DNR
Here is a quick report, I'll start with a couple of negatives:
The washroom sink is too small to really use, you cant get your head under the cabinet to was your face or brush your teeth, I have tried and you end up getting the toiler roll wet. So you have to lift the big sink out which is a bit of a faf. I ended up using the kitchen sink.
The manual is in German, so there are still some buttons I don't know what they do, I'm sure Ill work it out though.
The third bed is a little too short.
That is it for negatives.
The positives:
The base vehicle it fabulous, I've never driven a Crafter before, it drives lovely and is very quiet. I think the insulation Knaus put into the vehicle helps here.
I've seen lots of images of the Boxdrive, but the first impression as soon as you slide open the side door, which is on the offside (maybe a negative) is the air of quality and the very tasteful decor. In my opinion far nicer than the clinical white of the Grand Cali. The air of quality is not just looks, the fit and finish is first rate. Everything fits beautifully.
Led lighting throughout with touch buttons and a touch screen.
There are no fewer than 7 usb outlets, two in each reading light and one next to the main instrument screen which we have mounted our WIFI. All next to recesses to charge your kit. This is a godsend for a family with iphones, ipads and iwatches.
Five 240v sockets and two 12v outlets.
Trumer Deisel heating with icontrol.
Storage is plenty, with lockers and large drawers, more than in my A Class Dethleffs Motorhome we are coming from.
The rear bed raises (optional) and creates a massive area beneath the massive and very comfy rear bed. Maybe another negative is the bed has a cutaway which means getting a ground sheet to fit it will be difficult. Any ideas? The mattress is already showing some signs of dirt. The joys of dirty motor racing...
Washroom, yes there is a compromise with the sink, but the revelation is the shower. Its massive! I have had many motorhomes, even an American Winnebago, none have a shower as roomy as this one.Very clever packaging indeed. The floor is also very comfy, almost like rubber under foot, with 4 x drain holes, it really is fab! There are no towel rails, hooks etc, so a trip to B&Q this weekend will sort that.
Insulation. It was cold last weekend, we started on Wednesday night in our Dethleffs. As soon as the heating goes off it gets cold, so this time of year its sleeping bags with fleece blankets to keep warm. The Boxdrive retains its heat far longer and never gets as cold. The cab curtain is even heated. The heating rarely kicked in during the day either. 20 degrees is like a furnace though, so we found 17 to be comfortable. This really is an all year round camping companion, we will certainly use it throughout the winter.
On the whole, this is a very clever, quality vehicle throughout and I am delighted with it. All this for 62k, compared to either Gland Cale appears to be an absolute bargain!
If you have seen my image of me driving, then seen the image here of the cab, you will notice I now have a leather steering wheel. This is a stitch on cover (real leather) purchased on Ebay (came from China), cost £30 and approx one hour to fit, but has an almost factory look. I'm delighted with it!
I'm also delighted with my Wolfrace wheels, Knaus were charging £1,700 for 17" wheels, I got these for £500, plus the tyres. But I'm sure I can get more than that back for the steels it came with.
The washroom sink is too small to really use, you cant get your head under the cabinet to was your face or brush your teeth, I have tried and you end up getting the toiler roll wet. So you have to lift the big sink out which is a bit of a faf. I ended up using the kitchen sink.
The manual is in German, so there are still some buttons I don't know what they do, I'm sure Ill work it out though.
The third bed is a little too short.
That is it for negatives.
The positives:
The base vehicle it fabulous, I've never driven a Crafter before, it drives lovely and is very quiet. I think the insulation Knaus put into the vehicle helps here.
I've seen lots of images of the Boxdrive, but the first impression as soon as you slide open the side door, which is on the offside (maybe a negative) is the air of quality and the very tasteful decor. In my opinion far nicer than the clinical white of the Grand Cali. The air of quality is not just looks, the fit and finish is first rate. Everything fits beautifully.
Led lighting throughout with touch buttons and a touch screen.
There are no fewer than 7 usb outlets, two in each reading light and one next to the main instrument screen which we have mounted our WIFI. All next to recesses to charge your kit. This is a godsend for a family with iphones, ipads and iwatches.
Five 240v sockets and two 12v outlets.
Trumer Deisel heating with icontrol.
Storage is plenty, with lockers and large drawers, more than in my A Class Dethleffs Motorhome we are coming from.
The rear bed raises (optional) and creates a massive area beneath the massive and very comfy rear bed. Maybe another negative is the bed has a cutaway which means getting a ground sheet to fit it will be difficult. Any ideas? The mattress is already showing some signs of dirt. The joys of dirty motor racing...
Washroom, yes there is a compromise with the sink, but the revelation is the shower. Its massive! I have had many motorhomes, even an American Winnebago, none have a shower as roomy as this one.Very clever packaging indeed. The floor is also very comfy, almost like rubber under foot, with 4 x drain holes, it really is fab! There are no towel rails, hooks etc, so a trip to B&Q this weekend will sort that.
Insulation. It was cold last weekend, we started on Wednesday night in our Dethleffs. As soon as the heating goes off it gets cold, so this time of year its sleeping bags with fleece blankets to keep warm. The Boxdrive retains its heat far longer and never gets as cold. The cab curtain is even heated. The heating rarely kicked in during the day either. 20 degrees is like a furnace though, so we found 17 to be comfortable. This really is an all year round camping companion, we will certainly use it throughout the winter.
On the whole, this is a very clever, quality vehicle throughout and I am delighted with it. All this for 62k, compared to either Gland Cale appears to be an absolute bargain!
If you have seen my image of me driving, then seen the image here of the cab, you will notice I now have a leather steering wheel. This is a stitch on cover (real leather) purchased on Ebay (came from China), cost £30 and approx one hour to fit, but has an almost factory look. I'm delighted with it!
I'm also delighted with my Wolfrace wheels, Knaus were charging £1,700 for 17" wheels, I got these for £500, plus the tyres. But I'm sure I can get more than that back for the steels it came with.
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