Full review

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Greenline RG 500 High Top

Overcab sunroofs have been around on low-profile motorhomes since the Knaus Sun TI of 2005. Then, Adria, Dreamer and Malibu almost simultaneously transposed this concept to Fiat Ducato-based campervans for the 2019 season. But this latest version of the RG 500 from Greenline is the smallest camper on the market to have such a feature, as well as the first one based on a Renault Trafic. Greenline calls it the Sky Lounge and it’s an optional feature (priced at £1,950) for the 2022-season High Top model.

Quite simply, the converter has unbolted the crossbeam from the cab roof of the high-top Trafic and removed Renault’s original plastic shelf. Then, it has added a Seitz S4 window in the area directly above the windscreen, as well as a slide-out tambour-style shelf, should you still wish to store any lightweight items in this area. It definitely makes a difference to the amount of daylight coming into the lounge of this compact camper, as well as providing a stoop-free walk into the cab.

The rest of the conversion is familiar but, for those who don’t know this small converter from the Scottish Borders, we’ll recap. And we should point out that the windscreen sticker price of £37,950 reflects that the show model was built on a used van from 2016 with 40k miles on the clock.

The options

An all-new RG 500 High Top starts at £49,950 on the latest facelifted Trafic, while the conversion can be carried out on a customer’s van for £17,950. As well as the Sky Lounge, those prices exclude the MV Airo 2kW diesel-fuelled blown-air heating (£950) and 20-litre waste water tank (£120) fitted to the vehicle here. Other options include leisure battery upgrades, a solar panel, awning, microwave and a cold-water exterior shower. The vehicle shown also has glass sliding side windows, but double-glazed Seitz windows are available for £850 extra.

The new vehicle price includes the Business-spec Trafic with 150bhp engine (elevating roof versions of the RG 500 kick off with a 110bhp motor but this unit is not offered in combination with the factory high roof).

Standard features include cruise control, DAB radio, alarm, LED headlights and a driver’s airbag. Typically, Greenline reports that its customers add around £2,000 of additional kit, usually including cab air-conditioning, metallic paint and sat-nav.

The interior

Whichever version you choose, the layout has a front lounge with two face-forward rear travel seats of Greenline’s own design but using the original Renault seatbelt mountings (which are in situ for the minibus version of the Trafic). On site, the offside back seat can be converted into a sofa, while an island leg table sits centrally.

At night, the rear seats flatten and mate up with the swivelled cab chairs to form twin single beds, each 580mm wide. The offside berth is a fraction shorter than the nearside one – 1.84m plays 1.86m. Alternatively, a large lengthways double bed is possible.

It’s at the rear, though, that the RG 500 scores, not only with a well-appointed kitchen but also Greenline’s slide-out toilet.

The kitchen

The galley comes with an LP Tasman cooker, which is not the most modern-looking fitting but includes a grill. A stainless-steel sink is alongside and the worktop can be turned into a practical L-shape with the addition of a slot-in extension. There’s a 50-litre compressor fridge (mounted at a convenient waist height) and the galley also features two drawers and plenty of cupboard space.

The key selling point, though, will be a cassette toilet that slides out from under the fridge for use in the aisle at the back of the RG 500. Open the wardrobe door and a reasonable amount of privacy is also ensured.

We've also reviewed the pop-top roof version here.