NVC Motorhomes Utopia on 2.3-litre LWB Fiat Ducato Versatile layout and unrivalled range of options add buyer appeal to a new British high top

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1 DREAM TIME NVC Motorhomes Utopia on 2.3-litre LWB Fiat Ducato Versatile layout and unrivalled range of options add buyer appeal to a new British high top igan-based NVC Motorhomes is a well Westablished, but tiny, concern specialising in oneoff panel van conversions, constructed for folks who fail to find their ideal motorcaravan after searching the mainstream market. Old hands will know the firm as Nu Venture Campers - a name recently changed to avoid confusion with another converter with a very similar name. Although NVC majors in the field of one-offs, it also produces off-the-peg motorcaravans based on Fiat s Ducato. The two berth Oasis is the most popular of these - a front-lounge design with lengthways sofa and rear-located kitchen and washroom. Lately, NVC identified a customer desire for a van that can accommodate a third person - usually a grandchild - taken on holiday and for days out. Enter Utopia, designed to fulfil this desire. Utopia s rear lounge design makes room for a single forward-facing travel seat in the front of the living area. This seat also helps make a short single bed, completing the Utopia s ability to transport and accommodate two adults and a child. NVC is about as far away as you can get away from big-bucks manufacture and high pressure sales, NVC proprietor, Stuart Abbot, has a laid-back approach, based on giving customer choice. Thus, modifications can be made and features can be built in to a van: if it s possible, NVC will do it. Indeed, Stuart s encyclopaedic knowledge of van conversions (carried out on many different base vehicles) means he can offer a wealth of good motorcaravanning advice. These, of course, are some of the advantages of buying from a small converter, that and the fact that you ll be dealing direct with the people that actually put the van together: Stuart spends far more time in overalls with a chisel in his hand than he does behind his office desk. Arriving at NVC s premises, I found the first of example of the Utopia hot off the press. So hot, in fact that it was yet to get its external graphics and its dining table was still being made. HOT HIGH TOP Utopia is based on Fiat s popular long wheelbase Ducato - a van that sneaks through the allimportant six-metre length measure, making it 140 I FEBRUARY

2 Test report extra 1 Words & pictures by Dave Hurrell 2 1 Utopia places the lounge at the rear 2 The forward-facing rear travel seat is fundamental to the success of the design less daunting to drive and subject to cheaper fares on ferries. Standard motor is the willing 2.3- litre unit that pumps out 120bhp, driving the front wheels through a six-speed gearbox. Open the side sliding door and you re greeted by the kitchen unit, which occupies space in the door s aperture. Opposite is a single forward-facing rear seat, complete with three-point seatbelt, while directly aft is the washroom. The aft end of the kitchen unit is home to wardrobe above, fridge below. The rear area is occupied by the twin-sofa lounge that will be one of the main reasons to buy this motorcaravan. Furniture is strongly constructed and was finished in cherry wood in the demonstrator, with hessian-style, leaf motif upholstery complementing things nicely. Those with a penchant for a lighter, more modern look can choose a paler oak finish, while the choice of upholstery fabric is huge and should cater for all tastes. FOUNDATIONS Fiat s Ducato needs little introduction to habitual motorcaravanners, as it s the most common base vehicle. The panel van s square, box-like rear is easy to convert and offers more internal space than its competitors. It s also wide enough to allow the installation of transverse beds that are of an acceptable length - as long as you re not much over six feet tall. Driving the Ducato is pleasurable as the driving position is near perfect, while brakes are powerful and steering light. The (dashmounted) gearchange isn t the best in the business, but it s very easy to use. Here, the Fiat is fitted as standard with central locking (that separately locks/unlocks cab or rear doors) electric windows and mirrors and driver s airbag. Just one more advantage when buying from a small converter is base vehicle options choice. As each van is made to order, you can have any option that the manufacturer offers: I d go for passenger airbag, cab air-conditioning, cruise control and electrically-folding mirrors, but there s a massive list to choose from - you could choose other things (such as auto headlights and rain-sensing wipers) rarely found on Fiatbased motorcaravans. On the road this van easily maintained legal limits on all roads and proved - in relaxed fashion - a very good motorway mile-eater. During the test I also drove the Utopia at night and can report that the headlights performed very well indeed. FEBRUARY 2009 I 141

