When looking to purchase a Camper van we understand it can be overwhelming at times, with so much to think about. With that in mind we wanted to help by writing up 15 FAQ’s that we believe will help you on your way finding your dream Camper.
If there is a question you are wondering and it’s not on the below list, let us know we are happy to help! Enjoy 😊
- What berth is the Campaway campers?
All our Campaway Campers are 4 berth vehicles, whether you’re choosing a SWB or LWB. The rock n roll bed will pull down quick and easy to create a downstairs bed whilst the lightweight elevating bed creates the upstairs bed. Both beds will allow two adults. If your vehicle has a double swivel seat, this will mean you can travel up to 5 people safely with seatbelts and if your camper has a single swivel seat, this will mean you can travel up to 4 people safely with seatbelts.
- What is the size difference between a SWB and LWB?
SWB means ‘short wheelbase’ measuring 4.8m in length and LWB meaning ‘long wheelbase’ measures at 5.2m in length. The main benefit you’ll find in the LWB is the extra space in the living area, which for some customers can make all the difference when you’re away as a family or you have a furry friend coming with you.
- How easy is it to make the beds?
It takes no time at all, the rock n roll bed glides down effortlessly! Pulling the seat belts forward to allow the bed to move, pull the lever towards the floor which releases the bed. Simply pull the bed towards you and just like that…. your bed for evening is made! To make it even simpler for you we offer electric beds, so with a push of a button your bed will flatten all by itself, how clever is that!
The elevating bed is on gas struts, it takes 2 seconds if that to pull it down towards you, climb up to the upstairs and gaze through the windows. This is the best spot to look out on your gorgeous view in the camper
- How long does the leisure battery last?
This really does depend on what you’re plugging in/using whilst away. If you are on a campsite and plugged into the mains electrics you don’t need to worry about this as your electric supply is unlimited!
If your feeling adventures and you’ll be ‘wild camping’ you may need a solar panel to help trickle charge your leisure battery whilst your static. You will easily get a night’s stay out of your leisure battery, possibly even two nights and with a solar panel this will be extended!
If for any reason your caught short, turn over your camper or go for a drive. As you drive this will automatically charge your leisure battery, so don’t panic, you’ll never be completly stuck!
- Where is the gas stored and is it safe?
In all our Campaway Campers you have a designated gas locker in the back where you will be able to strap your gas bottle in whilst on your travels. You have ventilation in the locker, so if it wasn’t connected correctly it will leak through the ventilation and not into your camper.
Whilst you’re using your gas appliances, we have provided a window near the hob where you are able to slide open, again to keep your camper ventilated making it safe for you and your family! Of course, before we hand over the Camper, it goes through our workshop to get its PDI checks, making sure its legally safe for you too.
- Will I be able to fit my camper under a car park barrier?
Campervans are being used more and more as an everyday vehicle, due to their flexibility and the compact size of them. Our Campaway campers are 2.1m in height, with the vast majority of car park barriers being between 2.0m-2.5m you’ll be able to park in most restricted car parks. You can enjoy travelling into small towns or beach holiday without a worry on where to park.
- Do I need a solar panel added to my camper?
This answer really will depend on how you want to holiday. The huge benefit of having a solar panel is that it will trickle charge your leisure battery whilst you’re static. Meaning your leisure battery will last longer and enable to use your USB, lights, fridge/freezer for longer.
If you’re going to be using campsites mainly and use the electric hook ups, we would suggest a solar panel isn’t something you would need straight away. When you are hooked up on the campsite mains electrics, your power in your conversion becomes unlimited, so plug away your laptops, phones etc and have a movie night in without worrying how long your power will last for.
If you’re wanting to travel a little further afield and explore more rural areas such as Scotland or Europe, we would highly recommend a solar panel for you. The solar panel gives you the freedom, flexibility, and confidence no matter where you end up on your adventure.
- Are Campaway Campers from Volkswagen?
Our panel vans are all bought from Volkswagen giving you the confidence and any remaining warranty with VW themselves. We source in vehicles with various specifications on them i.e. air conditioning, parking sensors, cruise control up to pre-owned/ pre-registered with delivery mileage.
Once we get the panel vans delivered, this is where the fun begins! Once the conversion specification has been decided, i.e. layout and colour scheme the panel van goes to our very trusty and highly experienced conversion company to get created.
We have 3 different conversions to choose from, one is an exclusive design to Broadlane called the Vista. Check out the article on each layouts for more information or get it touch with us today.
