Here are some of the questions we get asked the most. If your question isn’t answered here, or if you’d like to discuss anything about our campervans or the process, please contact us via email or call us on 01256 520 200 and we’ll take the time to answer your queries.
Which Crafter wheelbase models do you build on?
We build on the LWB (Long Wheelbase) variant of the range. We find the LWB offers the perfect blend of ‘enough’ space for us to create you a really luxurious conversion, without being excessively unwieldy to drive. Anything smaller we feel is a compromise on lack of space internally – and most of your time will be spent ‘living’ with the van, rather than driving so it’s important to us to prioritise this.
The Crafter is a great vehicle to drive and belies its size on the road. Width is little more than an average car, and with the addition of front/rear parking sensors and a reversing camera fitted as standard on our vehicles – they really are incredibly easy to drive, manoeuvre and live with.
Can you convert my vehicle?
We prefer to source our own base vehicle for your build, which we source either direct from Volkswagen or from known reputable suppliers in order to work our magic. However, we can consider your own vehicle for an Ultravans conversion – please call us to discuss.
We prefer newer/lower mileage vehicles in order to deliver a final product that we have utmost confidence in – it’s the only way we can deliver the Ultra-experience.
Can you build on any other vehicles or is it just Volkswagen Crafter?
Volkswagen offer a stylish, reliable and premium foundation to build your dream Ultravan in the Crafter, but VW have a sister company called MAN. They offer the TGE which is a near identical vehicle, so we’re more than happy to build on either. Volkswagen/MAN are easy to drive, familiar to any car-driver and well equipped – they’re our favourite for a reason, which is why we exclusively work with these models.
I just want the components for a build, not a full vehicle. Can you help me with parts?
In a word, No. Sorry.
The ingredients of our recipe are specific to an Ultravan. It wouldn’t be an Ultravan in any other way, so unfortunately we can’t offer parts or part-builds. If you’re interested in a pre-loved Ultravan (and why wouldn’t you!) please check out our Available Stock page.
We also stay in touch with previous Ultravan customers, so who knows – give the team a call and we’ll let you know if we have something available which may fit your budget.
What are your lead times for new Ultravans and how long do they take to build?
If you’ve looked around, you’ll know that demand is high for leisure vehicles at the moment – particularly those that are well specified and equipped. As a result, we deliver as many customers the Ultravan experience as often as we can.
We generally operate on a ‘build-slot’ allocation basis, i.e. if you wished to place an order you would be reserving a future build slot. We would either allocate a base vehicle that we have in our supply pipeline, or source a vehicle to suit you in advance of your build commencing. Our builds take in the region of 10 weeks to complete.
We’ll talk through what you’re looking for. No hard-sell, no false-promises. We’ll be straight with you and explore what we can do to meet your timescales.
Why don’t you fit the Toilet waste door outside the vehicle?
We prefer to cut as few holes as possible in the exterior of the vehicle. It’s a good looking vehicle, so littering it with unnecessary ports/vents/fillers etc isn’t high on our agenda. As a result we fitted the toilet waste tank access door inside the vehicle – this is no compromise. No mess, no smell, no fuss. The tank is vacuum sealed as soon as you pull the release lever – we assure you, no smells!
There doesn’t appear to be a sink in the washroom?
As standard, we do not fit a sink in the washroom. The washroom on our vehicles is generous for a compact vehicle, and given that access to a full sized sink is literally outside the door, we feel it is a use of precious showering space that most would not like to give up in order to include one in the bathroom. That said, some customers prefer to keep all washroom business inside the washroom and are happy to encroach on the showering space, in which case we can fit a small corner sink and tap on request.
Why is a Solar panel not standard equipment?
We brim our Ultravans with high quality, top branded equipment. One of these inclusions is a generous amount of Lithium (LifePO4) battery storage. As this is often twice or three times what other manufacturers/converters install as standard, if you do the calculations on usage versus expected ‘off-grid’ run time, for most customers solar panels aren’t necessary and just add unnecessary weight and expense. That said, we discuss this point with every customer during a consultation, and try to get a feel for the likely use-case involved and of course where it is required we can install Solar for a small incremental cost.
Because we like to future-proof wherever possible, we ‘pre-wire’ all our vehicles with solar connection cables, running from the engine room to the roof location just in case Solar provision is required in future. It’s just another example of smart thinking.
What sort of ‘off-grid’ run time can I expect from the batteries provided as standard?
Our vehicles charge the standard-issue Lithium batteries by one of two ways; 1) when plugged in to a hook-up connection on a campsite etc. or 2) via the Battery to Battery charger which functions when the vehicle engine is running. This means that whenever you are driving between destinations or you are parked at a campsite with hook-up, you’re always full of juice and can forget about it.
With typical usage: i.e. having the Fridge on 24/7, occasional use of the extractor fans while cooking/sleeping, charging of USB equipment, Boiler usage etc. Our vehicles can achieve circa. 4 days with no charging from external power connections or driving the vehicle. This covers most people’s weekend needs without paying for an on-site hook-up. If you plan to be on one location without hook-up or driving the vehicle, then we would recommend the Solar upgrade to extend this duration, or to upgrade the standard issue leisure battery to a larger capacity version. Please discuss this with your Build Specialist when planning your vehicle.
