Project Yonder Freedom 4X high-top campervan
Description
Looking to travel off-road and off-grid? This new 4x4 campervan seems to have all the answers…
Key Features
Full Review
Words & photos: Peter Vaughan
The Project Yonder Freedom 4X
Project Yonder had already tickled my campervanning taste buds via social media when it made its debut at the NEC in February and this test campervan is the same one that made such an impression under the show lights.
Here is a young company, set up three years ago by Charlie Hughes and Grace Robertson, that aims to build the best in off-road, off-grid campervans based on the couple’s own experience of travelling in their self-built campervan.
It already seems to have come a long way from converting on Grace’s mum’s drive and, while the factory unit in Hastings is small, the ambition behind this £200k beast is anything but.
Initially, the Freedom 4X is available only on the seven-metre Mercedes Sprinter (customer interest dictates that a shorter model will follow), but the emphasis is on fully independent travel.
If you have food, diesel and access to a water supply (not necessarily drinking water), the intention is that you can be off-grid for as long as you like, Charlie tells us.
The Merc van might be familiar, even in this jacked up 4x4 guise, but Project Yonder has put its own stamp on it – everywhere you look you’ll find the company logo.
Despite this vehicle being described as prototype version two, it eschews bought-in components where they were not deemed good enough, so those side pods (to give extra width in the bedroom) are Project Yonder’s own.
Reassuringly, the vehicle is already type approved and backed by a three-year habitation warranty, while the company is working towards becoming an Associate Van Partner with Mercedes.
The options
The Moss Grey colour here suits the Freedom 4X well but any Mercedes shade can be ordered, while the contour lines on the sills (a £900 wrap) reflect those of Hastings and can be bespoke to your campervan.
There are over £30k-worth of options on this vehicle, nicknamed the Chairman’s Edition, including almost £8k spent on Dutchvanparts accessories alone (roof rack, side ladder, rear cargo ladder, cargo box and frame).
In fact, most of the Project Yonder options boxes have been ticked, including a 5.2m Thule electric awning (£1,635), VB rear air suspension (£4,380) and Truma roof air-conditioning (£2,475).
Judging by the reaction of onlookers, the appearance is spot on but this isn’t a take-it-or-leave-it design – details can be tweaked and, inside, the furniture is available in a wide range of finishes (here an unusual mix of pale wood and light green).
It comes with the Black Rhino wheels and BFGoodrich off-road tyres as standard but the Rigid floodlights front and rear and the Strands LED light bar above the cab are extras (£1,425 in total).
The cab
Where Project Yonder certainly hasn’t skimped is on the base vehicle. The list price includes the 190hp motor, nine-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive, as well as the 10.25in MBUX multimedia display.
There’s an upgraded alternator, Tempmatic digital air-conditioning, heated cab seats, a 360-degree camera system for manoeuvring, electric sliding door (which you can even operate from the central locking fob), wireless phone charging and a removable towbar.
The only cab extra is the electrically adjustable seats (£2,376), with memory function – here set so that position two is the one in which the chairs swivel easily.
On the road, those seats deserve all the superlatives, with adjustable lumbar support and extendable squabs in addition to all the usual variation but it’s access to the Freedom 4X that you’ll notice first.
These all-wheel drive Sprinters stand high off the ground but the AMP Research steps that automatically swing out under the doors on either side make climbing aboard as easy as in a 2WD model – they’re a £1,775 option that should be included.
That height also gives the driver an entirely different outlook, sitting at close to HGV level, but it doesn’t result in the lean and wobble you might anticipate.
This is a very stable vehicle and one that’s extremely relaxing, with great visibility, plenty of performance and the smooth automatic transmission.
We didn’t get to take this one off-road, sadly, but experience shows that the only real limitations when the Tarmac stops are driver bravery and the size of the vehicle.
Off-grid capabilities
So the off-road aspects are covered (a rear-wheel drive version will save you £11,850 if you don’t need 4x4), but what about going off-grid?
We stayed on a Caravan and Motorhome Club site for convenience (my expenses request for a tour of the NC500 were declined!), but deliberately didn’t hook up.
We pitched up with the batteries showing 95% and two days later they were down to 58%, and that’s without any input from the sun – the 300W solar panels that are standard had yet to be fitted.
Open the rear doors and, as well as the garage space, you’ll find the 24V Victron Energy electrical system with two 200Ah lithium batteries (one each side for weight distribution), so that’s a whopping 800Ah at 12V.
But you’re not restricted to 12V appliances as there’s also a Victron 5000W inverter, supplying the fitted mains appliances and the 230V sockets.
Should even that be insufficient then an optional (£2,795) Safiery Scotty 3kW DC/DC charger can recharge one of the leisure batteries from zero to 100% in an hour and a half with the Merc’s diesel engine just running at tickover. Of course, you can still hook up to the mains if you wish.
The rear storage
Inside the back of the Freedom 4X there’s also plenty of storage for your outdoor gear, with lockers on either
side for the small stuff and a well-lit central void (also reachable from the living area) measuring 1.40m deep, 85cm high and 82cm wide.
Adjustable lashing points, a three-pin socket and a hot/cold outside shower are all standard, while a heavy-duty pull-out cargo tray and an air compressor are options. Payload is 750kg in standard spec but only 400kg as tested.
