@@MotorhomeCampervanTrue, but it doesn’t make it right though! A brand new Trafic is about 30k. Since covid the supply vs demand has gone through the roof. Manufacturers and conversion companies are charging these prices simply because they can.
A very discrete looking van. You wouldn't think there was a pop top roof fitted. Lots of compromises on camper vans. There's never the right balance, but this one isn't showy and looks capable to do the job and the bonus of getting under height barriers. Great video 👍
At not much under £80,000, it simply doesn't make financial sense to choose this over a California with a proven track record of holding it's value. There are a number of competitors to the Cali that offer something new - I like the Nugget's layout - but are subject to more depreciation. I think the only way manufacturers can compete right now is not trying to sell their vans for £77,000!!
If you like this layout - with single beds and a cassette toilet - you're probably not in the market for a Cali. As a top-quality, type approved conversion, it should still have a good residual value, too, even if can't match a California on that front
@@toddy505 Lots of converters do this type of conversion on the VW T6.1, including CMC (see their Multi-Style). It's much more unusual to see this layout in a Renault or Ford
Like the kit in in this one. Perfect day van. Good for nights away also if not having a shower inside bothers you. Fantastic to hear of a rattle free van. It’s my biggest bugbear with the industry. I think the conversions themselves should be rattle free tbh Wonder if prices will come down or if that’s the way it is. I suppose supply and demand may play a part but maybe not. Hopefully there is deals to be had
@@davescampervanadventures3197 Can't see list prices coming down, although price rises are slowing. Much of the increase has been down to chassis manufacturers - base vans are SO expensive now.
Imported my Nissan Elgrand from Japan for £8200 all in with full service and 36k miles. The Elgrand van is a luxurious people carrier with things like full leather interior, selectable 4x4 with electronic diff locks and climbing modes etc, 250bhp V6, Bose sound system, full 360 degrees surround cameras for parking and sentinal security, electric twin sliding doors, twin electric drop down TV's, adjustable air ride suspension etc etc. I have done the conversion myself, so all in cost of about £13000. Completely ludicrous that anyone would pay upwards of £80k for a camper, with some VW's in excess of £120k.
You're comparing a vehicle that's at least 10 years old and with a DIY conversion with something professionally built (and type approved to ensure its safety). Hardly a fair comparison. However, we do plan to look at a conversion on one of the Japanese imports soon - although, professionally converted they are usually £25-35k even on a used base vehicle
@@MotorhomeCampervan with respect I think you have missed my point, being that both are campers and one is a far superior base vehicle costing only a fraction of the other and both are equally proficient as a camping leisure vehicle. So why waste £55000 on the vehicle you are talking about, its complete nonsense. As it happens I have just completed a purchase on another Elgrand which I am converting to sell. You are welcome to review mine once complete along with a segment of what you will do woth the money you have saved over say a VW or similar.. I be happy for you to document the process from Japanese auction purchase to on the road camper.... Happy camping
@@teaforthree1 Absolutely do, 3.5L V6 sounds wonderfully glorious at full chat, yet silent at tickover with a satisfying rumble when driving normally. A diesel VW or Ford just sounds non-binary in comparison 😉
Another fantastic review of a very nice van , I have always liked the Renault . It is such a shame that prices have risen so high , it is not so many years ago that you could buy an a class motorhome for that kind of money. It does not bode well for the future of our hobby if prices continue to escalate, young families can not afford that sort of outlay. 👍
Good reveiw Pete, always liked your reveiws. I am a Renault man, always feel you get more for your money . But the price of this conversion is way beyond campervan money, for that price you could get a you could get a large coachbuilt.
That's always the case. Pop-top campers often cost more than big (entry-level) coachbuilts but they are much more expensive to build and offer daily driver versatility. My VW was expensive but I wouldn't swap it for a coachbuilt that wouldn't fit down Cornish lanes....
Will they want a VW as much when the new van is the same as a Ford underneath? Not every buyer is badge-obsessed anyway - witness the success of Transit Custom campervans
Having commissioned a T6 LWB conversion and owned a new 2019 Cali, I can see the advantages of this van but to perused me in to a Renault it would need to be cheaper. Interesting times in this sector as the T6.1 production comes to an end and it's replacement is rumoured to be smaller. Great review as always Pete, oh and my CV40 has arrived after nearly 2 years. Cheers K.
@@stevenhearnden6103 I prefer the look of the transporter to be honest it’s subjective. But also they cost a bit more much hold their value better so that’s a big consideration
Great review, i drive a traffic daily and plan on getting another one to do my own conversion on. Lovely vanbut too rich for my bloody. Thank for the upload.
