Westfalia Sven Hedin campervan

Berths: 2 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Volkswagen Crafter Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 535kg

The chance to test a Westfalia is always welcome as these high-quality ’vans are legendary. This time it was the latest Volkswagen Crafter, too. Unlike the previous model, which was produced in partnership with Mercedes, the new Crafter is a ground-up design produced by VW (built in Poland), in a deal with truck maker, MAN, so you’ll see MAN versions on the road (including Knaus motorhomes).

The conversion consists of front lounge/diner, central kitchen and washroom, with a transverse double bed in the rear. As usual, there is a huge storage area beneath the bed and this is one of the things that makes this the most popular campervan design in Europe. In fact, you can choose the same basic layout based on the likes of Mercedes’ Sprinter and the ever-popular Fiat Ducato.

With a chunk over £17,000’s worth of extras fitted, you’d expect the cab environment to be well specified...and you’d be right. Even so, the standard vehicle does well, with stop-start, front foglights (with cornering feature) and a whole gamut of driver aids including sophisticated traction control, hill holder and emergency brake assist. However, you’ll still need to order Comfort Package One to get a passenger airbag and stuff such as cruise control, electric mirrors and air-conditioning.

There may be no surprises layout-wise but, as soon as you climb aboard, it is obvious that this is a high-quality ’van. Fit and finish are superb, helped by features such as fully moulded linings and extruded alloy corner frames. The cab seats are easy to swivel and then there’s very comfortable seating for up to four. The table stows beneath the bed in the rear when not needed and it doesn’t weigh too much, so it’s easy to extract and set up.

The kitchen follows standard lines for this layout, but has three good features, with two of them obvious but nonetheless welcome. The first is that, to the right of the circular stainless steel sink, there is a really useful chunk of work surface. Below this, beneath the sink, the second good feature is a stack of drawers. The least obvious plus is the fridge – a 12V compressor type that consists of two drawers that emerge from the end of the unit. There’s easy access, plus the fact that it doesn’t impede anyone moving through the interior when it’s open.

Innovation or exciting design – call it what you will, the most unexpected features are in Sven Hedin’s bedroom. The Crafter is too narrow in the beam to allow transverse sleeping. Because of this, converters often graft on a GRP pod (where you might usually expect a window), which allows a longer bed to be installed. But Westfalia has gone one better with a hinge-out extension. This means the ’van remains at its original width until the bed is needed. Inside, the foot of the bed is hinged up, while the press of a button sees the extension deploy and the foot of the bed flatten. The result is impressive as a 6ft 6in double is created. T

As this is a sub-six-metre ’van you might expect the washing facilities to be rather bijou, and you’d be right. Corner basin, integral shower and swivel-bowl toilet are surrounded by superbly moulded wipe-clean surfaces, great lighting and plenty of storage.

The star of the storage show with this layout is always the large space under the bed. In the majority of examples the bed base can hinge up out of the way so that tall items can be loaded. However, this one does a lot more as the base can be lifted at both the front and the rear, which makes access much easier. Also, the whole bed base can actually be removed when needed.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read the full version and more in the May 2018 issue of MMM magazine. You can get a digital version of this latest issue of MMM magazine here.

The latest incarnation of the Sven Hedin maintains Westfalia’s legendary status as a maker of some of the highest-quality campervans money can buy. Great design (including the novel bed extension) and a really enjoyable drive make the Volkswagen Crafter a great match. This is a superb campervan, albeit at a price.