Incline Campers VW T6 rising roof campervan

A young firm with a passion for VWs, without the high prices

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Incline Campers VW T6

Ryan Hutchinson developed a love of VW Transporters while travelling all over Europe as a professional cyclist, racing for the British team. 

Already a trained carpenter, he then built himself a camper during the Covid lockdown but, when its pop-top failed on a trip to Cornwall, he decided he could do better. 

The in-house roof

Now, Incline Campers not only builds bespoke VW conversions, it has designed and developed its own roof. Here’s a converter that likes to do things in-house. 

Ryan made a mould for the top, bought a VW and had the roof and frame M1-tested at Millbrook Proving Ground – no small feat for a fledgling firm. 

Incline makes its own stainless-steel hinges, too, and says the whole pop-top has been designed to be “bombproof”. 

But this small company isn’t setting out to rival other campervan roof companies and doesn’t intend to supply rival converters. 

It will, however, fit its pop-top to your van for £2,650 plus VAT, excluding the upper bed but with larger daylight openings than most rivals (flyscreens each side, window at the front). 

Or Incline Campers will fit out your van as a full camper to your spec, or supply a ready-to-go converted VW. 

The spec

The example shown here was seen at the National Motorhome & Campervan Show, Newark, and is a typical example, crucially priced at £39,995 to be affordable to a wider audience than many campers.

Of course, that’s on a pre-owned VW, in this case a 2019 Transporter Startline with 44k on the clock and fitted with the 102hp motor and five-speed manual gearbox. Ryan prefers to build on Highline vans but this one had air-con and other extras, narrowing the gap in spec.

Then Incline Campers gives it a Sportline appearance, refitting the grilles after adding a gloss black finish and adding 20in alloy wheels and a rear spoiler. 

The suspension comes in for attention, too, with a 50mm drop and adjustment of the rear springs to ensure that the camper rides level. 

The interior

Inside, there are no big surprises – it’s another side kitchen layout because that’s what works, and sells, in this size of van – but Ryan is clearly passionate about his product. 

All the furniture is CNC cut and assembled at the company’s base on the Fens and, while this show vehicle had knock-on edging, he’s just acquired an edge-bander to move the game on.

Already the conversion has the popular RIB seat/bed (but always with Isofix), Vanshades blinds and dimmable LED lighting. A free-standing table is usually supplied, and stored conveniently on the inside of the sliding door. 

The windows

What you might not notice straight away are little touches like the flush-fit windows (normally with an opening one on either side) – not the ugly inset panes often seen on even expensive VW conversions. 

Externally, Ryan likes the Kombi look with unglazed rear three-quarter panels but he’s happy to fit full glazing if the customer wishes. 

The kitchen

The side kitchen is slightly deeper at the forward end, giving a small worktop area in front of the sink, which is part of a Dometic combination unit with a two-burner hob and twin glass lids.

The fridge is a 50-litre compressor model (CamperCool here, but Dometic units are also fitted), with a cutlery drawer above. 

Alongside, a large cupboard door reveals a shelved space with the steel gas locker and portable 10-litre carrier at floor level. 

At the rear of the galley is a top-loading cupboard (accessible with the bed down) and above here are two mains sockets and a USB. 

Then, more shelved storage is provided in the tall unit alongside the rear seat and there are top lockers over the window. 

The boot area is a decent size, too, and a Porta Potti will store here or under the back seat.

Where to buy

Incline Campers can be visited in Baston from Monday to Friday by appointment.

You can also see its campervans at some of the Warners outdoor motorhome shows – see outandaboutlive.co.uk/shows