TEST REPORT EXTRA GOING ACTIVE - Out and About Live · · 2015-12-11TEST REPORT EXTRA MOTORCARAVAN ... And I’ll tell you something else ... would enable the speedometer to be

TEST REPORT EXTRA

MOTORCARAVAN MOTORHOME MONTHLY JUNE 2005 I 145

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We met the new manufacturer of Danburymotorcaravans last year when MMM tested arising roof derivative of the Active. All earlyActives were based on the short wheelbaseversion of the Trafic, though one could choosebetween a rising roof (made by Danbury) and afixed high top. Danbury manufactures all itsfurniture in house and has expanded its premisesrapidly to cope with an increase in demand, as itsrange has become more widely known. Danburyis a privately owned company based atRangeworthy, a few miles north of Bristol. At thetime of writing, the company deals in direct salesonly - although it hopes to appoint a network ofagents in the near future.

BECOMING MORE ACTIVEAfter the success of the first (short wheelbase)Active the range has broadened to include twolong wheelbase high top models. The newbiesare similar to each other in the kitchen andwashroom departments, but differ a great deal inlounging and sleeping arrangements. The firstlong wheelbase Active to be developed featuredan inward-facing settee, which converted to adouble bed. This latest incarnation has twoforward-facing dedicated rear travel seatsinstead of the settee. These convert into twocomfortable single beds whilst maintaining thecentral aisle.

We’ll look at the interior in more detail later.For now, let’s examine the philosophy behind thedesign.

LIVING AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLEThe long wheelbase layout isn’t just the shortwheelbase one elongated. Short wheelbase

Actives are pure campervans intended for shortstays, weekends away and days out. Everythingyour old rear-engined Volkswagen camper usedto be, but with modern common-rail turbo-dieselpowered front-wheel drive underpinnings. Thelong wheelbase version is good for all theabovementioned uses, with the addition of aseparate washroom with loo. In fact, all thefacilities one would expect to find in amotorhome designed for longer stays or forcompletely self-contained camping.

The Active name is not the result of casuallysticking a pin in the ‘A’ section of the dictionary,but is a deliberate shot at describing the lifestyleof its target market. Any Active is designed forproper camping (in its own right, to see far awayplaces), but also as a hospitality unit for walkers,mountain bikers, twitchers, canoeists, motorrace enthusiasts, (or just about any otherpastime, sport or hobby you can think of). As aresult of this focus, Actives have as many wipe-clean surfaces and fabrics as possible. The testvehicle just laughed at mud. Frills, pleats anddécor reminiscent of a 1950s’ gentlemen’s clubhave no place in here. Chosen fabrics andfinishes are contemporary and practical (by thatI mean scrubbable and disinclined to show thedirt). Add this to the rakish ‘come and get me’exterior lines of the Trafic, and the result is amotorcaravan with a very modern appearance. Inaddition, all furniture is constructed from marinegrade plywood and finished in an attractivehoney-beech wood grain.

Although this is the long wheelbase version ofthe Trafic, it’s still short enough to use as a carand for many it could be an only vehicle. Thislatest model adds two forward-facing rear travel

seats to a drop-dead gorgeous body. It will beequally at home on the daily run to Bash StreetMiddle School, outside a flash eatery inKnightsbridge, or on a jet-skiing holiday inSardinia.

EXERCISING THE ACTIVEStandard motor is the widely acclaimed 1.9-litrecommon-rail injection turbo-diesel and Renaulthas got it spot on. This is a fast, economical andcivilised unit. And I’ll tell you something elseabout the 1.9 unit; it wasn’t fitted in the test ‘van!

Instead, it had the (£1700) extra-cost optionof the top banana, 2.5-litre unit. Pushing outmore than 135PS, and producing plenty oftorque, this is a derv-drinker to dream about. Allthis is planted in a slick, wind-cheating shape,with a super-smooth six-speed gearbox - if thedriver isn’t a very happy bunny, they probablydon’t have a pulse! It was an absolute hoot todrive: indecently quick (30-50 in six seconds),whisper quiet, dynamically neutral (hardly anyunder or oversteer at normal road speeds), andbeautifully poised. There was also no pitching onuneven roads or wallowing when corneredenthusiastically.

