Adria Twin 500S

This high-top campervan can sleep up to four and still manages to include a full kitchen and washroom in less than five metres 4 travel seats False floor Onboard fresh water tank Full washroom Less than 5m long

The Adria Twin range introduced us Brits to the idea of a fixed bed in a campervan. This, the smallest yet, is a four travel seats/two berths high-top with twin sliding doors.

It's probably too small if you’re looking to downsize from a bigger motorhome. If you want a leisure vehicle that can be used for daily driving, or are a solo traveller, it will appeal.

The official £41,090 starting point here doesn’t account for the extra £1,699 you’ll need for the (essential) Driver’s Pack of air-conditioning, cruise control and a passenger airbag. But all 2015 Adrias get the Golden Anniversary Pack free of charge. That means you also get Truma’s Combi 4 heating, a TV holder, ambient lighting, a leisure battery and cab window blinds. Some of this should be standard equipment, but it’s all very generous.

The 500 S interior features Adria’s rather swish Titan furniture as standard, plus a two-tone black and grey upholstery that wouldn’t be out of place in a modern car.

The cab is familiar Ducato, but there’s no padded steering wheel, or leather gearlever trim. This Twin’s driving experience was interrupted by rattles. This seems acceptable in a coachbuilt, but not in a campervan or any vehicle that sells itself as a daily driver. But miles per gallon was a bonus. Most owners should be able to get into the 30s. 

The interior relies on lots of plastic mouldings, rather than carpet. Easy to keep clean, they certainly also add to the automotive theme. And insulation hasn’t been forgotten, thanks to a false floor (which means less headroom) and an inboard fresh water tank.

The single beds are easy to fold out, and are flat and give firm comfort. There’s extra boarding and a cushion infill if you want more of a double.

Excellent all-LED lighting includes four ceiling downlighters, ambient lighting over the top lockers and four individually switched reading lamps on adjustable stalks.

The combined three-ring hob and sink is ideal, if small. There’s actually some good worktop, thanks to the flip-up section on the right-hand side. At 65 litres, the compressor fridge is an acceptable capacity, although access is tricky.

The small shower in the washroom is not not one you will us regularly. But there is a neat flip-down basin which has proved itself in other Adrias. The biggest challenge is the bi-folding door which is tricky to manoeuvre.

Storage could be better thought out. The small wardrobe could do without the extra bed fittings being stowed in there. And having such a large gas locker onboard is a waste. An underfloor permanently fitted refillable cylinder would be more practical.

There are open shelves over each sliding door and the cab, and the lounge’s false floor is ideal for tucking away footwear - shoes, not boots.

There are three mains sockets, each accompanied by a 12V outlet. There’s no space for a spare wheel underneath, so you have to settle for a Fix ‘n’ Go repair kit.

What this conversion really needs are some more of the little details that prove the designers have got out there in the field. It needs coat hooks, wet towels and arguably even luggage rails at the back.

Filling a gap between VWs and larger high-top campervans, this latest Twin is a novel concept that could just do with a little more fine-tuning.