Coolest campervan

WINNER Cargo Clips Castello

Base vehicle MAN TGE or Mercedes Sprinter Travel seats 2-4 Berths 2-4 Gross weight varies Payload varies Length x width x height 5.98m-6.80m x 2.02m-2.04m x varies Price from Around £100,000

We’re pretty aware that the definition of cool can be very subjective, making this one of the hardest categories to judge. We were looking for something with an indescribable quality that makes it stand out from the crowd.

So, meet the Castello by Cargo Clips. This Austrian firm is only just starting to make inroads into the UK market but a UK base of operations has been set up to expedite this.

The exterior is fairly simple but it’s inside where the fun starts. Instead of your traditional boarded walls, there are beautifully made wooden panels with evenly spaced holes; these are CNC routed for precision. Behind this is Armafl ex insulation or an eco-friendly sheep’s wool.

Then, the furniture of your choice is fi xed into place with extremely strong bolt clips of different shapes and sizes – these simply twist to lock by hand, or you can use a TX30 tool. It’s all very clever – and TÜV approved. You get to choose from various modules, including sleeping, kitchen, storage, fridges, showers, toilets and more. There are even sliding racks for bikes, or ski holders and kennel options. We love the fold-down cutlery holder and the array of brightly coloured felt-style fabric choices. Even the loo modules include unconventional options, including the Clesana C1 toilet, which offers chemical-free use and problem-free emptying off-grid.

One of the more notable options is a new pop-top roof, the Loft. Solid aluminium composite walls offer security and insulation and, as it’s not hinged but has hydraulic legs on the four corners, you can sleep at either end on a bed that measures 2m by 1.50m. The unit sits on top of the vehicle and all you need is a roof hatch to access it, via a ladder. So you can switch it to a different vehicle, at a later date.

All the wood is sourced from Swiss forestry, while every component is made in-house if possible. Seat/bed foam and fabrics are sourced locally in Austria, while no MDF is used and synthetic materials are avoided wherever possible.

Some may say that the interior looks too utilitarian, but no one can argue that, if this turned up on a campsite and opened its doors for the world to see, everyone would try and get a sneaky (or not so sneaky) peek at the interior while walking past.

What’s truly great is that this is a campervan that can change with your needs, whether that’s a growing family, a work-related requirement or a desire to head off on longer tours. Plus, the components are expected to outlive the base vehicle, so you could just get them swapped to a new vehicle when the time comes to update.

And that’s even better than being the coolest campervan on the block… 

HIGHLY COMMENDED 8 Ball XL

A surfboard strapped on the side, chunky all-terrain tyres on suitably butch wheels, raised suspension via a 60mm uplift kit, rear-mounted spare wheel… This camper out-posed and out-cooled every other that came to our special awards judging day for smaller converters.

But 8 Ball Camper Conversions’ XL is about more than just rugged looks. It’s also a practical camper that makes full use of the longwheelbase 4Motion Volkswagen Crafter panel van to create genuine four-berth accommodation along with a garage large enough to take two full-suspension e-bikes with 29in wheels.

It’s also a completely gas-free conversion, with diesel heating and hob, a microwave, 3,000W inverter, three lithium leisure batteries (360Ah), and 350W of solar panels. Combined with the four-wheel drive, there’s no reason to stick to campsites with this ’van, nor even a need to stay on Tarmac roads. And that makes it really rather cool in our book. Base vehicle VW Crafter Travel seats 4 Berths 4 Gross weight 4,300kg Payload 600kg Length x width x height 6.84m x 2.04m x 2.59m Price from £120,000

HIGHLY COMMENDED RP Rebellion 2

If you are after an off-grid camper, but want all the comforts of home then this über-cool model from RP should be on the list.

You’ll spot the luxury items – air fryer, dishwasher, induction hob, washing machine, microwave and two fridges, but the clever stuff here is hidden away to allow you to actually use your apppliances – a domestic-spec electrical system (with 75mm thick cables), additional alternator and 450W of solar panels, plus top-of-the-range lithium-ion batteries.

You get a compact lounge area at the front with swivel cab seats – no rear travel seats as this is purely a two-berth. The show model had an iMac mounted on a pivot bracket (so you can use it as a mobile office or as a smart TV).

In the washroom, the novelties don’t stop. The composting toilet looks like it's firmly fixed in situ, but a couple of clever pins allow you to remove it for cleaning or to increase room for showering. Specially designed side skirts encourage any niffs from the loo to be drawn away while driving, while the new fold-down basin has a waterfall-style tap built in.

Then, step up into a big U-shaped lounge at the rear, raised to enhance the garage storage below. It even has an opening tailgate for panoramic views out!

The quality here is simply staggering, while the luxury and on-board appliances give you liner-class facilities in a go-anywhere size. Just wow! Base vehicle Mercedes Sprinter Travel seats 2 Berths 2 Gross weight 4,050kg Payload 620kg Length x width x height 6.98m x 2.02m x 3.10m Price from £153,995 (demo model £195,748)