Westfalia may be back in North America, but it’s still doing its best work over in Europe. The world-famous pop-up camper builder joined the likes of Volkswagen and Ford in updating one of van life's icons at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon. It introduced a simpler, more streamlined version of the James Cook camper van it revived in 2019 as an innovative Mercedes-Benz Sprinter slide-expander for on- and off-road RVing. The new 600D floor plan does away with the added bulk of the expansion module, going for faster four-sleeper setup without losing any of the James Cook's other attributes.
Westfalia hit the ground running back in 2019, launching three different versions of the James Cook, all with pop-out box expander. At the time, they wore names like "Classic" and "High Roof" but now go by simpler floor plan designations: the 600E HD high-roof model, the 600E fixed roof, and the 600E AD pop-top.
The all-new James Cook 600D becomes the fourth model in the series and the first to do away with the rear expansion box. Instead, it relies on a simpler, more streamlined solution, using driver and passenger-side flares to expand interior space around a rear bed. When we first read about this change, we assumed Westfalia had adapted the retractable pop-out flare from its Volkswagen/MAN Sven Hedin series for the Mercedes Sprinter, but instead it's designed a new solution specifically for the James Cook.
The 600D measures the same 593 cm (233 in) long as those older James Cook models mentioned previously but flares out at the driver-side window line to accommodate a transverse 140 x 206-cm (55 x 81-in) double bed at the rear. This bed replaces the 170/142 x 207-cm (67/56 x 81.5-in) longitudinal double in the slide-out models, the dual width representing the taper at the point where the slide-out meets the wider van cabin. The 600D's foot box appears a bit tight, and the angled overhead cabinet a little odd, but it's an interesting alternative for buyers who want something classic and simple with a fixed bed.
Westfalia uses a traditional pod flare on the passenger side but a larger flare surrounding the full window line on the driver side. This longer flare blends in a little more than the smaller rear flare given that camper vans often have contrast side window surrounds, anyway. The elongated flare also features a tapered design that sticks out farther at the rear where it's needed, lowering gradually on its way to the front of the van.
The 600D promises to appeal to buyers looking for a Mercedes Sprinter camper van with available all-wheel drive who don't want to deal with the hassle of a slide-out. Electric slide-outs always look cool in videos and on expo floors, but they do introduce an extra layer of complexity and potential failure to an otherwise light, simple camper van design. We can understand why some buyers might be reticent to purchase a van relying entirely on such a slide, and the 600D provides a simpler, stouter design that eliminates those points for electromechanical failure and makes setup a little quicker at camp, keeping the bed ready to go at all times.
Beyond just creating the space necessary for a transverse bed, the driver-side flare adds a little bit of volume to most of the living area, including opening up a little more space in the wet bathroom. The bathroom's shower floor remains uninterrupted by the bench-style toilet mounted against the wall, and the flare-out complements the foot space with added elbow space, further enhanced by a fold-away corner sink. A diesel water heater supplies hot showers.
Up front, the 600D follows preexisting James Cook designs with its passenger-side kitchen and four-seat dinette. The kitchen includes a dual-burner gas stove, sink and indoor/outdoor-accessible slide-out 90-L fridge. The available pop-up roof adds another two sleeping berths on a a 115 x 210-cm (45 x 83-in) bed through a hatch in the front ceiling.
The James Cook 600D can be equipped as a 148-hp 2.0-liter rear-wheel drive with six-speed manual transmission starting or a 188-hp all-wheel drive with nine-speed automatic. Pricing starts at €95,790 (approx. US$106,200). Along with the pop-up roof, options include a 120-W solar panel, off-road aesthetics package, and winterization package with underfloor heating and heated shower tray.
Source: Westfalia