Black Beauty – 4 berth 4WD Automatic VW Transporter

The simple essentials done perfectly―this is a true camper van. You're set for a comfortable camping experience, whether you're at a luxury campsite or off-grid.

We keep it simple and you get to enjoy a quality back-to-basics experience, with a fridge and 230V outlets so that you can charge your phones, cameras, PCs and most importantly the kids' games, all with renewable energy from the big solar panel on the roof. The van comes with a portable water container and gas stove that you can use wherever you like for that proper outdoor camping vibe.

This is the long wheelbase Transporter, so you'll find much more space inside than in a standard van, but it's still a manageable size for parking. It also has a wide rear seat, providing for three belted passengers, including two Isofix mounts. Up front there's a double passenger seat, so you can carry 6 passengers in total—a great base for the family camping adventure.

When you're on site you pop up the roof giving you a huge amount of headroom to accompany the big floor area, and the twin passenger seat at the front swivels, opening up the cab space by giving you a rearward facing settee. The sliding rear seat helps you to configure the space for your needs. This is about space to relax, not being cluttered with stuff. The table fits on a sliding runner. The rising roof has a large front window and ventilating fly-screens on either side making it light and airy. There's adaptable LED lighting in the roof.

The run of furniture topped by beautiful long wooden worktop behind the driver's seat houses the fridge, so that your refreshments will always be at the right temperature, and storage continues all the way to the back of the van with a variety of cupboards for your belongings. There is more storage behind and under the rear seat―this is not constrained by furniture and allows for long items to be carried if required, with clear space under the seat from the rear doors to the front seats. There's also a slim high level cupboard offering yet more storage.

When it's time for bed the top-of-the-range wide RIB bed at the rear is created by unfolding the rear seat―you sleep on a flat surface and the slim furniture allows a really spacious double. If you're feeling romantic you can lie back and gaze at the stars through the rear windows. Upstairs there's another bed for two, with plenty of length but probably best suited to children.

Our van comes equipped with water container, portable gas stove, a range of cooking utensils, plates, cups and cutlery and a chemical toilet ― everything you need to responsibly enjoy off-grid nights in the wilds, or perhaps an after-dinner stay in that pub car-park.

All of this is built upon a beautiful VW base vehicle, making the journey as exciting as the destination. With a quiet and powerful diesel engine, superb automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive it's a pleasure to drive, and you definitely won't get stuck on the wet grass of a campsite. Cruise control, climate control, USB phone connectivity (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay) and built-in GPS make the driver's seat a great place to be in charge of your destiny.

Expectation setting: Black Beauty has been designed to provide all the essentials without complexity. There's no fixed cooker or sink―there's a picnic stove you can use anywhere, and a bowl for the washing up. If you're thinking of going away off-season, there's no fixed heating system, and when you raise the roof, it has canvas sides. If you're tough all-season campers it be a lot more comfortable than a tent, but you'll have to get a mains hookup if you want any heating. And while a cassette toilet is included, there's no separate toilet compartment. But there's a full electrical specification, including a fridge and a solar panel so you can have extended off-grid living, including mains voltage electrical power, so you can charge phones and computers. The whole conversion is based on a top of the range VW van with automatic gearbox, four-wheel drive and powerful engine option. The long wheelbase chassis and narrow internal furniture provide much more floorspace and a larger bed than most VW conversions.