VanTourer Urban Prime: pleasant travel companion

Motorhomes come in various shapes and sizes, all serving their own purpose. For example, a Semi-integrated or A-class focuses on an idyllic stay in an appealing holiday area. The other end of that spectrum is a compact Van conversion like the VanTourer Urban, which primarily makes the journey itself a pleasure. This entails concessions in living comfort at the campsite but also offers several advantages, such as the ability to use your Motorhome year-round as a second car. We're finding out how nice that is with a mini road trip through the Limburg hills.

VanTourer is a German Motorhome manufacturer of full-size and compact Van conversions. The brand name has existed since 2018, but that doesn't make it a beginner as a producer of camping equipment. VanTourer originated from EuroCaravaning, which was previously a Caravan brand. The company is a full but independent subsidiary of Knaus. So, there's plenty of in-house experience to build campervans that, according to their promise, offer more comfort, safety, service, and quality. It's a somewhat smaller and therefore flexible player in the Motorhome market with a branch in Koblenz.

Compact dimensions

The Urban is a model that was recently introduced as a compact Van conversion based on the Mercedes V-class. A car comparable to the VW California. In terms of dimensions, the Mercedes is a fraction wider but slightly shorter and less tall. That width is a gain for the interior, although the difference is small. The same applies to the length. Perhaps you can park a little more easily in a passenger car space. The difference in height is also small, but those few centimeters less can mean you can enter that parking garage without scraping off the Pop-top roof. The height of the VanTourer Urban remains under two meters. In summary, the Mercedes is a car that can go anywhere a normal passenger car can.

The interior

The VanTourer Urban is available in three different versions: Base, Comfort, and Prime. The model we are looking at more closely is the Urban Prime, the most luxurious and complete model on the list. A striking feature of the Prime is the kitchen, a unit with a sink and a two-burner gas stove. This is permanently mounted in the eyes of the RDW (Dutch Vehicle Authority), but nevertheless, you can remove the kitchen from the car without too much effort to place it outside. Water, electricity, and gas are easy to disconnect and reconnect to the connectors on the outside.

You detach the kitchen unit by unscrewing four screws. To make this possible, the Prime has two sliding doors. Even if you leave the kitchen in place, this is extremely convenient. The nice thing about a Van conversion is, of course, that it can be opened on the side and rear. In good or warm weather, this provides much more contact with the outdoors than is possible in an A-class Motorhome. With that second sliding door, you further enhance that advantage. Incidentally, that second door also has a window that can be opened so that you can ventilate without opening everything up.

Next to the kitchen unit, a top-loading cool box is provided. At 30L, it's not too big, but it is a compressor type. Along the side wall, there is also a good amount of storage space. Wherever a cabinet could be placed, it has been. A table has also been thought of. An easily storable one clicks onto a rod on the kitchen unit. With the sofa bed moved forward and the cabin seats turned around, you have a very nice dinette at your disposal. The adjustable LED mood lighting also makes it very cozy. With the Pop-top roof up and its base folded up, there is no shortage of headroom. In the Prime version, a Truma diesel heater is also standard.

Sleeping comfort

If you're used to spending the night in a trekking tent, the comfort of this Mercedes is like a warm bath. However, if you're coming from a full-size Motorhome with Single beds or a queen bed, the bed sizes might be a bit cramped. The bed in the Pop-top roof measures 1.91 x 1.07 m. The bench on the ground floor can be converted into a bed of 1.90 x 1 meter. On paper, there are Berths for four people, but in practice, it will be quite crowded with such a full house. It is neatly executed, though. The bed in the Pop-top roof is equipped with spring plates under a good mattress. The sofa bed downstairs is pre-formed and adjustable so you can choose between a lounge or sleeping position. This makes the VanTourer a comfortable Motorhome for two people with the possibility of accommodating a couple of guests.

Daily business Motorhome

You can literally and figuratively go in any direction with this VanTourer Urban Prime. Suppose you are a courier with a family and a desire for a Motorhome. You can fulfill all of that with this Mercedes. By leaving the kitchen and sofa bed at home, you have a flat loading floor and a left sliding door, the dream of every parcel delivery person. But you can also order a second bench, giving you six belted seats. Handy for taking footballers to the sports field on weekends. In Motorhome mode, you have everything you need for a successful holiday. The only thing that really doesn't fit in the car is a bathroom. But that's what the sanitary facilities at the campsite are for.

On the road with the VanTourer Urban

Driving this version is a joy. There's nothing left of its origin as a commercial vehicle. Instead, you cruise around as smoothly as you are relaxed, with the dimensions of an SUV. The Prime is equipped with a 190hp engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission. Although personal preference leans towards a manual gearbox, there's nothing to complain about with this automatic. At traffic lights, you can show many fellow road users your taillights, and with those paddles on the steering wheel, manually downshifting or upshifting is even more fun than with a manual gearbox.

The seats are firm in a German way but offer much more seating comfort than is usual in a delivery van. And the leather-covered steering wheel full of buttons feels good in the hand. The 2xDIN audio set has built-in navigation. The operation takes some getting used to, and the whole thing is just a bit low in the center console. If you want to keep your eyes on the road, a separate box or phone on the window is nicer. Also striking is the silence on board. You don't hear the diesel with AdBlue tech, and only at a speed that is usually not allowed in the Netherlands do you hear some wind noise.

In this Mercedes V-Class, you have quite a few driving assistance systems at your disposal, such as lane departure warning, blind spot indicator in the mirrors, rain sensor, or a crosswind assistant; the list is quite long. A reversing camera is also provided, but that is not a replacement for the interior mirror. Unfortunately, because the rear view is not really good due to a transversely placed overhead cabinet. The windows in both sliding doors do, however, provide a good overview.

Highway, city traffic, or a slippery mud track, the “Benz” not only does it effortlessly, it is made for it. The car sits like a rock on the road and causes no unpleasant surprises anywhere. With optional 4x4 drive and air suspension, you can even increase that joy, although we didn't miss it anywhere. The VanTourer Urban also looks good. Especially the nose with a chrome grille, a prominent star, and rather stern-looking headlights make it an appearance that fits everywhere. Both at the Motorhome pitch and on weekdays in a parking garage. So much beauty naturally has a price. The VanTourer Urban Prime with the options we drove costs € 97,972, including the taxes that the tax authorities impose on it. Less is also possible, the Base version of the VanTourer Urban starts from € 55,900, excluding the BPM of 37.7%.

Specifications VanTourer Urban Prime:

Length: 514 cm
Width: 224 cm
Curb weight: 2565 kg
Payload: 535 kg
Braked trailer: 2,200 kg
Euro standard: 6d
Number of seats: 4 (option 6)
Berths: 2+2

More information: www.vantourer.de

Immediately available at www.haffkamp.eu

Looking for a used VanTourer? Then take a look at campers.nl or www.camperscaravans.nl