Ever since we first checked out the Pössl Campster, one of our favorite camper vans of 2017, we've been on the lookout for an equally compact, versatile motorhome-cum-everyday passenger van. A year and a half later, we think we've found one in the 2019 Dreamer Cap Coast Select, a Ford Transit Custom-based mini-camper that measures in at just under 16.4 ft (5 m) and uses floor rails and individual seats to change roles from six-passenger people-mover, to four-berth camper van, to capacious gear-hauler.
There's no reason you have to let a camper van sit in your garage or driveway for six+ months a year. Many camper van converters incorporate versatile, modular designs to make their vans useful 365 days a year, whether you're on an extended holiday, commuting back and forth to work, or doing a home renovation project on the weekend.
Some vans do it better than others, and Pössl seemed to knock it out of the park with the Campster, using a removable kitchen block and a series of rearrangeable seats and benches to change from cozy four-person camper, to two/four-person gear-hauling adventure shuttle, to seven-seat family van, to near-empty cargo van – and probably a few other configurations along the way. The Campster is making a UK premiere at this week's Motorhome & Caravan Show, and here it is getting dirty in Sardinia:
The Dreamer Cap Coast Select has a slightly different configuration from the Campster, but it's a similarly versatile, multifunctional powerhouse, built inside a Ford Transit Custom L1H1 van that measures 16.3 ft (4.97 m) long. Dreamer packs the pop-up roof standard, so the Cap Coast is a four-seater, four-sleeper right out of the gate. Buyers can add two additional road-ready seats to give the Cap Coast the ability to drive as a six-seater.
The use of individual rear seats as opposed to a bench increases the Cap Coast's versatility, allowing owners to mix and match around their needs.
At night, the rear seats fold down to make way for the 76 x 49-in (192 x 125-cm) double bed, while a 75 x 47-in (190 x 120-cm) double bed in the roof drops down to sleep two more.
The Cap Coast's camping furniture runs along its driver side, starting with a central kitchen area with dual-burner stove, 40-L compressor coolbox and stainless sink. A snap-on table top attaches to the kitchen block when needed, creating a four-person dining area with the front seats swiveled around. The closet directly behind the kitchen area offers storage.
The Cap Coast's kitchen isn't removable, so the van only holds up to six seats in people-mover configuration, as opposed to the Campster's seven. It's still a very flexible van perfectly capable of bridging the the gap between holiday road tripping and everyday family driving.
The Cap Coast includes a 40-L fresh water tank, 30-L waste water tank and 100-Ah auxiliary battery. A touch control panel delivers systems control and information, and Webasto heat and hot water is available optionally, as is a tailgate tent and outdoor table and chairs set.
The Cap Coast Select comes standard with Ford's 129-hp 2.0-liter EcoBlue engine. It also has a variety of standard vehicle features that are upgrades on other Dreamer models, including a passenger airbag, cruise control, air conditioning, stereo system, and front and rear parking sensors.
As listed at the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, the Dreamer Cap Coast Select starts at €45,400 (approx. US$52,500). The show model wore a sticker price of €56,130 (US$64,900) after add-ons like the more powerful 168-hp engine, navigation system, reverse camera, diesel heat and more.
Source: Dreamer
There's also no reason to build a camper van using a gas engine--build if as an EV van instead.