Model Year | 2018 |
Class | Low Profile |
Base Vehicle | Citroën Relay |
Price From (£) | 56,995 |
Engine Size | 2.0TD |
Maximum Weight (kg) | 3,500 |
Berths | 3 |
Main Layout | Fixed Single Bed |
The Travel Van is the Bürstner's entry in the slimline low-profile market, with a width of just 2.20m, compared with 2.30m of the Harmony Line and Ixeo coachbuilts. Today, it comes with just one layout, the 620 G boasting fixed single beds over a garage.
Powered by a 2-litre, 130bhp, Euro VI diesel, the Citroën has an instant advantage over the ubiquitous 2.3-litre, Fiat 130 Multijet as soon as you turn the key. It’s smoother, quieter and generally less ‘diesely’. A modest overall length of 6.60m and a wheelbase of only 3.45m add to the feeling of easy manouevrability, but we couldn’t help wondering how the Travel Van would respond with a lot of weight in the garage, considering the longish rear overhang.
You’ll probably have guessed that the Edition 30 comes with a lot more kit than previous Travel Vans. That starts in the cab, where a Pioneer double-DIN multi-media unit includes sat-nav and a rear-view camera (which can display what’s behind even when you’re going forwards). There’s a leather steering wheel, driver and passenger airbags, cab air-conditioning, ESP with Hill Holder and Traction Plus, central cupholders, aluminium-effect dash’ trim and height-adjustable seats, too.
Pretty much everything else that you’d expect – and more besides – is standard on the Edition 30, so this isn’t one of those German ’vans that rockets in price as you tot up the options. In fact, at £56,995 it looks extremely good value. That figure even includes the 3.5m roll-out awning with full-length LED strip light. Its attached to a body of wood-free construction, with GRP roof and floor and a high-level third brake light neatly incorporated into the Bürstner logo.
There are few surprises in the half-dinette lounge, although the Rio Ferra leather and Nubuck upholstery is another indication of the high spec. Rio Havanna is the darker, more chocolatey alternative trim. Some compact low-profiles of this type place a wardrobe behind the driver’s seat (which tends to feel quite intrusive, reducing the feeling of space) and others put a small inward-facing seat here. The Travel Van has both.
It’s not just the fancy upholstery that impresses here, but the big overcab sunroof and the rail-mounted movable/removable reading lights over the table. Pity there are no spotlights in the cab, but a trio of ceiling spots give good general illumination. There’s a Heki sunroof over the lounge, too, but disappointingly it’s the cheap, push-up type. The upright nature of the half-dinette is another minor downside, along with the compromised front bed – both common to most rivals. Drop the heavy table down onto a lower rail, add a large infill cushion and a child’s bed is created. But, even with feet on the cab seat, said child needs to be small – mattress length is only 1.50m.
Darker woods have been en vogue recently in motorhomes but it’s easy to see the appeal of the Ginger Teak cabinetwork here because it creates a greater feeling of space and light. And, despite bathroom and galley facing each other amidships, there’s no sense that the centre of the motorhome is overcrowded.
What is lacking is kitchen worktop, especially as there’s no extension panel. However, a loose cover for the sink and a little surface area in front of the three-rings-in-line hob do their best to save the day. Storage is much better, thanks to a trio of large soft-close drawers, one of them kitted out for cutlery. Alongside is a 96-litre Thetford fridge with automatic energy selection. Then, across the gangway, coat hooks and a full-length mirror on the bathroom wall are welcome details.
Inside the washroom things get better still. There’s no shortage of room to use the swivel cassette toilet, the basin is large and comes with a swish waterfall tap, and there’s a large backlit mirror, soap dispenser and mug. Only the lack of towel hooks is a negative. That will be forgiven, though, when you unclip the curved wall (on which the mirror and basin are mounted) and rotate it over the loo. Now there’s a decent-sized shower with two drain holes and a concertina screen (not a clingy curtain) to cover the door.
There’s more to like at the back if you’re in the market for a motorhome with single beds. These are easy to access (three steps), a very good size (over 2m long on the offside), have five-zone cold foam mattresses (extremely comfy!) and they feature heating ducted all around them (from the 6kW gas/electric Combi system).
In between the beds, a 0.97m-long cushion creates more shoulder-room at night, or it can be removed to leave an ideal surface for books, drinks, etc. There’s also an extra cushion to extend this central section to 1.38m long, but it makes access to the beds more awkward, so will probably be left at home. Not that you’ll be short of storage. There’s a huge locker under the end of the nearside bed, while opposite is a second wardrobe with 0.97m drop from its hanging rail.
If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the August 2018 issue of MMM magazine, on sale on July 19. You can get a digital version of MMM magazine here.
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