What to buy?
Now that I’m moving into my ‘second childhood’, my requirements for a motorhome/campervan have changed somewhat:
One or two-berth
Not too big (max 5m by 1.8m or thereabouts – I drive a Jag XJ and I don’t want anything much larger than that), so that I can explore remoter areas and country lanes
Reliable (I would almost certainly buy secondhand – probably around 10 years or so old)
A substantial proportion of my use would be in Europe (so LHD may be acceptable and I may purchase overseas)
Basic kitchen and washing/WC facilities
Do you or your readers have any suggestions regarding which makes and models I should consider, or avoid?
Tony Perris
ED Based on the size you describe, a VW Transporter short-wheelbase campervan would seem the obvious choice – at 4.90m long and 1.90m wide, it sounds ideal and there’s no shortage of suitable vehicles on the market.
You say that you’re looking at vehicles around 10 years old, which would be a later T5 Transporter with the superior 2-litre engine (sometimes referred to as the T5.1 or T5.5). From 2014, the T5 evolved into the T6 and it might be worth paying more for one of these as its Euro 6 engine will get you into more low-emissions zones.
If you’re thinking about LHD, you’ll only find a very limited choice in the UK and you might be better buying abroad, though I can’t advise on the warranty/backup situation if you do this. In any case, it would be worth considering a model that has backup around Europe and nothing would beat a VW California in that regard, as it can be maintained (base vehicle and living area) by any VW Van Centre anywhere in Europe. VW sells a huge number of these, especially in Germany, so you should be able to find one quite easily.
If, for any reason, the typical VW campervan layout of the California isn’t to your taste, there are other UK-built VW campers with a rear kitchen (and sometimes a toilet, too). Something like a Bilbo’s Nexa would fit the bill, but you would have to buy right-hand drive.
Another alternative could be the Ford Nugget. Just a little longer and wider than a VW, this has a completely different layout but, again, would be widely available on the Continent in left-hand drive.
We have done video reviews of both the California motorhome.ma/ review212 and the Nugget, which is at
motorhome.ma/review250