Carado CV600 Pro Campervan

A classic fixed bed design at a reduced price…

The Carado campervan range – identified by the ‘CV’ prefix – covers all the usual bases offered by continental brands, so there are 5.41m, 5.99m and 6.36m-long variants, all with fixed bed floorplans (plus the novel CV541 Pro in which you sleep upstairs). Entry-level models are based on the Peugeot Boxer, while the higher-spec Pro and Pro+ models switch to the Fiat Ducato.

Reduced price

The CV600 is the classic layout in the six-metre panel van, so it has the usual half-dinette lounge with swivel cab seats (no overcab sunroof or full-height walk-through here), a central galley and washroom and a transverse double bed in the rear. The good news is that Carado has now slashed two grand off the price, so you can have a CV600 Pro from £53,590.

While you can still buy the base CV600 from £49,490, there are many reasons to upgrade to the Pro version, which is much more in tune with UK customers’ preferences. Pro upgrades include a 90-litre fuel tank, folding cab blinds, a 3.75m awning in black, colour-coded bumpers, a gloss black skid plate, front fog lights, leather steering wheel, Techno dashboard trim and 16in bicolour alloy wheels as standard. 

Basic Pack

The Pro spec also adds the Basic Pack (normally £780), so you also get a 70cm by 50cm rooflight in the lounge area, a window and clothes rail in the washroom, a wide entrance step and a rotating extension leaf for the table.

The CV600 Pro is based on the 140hp Fiat with manual gearbox, but the automatic transmission is optional, priced at £2,770. Standard equipment also includes ESP, Hill Holder, Traction Plus, Start & Stop, M+S Camping tyres, swivel cab seats with height and tilt adjustment as well as lumbar support, and a Fix & Go kit (rather than a spare wheel).

It can be further enhanced with the Chassis Pack (parking sensors, electrically folding mirrors, electric parking brake – £1,580), Safety Pack (driver assistance systems and adaptive cruise control – £1,460), and Digital Pack (automatic air-con, wireless phone charging, 10in display with sat-nav and reversing camera – £2,810).
 

Interior spec

Habitation spec includes a flyscreen for the sliding door, two Isofix points on the rear seat, a 95Ah AGM leisure battery and Truma Combi 4 gas-fired blown-air heating (a Combi 6 E gas/electric unit or Combi 4 diesel are optional at £610 and £660, respectively). Water tanks are 100 litres fresh and 90 litres waste.

Aesthetically, there’s Visby Oak and Sand Grey furniture, while the exterior is white as standard, with four different greys offered at extra cost (from £680).

Optional pop-top

The most significant option, though, is probably the pop-top roof (£4,940), which includes a 2.06m by 1.43m double bed.

Of course, the main sleeping space is the transverse double at the rear of the camper, measuring 1.97m by 1.57m/1.50m (all figures are manufacturer’s own). A cut-out for your foot in the bulkhead under the bed eases access.

Spacious design

While there’s a huge number of campervans offering this type of layout, Carado’s version feels more spacious inside than some as there is no tall furniture along the offside, giving a through view from the cab to the bedroom.

The long, low-level galley also means there’s more worktop space for the cook, while placing the 84-litre compressor fridge at the front of the unit, facing forwards, makes it as easy to reach from outside as it is inside the campervan. The galley includes a combination two-burner hob and sink unit, while low and high-level storage includes a variety of cupboards but just one drawer.
 

Opposite the kitchen, the washroom has a fixed basin with a useful worktop area adjacent, a swivel cassette toilet and a rooflight. It’s a reasonable-sized space but the downside is that you’ll have to deploy a curtain when showering.

Carado campervans have built up a reputation for quality and practicality at a good price – now reduced by £2k for the Pro models. The CV600 Pro feels more spacious than some rivals but it lacks the swing-wall washroom and overcab sunroof of the latest designs (including the more expensive CV600 Pro+).