8 Ball Campers 8Ball2 rising roof campervan
Description
8 Ball Camper Conversions has been converting VW Transporters into campervans for the last 20 years and this is its latest 8Ball2 model. Peter Rosenthal tries it out
Key Features
Full Review
Words and photos: Peter Rosenthal
The 8 Ball Campers 8Ball2
There is a vast amount of choice when it comes to picking a converter that builds on the VW Transporter, but you should add 8 Ball Camper Conversions to your shortlist. The company has been converting them for the last 20 years and directors, Colin Almond and Mike Hearst, are both highly enthusiastic about their conversions. More importantly, they actually use them, too.
They’re based in the small village of Little Weighton, near Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and have a modern industrial unit with plenty of parking outside.
Director, Mike, didn’t just throw the keys over, but took the time to explain all the aspects of the camping equipment in a very thorough handover. They are quite obsessive about how to fold down the pop-top roof, which is a good sign: detail-orientated people build the best campers. Mike’s enthusiasm for the conversion was clear to see.
Most of the conversions are bespoke and made to order – with a price list helpfully included on the website. This particular test vehicle was based on a Highline VW T6.1 and features a raft of tasty options. If you supply the van, the basic conversions start from £13,992, plus the cost of the roof and the options.
The base vehicle
The 8Ball 2 T6.1 version is the last of the ‘proper’ VW base vehicles, before it switches to the T7 model which uses the MQB platform and is a joint venture with Ford that will probably be built in Turkey. So this year could well be the last time you’ll be able to buy an all-VW Transporter.
Since the T5 model of Transporter, which appeared in 2003, various facelifts have spruced up the exterior, but it hasn’t actually evolved that radically. Nor did it need to as it was already a refined vehicle and VW has done a brilliant job of tweaking it over the years. The VW T6 first appeared in 2016, with the T6.1 following in 2019, offering restyled front and rear bumpers as well as a Euro 6 engine with AdBlue systems.
This careful evolution means that if you’ve ever driven a VW vehicle in the past, you’ll be immediately at home behind the wheel of a T6.1. Volkswagen’s ergonomics are among the best in the business and if you’re thinking of replacing a family car with a campervan, there are few easier campervans to live with. There’s a reason that the VW is the most popular campervan!
At 4.9m long, it’s similar in length to a luxury car and, thanks to the fitment of the Austops pop-top roof – which is pleasingly low – it can slip under a 2m car park height barrier, too.
The spec
This particular test vehicle is based on a Highline model, meaning that it comes with some useful extras such as air-conditioning and a heated windscreen, which is easily the best invention ever for a British winter and means you can throw your ice scraper away.
Highlines also gain armrests for both front seats – fitted with optional factory swivels in this case – a more tactile leather steering wheel and lots of comfort options, such as automatic headlights and wipers. The steering wheel itself bristles with buttons to control the multimedia system.
The safety features are enhanced, too, with adaptive cruise control, city emergency braking and front and rear parking sensors linked to the touch screen’s display. All of which will make it a very easy vehicle to live with as a daily.
On the road, the 110PS 2.0-litre turbo-diesel was no fireball, but it was willing enough up the hills and gave adequate performance. It’s mated up to a five-speed gearbox.
If you’re a family of four, or want to tow anything, then a remap would be wise. They remap to around 170bhp for around £500 and it’s well worth considering (though check your warranty and inform your insurer – most don’t charge any extra).
Compared to previous generations of Transporter, on the T6.1 VW has really nailed the refinement with well-judged damping and bump absorption, together with minimal wind noise and a muted engine note.
The 18-inch Calibre Five alloys are a couple of inches larger than the original wheels but don’t have a huge effect on the ride comfort. Combined with the rattle-free conversion, it all made it feel very premium and a pleasant place to be.
The interior
Parked up on Beverley’s Westwood Common, it was time to pop the top and explore the interior delights.
The first point to make is that the factory-fit VW swivel seats are a delight to use. Yes, you have to lower the handbrake to rotate the driver’s seat, but it moves smoothly and, more importantly, doesn’t alter the height of the seat when you’re driving the vehicle.
8Ball have done a good job of integrating the conversion with the cab and a flat floor leads rearwards. This has been finished in an unusual oak-style laminate that offsets the slate-coloured cabinets well to give a natural look. It blends well with the vehicle’s Pure Grey paintwork and manages to be both inviting and contemporary.
The RIB travel seat is 1.12m wide and offers two travel seats with three-point seatbelts, adjustable headrests and Isofix mountings for child seats. It’s a comfortable place to perch and there’s no interference with the roof, even for over-six-footers.
