Vehicle Specification - Custom 2.0L TDCI Manual
Time Owned - 1 year
Best Feature - Back seats / bedWe’d been looking for some sort or campervan or possibly a motorhome for years before we discovered there were Ford Transit campers available on the market.
We did most of our research via the internet, especially YouTube during lockdown, which is where we found a company called Wellhouse Leisure based in Barnsley who convert various types of van, mostly Ford Transits.
We opted for a Ford Transit Kombi campervan. 130PS 6 speed SWB with Euro 6 engine that uses AdBlue for reduced emissions and has some great features. It’s so easy to drive, it’s just like driving a large car.
Wellhouse have named their Transit campervan a ‘MISANO’ which we much preferred to the alternative that Ford do themselves called a ‘NUGGET’. The Misano had a much better layout, in our opinion.
Our van has a pop-top, which is hinged at the rear (the Nugget is hinged at the front). There is a mattress on a sprung base in the roof space and it is very comfortable. The rear seat is on rails. The official title is a ‘German tested sliding seat’, which means we can pull the seats up close to the front when we have our grandchildren in the back, so they’re within reach. The rear seats have three seat belts which are all 3-point type + Isofix. We can also slide the seats all the way to the rear door to give us more space when we’re sitting, eating etc. The seat folds out into a 6’ 4” bed in a way that means you’re sleeping on the rear side of the seats, therefore not on the seat belts.
Both driver and passenger seat are heated ‘captains’ seats’ so both have armrests and both swivel round. There’s also a fly-hand brake to allow for the swivel. We have a solar panel which works really well when we’re at a site with no EHU. We’ve lasted 2-3 nights with the 60w fridge on with no issues.
Lots of storage space plus a 60w fridge as previously mentioned plus a sink with pumped cold water, large fresh and grey waste tanks under the van. A two-ring gas burner which is supplied by the 6kg butane bottle contained within a purpose-built storage area in the rear. We also have a small grill underneath the hub which although we use for toast, we probably could have done without and opted for the extra storage space. We have a portable toilet which fits away into one of the cupboards. We prefer to stick a small toilet tent up next to the van and pop it in there.
There’s a Webasto Heater which also runs off the gas. It’s really efficient. We only need it on for a short time to warm up the whole van on a cold evening. We sometimes just use a separate oil filled radiator that we plug into the 13amp socket.
Wellhouse offer other options that we didn’t go for including a slide out awning, external BBQ point, external shower point, leather seats and electric sidestep.
We bought our van through a local agent in Hampshire (P&P campers) who were very helpful, but we have also dealt with Wellhouse directly. Their customer service has been faultless, and they resolved a few minor snags immediately with no fuss. They also have their own Facebook group for Wellhouse owners where people exchange ideas and answer questions for newbies.
