Orange Campers Trouvaille Option 3 Fixed Bed Campervan

A compact fixed bed model is the latest addition to the Orange Campers range

Orange Campers has an expanding range but with one clear focus – compact size. Offering nothing bigger than a 5.41m-long medium-wheelbase Fiat Ducato, a fixed bed has previously been out of the question – but not anymore with the arrival of its Option 3 layout.

A different layout

You might think that this would take the small Rotherham-based converter head-to-head with the big continental brands but, as with the existing Trouvaille campervans, Richard Tomlin has come up with something a little different. 

Of course, the bed is the expected rear transverse double (1.86m by 1.20m). It sits on wooden staves and has a ladder for access as it’s 87cm off the floor. There’s room to sit up in bed, with a shelf and reading lights at the head end and a sliding window at the foot, while a Midi Heki rooflight provides additional ventilation. 

Under the bed, you’ll find the Victron electrics in a locker on the offside (a 100Ah lithium battery is standard, with a 300Ah option). The load space here measures 88cm wide, 87cm deep and 76cm high – plenty of room for outdoor furniture, etc – and both 12V and 230V sockets are fitted.
 

The kitchen on the other side

So far, so typical of a fixed bed camper. But open the side sliding door (on the UK nearside, of course) and the galley isn’t blocking part of the entrance but facing you along the opposite wall. There’s no settee or half-dinette bench, just the swivelling cab seats, and that means there’s a lot more floor space and a much more open feeling to the interior. If you must have an extra travel seat, a removable rear seat is optional.

Moving the galley to a less conventional position has not only given the cook more room to work but there’s obviously a lot more storage here. The top lockers are especially generous (and have upstands to keep their contents secure), while there’s a good selection of drawers and everything seems very well finished. 

There’s a three-burner gas hob as standard, along with a 90-litre compressor fridge mounted at waist height for easy access. Options include an oven/grill, microwave or air fryer, or you can go gas-free with an induction hob. 

In standard form, gas is supplied from a 25-litre underslung tank, while fresh and waste water tanks are also beneath the vehicle (capacities are 75 and 40 litres). LPG is also used for the campervan’s Propex blown-air heating system, although a Webasto diesel-fired unit can be specified as a £699 option that we’d certainly choose. 

Not a walk-in washroom

With the kitchen on the offside, the toilet area moves to sit adjacent to the sliding door and here again Orange Campers has preferred to keep the spacious feel inside. Closed up, the loo compartment looks more like a large wardrobe and when you open the bifold door you’ll see a swivel cassette toilet but no room to step/sit inside. 

In fact, the door clips to the floor in the open position, providing a screen to the front of the vehicle but there’s no divide between the loo and the rear bed. Clearly, there’s no shower (an outside shower is optional) but the loo is fitted into a tray and there’s a drain into the waste tank and a hanging rail, so wet gear can be dried here.

Attention to detail

That’s the sort of practical detail that Richard always includes in his designs, with no space wasted – in this layout you’ll find extra storage in the floor behind the cab, a drinks cabinet in the entrance and a folding worktop by the door. The dining table can be used outside on a tripod base, while inside it sits adjacent to the swivel cab chairs (the only seats, remember).

Other features include an external barbecue point, 160W solar panel, thermal cab screens (blinds optional) and Polyvision framed double-glazed windows. 

The high-spec Ducato base vehicle comes with a 10in touchscreen (including sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto), digital instrumentation, wireless phone charging, metallic paint, automatic climate control, keyless entry, an electronic parking brake, reversing camera, LED headlights, fog/cornering lights and a suite of driver assistance systems. Fiat’s automatic gearbox is a £3,000 option.
 

Orange Campers is a family-run business where the family are keen campervanners and that shows through in its practical designs. The latest layout may be for couples only but it takes a fresh approach to the fixed bed format with a more spacious feel as a result.