In the past, light commercial six-speederswere often equipped with an old five-speed boxwith a tree-stump-pulling crawler gear added on.At the other extreme, sixth gear can be an over-high overdrive ratio to enable white van man torush down the motorway with the engine turningat 500rpm so that he can phone his bookiewithout engine noise interrupting him.

This cog-box is a peach. Well chosen equallyspaced ratios made it a genuine six-speeder andquite different to the five-and-an-afterthought

GOING ACTIVEDanbury Active on LWB 2.5dCi Renault TraficAn outdoor lifestyle beckons as Jonathan Lloyd tries the latest high top camper from Danbury

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145-151 test extra 4/27/05 8:15 PM Page 1

So as not to be outdone by its rivals, the latestTrafic has the current de rigueur chromaticenhancement of the instruments at night.Apparently, it’s better for the white on blackinstrumentation to have a purple, blue or (in ourcase) orange on black readout at night. I don’tobject, I’m just ambivalent over whether there isany advantage over old-fashioned illumination.

What I did find irritating was the annotation ofthe speedometer. 20, 40, 60 and 80 mph might beuseful for all you fully-integrated European types,but for Bulldog Drummond here, 30, 50 and 70mph is far more useful when trying to keep withinthe UK speed limits. Even better would be tonumber all at 10 mph intervals. Such annotationwould enable the speedometer to be read at aglance, instead of actually having to work outexactly where - say - 30 mph is on the dial.

The Renault Trafic must be one of the bestdrives around. However, in contrast, a glanceunder the bonnet suggested that it might be aDIY mechanic’s nightmare. I couldn’t even seethe engine, let alone reach it, and I pity the poordevil that has to work on it. Presumably, Renaultmain dealers are now recruiting eight-foot -allthree-stone double-jointed gymnasts. Fluidlevels and top-ups are as easy as wink, butanything else may well require engine ancillariesand/or trim to be removed.

Far more important than a few skinnedknuckles at cambelt changing time is the level ofsafety offered to occupants. Renault hasundertaken a lot of work on the safety cellprinciple and rear passengers will be pleased tonote that they are included in this high level ofcrash protection. Strange though, given thecommitment to passenger safety, that a frontpassenger airbag is not a standard fitting.

Large diameter disc brakes all round andstandard ABS (on the 2.5-litre version) addfurther to the safety points tally.

A powerful fan-assisted demisting systemkept the screen clear, and (as the test vehicle

type. A ratio for every occasion, in fact.Most of us probably value the ability to pootle

along country lanes (without having to row italong with the gearlever - constantly changinggear) as much as neck-snapping acceleration,and this Trafic excelled at that too.

In short, it was as well mannered as yourmaiden aunt, but with the spirit of Road Runner.Beep-beep, I think I’m in love!

It wasn’t perfect of course, few things are, andif it was perfect for me then it might not be foryou. But for me, it was very, very close.

The most obvious limitation here was that4000rpm was top revs and the motor quicklybecame asthmatic over 3500rpm.

DANBURY ACTIVE ON LWB 2.5DCI RENAULT TRAFICON TEST:

146 I JUNE 2005 MOTORCARAVAN MOTORHOME MONTHLY

However, enter the cab and settle yourfeathers. Immediately, the comfortablesupportive seats (that adjust for height, rake andreach) get one in the right mood. Then there arethe controls…. everything fell neatly to hand andwas logically placed, thereby avoiding having tosearch for…well anything!

A slick gearshift for cog swapping is mountedon the fascia and has an almost switch-likeprecision. Over a decade ago, Fiat led the waywith fascia-mounted gearlevers, and it hascontinued to make improvements to its system.In the race for the best manual gearchangethough, I think the more modern Trafic has justsneaked past the ubiquitous Fiat Ducato offering.

State of the art turbo-diesel engine produces Road Runner-style performance, but its position under the bonnet maygive DIY mechanics a headache.

General view forwards showing the practical four-seat lounge.


TEST REPORT EXTRA


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came with the optional electric pack and air-con)the windscreen also had a ‘quick clear’ heatingelement. Jolly effective it was too.

