrisandJohn

miagi

The cup holders look similar to ones at www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk 
which was the link Rapide561 gave above.

Chris


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## Zebedee

ChrisandJohn said:


> Thanks for the photo, Dave. That looks like a really good arrangement. My first impression was that your cupboard was much bigger than ours but surely not? Did you make the plate shelf unit yourself or could I get one somewhere?
> 
> Chris


I made the plate rack Chris. Have never seen one on sale, so no alternative.

The cupboard is quite small actually. Judge by the size of the dinner plates. It's just a standard melamine set - nothing special except good quality so it doesn't stain.

Hope this helps


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## dipsticks

Auto Sleepers Parts Department No 01386 842630


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## Zebedee

dipsticks said:


> Auto Sleepers Parts Department No 01386 842630


Beware though. 8O

Much as I'm in praise of Autosleepers, their prices for spares and components can be a bit terrifying!! :roll:


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## miagi

Hi thanks for the info we are in Rossendale Lancs. north of Bury.


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## miagi

Thanks Chrisandjohn looking at their site now Cheers


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## MikeCo

We are using the Autosleeper crockery that came with the Inca we bought 4 years ago, the Inca lasted about 6 months as it was useless, the pots were better quality and are now in the Burstner.


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## 116613

ChrisandJohn said:


> Unlike many others, it seems, our 2000 Medallion didn't come with its set of crockery. This didn't bother us when we bought it as our first motorhome in February but I'm now wondering what we're missing. The crockery we're currently using doesn't really fit the dedicated crockery cupboard but I'm reluctant to remove the moulded insert, at least until I'm sure I'll never replace the missing crockery with an authentic set.
> 
> I'd like to know:
> 
> Is the AutoSleeper crockery any good? Can it be supplied either by AutoSleeper or anyone else? I've only ever seen one set, in a Nuevo that we nearly bought. I can't remember what it was like but seem to think it was suitably plain off-white. Is there just one design/colour or are there choices?
> 
> Any experiences, advice or information very welcome.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Chris


 

I have a Symbol with a full set of crockery. They look quite nice, but I feel they are too heavy (5Kg for the set), so I have replaced them with melamine, except for the large plates, which are crock, but an oval design. This still fits, and holds a bit more food than the originals. Martin


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## vardy

- Has anybody got a picture of the stuff that should be in my '95 Harmony? - We like poking about in junk shops, but I don't know what it looks like. Is it made by Bilton - as mentioned earlier in this thread? 

Many thanks, - Helena.


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## Auto-SleeperAAA

*Crockery*

Chris,

The crockery set for the Medallion 2000 was Calypso.

Unfortunately Auto-Sleepers do not have any stock
available.

The only solution I can offer is to replace the moulded crockery
rack with one that accepts our current range of crockery.

Our Service Parts department can supply the items.

The details are :

PC0775 Crockery rack
CG0108NMS Crockery Set

at a cost of £83.13 inc carriage.

The contact is Alan Osbourne on 01386 853338.

Regards

Simon


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## ChrisandJohn

Thanks for that information Simon. I might try to have a look at them somewhere before I decide to spend all that.

Chris


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## Mandi

Yep - in the loft replaced with melamine.


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## Walmer

We replaced the crockery (except the cups) with melamine. Much easier to carry to the wash up area on camp sites.


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## Jagman

Well done Simon, good information, AS presence becoming established nicely. Chris, I find that the straps hold non 'AS' crockery in place perfectly well and as there are almost always just the two of us we don't have to carry 4 of everything. Also items that don't fit e.g. big pasta bowls that we use a lot are kept in other cupboards with bubble wrap to stop rattles and protect them. Loads of excellent deals on good looking crockery e.g. M&S, Tesco etc. Modified cardboard boxes which happen to fit neatly into lockers are also useful for extras and they can be chucked and easily replaced if they get a bit manky. Incidentally, came across some bubble wrap 'envelopes' recently which are perfect for slipping large plate into for silent/secure storage.

Original AS crocks in loft like mandi's!

PS Thanks spellchecker! I did mean 'bubble wrap' not 'babblewrap' or was the keyboard trying to tell me something :?


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## ChrisandJohn

Jagman said:


> I find that the straps hold non 'AS' crockery in place perfectly well and as there are almost always just the two of us we don't have to carry 4 of everything. Also items that don't fit e.g. big pasta bowls


Yes, our current solutions are remarkably similar to yours, including the pasta bowls in another cupboard. I bought some horrible melamine dinner plates in a charity shop as a temporary measure until I find something that I like. I already had some small melamine bowls and plates (garden set from Matalan) which fit reasonable well. None of my cups (pottery) fit the cup holding slots, so I keep them in the cupboard over the cooker. This means I put plastic wine glasses into the cup slots, though they keep falling out and have to be removed every time I want a dinner plate. Of course the plastic wine glasses are much too big to put in the 'cocktail cabinet'. We just have one small glass in there (an original?).

All this is of course quite trivial and we manage fine, but I do think I'm not making the best use of the storage space available and I really would like something better to eat from than our second hand, yellow flowered melamine plates. Zebedee's wall cupboards really must be bigger as our dinner plates will not fit horizontally in any of ours.


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## Rapide561

*crockery storage*

Hi

A bit of topic but here goes....

The mug holders as seen in the pic are available all over the place.

There are some chrome ones on the www.towsure.com website at £1.99 each.

I tested a chrome mug holder but found that the crockery clattered against the holder. The mug holders from O'Learys are wire but coated with a plastic, which help to prevent clatter.

