Could Mini Clubvan be a cult camper hit?

The current crop of motorhome base vehicles are great. Frugal, quick and spacious, they have plenty going for them. But charismatic, they ain't. All of which makes me think that BMW's new Mini Clubvan could be a cult hit in the camper market. The all-new Mini Clubvan commerical launches at Munich Motor Show

Published: February 20, 2012

The current crop of motorhome base vehicles are great. Frugal, quick and spacious, they have plenty going for them. But charismatic, they ain’t.

All of which makes me think that BMW’s new Mini Clubvan could be a cult hit in the camper market.

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The all-new Mini Clubvan commerical launches at Munich Motor Show

Converting on such a small vehicle is not completely new ground. The 1960s Mini Wildgoose is one of the rarest variants of the original Mini with four examples estimated to be in existence. Doesn’t look much fun to drive, but it does demonstrate that a Mini can make a motorhome.

Other interesting tiny motorhomes include the Tandy Maestro and of course, the Bedford Rascal-based campers, but in these cases, style clearly wasn’t a priority.

Nail on a little elevating roof and fold-flat cab seats and you’d have a tiny, niche camper with a dash of retro cool. I wouldn’t want to tour around the world in it, but as a plaything for mid-life crisis sufferers, I reckon it could do OK.

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