Rolling Homes Columbus S T7 Campervan

More countertop and a greater feeling of space than the standard Columbus

The devil is most definitely in the detail. Rolling Homes offers the Columbus with full-height furniture alongside the back seat, as well as the very closely related Columbus S with a shallower unit here, creating more worktop and the feeling of a little more space. Both have recently been adapted to suit the latest VW Transporter, the joint venture van built at Ford’s plant in Turkey.

Whether the new van looks different enough from a Transit Custom is subjective but, either way, the mechanicals come from Ford – a 2-litre diesel engine in 110, 150 or 170hp versions, mated to a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. A hybrid version will follow. Crucially, the new van is both longer and wider than the T6.1, so there’s usefully more space inside.

Commerce Pro

This is a 170hp Commerce Pro Transporter, which comes with front and rear parking sensors, heated cab seats, automatic air-conditioning, a heated windscreen, wireless phone charging, body-coloured bumpers and alloy wheels. 

This show model was priced at £82,840. It features a German SCA pop-top, which is a premium choice.

It comes with a panoramic opening section with a huge flyscreen around the front three-quarters of the canvas – great in summer, not so great in the autumn when you want daylight without the fresh air. Inside, it has ‘halo’ LED strip lighting around the top and an excellent roof bed (1.98m by 1.17m) on Caraflex springs. 
 

Motorhome Qualified Converter 

Rolling Homes is one of just six companies listed as a Volkswagen Motorhome Qualified Converter, so this camper is also type approved and NCC (National Caravan Council) approved.

Ticking those boxes is increasingly important, with so many firms now converting VW vans into campervans – to very varied standards.

Of course, the Columbus will be registered as a Motor Caravan, not a Van with Windows, but the most critical aspect is the seat installation.

Like many converters, Rolling Homes uses the RIB rear bench/bed (with twin Isofix points), but it’s the substantial framework underneath – developed by Rolling Homes in conjunction with Bespoke NI and crash-tested in a van bodyshell – that matters.

It’s a two-part steel structure – one frame under the van and another mounted onto the floor – that ensures your passengers’ safety.

Side kitchen 

The side kitchen is the classic design for a camper like this. Here, the defining aspect is the Rolling Homes cabinetwork with Corian worktops, while the real wood extends not only to the superb, handcrafted galley but also the frames around the windows.

Both front seats rotate easily – the kitchen finishes short of the cab’s B-pillar to allow this and to ensure that tall drivers are not restricted in their seat adjustment.

Then, of course, there’s the RIB bench, which (as usual) has a nice shape but sits too high for all but the tallest of us to get their feet comfortably on the floor. 

RIB seat/bed

At bedtime, it’s easy to convert the RIB seat into a bed – the base flips over and the backrest folds flat, while the rearmost section of mattress can be tilted for a chaise longue.

It’s a completely flat bed but very firm, so you’re sure to want a mattress topper. The bed measures 1.12m wide but there’s a more useful 1.22m between the cabinets and the side wall.
 

Night-time privacy is ensured with curtains that provide proper blackout (better than most blinds), with silver screens around the cab. 

Real oak cabinets

The oak furniture makes a statement but it also houses a 50-litre compressor fridge, two-burner hob and sink, and a cutlery drawer equipped with a slab of Corian that sits on top to provide extra workspace.

The leisure battery (105Ah lithium) and fresh water (10-litre portable container) live in the base of the wardrobe. Eberspächer diesel heating is fitted as standard and a gas-free version of the Columbus S is available.

As a Motorhome Qualified converter, Rolling Homes has a credibility that many of its rivals can’t match. Its real oak furniture is a glorious trademark but the height of the RIB rear seat is, as ever, a downside.