Knaus BoxLife 600 DQ Platinum Selection campervan

Platinum Selection spec adds more kit and saves you money, while the 600 DQ layout is a great family campervan with two double beds and a height-adjustable garage

On the face of it, this looks like another one of those continental campervans with a fixed bed at the back, a half-dinette at the front and a washroom and kitchen in the middle. Same old, same old. But hold on a minute…

Most campervans of this ilk are really two-berths in terms of sleeping accommodation with four travel seats for a bit more versatility, then perhaps the possibility of turning the dinette into an extra bed for a grandchild who might (a) have to be pre-teens in terms of size or (b) be able to sleep without complaint on a mattress with more ridges than the Dolomites.

The answer if you need a true four-berth in this class of campervan is usually to add a pop-top, at an extra cost of four grand or more. Great in the summer, with all that ventilation in the upstairs den. Not so great in winter with canvas sides.
What if you could get all four berths within the cosy confines of the fully insulated camper bodywork instead? Well, this BoxLife isn’t unique in this regard, but it is a rare exception. And better still, it manages the four-person feat without going to the extra length of the biggest Ducato panel van. The 600 DQ is only 5.99m long – a very manoeuvrable size that could save you money on some ferries, too.

EXTRA HEIGHT FOR A DROP-DOWN BED

It is, however, based on the tallest version of the Fiat, the H3, at 2.82m high, and that extra loftiness makes a useful difference inside because it allows for the fitment of a drop-down bed over the lounge area without compromising headroom when it’s stowed. Manually operated, this double bed runs lengthways and has its own roof vent. It even leaves enough room to sit underneath it – just, and as long as you’re not too tall. A ladder is a necessary provision but it’s not just left to lie around, it has its own cupboard next to the fridge.

REAR BED AND GARAGE

The other bed in this BoxLife is a more typical transverse double in the rear of the campervan, but even this isn’t bog standard as it is manually height adjustable to create more space in the garage below. The bedroom here comes with opening windows in the back doors and on the UK nearside, but a blank wall to sit up against on the offside where there are reading lights. The garage, meanwhile, has lashing points and power points, while the front bulkhead panel can be removed for long loads.

TRAVEL SEATS AND KITCHEN

There’s more neat design in the front lounge, where the wall-mounted table doesn’t have a leg to get in the way. And the rear bench seat has automotive head restraints, Isofix and a ‘Comfort function’ – seats that can slide apart for extra shoulder room.
Opposite, the galley looks fairly standard but has three supersized drawers, a worktop extension flap and useful hooks for your tea towels. The 90-litre fridge is mounted at waist-height for easy access, too.

WELL-EQUIPPED WASHROOM

The washroom is Knaus’ compact version with the inconvenience of a shower curtain, but other than that it impresses with an opening window, twin shower drains, a fixed basin and modern design. There are good-sized water tanks, too – 102 litres fresh, 90 litres waste.

ADDED SPEC FOR PLATINUM SELECTION
The base vehicle here is the Maxi version of the Ducato with the 140hp motor, Campovolo Grey paintwork, alloy wheels with all-weather tyres, leather steering wheel, cab blinds, ESP, Hill Holder, Traction Plus and reversing camera. 

And the comprehensive spec of this Platinum Selection version doesn’t end there. Heating is provided by Truma’s 6kW diesel with 230V element for when you’re hooked up and even the 3.75m roll-out awning is included in the price, which saves nearly £6k compared with a standard model to similar spec.

 

A proper four-berth without the downsides of a pop-top, and all in a six-metre panel van. Height-adjustable rear bed means the garage can be huge, too.