Leisuredrive Crusader 174PS
A flagship to celebrate 40 years
Words and photos by Chris Burlace
A young Derek Andrews had just finished his motor engineering studies when his dad asked if he would convert an old ambulance. Derek’s parents used the D-I-Y motorcaravan for just one summer and then when they came to sell it people were almost fighting to become the next owner. Derek and his dad reckoned they were onto a good thing and over the winter they converted five more vans to sell in the spring.
The side line became a businessand premises were found and ‘Carahome’ opened in April 1969. The name was shortly changed to Manchester Motor Caravan Company and then in the 1980s to Leisuredrive. The company began to convert new vans – Commers, Bedford CFs and VW T2s – as well as used and then moved on to making its own elevating roofs and hightops later in the ‘70s. When the VW T3 arrived in 1980 it was complemented by a new side-lifting elevating roof and streamlined hightop and the new model name ‘Crusader’ was coined. The layout – rear seat/bed and side kitchen/storage unit – and name has continued on the T4 and now the T5.
In 1995, on the T4, the Vivante was introduced with a new arrangement of single seats/beds up front and rear kitchen, wardrobe plus the then-new Thetford swivel-bowl cassette toilet. This innovative creation won a Best Van Conversion ‘Motor Caravan of the Year’ award at the Stratford-upon-Avon ‘Motor Caravan Fair’ that year.
To celebrate the Ruby anniversary of his company, Derek Andrews is currently offering some special price deals and specification upgrades on converted new VW T5s and some used T5s and a few T4s (the used vehicles are all dealer sourced with a full service history). The base T5s are mainly entry level (84 PS) specification, which means with all safety features such as ABS, EBD, etc, driver and passenger airbags, but none of the embellishments such as electric windows and mirrors. The conversion spec includes all the camping essentials.
On used vans prices range from around £13K up to £21K; on an 04/54 plate say £17,999 and on an 06/56 £19,999. There are also conversion only offers: ‘Plan A’ Vivante layout £10,990 and ‘Plan B’ Crusader £9,490. A new 1.9 TDI 84 PS Crusader or Vivante is ticketed at £25,490 with the option of free alloy wheels or the VW Electrics Pack (electric windows etc) and a free Porta Potti. However, the star of the Leisuredrive anniversary celebratory line-up is the 174 PS Ruby Crusader Flagship.
One can tell at a glance that this crusader is something special. True it lacks the colour coded bumpers and mirror housings of VW’s Motorhome special models – though the standard grey finish of the those items will be more forgiving of minor bumps and scrapes – but the elevating roof is colour coded and blends in well and alloy wheels, tinted windows and chromed side bars bring a luxurylook, while the roll-out awning shows that practicality is also to the fore.
Climbing into the T5’s cab, I discovered that Leisuredrive had raised the specification of this panel van well beyond that of the VW ‘Motorhome Special’. Both seats boasted height and lumbar adjustment plus armrests. Grab handles, vanity mirrors and more, also electric windows and mirrors confirmed that VW’s Cab Comfort and Electrics packs had been installed. Also present were manual air conditioning, cruise control, fog lights and reversing sensors, while removable carpet pieces topped the carpet fitted by Volkswagen.
Slipping through to the Crusader’s living area, I released the two hold-down straps and pushed up the elevating roof – easy with the help of the gas struts. Lowering is equally straightforward and one just needs to pull in the skirt side panel to avoid trapping any fabric between the roof edge and the VW’s rain gutter. The skirt has two window panels with roll-down covers to the side and for ventilation a mesh panel, also with cover, to the front. Below, sliding windows to the side door and opposite cater for the flow of fresh air. In place of bonded glass windows, Leisuredrive conversion can have double glazed units – extra cost – which will be most effective for all-seasons camping when combined with the alternative hightop roof.
Impressive in the Crusader is the attention to detail and neatness. Window and door surround, often left as painted metalwork, are – except on the tailgate – concealed by carpet trim. Curtains, commonly furled into unruly bundles, are here tightly held in carpet sleeves with Velcro fasteners. Cabinetwork is constructed from Vöhringer lightweight plywood with its laminate finish able to withstand bumps and scratches. There are neat plastic edge trims – left with a slight upstand to retain minor spillages on the worktop and table – robust hinges and flush-fit push-button catches. In close-up the quality of the construction is excellent, while out of sight in body cavities there is ample insulation with ‘Green’ fibre wadding (like glass-fibre but more user-friendly, non-irritant).
Crusader’s seat/bed is an in-house design with steel base frame and the two seatbelts are fitted to original T5 mounting points. The seat squab height is not too high, there is a knee roll and the back is raked; altogether it’s a formula for comfort. Bedmaking is easy: lift squab and pull forwards and it all unfolds to make a nice flat bed with no gaps between the cushions. In front, space remains for changing and to use the Porta Potti. The grey, velvety curtains re generously cut and close to leave no chinks, while on the nearside bottom edges tuck tidily behind retainer tauts. Lighting is more than adequate with three fluorescent strip lights, a pair of directable spotlights in the rear – handy for reading in bed – and a third up front.
