A camper is a huge playground. The opening roof that becomes the second bed makes a great climbing tower to abseil and climb back up. The driver’s cabin becomes a spaceship, the hazard warning lights become a disco ball. Squeezable latches on drawers and cupboard doors are part of the experiment, at what speed they can be closed and opened again before they fall off. The LED spots under the ceiling are something for tinkerers who want to find out how they are attached there. Spoiler: On a cable. Really everything is exciting about a camper. At least for my two year old daughter. For three days, my small family of husband, child and I tested the Van Tourer Urban on a short trip to Denmark.
The camping specialist Eurocaravaning normally builds on a Fiat Ducato, making the Van Tourer Urban the first on a Mercedes Vito and not dissimilar to the popular VW bus, at least in terms of size and comfort. The expansion of the basic model, which is available from around 60,000 euros, looks as follows: two swivel seats in the front, a bench in the back that becomes a bed. The kitchen and cupboards, including the folding table, are installed along the left-hand side of the vehicle.
The pop-up roof not only offers standing height when you are below and cooking on the two gas hobs, but also two more places to sleep. Whilst the camper is designed to sleep four, if you are thinking of four adults, you should be aware that none of these adults should be claustrophobic. The bottom bunk is only a meter wide. This is more suitable for two small children or for newlyweds.
But the Urban only becomes really attractive with the “Comfort” model, which is available from 70,000 euros. Because instead of the permanently installed kitchen block, it has a removable outdoor kitchen on board that can be connected and used on both sides of the vehicle. Which sounds nice in theory, but the kitchen is anything but easy and setting it up takes a lot of patience and fiddling. That’s why we didn’t even try it, also because it rained all the time except for one afternoon. But more on that later.
The vehicle has many other amenities or gimmicks to stay in playground-speak: a holder for two coffee mugs or drinking bottles, black glass in the rear area. It gets really pitch black inside, which is good when the neighboring camper floodlights the place. In addition, two sliding doors, air conditioning, a second battery that can be charged while driving or with a power connection. Luckily there is also an auxiliary heater, otherwise we would have driven home after the first night, a cool box, a sink with a waste water tank underneath and a 70 liter tank for fuel. The good news: If you drive moderately, you use about eight liters per 100 kilometers, which is a good balance for a camper and for your wallet.
But how was it now? you probably finally want to know. Let’s put it this way: Our two-year-old really enjoyed the trip, which is understandable from her perspective, since it was said huge playground. The first night we stood in a parking lot by the Danish North Sea and were afraid that the wind would blow us away and the sea would swallow us. On day two, my husband already got the well-known camper fever: too tight, too cold, too wet. He slept alone in the pop-up roof, the walls of which got damp after the heavy downpour, but also dried quickly. Camping just isn’t for him. I like the camping atmosphere when the rain is pounding on the roof and when you snuggle up close together it can be very cozy too. But I am also a tried and tested camper. My parents drove all over Europe with my siblings and me in a caravan. But enough of the camper romance.
If we’re being honest, camping is work. You always have to rearrange, tidy up, rearrange something so that you can sleep, eat, leave. It keeps you busy who needs it. Recreation? none. In addition, it is frustrating and you constantly develop envy of other campers: the perfect camping experience is unattainable. Because you can’t have everything. If you value flexibility, you have to do without comfort and vice versa. During the pouring rain and nine degrees, we squinted longingly at the large mobile homes on the campsite, which have made themselves comfortable with a satellite dish and plenty of space inside. It would also have been nice to have a camping toilet on board and not have to run to the wash house through gusts of wind and driving rain. But on day three we were able to pack everything up in a few minutes and escape the bad weather.
If the weather had been so good that we could have spent most of the time outside, the conclusion would probably have been different. A camper is a great thing if you want to travel flexibly and have the wherewithal. Because let’s be honest, camping has become just as much a luxury as staying in a fancy hotel. Of course, there are also used campers on the market that are affordable. Or you have a technical talent for your own expansion.
The Van Tourer Urban is very well equipped and the driving comfort is there, as you are used to from a Mercedes. Ideally, you shouldn’t be away for too long, maybe a long weekend or with breaks in a holiday home. In addition, the weather should be good. Most of the time at least, even if a rainy night can be quite romantic. But not three. We were just unlucky. Will there be a next trip? Our daughter can clearly answer this question with “yes”. But to quote my husband “I will never camp again”.
Note: The Van Tourer Urban was made available by Eurocaravaning via Freeway Camper in Hamburg.
