Motorhomes, or RVs as the Americans prefer to call them, are part of the fabric of life in the United States, but they’ve always played second fiddle in Australia to far more ubiquitous caravans.

No doubt someone, somewhere has written a thesis, or even a book, on why this is the case, but I’ve always wondered why caravans win this battle for the recreational vehicle dollar so comprehensively.

Years ago, your correspondent owned a ’73 Volkswagen Kombi fitted with a home-made camper conversion, which provided rudimentary but comfortable transport and accommodation during an 18-month European tour.

Since then, I’ve sometimes grappled with the dilemma of whether I’d prefer to spend my retirement years travelling Australia at the wheel of a motorhome, or towing a caravan.

Both have their merits, but as stated, here in Australia far more people prefer the caravan lifestyle.

Having just spent a day at the wheel of Volkswagen’s recently launched Crafter Kampervan Gen 2, I’m wondering if the scales might tip further in favour of the motorhome, if more people had the opportunity to experience this alternative style of mobile living.

Based on the German carmaker’s Crafter heavy goods van, the Kampervan has been developed in collaboration with leading Australian caravan manufacturer Jayco and is sold under the VGA Conversions monicker.

In European and other global markets VW makes a factory-built Grand California model that is comparable to the Crafter Kampervan, but it’s not sold here due to homologation issues, mainly to do with its sliding side door being on the wrong side for our right-hand drive market.

As a result, this Australian-specific model is manufactured at Jayco’s Melbourne factory, starting out with a long wheelbase Volkswagen Crafter as the platform.

This provides a generous 4,300mm load length into which Jayco packs plenty of clever features and quality components, drawing on its almost 50 years in the caravan game.

This isn’t the first time Volkswagen and Jayco have collaborated, with an earlier 60-unit run of the Gen 1 Kampervan selling out in just three days.

This Gen 2 version has also been allocated a 60-unit run for the remainder of 2024, but Volkswagen expects more to be built in 2025.

The new model reportedly takes learnings from the Gen 1 project as well as feedback from customers who bought the earlier version to adapt and improve the design.

It’s offered in a two-variant model range, comprising the Kampervan Style priced at $157,990 (MRLP) and the Kampervan All-terrain costing $165,490 (MRLP).

The Style is the lighter of the two with a tare weight of 3,476kg versus the All- terrain’s 3,532kg, giving the former a slightly higher payload of 758kg versus 714kg.

Other key differences are that the Style rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels and is more of an on-road focused variant, whereas the All-terrain features sturdier 16-inch steel wheels clad with chunkier tyres, a snorkel, 50mm lift package and four Seikel underbody protection shields.

Under the bonnet of the Crafter Kampervan is Volkswagen’s 2.0 Litre TDI 410 BlueMotion four-cylinder engine, which features common rail bi-turbo technology, direct injection, engine stop-start system and brake energy recovery.

The engine develops a gutsy 130kW at 3600rpm and 410Nm at 2000rpm, driving through a smooth and responsive eight-speed automatic transmission and VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system.

The Kampervan also features as standard a mechanical rear differential lock and Hill Descent Assist which provides extra security during steep descents and extra grip in slippery conditions.

Not that you’ll be wanting to get too adventurous in terms of off-roading, even with the more capable All-Terrain variant, given that both models are almost 7m long and stand 2,590mm tall in their socks, without accounting for various rooftop accessories including a Dometic AC system, TV aerial, WiFi module, roof vents, 200kw solar system, and a side-mounted awning.

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The generous 4,490mm wheelbase contributes to a vast 16.2m turning circle but does give Jayco plenty of interior space to work with – six Euro-pallets worth of space, to be precise – and they haven’t disappointed, incorporating myriad clever features designed to make life on the road easier.

We’ll get to that in a minute, but first to the driving experience, which is quite impressive considering the vehicle’s considerable size and weight.

For its modest 2.0-litre capacity the engine does a stellar job of shifting the Kampervan’s 3520kg tare mass.

Acceleration from a standstill is not exactly exhilarating, but once up to cruising speed it easily maintains a comfortable highway pace of between 80 and 100km/h.

Fuel consumption during our three-hour test drive was 10.5L/100km, which given the 75-litre fuel tank capacity should ensure a range of just over 700km between fills.

