I'm considering looking at buying a micro camper based on VW Caddy or similar. I need a vehicle I can use every day as well as a night or two away. Being a 'recycled hippy', it needs to have all the bells and whistles to help with my associated lack of strength and mobility. I'm not a first time caravanner, so know about set up etc.
Can I have your thoughts, advice and experiences of micro campers please. Thank you 😊
Did you try the Search Facility?, There might be some useful help in the other topics.
------------- XVI yes?
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Not an 'expert' on microcampers by any means, they I think entirely missed my radar when making the transition from tents to Caravan or Camper/MH a few years back when I looked at all options (well, obviously not all! - the microcampers got missed). Caravan won out as best choice for me, and not a single regret at my choice.
Removable Campervan conversion kits may be of interest to you. Firstly, custom built microcampers are a bit niche and can't say I've seen too many in my camping travels over the years (think to some extent the micro/teardrop caravans encroached into that market and seem more common) but the base vehicles are often quite plentiful as regular cars, making purchasing one both easier and cheaper! The cost of a conversion kit is almost certainly less than the premium paid on a fully converted vehicle. The conversion kits seem to offer most of the facilities found in many microcampers conversions. One obvious difference, no high roof/pop top which some fully converted vehicles have.
If you have strength and mobility issues, this option may not fit you well if doing the transition from car to camper and back frequently, unless you have friends or family that can do the hard graft bit for you, then again you may be happy to leave the transition kit near permanently in place.
A number of companies offering kits, here's just one picked at random as an example https://campal.co.uk/
I’ve seen German conversions of VW Caddy vehicles on an Edinburgh site. They all had pop tops (raising roofs). I didn’t manage to see inside, but a big difference with a panel van conversion (that you would use like a car, PVCs with standard roofs go under car park gantries) seems to be the lack of a toilet - but possibly (like Romahome, which is worth checking), there’s one under a seat. If there’s no “en suite” you’re happy getting partly dressed to go out at night in the rain to the site loo, then there’s no problem.
Micro camping can offer little than tent camping and a pop top would be worthwhile. Friends have a Berlingo and it is literally a mattress on a timber frame with storage boxes underneath. The van is largely used just for sleeping.
For slightly more room I'd look at the Toyota Proace which is just shy of 5m long, no higher than an SUV, but with interior space for a decent kitchen area, onboard water, sink etc.
In my search for a replacement to tents many years ago, I ruled out Campervans on the basis of it was a virtual 'tin tent' in an all too literal sense, but with new limitations, and it was an expensive purchase and running cost to achieve so little real benefit over a tent. It provided a bed space at the cost of everything else, a limited amount of sitting space, the most basic of cooking facilities, a tiny fridge if lucky, may have a porta-potti tucked in a cupboard, but that was likely unusable/unreachable if bed in situ, and no shower unless an outside one!
I see a microcamper as a maybe only slightly more compromised version of an already (to me) unacceptable means of camping. When I have seen people using them, it's with rather a lot of additional 'facilities', like tailgate tents and toilet tents, if not 'event shelter' type accommodation, they've set up 'camp kitchens' etc. That rather defeats the point in my mind, you are still 'tent camping' with all the hassles of pitching and breaking down 'canvas' (and frequently wet canvas!), setting up and packing away 'equipment' etc.!
I've 'crashed' overnight in the back of estate/hatchback cars as an improvised stopover, so some experience of the 'concept', but it served a purpose whilst not really inspiring me to adopt it as a regular habit!
My choice of a caravan over other options was with a thought to galloping old age, whilst still fit and pretty strong, enabling me to do just about anything necessary to camp in any form, I was looking to the future, where my abilities can only decline, and that was likely not too far off, and if I was going to spend a sizable chunk of money I wanted to seriously up my comfort levels over and above a tent with minimal set up.
That's a VERY personal take on the options I had, I also had to consider that I have a dog, so provision and space for her was also necessary. I'm also not inclined to 'keep moving' so 'instant' pack up and drive off was not a consideration, I was looking for more of a 'base camp' from which to day trip from. I'm inherently a 'planner' with excellent foresight (professional skills from career!), so if anything to be taken from this post, it's think ahead and think of how it will suit you in the near future, and maybe beyond that.
There are some very interesting videos on YouTube regarding micro campers. The Citreon Berlingo seems a popular choice. I am not convinced about them being used by a couple but I would think they would be worthy of consideration for a single camper.
Maybe of some interest to you a friend who lives a few doors down from me has her vw caddy camper van up for sale. We are from Somerset. I'm not to sure about the spec or what she has done to it. I can pass her information onto you of you are interested in taken a look at it.
I have a Vauxhall combo life XL (same vehicle as the Berlingo), bought initially to accommodate camping gear as I was struggling to fit the new bell tent in my old car. I've since fitted a pull out bed and kitchen unit in the back, had three nights away in it and find it surprisingly spacious (although just me and my dog). As a previous poster said, lots of info on YouTube - have a look at "Maggie the Caddy", a really nice self-converted Caddy and "Will Walkley" who has lots of tours of microcampers at meet-ups.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Micro Campers
via mobile 19/11/2025 at 7:08am
