More space and less weight are the catchwords for the new Knaus BoxTime (shown here for the first time in the UK), which uses Knaus’s lightweight technology to create a campervan with a spacious interior and a higher load capacity. The internal construction moulding has improved insulation and, as a result, excellent soundproofing.
Seitz windows are flush‐mounted into the body of the vehicle, which has a panorama window in the living area and a screen door to keep out the midges.
Smart decals, a rear-view camera, large roof hoods and alloy wheels add to the overall quality of the vehicle, which is a front-wheel drive with six-speed manual gearbox, coming on the Fiat Ducato, a base vehicle we consider to be in the discussion for the best van for a camper conversion.
There are four layouts in the range: the 540 MQ, the 600 MQ, the 630 ME and the 630 MX.
We viewed the 600 MQ, which can sleep three people and has four seatbelts. There’s a make-up single at the front and a large double at the rear.
When it comes to the campervan storage options, the slimline overhead cupboards and multifunctional wall panels maximise use of space, and the feeling throughout is one of quality. The large bed at the back can be lifted to create more space with storage underneath.
The washroom has a swivelling wall which allows you to swap between a shower area or an area for the toilet and washbasin. In the kitchen, there’s a sink, a two-burner hob, and a snazzy fridge that opens two ways. We like the look of the seating area at the front where the driver and passenger seats swivel to a good-size table.
The Fiat-based camper has a length of 5.99m, a width of 2.05m, and an MTPLM of 3500kg. The base model’s price is from £72,795, with the model on display on the Knaus stand at the show priced from £87,776. Payload is expected to be in the region of 695kg, but is yet to be confirmed.
Other names to be debuting new campervans at the show include Rapido, which has its V62 on its stand; the ‘van stood out to us for how it has an interior that you would expect to see in a low-profile. Joining it was the innovative Pilote Vega V630S, which comes with an interior that works just as well for families as it would for a solo traveller.
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