If the average RV company said it was hard at work on the “most robust, self-sufficient and luxurious camper van” it’s ever built, we might dismiss it as hollow marketing hype. But Dutch converter Tonke isn’t the average RV company. It has a yearslong history of bringing camper innovations to market, from truck-back wood cabins, to sleek, high-quality electric camper vans, to expandable side-popping roofs. So we’re excited to see what it has in store for Volkswagen’s newest Transporter.
When it debuted two years ago, the Volkswagen T7 Transporter underwent a major change, jumping onto a shared platform with the Ford Transit Custom. Tonke, then, takes the opportunity to reinvent its decade-old Transporter-based Van camper into something equally fresh: the Basecamp. It will offer the new van in buyer’s choice of powertrain, giving van lifers more autonomy in managing their travel needs and carbon footprint.
Tonke won’t reveal the entirety of the Basecamp design until May, but it has provided a pretty extensive preview of what we can expect. It immediately makes clear that it will offer the Basecamp van with all three types of powertrain Volkswagen offers in the Transporter. Buyers will be able to select the all-electric version for the cleanest zero-emissions road-tripping, the plug-in hybrid variant for a nice combination of local zero-emissions driving and long-distance gas-electric capability, and the diesel engine for a straightforward, reliable ICE ride.
The new VW Transporter offers a seriously digital design … for better or worse
Tonke
Tonke doesn’t further break down the engine specs of those individual powertrain options, which will be of interest to potential buyers because Volkswagen offers no fewer than seven different engine selections. The all-electric e-Transporter, for instance, can be ordered in 134-, 215- and 282-hp varieties.
The Transporter eHybrid’s plug-in hybrid powertrain is more straightforward, coming in a single 229-hp spec. The shared Ford Transit Custom platform means Tonke’s camper van will be a natural competitor to the Nugget PHEV, offering the same output and all-electric range of up to 35 miles (56 km). On the other hand, it will fall short of Volkswagen’s own California eHybrid 4Motion and its 54-mile (87-km) electric range. The California is based on the VW Multivan, not the Transporter.
On the diesel engine side, the Transporter’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI engine comes in 109-, 148- and 168-hp tunes.
Tonke confirms that 4Motion all-wheel-drive will also be available on the Basecamp but doesn’t specify if it will be offered with the TDI, electric or both. It also doesn’t mention if the camper van will be based on a short- or long-wheelbase model, though a safe guess points to the longer version for more interior space.
The Basecamp will launch as a pop-up four-sleeper with central dining lounge, kitchen, toilet, shower and more
Tonke
As for the floor plan, Tonke confirms the Basecamp will be a four-person with a pop-up roof. It will sleep two on a convertible lower bed measuring 79 x 39 in (200 x 100-cm), making the 91 x 47-in (230 x 120-cm) roof bed the place to stretch out a little more. During the day, the van cabin will function as a lounge area with four seats and an extendible dining table.
Tonke also confirms the Basecamp will have both a shower and toilet. That could be some form of internal wet bathroom, à la the long-wheelbase Ford Nugget, but it might also be a combination of portable toilet and outdoor shower.
The photo of the kitchen just below was taken of Tonke’s older T6.1 Van camper, but its inclusion on the Basecamp webpage hints that Tonke will carry the indoor/outdoor swivel design over to its newest VW camper van. The company also notes the van will include a 60-L water supply, water heater and 80-L fridge/freezer. An underfloor heating system will keep campers warm through all seasons in conjunction with a robust insulation package, and an off-grid power system promises to keep systems and gadgets running smoothly with or without camp hookups.
This picture shows the old Tonke Van indoor/outdoor rotating kitchen but also appears on the Tonke Basecamp page, suggesting Tonke will include a similar design on its newest camper van
Tonke
We’ll have to for the rest of the details, but we’ll bring you a closer look with additional specs and hopefully pricing when the Basecamp makes its world premiere in May. As a reference point, the T6.1-based Van camper van currently lists at a base of €50,668 (approx. US$59,450) before VAT.
Source: Tonke
