Best fixed bed campervan

WINNER Globe-Traveller Voyager Z

Base vehicle Fiat Ducato Travel seats 4 Berths 4 Gross weight 3,500kg (3,820kg option) Payload 440kg Length x width x height 6.36m x 2.06m x 3.00m Price from £95,995 (as shown)

This was, perhaps, the hardest category to judge. We looked at everything from Giotti Van models with super-keen sub-£60k price tags to the fabulous new RP Rebellion at close to £200k. In between there were plush, redesigned Hymers, as well the two highly commended models. So, it was hardly expected that a brand just launching in the UK would take the top spot.

Globe-Traveller is a maker of high-end campervans on Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer vans, but that’s where the similarity with other fi xed bed campervans ends.

The diff erence with the Voyager Z starts on the outside. This might be the longest, tallest Ducato (L4 H3), but it has a look of its own. A replacement overcab section with a smoother, more rounded shape allows more room for the roof bed inside. Then, at the rear, the van’s barn doors are binned in favour of a top-hinged tailgate for access to the large garage. Crucially, its clever design adds around 12cm extra length inside without making the Fiat longer overall.

Framed habitation windows are another plus, but the big news is inside, starting with a fl at double fl oor throughout that houses the fresh and waste water tanks and contributes to the camper's full winterisation.

The front lounge incorporates a pair of automotive-style rear travel seats with Isofi x. Not only are these super-comfy, but they recline, and the centre seat slides out to create more elbow-room. Adjacent to the wall, there’s an armrest, twin cup holders and USB ports. A table is provided, which can be stowed away in an underfl oor compartment, making for a more open feel.

Above, the roof bed hinges down from the wall and then slides out to occupy the full width of the ’van, but still leaving plenty of headroom for sitting below.

The upper bed measures a generous 1.87m by 1.48m.

The main beds are at the rear where twin singles measure 1.96m and 1.79m long (a French bed layout is also available). There’s the typical central cushion (1.30m long) between the beds, under which you’ll be surprised to fi nd a hidden wardrobe.

The kitchen includes a 90-litre compressor fridge, a two-burner hob and plenty of drawer-based storage, as well as a neat locker that can be accessed from outside as well as in. The table can be repositioned al fresco, too.

Then, there’s the washroom – complete with a proper separate shower. There’s the usual Thetford cassette toilet, a fi xed washbasin and a roof vent with fan, too.

The more you look at the Voyager Z, the more clever details you discover, while the fi nish seems exemplary – just look at how the woodgrain fl ows from one top cupboard to the next.

HIGHLY COMMENDED Knaus BoxDrive 600 XL

Base vehicle MAN TGE Travel seats 4 Berths 4/5 Gross weight 3,500kg Payload 485kg Length x width x height 5.98m x 2.04m x 3.09m Price from £73,480 While the big news from Knaus this year is its VW T6.1-based compact coachbuilts, this similarly sized campervan, based on the MAN TGE caught our attention, too.

From the outside, you can instantly spot the extra-high pod on the roof that increases interior headroom and allows room for a roof bed above the cab. At night, the EasySlide bed lives up to its name and simply pulls rearwards on tracks to create a lengthways double (one of the biggest of this type), utilising a fixed section above the cab. An option on the Continent, it has been confirmed this feature will be standard on UK models.

The standard-spec washroom in the BoxDrive is an all-in-one affair with a basin on a pivoting wall that swings across to create the shower area. It’s a practical design that makes good use of space.

The rear bed can be specified as an electric lifting one (£900) to create more versatile storage below, but some buyers will find the standard fixed bed is more suitable.

HIGHLY COMMENDED Westfalia Sven Hedin

Westfalia is the company that built the California for VW until the carmaker brought production in-house. It’s synonymous with quality and style, as shown by this Sven Hedin. The interior is a great mix of dark wood and white gloss furniture, complemented by automotive-quality rear travel seats.

This MAN-based camper has a classic fixed bed layout, with a side kitchen comprising of a twodrawer compressor fridge, a two-burner hob and sink. There is also excellent kitchen storage – all low-level.

The washroom also shines in terms of storage; a multitude of recesses in the wall have retaining straps so anything stored within should stay put.

The rear bed is very long, thanks to the pop-out section at the foot. Then, below, there's a large garage with a lift-up section at the rear. Base vehicle MAN TGE Travel seats 4 Berths 2 Gross weight 3,500kg Payload 498kg Length x width x height 5.99m x 2.04m x 2.67m Price from £66,500