Orange Campers Micro Camper rising roof campervan

A low overall height and equally low price make for extra appeal

Words & photos: Peter Vaughan

The Orange Campers Micro Camper

Orange Campers made its name with the Trouvaille Classique, a side kitchen layout in a short-wheelbase Fiat Ducato – thus offering considerably more living space than a VW Transporter. 

But when Fiat discontinued the 5m panel van, this Rotherham company had to look to alternative base vehicles, resulting in a more varied range that includes the Ford Transit Custom and medium-wheelbase Ducato as well as this, the Micro Camper.

As the Volkswagen T6.1 is in its twilight days and new-generation Transit Customs seem to only just be starting to arrive on the UK campervan market, a number of converters have turned their attention to the Renault Trafic as a well-priced alternative.

But Orange Campers had another idea and one that seems to have worked out rather well.

Micro vans

This is the Fiat Scudo, a van that you may know better as the Peugeot Expert, or even the Citroën Dispatch. 

Revealed in 2016, it was instantly acclaimed as having a nice, car-like drive but it has made few inroads into the leisure market. 

Maybe that will change as, with the Stellantis merger of Fiat and Peugeot groups, it now comes as a Fiat and Vauxhall, too. 

And Citroën has recently announced its own in-house camper conversion, called Holidays. We doubt that Citroën will be able to match the super-low starting price of Orange Campers’ Micro Camper – from just £44,999. 

The spec

This show model (built on a delivery-mileage van) has high-spec features such as a 360-degree parking camera and a 7in DAB radio/Apple CarPlay/Android Auto screen.

Then there’s 17in wheels (fitted with wheeltrims that look quite a lot like alloys), front fog lights and metallic paint, all for only £53,999 when we spotted it at the Yorkshire Motorhome & Campervan Show, Harrogate. 

That’s a considerable saving compared with Ford or VW-based rivals.

The dimensions

But maybe the name Micro Camper is slightly disingenuous. This is a small campervan but it’s no Nissan NV200 or VW Caddy. In fact, it’s a smidgen longer than a short-wheelbase T6.1.

Where it really scores, apart from the price, though, is in having a super-low overall height.

Roof down, it’s just 1.93m high, making it much more car park friendly than a Transit Custom, or even most VWs. It might just squeeze into your domestic garage, too.

The interior

Inside, it’s compact but offers more than the ‘Micro’ tag might lead you to expect. In fact, it’s a typical side kitchen layout with the ubiquitous RIB rear seat. 

Better than that, the RIB seat here is a lower one than usually fitted in VWs, so it’s much more comfortable (especially if you have short legs). 

The bed

It still has useful storage underneath (two drawers) and it has two Isofix positions as well as converting into a bed via the usual, simple RIB method. 

The mattress measures 1.81m by 1.04m (wall to wall width is 1.14m), so the bed size competes with many VWs, too, and it has a chaise longue position.

The kitchen

The kitchen, which is slightly L-shaped (deeper behind the driver’s seat) holds few surprises. USBs and a mains socket are provided adjacent to the worktop at the rear of the galley.

The Dometic two-burner hob and sink combination and 50-litre CamperCool fridge are exactly what you’d expect and there’s even a floor-level cupboard for a Porta Potti. 

Summary

It’s a pity to find the more commercial-looking barn doors at the rear (instead of a tailgate), but the storage space in the boot is quite generous. 

The wardrobe adjacent is a reasonable size, too, and there’s a steel box for a Campingaz cylinder in its base.

With a swivel passenger seat, reading light by the rear bench, table for inside or outside use, and a three-year conversion warranty, this camper continues Orange Campers’ reputation for good-quality conversions. 

But here you can add that the price is right, too!

Where to buy

Orange Campers is based in Rotherham but you can also see its vehicles at many of the Warners outdoor motorhome shows. 

If you want to try before you buy, it also offers campervan hire from £145 per night (minimum three nights).