Everyone looks for different things but we were particularly looking for a campervan that was...
- small enough to fit in a normal parking space at the supermarket/side of the road;
- based on a popular and reliable van so spares wouldn’t be an issue when abroad;
- equipped with a toilet and shower, and appliances such as a fridge, hob, and water boiler;
- fairly new, easy to drive, and which did a decent mpg.
Our van doesn’t have a fixed bed and this has some plus and minus points.
On the up side it means you have a more open and useable space during the day - we can comfortably sit 6 people around the table for tea and cakes for example!
On the down side, we have to make the bed up every night and put it away again the next morning which wouldn’t suit everyone. We were a little worried that we’d get sick of it but in all honesty it’s never been a problem.
The heating system runs on diesel from the main fuel tank, rather than gas. It appears to be very economical as we were still getting 35mpg in the Norwegian mountains where we were using the heating a lot.
We have made a few improvements to the van since we bought it.
When we say ‘we’ what we actually mean is ‘Alex’s Dad’ as we’re both completely useless when it comes to DIY! Anyway, with help we have...
When we say ‘we’ what we actually mean is ‘Alex’s Dad’ as we’re both completely useless when it comes to DIY! Anyway, with help we have...
- installed a new stereo with an iPod dock;
- removed the hanging rail from the wardrobe and fitted three shelves in the space;
- made some improvements to the bed supports, and replaced the foam in the main cushion as the old was getting a bit thin;
- designed and built a hidden storage compartment for valuables;
- fitted a bookshelf;
- fitted a storage box next to the water boiler for books and other bits and pieces;
- had the leisure battery moved to a more convenient location under the bench seat;
- and had a Gaslow system installed - a single LPG bottle with a manual switchover to a Calorlite bottle which we use in emergencies.
We couldn’t recommend the Gaslow system highly enough. It’s not only saved us a lot of cash, but a lot of stress and fannying about with different gas bottles and adapters in different countries too!
We’re still very happy with the Tribute and would definitely recommend them.
We’ve looked at a lot of vans since we bought ours and haven’t yet found one that would better meet our needs. We’re also pleased to see that they’re maintaining their value. In fact, we’d struggle to buy one now for the same price and low mileage.
If only the same great layout was available in the newer models!