Pressing the 8Ball logo on the digital BCA power panel powers up the vehicle’s electrics and also switches on the habitation lighting, water pump and fridge power circuits. It has a neat LCD display that can indicate the time, water tank level, battery voltage and the internal temperature.
This is linked to an upgraded 110Ah lithium battery that sits under the driver’s seat and is also topped up by an optional 160W solar panel. Other extras fitted to the test vehicle include a Webasto diesel heater which can be linked to an app on your phone for remote operation.
Two dining tables were included with the test vehicle, including a sliding rail version with a single leg – stored behind the RIB travel seat when not in use – and a nifty iCamper Solutions Loc8 table that neatly stores in a moulded ABS door card on the sliding door. This system works really well and makes great use of the space.
Speaking of space, the actual cupboards of the 8Ball2 conversion must be mentioned. In total there are four overhead lockers, a shelved under-kitchen double-doored locker, a cutlery drawer and two dual-access lockers – one under the travel seat and another that makes excellent use of the wardrobe locker.
Cleverly, you can load this from outside the vehicle at the rear and then access it all when sat on the travel seat.
The design
It’s clear that a great deal of thought has gone into being able to access all the cupboards when the rear seat system is in both travel seat and bed mode. This is the sort of detail that many a newly formed ‘Covid converter’ would miss and is yet another example of 20 years of development.
Another example of great attention to detail is with the edging of all the cupboards. This is either edge banding (for low traffic areas) or more durable aluminium edging for the doors. Areas that are prone to damage by carelessly slung in touring kit, features rubbery edging so it can easily be replaced.
It’s well made, too – while I was picking the vehicle up I had a good poke around the build area and saw that the wiring looms were neatly clipped in place with P-clips behind the cabinetry. This will never be seen, but is always a good sign – converters that take care of the hidden details usually care about the quality and durability.
The kitchen
Kitchen equipment consists of a Sanjo compressor fridge – that offers 42 litres of fridge storage and an additional 4.5-litre freezer compartment – together with a Dometic 9222 twin-burner hob and right-hand sink unit. A small sealed gas locker sits at the rear of the vehicle, with the fresh water fill cap located just above it. The electric hook-up point is under the rear bumper, meaning that no holes have been cut in the exterior.
The beds
The Austops roof is made in the UK and pushes skywards with ease once the two straps are released. It features two meshed side windows for cross ventilation in summer, as well as a clear panel to the front. This front window can be zipped down to provide even more ventilation in summer.
The optional roof bed has been added to this particular model and it’s a useful 1.80m by 1.10m (measuring 1.24m to the edge of the canvas). It’s fine for adults and supremely comfortable thanks to the Froli spring system mounted on sprung beech slats for maximum give.
As there’s no plywood base to the roof bed it’s lightweight and lifts up easily on its gas struts when not in use. It’s easy to access it without a ladder too as you can use the driver’s seat and the edge of the kitchen worktop to step upwards. The only minor point to note is that the roof fabric is not blackout material.
LED lighting is fitted throughout the vehicle and circular lights fringe the edge of the roof aperture. These can either be switched on/off globally, or touched on and off individually. You can also touch each LED to dim it to your desired level, to precisely select the light level from ‘retina sear’ to ‘gentle glow’, which is a neat feature to have.
Downstairs, the main RIB bed uses a series of three levers to form a flat bed measuring 1.84m by 1.11m. As this Transporter has Kombi-style windows (ie no rear side windows), the bed area will be pleasingly dark at night and should be well insulated against winter chills and summer heat.
You can lock the backrest in several positions, too, so it can form a larger double chaise longue prior to bedtime or if you want to use it as a day bed. As you sleep on the reverse of the bed, the wear and tear on the seat trim is minimised.
With the tailgate up, it also doubles as a rear-facing seat that works well for sporting events, and the raised rear door provides useful shelter from the rain or shade from the sun.
The test vehicle also came fitted with iCamper Chair Pods, which consist of a pair of outdoor chairs that neatly stash in a pair of nylon bags mounted to the tailgate. It’s worth noting that these need to be removed before the bed will go fully flat.
Our Verdict
<p>The combination of an easy-to-live-with VW T6.1 base vehicle and 8 Ball’s practical and well-thought-out conversion is a marriage made in heaven. Just like the base vehicle, which has been evolved and tweaked over the years, the 8Ball2 has clearly benefited from the company’s 20 years of campervan experience and this one additionally has some well-chosen extras. This is well worth adding to your campervan shortlist. </p>
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