Full review

Having worked as the designer for Campervan for a couple of years, I have come to appreciate why people love the lifestyle, although I had never been away in one myself. So when Peter, the editor, suggested that we take a campervan away and report back on how we got on, I jumped at the chance. It was only later that day on my drive home, that I realised I had to broach this subject with my husband, Andy, who is a man that enjoys life’s little luxuries – especially when they’re in a hotel and he’s away from home.

The conversation actually went much better than I thought, once Andy had established that although the van would not have WiFi, the campsite probably would (yes, he is a workaholic), he seemed quite up for the idea. We agreed if would be a good opportunity to meet up with some good friends, Mark and Ashley, who are experienced campervanners as they would be on hand to help with any questions that may pop up over the weekend.

We arrived at Auto Campers on a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon and met up with Steve Wood who showed us around our camper for the weekend, the Leisure Van Hi-Line. Steve was brilliant and went through everything thoroughly with us, making sure at least one of us tried out the various workings of the van before we went on our merry way. It is worth noting that the 2018 models coming through have had a bit of a facelift, with a new grille, lights and alloys, together with a new dash on the inside.

The Leisure Van has the traditional side kitchen layout, although it has sliding doors on either side, which we soon had open, along with the rear barn doors to appreciate the lovely breeze blowing through on such a hot day. With the cab seats swivelled and the sofa set to an angle that was more comfortable for us than the bolt upright position, we showed Mark and Ashley around our accommodation. They immediately liked the modern duck egg blue interior and pimped out windows.

The kitchen consists of a two-burner hob, stainless-steel sink and a fridge that can be accessed from both inside and outside with the second sliding door open. The fridge also has a handy icebox compartment, that can be removed should you need more space and only want to use it as a fridge. There are two flip-up counters, one to the side of the kitchen and one to the back, both of which can be accessed from outside. The table tucks into a slot in the nearside sliding door when not in use, but when it is, the bracket has a clever multi-position system, enabling you to put it exactly where you need it, whether it be as a dining table or rested up next to the kitchen to create extra worktop.

We loved the Hi-line roof, it meant we could stand up with ease, with no cricked necks or stooping in site, although with the tallest in our group of four being around 5ft 8in, I did wonder how someone taller would have got on. It also means that you get that extra storage at eye line that you wouldn’t get with a pop-top or low-line roof. The wardrobe also has two handy shelves that can be tucked out of the way should you need to hang shirts, skirts etc. The under-seat storage has room for a portable toilet on one side and a drawer on the other.

Sitting in Campervan HQ I have overheard other members of staff talking about needing some kind of degree in putting some of the beds together that you get in ’vans. The Leisure Van is a dream, the sofa converts easily with just a squeeze of a bar under the sofa. It’s the same bar that tilts the back of the sofa to offer different levels of reclining. Once flat there is an additional section at the back that means you can tilt the head of the bed to different degrees, should you want to enjoy a brew in the morning.

The following morning the bed was again easy to return back to seat mode and even at 5ft 3in I could easily reach the straps to put everything back into place. We had a few visitors over the weekend including some of my family for some birthday fizz, and everyone was just as impressed with the ’van. As we sat on our last evening watching the sunset with a G&T, we reflected on our few days away. We decided that if we were to buy this particular van, we would definitely invest in an awning to give a bit more living space. It was great as it was for the sunny weekend that we had, but had there been rain showers, that extra space would have been a massive benefit (it may also have prevented us returning home as lobsters – oops!).

As for the campervanning lifestyle itself? It was great having the reassurance of our friends and for the catch-up time we had with them, however, people on site are so helpful and I’m sure if we had been on our own with a problem or a question, someone would have been able to help. Will we be going again? Absolutely. We haven’t really got the room at home right now to go rushing off to buy one, however, it has given us food for thought regarding future holidays, especially where we take a road trip abroad – so watch this space... 

If you enjoyed this review, you can read loads more like it in Campervan magazine. You can get a digital version of this latest issue of Campervan magazine here.