VAN CONVERTER WILDAX is riding high on the back of the huge increase in demand for campervans, caused by the pandemic and its associated lockdowns.
The West Yorkshire company has seen production go up by 25% a year, and partly as a result of that and its current application to build a new factory close to its current site in Elland, it is only making minor upholstery changes to its models for the 2022 season.
Unlike many van converters, WildAx doesn’t specialise in just one particular base vehicle. It might have started out converting Citroën vans, which still appear among its model line-up (including the Aurora, Constellation and Pulsar models), but these days, it also produces two models on the Ford Transit Custom – the Triton and the Proteus.
The Europa and Solaris XL sit on a Fiat Ducato, while the Elara is based on the Mercedes Sprinter.
The firm is also unusual in providing a wide variety of layouts, not just standard ‘VW-style’ floorpans with a rear bench and a side kitchen.
The Solaris XL has bunk beds in the rear offside corner that are 6ft 8in long. The Pulsar includes an end corner washroom, while if you opt for the Mercedes-based Elara, you can even have the option of an island bed – a rarity in van conversions. And it is 1.98m long. Alternatively, you could opt for two single beds that are 1.9m long.
While the Ford-based Proteus camper, with a roof that raises at the front, has a more conventional layout, the other Ford model, the Triton, has a roof that raises the other way, and so includes a washroom at the rear with a toilet that doubles up as a sit-down shower. It also has sliding doors on both sides, with a side settee that you can remove for day-to-day driving.
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Unlike many van converters, WildAx doesn't specialise in just one base vehicle