THE EXCEPTIONAL CONCEPT

Words & photos by John Page

From the desert of Dungeness we bring you the true story of how this Volkswagen based machine was conceived and constructed to become one of the most interesting Camper types to emerge from the CMC complex at Hythe in Kent. CMC is short for Concept Multi-Car – Reimo is the name of what is probably the most innovative German supplier of components and concepts in our European world of Motor Caravans. The successful relationship between the two companies dates back to the Eighties. Reassuring is the fact that the components supplied by Reimo conform to the strict German TUV safety standards.

Our test machine was ideal, with 9,000 miles on the tachometer – with all working parts honed to perfection and the motor at its best. Time to go so head due south from Hythe and Romney Marsh to the first ever RSPB bird reserve in the UK – a wild expanse of dunes and lakes attracting a fascinating mix of Avian activity to whom the Atomic power station is an all year round Mecca. If skyscapes are your photographic bent this promontory excels. Enough of all that – what is Elle made of?

 

Construction

There’s a body of steel, an elevating roof of GRP with canvas sides, furniture of laminated Polar plywood and steel framing for the four fully belted forward facing seats. The woodwork is laminate coated – scratch and moisture resistant. Essentially two-berth it is of course a four-person people carrier- both smooth and fast when the need arises. With elevating roof there is generous headroom on site yet astonishingly in the lowered position the overall height is a compact 2.00m –low enough to clear the height barriers. With gas strut assist raising or lowering the roof is simple and zipped mesh windows unroll for extra light and ventilation. Optional, is a double bed within the roof space.

Remarkable for comfort on the move and their dual action in camping mode, the steel framed rear seats conform to current safety regulations, form an integral part of the twin single beds when they are folded flat and carry out this manoeuvre without fuss or hassle. To the rear, the galley is at the offside – wardrobe and toilet on the nearside.

Check our photos to see the neatly housed 30-litre fresh water container neatly shoehorned under the rear offside seat base. In short within the 5.92m overall length of this elegant Camper there is all the equipment to ride well, lounge indulgently and sleep quietly.

 

On the Move

No I’m not advocating you start looking for farm tracks or mountain roads but the compact dimensions of this Elle does mean not having to worry about the occasional foray off the beaten track because this rugged Volkswagen machine can cope with all that as well as giving a superior ride quality on the tarmac of highways and motorways. It’s about structural integrity, weight distribution and the very best suspension. For instance the rear suspension units are coil sprung, trailing link units that allow each wheel to cover the terrain independently and smoothly No other Camper chassis has this! Up front VW’s own take on Macpherson type struts deal with irregularities of surface and play their part in achieving the stable ride quality for which Vee Dubs are famed. Driving this CMC Camper was a joy and because we chose to visit the Dungeness bird reserve we had a taste of the medium rough going as well as the Romney Marsh roads. No creaks, no rattles and no sense of driving a pantechnicon in surroundings dedicated to watching unobtrusively.

 

At Rest

Switch off engine, raise the roof, magic swivel seats into armchairs and get the kettle going – the beauty of travel by Volkswagen Camper. And whether it’s holiday time or an afternoon picnic this compact vehicle is unobtrusive. The green paint job is also a great choice for blending with the scenery. Look around, slide the side door wide open and let the countryside, or bird reserve in this case, work its peaceful magic on our intrepid test team. Actually if the idea is to attract the birds it’s not a bad idea to regard our camper as a hide. We did for a while to see a Marsh Harrier, lapwings and one little egret. In Mid August the temperature was a hot dry 25oC but there’s no shortage of ventilation and that coupled with the body insulation keeps us comfortably cool. From the compressor fridge a cool beer and music from Classic FM. All four seats that are so supportive en route are equally effective as loungers.

Retrieve the table from its position just inside the tailgate before screwing it to the supporting frame and swivelling it easily to where it is most effective for the crew. When not in use the support frame clips to its stowage bracket.

 

Sleeping

Almost certainly the easiest of VW Camper bed arrangements we’ve yet experienced.

The cab seats stay in their reversed position while the both rears seats are flattened to butt up to them. Folding the seat pads through 180o brings them into position, followed by the backrests also folded to complete the pair of comfortable single beds.

