Hillside reports surge in demand for off-road campervans

Derby-based VW approved campervan converter, Hillside Leisure, has added a four wheel-drive campervan to its model line-up, following an increase in enquiries from its customers.

Hillside Company Director, Adrian Cross, commented, “We’ve seen a real surge in demand for campervans that are off-road capable. In fact, orders for our new four wheel-drive campervan now account for about 20 percent.”

The new off-road campervan is called the Hillside Birchover Classic All-Motion and is built on the short wheel-base Volkswagen T6.1 4Motion. While it’s always been possible to order a Birchover Classic conversion on VW’s 4Motion, Hillside took the decision to develop an entirely new off-road campervan in order provide transparency for its customers and streamline the Birchover model line-up.

As Adrian explained: “We’ve always been able to supply our customers with a 4Motion but the trouble is that it doesn’t look like an off-road vehicle when it comes out of the Volkswagen factory, which can be underwhelming. Our customers expect their four wheel-drive campervan to look like an off-roader, so that’s why we’ve created a new campervan that looks as good as it performs.”

To create this look, Hillside added an Eibach lift kit, which raises the vehicle by 35mm to give extra ground clearance, as well as fitting 17in off-road tyres.

Sporty black decals complete the off-roader look of the Hillside Birchover Classic All-Motion. As standard, the base vehicle comes in Highline specification and features a 150PS engine with a six-speed manual gearbox.

If preferred, it’s possible to upgrade to 199PS, while the DSG (automatic) gearbox is also available on both engine outputs.

The Birchover Classic All-Motion is the third model to be added to Hillside’s Birchover campervan portfolio. All Birchovers feature a typical side kitchen layout with a rock ‘n’ roll-style RIB bench/bed and an SCA pop-top or high-top roof.

The Birchover S is an entry-level campervan based on VW’s T6.1 in Startline specification while the Birchover Classic comes in Highline specification.

On the conversion side, the Birchover Classic includes features such as a 65-litre compressor fridge/freezer, combined two-burner hob and sink unit with pumped hot and cold water, external activity shower, diesel blown-air heating, Dometic portable toilet and swivelling cab seats.

Prices for the new Hillside Birchover Classic All-Motion start at £58.995