A1 Campers VW T5

Berths: 4 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: VW Transporter T5 Gross weight: 2,800kg Payload: 500kg

There’s no shortage of converters turning VW Transporters into campervans, but A1 Camper Conversions of Oundle, near Peterborough, has some thoughts of its own on making campers that stand out from the crowd.

Many of its conversions start life as a white van, but a lower-half respray soon gives them a fresher, more leisure-orientated look. And, if you match the cupboard doors inside to the exterior’s new colour, you’ll have a campervan that breaks away from the ubiquitous wood finish.

The company gives you more choice in offering the popular and proven RIB rear seat, or its own rock ‘n’ roll seat/bed which it is in the process of having pull tested.

Likewise, A1 has ploughed its own furrow when it comes to roofs. Problems with supply of branded elevating roofs at busy periods lead A1 Camper Conversions to develop its own pop-top. The resultant roof comes with stainless-steel rear hinges and a separate deflector up front to cut wind noise.

If you go for the RIB seat, it can be used in two-person or three-person formats, as here. With a double passenger seat (on a swivel base) that makes the camper shown into a six-seater, while the wider seat also means a slimline galley and wider bed (1.30m across).

The kitchen here comes with a combined sink and single-burner hob in a neat unit that places a tiny draining board over the hob section when you’re not actually cooking. Go for a wider kitchen – or a long-wheelbase T5 – however, and you can have a grill or oven, in addition to a two-burner hob.

As for the design itself, A1 offers flush-fitting or (cheaper) surface-mounted cupboard doors and the painted finish can even include a sparkle. Then there are the worktops – real wood in beech or oak is a popular choice.

Base vehicles for conversion can be supplied by the customer but rarely are as the company says it can source used VW Transporters at trade prices, saving you money. Typically, it uses VW vans up to three years old and the finished campers sell in the £25k to £35k price range. The example seen here – marked up at £31,495 – was a 65-plate base vehicle with 43k miles on the clock. With silver metallic paint and air-con, it ticks the boxes for the two most desirable options.

Want to add a bit of bling? A1 says it has 30 different sets of load-rated wheels and tyres to choose from.

But it doesn’t just convert VWs, offering conversions on the Ford Transit Custom, too. And, if you prefer a rear kitchen layout in your VW, then it has that option covered as well. It has even sold campervans with built-in dog cages, so, if you have a specific requirement in your new camper, it’s worth asking.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the July 2017 issue of What Motorhome magazine.

You can get a digital version of this latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.