By the way, I'd love to buy something like this in North America. If anyone has any leads as to companies that produce something similar, do let me know!
I would love one small van here on the west coast. The auto industry will never allow these utility vehicles turned into living facilities flood the market here! Restrictions are already observed since 2007 in the USA. Ford connect model is an option or the small transit version. Small vehicles will never survive the weather conditions here and the distances. Also, people morphology here are bigger. My husband could never fit in a small space like this one!! But, I certainly WOULD! Thank youuuuu for the visit!! Beautiful van!!
I've definitely had my eye on the Ford Connect as something a comparable size to the VW Caddy. In the USA, there is a converter by the name of DLM Distribution that makes vans based on that model. I've also now got my eye on a converter out of Quebec by the name of 5mars. They make larger vans too, but also have a model based on a Dodge Caravan that checks a lot of the boxes I'm looking for. It's taken me a while to discover these smaller companies doing small vans for the North American market - but they are out there, thankfully! :-)
Erica's Adventures the USA own the market unfortunately they can do whatever they want. The 5mars is really nice and the new dodge caravan is to die for. However, the price is too high for me. I am gonna try to convert my PT Cruiser DIY , I have not seen any retro PT Chrysler on the internet yet.
The Caddy Maxi is a great car to drive especially the DSG gearbox. The gas bottle takes up valuable storage space so it would be better to have a portable cannister gas stove.
It was a great vehicle to drive. I was driving an automatic version as I have never driven a manual. And I agree. If I were building my own, I'd forego the gas stove altogether and pack a portable BBQ. They were very clever in how they fit the burner into the sink, so at least it didn't take up much room on the interior in that sense and made use of otherwise wasted space. There was also a heater on board, which I believe also made use of the gas bottle. Travelling in the warm weather as I was, I didn't make use of that either. Diesel heaters are also a possibility, so even that wouldn't eliminate the possibility of removing the gas bottle though.
Likewise. I haven't found anything comparable here. I looked into importing one, but they have to be 15+ years old to be legal to import :( I've found a few Canadian van conversion companies, but none seem to be making these small, "garageable" sized vans. Recon campers in the US has the right idea, but they don't accept orders from Canadians right now.
@@eureka345 I do have a rooftop tent. It's not the same, but it's pretty terrific. Check out tepui tents ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VMt5Iig0cAI.html
I had a good mix of weather while I was there. My 'always raining' comment was definitely an exaggeration but it had been raining for a few days at that point and I was getting sick of it :-)
Yep, we had 6 weeks of unbroken sunshine, a really good summer.....except for the week we were away in our van when it rained 24/7 !! Still, thats Scotland fir ya :)
Unfortunately the way they designed this one, it just flows directly from the drain onto the ground. If this were my (forever) van and not just one I rented, that would be one thing I would change. In most other vans I've seen, a grey water storage bottle or tank that you empty every now and then at an appropriate spot is what folks usually do.
Good helpful video! We’ve been looking at small campers here in U.K. that I can use as my car also; these look great for one but still unsure for us both camping especially if we get a dog 😄....I’m curious about the fridge keeping its same low temperature just using the leisure battery when parked. I’m guessing you ate out mostly as you say you didn’t use the stove though?
Two people and a dog would be a tight squeeze for sure. Likely manageable if it's a small dog and you're only taking short trips. This company does have some slightly larger models that might suit, too. I didn't have a temperature gauge with me to take any kind of measurements, but I only plugged into mains one time the entire 28 days I used this van and the fridge stayed great the whole time, even when parked for 24+ hours without moving. I did not eat out very often and my fridge was always full of fruit, veg, drinks, butter, milk, cheese, meat, etc. I had no issues with it at all. It's true I didn't "cook" - but that was no fault of the camper - I ate a lot of sandwiches, chips & salsa, milk & cereal, veggies & dip, and other 'assemble without cooking' type meals. I had everything I needed to cook, just opted not to due to the time commitment needed to prepare & clean up when I was just as happy 'snacking' :-) If I could buy one of these today, I definitely would. I wish I were allowed to import one to Canada! That said, in your shoes, I'd see about renting one for a weekend before committing to buying one!
