CMC HemBil Tour-Maxi campervan

A refreshingly different layout with five travel seats

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention and, as Sam Shortland has three kids, his company (Concept Multi-Car, or CMC for short) has developed a number of campervans with seatbelts for five under its HemBil brand. What Motorhome’s Editor owns one, a VW T6 Urban, and now there’s a big brother in the range, the Tour-Maxi. With a long-term association with VWs (37 years and counting), it’s no surprise to find CMC’s latest model based on a Crafter – or, as here, the Crafter’s near-identical twin, the MAN TGE.

Reimo Variotech seating

But this isn’t just another ‘same old, same old’ fixed bed layout as so many converters are now offering on the MAN/Crafter base. Instead, it goes for a more spacious floorplan that retains access through the back doors (as well as via the sliding side door). It even retains the famed Reimo Variotech 3000 sliding/removable seat system that is such an important feature of CMC’s smaller campers.

Just as in the Transporter-based HemBil campers, the rear seat is comfortably wide enough for three passengers and has three three-point seatbelts as well as a trio of adjustable head restraints. It can be brought closer to the cab to maximise stowage space behind (and put young kids closer to parents), or it can slide back for more lounging space. With the cab seats rotated, there’s room for five here, with a dining table (stored on the rear door) that attaches to a swing arm for convenience.

Two double beds

The bench seat also folds down to form a completely flat double bed measuring 1.85m by 1.20m – without using the cab seats and still retaining plenty of floor space. 

Here, you’ll see a rope-style ladder fixed to the side of the bench/bed to give access to the upper berths in the optional (£6,500) elevating roof. Kids will love climbing aloft to the 1.95m by 1.20m bed with flyscreened vents on either side. Down below, there are pleated blinds for all the habitation windows, including the cab. A retainer net makes good use of the overcab space, too – perhaps the ideal home for sleeping bags.

Kitchen with coffee machine

In the rear, the smart gloss white kitchen sits under a wood panelled ceiling. There’s a gas-on-glass hob here and plenty of room to use the Ninja air fryer shown. At the end of the galley unit, CMC has even squeezed in a capsule coffee machine, in addition to the slide-out worktop extension.

Below the contrasting counter there’s good cupboard and drawer space for all your culinary gear, plus a Carbest 50-litre compressor fridge.

Dry flush waterless toilet

Opposite the kitchen, CMC hasn’t forgotten that you need room for your outdoor furniture, which is neatly clipped into place between the washroom and the nearside barn door, making for convenient access. 

Then the washroom itself has a simple design with fixed stainless-steel basin, optional shower with wooden duckboard (no curtain required) and a cassette toilet. Here, the loo had been upgraded to a Dry Flush waterless toilet (£750 extra), which uses a chemical-free bag system for easy waste disposal. 

Standard spec

Other features of the Tour Maxi are a Truma Combi D4 diesel blown-air heating system, a 10-litre refillable gas tank, a 240W solar panel and a 2,000W pure sine wave inverter. That all seems very comprehensive but water tanks are on the small side at 63 litres fresh and 40 litres waste.

The base vehicle is a TGE Lion XC which comes with a 10.4in colour touchscreen, wireless phone charging, Climatic air-conditioning, Keyless Go, electric parking brake, multifunction steering wheel, start/stop, Cross Wind Assist, active lane keeping and driver alert systems, and front and rear parking sensors. 

The standard 140hp motor can be upgraded to 163hp or 177hp and an eight-speed automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive are available. 

A Crafter/MAN campervan that breaks away from the norm, with five seatbelts and plenty of living space. Options (including Dry Flush loo and with/without shower) allow it to be tailored to your requirements.