Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2023 i What Motorhome

THE Renault Trafic is often overlooked as a base vehicle for small campervans, overshadowed by the Ford Transit Custom as an alternative to the ubiquitous VW. But maybe that’s changing as the new Ford is awaited and both Adria and Bürstner are launching Trafic-based pop-tops in the UK. Those have side kitchen layouts, though, while this new Tour-CL from Concept Multi-Car (CMC) is already on sale and has a totally different, rear kitchen floorplan, as well as an on-board cassette toilet and twin sliding doors. Plus, it still has the Renault’s price advantage – around £6,000 – compared with an equivalent VW T6.1 conversion. Prices for the Tour-CL start at £67,000, based on a Trafic Extra LWB with 130bhp engine and six-speed manual gearbox – over £12,500 less than a…

VAUXHALL has never really been a name that’s been linked to campervans, nor has Opel (its German cousin), and, although those with very long memories might cite Bedford (Vauxhall’s former commercial vehicle arm) and its popular CF, that’s delving back into the history books. Not that, more recently, Vauxhall hasn’t had suitable vans – its Vivaro and larger Movano have always been badge-engineered versions of LCVs that we know better in the leisure sector under other brands. The Movano has long been a derivative of the Renault Master, but no more. This Movano is the latest sister to the Citroën Relay/Jumper, Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer (the Sevel vans, all from Stellantis Group marques). It was launched in 2021 and is made in Poland. Griffin on the grille aside, then,…

If you’re heading to the Southwest Motorhome & Campervan Show in Shepton Mallet this September (8-10), Warners Shows has announced a phenomenal line-up of free talks on each day. Taking place at the Bath & West Showground, visitors that are new to the hobby are catered for, as are those looking for new places to travel in their 'van. Speakers include What Motorhome’s Editor, Peter Vaughan, on both the Friday and Saturday of the show. FRIDAY ● 10.30am: Peter Vaughan; Buying a motorhome or campervan● 11.30am: The Wandering Bird; Travelling in Europe (technical info)● 12.30pm: Motorhome Matt; Motorhome wifi − How to get good internet on the road● 1.30pm: Siobhan Daniels; Ageless, fearless, you can do it● 2.30pm: The Urban Motorhome; Six years living in a 'van, what I’ve learnt…

IT might take a trained eye to spot, but Consort Motorhomes’ latest model takes the existing Kite layout and tweaks it to offer a larger bed (thanks to a bigger lounge). So, this is a new alternative model based on the MWB Fiat Ducato – a vehicle that is less widely converted than the long and extra-long vans but offers easier parking, being not much longer (at 5.41m) than long-wheelbase versions of smaller LCVs (like the VW T6.1 and Ford Transit Custom). Except that the example you see here is based on the Fiat’s Sevel cousin, the Peugeot Boxer. To keep its factory busy – and customers content when Ducato deliveries have been, at best, sporadic – this Leeds-based converter has been sourcing late, used Peugeot vans to convert. These…

IN the confusing world of light commercial vehicles, a Renault can also be a Vauxhall, a Fiat or a Nissan. So, the van you see here might look like a Renault Trafic (except for its more chrome-laden grille), but it’s actually badged as a Nissan NV300 – and it was built in Sandouville, France, not Japan. The same LCVs were previously sold as Vauxhall Vivaros and Fiat Talentos, although these brands are now part of the Stellantis empire, so their latest equivalents are no longer Trafic derivatives. What matters more is they will all feel the same to drive – and whatever the badge, Creative Campervan Conversions will turn one into a campervan. This one is a Nissan – to be precise, an NV300 Tekna short-wheelbase. It looks like a new…

FIFTY years ago, the Dormobile brand was so synonymous with campervans that its name was sometimes used generically, like Thermos or Hoover. Its side-hinged pop-tops were fitted to everything from Austins to VWs, from Bedfords to Land Rovers, and it made coachbuilts, too. But that era came shuddering to a halt when the Folkestone factory shut its doors in 1994. The current company effectively relaunched the brand in 2020 and is now based in the New Forest. It still offers restoration facilities for those classic models but key to its future health and growth will be a range of new campervans, including side kitchen conversions on the Ford Transit Custom and VW Transporter, plus larger layouts on the Peugeot Boxer. Its latest model, the Ohana, debuted at Campervan Campout and…

IT’S not unusual to find that a lifelong love of campervans has lead to a new business venture in this market and that’s exactly the case with Tim Haycock and Transporter Works Garage. After three decades in the motor industry, Tim founded this conversion company in Leicestershire specialising in VW Transporters. Most of the T6.1s converted are supplied by TWG, with these being late used vans that are still under the Volkswagen warranty. The example shown here was spotted at the Yorkshire Motorhome & Campervan Show in Harrogate – the company exhibits at most Warners shows – and was a 72-plate vehicle with a piffling 200 miles on the clock. It also had all the features you’d look for – the 150PS engine for decent performance, DSG gearbox for easy…