@@eureka345 Thank you for that info 👍🏻 so useful to know in real situations and think you’re right about the caddy better for maybe just v short trips if with 2 people! I’d love the VW T5 or 6 but they’re so expensive here as in high demand. Your trip sounded such fun and I imagine I’d have been eating that way mainly anyway - washing up is my least favourite thing too after ironing 😄. Stay safe and well out there and lots of luck on your next adventure 👍🏻🇬🇧
I hated the colour at first but really grew to like it! I rented the van from a company called Rockin' Vans and they were the ones that did the conversion.
@@eureka345 hahaha. Ideal looks great for a weekend away. I've recently converted a caddy into a little camper. Really wanna do another one with a pop top now.
Thanks. I have seen similar ones done in a power roof configuration - so it probably can be done. But I'm not sure the benefit would be worth the extra cost and maintenance. It was very easy to operate manually.
Definitely perfect for one. Would be really cozy (but doable) for a couple. I've looked into the cost of buying one but they're not sold here in Canada (nor legal to be imported). Comparably sized Ford Transit Connect conversions are actually really reasonable relative to the larger class B vans - but for sure it's a luxury.
This was a van I rented, so I'm not 100% sure on the specs. I believe it was a Caddy Maxi, though! The company that did the conversion is called Rockin' Vans, so if you look them up, you might be able to find more info about the specifics.
You say these have to be 15 years + to be imported to USA but look to see what you already have over there, although the VW caddy are leaders in the market, Fiat, Citroen, & Peugot make very similar shape cars / vans, maybe a tiny bit bigger but allowing for more room you could get a Mercedes Sprinter... essentially look for a small people carrier / 7 seater and just pull all the seats out and D.I.Y it...
@@LikeABawsGaming249 Yeah, Sprinters are far too big. We don't have any of the models you have mentioned (though I'll research some as sometimes they're sold here under a different name). Right now, I'm considering using a Ford Transit Connect as it's the closest I've found in terms of size to the Caddy. Not super keen on DIY but that may change. A lot of RV manufacturers are starting to get the message that folks want smaller options, too - so fingers crossed that my dream of having my own happens sometime in my near future.
I cannot remember what the temperatures were but it did get fairly cool at night on occasion (it was July, so nothing too bad). One night I kept the roof down to keep in more heat naturally, but otherwise I did nothing special to stay warm besides warm PJs and regular blankets (I didn't bring blankets with me - the rental company provided them). The van was equipped with a heater that can be used if it's cold but I never found it necessary. Those using a van like this in colder months probably would need to use it, though.
I usually had the door open when doing this - but didn't really make a difference one way or another - no real suction was created just by moving the roof.
Nice van but they’ve cheaper out on it buy adding a really basic pop top. Most pop tops these days have a double bed in them that pulls down if needed so it’d make that tiny van a 4 birth. Tight but a 4 birth none the less, or at least two adults and two children for a long weekend away. Shame really.
That's true. I've seen that style of pop-up and they're really neat. I'm not sure there's much point to adding 4 berths in a van that can only seat 2 people though.
@@eureka345 I hear you but say 4 adults wanted to get away, 2 cars allows you to leave the van parked up, the other to roam around. Or you can get crew cab versions with 5 seats where the seats in the rear fold flat to be incorporated into the bed. Ideal for a family of 4
@@stevefindlater302 For sure. This company had versions like that if you were travelling with a larger group. For me, I had no need and preferred the smaller vehicle on the tricky highland roads. (Not to mention, it was cheaper to rent than the larger versions.)
The stuff you see wasn't all stuff I packed. The van was rented & came equipped with a lot of stuff already (bedding, towels, camping gear, cookware, etc). Groceries and other provisions were also shopped for locally. The only stuff I packed was my clothes & camera gear.
