VW T6.1 specialist, Rolling Homes, has moved into larger Crafter conversions but its new Darwin borders on revolution
Words & pictures ❚ Peter Vaughan
Would Charles Darwin have seen Rolling Homes’ latest model as an example of evolution? After all, it’s a VW – the brand with which this converter is so closely associated, being one of the select few with its Motorhome Qualification Scheme accreditation – and there’s the same impression of top-quality finish inside. It’s NCC (National Caravan Council) approved, too, just like its little brothers.
But there’s also a degree of revolution here. It may be another VW but the new Darwin is almost two metres longer than the company’s best-selling (T6.1-based) Columbus. Inside, there’s a full-sized washroom, while the layout bears no relation to a side kitchen conversion. Nor is this just a facsimile of what others have created within the increasingly popular Crafter/MAN van. The firm from Shrewsbury could have played it safe with a classic rear lounge or gone for a more continental fixed bed floorplan, but instead it has come up with something unique.
Here, the kitchen is up front, adjacent to and opposite the sliding door, the washroom is right across the back and the lounge is amidships. It’s a format that I can only ever recall seeing manufactured once before, in a Fiat Ducato-based camper from the now-defunct Shire Conversions.
However, even since its debut at last October’s NEC show Rolling Homes has refined the design (more evolution!), opening up its washroom to provide access through the back doors. The definitive Darwin appeared at the February NEC show and was delivered to Campervan almost straight after.
CRAFTER CRAFTED
Based on the long-wheelbase VW Crafter, this is a BIG campervan, at 6.84m long, while of course retaining the easier driving on narrow roads (compared with a wider coachbuilt) of a panel van. Unlike some of its rivals, it’s also a genuine 3.5-tonne vehicle (with a respectable 380kg payload). But these larger premium vans (Crafter, Sprinter or MAN TGE) always come at a cost – the starting price for a Darwin is just a fiver under a hundred thousand pounds.
And that is just the start, based on a 102hp, manual gearbox van. Our test vehicle, spec’d as we’d expect most customers to want their Darwin, comes to over £123,000.
The top spec 177hp engine is the most expensive upgrade, at £6,644, while the eight-speed automatic gearbox adds another £2,248. Then there’s the Ex