Just thought I'd mention the two difference types.

Russell


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## Jagman

Hi Chris

Ah! The wine glasses! I assume ours were originals and if they were well done AS for trying to reduce my alcohol consumption by providing thimbles on a stem. They went in the loft even before the crockery! Bought four large wine glasses from M&S in a sale along with the replacement (off-white) crockery. The larger glasses fit into the clips and hang over the necks of the wine bottles.

Its amazing how much more we enjoyed meals and drinks with crocks we likes, proper big mugs for hot drinks and unhealthily large wine glasses  or should that be  or more likely  

Agree about plastic plates etc. we prefer the proper stuff.

Nothing to do with this matter but re. 'feeling at home' I've started to change into an old pair of slippers in the van, I don't usually wear any at home (stocking feet most of the time) but somehow they feel right lounging in (not driving!) the mh.


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## ChrisandJohn

The country's lofts are heaving with AutoSleeper crockery and glassware it would seem :!:  

Chris


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## TinSnail

Does anyone have a set for an AutoSleeper Topaz Late 1990's vintage in their loft?


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## Jented

Hi.
We have an AS Broadway EK TB,had to move the crockery and holder to o/side cupboard,the crocks are white'ish,good quality,hold enough food nearly,(I am a Gannet!)
,the only addition was a pint pot,this is a MUST HAVE!.
Gearjammer.
PS the reason for moving the crock/holder was, it was over the fridge/work surface and was difficult to take out and replace the dishes.Only one bottle holder gismo?,otherwise perfect tourer.


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## dodger148

When your van was made in 2000 the crockery was of better quality than that supplied today, however we didnt use ours in the 2000 Exec as the dinner plates supplied were too big for the sink!! We substituted for Melamine which is lighter in weight


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## ChrisandJohn

dodger148 said:


> When your van was made in 2000 the crockery was of better quality than that supplied today, however we didnt use ours in the 2000 Exec as the dinner plates supplied were too big for the sink!! We substituted for Melamine which is lighter in weight


I've given up worrying about it and still have my 'temporary' charity shop melamine crockery. :roll:

The poster above who revived this old thread though might still like to know if anyone has some spare crockery.

Chris


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## zappy61

*autosleeper crockery*

The crockery and the glasses are very good, we kept the glasses but replaced the crockery with our very good melamine set. Two reasons weight and the crockery has a silver edges and won't go in the microwave 

Graham


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## foll-de-roll

Hi


My last three Autsleepers have all come with full sets of the original crockery, which I carefully packed (or my dear wife did) and stowed away. 


I suppose that is why S/H A/S, always come with full sets of the stuff.    


It is obviously a very personal thing.




Andy


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## dragonflyer

*Autosleeper Crockery*

We have never owned an Autosleeper and therefore have not used the crockery.

My preferred crockery is Corelle made by Corning of USA. There are a number of sets advertised on fleabay.

In over a decade of use we have only damaged a cup and that was a fluke. When I opened a cupboard after a bumpy trip the cup flew out and landed on the carpet. Except that the carpet was host to an aluminium platform (approx 2 ft high), still in its wrappings and by Sod's Law it struck that. Result 1cm chip on outside by handle. The cup is perfectly usable and we only use it when we have visitors.

The reason for picking this range dates back to when we hired a motorhome from Canada Campers. In our two weeks on the road crossing the Rockies both ways we were very impressed by the plates and dishes - ovenproof, so no accidents near the cooker - light in weight and very china like in appearance. The stack of plates and dishes travelled naked for the whole period. Obviously the rental company found them to be practical too. Our set is a personal import on our return from Canada.

I do dislike melamine both the feel of it and also risk of damage by heat or dropping. I have damaged more melamine by dropping than the Corelle. To keep it from possible chattering I interleave with kitchen roll.

This very much my personal choice but I thought I would draw forum members' attention to this attractive range.

Joyce


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## Zebedee

Hi Joyce

Thanks for that.

Is Corelle similar to Melaware? Plastic (sort of) and lightweight.

We don't mind melaware since it is very convenient for the van, but Mrs Zeb does get a bit fidgety when the mugs get badly teastained.

The dsigns are good too. http://www.corelle.com/

Dave


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## dragonflyer

*Autosleeper crockery*

Hi Zebedee

Corelle is made by Corning of USA and it is a fine corning ware product. ie it is made of glass/ceramic but is much silkier to the touch than pyrex and better than the french opal glassware.

see www.corelle.org

a YouTube explanation of manufacture.

Yes there are a lot of patterns now-a-days. We have a plain white fluted design - rather like the plates my grandmother had!

We have added two modern french glassware dishes to our stock - the japanese style square ones [to keep our portions small] but they do not match the finish on the Corelle and weigh more too.

Joyce


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## Zebedee

Thanks Joyce.

We were wondering what to give the van as a Christmas present! :lol: :lol: 

Dave


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## rosalan

After admiring Zebedees plate store and determined on emulating his design, I was much saddened to discover that the cupboard design in my van meant that they were not deep enough to take large 10" plates at the bottom. Indeed first measurements indicated they would not lay flat at the wider top either, however, they just do. So I am now about to fabricate an inferior, tapered, upside-down store to replace a rather horrid plastic moulded cup and vertical plate holder that we have. Has anyone else come up with alternative ideas for getting the maximum storage into the wider-at-the-top cupboards? http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules/Forums/images/smiles/question.gif
Alan


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