Verdict
Fun, flexible and futureproof, the Auto Campers Day Van is much more than its name suggests. You get a superb base vehicle and conversion for well under £40,000 – even with some must-have options added – and the modular furniture means you’re not tied to one layout. This is a genuine go-anywhere campervan as well as a fabulous daily drive.
Pros
Modular furniture you configure as you like
Fun and flexible
Superb Ford Tourneo Custom base vehicle
Quality conversion
Go-anywhere camper
Car-like to drive
Up to six travel seats
Cons
No washroom; optional Porta-Potti in a locker
Our test ‘van’s options put it up to £39,090
Roy Wood Transits in Berkshire has enjoyed a 45-year association with Ford’s iconic range of vans, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015.
And its latest campervan conversion, the Auto Campers Day Van, is every bit as adaptable as the vehicle on which it is based. Featuring modular furniture that can be reconfigured on the fly by the user, the Day Van is both super-capable daily drive and genuine multi-purpose camper.
Campers with modular furniture are no strangers to the market, of course, but what makes the Day Van stand out is its Ford Transit Custom underpinnings, or more accurately the Ford Tourneo Custom, the people-carrier version of the Transit.
Regular readers will know we’re big fans of this base vehicle. It’s great to drive – more car than commercial vehicle, with an ergonomic and comfortable cabin – but perhaps best of all, it’s very well equipped for the money and the factory-fitted options retail for real-world prices. This results in a campervan that’s affordable for more potential buyers, and we think there’s much to applaud about that.
Auto-Campers also offers a Leisure Van, which sports a fixed rear kitchen and storage unit along both sides of the vehicle. The Day Van reviewed here is a different beast, though, and can be configured from the floor up by the buyer.
The Day Van is both super-capable daily drive and genuine multi-purpose camper
Living
A lounge is formed in the row behind the driver, by adding an occasional table to a receiver in the floor. Swivelling front seats, a cost option fitted to our test ’van, helped make the most of this area, which, with the side doors opened, is certainly an agreeable place to be.
Kitchen
You buy the kitchen as an extra module for 1800 and it has metallic black worktops (not the grey shown in our test ‘van) and an exterior flip-shelf. The camping stove fits neatly in one drawer for travel, while the compressor fridge fits in the drawer below. Next to it is a tambour door hiding the fresh and waste water tanks. Below that is the Porta Potti! It’s an impressively compact arrangement.
Washroom
As with most campervans, there is no washroom, although you can always wash in the sink and use a Porta Potti in the privacy of the ‘van.
Beds
The optional roof bed was also fitted, making four berths in total. The roof bed is 2m x 1.2m. The lower double bed measures 1.84m x 1.16m and its configuration depends on which storage units are fitted to the offside; choose between a transverse or longitudinal orientation.
Storage
The campervan’s rear door opens up to give excellent access to the generous under-bed storage area, which is where you’ll probably want to put kit bags, bedding etc during the day.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 540 kg |
| MTPLM | 3000 kg |
| Shipping Length | 4.97 m |
| Width | 2.08 m |
| Engine Size | 2200 cc |
