A van for all seasons

The Club’s technical team answers your pressing questions

Q  There’s often an assumption that a 4x4 is the ultimate towcar, which I can understand, but the trend towards 4x4 campervans makes less sense to me. What’s the rationale behind these vehicles?

A  Those towing larger caravans may find a 4x4 is almost a default option to get an adequate towing limit and sensible outfit weight ratio. Driving all four wheels helps traction (think hill starts, adverse road conditions or slippery wet grass on a campsite), and that’s beneficial even with a smaller caravan. 

Few owners really need the true ‘off road’ capabilities such vehicles often have… certainly not while towing! That extra mechanical complexity adds weight and cost, while reducing efficiency. There’s more that could end up going wrong, too. 

However, for the best possible towing experience, it’s a desirable attribute. That’s why seven of the last ten Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year winners have been 4x4 – a mixture of estates, SUVs and full off-roaders.

4x4 campervans and motorhomes are far from a new idea. The VW Transporter Syncro (1984 onward) has often been converted, as have larger vehicles, particularly for ‘expedition’ camping, for example trucks from MAN or Unimog. Many are one-off or low volume conversions, however, quite often on second-hand base vehicles. We’re now seeing a new generation, based mainly on large panel vans, notably the Mercedes Sprinter or VW Crafter/MAN TGE. So who would buy one and why? 

First, you won’t be after a bargain. These are premium base vehicles usually with high-specification conversions; think six-figure pricing. 

There are practical situations where 4x4 traction offers a definite advantage – winter skiing trips or towing a horse box or racing car trailer off a muddy paddock, for instance. For ‘normal’ use, though, many will struggle to justify all-wheel drive as enough of a benefit to pay the higher price and running costs. 

Most vehicles won’t attempt any terrain that qualifies as ‘off-road’. Choosing uprated tyres (mud and snow, all season or winter tyres as appropriate) alone should help a bit if you like to camp outside of the summer season. To cope with a slippery grass pitch, a set of grip mats is a more affordable asset.

But this common sense doesn’t counter the fact that an all-terrain campervan looks cool to many people. If you can afford one (and increasing choice suggests quite a few people can), then why not? Most people who buy a premium 4x4 car probably don’t need all of the capabilities those vehicles offer, either. Of course, if you like the look but not the bills, a set of chunky wheels/tyres and perhaps a suspension lift kit on a standard van is a more affordable alternative. 

Sometimes, technology introduced on premium vehicles filters down to become the norm over time. That seems unlikely for four-wheel drive with petrol or diesel cars and vans, as the extra complexity is just too costly. It could happen with electric vehicles, though, where it’s simpler to add extra motors with little impact on efficiency. It’s already a common attribute for many electric cars. 

Could vans go the same way? Perhaps, but electric vans are a long way behind cars in their development at present, and it’s too soon to judge when – or even whether – that might happen.

Please address your questions to: Technical Information,
Email: technical@camc.com,
Tel: 01342 336611

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