What’s inside a campervan?

Because of their size, Campervans are incredibly easy to drive and can navigate the tightest spots. This doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on living facilities, as they are incredibly efficiently organised and highly equipped. We’ll look at what facilities can be found inside a campervan, how much living space there is and what facilities are included in our latest model, the Alphard Pioneer II and explore why people find that campervans have everything they need and more.

Power

Not all campervans are created equal. The Alphard Pioneer II has the most advanced power system built on a lithium leisure battery that enables mains devices to be used without any external power source for up to a week of normal use. It is topped up using the built-in roof-mounted solar panel, and in the unlikely event that the battery is running low, then driving will quickly re-charge it.

In other models, off-grid mains power can be achieved by running the engine for short periods to re-charge the leisure battery, or alternatively, mains electric can be powered when the campervan is connected to a mains hook-up.

Cooking

The cooking facilities are provided by a super-efficient, super-fast induction hob that heats the pan not the hob. They are so efficient they can boil a pint of water in three minutes. The Alphard Pioneer II can come with two hobs, one of which uses our patented omni slide system that enables you to cook indoors or alfresco. The mains 256kwh battery also lets you use standard kitchen appliances like a kettle, slow cooker, or microwave. Some of our vans are alternatively equipped with gas hobs.

If you are in the middle of nowhere, then you will need to keep your food fresh. And our campervans have a built-in refrigerator with freezer compartment.

Water

Whether for drinking, cooking, or cleaning, water is stored in a large refillable tank. We have a sink and tap and the water is fed to the tap using an electric pump.

Toilet

Yes, there’s room, and yes, it’s integrated. Our latest model has a built-in toilet that comes as standard, and which has its own self-contained waste unit.

Sleeping, sitting and standing

Depending on which model you have, one or both front seats can swivel around to face the back. These can be positioned either side of a table which connects to the storage and cooking units, but which is usually stowed conveniently in the rear door when not needed. The rear seats are attached to rails which allow the forward facing bench seat to transform into a bed by sliding and folding down.

All of our Campervans are fitted with elevating roofs which makes it easy to stand and walk around in the back of the van. To sleep additional people inside the van, bed boards are fitted into the roof section.

Awning

If you need more space, an awning, which is transported in a bag, can clip into the roof of the van, and this gives you a waterproof private area where you can spread out, get dressed, set-up an inflatable mattress or set-up a dining table. Extension cables can connect to the 13amp sockets onboard the van to make it more homely.

Internet

Even in the wilderness, many locations have 4G internet connections available These can be accessed through a mobile hotspot or using an antenna. The latest satellite option for campervans is Starlink, which currently covers the whole of mainland UK and is available where you have a clear view of the sky, even on the most inaccessible parts of the Highlands through their Starlink RV service.

Entertainment

The Alphard Pioneer II has an optional 13.1inch screen entertainment system upgrade which provides large screen and powerful audio entertainment. So wherever you’re going, you can bring your own films and music pre-loaded onto a USB.

Lights and charging

Controlling the brightness in the rear of a campervan is really important, especially if you are reading or working, or even cooking. We have dimmable lights throughout the campervan, which double as USB chargers for all your devices. As well as there being 13amp mains sockets in the back of the van, there are also a generous supply of fast charging 5v USB charging sockets, for all your devices

Heating

Campervans have their own climate control systems for the habitation section in the rear of the van that is separately powered by the leisure battery to provide climate control where you can set the temperature and the fan speed. When the vehicle is moving the heating system reclaims heat from the engine to efficiently deliver warmth.

Overall

Campervans can provide a compact self-contained and comfortable living environment and because of their size, and powerful 4×4 hybrid transmission, they can go anywhere and go for longer, with the latest Alphard Pioneer II delivering 50mpg.