Full review

This high-top campervan is a very rare beast as not many firms convert on the shortest of the Fiat Ducato panel vans

Just squeezing in at under five metres long, this camper is super easy to drive and park. Great in car parks and on the street, and if you’re ‘blessed’ with a short driveway at home.

Van conversions can make great daily drivers and even sole vehicles, and the little Lux would seem to be well qualified for both jobs, with only the lack of any rear seatbelts a drawback. All the comforts of home? Well, amazingly, yes, while it’s really only the kitchen that takes a big hit – even describing it as ‘bijou’ is maybe a tad generous.

There’s good news in the rear, though, as the lounge provides well for a duo of residents, with a U-shaped configuration that should prove to be cosy, but not too cosy. Friends might be surprised when they visit and discover that four people can sit comfortably and enjoy a drink, while surfaces for glasses include small and large tables and a pop-up flap on the end of the nearside sofa that can also serve the adjacent transverse kitchen.

Said galley blocks off the driver’s department, so space-expanding swivel cab seats can’t be fitted. This location is the only place the kitchen could possibly go. Surprisingly, there’s a four-burner hob and grill unit, while a little sink and a slim cupboard complete, along with a reasonable 12V compressor fridge. Electrical power has not been left out: there’s a pop-up socket offering multiple mains and USB sockets that emerges from the narrow shelf located between the driver’s seat and the bathroom wall.

Into the washroom and it’s a Vantage classic with moulded-in basin, integral shower, cabinet and bench-type loo that fits the space perfectly. And, in many ways, this room is the epitome of the Vantage ethos: simple, practical, well designed and no truck with showroom bling. That goes for the rest of the interior, too. Styling and décor is simple and modern, but not too severe, while practical touches abound.

Storage is always going to be limited in a 5m motorhome, but it’s maybe not as restricted as you’d think. There’s space under the lounge seats (some of which can be accessed through the rear doors), a cantilevered wardrobe on the offside and high lockers on both sides. And there’s a slim but wide space above the cab.

The sofa bases pull together, helping to create an impressive transverse double bed that measures 6ft 1in long and 4ft 6in wide.

No home-from-home camper would be complete without good services and the Lux obliges with insulated water tanks and gas/mains-fired hot water and blown-air heating. LPG is easily replenished at thousands of places across Europe as it’s stored in an underslung tank.

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