Full review

There’s a serious challenge for campervan designers – one which very few attempt – when it comes to providing comfortable, fully featured accommodation for a family of four in the body of a panel van. But, surprisingly, the Dreamer Family Van Select goes one better and squeezes in no less than five berths. And, if you’re unfamiliar with the brand, be reassured because Dreamer is part of long-established French converter, Rapido.

This Dreamer may not be based on the longest Ducato, but it is the loftiest: its extra-high roof (with Dreamer’s own moulding at the front to give a smoother look than the standard H3-spec Fiat) provides space enough for a lengthways, drop-down double bed situated above the lounge. The lounge also claims a transverse single bed, while across the far rear a pair of crossways bunks see the berths add up to the total of five. The lounge is, unsurprisingly, based on a half-dinette and this provides two belted travel seats. Those in the cab make four, while a rearward-facing, lap-belted removable seat sets up atop a box mounted just inside the side door. This box also provides a jump seat for the lounge (when the travel seat is stowed) and its base contains the gas locker. In spite of its extra-high roof, this ’van looks pretty good from the outside and not overly top-heavy. Attractive details include chrome-style trim strips running along the flanks, while almost all the conversion-added items (fridge and heater vents, hook-up and water fillers) are colour-matched.

There are few surprises inside as far as style and décor are concerned. The usual neutrals reign, with the brown half-faux-leather seat coverings – named Atacama – seeming hard-wearing and quite well executed. The cloth goes with this style of furniture, but two other schemes can be had, one featuring all faux leather in cream. There are two furniture styles, too: Natural (as here) or Prestige.

Loungers and diners will find themselves sitting around a generous table that, with its substantial pedestal leg, is a permanent feature. Swivelled cab seats, travel seating, jump seat and inward-facing seat on the nearside all add up to a space that should accommodate six people easily. That’s a good result in a ’van that’s less than six metres long and narrower than a coachbuilt.

The drop-down bed looms low enough in its stowed position to limit headroom to no more than six feet, something to bear in mind if you’re taller. This lengthways double descends with a good pull, while a ladder is needed to access it, from the kitchen end. Back down the ladder and there’s 0.80m (2ft 8in) of headroom, which proved just enough for 5ft 10in me to sit under the bed in the lounge.

The lounge bed proved to be a conundrum in more ways than one. Billed as a single, it actually measures 1.37m (4ft 6in) wide, which could be seen as a decent double. So this bed is very roomy for one, or it would be if it all went together properly. The table lowers, an alloy spar bridges the aisle between kitchen and washroom and it’s topped by a chunk of roll-out slats. Two infill cushions are added and voilà! Err, no. The slats didn’t fit properly, were inadequately supported on one side and one of the infills was way too small. Enter the helpful team from Wokingham Motorhomes. Much head-scratching and some calls to Dreamer in France later and we had to give up. Let’s hope that this feature gets a bit more development; in the meantime, it’s rare to find a camper of this ilk that’s a true four-berth, let alone a five-berth.

The rear is not just a bunk room, but also a versatile stowage area. That’s not surprising as most bunk-equipped ’vans do the same trick, but the advantage of a van conversion is that the rear doors give wide and tall access to all that room. Furthermore, the top bunk can be removed and left at home – thus extending the appeal of the Family Van beyond motorhomers with kids. It might be possible to load bikes vertically or even a short canoe or folding boat in here.

Moving forwards from the bunks, the wardrobe and fridge face each other across the aisle. Both are roomy, the fridge being a two-door machine with freezer section up top and coachbuilt-style 160-litre capacity. Beyond the wardrobe, the kitchen includes an optional low-level oven/grill and a two-burner hob/sink combo that fills the counter space. Realistically, cook will need to take advantage of the adjacent table when working, although there is a flip-up surface, small but useful, at the unit’s forward end. Stowage for kit and caboodle is in drawers and cupboards – two of each.

The washroom is quite small and entirely conventional. The two best features here are the convenient tambour door and a strong, sensible washbasin in stainless steel. The loo is one of the latest from Thetford and there’s good washroom storage at upper and lower levels. Above is a locker and shelf with an elasticated retainer, while there is a tambour-doored, under-basin cupboard below.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the May 2018 issue of MMM magazine. You can get a digital version of this latest issue of MMM magazine here.