If you turned your nose up at camper vans in favour of plush hotels before the pandemic, the chances are you’ve had second thoughts about them by now.
Right now, the NC500 is gearing up for tourists, keen to take in the sights of northern Scotland – and a home on wheels means road trips made easy. Campervan conversions are becoming increasingly popular with companies able to offer packages that convert anything from transit vans to trucks, with bespoke packages. However, for those who prefer a purpose-made camper van, what are the best options out there?
It’s really driven by the customer need, says Paul Cutress, sales manager at Highland Campervans in Inverness, which offers both rentals and sales.
He said: “Those that have previous experience are a bit more au fait in terms of what they’re looking for but there are many newcomers coming into the campervan scene who probably rely on a bit more advice and support.
“It’s really up to how many people are going to use the campervan, how often they’re going to use it, what they’re going to use it for and what sort of layout they want in the vehicle,” he adds.
“Each vehicle has different bed shape, size and structure, whether it’s fixed or whether they need to make it each night, whether it’s got WC facilities, cooking facilities and the like, so it is very tailored.”
So what kind of outlay are buyers looking at for their dream camper van? A rented or renovated van is significantly cheaper than new, of course, but if you’re looking for the tried and trusted models, these three may whet the your appetite for adventure.
Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo, from £58,130
If you’re going to do it, then do it in style. The Marco Polo sleeps up to four people and has two front seats that swivel all the way round to create a living space, with rear fold-down chairs to create a bed, and a pop-up roof to extend sleeping space.
In the cabin, a unit one one side has plenty of storage, a sink, stove and fridge, with a fold-out table. This model is based on the V-Class people-carrier and comes with elegant nappa leather seating, high end-finishes on the interior and a powerful diesel engine, to boot.
Ford Transit Custom Nugget, from £59,608
The Nugget sleeps up to four people and comes with an extendable roof to create sleeping space for two, with a rear bench that folds down to provide a double bed. The kitchen comes with a 40-litre fridge, gas-fired stove and sink, with a fresh water fill-up supply connected to an outdoor shower.
The spacious vehicle has a side awning to pop your table and chairs out on a nice evening (stored on the inside of the boot door). Like the Mercedes-Benz, it has swivel from seats that spin around to create a living room area. It’s reliable, too, based on the ever-popular Ford Transit model.
Volkswagen California Beach Camper, from £56,039
With a more traditional, tried-and-trusted layout the VW has a side-mounted furniture unit, rear-hinged rising roof and also sleeps a family of four. Another pop-up roof offers room to stand, with a sink unit (hot and cold water, a sink with hot and cold running water, a twin-burner gas hob and four belts travel seats.
The California includes lots of tech like climate control, LED headlights and a fully digital dashboard, along with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, a seven-speed DSG automatic and a four-wheel drive option.
Should you try before you buy?
With buyers expected to fork out around the £50,000 mark for brand new camper vans, the best model for many right now is the rented variety, taking preference over buying new, second hand or home conversions. And Scotland has become the go-to destinations for thousands of road trip enthusiasts attracted to the stunning scenery, beaches and coastline.
New Fraserburgh-based business Happy Haggis Campers has seen a significant interest in campervanning, with newcomers keen to test the water before they take the plunge.
“Probably about 85% of our business is first timers,” says Scott Duthie, who co-own the business with his father Graham. “We just started this year but as soon as lockdown lifted we have been fully booked until mid September, with enquiries coming in for the rest of the year.
“We’re getting young couples, older couples, and couples with their pets is quite popular, too. There’s something for everybody.”
Happy Haggis specifically focused on converted campervans due to their small size and ease of use for Scottish rural roads.
Scott said: “People are taking these big motorhomes who have never driven distances before – some of these things are seven or eight metres long, and they’re expensive as well. It’s a significant investment.”
However, renting campervans doesn’t mean abandoning luxury. Happy Haggis Campers also offers “boutique” foodie hampers from Anderson’s and No 8 in Fraserburgh.
“It’s been a long, long year and it’s a nice little extra,” says Scott. “Once they park up on their first stop, they can crack it open and then they know they’re on holiday.”
Campervanning Scotland
Morag Yule, owner of Cairngorm Mountain Motorhomes, agrees. She has seen an upturn in business with the majority of her camper van bookings coming from Scotland, and knows that for many, a campervan holiday is a safe bet.
She said: “We have a few first timers and young families but, out of peak season, we get quite a lot of older couple who are retired,” she said, and although most people have good idea about where they want to visit in Scotland, Morag has some tips for those about to embark on their first trip.
“Book in advance,” she says. “I get that some people think it’s a great adventure and won’t bother booking (campsites) in advance, but I see the stress caused by people pulling their vans into laybys.
“If they get somewhere and find the campsite of full, and then have to drive another hour, they’re hungry and they’re short of petrol – you have to be aware of that, especially in the Highlands where it can be quite a long distance between towns with petrol facilities, shops and a cafe.
Morag adds: “If you’d booked a campsite, you could have been there, got the barbecue going, had a glass of wine, all the things campervanning is about. It’s partly about the driving but it’s partly about chilling out and enjoying the scenery, too.”
Most campervans sales and rentals offer advice on responsible and considerate camping in Scotland, with additional advice from VisitScotland and Forestry and Land Scotland on overnight parking and proper disposal of waste.
“Ultimately, Scotland looks amazing but it’ll only look that way if we all keep it that way,” says Morag.
See: VisitScotland and Forestry and Land Scotland for campervan advice and a list of participating car parks that permit overnight parking.