The kitchen features hinged glass tops – useable as worksurfaces- covering the combination 2-burner hob/sink. Cooking capability is boosted by a SMEV grill/warmer oven and workspace by the slide-rail mounted table, which can be positioned to serve the rear or front seating and for kitchen operations. On site, plugged into mains, a bonus is the Elgena water heater with up to six litres of hot water available for kitchen use or personal washing. Kitchen storage comprises a good sized cupboard below the SMEV unit, a much smaller one fronting the wardrobe, a drawer with room for a cutlery tray and space for oddments under the sink.
Continuing rearwards, the side unit provides better wardrobe space and availability than in some similar conversions, with the seatback impeding neither door opening nor the act of reaching in. To the rear of the wardrobe is a useful sized, shelved cupboard with two-way access, easy to reach from inside the ‘van or via the tailgate. And topping the wardrobe and cupboard is a deepish tray section – accessible when the roof is raised – and with space for books, some provisions maybe or folded waterproofs.
Finally, as always in this VW arrangement, it is the underseat space and the area behind the seat which offers the most storage potential. Two doors on the face of the seat give access to its storage space and also permit the through-loading of long objects. Behind the seat, atop the bed cushion is the place for bedding and ‘soft goods’, below in this Leisuredrive the ‘boot’ section is split into two halves and stored items will have less opportunity to slide around. At the right, below cupboard and wardrobe, are stored the Crusader’s water container and the gas bottles.
The Crusader keeps to a proven, popular layout and makes the difference in its fine details. I liked the comfortable seat, easy bedmaking, the dedicated storage place for the table, excellent curtain arrangements and easy wardrobe access. Everything worked smoothly and was well made. Forty years of practice shows and many of the Leisuredrive team have been members for 25 plus and even 30 years – ‘old’ hands are renowned for producing good work.
The standard 84PS 40th Anniversary Crusade comes with 60-litre fridge, passenger seat swivel, mains electrics, SMEV SS hob/sink and grill/warmer oven, a choice of cabinetwork finish and cab seats upholstered to match. Foregoing some of the performance, refinements and conveniences – a bit of a step back in time – is no hardship when the price, too, £25,490 (OTR bar road fund licence), looks like one for a few yesterdays ago.
The basic Crusader is low priced – I avoid the word cheap – but it definitely does the job in terms of daily driving satisfaction, camping capabilities, quality and perceived durability. Accordingly, it measures up well in the value for money rankings – a leading contender.
So how does the Ruby Crusader Flagship rate? I have mentioned the 174 PS TDI engine which, of course, comes with a six- instead of a five-speed gearbox. Then there are the alloy wheels, VW’s Electrics- and cab Comfort Packs, air con, awning, water heater and more. But the list is still longer: special Diamond Black Pearl paintwork, alarm, mud flaps, Webasto diesel-fired blown-air heater. In total the Ruby’s list price adds up to just over £36,000. Many another swb VW T5 conversion can reach that kind of figure with a fraction of the goodies which make this Leisuredrive commemorative model something of a jewel among VW motorcaravans. It, too, ranks high on the value for money scale.
The Crusader Flagship was built as a one-off and, as we go to press, was on offer as an ex-demonstrator for £32,500 – surely a bit of a bargain. If you want a new one I guess you could twist Derek Andrew’s arm to produce a replica, or something like to your own recipe! And if your budget is much smaller? Leisuredrive can convert your own secondhand van, source one for you and converts not just Volkswagens but also Ford Transits, Fiat Ducatos and Peugeot Boxers etc. etc.
Technical Data
1.9 TDi 84 PS @ 3500 rpm, 200 Nm @ 2000 rpm
2.5 TDi 174 PS @ 3500 rpm, 400 Nm @ 2000 rpm
84 PS 5-speed ££25,490 (40th Anniversary Special)
Length: 4.89 m
Width (mirrors folded): 2.04 m
Height: 1.95 m
Max weight/payload: 2800/480 kg
Bed: 1.80 x 1.14 cm
Wardrobe: 91 cm H x 40 cm max D x 58/51 cm W
Refrigerator: Dometic 60 litres gas/12v/230v
Water fresh/waste: 25 litre inboard/ 20 litre portable
Gas: 2 x Gaz 907 2.8kg butane
Toilet: Thetford Porta Potti 335
Electrics: 70aH battery, charger, mains with RCD, 2 x 230v sockets
OPTIONS (NOT FITTED)
Driver seat swivel £180
Roof bed £330
Double glazed windows £750
CONTACT
Leisuredrive, Unit 4, Fishbrook Ind Est, Stonclough Rd, Kearlsey, Bolton, BL4 8EL
Tel. 01204 574468/78/98 Fax.574488 www.leisuredrive.co.uk
e-mail: [email protected]
