If you’re thinking of buying a ‘van that will also be practical for daily use, the best small campervan could be the option for you. Manoeuvres and parking are likely to be much easier to accomplish in a compact campervan, while navigating your way through towns and narrow roads will also be simpler.
These will be the best campervans for those looking for a ‘van with a short wheelbase and a nifty drive.
While once these would have only come to a length of five metres, the changing sizes of some of the best vans for a camper conversion have seen us change the criteria, as it is now open to vehicles with a length of up to 5.5m.
However, campervans of that size will still make great choices for those who prioritise a good driving experience, as they will generally fit into normal parking spaces. Despite their shorter size, designers also showcase plenty of ingenuity to make a space that can offer plenty of comfort.
At the Practical Motorhome Awards 2026, we’ve picked the Auto-Trail Expedition 54 as the best small campervan on the market. At 5.41m, it will be a nimble option which impressed us with its comfy rear lounge and a decent washroom, as well as being straightforward to park.
We also take a look at the standout small campervans we’ve seen in recent years, including ‘vans from some of the best van conversion companies in the UK and brands, such as Volkswagen, Bilbo’s, Wellhouse Leisure and more.
What are the best small campervans?
Shortlisted at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2026
Auto-Trail Expedition 54
Citroën Holidays
Panama P/10E
Our top picks from recent years
Adria Active Duo
Bilbo’s Celex HL
Ford Nugget
Vantage Luna
Auto-Sleepers Air
VW California Ocean 2.0 TDI
Bilbo’s Nexa HL
Wellhouse Leisure Trento
The best small campervan is:
Auto-Trail Expedition 54
- Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato
- Price: £52,595
- Berths: 2
- Belts: 2
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MIRO: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- Length: 5.41m
- Width: 2.27m
Reason to buy:
- A useful size vehicle from a well-known UK brand
Reason to avoid:
- It will only ever have two travel seats
The best small campervan at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2026
Auto-Trail’s Expedition range of campervans, launched a few seasons ago, has proved a real contender for those looking for the convenience of a campervan, but with the slightly extra room and comfort you get from a Fiat Ducato rather than a VW Transporter or Ford Transit Custom.
Up until now, however, the range hasn’t included a model based on the short wheelbase Ducato – something that, at 5.41m, would make such a vehicle easier to find parking spaces for, and possibly easier to use as a campervan for everyday use.
That has all changed this season with the launch of the Expedition 54, on just such a wheelbase. While it will be more nimble on the streets, the new van still manages to include a comfy rear lounge, a perfectly adequate kitchen, and a washroom that makes good use of the room available by having a large basin that folds up to give you access to the loo underneath. The shower is independent of the basin too.
Citroën Holidays
- Base vehicle: Citroën SpaceTourer
- Price: £55,695
- Berths: 4
- Belts: 4
- MTPLM: 3100kg
- MIRO: 2365kg
- Payload: 735kg
- Length: 4.98m
- Width: 1.92m
Reason to buy:
- The latest OEM model on the scene
Reason to avoid:
- Not really fully tried and tested on the UK market yet
Highly commended at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2026
Launched at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show in February 2025, the Holidays is the French motoring giant’s attempt to get on the Volkswagen California and Ford Nugget Bandwagon.
The Holidays, which also won the best campervan for solo travel category, is impressive too, not least in terms of the price, which is close to £20,000 less than you would have to pay for those other vehicles when new. Payload at 735kg isn’t bad either.
Built by Bravia Mobil – yet another van converter from Slovenia – the Holidays features the usual rear bench, including two travel seats, that folds down into a bed, and a side unit kitchen.
But it also features a number of innovations. That side kitchen, for example, can be completely removed, for you to take outside if you are dining in the open. The clip-on table can even reattach to it when it is outside. The cold water shower at the back also has its own water tank, so you don’t waste cooking water by washing the dog. And the tailgate door has an opening window.
Panama P/10E
- Base vehicle: Ford Tourneo Custom
- Price: £79,995
- Berths: 4
- Belts: 5
- MTPLM: 3245kg
- MIRO: 2780kg
- Payload: 465kg
- Length: 5.04m
- Width: 2.27m
Reason to buy:
- An eco-friendly choice
Reason to avoid:
- As hybrid campervans are still very new, it’s hard to see yet what resale price you might get
Highly commended at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2026
Electric campervans, even plug-in hybrid ones, are still relatively rare on UK roads. So full marks to Panama, still a relative newcomer in the world of campervans, for bringing out what is in effect a plug-in hybrid version of its P12 campervan.
