Moorlake Liberty Campervan Review

A clever mix of 230V power and cooking on gas.

Here’s a name that will be less familiar than those alongside it, although Moorlake isn’t new to the world of VW campervans. It’s a dealer rather than a manufacturer – it outsources the conversions, which are built to its spec, and it has recently switched supplier, so the T7 Liberty is its latest model. As with previous Moorlake campers, it is available from branches in Hertfordshire and Yorkshire and both outlets have a variety of colours (some, as here, wrapped to give a retro duo-tone effect) in stock and ready to drive away. 
With Moorlake, you won’t have to debate optional extras, although you can choose your kitchen worktop, cabinet colours, upholstery and alloy wheels. It has tried to keep the buying process simple, so only the cosmetics change from campervan to campervan (although you can add an awning or awning rail to the standard kit list). 

Conversions are built on pre-registered, delivery mileage VWs and the base price of £73,000 includes a Commerce Plus T7 with a selection of options that bring it close to Commerce Pro specification, including the wide centre console in the cab, heated seats and a rear view camera. All are powered by the 150hp motor driving the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, so the Moorlake is starting to look good value from the off.  

As a Liberty model, this one is two grand more but the extra spend seems well worthwhile, adding an EcoFlow 1kW portable power station. Hidden away in a floor cupboard, the EcoFlow gives you the ability to power all your gadgets (an air fryer or hair straighteners, perhaps, but not simultaneously) even when no hook-up is available, and it can be recharged from zero to 100% in just an hour’s driving, thanks to the 800W alternator charger that’s also included in the Liberty Package. It can even be used to jump start the campervan, should the vehicle battery go flat. 

Undoubtedly a pretty camper on the outside, the Moorlake comes with two sliding windows in the living area and an Austops roof to give you standing room. With simple straps to secure it, this pop-top feels more basic than the German roofs but it still comes with a 1.83m by 1.11m bed featuring Froli springs. 

There’s no economising when it comes to the seat/bed unit, though, which is a sliding three-seater bench with Isofix, from Stide. It makes into a 1.92m by 1.10m flat double bed but lifting the backrest back into its seat position takes some effort (leaving the head restraints off makes it easier if you’re not carrying rear passengers). Of course, as with any seat on rails you can slide it forward to bring kids nearer to parents, or just to maximise load space at the rear. There’s a useful locker under the seat but this can be reached by lifting the squab cushion. 

With a 150W solar panel mounted on the roof and a 200Ah lithium leisure battery, you might expect Moorlake to have followed the gas-free trend but here gas is retained for cooking on the two-ring hob. A single Campingaz cylinder is neatly stowed in a hinged compartment in the boot. 

The kitchen also includes a microwave (or have a cupboard instead as a no-cost choice) and space to store a portable toilet. There’s a cutlery drawer above the 50-litre fridge and a neat pull-out worktop extension alongside the back seat. Soft-closing mechanisms are fitted, too, but the knock-on edging feels a bit ‘budget’ when the rest of the camper makes a good impression. 

The icing on the cake is a five-year conversion warranty, subject to annual habitation checks by Moorlake.

If you want all the kit and a practical, cost-effective approach to going off-grid, the Moorlake looks great value.