Eriba Car 602 campervan

The new Eriba Car 602 is a two-berth, rear lounge campervan that takes takes design cues from an ‘iconic’ caravan – but is it a future icon in its own right?

One of the problems with getting old is that you get easily annoyed by things that really shouldn’t annoy you. Such as the heavy overuse of the word ‘iconic’. It gets thrown about all the time for everyday items that are clearly not iconic. When a new flavour of crisps is described as iconic, you know things have gone too far. 

However, some things do deserve that description, and one of them is the Eriba pop-top caravan. First launched more than 60 years ago, its unmistakeable shape and compact design have made it a cult classic across Europe. 

Now Eriba has, for the first time in recent years, moved into campervans with the launch of the Eriba Car, incorporating some of that ‘iconic’ caravan look in the design. So far, there are two versions of the Eriba Car; the 600 – which was voted Best Fixed Bed Campervan in our 2025 Campervan awards – and this, the 602, a UK-friendly, two-berth rear lounge model. 

Base vehicle

Rather than the typical Fiat Ducato, Eriba has gone for the more premium (and better driving) option of the Volkswagen Crafter for both models. You might, therefore, expect it to be priced on the higher side, but that’s not the case. Both start at £71,120, which these days is a pretty reasonable price for a well-appointed Crafter. 

Be aware, though, that the price will creep up when you start looking at optional extras. As you see it, this option-laden model came in at £90,570, although you should be able to get a well-spec’d 602 for around £80k.

First impression of the 602 is that, with the striking duo-tone paint scheme, it really does look the part. You have a choice of three colour possibilities, all of which make the campervan stand out from the crowd – Deep Ocean Blue and white, Cherry Red and white or the metallic silver and grey you see here. 

The Eriba Car comes as standard with a 2-litre, 140hp engine, which for £1,140 can be upgraded to 163hp. The basic six-speed manual gearbox can also be swapped for an eight-speed automatic for £2,560.

Whichever option you choose, there is plenty included that’s designed to make driving easier and more comfortable. The standard spec features include stop/start function, front fog/cornering lights, hill start assistance, tiredness detection, a multifunction leather steering wheel, four speakers, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. 

There’s no large storage shelf above the front seats but there are pockets for stashing maps, documents and glasses. And that extra headroom means you can comfortably walk through from the cab to the lounge without having to stoop.

How is it to drive?

At 6m long, the Crafter is easy to manoeuvre and is compact enough to zip around town or negotiate twisting country roads. Standard supermarket parking bays will inevitably be too short, however, and the 2.67m height, of course, rules out multi-storey car parks, so you will need to think carefully about where to stop in urban areas. 

We managed to get our hands on the first (and, at the time of writing, only) UK version of the 602 in this country, courtesy of Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld in Stafford. The sliding door remains on the ‘wrong’ side, although this doesn’t seem to be a problem for most UK buyers.

The side entrance is fitted with a sliding flyscreen to keep bugs out while the door is open and there’s an electric step at the side door that glides in and out at the press of a button. These are fairly commonplace nowadays, but I always find such gadgetry impressive!

Interior design

The Eriba Car feels more spacious inside than you might expect for a Crafter-based campervan (which is slightly narrower than the more common Fiat Ducato), both in the kitchen and the living area. It’s two berth and only has travel seats for two, so it is very much a campervan for couples.

The whole interior looks smart and modern, with the Deep Ocean blue furniture contrasting nicely with the wood tones of the worktop and eye-level lockers. Curved corners and high-quality felt trim (for heat and noise insulation, as well as aesthetics) enhance the sophisticated look.

The side kitchen features a two-burner gas hob and sink, with glass lids for when they’re not in use. Running the length of the unit above the cooker and sink is an open-fronted cupboard and the three soft-closing drawers underneath (including one with a cutlery tray) provide impressive storage.

Where the kitchen does disappoint is the lack of worktop space. When the glass lids are lifted there is none, although there is a neat slide-out work surface between the fridge and wardrobe on the opposite side of the ’van.

Two mains sockets are fitted on the front of the galley and I loved the folding table on the back of the kitchen – ideal for when you’re enjoying the al fresco lifestyle. The Dometic fridge sits behind the passenger seat and is a 70-litre compressor model with a freezer section, a couple of shelves and a vegetable drawer at the base. Given this is a two-berth campervan, it’s a perfectly adequate size.

If you need more cooking options, you can supplement the hob with a microwave for an extra £350. It’s located in the lounge, above the nearside sofa.

Comfortable living area

The rear lounge is a comfortable living space, with plenty of room for stretching out on the two inward-facing benches and reading a book, or catching up on a box set or two on your tablet. The windows in the lounge open to let in fresh air and there’s a 70cm by 50cm rooflight above the lounge, too. 

Upholstery comes in a choice of Toledo Sand or Seattle Stone, with two full-leather and two part-leather options offered for an additional £1,770.

Storage is generous in the lounge, too. Under the nearside seat is a large storage area and there are overhead lockers running the length of the lounge on both sides. An open shelving area provides more storage space above the rear doors. Do be careful here, though, as I cracked my head on this a couple of times while getting up from the seat.

One issue that we raised when the campervan was unveiled last October at the Caravan Salon show in Düsseldorf is the free-standing dining table that sits between the two sofas. It has two legs at one end and one at the other – so make sure you place it so the single leg is at the end you’ll be accessing, otherwise you’ll struggle to squeeze your own legs past. It’s still not ideal and perhaps, in retrospect, a better option would have been to have a table with a single, central pole.

Sleeping set-up

At night, the rear lounge converts into the bedroom, with two lengthways single beds with disc springs, measuring 190cm long by 62cm wide. If, like me, you find the beds a little too narrow in their single configuration, you can slide out a central section to effectively create a 168cm-wide double, although that middle part doesn’t go the full length of the singles. While it takes a bit longer to set up, it does give you more shoulder space and is particularly welcome if you’re a restless sleeper. 

Well-appointed washroom

The washroom sits between the fridge and the lounge, opposite the galley, and it is accessed via a folding door. The blue theme continues in here from the rest of the campervan and there’s a cupboard, an opening window and a rooflight. 

It’s relatively spacious with the swivel cassette toilet and folding basin to give you more room for showering. The showerhead extends from the basin tap and there are a couple of wall hooks. Unfortunately, the latter requires the use of a shower curtain. 

A magnifying mirror for shaving is part of the £880 Camping package. That also adds cab blinds, two rechargeable lights, scatter cushions for the lounge and a mattress topper. Other extras available include heated cab seats (£350), Park Assist (£520) and the Discover Media sat-nav system with a 10in screen (£980). 

Like its award-winning sister model, the Eriba Car 602 is a campervan full of style and quality. With that premium Crafter base vehicle, a British-style end lounge layout, and a host of desirable features it’s got lots going for it. The relatively compact size belies a spacious, bright interior that is perfectly suited for a couple and the modern interior design really make it stand out from the crowd. Is it a future icon? Time will tell, but it’s certainly a special ’van.