3 4 3 SIT AND EAT The lounge offers a great place for two to relax. There s feet-up lounging available on each sofa: the adjacent washroom wall offers the perfect pace to mount your flat TV. Indeed, NVC makes a neat locker that can be fitted here to keep your goggle box out of sight when it s not being viewed. Bear in mind, though, that the lounge floor is raised (there s storage space under) so headroom is limited. Even so, at five-foot-ten I had no problems. One of the reasons I love panel van conversions is the fact that they offer lots of openings. Come sunshine and/or a super view, you can swing open the big rear doors to let the outside in and admire that view. At dinnertime, the freestanding table (which is conveniently docked at the rear of the nearside sofa) sets up to provide good eating for four. Up front, the cab seats spin, with the driver s pew joining the forward-facing rear seat to provide a dinette for two. Two inhabitants could use this for all their meals, leaving the lounge ever ready for a post-dinner cognac. It s worth mentioning that the test van lacked any curtains; even so, it felt cosy thanks to the, err, felt linings on the walls. You can have curtains if you want and those walls can be lined with a wipe-clean material if desired. COOK SHOP The kitchen s position, next to the side sliding door, copies galleys found on many other van conversions: though some can be sparse affairs with just a sink and two-burner hob. Here (at the expense of some space) it s different in that the Utopia galley is fitted out with a proper sink with deep drainer and a Spinflo Triplex half-height slot-in cooker. The Triplex boasts three burners with an oven/grill below. To the left (and beneath the wardrobe), the fridge is a 12V compressor model with a sensible, 65 litres of cooling capacity. A couple of cupboards, two drawers and an overhead locker provide space for your batterie de cuisine. Worktop here is very I FEBRUARY

4 Test report extra 6 5 much confined to the hinged glass lids over cooker and sink, but a flip-up work surface can be fitted at the forward end if you want one. Tired cooks can rest on the adjacent swivelled passenger seat - glass in hand -and gaze out of the side door at the latest fabulous view. BATHING The washroom offers a neat vanity basin with cubby and cupboard storage. A wet-room floor, riser rail, and nylon curtain provide occasional showering facilities in this small space - water coming courtesy of the basin tap s pullout head. The electric-flush Thetford loo features the expected swivel-bowl and there s plenty of space when enthroned, as long you re not too large of frame. Finally, a window and roof vent combine to provide lots of natural light and fresh air. If there is any area in this van that s compromised, it s the aisle twixt washroom and kitchen, which is a tad narrow. However, the test van was a prototype and NVC tells me that plans are already afoot to tweak the design and provide a wider corridor. SLUMBER PARTY The lounge double bed is simplicity itself to make. The sofa bases glide easily together (no support legs are needed), seatbacks drop in and I LIKED Driving the Ducato Good quality conversion Cosy, versatile lounge Comfy double bed Well-equipped kitchen Gas/mains heating I WOULD HAVE LIKED Inboard fresh water tank I DISLIKED Slightly narrow aisle between washroom and kitchen 8 3 The kitchen is better equipped than much of the competition 4 The compact washroom features a sensible washbasin 5 The lounge double bed is easy to make, and cosy 6 Forward-facing seat and swivelled cab pew combine to make a kid s bed 7 A great place to relax, the lounge benefits from wideopening rear doors. A freestanding table turns lounge to diner 8 Swivelling cab seats extend seating and make the front end work the bed is made. Relatively flat cushions make for a comfy and supportive sleeping surface that s plenty wide enough for two and six-feetone long. One of the advantages of this rear lounge design is the fact that in good weather - when you spend most of your time relaxing outside - the bed can be left made up, giving most of the advantages of a fixed bed design. At the other end of the interior, a slim overcab locker still offers quite a bit of room for bedding. Up front, the driver s seat is turned sideways and the forward-facing rear seat flattened to easily create the kid s bed. It has to be said that this area of the Utopia was still rather entrenched in prototype territory: modifications, I m told, are afoot to perfect the design. Once completed, this bed should prove perfect for your little darling. KIT BAG Utopia offers abundant amounts of storage space for your clobber. A good range of overhead lockers - fore and aft - is joined by large spaces under both lounge sofas. This can be accessed both through the tops of the seating and via doors at the rear - available when the van s rear doors are open. The raised lounge floor lifts to reveal room for outdoor furniture and the like; a removable panel also allows things to be slid in from the rear. Up front, another panel is removed to reveal a space FEBRUARY 2009 I 143

