Full review

Introduced in the 1950s, the VW camper was one of the very first of the breed. It is still an instantly recognisable icon and as popular as ever.

Different interior designs can be found, but it’s the latest incarnation of a classic that remains the most numerous – and that’s the design installed in the Jöbl Design Kampa SE.

Known as the classic VW layout, it places all the furniture down one side of the vehicle with a forward-facing belted bench seat that flattens to become a double bed come sundown. With the bench in daytime/travel mode there’s a handy and large ‘boot’ area in the rear – the amount of space here is key to any VW camper.

The rising roof gives standing headroom and houses a second double bed, which hinges down from above when needed.

The VW Transporter remains a market-leader, probably because it offers a more sophisticated, car-like travelling experience than some rivals. It’s also the only vehicle of its type to offer both all-wheel drive and automatic transmission together. The options list is extensive, too; you can spec the Transporter with many of the features found on mid-range cars – climate control, multiple airbags, LED road lights...

The range of 2-litre diesel engines tops out at a heady 204 horsepower. All are Euro VI emissions compliant (using AdBlue fluid) and the standard Kampa is based on the short-wheelbase VW with the 102PS engine under the hood.       

Volkswagen’s range-topping Highline van is used here and comes with lots of kit, including such goodies as alloy wheels, automatic lights and wipers, leather-wrapped steering wheel, air-conditioning and an alarm.

The Kampa is topped off with a high-quality German SCA roof, while both cab seats swivel to join in with the automotive-standard, RIB rear bench, which flattens easily to become the first double bed. A roof bed is fitted as standard, too, providing that ‘upstairs bedroom.’

Furniture is executed in high-gloss material with a choice of finishes and the pedestal-mounted table is conveniently located to act as both an eating surface and worktop for the cook. Aft of the two-burner hob/sink combo there’s also a very decent slab of work surface – something that similar conversions can lack. Below is a small grill/warming oven.

Unusually, the sink is supplied with both hot and cold water – the former from a mains-powered boiler, usable only when hooked up. Water heating might be tethered to the mains, but space heating is not. The fitted blown-air unit runs thanks to 12V power from the 90Ah leisure battery and burns diesel drawn from the vehicle’s tank.

From heating to cooling, and the 12V compressor-type fridge has 50 litres of volume with a small freezer compartment included. Mains, 12V and USB sockets feature and lighting is all LED. The underslung fresh water supply holds 60 litres, while there’s also a waste tank with a 30-litre capacity.

The Kampa SE joins a crowded market where there is a number of well-established and highly regarded alternatives. Take a good look at several and examine them in detail before you decide.

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