The P/10E has a 2.5-litre 230bhp petrol engine combined with a 13kW plug-in hybrid battery with 11.8kW of usable power. It has an electric-only range of 32 miles. That means, of course, that it is fully ULEZ compliant, so you can use it to drive into the centre of London and other cities that have introduced low-emission zones – ideal if you need to double your campervan up as a commuting car as well. At just 5.04m long, you should easily be able to find a parking space too.
The other major plus point about the van is that it is based on a Ford Tourneo, the people mover version of the Transit Custom. So, as standard, you get three travel seats in the back.
In all, we found it very enjoyable to drive, as we named it the best campervan for everyday use at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2026.
Adria Active Duo
- Year: 2024
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 3010kg
- MiRO: 2387kg
- Payload: 623kg
- Length: 5.0m
- Width: 1.96m
Reasons to buy:
- A really comfy rising roof campervan from a trusted brand
Reasons to avoid:
- Clothes storage is at a premium
Adria has built itself a very impressive reputation for producing highly innovative campervans, and our winner of the best small camper van title at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2024 proved no exception. The Renault Trafic-based Adria Active Duo came packed with clever features, yet remains just 5m in length.
While it has since been dropped by the brand, we were very impressed by it at the time, and you should be able to find them on the secondhand market. What did we like about it?
Well, for starters, it has doors on both sides – simple, but this means that it’s really easy to throw them open to let the outdoors in.
It’s absolutely ideal for ‘van owners who enjoy, as the model’s name suggests, an active lifestyle: the rear bench seats can be rolled backwards and forwards to provide you with more (or less) storage space at the back of the vehicle. When you return to your campsite after a day spent cycling or walking, the exterior shower will prove useful for hosing down muddy kit.
Elsewhere you’ll find a gas hob and plenty of room for your gear; the bench makes up into a double bed, and there’s a further comfortable double in the pop-up roof. It also comes with a 42-litre compressor fridge, although the best cool box for a campervan could provide extra space if needed.
Full review: Adria Active Duo
Bilbo’s Celex HL
- Year: 2024
- Berths: 2 (roof bed optional)
- Length: 4.89
- Width: 2.10m
- MTPLM: 2800kg
- Payload: 400kg
Reason to buy:
- Provides a good driving experience and plenty of fixtures and fittings
Reason to avoid:
- The kitchen is quite simple
Couples who want a small campervan which offers a comfortable driving experience, good looks, and plenty of fixtures and fittings could find the VW T6.1-based Celex HL a tempting conversion to consider.
There is a whole host of options available to allow you to get the model which suits your requirements. As a HL, the easy-to-use side-hinge elevating roof campervan has a higher level of spec, so it comes with plenty of goodies, including swivelling cab seats and air conditioning.
Driving should be easy too; it’s less than 5m, so it provides a nifty driving experience, as you would hope from one of the best small campervans. Headroom is good when the side roof is elevated, too.
Ok, the side kitchen is fairly simple, only providing a two-burner hob with Piezo ignition, a 65-litre Dometic fridge and limited workspace, but there is space for an optional grill or microwave in a large drawer.
No washroom is provided either, but a Porta Potti can be stored beneath the comfortable rear bed, which is made up from the rear seating. Storage is also surprisingly good, and you could even possibly store skis or golf clubs in the space beneath the seats.
Full review: Bilbo’s Celex HL
Ford Nugget
- Year: 2024
- Berths: 4
- Length: 4.97m
- Width: 1.98m
Reasons to buy:
- A great little OEM van that makes more room for the chef
Reasons to avoid:
- VW Californias still seem to carry more cachet on the open market
If you are the kind of person who wants a small campervan, especially one that you can still use as a day-to-day vehicle, but also prefer an end kitchen because they usually involve more space, then the Nugget is definitely a van you should consider. It features an L-shaped kitchen at the back, with plenty of space you can move around in because the roof rises at the back too.
In its newest incantation, the back bench seat is heated too – so it should make a very cosy bed. The Ford Transit Custom itself is also a pleasure to drive – possibly the most car-like experience you will get driving a small campervan.
