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The UK is the third-largest market for new campervans and motorhomes in Europe, after Germany and France, but it’s also perhaps the market with the most specific demands. Blame our, ahem, variable weather for the fact that we spend more time inside our ’vans and less outside applying factor 50 on our sun loungers. That means lounge areas on board are often much more important to British buyers, with rear lounges still proving popular in the face of the ever-growing dominance of island bed and fixed single bed floorplans. Kitchens take on a greater significance, too, with fitted ovens (microwaves, too, sometimes) providing dinner, instead of the barbecue. Many a continental motorhome manufacturer has rolled their eyes at me at a new model’s unveiling as I ask the inevitable question,…
Sporty new Vantage Motion R announced Vantage Motorhomes has announced a collaboration with vehicle design specialist, Motion R Design, to offer a bespoke campervan based on the Ford Transit Custom. The collaboration combines Vantage’s established campervan knowhow with an exterior styling package and cab upgrades from Motion R that, it is hoped, will appeal to a new type of customer. The Motion R campervan is based on the existing Luna model but with a wide range of upgrades, including a full carbon fibre exterior enhancement kit, forged monoblock alloy wheels, diffuser, rear spoiler and much more. In the cab, it has full or half Nappa leather upholstery, a carbon fibre and perforated leather steering wheel, and additional Motion R carbon fibre details. In addition to the styling enhancements, the Motion…
WHILE the French bed layout has quietly slipped out of many manufacturers’ model ranges, it lives on in the Broadway line-up from Auto-Sleepers. Here then, is a traditional floorplan from that most traditional of marques, combining a fixed bed with a spacious lounge and a fairly modest overall length of 7.20m. Usefully, this model is on a 3,500kg chassis to suit any driver, although the payload of only 338kg may require a degree of caution when loading. As a pure two-berth (there are no foldaway rear travel seats as in some of the competition), that’s less of a worry, but you’d need to do your calculations carefully if opting for the £1,100 option of a half-dinettestyle lounge with seatbelts. Where the Broadway now falls into line with more of the…
THE name isn’t new (it was previously used by Auto-Trail from 2009 to 2011) but this Excel 690T is part of an all-new four-model range of Ford-based compact low-profiles for 2024. An important aspect is the 2.24m overall width and Auto-Trail says its new models are aimed at customers looking to upgrade from a campervan. Interestingly, this slimline coachbuilt sector seems to be growing – Bailey’s new Alora (see page 16) targets a similar buyer. All Excels have a 3,500kg gross weight and yet payloads are generous (570kg for this 690T). Prices look keen, too, starting here at £64,478. However, to match the Bailey’s spec, you’ll need to add alloy wheels (£995) and cab blinds (£680). Then the Lux Pack (9.5in touchscreen with satnav and reversing camera, external barbecue point,…
THE Alora was one of the stars of last October’s NEC show. It’s a significant addition to Bailey’s line-up, fitting between the Endeavour campervans and larger Adamo coachbuilts with a trio of layouts that are all 6.99m long but, more crucially, just 2.12m wide. There are island and transverse double bed layouts (the latter a class winner in the 2024 Motorhome Awards), but here it’s the single bed model that’s under scrutiny. The Alora range follows on from the Endeavour and Adamo in adopting a Ford Transit chassis, here with the 130hp engine and manual gearbox as standard (the automatic transmission is a £2,000 option in combination with an upgrade to 155hp). In typical Bailey fashion, you don’t have to budget for other extras or packs as the £75,499 price tag…
IN the past, we’ve been hugely impressed by CJL Leisure’s conversions of the T6.1 Transporter, especially the newest addition to the line-up, the long-wheelbase Adventure Coast, but this Grande Adventure moves the company into a new league, not just as it’s a larger (Crafter-based) camper but because of its sheer sophistication. Making its debut at last October’s NEC show, the 600-4 model walked off not only with the title of Coolest Campervan, but it also grabbed the overall Campervan of the Year award from under the noses of more established competition. If any panel van conversion has an immediate wow factor, this is it. The show model looked very special, with eye-catching, lime-green contour line decals contrasting with the dark grey body. Inside, it’s even more impressive but it’s only…