5 TEST EXTRA SPECIFICATION Price from: 37,500 OTR Price as tested: 39,000 OTR Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato long wheelbase panel van, 2.3-litre turbo-diesel producing 130bhp, six-speed gearbox, front-wheel drive Warranty: Base vehicle 3 years, conversion 1 year Dimensions: Length: 5.99m (19ft 8in); width: 2.05m (6ft 9in); height: 2.60m (8ft 6.5in) Maximum authorised weight: 3500kg Payload: 650kg (estimated) Belted seats: 3 (including driver) Beds: Lounge double: 1.85m x 1.30m (6ft 1in x 4ft 3in). Front single: 1.64m x 650mm (5ft 4.5in x 2ft 1in) Other features: Kitchen: Stainless steel sink with deep drainer, hinged glass lid, folding mixer tap. Spinflo Triplex cooker with hinged glass lid, three-burner hob, grill/oven, all with electronic ignition. Waeco Coolmatic B compressor-type fridge with fullwidth freezer compartment, capacity 65 litres. Washroom: Thetford C200 swivel-bowl, electric-flush toilet, plastic vanity washbasin with mixer tap, shower riser rail, single-outlet shower tray floor, flexible shower curtain, pull-out basin tap head doubles as shower head Heating: Truma Combi 6 water and space heater with blown-air, gas/mains operation Water tanks: Fresh water: Underslung, capacity 60 litres (13.2 gallons). Waste water: Underslung, capacity 60 litres (13.2 gallons) Optional extras fitted to test vehicle: Cab blinds ( 450), wind-out awning ( 650), metallic paint ( 400) E&OE There s lots of storage space under the lounge seating and floor under the front dinette s raised floor: think shoes, or maybe your hook-up lead stored in this slim cavity. Lastly, the wardrobe provides plenty of room for hanging clothing: casualdressing campers could have NVC shelve it out. A good-sized leisure battery supplies decent lighting: overhead downlighters are neatly recessed into the ceiling on plinths, while good quality fluorescents (in kitchen and washroom) and reading spots fore and aft offer task lighting that works well. Beneath the forward-facing rear seat, the latest Truma Combi heater provides plenty of hot water and blown warm air to all areas. This unit is the gas/230v mains model, so maximum value can be extracted from your campsite hook-up. Tanks are of sensible size, but underslung: if you plan winter camping these can be insulated and heated, although an inboard fresh water tank could probably be fitted as an alternative. DREAM MACHINE NVC s Utopia offers a good alternative to the Continental fixed bed van conversion, its rear lounge design making it versatile and ideal for the British vanner: in good weather leave the bed made and lounge outside, during the great British summer relax indoors. Up front, the third travel seat and kid s bed should be ideal for trips away with a young one, while still proving a neat dinette for two when a couple are travelling. Dining for more is also on offer as the freestanding table fits in the lounge. Kit is outstanding, as the kitchen and heating system both offer superior levels of equipment, suited to the needs of UK motorcaravanners. This van is also well screwed together, with good fit and finish throughout. Finally, there s that ability to customise: even if you choose one of NVC s standard designs there ll be plenty of choice on offer - far more than you would be able to get from the majority of mainstream manufacturers. VEHICLE LOANED FOR EVALUATION BY: NVC Motorhomes, Unit 1A Kirklees Industrial Estate, Cale Lane, New Springs, Wigan WN2 1HF (Tel: ; web site: I FEBRUARY