Peter is probably the only guy that likes this van. For camping it’s a weekender only. Having to kick the bottom doors to access the toilet??!! Doesn’t compare very well to the 5.4m Consort motorhomes van that’s got a proper kitchen , bathroom, huge capacity fridge, more water and gas capacity- I could go on and on Sorry I rate this 10/100
Someone else liked it so much they bought the demo within a couple of days of this video going live! Consort make a nice 'van but it's comparing apples with oranges. Their conversion has only two belted seats and is 2.6m high, so not great as a daily driver. And the Renault is so much nicer to drive than a Fiat.
Does sound expensive for what it is,but better than the vdubs. The downstairs beds look hard to me , similar to the Rib ones which I found to hard for a side sleeper even with a duvalay . Not sure what is the point of a hot water boiler when you only have a tiny sink to feed, but the toilet is good, increases your options for sites to stay on but I think a bit larger sink would be better for having a quick wash in , and it does look possible without losing to much worktop space.
we are going for a caravette, thought of a VW but £64,000 new that Renault is great and you can get it in a height limit car park, want to travel a lot and have a bacon sandwich and a cuppa now and again !. the toilet and wash basin is useful, exellent video. my brother would be buying it probably for round about £30 - £45,000 allowed.
Thank you What's wrong with the Tour-CL? It compares well with rivals such as the Nugget Plus - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oiRYuiPG4bw.html
Hi Peter great review once again. It's very similar layout to the conversion i built for Andrew and Rona Bromley (VW T6) Have you seen Landseer Leisure's Ford Transit Custom Campervan? I have a few reviews on my channel of them. Great video 👍👍
5 or 6k more for a VW over a Renault seems a very fair price, however, that is silly money for a small camper. At some point customers will just dry up
The Symbol has always been a strong seller and is still in the Auto-Sleeper range after all these years, but different layouts suit different needs, of course
The really sad thing is that for that price I get a proper camper van (from various French manufacturers) and even some slightly bigger camper vans from well known manufacturers like Swift Voyager (from £66,000) or Swift Select Compact (from £63,000). For £71,000 I get a proper Roller with a real bathroom and much more convenient layout on Fiat Ducato.
Why is bigger better? Try taking the kids to school in a 7.5m coachbuilt... Or fitting a big motorhome down Cornish lanes with grass growing down the middle... Or parking where height barriers proliferate... I'll have a bigger 'van, perhaps, when I retire but pop-top campers suit a lot of buyers.
Far better than squeezing into an expensive VW and you don't sit in the middle of the lounge to use the loo (which is also available when the bed is made up) and you can still access the kitchen & fridge for making bacon butties while your other half has a lie in. However, for around the same money you could get a high top van conversion (much warmer than a pop top in winter) with a fixed bed and dedicated shower room. If your camper isn't going to be a daily driver the high top makes far more sense but if you need to do the school run then maybe the pop top is the way to go).
This model is also available with a Renault factory high roof but I think most will want it to look/feel more car-like with the pop-top. Totally get what you're saying about winter use, though - horses for courses...
@@donandhiscampervan Other than poorer MPG, the number one disadvantage is the dreaded height barrier on car park entrances. Also you need to be aware of low branches that might take out your skylights (a new one with the silicone to fit it comes in at around £85 - don't ask me how I know).
@@MotorhomeCampervan That isn't allowed on itself. The sleeping arrangements must be made without front cabin seats. On top of this the swifel seats need factory approval when the belts are attached to these too. To make it complicated. When one would have a pop top sleeping arrangement, for two, that covers the camper van approval. Disregard the Reimo seats there.
It’s funny to see how he tries to sell a disadvantage as an advantage. Two sliding doors is first of all an additional point of entry (for thieves) and a Limitation in layout. It’s nice to have a toilet but the layout of the van is not really convenient to me. The VW California is definitely more expensive but the Lay-out much more convenient and I still could put in a portable toilet (even if the “room” for the business would be missing.
If thieves want your 'van it won't the slightest difference how many doors there are! I, personally, prefer the California-type layout. I've owned a Cali and now have a HemBil Urban, but if you want single beds or a kitchen that's separate from the living area or a more private loo, then this layout wins.
Go back to the 1970s and there were several makes of roof that went straight up, now they're mostly front or rear-hinged (a few are side-hinged, like Bilbo's or the original Dormobile). As converters buy their roofs in from the likes of Reimo and SCA (these two are the best), they are stuck with what's on the market.
@MotorhomeCampervan pay per mile will get you in the wallet when your out in the countryside, most people that have a van live in the towns and cities, so you'll have to pay to leave and when you come back too.
Personally I don't see where close to 80 grand gets you. There's nothing really special that pops out and at these prices I would expect a bit more glitz and glam. With regards to what others have said about residual values and losses, it makes more a lot more economic and sustainable sense to buy a 2 or 3 year old model after it's depreciated a bit..........
