We’ve used our decades of collective experience within the industry to choose the winner of the best van conversion over £50,000 at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2022, as well as the other standout contenders that are currently on the market.
You’ll see van conversions from the likes of Benimar, Ford, Pilote and more, as we select the models that have really impressed us.
If you’d like to find out more about the various brands that are out there, be sure to read our guide to the best motorhome manufacturers. You can also find out about the converters out there by visiting our round-up of the 10 best campervan converters.
The winner of the best van conversion over £50,000 is…
Benimar Benivan 122
- Price: £54,495
- Berths: 2
- MIRO: 2985kg
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Shipping length: 6.36m
Reasons to buy:
- Sunroof
- Improved bed system
Reasons to avoid:
- Only two burners in the kitchen
The Benivan 122 is part of a two model range that appears with different badging upholstery across a number of Trigano brands – not just Benimar, but Roller-Team, Chausson and Auto-Trail too. (The vans are actually made in the Auto-Trail factory in Grimsby.)
Marquis Leisure, which sells the Benimar version exclusively in this country, adds a fair bit of spec to the basic model, including a mightier engine, and sells it at an easily understandable price.
Although the Benivan has been around for a while, this past season has seen some improvements, including a better design for the bed platforms that now rest on a detachable metal bar rather than fold-out legs that tend to get in the way.
While kitchen spec is no more than average for a van conversion, we like the clever way storage has been treated so that you can get even quite large pans in here. There is only a two-burner hob, although we found it easy to clean, as it’s linked to the sink. A fold-up extension flap is also useful; it doesn’t obstruct the exit, and also provides adequate work surface, even if you have the door open. As well as this, there’s a combined oven/grill, 85-litre fridge and a mains socket.
Something we really like is the sunroof – it allows plenty of light to flood in, and ensures you have a nice and bright interior for touring in.
Read our full review: Benimar Benivan 122
The other shortlisted models for the best van conversion over £50,000 are…
Malibu Van 640 LE RB First Class Two Rooms
If you add all the spec it is possible to add on this van the price goes well over £80,000, but if you can afford it this is a superbly built van conversion that goes some way to making you feel as if you really are getting two rooms in just 6.36m of space.
Price: from £53,420
Ford Nugget
- Price: £62,736
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 3200kg
- Shipping length: 4.97m
Reasons to buy:
- An excellent drive
- Well-lit
- Good kitchen
Reasons to avoid:
- Not much general storage
When Peter Baber reviewed this for us, he remarked on how well it drove – in fact, he remarked “the drive you get in the Ford Nugget is one of the best things about it…we glided”.
Built by Westfalia, Ford’s new campervan has an end kitchen that we thought far surpasses the kitchens in other big name models. The roof bed is comfy too.
The L-shaped kitchen can be found across the back of the Nugget, behind the rear bench. You’ll find a two-burner hob, as well as a 40-litre top-loading fridge, while we thought the sink is a good size for a campervan.
During the evenings, you’ll be able to keep warm thanks to the heating vent located behind the driver’s seat.
The roof bed is made up by unfastening the clips that are used to keep it up with the raised roof. The bed is accessed via a small ladder and is a large, comfortable sleeping space. An additional downstairs bed can be made up by sliding the rear seat forward and then unravelling it. It’s actually bigger than expected, as it uses space under the sink.
However, the one area we thought the Nugget started to dip off in is when it comes to general storage. There’s a wardrobe in the rear offside corner that is reasonably sized, along with a bit of space under the rear seat, although you wouldn’t want to overfill this.
As well as this, there’s also storage under the sink, although we found this is essentially the only place for the pedestal tabletop and the accompanying chairs to go. As a result, there was only really room for something like a couple of sleeping bags, and even then, everything needs to be removed each night when you use the downstairs bed.
We thought the kitchen had better storage options though, including a cupboard, two drawers and a cutlery drawer.
Full review: Ford Nugget
Adria Twin Sports 640SG
A van conversion for serious sports enthusiasts (and those with a C1 licence, as MTPLM is 4300kg), this new model includes suspended beds at the back that can be removed to make way for storing sports equipment under a highly flexible rack system.
Price: £61,295
Pilote V633M
A van conversion designed for those who use their vehicle for their own pastimes, this comes with a higher than average roof that provides loads of headroom in the back for working on bikes, for example, or preparing dogs.
Price: £53,990
Dreamer D51 Select
Another new van conversion with a large double bed at the back that is designed to be folded up to allow for a huge area of storage, this model from Rapido also includes a clip-on rail on the outer edge of the kitchen so you can take the table outside.
Price: £50,400
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