The auto gearbox responds quickly and intuitively to gradient changes and when additional acceleration is required, but it’s not fussy and tends to hold on stoically to gears without excessive kickdown and flaring.

The driving position is excellent, with a commanding view down the road and good rear visibility courtesy of large wing mirrors with wide-angle inserts, although visibility via the centre mirror is impeded by the camper fitout.

The multifunction steering wheel is leather trimmed and the nicely sculpted and supportive seats incorporate manually adjustable armrests.

The dash and cabin are trimmed in quality Volkswagen commercial vehicle plastics, which give the appearance of being highly durable but also offer decent tactile feel.

The dash design is simple and clean, with a large analogue speedo and tacho ahead of the driver, and a small digital multi-view screen in between.

A 6.5-inch TFT touchscreen colour display at dash centre provides access to navigation, Bluetooth connection for two mobile phones, and a radio tuner.

Connecting a phone is a simple affair and the App-Connect function mirrors selected apps from a smartphone onto the touchscreen display, including Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

Heating and ventilation control is via simple rotary dials located below the touchscreen and elsewhere the cabin offers plenty of handy storage options including the dash, door bins and overhead console.

There are also four cup holders, two 12-volt sockets and a USB port, with a grab handle on each side of the A-pillar to help access the high-riding cabin.

We didn’t experience any excessive side winds during our drive but the inclusion of standard Cross Wind Assist, and 4MOTION all-wheel drive would certainly aid in ensuring safe, straight driving for what is a very tall and slab-sided vehicle.

Other standard safety features include Front Assist and AEB, front and rear Park Distance Control, Adaptive Cruise Control, Multi-Collision Brake, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Rear-View Camera, Hill Hold Assist, Lane Assist and Rear Traffic Alert. LED headlamps and DRLs are also standard, along with fog lights with a cornering lamp function.

The ride on average-quality sealed roads proved reasonably comfortable – thanks in large part to that extra-long wheelbase – and road noise is well isolated so it’s easy to maintain a conversation with a front-seat passenger.

You do need to ensure that everything in the rear living area is securely fastened, however, as rattling doors and cupboards quickly spoil the ambience.

The high-mount auto transmission lever and absence of a centre console allows walkthrough access from the front seats into the living area, where’s there’s almost 2m of headroom.

Alternatively, a manual side sliding door on the passenger side and an electrically operated sidestep provides easy access when parked.

The sidestep opens and closes on a switch and automatically folds away to avoid damage when ‘Drive’ is engaged.

Once back in the living area, the Kampervan seats up to four people, utilising a bench rear seat with seatbelts and swivelling front ‘captain’s chairs’ that can be turned to face the living area. A folding and adjustable table behind the driver’s seat can be removed for use outside the vehicle, and there’s an integrated roller blind on the window beside the dining area that can be closed for privacy.

Among the claimed improvements over Gen 1 (which we never sampled) is additional ventilation courtesy of extra windows, flyscreens all round – including the rear barn doors and the side door – plus fans and air-conditioning.

The side door window can also be opened for ventilation when the sliding door is closed and there’s integrated blackout blinds that can be dropped down for privacy when the door is open.

The kitchen layout is designed to maximise storage and usability with a 90L 12V fridge nestled in a slide out location beneath the two-burner gas hob, and a 240V microwave tucked away beneath the kitchen sink.

A mixer tap delivers on-demand hot water from the gas-powered water heater, which also supplies the shower and bathroom sink.

The fridge features a freezer drawer and is located to be easily accessed from inside or outside the vehicle.

Opposite the kitchen is an internal shower with handbasin and hot/cold mixer tap, and a toilet with an external access Thetford waste cassette.

There’s 120L of freshwater storage and 80L of grey water capacity which should enable a few days of off-grid living if used carefully.

There’s an abundance of storage dotted about the living area with drawers beneath the bed, under the seats and in a variety of internal cabins, plus numerous 240V sockets and USB plugs.

The sockets and plugs are duplicated on the outside edge of the fridge-stove cavity, allowing easy phone or laptop charging if seated outside and under the manually extendable annexe.

The sleeping area features a queen bed with 1.8m inner spring mattress, handy bedside storage compartments with USB and 240V power points, overhead reading lights, and swivel fans which fold up when not in use.

The television is in the bedding area but is also swivel mounted to be viewable from the kitchen, while sliding rear side windows with flyscreens and privacy roller blinds aid with cross ventilation.

