Full review

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Elddis Evolution CV80

You can spot, straight away, that this isn’t a standard Elddis campervan, because the Brownhills special edition version comes in metallic black. It gets alloy wheels, too, and a host of extra equipment in the cab, including ESP, hill assist, DAB radio, automatic lights and wipers, a reversing camera and a security tracking system. Also included on the kit list are a 100W solar panel, an awning and a bike rack attached to the offside rear door.

It’s equally easy to see that this is the newest addition to the range, because this is the one with a pop-top, making the CV80 into a four-berth. It reflects a growing trend for larger van conversions with an elevating roof.

Like the other three models in Brownhills’ Evolution campervan range, it’s based on a six-metre Ducato panel van with the 140bhp engine and, of course, benefits from the recent Fiat facelift.                     

The roof

The pop-top has been developed by the Erwin Hymer Group for use across all of its brands, not just in Britain. It’s manufactured using cutting-edge long fibre injection (LFI) moulding for light weight and rigidity, but the key feature is its 2.10m by 1.44m double bed on a slatted base. There’s just enough headroom at the back of the roof area to contemplate sleeping this way around, which will also make for easier getting out via the long ladder.

The roof, when it is raised, has a massive flyscreened section with zipped cover around three sides of the front of the canvas, while a reading light has also been fitted for the upstairs occupants. However, the USP of the Elddis roof is a wind-up Midi Heki rooflight. This is especially important when the roof is lowered as it allows a lot more daylight into the forward lounge, which features a half-dinette and swivel cab seats.              

The layout

With its floorplan inherited from the CV40, this Elddis camper also has a lounge area at the rear, where there are twin sofas (1.35m long on the nearside, a tad shorter opposite) forming a cosy space with four corner reading lights and opening windows on three sides. Of course, the pop-top precludes a rooflight here, but there’s still plenty of daylight and ventilation, especially when you swing the back doors open in summer. The settees are a tad high for comfort and the free-standing table seems a touch low, but a TV bracket is fitted and the table slides away in its own locker. At night, it’s easy to convert the area into a transverse double bed. However, the mattress length is limited to 1.84m.                 

The kitchen

The kitchen is a definite strongpoint, featuring not only a Thetford cooker with two gas rings, a mains hotplate and an oven/grill, but also a microwave above. There’s a good selection of drawers for practical storage, too, and a small worktop flap creates some serving space adjacent to the sliding door (which comes fitted with a flyscreen). Alongside the cooker is a waist-height 90-litre compressor fridge with a small wardrobe below.                  

The washroom

The washroom has a corner basin and an opening window provides ventilation. Storage is in a mirror-fronted cabinet, while the smart moulding around the window shows good attention to detail.                       

Summary

The Evolution CV80 has Grade III insulation and a 4kW Whale CompleteHeat gas/electric heating system, a TV aerial and a 25-litre underslung gas tank as standard.