Full review

WELLHOUSE Leisure have a bit of a name for doing things differently. They were amongst the very first folk to bring you Mazda Bongo campers, followed by all manner of other weirdly named Japanese imports (Toyota Sparky, anyone?).

But not everyone wants an oriental chassis that they’ve never heard of, and not everyone wants a used base vehicle, so Wellhouse’s David Elliott hit upon the idea of a VW camper with a difference, using the Caddy as its base.

VW Caddys have been around for years, as the Transporter’s little brother and a rival to vans like the Citroën Berlingo, but this new long-wheelbase ‘Maxi’ version is not so little anymore.

In fact, it’s just a few millimetres shorter than the short-wheelbase T5 (basis of the Bilbo’s Celex and many others).

And the basis for the Wellhouse conversion is not a van, but the ‘Life’ seven-seat people-carrier.

So, that explains the lengthy title. It also explains the high-spec cab with reach and rake adjustable steering, climate control, height adjustable driver’s seat, remote central locking with alarm, electric windows and mirrors – as well as the high-quality trim in the rear, most noticeably around the windows.

There are more toys here than with either of our other VW campers – and that’s before you add in the optional privacy glass, trip computer and reversing sensors. The last item is near essential, though, as the high-backed rear seat blocks out almost all through vision.

Were it not for the little Reimo elevating roof, which sits a bit like a flat ‘at on a Yorkshireman, this Caddy would not announce itself as anything other than a sort of van-derived estate car.

The roof rather gives the game away, though, and it looks even more ungainly when up. It is finger-light to lift, though; provides masses of ventilation and can be raised or lowered in seconds.

Wellhouse are investigating the possibility of a longer, more enveloping roof but it all depends on demand and if it does happen it is likely to add around £1200 to the price.

Hopefully, it would also increase headroom, currently limited to just 5ft 9½in with the top up. This isn’t a camper for tall or well-built folk, though, as the double bed measures just 5ft 8in by 3ft 3½in. It’s easy to make and fine for one – I was comfy enough either sleeping diagonally or letting my toes hang off the end of the bed – but couples will need to be slim!

They’ll need to pack light, too. Wellhouse have lived up to their name and done well in building a successful conversion of a vehicle with as small an interior as this, but space is at a premium.

Narrow furniture units on either side of the camper house a 26-litre top-loading fridge, a flip-out single burner hob (which needs a clip to stop it tipping when it has a pan of boiling water on it) and a tiny stainless steel sink, plus some cupboard space.

The fridge is more useful than you’d think as it holds bottles upright and the hob is perfectly adequate for cooking pasta or soup, or just brewing up a morning cuppa.

And you can wash up with water from the inboard water carrier hidden behind the driver’s seat. There are useful elasticated pockets above the windows too, a deep shelf above the cab and a generous pocket in the nearside sliding door.

There’s also space under the rear seat for a thin double duvet and a couple of pillows but the boot area behind the seat is very small indeed.

If the rear seat were moved forward by about a foot then you’d have a useful area behind the seat to stow walking gear, an awning or whatever and access through the sliding door to simply get in and sit down (with the roof down) would be much easier. It’s an idea that Wellhouse would do well to adopt.

We like the Caddy’s style, though, and the fact that it looks and feels like a car. It will fit in most domestic garages and two can sit at the table for breakfast in reasonable comfort – yes, we tried it!

Even the rear-facing seats, using free-standing bases and leaning against the backs of the cab seats (which are first tilted forward) are better than they look, albeit only for kids or for short stints.

Wellhouse seem to have created a smart conversion, whose greyness is lifted by the beech trims on the worktop edges. Its biggest single weakness is the way the blinds are fitted on this example (the previous prototype had Silver Screen-type pads) – even when the blinds are raised they cut out far too much light and you crick your neck to look under them.

Combined with the optional privacy glass, they make the interior too gloomy.

This review was first published in the October 2009 issue of Which Motorcaravan magazine.

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