Full review

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Bulldog Conversions Transit Custom

You couldn’t miss the pair of Bulldog Fords at last summer’s Norfolk Motorhome & Campervan Show. The local company was exhibiting a pair of its Transit Custom-based campers, each in vibrant Orange Glow metallic.

It’s hard to stand out in this sector but the colour, along with a deep front spoiler, black 19in alloy wheels and extended rear bumper (incorporating the exhaust outlets) were definitely attracting attention. Bulldog’s bodykit, along with the side steps running between the wheelarches on either side, is standard spec.

The Ford

The basis of the camper is a short-wheelbase Transit Custom Trend with the 130PS engine. Going up from base Leader trim to the Trend gives you a range of extra kit, including power folding mirrors, static cornering lights, automatic lights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a DAB radio with 8in touchscreen, a leather steering wheel and Quickclear heated windscreen.

The exterior

Externally, Bulldog also adds a Skyline elevating roof. The side glazing is flush-fitting and quite heavily tinted but lacks opening sections for ventilation – there’s just one small, inset sliding pane on the offside.

Opening the sliding door reveals the typical side kitchen layout but with a dash of added style, thanks to the optional leather upholstery and the solid oak worktops. The rest of the furniture is finished in a typical, popular mid-grey laminate and Bulldog says all of its cabinetwork is hand built in-house.

The kitchen

The stylish kitchen counter is very slightly deeper towards the front of the campervan, where you find the small inset sink which is supplied by a 25-litre inboard tank (mounted over the wheelarch). Alongside is the Wallas XC Duo hob, which has the appearance of an induction cooker but is powered by diesel from the vehicle’s main fuel tank. With its flat ceramic surface, this hob should be easy to clean, while, with its lid closed, it can also be used as a quiet source of space heating.

Fuel usage is claimed to be between 0.09 and 0.19 litres per hour and, of course, there are no worries about running out of gas or finding replacement cylinders, in addition to the gain in storage resulting from not having a gas compartment.

Storage

The lack of a gas compartment is probably just as well, because the only storage in the main galley unit is behind a large tambour door that slides back to reveal a void with no shelving or divisions. A second, equally big, tambour door alongside the back seat reveals the wardrobe and there is another much smaller tambour door under the bench. This opens onto a considerably smaller space than in most rivals because it is not the full width of the seat.

Go around to the tailgate and you’ll find the water filler, external shower fitting and a 230V socket in the boot but, again, rather limited potential for storage. There is no flat mattress area here for bedding and the boot area is quite shallow.

Where to buy

Bulldog Conversions sells direct from its premises at Diss in Norfolk.