Full review

Although this campervan has its roots in a panel van – the Hyundai iLoad – Wellhouse builds its conversion on the eight-seat people-carrier version named the i800

And that means you get car-derived levels of equipment and trim. Flush-glazed windows and automotive-type linings make for a vehicle that looks good – superbly car-like – inside and out. The driving position, too, is more akin to a car than Bob the Builder’s van – a bit lower and more relaxed than similarly sized rivals.

Standard spec is impressive, with alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, air-con, multi-function leather wheel and Bluetooth connectivity, and more. Standard engine is a 136-horsepower turbo-diesel mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and there’s an automatic option, which comes with an upgrade to 168bhp – that’s the version we’d recommend. Hyundai’s warranty is five years unlimited mileage, with roadside assistance for the whole period.

The conversion adds a bench in the rear with three fully belted places, which only adds to the i800’s car-like qualities.

The layout is the most popular bar none and much the same as most VW campers, following a design that became popular in the 1970s. All the cabinets are grouped along the driver’s side, while the rear bench flattens to make a lengthways double bed. Advantages of this layout include the car-like seating configuration that makes a pretty decent lounge and the usefully sized boot-style storage area that lives behind the bench – easily accessed through the tailgate. The tailgate can be useful, too, as £240 will get you an awning that, suspended from it, creates a good chunk of extra living space, useful for stowing bikes.

There’s no room for a shower compartment inside the camper, but as there’s a pull-out external shower hose fitted and a hot water heater, showering in the awning should be easy. Back up front, just the cab passenger chair swivels, completing seating for five, while dining is from two tables, a cranked-leg unit that serves the swivelled cab seat and a rail-hung sibling that enables dining from the bench and also makes an extra worktop.

The kitchen is well equipped as compact campers go. In addition to the two-burner hob/sink unit, there’s also an oven/grill. Below that, the 47-litre 12V fridge is unusual in providing deep, box-like storage that makes chilled food and drink easier to get at. As usual, the rear-hinged rising roof gives full standing headroom in the lounge area, while £450 will see a double bed installed in the roof, turning a two-berth ’van into a camper that sleeps four.

The kit list includes the essential blown-air heating, a 115Ah leisure battery and 42-litre fresh and grey water tanks. And a portable loo lives in its own locker and slides out for use, saving a trek across the campsite in the middle of the night.

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