A dealer special campervan from SMC Motorhomes
Words & pictures ❚ Peter Vaughan
REVIEWED
After a couple of years of dabbling in pop-top campervans alongside its selection of motorhome franchises, Newark-based SMC is taking this sector more seriously with its own Globecamper brand. Basis for the standard Globecamper, priced competitively at just under £60k, is the short-wheelbase Transporter T6.1 in Startline spec but with the addition of the Business Pack, which adds an anti-theft alarm system, remote central locking, air-conditioning, a glovebox door and rear parking sensors. Under the bonnet is the entry-level 2-litre 108hp TDI motor, driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox (an automatic version with the 148hp engine is available to order).
For these vehicles SMC has enlisted Bespoke NI, a company based in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which has Type Approval and National Caravan Council (NCC) approval for its conversions. Clearly, then, these VWs have a head start over many of those in the market that lack such reassuring credentials – especially as it’s backed by a three-year warranty.
The demo model, seen here, also sported 16in alloy wheels, bold Cherry Red paint and black side bars. It has a rear tailgate, which always gives more of a campervan vibe than barn doors, and an Austops pop-top roof. Externally, the design has been kept clean and simple, with minimal branding and even the fresh water filler is neatly hidden in the D-pillar and only revealed when you open the tailgate. There’s an external shower fitting in the boot area, too, where there is also a generous amount of storage, above and below the mattress, or lift the rear section for taller items to be stowed. The Globecamper even comes with a pair of outdoor chairs that slide away in the cupboard under the wardrobe, but the boot’s carpeted floor seems less than practical.
Unusually for this size of ’van, the Globecamper also has an underslung LPG tank, with the filler below the back bumper, but, disappointingly, all the windows aft of the cab are fixed, although plenty of ventilation is possible once you’ve raised the roof.
It's no surprise to see a thoroughly conventional side kitchen layout here, but it has been nicely executed with a simple design featuring dark grey contemporary cabinets and a contrasting wood worktop. Kitchen fittings include a Dometic hob and sink combination, while the 47-litre compressor fridge (also Dometic) is concealed behind a cupboard door. A match
