People are investigating small campers for not just their summer holidays, but also weekend breaks, and even parking them outside their houses to serve as additional bedrooms or homeworking offices as a result of the pandemic.
It’s simple to understand why this is appealing. Compact campers are no more difficult to drive than a big car, but it gives you the flexibility to explore the UK’s hundreds of campsites with little more preparation than stocking the cabinets with cornflakes.
Despite the fact that they are costly to purchase, they may last for years and give you many precious holiday memories. So, in our opinion, here is a list of the best small campervans:
Ford Nugget
The Nugget campervan is a Westfalia-built bespoke Transit conversion for Ford. The Nugget beds four people and can transport five. In comparison to many other campervans, the Nugget has a fairly unusual layout.
Read more in our review of the Ford Nugget.
Although most campers have a side kitchen, we think the rear kitchen with the pop-up roof orientation is one of the nicest layout ideas we’ve seen on a campervan.
The back kitchenette not only provides a more practical cooking room in a compact, small campervan, but it also acts as a suitable free location to situate the toilet at night. Within such a confined area, the ability to use a toilet inside a campervan at night without waking others is astonishing.
You have a top bunk with a double bed in addition to your converted bed. There is a safety net at the bunker bed’s entrance to keep youngsters from rolling out and causing mishaps on your journey. For comparison, a person of 6ft 3 would be completely comfortable sleeping in the bunker and would have plenty of room. The beds themselves are remarkably spacious and soft, you will actually forget you’re sleeping in a compact camper! If this doesn’t make you want to finance a Ford Nugget today, ready for your summer holidays, what does?Click here to view the small campers Ford Nugget tour.
Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo
The Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo is the only other campervan marketed in the UK that has the full support of its base vehicle manufacturer.
Based on the V-Class people-carrier and equipped with strong diesel engines and smooth nine-speed autos, it’s as luxurious as any vehicle with the three-pointed star. It’s a higher-class alternative for a couple, but it’s not quite as family-friendly as the Volkswagen California. It is, nevertheless, comparable in price and definitely worth considering.
This compact camper is a pleasure to drive, providing a relaxing and pleasant ride. As long as you pack everything up securely, the quality of the conversion work is excellent, and you should be able to enjoy a rattle-free ride. Fuel efficiency is also a plus. The additional urban statistic is 49.6 mpg, however, the official combined figure of 44.8 mpg is a more plausible – but still an outstanding result.
Volkswagen Grand California
If you’re concerned about room on the inside but don’t mind how much space you take upon the outside, Grand California is the place to go. This is based on the Volkswagen Crafter, which is a fantastic huge panel van, and it scales up everything we like about the standard California.
The small campervan comes in two different sizes: 600 and 680. The 600 features a raised ‘camper’ top, whilst the 680 is substantially more like a van.
Not only do you get four seats and a kitchen, but you also get a permanent bed in the back, plenty of standing area, and, best of all, a bathroom with a shower and toilet.
The interior makeover is entirely Volkswagen’s effort, and the quality is outstanding. Despite being more expensive and less practical as a daily drive than the ordinary California, this is a true home-away-from-home that we evaluated highly when we drove it. You can drive around in this small campervan for £80,000 – if first-year road tax is added.
Read our review of the Volkswagen Grand California to find out more.
Volkswagen Caddy California
You’ve viewed the following options, and now it’s time to view the California range. The Caddy California is a miracle of packaging: it’s the size of a family vehicle (and it may be used as one), but it has a spacious double bed and even a kitchen in the back.
The compact camper is designed more for day-trippers and fast overnight visits rather than week-long holidays, but an optional drive-away sunroof transforms it from a simple place to sleep and eat into a place to unwind and stargaze.
When first-year road tax is included, the price comes to roughly £80,000. However, we believe this is a false negative. You’re paying for a well-equipped base car, a strong engine, and high-quality extras that aren’t available with third-party conversions. And it’s not like competitors are cheap – a high-quality Crafter conversion from a respected firm should cost at least £50,000, with more if you want a powerful engine or a lot of cab equipment. Find out more in our review of the VW Caddy California.
Vauxhall Vivaro Elite
This is a modification by Yorkshire-based Wellhouse Leisure that has been certified by Vauxhall, so consider it ‘manufacturer-supported’ like the Marco Polo and Nugget. Wellhouse is known for its small camper’s conversions, and the Vivaro appears to be fascinating – nothing revolutionary, but robust and appealing.
The Vivaro is also a great small campervan to drive, although it’s a bit smaller than its Ford, Mercedes, and VW brothers.
A 7-inch touchscreen Multimedia Navi Pro infotainment system with satellite navigation, semi-adaptive cruise control, rearview camera, head-up display, front and rear parking sensors, and speed sign recognition with intelligent speed adaption are all included in the Elite basic van package.
The Elite Campervan conversion is a two or four sleeper with a pop-up roof (roof bed optional) and a two-seat rear bench that folds into an 188 x 117-cm (74 x 46-in) bed. The driver-side kitchen block is equipped with a dual-burner gas stove and sink, as well as a 25 litre compressor fridge behind the counter. The dining lounge is made out of a two-seat rear bench, swivel front chairs, and a retractable dining table. A 2.2-kW heater, interior lighting package, and a 100-W solar panel attached to the onboard leisure batteries are all standard equipment.
Like the look of these small campers?
Campervan Common Questions
Many people mistake campervans for motorhomes and vice versa. However, here is an article that determines the difference between campervans and motorhomes.
Looking for a motorhome and not sure which one you need? Read our handy guide on motorhome types.
Toilets and showers are available. The majority of compact campers and motorhomes lack toilets and showers. This is due to the fact that they take up a lot of space within the truck, and showers necessitate a lot of fresh and wastewater to be transported. A toilet and a shower are usually found in larger motorhomes.
Before taking the first step you need to make sure you’ve got the correct expertise to support you. Click here to apply for motorhome finance or here for campervan finance.
