Verdict
This is an impressive campervan that could double as your daily driver. There’s also the backing of a five-year warranty for the base vehicle and the conversion.
Pros
Everday driveability
Quality of conversion
Warranty
Cons
Quoted fuel economy
If you wanted a campervan that’s built to car-quality levels, then Volkswagen’s California has been your only choice for quite a while.
However, there may now be another option that not only matches the VW in quality, but seriously undercuts any VW-based camper on price. It also offers a superior warranty and tops it all off with a specification that’s little short of excellent.
We’ve been following Wellhouse Leisure’s work with Hyundai for a long time and it’s been worth the wait. This conversion is now in full production with plans to extend retail distribution from Wellhouse’s own base in Yorkshire to all corners of the country via Hyundai car dealerships, many of whom have said that there has been plenty of interest from potential customers. There’s also been a close collaboration with leading campervan kit supplier Reimo in Germany. First impressions indicate that this is a very promising newcomer.
It comes with a 2.5-litre engine and five-speed manual gearbox. Economy figures don’t look particularly special, but we’re quoting Hyundai’s official figures, which may well improve in practice. The colour-coded roof is a £350 extra. There are five paintwork choices – including Grey Titanium and Blue Diamond metallics as well as the Hyper Silver shown here. Items such as front fog lights and alloy wheels are standard.
Inside, you get a VW-style layout. It seats five thanks to a rear folding bench unit from Reimo that has three seatbelts and adjustable head restraints. A decent, flat, roof bed and a fifth sleeping berth across the cab are an optional extra.
The kitchen gets Dometic’s latest combined two-ring hob and sink, a SMEV oven/grill and a 47-litre Vitrifrigo compressor fridge. The hot water and heating is courtesy of Webasto’s sophisticated diesel-fuelled heating system.
Storage is better than you might expect in a vehicle of this size, thanks mainly to the easy access to the underseat area and the provision of a locker large enough to stow a Dometic portable toilet. Details such as the stretch material for the curtains really do help to put Wellhouse ahead of the game.
Technical Specifications
Payload | 650 kg |
MTPLM | 3030 kg |
Shipping Length | 5.13 m |
Width | 1.92 m |