A mix of available power sources including battery, gas, solar and inverter ensures impressive off-grid capability, with Volkswagen claiming three-plus days of off-grid capability when not using air-conditioning, or six to seven hours with air-con in use.

There’s also significant solar input opportunity including from the 200kW roof-mounted system and an Anderson plug input for a solar blanket that fits across the windscreen if required.

Climate control in the living area is via a diesel heater and that roof-mounted Dometic AC unit. In milder climes, outdoor comfort is enhanced via a retractable cassette-type Fiamma Awning, external LED lighting, a Winegard WiFi Extender, and a Habitat stereo with Bluetooth compatibility.

A dedicated compartment at the rear provides access to the neatly packaged batteries and electronics, which includes a Projecta 400Ah lithium battery, a Projecta 3000W inverter – allowing 240V sockets to be used while off-grid – a Projecta 60A DC-DC Charger for fast battery top ups, and the on-demand water heater system.

A digital control module screen above the dining area in the cabin allows monitoring and control of the various electrical systems, while a master kill switch allows everything to be shut down to conserve battery life when in storage.

Also stored at the rear of the vehicle, in its own compartment below the bedding area, is a 9kg gas bottle which sits alongside a trundle tray storage drawer with 75kg load capacity.

The trundle is large enough to accommodate a portable fridge or generator, plus the awning tool mechanism which stores neatly in a dedicated spot alongside.

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The rear barn doors contain convenient pockets in which the available VW factory outdoor chairs and table are stored and nearby is an external shower outlet with detachable hose.

In summary, while we spent enough time at the wheel of the Crafter Kampervan to get a solid impression of how it drives and had plenty of time to check out its features, we didn’t spend a night in the vehicle, so can’t vouch for how it all comes together.

That sort of exposure is invaluable when road-testing a caravan or motorhome as it highlights the little quirks of day-to-day van life that you just don’t notice in a static demonstration.

But as someone who once spent many months laying down his head in far more compact and, dare I say it, less salubrious campervan accommodation, I can appreciate the level of design, technology and craftsmanship that’s gone into this conversion.

Obviously, the price tag for either Crafter Kampervan model represents a staggering amount of money to spend on something to holiday in, but if you do the math on what a suitable high-spec dual cab ute or 4x4 wagon, plus caravan will run you, there’s not much change out of $200k.

Case in point, on the same event we also sampled a range of Volkswagen Amarok dual-cab 4x4 utes, which in popular Style V6 trim costs $73,740 (MRLP).

To prove the towing merits of the V6, an example of that model was hitched to a Jayco Caravan Silverline Outback caravan with a recommended retail price of $109,703, meaning the combined rig came in at a comparable $183,443.

Of course, one key upside of the vehicle-caravan combination is that you still have a vehicle available to drive for the months of the year where the caravan isn’t in action.

If you choose the Kampervan you have a 7metre, 3,500kg behemoth in the driveway 365 days a year.

The upside of the motorhome is that parking is relatively easy – you don’t have any of the stress that comes with reversing a caravan – and you can make a campsite pretty much anywhere that it’s legal to do so.

Setup is also relatively simple and you can be kicking back in a matter of minutes.

As to the age-old dilemma of motorhome versus caravan, it’s really a case of horses for courses. But if you’re considering their relative merits then we recommend looking at the Crafter Kampervan Gen 2, which is distributed through the Volkswagen dealer network and comes with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty and five years of roadside assistance, with full support of Volkswagen, Jayco and JARSA (Jayco Authorised Dealers and Repairers).

Volkswagen Crafter Kampervan All-Terrain Gen 2 key info

• Price: $165,490 (MRLP)
• Powertrain: 2.0-litre TDI 410 BlueMotion, common rail bi-turbo direct injection diesel, with engine Stop/Start system and brake energy recovery, (130kW/410Nm), eight-speed automatic, 4MOTION all-wheel drive.
• Tare weight: 3,532kg
• Payload: 714kg
• GVM: 4,300kg
• ANCAP crash rating: Not rated
• Fuel consumption (combined cycle): 10.5L/100km (278g/km CO2)
• For: Easy to park and drive, high quality fit out with many practical inclusions, multiple power-sources provides good off-grid capability.
• Against: Weight, size, price, turning circle, the fact you can’t decouple the vehicle from the living area which limits its usability.