17 November 2009

Wrapping it up: The VW LT Camper

We spent almost eight weeks in the Britz "Elite" van. Without going into a lot of detail, we can just say,

If you are renting a camper van in New Zealand avoid this one or any other based on the Volkswagen LT chassis.

The VW LT chassis on which this vehicle is based has a hard, choppy ride and a loud, harsh-sounding diesel engine.

At 6.6 meters in length, it is too long for any standard parking space. You cannot park it in an angle-parking space on street or a nose-in space in a lot because it will jut out into the travel lane. You cannot parallel-park it in a single space, you need two. And its wide turning radius and its length mean you have to take corners like a city bus. (David is proud to say that in nearly 8,000 km travel he only drove over a curb while turning a couple of times.)

Other van companies may do a better job of interior layout but the Britz/Maui/Backpacker version of the van is very badly designed. Storage areas are small and inaccessible and the bed is hard to set up and take down. From the many small annoyances we encountered, it is clear that the person who designed this interior never camped in it.

In selecting your New Zealand camper, go for a smaller chassis, omitting the interior toilet/shower unless you really feel a need for one. Look for a van based on a Ford, Toyota, or Hiace chassis.

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