If you’re thinking Fiat Doblo for camping, then think of the Maxi XL High Roof version. It is the tallest MPV out there – overtakes the leading VW Caddy by a whopping 25cm, giving you much more headroom or storage space (actually both!).
It’s about 8cm shorter than the Caddy, but still one of the longest cars out there with 217cm boot length. The rear seats can be folded (backrests) or lifted up & tilted forward, or easily removed – even more flexibility (see how in this video).
Combined with good consumption, the Fiat Doblo Maxi High Roof makes an amazing camping car.
The VW Caddy Maxi Life is one of the biggest MPVs out there and probably the best small camper van option out there. If boot size is your primary criteria – you can’t go wrong with a Caddy. The car drives good too. Where it lacks a bit is comfort – it takes after its van origins and offers a more basic interior. But it makes up for it in storage – it really has a lot of compartments all over the place. It’s not the best car to take off the road completely – but you can take it down a good enough mud road without any big problems. A very good car camping / microcamping conversion candidate, unless you are planning to drive through forests and very much offroad – or you prefer a higher class interior comfort.
Long + tall, cheap and good for DIY custom camper builds. It’s the same size and engine as Berlingo – both are quite popular as DIY camper cars, mainly because of their low entry price. I would recommend the L2 – Long version. The other versions are the same, just shorter – which will limit your sleeping area at the back. The newer versions come with the same nifty tailgate window and roof window as the Berlingo.
The VW Sharan strikes a good balance between size and comfort. Actually, it’s one of the biggest MPV’s out there. If boot size is your primary criteria – you can’t go wrong with a Sharan. The car drives nicely too and offers good comfort in the front for the driver and passenger. It’s not the best car to take off the road completely – but you can take it down a good enough mud road without any big problems. A very good car camping / microcamping conversion candidate, unless you are planning to drive through forests and very much offroad.
The Berlingo is one of the most often converted cars for camping. Despite not being the biggest – very likely because of its affordability and availability (and availability bias – when you Google small campers, you’ll see a lot of Berlingos, so people naturally assume those are the best, but they are not, read on…).
The Berlingo (and its similar cousins – Vauxhall Combo, Peugeot Partner) is a good car for car camping, but not as good for general driving & comfort during long journeys. It’s not the longest MPV out there (although it’s one of the widest) but offers very good mileage and low maintenance costs. It’s also very well priced – there are plenty of used van or MPV versions to be found. It’s best suited to fill the role of your second car that you can rebuild for camping. If you want it as your main car, it’s good if your budget is low, but otherwise, you’re better off with one of the more comfy and reliable or bigger MPV in our DB.
The Peugeot Rifter, from the Berlingo family (and Opel Combo or Toyota ProAce City are basically the same cars), is longer, more comfortable and scores higher in safety tests than Berlingo – which just about makes it one of the top contenders for a great camper!
The Grand Voyager is big and comfy. At places too comfy – a fold-up TV isn’t really necessary for camping, so although it’s a big car, you’ll be paying for unnecessary luxuries. These also add unnecessary weight, increasing its consumption. It’s, therefore, more expensive to run and harder to drive. These luxuries are also not spent wisely – again, the drive is according to most reviews online, just OK. The fold-up TV doesn’t make a long trip much better – better sound insulation could do.
Big and comfy – at places too much (a fold-up TV isn’t really necessary or the table at the back in some models will have to be taken out most likely anyway). Quite expensive to run, harder to drive. On the other hand, it offers a lot of space and storage compartments, comfy seats and plenty of USB and 220V power outlets. If you don’t mind the high consumption and are looking for comfort during long rides, this is a good choice.
Hyundai Staria is the Multivan of MPVs – swivel seats with configurable position, it comes in either a 6 or 9 seat version. A big car for sure – the seats can be folded down giving you almost 2.5m legroom. The irony is though that you are paying a premium for those luxury seats, only to then hide them under a mattress. Albeit you could sleep on those reclining middle seats for a few nights too. Or go for the van (cargo) model – it’s a bit longer and taller + you can make it your own + it’s cheaper. It’s labelled as an MPV, but really, it’s just like a Multivan, not like a Caddy. We may see these categories blend somehow in the future…
A big and comfy car that eats a lot. Kia Carnival is for you if you are looking for lots of space and a comfortable ride and don’t mind paying for twice the typical MPV consumption. New models tend to cost a lot more than your typical MPV, but it should be possible to find a used one for a good price.
This successor of Dacia Lodgy seems to be boasting everything you need from a good car for camping – SUV features to take it off-road, MPV size with 7-seats + a long and spacious boot at a very affordable price. Could this be the next best everyday camping car?
Apparently, it will be the cheapest 7-seater MPV on the market at around €15,000 (just under £13,000) new. And if that’s not enough, it’s getting great reviews overall. The biggest downside seems to be the cheap plastic feel on the inside.
Users submitted boot length on camping forums is 200cm with the front seat pushed forward, so the standard boot length is around 180cm. Makes sense as the overall car length is about 30cm shorter compared to a Sharan (with a 208cm boot length). One disadvantage seems to be that the last row of seats sticks out quite high even if the seats are folded – but you can easily take them out, see here.
