Verdict
With a base price under £30,000, this is one of the most affordable campers on the market and you can add on the extras you want, taking control of your budget.
It has a surprising amount of storage space, and some thoughtful touches, with only minor drawbacks.
Pros
Hugely flexible
Good build quality
Cons
Price soon starts to increase as you add options
It’s rare to find a fully fledged campervan for under £30,000, but that is what Ventura has delivered.
By creating a campervan that customers can essentially build around their own specific needs, the company has managed to keep the cost relatively low and give buyers a real luxury: choice.
The standard, Peugeot Boxer-based model has all the basics: an M1-tested rock-and-roll bed that doubles as a three-belted seat, a swivelling cab passenger seat, Vohringer furniture construction (with a number of finishes to choose from), overhead storage units, and a leisure battery with inverter, smart charger and a control panel.
In the standard kitchen you get a Webasto Isotherm 49-litre fridge, a twin gas ring hob-and-sink combo with glass lid, LED downlighters, a 23-litre freshwater tank and pump, and a 23-litre waste-water tank.
Other standard items include a battery condition meter, two 240V plug sockets with USB ports, a six pack of gas bottles, a fire extinguisher, a carbon monoxide and smoke detector, a foldaway table, and a removable carpet mat in the cab.
The standard trim includes non-slip flooring that you can pick from a variety of designs, at no extra cost, and matching Magnetic Cloth trims on the rear seat and cab seats, with a variety of other colours and materials that you can choose from.
All of this is on the basic £29,999 ’van, but there’s plenty more kit that you can add on to create your ideal camper.
The ’van that we tested had a number of add-ons, starting with the external decal pack (£695) and colour-matched front and rear three-quarter bumpers (£595), and a colour-matched pop-top roof (£2995).
As well as the pop-top itself, which gave much appreciated headroom, the rooftop bed and mattress (£780) were added to provide an extra two berths.
If the rooftop bed isn’t in use, the mattress can be laid across the rock-and-roll bed to make it even more comfortable.
Our model also had 15in alloy wheels (£549), a manual side door step (£299), REMI windscreen and door blinds in the cab (£725), and a swivelling driver’s seat (£249).
The electric hook-up socket under the corner of the ’van (along with wiring, 25m cable and a smart charger) also cost extra at £595, but you can simply choose to charge the leisure battery as you drive and stay off-grid.
Other extras available include a drive-away awning, a diesel-fired heater, an extra leisure battery, a bike rack, built-in Wi-Fi, additional plug/USB sockets, a towbar and electric pack, parking sensors, a reversing camera, a portable toilet, a ladder for the roof bed and various furniture upgrades.
The ’van’s design is very practical, making the most of such a small space, with plenty of touches that make it all the more comfortable.
For example, the bed’s rear section can be secured in several different angles – great for allow you to sit and read a book in comfort.
There is also plenty of storage space beneath it, accessed via the rear doors. This is also where the table is stored.
There are a few little knacks you’d get used to with time, such as having to remove the rear-view mirror to allow the front blinds to close.
When setting up the bed, you need to remember to remove the headrests, and the release lever requires a strong hand – even more so when putting it back.
The Ventura is surprisingly well-equipped with plug sockets, and is a very well-appointed camper.
Technical Specifications
Payload | 869 kg |
Shipping Length | 4.96 m |
Width | 2.05 m |