As we saw recently with the Nissan Michelangelo, Westfalia is more than just Volkswagen camping buses. It produces campers on a variety of base vans, and each model has its own selling points. One of its decades-old staples is the Ford Transit-based Nugget, which is now growing a little larger with the introduction of the long-wheelbase Nugget Plus. The new model takes the Nugget to the next level of comfort and convenience, using its extra size to carry a semi-private half bathroom and more storage space.
A bathroom is the one amenity that can really make or break a motorhome for many folks. It can be the difference between a happy, excited family loading up for a week-long camping trip on the road and a horrific debacle filled with moans, groans and "are we home yets." A portable toilet or freshly dug hole just doesn't have the same comfortable ring as an indoor washroom.
Long story short, any time a camper van converter can figure out a way of building a bathroom inside the van cabin, it automatically expands the appeal of the van. To create the bathroom solution for the Nugget Plus, Westfalia reached for the additional wheelbase of the Transit Custom Kombi 340 L2. The van stretches 210 in (5,339 mm) in total length compared to the 196 in (4,972 mm) of the Transit Custom underpinning the regular Westfalia Nugget.
Interior space is still at a premium so Westfalia didn't even think about a full wet bath, opting instead for a semi-open toilet room tucked neatly in the rear corner. Keeping with the compact, open design, a retractable screen provides privacy in place of a solid wall.
After spending a few minutes or more on a toilet bumping, splishing and sploshing in rhythm with the rolling wheels below, the first thing you're sure to want to do is wash your hands. With no room for a sink inside the toilet room, Westfalia did the next best thing in adding a small drop-down sink directly across from the bathroom on the edge of the kitchen counter. The extra sink serves as a more sanitary solution versus bathroom goers having to beeline for the kitchen sink.
The added space of the larger Transit van is also put to use in increased wardrobe volume, including the closet on the wall of the toilet room.
Beyond that, Westfalia sticks with a straightforward, functional configuration of L-shaped kitchen block with dual-burner stove, sink and 40-liter compressor fridge, three-seat rear bench split from the swiveling driver's cab seats by a dining table, and four sleeping berths on a combination of the retract-away 55 x 83-in (1.4 x 2.1-m) double bed in the high roof and the 51 x 75-in (1.3 x 1.9-m) convertible double bed in the cabin.
Fresh and waste water are stored in individual 42-liter tanks, and an outdoor shower makes up for the lack of shower in the bathroom. Electricity is stored in two 95-Ah AGM batteries, and an auxiliary heating system keeps the temperature topped off.
The Nugget Plus made its world premiere at last month's CMT show in Stuttgart, where Westfalia also premiered the aforementioned Michelangelo. It comes with 129- and 168-hp 2.0-liter EcoBlue Euro 6 diesel engine options and manual and automatic six-speed transmission options. Complete vehicle prices start at €59,274 (approx. US$72,500) in Germany, and options include a hot water heater, premium sound system, various bike and sports equipment racks and storage options, an outdoor dining set, and an outdoor awning.
Source: Ford Germany, Westfalia