A well-sized car (although at the lower end of other MPVs) with a very high safety rating and comfort level. If you prefer size over comfort, have a look at Caddy Maxi or Fiat Doblo XL. If you prefer comfort over size, Ford S-Max might be a good choice – but so could be the bigger Sharan, which is also quite comfortable. If you are keen on owning a Ford that focuses more on comfort, albeit at a slight reduction in available space, have a look at Ford S-Max.
A panel van that feels and drives better than a van. It has very good safety scores and is well-rated across other websites. It offers a good-sized cargo area, about average for a panel van. Not the biggest, but it makes up for it with higher comfort when driving and in the cabin.
The barn doors on most models are a downside, but they have a small plus point – you can open them all the way towards the front, by the sides of the car so that they won’t get in your way. You just won’t have a roof like you would with a tailgate.
It’s basically a Sharan with the same measurements and comfort level. This also means that Seat Alhambra is a very good car for camping – if you are looking for a good level of comfort during long journeys and one of the biggest boots for sleeping at the same time.
NimbleCamper rating: 3.9/5
(based on our Sharan review, as they are the same cars)
The Tourneo is an even more comfortable version of the already comfortable panel van Transit Connect. You get a higher trim standard and drive comfort with a big boot for all your camping needs. When the seats are folded down, the boot height is 95cm, which isn’t much for an MPV, but good enough. Go for the Grand version of course – you’ll get a 40cm longer boot – that’s a lot. It drives well, but it also eats a bit more than other MPVs though.
The barn doors on most models are a downside, but they have a small plus point – you can open them all the way towards the front, by the sides of the car so that they won’t get in your way. You just won’t have a roof like you would with a tailgate.
A well-sized car (although at the lower end of other MPVs) with a very high safety rating and comfort level. If you prefer size over comfort, have a look at Caddy Maxi or Fiat Doblo XL. If you prefer comfort over size, Ford S-Max might be a good choice – but so could be the bigger Sharan, which is also quite comfortable. Also have a look at Ford Galaxy if you are looking for a Ford that is a bit bigger and cheaper, with less attention to comfort compared to the S-MAX.
A shorter version of the Caddy – I don’t see why you’d go for short if there’s a longer version with everything else being the same :). But perhaps you want a more compact car – the key benefit of the shorter Caddy is its manoeuvrability – it is easier to park and drive in cities. It is 47cm shorter and 13cm lower than the Caddy Maxi Life.
A very big car, albeit quite luxurious and hence a higher price, but if you can find it used, you’ll find plenty of space for sleeping at the back, including the dog and your bags. This model was discontinued in 2017 unfortunately, but used ones are still to be found.
Cheap and good for DIY custom camper builds. It’s the same size and engine as Berlingo – both are quite popular as DIY camper cars, mainly because of their low entry price. I would recommend the L2 – Long version. The other versions are the same, just shorter – which will limit your sleeping area at the back. The newer versions come with the same nifty tailgate window and roof window as the Berlingo.
The Proace City comes from the Berlingo family and is therefore on par with others like the Opel Combo Peugeot Partner or Peugeot Rifter – they are basically the same car. This means it’s an ok car for camping – as it offers enough room in the back, given its van roots, but it’s not the most comfortable to drive… given its van roots :). There are bigger MPVs out there in the same price range, f.e. the Fiat Doblo, Nissan NV200, Caddy Maxi Life. Or even bigger & more comfortable cars like the Sharan.
The Opel/Vauxhall Combo is basically a Berlingo with different trim. Citroen Berlingo is one of the most often converted cars for camping, so you could take the Combo too.
The Combo (and its similar cousins – Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner, Renault Kangoo) is a good car for car camping, but not as good for general driving & comfort during long journeys. It’s not the longest MPV out there (although it’s one of the widest) but offers very good mileage and low maintenance costs. It’s also very well priced – there are plenty of used van or MPV versions to be found. It’s best suited to fill the role of your second car that you can rebuild for camping. If you want it as your main car, it’s good if your budget is low, but otherwise, you’re better off with one of the more comfy and reliable or bigger MPV in our DB.
It’s a bit smaller Sharan – easier to park, but less space inside, the rest is about the same. If you want a smaller (and a bit cheaper) car with VW interior & engine standards, good safety rating and good consumption that you can still sleep in, the Touran might just be it. If you don’t mind the interior as much, you’re better off looking at Berlingo, Caddy or similar cars.
Standard SUV boot length and height and better width between the wheel arches. This time (and dirt) tested veteran won’t let you down when camping off the road.
With quite a short boot and barn door (not tailgate), this isn’t bhe best option for a camping conversion – you’ll find better ones in our database.
The most common approach seems to be a full professional camper conversion (rebuilt) or a Dokker specific camping box, which will give you the most sleeping length and storage space. As you’ll be throwing out all the seats anyway, check out the van version if you still like the Dokker, but want a much longer boot – without paying for the seats in the first place.
It’s a good enough camper if you push the front seats forward – giving you enough room to sleep. But its main advantage is that it’s a 4×4, not its size (there are bigger cars in our DB for that).
It’s a good enough camper if you push the front seats forward – giving you enough room to sleep. But its main advantage is that it’s a 4×4, not its size (there are bigger cars in our DB for that).