2014 AUTO-TRAIL V-LINE 600 The original V-Line was a bold undertaking from Auto-Trail, a company then better known for its coachbuilt motorhomes. It was a groundbreaking design, with its extra-high roof designed to allow a raised flat floor throughout the living area. It even had a recessed awning built into the high-top and, of course, everything is colour-coded in a dark metallic grey. There are five-spoke alloy wheels, too, and the habitation windows are double-glazed and flush-fitting, completing the automotive look. Inside, it’s a bit more conventional, with side settees up front and a rear kitchen and washroom. It all looks very contemporary, though, for a campervan that’s nearly a decade old. The sofas are part-leather, while the galley includes a gas-on-glass hob. The former owners of this example obviously…

IT’S hard to stand out when your neighbours are a pair of VW Transporter campervans, one in an extremely bold mauve and another featuring an equally unconventional duo-tone scheme of metallic blue and fire engine red. This isn’t the first time that CampAway has caught the eye with its colour schemes, but this ’van is not the brand’s usual T6.1 fare and it’s not here on account of psychedelic paintwork. This as yet unnamed prototype conversion is, instead, based on the Transporter’s baby brother, the Caddy. It’s not the latest fourth-generation model (because CampAway hasn’t been able to source a roof for that), but the pre-2020 van in long-wheelbase Maxi form. Not only does that mean that this is a very car-like camper, ideally suited for daily driver duties, but…

HERE’S a brand that does what it says on the tin and, despite being in the campervan market for almost five years, it’s the first time it has appeared in these pages. From its base near Cardiff, it creates pop-top campervans on the VW Transporter and Ford Transit Custom, as well as larger van conversions, which it refers to as motorhomes, on the Fiat Ducato (or its sister vans from Citroën, Peugeot and Vauxhall). The company describes its approach to these bigger panel vans as “a completely new concept in motorhome manufacturing” – what that boils down to is a range of modular designs but with a more personal approach to the details. So, every vehicle is tailored to the customer, perhaps by repositioning the oven, or deleting it altogether.…

Whether you are buying for the first time or upgrading your existing model, this guide is brought to you by the experts at MMM and packed with… • Different types of motorhomes and campervans explained • Comprehensive layout guides • What’s available to buy in different price sectors • A guide on prices, models and specifications • Hire and finance details • Plus so much more! Buy digitally for just £9.99 motorhome.ma/bypmdigi Get your printed issue for £9.99 (FREE UK p&p) motorhome.ma/bypmprint…

IF there’s one electric van that’s dominated the column inches, not just in the specialist press but much further afield, it is Volkswagen’s ID Buzz. How could it not hog the limelight? Long awaited, it finally went on sale last year and mated retro Type 2-inspired design with Volkswagen’s Modular Electric drive (MEB) platform (as used by various VW Group cars). Here at last is a vehicle that’s not just a diesel van adapted to battery power but a van with truly desirable design combined with class-leading range. A full review of the VW base vehicle appeared in our February issue, along with a video – see motorhome.ma/review269 Volkswagen has promised a California campervan built on this funky EV but you’ll have to wait another couple of years (at least)…

THE Kelsey – which is built in Westfalia’s French factory alongside the Kepler and Jules Verne models and Fleurette/Florium motorhomes, rather than in Germany – is an unusual and keenly priced campervan. Based on the long-wheelbase Ford Transit Custom, it comes as standard with features such as front fog lights, blown-air heating and a hot water system, but it’s the layout that is the real USP. At the rear it has a bench cassette toilet and a shower (with covered tray lightly recessed into the floor), but first you’ll need to undo a couple of straps and lift the front-hinged pop-top. That also gives access to the roof bed, with its generous 1.91m by 1.19m mattress on Froli springs for super sleeping comfort. Unusually, there’s a ladder to reach…

MNCHED TRAVEL CUTLERY We all have a favourite mug – you know, the one where the tea just tastes that little bit better – but what about a favourite cutlery set? We think we might have found one now… Available in six designs, this full-sized stainless-steel travel cutlery set from Mnched contains a knife, fork, spoon and collapsible drinking straw, carried neatly around in its very own sturdy travel case. The set is dishwasher safe and contains no nasties such as BPA, BPS and phthalates. We particularly like the unusual marble-pattern designs – available in white, pink or grey – as each one is said to be totally unique! mnched.com SELK’BAG KIDS RECYCLED DEEP SEA SLEEPING BAG SUIT This wearable sleeping bag looked perfect for camping in the cooler seasons…