Vantage Luna
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 3190kg
- MiRO: 2648kg
- Payload: 542kg
- Length: 4.97m
- Width: 2.08m
Reasons to buy:
- A cleverly thought out campervan that is comfortable and makes a great day-to-day vehicle too
Reasons to avoid:
- Still a relative newcomer in the campervan market
This is the higher specced version of two rising roof campervans brought out this year by Vantage, a Leeds converter that previously specialised in high top Fiat-based van conversions that were mostly two-berths. Based on Ford Transit custom, the Luna makes for a very comfy touring van, and – with three belted seats in the back bench seat – an excellent day-to-day vehicle as well.
We particularly liked the way the cupboards in the side kitchen are cleverly designed so that they are still accessible whether the bench seat is in the most forward or the most backward position. Strange to say, that cannot always be guaranteed with some van conversions.
Full review: Vantage Luna
Auto-Sleepers Air
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 3200kg
- MiRO: 2300kg
- Payload: 800kg
- Shipping length: 4.97m
- Width: 2.27m
Reason to buy:
- Spacious, plenty of storage, portable toilet
Reason to avoid:
- No night-time lighting in raising roof
When we saw the Air, we were surprised by just how spacious it manages to be. Based on the SWB Ford Transit Custom, this is a small campervan that can sleep up to four, and is packed full of features, including a roof that rises on gas struts, and an electric step for the side entrance.
Another useful feature is the sliding bench seat, manoeuvred backwards or forwards as required by a locking lever.
To the side of the front seat sits the bracket for the steel table leg, with cab seats swivelling around in a circle arrangement.
The roof is simple to raise and lower, providing decent headroom and a comfy double bed in the evening, which is reached by a ladder. We should highlight the lack of night-time lighting, but are pleased to see the side vents.
A second double bed can be made up in the lounge – this is a comfortable and nicely sized space.
In the side kitchen, we thought there was a decent amount of storage on offer, and liked that it came with a Dometic two-burner hob and a grill, as well as a 45-litre Dometic compressor fridge. It’s a smart worktop, and integral lighting is usefully included too. In the cupboard, you can find the portable toilet.
One of our favourite features in the Air is the excellent storage on offer – the motorhome manufacturer has done a great job of fitting a lot in. For instance, the tailgate at the rear provides cupboard and a small wardrobe. The cold shower will be handy for muddy boots or mucky canines too.
Then there’s the 60W solar panel, a Webasto Air Tap 2000 diesel heating system, the LPG filling point, a gas BBQ point – the list goes on.
Full review: Auto-Sleepers Air
VW California Ocean 2.0 TDI
- Berths: 4
- Payload: 537kg
- Shipping length: 4.90m
- Width: 2.29m
Reason to buy:
- Smooth drive, stylish exterior
Reason to avoid:
- Driver’s side sliding door on offside
Another Volkswagen campervan makes its way onto our list, this time the California Ocean 2.0 TDI. When we tested it in 2021, we thought it excelled on the road with the seven-speed gearbox leading to a smooth drive.
An intuitive DAB+ navigation system and the heated front seats provide a comfortable experience on the road, while rear seating comes with decent legroom. We did think the driver’s side sliding door may have been more popular if it was on the nearside though.
Internally, you can move the seats back and forth as required, and access a large drawer beneath. We thought the interior styling, while fine, could have had some more flair added, especially when you look at that eye-catching exterior.
The roof can be raised within seconds at the press of a button, giving access to the comfy roof bed. The front seats rotate round to face the hidden table, while the kitchen comes with a two-burner hob, a fridge and a sink.
Pulling out the rear seats and dropping the headrests also lets you make up the bottom bed. There’s no toilet or shower included.
Full review: VW California Ocean 2.0 TDI
Bilbo’s Nexa HL
- Berths: 2
- MTPLM: 3000kg
- Payload: 759kg
- Shipping length: 4.91m
- Width: 2.10m
Reason to buy:
- Flushing toilet, good steering
Reason to avoid:
- Only a two berth
When we saw the Nexa, we were impressed – after all, this is a campervan that comes with a flushing toilet. Based on the T6.1 Transporter, Bilbo’s has opted for the Kombi version, which has additional body strengthening.
