Dethleffs Globetrail Classic 640 ER high-top campervan

This popular German brand now offers campervans

The Dethleffs Globetrail Classic 640 ER campervan

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

A world premiere in 2023, Dethleffs’ first campervan under its own brand name is now coming to the UK. Over the past 17 years, more than 55,000 campervans have been designed, developed and built for a number of other marques at the company’s Isny factory, but only now is there a camper wearing the ‘D’ logo.

In Germany, there’s a Ford-based model, while Erwin Hymer Group’s first fruits of its heavily publicised new relationship with VW has resulted in the Globetrail Performance based on the Crafter. 

Here, to start with at least, we’ll only see the Sevel-based campervans – that’s the Citroën Jumper (known as Relay here) and the Fiat Ducato, in 5.99m and 6.36m lengths. 

We’re promised that the full range of these will be available in the UK, but, as the line-up is quite extensive, you may struggle to see the version you want at a dealer near you.

As well as the different layouts, you can choose between Globetrail Classic – described as “for beginners” – and Globetrail Advantage, which is said to be “for individualists”. 

The layout

The model shown here is a Citroën-based Classic with the 640 ER floorplan. So, this is the longest model but with an entry-level spec.

Inside, you’ll find a conventional layout, with a half-dinette on a raised floor to level it up with the swivel cab seats. There’s a wall-mounted table with a swivel extension and the original Fiat overcab shelf is retained.

The washroom

What really marks out Dethleffs’ offering, though, is the choice of different washroom designs. There are washrooms with wooden doors or tambour doors, swing-wall designs to create semi-separate showering, or versions with a shower curtain, models that have a compact ablutions zone or one that extends into the aisle.

The 640 ER has the ‘Raumbad’ or room-bath, so it’s the one with the biggest washroom.

Twin sliding tambour doors hide the toilet area when it’s not in use, while a carpet covers the central shower tray until it’s time to hose yourself down. To use the space you simply slide one door around to meet its opposite number, creating a washroom with lots of floor space and plenty of room to shower.

The downside, of course, is that when the washroom is in use, the fridge is obstructed and so is access through to the rear bedroom. 

But the washroom here has other pluses as well as its dimensions, including an opening window, fixed corner basin and shelves with the practical addition of fiddle rails.

The kitchen

The kitchen is in the usual place, alongside the (offside) sliding door. It has a combined two-burner hob and sink unit, with the essential worktop extension at the end. 

The star feature, though, is three very big drawers, each with soft closing. To the rear of the galley, the 84-litre compressor fridge is mounted at waist height, while a top cupboard sits over the kitchen.

A little extra storage can be found underneath the half-dinette bench, where the base flips open to also provide access to electrics and the frost valve.

The beds

As you’d expect in a 6.4m camper, there are single beds at the back with two steps to make access easy. Mattress lengths are generous, at 1.90m and 1.95m, while widths vary, too – one bed is 72cm wide, the other is 93cm.

Windows are fitted at the nearside and in the barn doors, but, as top cupboards are mounted all the way around the bedroom, sitting up in bed is a little bit problematic. Reading lights are on tracks so you can move them to where you need them. 

The options

Options include a pop-top, 16in or 18in alloys, thermal insulation for the rear doors and a Zenec multimedia unit with sat-nav and reversing camera.

Where to buy

Dethleffs has 12 dealers around the UK, including BC Motorhomes in Scotland and 3 A’s Leisure in Wales.

In England, Bardsea Leisure in Ulverston is the furthest north, and Highbridge Caravan Centre and Southwest Motorhomes cover, err, the southwest.

Other long-standing Dethleffs retailers include Lowdhams in Nottingham and Pullingers in Essex.