Elddis Whirlwind GTV 563 campervan

The largest model in a new range of entry-level campervans

Launched at Newcastle racecourse, UK manufacturer, Elddis, has come galloping out of the gates with its new budget campervan range. And with a starting price of under £58,000 and three models available – 5.4m, 6m and 6.4m – you don’t need to be the Aga Khan to snap up one of these Peugeot Boxer-based campers.

This is very much an entry-level model, but it does offer a choice of standard fixed high-top or a pop-top on top, and the spec sheet doesn’t feel too budget.

Simple pricing

While some manufacturers have a lengthy (and occasionally baffling) list of optional extras, Elddis has kept it simple. You’ll have to pay extra for an automatic gearbox (£3,246) or that pop-top (£5,499), but otherwise it’s a case of ‘what you see is what you get’ and what you get is a typically continental fixed bed campervan with all the stuff you need on board – plus a few features you might not expect at the price.

Metallic grey paint, 16in alloy wheels, a Thule roll-out awning, a 10in infotainment unit with reversing camera and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, automatic lights and wipers, an electric step and flyscreen for the sliding door. There’s cable preparation for the addition of a solar panel by your dealer, storage for two 11kg gas cylinders, a 100-litre fresh water tank and a 90-litre waste tank. Even a roll-out awning is included.

The longest model

The longest 6.36m version (called the 563) here costs £59,690 and sleeps up to three, with lengthways fixed beds at the back and an additional 1.85m-long single bed formed from the seating area. Choosing the pop-top version will add a further two berths, but it further reduces the payload, which is already tight – 167kg with a manual gearbox, 112kg for the automatic on a 3,500kg van. An upgrade to 3,650kg will be virtually essential.

The fixed bed at the rear is more conjoined singles than a double and measures 1.92m at its longest point. A small foldaway step makes access to the bed a little easier.

As usual, there’s a good storage area under the bed which can be accessed from both inside the campervan and from the rear doors. There’s more storage in the overhead lockers above the bedroom on both sides.

Kitchen & bathroom

The kitchen features more high-level storage, a sink, a two-burner Can gas stove, and two mains electric sockets. The surprise here is that a Thetford oven comes as standard. Completing the galley, a 90-litre compressor fridge sits at the end of the kitchen unit, by the sliding door where it can easily be accessed from outside. Above the cooler is a decent amount of worktop, without having to deploy a flimsy flap.

Opposite the kitchen, the washroom has a corner washbasin with a generous area of worktop adjacent. There’s a combined tap and showerhead and a Thetford swivel cassette toilet. There’s a decent amount of washroom storage and a slatted wooden duckboard for the base of the shower but you’ll need to use the curtain when showering.

Euro-style lounge

From the washroom, you move forward into the lounge, where four people can comfortably sit around the extendable table – two on the half-dinette and two on the swivel cab seats. The décor is fairly basic with light wood furniture and plain upholstery, but it’s a reasonably bright space with an overhead skylight but no overcab sunroof as the shelf here is retained, limiting 
headroom. The sliding door, unusually for a campervan from a UK brand, is on the driver’s side, but then this new range comes from an Erwin Hymer Group factory in Poland rather than County Durham.

Heating and hot water comes from a Truma Combi 4 system, running off gas only, while the windows in the living area sit proud of the bodywork, as befits a budget model.

The Whirlwind GTV is an entry-level campervan that has some surprises in its spec, including the awning, oven and metallic paint. Its simple design faces plenty of competition and its limited payload will force many to opt for a chassis upgrade.