The movement of those cushions is made possible when the four release levers are engaged and if that sounds complicated blame my description because the procedure is simple to use. Such is the quality of the seat bases that once in position they are completely firm and yet with the degree of resilience needed for good shut-eye. Access into or out of the sleeping quarters is via the gangway between the two beds.

Night time privacy is from clip-on curtains in the cab area and the sliding curtains to the windows elsewhere.

 

Kitchen

Sink with running water, hob with two burners and 40-litres of fridge/freezer capacity; it’s all there with additional workspace above the fridge. LED lighting is effective with miniscule energy consumption and there is useful locker space close by. Directly below the sink is a neat mini-grill useful also as a keep warm compartment. 12-volt and 3-pin 240V sockets will accept a range of appliances including toaster, kettle etcetera, while the 80Ah auxiliary battery takes care of the various devices including the monitor/control system.

 

Washroom

Although it would be grandiose to refer to the facilities as a washroom, the installation of a cassette flushing toilet in this Elle is a major advantage for a compact Camper. Neatly and intelligently fitted, its access door unfolds to form a separate compartment complete with useful deep shelved stowage locker. A 100% improvement over the common compact loo tucked away in a floor level locker. Emptying the cassette is a simple matter with easy access when the tailgate is opened.

Fresh water for the toilet is via a separate supply.

Stowage

The smaller the vehicle the greater the ingenuity used to create sufficient space for everything you are likely to need when camping. CMC therefore utilise space well enough to accommodate the essential food, clothes, kitchen tackle and personal gear that most of us consider necessary. Space under the nearside rear seat is deep enough for bulky items and there is also some space atop the water tank beneath the offside seat. A compact wardrobe adjoins the toilet compartment wall and between it and the back of the nearside seat there is more useful stashing space. The cab has a variety of niches and pockets for maps and documents and the gas locker has room enough to stow a mains cable and a second cylinder. Should you still require additional stowage capacity an optional rack that is attached to the elevating roof framework is available. And another very popular option is the purpose designed awning for attachment above the sliding door that almost doubles the living space in any of the CMC types

 

Summary

Obviously this used example had been treated well by its previous owner because it had the appearance and performance of a brand new vehicle and a mileage figure of less than 10,000. The price is £37,000 complete with two years VW warranty and twelve months from CMC. It’s not cheap but is certainly good value considering the specification here that includes climatic air conditioning, and the excellent VW diesel fuelled Heater for camping in somewhat cooler weather than the 25oC we experienced. These heaters are noted for their economical consumption and efficiency. Interesting to reflect that in addition to the wide choice of design and specification that CMC have to offer there is also scope to include individual customer modifications providing they do not affect the design details that are part of Volkswagen’s whole vehicle warranty or the details that have gained Reimo approval of the rigid German TUV safety regulation.

Leaving the friendly crew at Hythe and heading north I got to musing on the perennial popularity of VW Campers in general – it’s very simple really, they are good to look at – not to be confused with a truck, they park easily and unobtrusively, they’re tough as old boots but most important of all there is that irrepressible association with fun and the good times!

TECHNICAL DATA

Vehicle specification: CMC two-berth Ci-Elle elevating roof Camper

Price of vehicle tested:  £37,000

Vehicle kindly loaned for testing by: Concept Multi-Car Ltd, Unit 1, Pennypot Industrial Estate, Hythe, Kent, CT21 6PE, Tel: 01303 261062

 

CONVERSION

Overall length:  5.29m

Overall width: 1.90m excluding mirrors

Overall height: 2.00m

MPTLM: 2300kg

Payload:  700kg

Construction: All steel body with GRP elevating roof

Fresh water capacity:  30-litres

Gas storage capacity:  two 907 Camping gas cylinders

Auxiliary battery:  80Ah

Refrigerator:  40-litre compressor fridge

Space heater: Volkswagen diesel fuelled heater

Lighting: LED fittings

Other equipment fitted: Radio/CD, Climatic air con,

 

BASE VEHICLE

Type: LWB Volkswagen T5

Power unit: two-litre turbo diesel

Maximum power: 140bhp@ 3500rpm

Maximum torque: 340Nm @ 1750-2000rpm

Transmission: six-speed manual to front wheels

Steering: power assisted rack and pinion

Braking: servo assisted system to all wheel discs with ABS

 

PERFORMANCE

Fuel consumption: 36mpg estimated

Maximum speed: 92mph estimated

Comfortable cruising speed 70mph