Knaus BoxDrive 600 XL campervan

Base vehicle: MAN TGE Price from: £73,480 Berths: 4/5 Travel seats: 4 Length: 5.98m Width: 2.40m Height: 3.20m Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 333kg

Words & photos: Rachel Stothert

The Knaus BoxDrive 600 XL

The big news from Knaus this year is its VW Transporter-based compact coachbuilts – the high-roof Tourer Van and pop-top Tourer CUV. However, this similarly sized campervan, based on the MAN TGE (sister van to the VW Crafter) caught our attention, too, despite being more conventional.

From the outside, you can instantly see that it’s not just another high-top camper. An extra-high pod on the roof increases interior headroom and takes overall height to a lofty 3.20m but somehow its curved profile, sloping down to the rear, stops the XL looking ungainly.

The roof bed

Inside, there’s good reason for the additional height, as there’s a roof bed above the cab. At night, the EasySlide bed lives up to its name and simply pulls rearwards on tracks to create a lengthways double, utilising a fixed section above the cab. The upper berth measures 1.88m by 1.19m, with headroom of 520mm, so this Knaus is a true four-berth – something of a rarity in this class.

And, with the upper bed in use, the lounge below is still fully usable, but do note that a long folding ladder is needed to access the upper bed. A large wind-up rooflight above the bed provides ventilation for anyone sleeping there and, when the bed’s push back out the way, it offers daytime illumination for the lounge, too.

There are also two reading lights on flexible arms, which can do double duty in the lounge.

If you don’t need the extra berths, you can order the BoxDrive 600 XL with overcab storage instead (a no-cost option), but that rather seems to miss the point of the model, which does well to offer family-friendly motorhoming in a six-metre length.

The lounge

The lounge offers a half-dinette, with swivel cab seats and a wall-mounted table that has a pivoting extension to serve the furthest cab pew.

The forward-facing bench seat offers seatbelts for two and has a sideways sliding mechanism that creates more elbow-room for passengers when travelling. This area can also be specified as an occasional fifth berth as an option. More usefully, the bench seat includes Isofix, while the table has no leg to get in the way.

The kitchen

As with other models of this type, the Knaus’ kitchen unit sits partially across the sliding door. Here, there’s a two-burner hob, a sink and a fridge at the end of the unit facing the cab.

This appliance – a 69-litre compressor model – has a door that can open both ways, allowing access when dining both inside the camper and al fresco.

The washroom

The standard-spec washroom in the BoxDrive is an all-in-one affair with a basin on a pivoting wall that swings across to create the shower area.

It’s a practical design that makes good use of space and features large mirrors and an opening window. Alternatively, there is an optional ‘raumbad’ washroom (priced at £1,033) with circular screens that extends out into the aisle for showering, but this seems a clunky arrangement unless you don’t fit in the standard washroom.

The rear bed

The rear bed can be specified as an electric lifting one to create more versatile storage below, but some buyers will find the standard fixed bed is adequate. Both versions come with a dividing panel at the forward end that includes a step to ease access to the 1.90m by 1.45m bed. Flexible wand reading lights are fitted here, too.

The options

Based on the MAN TGE, the BoxDrive comes with a 2-litre 170bhp engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard. It’s front-wheel drive but an all-wheel drive version is available for an extra £3,729, while the £1,943 TGE Package adds electric heated mirrors, cruise control and cab air-con.

There are other options packs to consider, too, plus upgrades to the gross weight (3,880kg or 4,000kg) for a more practical payload for family tours.