- Do all the campers have alarms on them?
This will vary on which camper you purchase. All VW campers will have a factory fitted immobiliser, if you purchase a T6.1 Highline it will also have a factory fitted Anti-Theft alarm system.
- Can you use the back seats whilst driving?
Absolutely, all our Campaway Campers rock and roll beds are all fitted with two seat belts making it safe for children and adults to travel in. All our beds go through a tough examination before being fitted into our campers. They must all pass and will come with a pull test certificate giving you the confidence of quality and structural integrity.
- What does T5, T6 and T6.1 mean?
These numbers indicate which series/year of the transporter was produced in.
T5 – 2003-2009 (pre-facelift)
T5 – 2009-2015 (facelift)
T6 – 2016-2019
T6.1 – 2020-present
To check out the current T6.1 standard equipment follow here -> https://www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk/idhub/content/dam/onehub_nfz/importers/gb/downloads/brochures/transporter-panel-van/t6_1-flyer.pdf
- What does startline and highline mean?
Now, this is one we get asked a lot! With the Camper world ever growing it can a bit of a minefield to when you’re first looking into it.
Startline – This is the base level entry of transporter. Please see below the specification of a T6.1 startline below. Image taken from VW T6.1 brochure
Highline – This is your higher spec vehicle with upgraded extras added as a standard. Your highline camper will include all the startline specifications on top of what’s listed below. Image taken from VW T6.1 brochure
- What fuel do these campers take?
All our Campaway Campers are diesel engines, most ranging between 1.9L or 2.0L.
Should you be worried about purchasing a diesel? We believe not, looking at the camper world its booming and doesn’t look like it’s going to be slowing down anytime soon! VW can’t produce the panel vans quick enough, technology such as AdBlue and diesel particulate filters (DPF) are designed to filter out the soot particulates and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.
Nobody is expecting diesel to be banned outright, although some urban centres are likely to outlaw the dirtiest models. From April 2019 London’s ultra low emissions zone came into play, which meant that if your vehicle did not meet the Euro 6 regulations a charge of £12.50 a day was added on top of the existing congestion charge.
The great news is that all T6 and T6.1 Campers are all Euro 6 allowing you to drive confidently into bigger cities without any extra’s charges. Modern diesel engines are impressively clean with sufficient exhaust after treatment built in to trap the nasties that give diesel a bad name. (Info supplied by carmagazine.co.uk)
- Are the campers manual or automatic?
The majority of Campers we sell, and stock are manual gearboxes, but we do get the exciting DSG gearbox campers in from time to time. If this is an essential for you, let us know if we don’t have any in stock or going through production, (they normally get snapped up rather quickly and don’t even make our forecourt) we can look at sourcing you one. Image taken from VW T6.1 brochure
- What’s the difference between barn door and Tailgate rear door?
The main difference between the two doors is the way they open. Barn doors are where you have 2 doors that open sideways compared to the Tailgate where its one big door that opens above your head.
It’s a very common question we get here and to be honest there is no right or wrong answer, it’s a personal choice. To help you decide what’s best for you, we’ve listed some pro’s and con’s to each one.
| Barn door | |||
| Positives | Negatives | ||
| Easy to grab things from the back, especially if you’re a heavy packer! Your able to sneak open one door grab what you need and shut the door quickly. Stops what you’ve packed falling out. | Barn doors open sideways, so there is no shelter from the rain. You would need to jump inside your Camper to avoid the rain! | ||
| Able to fit a bike rack that can hold 2 bikes | Not able to hold any more than 2 bikes on the doors, however if this was essential you can look at getting a tow bar bike rack | ||
| Able to open the doors with your bike rack on/ bikes on with no difficulty | |||
| Tailgate | |||
| Positives | Negatives | ||
| Aesthetics – This is a personal opinion, but the Tailgates look almost identical to the coach-built VW Campervans | If you like to reverse park or if someone parks close behind, you and you need to get something out from the back you may struggle! You may need to move your camper forward to get into the back. | ||
| Can be used as shelter for when those rainy days come | Tailgates can be weighty & if you’re stuck for height, it can be a small jump to get it back down again | ||
| Able to fit a bike rack that can hold 4 bikes – so great for those family day trips! | |||
If you have any questions, whether it’s your first time looking at Campers and want some advice on where to start or you’re looking for something specific let us know we are happy to help! 😊