Another option (stowed in the rear cargo box) is the Guzzle H2O Stream system that claims to filter any fresh water source (river, lake, etc) and make it drinkable.
That’s a £1,300 extra but standard are underslung fresh and waste tanks with electric heat blankets that operate automatically when the outside temperature drops sufficiently.
The tanks are protected by skid plates when off-roading and £595 adds electric dump valves for both tanks.
The interior
When the side door whirrs open and the step pops out automatically, you’re greeted with a familiar layout but a fresh approach to the design. There are only so many ways to fit a bedroom, washroom, kitchen and lounge into a 7m panel van but Project Yonder’s décor and top-quality finish give it a different feel.
Not least, there’s the marine cork flooring (as used on boat decking) which is nice to walk on as well as being durable and offering acoustic and thermal insulation.
The lounge
The lounge incorporates the swivel cab seats and here includes a Mobiframe rear travel seat (£2,440) with two ergonomic automotive seats that recline and slide apart for extra shoulder room.
As standard, the Freedom 4X comes as a two-person campervan, with a bench or L-settee in the rear designed to customer preference.
As tested, there are just two berths but Project Yonder will supply a Cabbunk or pop-top to give a four-berth option.
The table is removable and can be stowed on the overcab shelf. Plus, the lighting is excellent (including reading lights over the cab seats) and there’s enough space for four.
The kitchen
Adjacent, the kitchen is gas-free, so the standard cooking appliance is a Thetford two-ring induction hob. That can be supplemented by the Dometic microwave (£295) fitted here or an air fryer oven ( from £220).
It’s a very contemporary-looking galley with solid surface (Corian-style) worktop, including a flip-up extension and an outside table on the back of the unit when the door is open.
Storage is plentiful, with five drawers, a pull-out rack for tins, etc, and another slide-out containing two waste bins.
The sink is served by a chrome mixer tap plus a separate tap offering filtered drinking water from the tank and there’s plenty of room alongside for food prep.
Towards the rear, the full-height furniture includes a smallish wardrobe and, above that, a shelf for the optional Nespresso CitiZ&Milk coffee machine (£245), which even includes a milk frother.
Then there’s the 84-litre compressor fridge, mounted at waist height for easy access. Not quite so convenient is the microwave underneath, simply because the aisle here is just 55cm wide.
The control panel
Behind the food prep are shelves with elasticated straps for odds ‘n’ ends but it’s above that the really interesting feature is found – Project Yonder’s own control panel using a Garmin screen.
Claimed to be a first in the UK, this system is also mirrored on an app, although that refused to rotate on my Android phone, making the icons rather small.
Either way, you can operate everything from here – the awning, heating and hot water, air-con, lights (interior, including dimming and a restful evening setting, and exterior, such as the front light bar), and empty the water tanks, as well as monitoring battery levels, solar input and electrical usage.
The washroom
The washroom also feels quite narrow despite the full-height mirror on its door. Like every aspect, however, it’s well finished and breaks away from convention. Here, it’s the OGO composting toilet that’s a change from the usual cassette, with long-term off-grid living again being the reason.
This toilet (which requires sitting, boys) uses no water or chemicals and separates solids and liquids, while coconut coir or peat moss and an electric agitator enable the composting process.
The wee container holds almost 11 litres, which OGO suggests can be emptied down a drain or under a mature tree. The solids bin, meanwhile, has a capacity for 25 to 30 uses before being emptied via a bag. The unit is vented to the exterior.
The rest of the washroom is more as you’d expect, although you’ll probably need to sit on the loo to comfortably use the small basin, which is an integral part of the solid surface counter.
The best feature is the superb separate shower, which has a powerful jet – only poor drainage when you’ve finished lets it down a fraction and that is to be addressed in future with twin outlets in the tray.
The bedroom
Finally, there’s the bedroom with a 1.95m-long transverse bed made possible by those side pods (length without these is only 1.69m).
The ComfiCel Cool memory foam mattress is exceptionally comfortable, there are reading lights (with USBs) and a roof vent and opening window for ventilation.
Cupboards at just one end of the bed mean that you can sit up to read and your magazines can stow on shelves on the back doors.
The very tall will need to check that they are comfortable having their head in the 32cm-high recess and I wasn’t sure about the heater outlet at pillow height.
The bedroom highlighted the only Freedom 4X feature I really didn’t like – the steep metal ladder for access to the bed. Unsurprisingly, Project Yonder is already looking for a better solution…
Motorhome supplied by Project Yonder
01424 271121
projectyonder.co.uk
Insurance: £N/a
Tel: 0800 975 1307
shieldtotalinsurance.co.uk
For quote details: motorhome.ma/QuoteInfo
Where to buy
We saw Project Yonder at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at the NEC, Birmingham in February and it’ll be showing there again in 2025. In the meantime, you can view its demonstrator vehicle at the company’s factory unit in Hastings.
Our Verdict
<p>For Project Yonder to have launched onto the market with such an impressive vehicle first time out is a truly remarkable achievement.</p>
<p>There is real attention to detail throughout the Freedom 4X and its off-grid capabilities have been comprehensively dealt with by batteries, solar, inverter, DC/DC charger, composting loo, etc. It’s expensive but fully justifies its price with the spec and build quality.</p>
Disadvantages
