NEW FACE, NEW SPECIFICATION

Words & photos by Chris Burlace

Wellhouse Leisure originally made its name in the motorhome world as an importer of used Japanese vehicles such as the Toyota Hi-Ace and Mazda Bongo. Some came as ready-to-use campers, more as vans or people carriers which Wellhouse converted in its own workshops. The company added a new sector to the British market with reliable, recycled and almost-like-new, compact campers boasting high specifications (automatic, air conditioning, four wheel drive even, as standard) at very affordable prices. Importantly, Wellhouse’s chief David Elliott also set up the necessary infrastructure of servicing and spares supply for these new-old arrivals on the UK scene.

Wellhouse has gone from strength to strength in its eight years. It now has two sites with a larger factory and showroom, mechanical workshop, body/paintshop, roof fitting and bespoke conversions departments and more. It operates a hire business here and in New Zealand and is a supplier of fittings and materials to trade and public (including being one of two UK agents for the German ‘motorhome megastore’ Reimo).

Wellhouse still converts many used Japanese vehicles but has gone on to build also on new and on European base vehicles such as Renaults, Fiats, Fords and VWs. Its latest candidate for conversion, however, is Korean – the Hyundai 800i people carrier. At the Motorhome Show in June in Stratford-upon-Avon the 800i Camper won the title ‘Motorcaravan of the Year’ in the Van Conversions category.

Size-wise the 800i is midway between the short- and the long wheelbase Volkswagen T5s, but it is rear wheel drive. There is independent front suspension with Macpherson struts and a rigid rear axle with coil springs. Steering is rack-and-pinion with hydraulic power assistance and there is height/tilt adjustment for the steering wheel. Ventilated disc brakes are employed both front and rear.

The four-cylinder engine is a common rail turbo-diesel of 2497cc boasting twin overhead camshafts and 16 valves and teamed with a 5-speed gearbox. Max. power is 170 PS, putting the 800i in the same category as the 180 PS VW T5 and the Fiat Ducatos with the 157 PS version of the company’s JTD. Recently announced by Hyundai is an automatic gearbox for the 800i and which will be paired with a revised engine able to meet the Euro V emissions standard.

Designed as a people carrier, the 800i comes with two sliding doors. In the Camper the offside door is a bonus in providing easy access to equipment such as fridge and water pump for servicing and to the electrics system. Both doors come with flush-fit sliding windows. Wellhouse builds as standard on the 800i with metallic paint – a factory option – and bumpers and the plastic skirt mouldings, which are a useful protective detail, come in a different colour to give a two-tone look. Standard, too, are items which more often appear on an extras list: alloy wheels, front fog lights, reversing sensors, privacy glass and mudflaps.

The Korean camper foundation also comes with a good package of safety features. There are driver and passenger airbags, while the seatbelts are height adjustable and provided with pre-tensioners. Active safety technology includes ABS, ESP, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Traction control. Audio controls are at the driver’s fingertips, on the steering wheel, and 800i boasts a 6-speaker stereo RDS/radio CD player with MP3 compatibility plus USB and Aux connections. There is headlight levelling, an automatically dipping rear view mirror, HRW and wash/wipe, while the two-speed windscreen wipers also have intermittent and flip-wipe settings.

Electric windows and mirrors, of course, can be taken as read. Air conditioning, if not a standard feature, is often a top buyer option but 800i Camper customers need not tick a box. On the Hyundai it’s here and with control, too, of cool air – and warm – to the rear. They also get a heated driver’s seat and with height adjustment (there’s a swivel only on the passenger side), a trip computer, cup and sunglasses holders for convenience and – confirming luxury status – leather on the steering wheel rim and gear knob plus vanity mirrors to both sun visors.

Cab seats adjust only for reach and rake – no lumbar fine tuning – but they are particularly well contoured for comfort in that area and shaped, too, for excellent lateral support. In-cab storage provision is ample with twin drop down glove lockers and two handy sized bins to each cab door, while cab carpet completes a driving compartment which has a distinctly cosy feel.

As a people carrier the 800i comes with complete interior trim, all its metalwork is hidden behind smooth, softly rounded mouldings and resulting in particularly clean and uncluttered lines. Our test ‘van still lacked its curtains which could, relatively, perhaps bring just a tiny touch of disorder!

The layout in the Hyundai is very familiar – classic VW style with rear seat/bed and side kitchen/storage unit. Wellhouse uses the van convertor’s favourite Vohringer lightweight plywood with its tough, scratch resistant finish for the cabinet work, which I found was both strongly made and well finished. The elevating roof is a Reimo front-lifter with gas struts to supply most of the raising effort and to control lowering, a plastic window to the front and side mesh panels for ventilation with all equipped with zipped covers.