I think if I had £76k to spend I’d buy a 2nd hand older crafter/sprinter off grid conversion as that Renault is realistically only a weekend camper plus a 2nd hand daily car. 👌
Different tools for different jobs, but the Crafter (or MAN) is my favourite bigger base vehicle. Look out for forthcoming reviews of MAN campers from Dormobile and Adria on this channel soon!
@@MotorhomeCampervan I'd really like to hope you're right. But people are fickle and VW score all the cool points in this market. If I spend 60 odd K on a camper it wouldn't be the Renault, not because it's a bad van, it looks awesome, but because I know the VW would sell easily and with minimal depreciation when I'd enjoyed my time with it. I wouldn't be at all confident about the ROI on this van though. (Love the videos, keep them coming)
I had the misfortune of driving a T6 last week as a my transit custom as in the garage. All I can say is I really can’t see the hype over the Transporter, they are very cheap and nasty in the cabin and the suspension was very harsh and noisy.
Sounds like the T6 wasn't in good health. My T6 is every bit as good as a Ford Custom to drive and the build quality inside and out is noticeably superior. I'm not blind to its faults, though, and the Ford and Renault both have advantages.
76 grand for a van with a few fancy seats and a pop top ,the price of these small vans are ridiculous ,money for old rope. Just brought a fully functional motor home with shower and toilet ,bigger bed and cooker and far more space for 30 grand less,maybe this is the market for stupid people
No, it's a market for people using a camper as a daily driver. And those who want to get to places where a big motorhome simply won't fit, or won't be able to park Like comparing a sports car with an SUV...
@@MotorhomeCampervan your better off buying a car and a motorhome if you want a daily driver cheaper to buy and cheaper to run,in my opinion they are ripping people off as i said you'd be nuts to spend that type of money on whats basically a van ,just my opinion thou but id do understand its the nutters that drive the market.
In 5 years time that will be worth less than half its new price whereas a Vw T6.1 will have lost a lot less value. A huge factor when buying one I’d hazard a guess 👍🏼
Automatic campervans always sell well, so I think it'll keep its value better than that - and a lot better than some of the shoddy T6 conversions out there. Always hard to beat a California for residuals but they don't suit everyone
There are plenty of larger 'vans for £80k but larger also means less practical as a daily driver. The top-quality pop-top is a very expensive bit of kit here but allows the Tour-CL into some car parks and keeps height down for looks, aerodynamics, etc.
Actually, it's very high quality. Many rivals use cheaper, inferiors roofs and seats that aren't nearly as good. These aspects are expensive to do right
I see these pop up tents that sit of roofs where all sides go up. I wonder why camper vans don't use these instead, would make for a lot more room while at the campsite.
@@andrewroberts5259there's obviously a reason for that, Renaults are built from tin foil with reliability & styling even a toddler would laugh at, Residual values are non existent & this conversion looks like Bob from the pub built on the weekend 🤦♂️
Just where the market is in 2024, I'm afraid. This is a top-notch conversion with high-quality German components; there are cheaper 'vans but safety and residual values can be affected if it's not a recognised conversion
Firstly, Peter is an absolute legend! Here in the US, but aiming to move back to the UK, we watch Peter's videos to get a good understanding of camper vans and motorhomes as we have a dream of one day touring the entire UK in one. The issue with the Renault is it's looks outside. When comparing to the VW which has the styling market almost completely covered - IT IS GORGEOUS, the Renault looks very boring and dated. Fords contender also makes the Renault look boring. While the Ford is not as classy looking as the VW vans - think Ford RS with racing stripes, it does look pretty cool. I think Renault should have done a better job with the front of the van to bring it more in line with a more modern and perhaps a little aggressive look to it. Renault know how to do sporty cars and I think it's a shame that they didn't do a bit more styling with this one. However, apart from the Ford Nugget Plus with the fixed big roof - something that I can't see available for the UK market, just Europe, this Renault has a more interesting interior layout than the typical VW camper van, which is what you find in the usual UK Ford camper vans and Vauxhall. The kitchen to one side and the bench folding out to a bed. A layout that doesn't make the best use of space in my opinion.
Thank you - very kind. We have the Nugget Plus pop-top here, but not the high roof version. Have you seen the new Transit Custom? The next VW will be a close relative of that
Consideration of others is always going to an issue when using a loo in a 'van, so I guess it's more liquids than solids here. Better than traipsing across to the campsite loos in the night, in the rain, though...
Its far too expensive for what it brings with it,never main a small vehicule,I prefer a second hand motorhome for that price and is miles better and bigger than that
It is very expensive. Unfortunately everything is far too expensive these days. It will make getting into a new camper van very difficult for a lot of people. The way things are, some people will just stop buying them and possibly going to the rental market instead. The mega inflation in every industry apart from televisions it seems is making this world a very expensive one!
