Hobby Vantana K55 - Practical Motorhome

The rise of the van conversion continues for 2016 and now Practical Motorhome's Editor Niall Hampton reviews the compact Hobby Vantana K55 from Germany

Verdict

There’s a lot to choose from in this segment of the market, but the nippy and manoeuvrable Hobby Vantana K55 scores well with a value-for-money price including several options packs, good build quality and some thoughtful practicality touches. The removable bed also offers flexibility for active-minded motorcaravanners, or those who use their ’vans for occasional business applications. The space-saving washroom may be a squeeze for some buyers, but it does offer a full feature set. And to see other Hobby motorhomes for sale, click here.

Pros

High quality build
Rear fixed bed is removable
Good insulation
Plenty of storage

Cons

Small washroom
No oven

Highly regarded German manufacturer Hobby surprised many when it entered the van conversion market for 2015, with the three-strong Vantana range. This gives Hobby an offering outside the coachbuilt segment, where its Siesta range is well established, and to which Optima was recently added.

Producing van conversions is not for the faint-hearted, though, as there’s a seemingly bewildering array of models to consider, from both volume manufacturers and small converters across Europe. Competition is fierce, as you’d expect with so many big names vying for a slice of the cake and designing new motorhomes for 2016. And this segment certainly continues to grow, as seen at the 2015 Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf, where an extra van conversions hall was laid on to sate visitor demand for vehicles that are smaller, lighter and more economical to run than larger coachbuilt motorhomes. You can read more in our blog, Düsseldorf show: the rise of the campervan.

Hobby’s relative newness to this market requires it to offer something distinctive to stand out from the crowd. German brands can always fall back on build quality and appealing design quirks, but ease of use and interior ambience also figure on buyers’ wish lists. To see how well the Vantana formula works in the metal, we thought it’d make sense to scrutinise the model that presents the most challenges to its designers, the Hobby Vantana K55, which at 5.41m (17ft 9in) long is the baby of the range.

Hobby surprised many when it entered the van conversion market last season, with the three-strong Vantana range

Living

A party of up to four people can relax and enjoy the lounge area, thanks to swivelling cab seats that are upholstered with the same fabric scheme as the lounge. A nearside window and rooflight allow natural light to flood in; you can make it a tidal wave by opening the offside sliding door. LED stalk lights take care of artificial illumination.

The table follows standard convention by having a sliding section to reach out to the occupant of the driver’s chair; space is at a premium in this area but there’s still room to get comfortable during snack and meal times. Headroom in the dinette area, and rear bedroom, is 1.894m (6’2.5″).

Kitchen

With extensive real estate in short supply here, the kitchen has to be as multi-functioning as possible. The cooker and sink take this cue, being formed from one aluminium unit with a glass lid to lower for extra work surface. If more is required, then a tip-up flap on the end of the kitchen unit can be brought into play.

Apart from the two gas burners and sink, equipment comprises a 50-litre compressor fridge, tucked away to the right of two drawers which have soft-closing mechanisms. There’s no room for an oven.

Washroom

More multi-function thinking is on offer in the washroom, with the floor space having to be shared with the gangway. To use the washroom, you need to enter and pull the tambour door right around yourself, to shut off this space from the rest of the ’van.

Inside, the compact washroom is a model of space efficiency. A sink and vanity unit is located to the left, next to a cassette toilet on the right-hand-side. The shower head extends from the sink’s mixer tap, and a curtain pulls across on a U-shaped rail to prevent spray from contacting the woodwork. There is space to get dressed in the washroom, but the dimensions definitely favour people who are built for speed rather than comfort.

Beds

The transverse rear fixed bed measures 1.85m x 1.35 (6’1″ x 4’5″), tapering to 1.15m (3’3″) at its narrowest point. As the bed is removable, the mattress is of the multi-piece cold foam variety and has to be laid in sections on top of the sprung slat frames. When not required, these can be lashed to the bedroom’s offside rear storage unit.

A second, optional, berth, measuring 1.4m x 0.9m (4’7″ x 2’9″), can be made up in the front dinette, by setting the table on the lowest of its two supports and rearranging the dinette seat cushions. With this and the rear bed in use, the washroom’s tambour doors can be pulled out for privacy.

Storage

As you’d expect, seemingly every nook and cranny of the K55 is exploited for storage. Eight overhead lockers are spread around the ’van, with four in the bedroom and two above the dinette. In addition to this, there’s an overcab storage compartment with a door and handle, and a locker in the floor under the dinette table that’ll be ideal for keeping valuables out of sight.

The bedroom has a storage unit on each side; the nearside one houses the gas bottle locker and Truma Combi 6 space and water heater, while the one on the offside can be loaded from the top. With the bed frame and mattress retracted and lashed to the sidewall, the rear of the Vantana K55 is large enough to take bulky items like cycles and surfboards. A wooden divider can be inserted to close the space off; it has a hole through which long items like fishing rods and skis can be inserted.