The seat/bed unit also comes from Reimo and is its 333 Variotech, steel-framed and crash tested. It can seat three – slim – people, provides 3-point belts and adjustable headrests, is lower than the seat employed in some other base vehicles. This is a plus for shorter users but a drawback when sitting to table (chins can be too close to plates!). However, back rake and squab depth make for comfort when travelling or on site and bedmaking is very straightforward. Just release the squab and rotate it 180 degrees, drop the back cushion into its place and the job’s done – the bed flat, firmish and with no gaps. Behind, the fixed rear bed base can be hinged up to accommodate taller items in the ‘boot’ section.

The side unit of this Wellhouse conversion reveals more items which others may put on the options list but the Yorkshire company fits as standard. The sink tap is a mixer. Hot and cold? Yes, there’s a Webasto Thermotop diesel-fired heater providing not just blown-air heating but also hot water and pre-heating of the engine. At the rear is a plug-in shower set, a real bonus and more so if one has the rear awning (one item on a short list of options) to provide a shower room.

For the cook menu possibilities are increased, to the two burners are added the capabilities of the SMEV grill/oven. There is some workspace on the kitchen unit itself, including that provided by the glass top to sink and hob but, as usual in this layout, extra preparation and dishing up space is provided by the table., which clips to a slide rail. Up front an extra dining place is created with a table mounted on the B-pillar.

Storage space in this layout is, in a way, constant. It is how it is used and made accessible that counts. In the 800i camper underseat space links up to the rear ‘boot’ areas and can be reached from the rear of by lifting the seat squab. Cupboards/lockers are provided with tambour shutters which slide away to give access day and night. In the rear quarter there is a shelved cupboard with the gas locker below which takes a 6/7 kg cylinder – better than two Gaz 907s. The wardrobe is small but a little larger than usual for the class. The kitchen has a locker for the 972 toilet – a just-fit which is pushed in and then turned to occupy minimum space. There’s a cupboard for the kitchen kit and comestibles and a fridge which, for me, was a newcomer. The Vitrifridge 47-litre unit is a compressor type with new thinking to its interior; one shelf plus a large slide-out box. The latter can pack in a lot even if it will take some trouble to fill it efficiently and then to retrieve items from the crowd!

Wellhouse has used a well-proven, enduringly popular layout in this newcomer from the Far East and detailed it well to best utilise the space, fit in the equipment and cater for convenience of use by both day and night. The Hyundai itself drives well, gives a comfortable ride and is certainly a lively performer although it falls short of its obvious rival, the 180 PS VW T5, in acceleration (0-62 mph in 14.5 sec. is around 3 secs. slower) and for all-round economy on the Euro Urban/Extra Urban/Combined standard behind by about 9 per cent. However, overall the Korean compares well with the competition from both East and West.

The quality of Wellhouse’s Hyundai conversion is good, though matched by not a few established convertors but what is outstanding is the comprehensive specification on both the automotive and habitation sides – and the price. Unbeatable value for money? I reckon it has to be, for one could easily pay £10,000 more for something equivalent. As a newcomer to the market, the all-important question of re-sale values has still to be determined. However, the Koreans have enough confidence in the 800i to offer a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty. That should help establish consumer confidence and a low rate of depreciation.

TECHNICAL DATA

Vehicle specification: Hyundai 800 i Camper

Price of vehicle tested: £35,000 otr. Automatic with Euro V compliant engine £37,500

Vehicle kindly loaned for testing by: Wellhouse Leisure, Sovereign Business Park, Barnsley Rd., Shepley, Huddersfield HD8 8BL

Tel. 01484 600416 www.wellhouseleisure.com

DIMENSIONS

Overall length: 5125 mm

Overall width (excl. mirrors): 1920 mm

Overall height: 1990 mm

MTPLM: 3030 kg

Payload (approx.): 500 kg

Fuel tank :75 litres

Engine: 2497 cc common rail turbo-diesel 170 PS @ 3800 rpm 392 Nm @ 2000-2500 rpm

CONVERSION

Bed: 183 x 118 mm

Roof bed (option): 183 x 990 mm

Kitchen unit height: 80 cm

Wardrobe: 75 cm H x 55 cm W x 30 cm max. D

Refrigerator: Vitrifrigo 12V compressor 47 litres

Water tanks fresh/waste: 45/45 litres under ‘van

Gas: 1 x 7/6 kg butane/propane

Toilet: Dometic 972, holding/flush tanks 10/8.7 litres

Heating: Webasto diesel-fired Thermotop blown-air/water/engine pre-heat

Electrics: 115 Ah battery, mains electrics with RCD, MCBs, charger, LED lighting, 2 x 230V & 2 x 12V sockets

Options on test vehicle: colour coded roof £350,

2-bike rack £270, roof bed £395