Full review

IT'S impossible to get away from the fact that VW campers aren’t cheap.

You can buy a full-sized coachbuilt motorhome (like the Tribute) for under £35k, but attempt to buy a compact camper for that sort of money and you’re looking at a limited range of budget options such as Bilbo’s SE models, prices for which start at £30,990. Auto-Sleepers’ popular Volkswagen Trident is now over £43,000!

If you veer away from the traditional VW base vehicle there are other options that are less pricey – including this Toyota-based conversion from relative newcomers G&P Campervans near Stafford.

They’ve been converting for just two years and offer not only this Toyota kit but also similar ones for the Mazda Bongo; it’s a ‘kit’ because G&P not only produce finished van conversions but also supply the conversion in modular flat-pack form for DIY enthusiasts.

If you are on a truly tight budget and are handy with a screwdriver then this is the way to go.

This test Hi-Tour has been fully fitted out by G&P’s staff, with a side kitchen, rear bench seat/bed, and a swivelling front seat. They can provide an elevating roof if you prefer, but here their own high-top roof is fitted. It’s a shame there’s no locker to fully utilise the storage at the front of the roof, though – even a cargo net here would make better use of the space.

At the rear there’s a large central locker along with two sliding shelves. The latter, at first, seem a great idea until you realise you’d gain precious extra space by making these into straightforward front opening lockers as well.

Back at floor-level the news is much better. The swivelling mechanism on the front passenger seat, along with some of the cab trim, is currently being adjusted, but once that’s done the conversion will look very tidy with neatly edged units and car-style upholstery.

The side kitchen is reasonably basic, but unusually G&P fit a Smev grill as well as the two-burner hob and stainless steel sink. A microwave is a rare option.

The compressor fridge is adequate in size, and the table has a convenient home on a mounting inside the tailgate. Below the grill is a good-sized cupboard, beside which is another smaller cupboard.

Unfortunately, the door to this is too big to open without shuffling the settee’s cushions. There’s a decent worktop space above, and a very useful three-plug mains point that pulls up from the work surface.

The cutlery drawer is above this though, so if you have anything plugged in you will not be able to access the drawer at the same time.

Where you’d normally find the wardrobe there’s another cupboard. This is because this short-wheelbase Toyota is relatively small, and the bottom half is taken by the gas locker.

The other disadvantage of the Toyota’s length is the size of shelf behind the bench seat. This is where you’d expect to put all your camping gear – on top of what is essentially the rear portion of bed.

Here there’s only just enough room for a small sleeping bag and your pillow. Your mains lead, hose, chocks and other equipment will have to be fitted into one of the two under-bench lockers – and if you carry a Porta-Potti you’ll only have one of these lockers free.

The bed is very easy to make – simply lift the bench seat base up a little, which carries it over the floor stopper that keeps it in shape during the day.

The cushions automatically drop into place. Putting it back up again requires a bit of a knack, though, as you’ve got to avoid this stopper going in the other direction, which isn’t so easy. The mattress is reasonably large, and the deep cushions will ensure a good night’s kip.

All in all, this Hi-Tour is a bit of a mixed bag. The drive isn’t comparable with the VW’s smooth, comfortable, car-like manners and its noise levels and driving position are way off the pace.

And the 2.5TD engine isn’t nearly as nippy as you’d expect. Even if you only care about the conversion and the price, there are a couple of other issues to think about.

The build-quality is okay, but ideally the bench seat would benefit from some steel strengthening for a safer set of travel seats, even with the optional fitted seatbelts.

If price is paramount you can buy it in modular form, so you could just choose to have the bed without the side kitchen, or vice-versa, according to your needs.

But if you’re buying a complete camper another £5000 will get you a better driving experience, build-quality and more storage in one of the best VW T5 conversions.

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This review was first published in the June 2010 issue of Which Motorhome magazine.