Knights Custom Mountain Tourer rising roof campervan

Retro exterior combined with a two-room layout – in a T6.1

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Knights Custom Mountain Tourer

What a pretty campervan! It would be hard to have any other reaction to this stunning VW T6.1 LWB from Knights Custom Conversions. 

We shouldn’t be surprised, because this Lincolnshire-based converter has built up an enviable reputation for building top-quality campers with more than a dash of style. Here, it’s the Mountain Tourer conversion with a retro-inspired blue and white duo-tone exterior and stunning chrome/white wheels.

Inside, it’s equally impressive, with Powder Blue Nappa leather covering both the upgraded cab chairs (featuring much more embracing side bolsters) and the rear RIB Neptune single seats. 

Floor-level mood lighting, concertina window blinds and Corian kitchen worktops complete the premium feel.

But this isn’t just another VW camper with some added bling. Knights says that this rear kitchen layout has become its best-seller and, while others offer something similar on paper, the Mountain Tourer has some unique touches.

The washroom

Chiefly, it’s the sliding doors separating the forward seating area from the rear galley that are the USP, and these serve a number of functions. 

Firstly, there’s a bench cassette toilet (under a solid oak cover) in the rear offside corner, so these doors provide privacy. More remarkably, there’s a fully enclosed shower screen that can be erected in the aisle, so the back of the camper becomes your on-board washroom! 

Water comes from a 27-litre underslung tank, while hot water is supplied by a Webasto diesel-fired system, which also provides 5kW blown-air heating. 

The beds

At night you may only need a fraction of that output when sleeping downstairs as the doors also create a separate bedroom that’s totally enclosed when the roof bed is lowered into position.

You can also choose to sleep singly, or in a double. For twin beds, the rear RIB seats fold flat and your feet go onto the cab seats (with wedge cushions to make them level).

As a double, the front seats face each other (rather than facing rearwards) and the rear seats slide together (making a 1.22m-wide bed).

The lounge

In day mode, you have four individual seats and a central, island leg table. There are twin sliding doors, too – a real boon when using the campervan as a daily driver.

And, if you prefer to eat al fresco, there’s a pod on the tailgate containing a pair of outdoor chairs, and an outside table stores on the inside of one sliding door. 

The kitchen

The differences continue at the rear, where this Mountain Tourer reveals itself to be completely gas-free. So, cooking is on a Thetford induction hob or in a Bosch microwave/grill.

There’s plenty of counter space for food preparation, lots of practical (mainly drawer-based) storage and the under-mounted sink has now been moved to the forward end of the unit where it’s easier to stand. 

On the opposite side of the campervan, you’ll find the waist-height, double-hinged, 70-litre compressor fridge, with more drawers below. 

The spec

Of course, all this reliance on electricity requires an upgrade to the on-board systems, which here  include a Clayton LPS system with 3kW inverter and 160Ah lithium battery, plus a 350W solar panel with Victron controller. 

Other features include a Thule awning, mains hook-up point hidden behind the grille’s VW roundel, an exterior shower point concealed behind a panel below the offside tail light and flyscreens for both sliding doors.

Of course, all this doesn’t come cheap. The conversion-only cost here is £53,476, on top of which a LWB T6.1 van is likely to be in excess of £45k, depending on spec.

Where to buy

You can only purchase a Knights Custom Conversions camper from the factory near Spalding in Lincolnshire. Most models are built to order and tailored to customers’ individual requirements.

Knights offers a range of VW T6.1 campers – the Prestige Tourer with the classic side kitchen layout, the Mountain Tourer with a rear galley and toilet, and the Grand Tourer with its slide-out rear galley unit. Then, there’s the Custom Tourer on the Ford Transit Custom.

The company also offers bespoke builds on larger vans, such as the Mercedes Sprinter and VW Crafter.