VW T6.1 fans can now enjoy more space and a proper washroom
THERE are plenty of VW California owners (and indeed those with other Volkswagen campervans) who look to move up to a bigger ’van, often to have an on-board shower and toilet. Usually, that has meant moving away from the Transporter base vehicle, too, but not any more. Both Weinsberg and sister brand, Knaus, introduced T6.1-based coachbuilts for the 2023 season and each marque offers a choice of layout.
The X-Cursion Van 500 MQ has the fixed rear bed floorplan that you’d expect from a continental marque but this 500 LT model is wholly different – and almost looks as if it was designed with the UK market in mind. Like its sister ’van, it is under 6m in length and only 2.16m wide (slim for a coachbuilt motorhome). That’s still quite a bit bigger than a T6.1 camper (and taller, too, of course), but it’s very comparable with the smallest conversions of VW’s larger panel van, the Crafter.
Externally, it’s a low-profile motorhome with a generous overcab sunroof, running board-style steps for the front doors and an unusual duo-tone finish for the Transporter cab. The rear overhang doesn’t look excessive but the back wheels are inset in their arches. There’s no garage in a conventional sense but a tall locker door at the rear nearside opens onto a vertical storage space that’s 2.28m high, and 62cm by 88cm. It also comes with a folding shelf, hanging rail and internal access.
Entry to the actual living area is also to the rear, but on the UK offside. As you come in, there’s barely any furniture on the rear wall – just a window, some shelves and coat hooks. The ‘vertical garage’ is ahead of you, followed by the washroom on the nearside, with the galley running forward of the doorway on the offside.
The kitchen includes a 98-litre compressor fridge that can be reached from outside, if you lean in through the door. The counter is inset with a combined two-burner hob and sink unit, much as you’d see in a VW campervan; there’s no oven or grill.
Where the X-Cursion Van differs massively from a California is the washroom. This is a proper walk-in compartment behind a sliding door and it features similar facilities to some much larger ’vans. There’s a Dometic cassette toilet, a corner basin, tall mirror and cupboard with upstands to keep its contents in place. Then, the washbasin swings to the left to create a decent-sized shower cubicle without recourse to a curtain; it’s just a pity that the wheelarch intrudes so much into the area. Alongside the bathroom there’s also a good-sized wardrobe.
