Rimor Van 238 Campervan

Rimor’s first Transit-based campervan looks astonishing value for money

Rimor, an Italian marque within the Trigano Group, is no stranger to value-for-money vehicles, with its Kilig coachbuilts starting at under £60k. Nor is it new to building on the Ford Transit, with three ranges of motorhomes, and both overcab and low-profile models, wearing the blue oval. But up until now its campervans (under the Horus moniker) have been built on the Fiat Ducato.

The new Van 238 is its sole Ford Transit-based camper conversion, built on the six-metre panel van. It adopts the typical continental fixed bed layout, with a rear transverse double, but you’ll struggle to find rivals that are as keenly priced. It debuted at the Camping, Caravan and Motorhome Show at the NEC with a launch price of £49,995 and even post-show, at £54,995, it undercuts most of the opposition by some margin.

Automatic gearbox included

It might come in white and with plastic wheel trims instead of fancy alloy wheels but Rimor’s newcomer isn’t a stripped back to basics model. It comes as standard with the potent 165hp motor and Ford’s eight-speed automatic transmission with rotary controller.

Before you even step on board you spot the electric step and flyscreen at the sliding door. And then it strikes you, the side door is on our nearside, just like a British-built campervan. That’s a big point as Ford (unlike Fiat) won’t supply right-hand drive panel vans with a right-hand sliding door to converters, so other continental conversions of the Transit don’t come here.

European-style layout 

Facing you as you enter is the typical half-dinette lounge, with swivel cab seats and a full-height walk-through into the cab. The front seats (in cream faux leather) have a pair of armrests apiece, while the rear bench (with three-point seatbelts) is in contrasting beige and brown cloth. In between, the table is more unusual as it’s attached to the wall with metal fixings from Mapa – as such, it has no leg to get in your way.

As usual with this type of campervan, the kitchen stretches partway across the side door’s opening. It comes with a Can stainless-steel two-burner hob and sink combination unit with one-piece glass lid. With that raised your counter disappears, so the flip-up worktop on the end of the galley is an essential add-on. There’s a mains socket under here.

Galley storage include three large drawers (one for cutlery), then towards the bedroom area is a Thetford 84-litre compressor fridge, mounted at floor level. There’s a narrow worktop above the fridge, with a slim shelved compartment with a tambour door behind that. The touchscreen control panel and controls for the Truma Combi 4 heating are also sited here.
 

Bathroom and bedroom

The washroom is opposite the kitchen, entered via a black tambour door. There’s a swivel cassette toilet but it’s quite high off the floor, so you’ll need long legs to sit comfortably.

The washbasin folds down from the side wall, over the loo, and it has its own plug (unlike some folding basins that allow water to flow away). A curtain is required when showering but the shelved storage (with lips) is practical.

Completing the layout is a 1.84m by 1.34m transverse double bed with overhead lockers at each end and reading lights on the nearside. Under the bed, the storage area is wider than in the equivalent Fiat-based model (Horus 38), at 73cm.

The inboard 90-litre fresh water tank sits under the nearside part of the bed base, with the central slats hinging to one side to allow tall loads on board. There are fixed lashing hooks on the floor, while an outside shower is also fitted and cupboards are provided on the right-hand side of the garage area.

The Rimor Van’s spec also includes cab blinds, a lithium leisure battery, 150W solar panel, tracker and M and C’s ‘go anywhere’ warranty.

Fixed bed six-metre campervans are more usually found on Fiats but we prefer the driving position and on-road character of the Transit – especially, as here, with the 165hp motor and automatic transmission.