Volkswagen did not develop into a camper van icon all by itself. It took the nice of us at Westfalia to make that occur. Will the subsequent legendary Volkswagen camper van come from one other firm exterior VW Group? It is too early to say, however Volkswagen is giving these firms a leg up with its newest Multivan providing. The brand new van comes with an out there plug-in hybrid powertrain, a cockpit, a couple of RV fundamentals and a complete lot of nothing else. It is an empty shell constructed to spark the inventive minds of the prevailing conversion institution and upstarts of the longer term.
Volkswagen has loads to maintain it busy when it comes to constructing its in-house camper vans of the official California sub-brand, nevertheless it nonetheless needs to make sure it is promoting loads of fleet vans, too. So simply days after releasing a split-in-half bus that struck us as the last word anti-camper van, VW Business Autos has debuted one thing of the direct reverse: a base van destined solely to develop into a camper.
Known as merely the Multivan Camper and launched to the UK market this week, the brand new business providing is aimed squarely at conversion companies, giving them a quicker, simpler means of going from manufacturing facility base van to totally outfitted camper van. Volkswagen places its many years of California camper manufacturing to work in providing a Multivan with pop-up roof, swivel driver and entrance passenger seats, and a trimmed however empty rear cabin – no rear seats or flooring masking over the naked steel.
The concept is that conversion retailers can optimize their time creating and putting in camper flooring plans with out having to fret about altering out the roof, swapping in swivel seats or eradicating rear seats that are not suitable with their design. The roof additionally comes with an inside headliner.
One side of the Multivan Camper that may not work as properly for converters is the usual twin sliding door bundle. Whereas this will create a breezier, extra versatile flooring plan, because it does for the brand new Multivan-based California, it additionally threatens to dam one door entry with the ugly bottom of a kitchen block. This would possibly make firms rethink the traditional driver-side kitchen/folding rear bench structure quite common in midsize vans.
Or it may not. As a substitute, it would simply imply letting that door get blocked by the kitchen, as is the case in one of many very first transformed Multivan Campers: the Hillside MVX, at the moment making its debut at this weekend’s 2026 Caravan, Tenting & Motorhome Present in Birmingham, UK.
Hillsdale Leisure
The MVX has sliding doorways on either side, however inside images present that Hillside has primarily constructed the kitchen block clear throughout the driving force’s aspect sliding door entry. Surprisingly, although the camper has a centralized single-burner range that appears prefer it may very well be accessed from the skin (presumably needing a step stool for correct top), Hillside locations a backsplash behind it, impeding protected, snug outside use.
We suppose that is not in the end a giant deal for these used to older Californias or different camper vans with a single sliding door, nevertheless it simply feels a bit half-baked.
Hillside Leisure
However, Hillside’s total conversion work makes it clear why VW is making an attempt to kickstart third-party Multivan conversions. The MVX might lack the indoor/outside versatility of VW’s personal California, nevertheless it gives an intriguing different with an ambiance elevated by the lengthy, modern aspect kitchen, wood-style trim and beneficiant quantity of ambient lighting, together with beneath the perimeters of the furnishings.
You may take a better take a look at the MVX within the introductory video clip. Hillside’s new camper van begins at £70,995 (approx. US$95,700) when outfitted with the 148-hp TDI engine and seven-speed DSG automated or £78,995 ($106,475) with the 242-hp plug-in eHybrid 4Motion all-wheel drive.
Meet the brand new Hillside MVX, constructed on the Volkswagen Multivan
As for the Multivan Camper, Volkswagen is providing it to companies for a base value of £52,680 ($71,000) for the 148-hp TDI and £60,870 ($82,050) for the eHybrid 4Motion, each costs after VAT. The Camper base is accessible solely in long-wheelbase kind, which measures 204 in (517 cm) in whole van size. Choices embody triple-zone local weather management, satellite tv for pc navigation and heated entrance seats. The brand new van comes with incomplete M1 passenger automotive homologation, requiring a second stage approval after conversion.
Supply: Volkswagen and Hillside Leisure
