BEST FIXED BED CAMPERVAN
FIXED bed campervans based on the Fiat/ Peugeot van are available from a bewildering number of brands and, in layout at least, they all look much of a muchness. So, here’s a category where you, perhaps, need our guidance more than any other, and the models on this page should definitely be on your shortlist.
The Summit Shine is the latest range from a German brand that builds only campervans, mostly on these Sevel panel vans. It has a reputation for excellent build quality and, with this newcomer, it has also introduced some interesting innovations.
There are larger Summit Shines, based on the six-metre and 6.36m vans, but it’s the smallest model in the line-up, the 540, that gets our vote. Not only is it usefully more compact and more manoeuvrable but it has fewer direct rivals. And, in the reduced space it’s harder to fit a fixed bed layout as successfully as here.
On the Continent, the Shine is a three-seater as standard (offering extra floor space) but the UK gets a more conventional four-seater (except to special order), while a slot-in fifth seat could be a useful addition for some buyers. A cab bed or pop-top can be added if you need more sleeping accommodation than just the usual fixed double bed at the back.
In the half-dinette lounge, there’s another key difference, the Easy Move table. This lifts and folds flat against the wall, greatly increasing the feeling of space in what is inevitably quite a compact seating area. And a flap on the underside of the table adds another option – a coffee table (or somewhere to use a laptop).
Versatility is the name of the game in the overcab area, too. We’ve become accustomed to a full-height walk-through in many of these Fiat high-tops, but of course you lose the storage space on the shelf that used to reside here.
