Hillside Buxton

Prices from: £45,995 As tested: £54,846 Berths: 4 Type Approval: Individual

Hillside Leisure’s range of primarily VW-based campers, all named after Peak District villages, has certainly achieved growing respect and a decent following.

But while the new Buxton – exclusively previewed in our News pages a year ago and unveiled to the public at last October’s NEC show – keeps the Derbyshire theme alive, it is more than just another conventional campervan. A lot more.

The supersized roof (which actually extends widthways, as well as upwards, above the original T5 roof level) will never win much more than quizzical stares, though it allows the fitment not only of an adult-sized double bed up top, but also a double floor in the rear of the camper with some clever storage solutions underneath. And the Buxton even squeezes in a cassette toilet and a shower, thus joining an exclusive band of VW campers that are fully equipped for wild camping.

Interior living space

Inside, things – up front at least – are conventional. The cab seats swivel easily (once they’ve been raised up on their height-adjustable bases) to face the rear RIB chairs, with a small wall-mounted table just about catering for two diners on the offside.

When not required, the table stores unobtrusively against the sidewall, but a second table will need to be provided for the Buxton to fulfill its family-friendly brief (Hillside will offer an island or cranked leg table on the nearside, according to customer preference). There’s no shortage of foot or legroom for four, though, and with well over 7ft of headroom you’ll not bang your head or suffer from claustrophobia.

When it goes dark outside, it can be as bright as Las Vegas inside with all-LED lighting pretty much everywhere. Convenient switches by the sliding door operate a pair of interior lights and the awning light, while more practical thinking sees a pair of spotlamps over the roof bed operated by touching the lights themselves. Dark wood-effect vinyl flooring is equally sensible, though this gives way to black carpet for the cab.

Kitchen

There’s still masses of headroom in the kitchen area, despite the raised floor, but you’ll be more impressed by what Hillside has managed to fit in here. On the nearside is the main galley unit with its

The top two drawers come with soft-closing mechanisms, while the bottom drawer has a neat trick to allow it to open past the shower tray. A cutlery drawer was missing from ‘our’ Buxton but will be added at the rearmost end of the galley.

Opposite the galley, the Buxton has a chest-height Thetford oven/grill – the one with the bottom-hinged, slide-away door that is so useful in restricted spaces like this. It certainly adds an extra dimension to campervan cooking – and Hillside says that it can fit a microwave above it (in place of the existing cupboard) if customers wish.

You might be wondering about the whereabouts of the fridge, though, which is neatly hidden on the offside behind a door that also reveals shelves for condiments, spices etc on its inside. The fridge itself has only a 50-litre capacity, but it’s a compressor type, so you can just switch it on and forget it. And below it there’s yet another generously sized drawer.
 

This is an extract from the February 2014 issue of Which Motorhome. To see the piece in full, order your digital copy here.

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Those of reasonably modest build will find that the Buxton successfully packs a lot into a T5, combining clever ideas and a high spec with car-like motoring