In the Highline version of the T6.1, the Nexa also come with plenty of features, including a CAT1 alarm, post-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, and more. Electromechanical power steering is useful too.
The kitchen is found on the offside, and comes with a sink, a three-ring hob, and either a mini-grill or microwave, along with a 50-litre compressor fridge.
Combining the swivelling cab seats with folded down rear seats gives two comfortable single beds, measuring 1.87 x 0.6m – there’s also the option of making them into a double.
The previously mentioned swivel-bowl toilet resides in the rear offside corner, and we found the raising roof easy to operate too.
Full review: Bilbo’s Nexa HL
Wellhouse Leisure Trento
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 3200kg
- Payload: 650kg
- Shipping length: 4.97m
- Width: 2.08m
- Height: 2.07m
Reason to buy:
- Clever design touches throughout
Reason to avoid:
- Height needs watching at barriers, ladder cumbersome if taken on tour
We thought this was a brilliant small campervan with smart design touches throughout when we reviewed it. The Trento came about from the combination of converter Wellhouse Leisure and the Transit Custom Tourneo.
The campervan layout sees a side-furniture arrangement, with a rear seat that can take up to three people. As this is on rails, it can be moved as the scenario dictates. The furniture unit comes from Tecnoform, and we like how it gives the ‘van a modern feeling, thanks to its glossy white finish and the radiused edges.
If you push the rear seats back and swivel the cab seats, you’ll be impressed by the floorspace provided, and there’s even a second table. We would recommend leaving the ladder for the upstairs bed back at home though, due to its cumbersome nature.
In the kitchen, a Dometic compressor fridge, a two-ring hob and a sink are all provided.
One thing to be aware of with the Trento – its height means it can be an issue if you need to get under a barrier under 2m.
Full review: Wellhouse Leisure Trento
How we choose the best small campervans
Practical Motorhome launched in 2001, and since then, we’ve been putting the latest releases to the test in real-world conditions. Every review we conduct is fair, and we ensure we point out both the pros and cons of every model we look at – visit our About Us page to find out more about our testing process.
When we consider what makes the best small camper van, we look at a variety of factors.
These include how well the models drive; after all, a short wheelbase should lend itself to a nimble vehicle, which can be easily driven around town and also fit into a standard parking space. These are camper vans which should offer no difficulties when being used on a day-to-day basis, especially if they come with fully belted seats in the back.
We also test the facilities that are provided on board. Just because you opt for a smaller vehicle doesn’t mean you should forego touring comforts, after all. For instance, are you relying on a Porta Potti? If so, is there a practical storage space for it which will be easily accessible? Does the cupboard it’s stored in open easily?
The ease of making up the bed – and how comfortable it is – will be considered too. After all, while there are steps you can take to make a campervan bed more comfortable, it will be all the better if they’re not needed.
We also think about how well the space works, looking at the design of the small campers. After all, you don’t want to feel too cramped in your home-on-wheels. Designers can provide plenty of ingenuity in these compact campervans to make your touring experience more comfortable, and these are signs we look out for. Take Bilbo’s, for example, which has found a way to include a proper toilet in its small Nexa HL, despite keeping the model under 5m.
We also run the Practical Motorhome Awards – here, our expert panel will select the standout new or substantially revised motorhomes for the season across a wide range of categories. When we combine this with the results of our Owner Satisfaction Awards, where our readers vote to reveal how they have got on with their ‘vans, including both the base vehicle and the manufacturer or converter, we’re in a strong position to select the best small campervans on the market.
What are the downsides of small campervans?
The best small campervans will provide a nimble driving experience, making it straightforward to navigate country lanes and towns, as well as being easy to park in a standard bay.
However, as with any motorhome or campervan, there will always be a compromise. And even the best small camper van will be no different. Due to their shorter wheelbases, you’re not going to get the washrooms that you get in bigger campers.
In these larger models, you can expect a standalone washroom and shower, which is generally not the case in a smaller campervan. Instead, you will generally (but not always) find yourself relying on a Porta Potti, and be limited to an external shower too.
How much of an issue this is ultimately depends on your touring lifestyle. If you’re staying at sites with good facilities, not having access to a washroom will not be a huge issue. In fact, some owners prefer to use the campsite’s washrooms, even if their ‘van has one – it’s very much a case of preference.
Written with contributions from Peter Baber.
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