With the temperature around freezing I didn’tfeel the need to use the dash air-conditioning(complete with chilled glovebox), so I can’tcomment on its effectiveness. If it’s any help,similar systems fitted to Renault cars are usuallypretty effective.

ACTIVE PLANThe sliding side entrance door is immediatelybehind the nearside cab door and entrance andegress is aided by the low floor height and theinboard step, which divides the ascent. TheTrafic is such a ground-hugger that an additionalexterior step is unlikely to be required. It didoccur to me that, as the (all steel) high top wasfactory fitted, a full-height side door would havebeen advantageous over the current ‘duck orgrouse’ standard-height offering.

Once aboard, one is really standing in themiddle of the lounge. This consists of two swivelcab seats and two forward-facing rear seatslocated either side of the central aisle. Readersshould be aware that the cab floor is significantlyhigher than the caravan floor.

Immediately behind the lounge, Danbury hasplaced the kitchen, which, once again is dividedby the central aisle. Nearside is home to thecooker whereas the sink and fridge are on theoffside.

The washroom and wardrobe occupy the farrear. They are divided from the rest of the interiorby a folding concertina fabric door.

This interior layout is effectively simple and,quite simply, very effective.

ACTIVE RELAXATIONAh now, after a hard day’s white-water rafting ormountain climbing you’ll need somewhere comfyto sit - and the lounge provides just that, alongwith plenty of natural and artificial light. Night-

time illumination is via four halogen downlightersand two twin-tube fluorescents. The angledsquabs to the forward-facing seats cause theleading edges to be quite high and the verticallychallenged may find their feet dangling in mid-airwhen seated here. However, as a couch potato ofunrivalled slothfulness, I can comment that Ifound these seats extremely comfortable evenwhen sat for extended periods.

What wasn’t quite so comfortable (intemperatures as low as minus seven degreesCentigrade) was the lack of any standard-fitheating. I spent the week on a campsite withelectric hook-up and my trusty 230V fan heaterwhirring away - without that it would have been a

bit bracing! To be fair to Danbury, several differenttypes of heater are available as extra-costoptions, though the company awaits the releaseof the latest Webasto diesel-fired blown-air spaceheater, which it feels will be just the ticket for theActive. The people at Danbury have plenty ofexperience here as they fit the petrol-poweredWebasto into their retro-style Volkswagen T2Transporter conversions.

Single-glazed glass side windows look the bizfrom the outside as they are shaped to fit. Eachside has an opening section, which, as they aresliders, allows them to be opened on the move.This Active is designed to be a three-seasonmotorcaravan, so I’d be relaxed over the

General view rearwards showing two forward-facing travel seats with kitchen behind them on either side. The concertina door at the rear hides the washroom.

The table deployed. It was stable enough and eccentric mounting of the island leg socket underneath allows it to bemoved further away or closer to diners.


compromised thermal insulation of single-glazedglass over acrylic double-glazing. If this isworrying you, a pair of internally fitted quiltedthermal pads to supplement the lined curtainsshould do the trick.

The test vehicle arrived with the standard floorcovering, a hardwearing vinyl in a woodblock-style pattern. You don’t get a carpet and I didn’twish for one.

Why was that then? Well, after a week’srambling in the spectacularly muddy environsaround the Kennet and Avon canal, a wipe downwith a damp cloth was all that was required torestore the floor to showroom condition.Sybarites will be pleased to hear that an extra-cost comfort pack will soon be available - andthis is likely to include a removable bound-edge



a four-burner hob, grill and thermostaticallycontrolled oven. Manufactured by Smev, thiscooker unit also featured flame failure devices,electronic ignition and a light in the oven. There’smore…it didn’t rattle on road and was finished inpractical and elegant stainless steel. Similarly,the sink was very practical with an easy-to-usemonobloc lever mixer tap and was finished in thesame stainless steel. None of your tart’s boudoirgold Victoriana taps and marbled sinks here. I’vesaid it before but it’s worth repeating… Danburydeliberately sets out to produce a rugged andpractical motorcaravan for proper camping.Good for them!

Storage is OK, though the cupboard underthe cooker needs some subdivision to separatethe Marmite and best bitter from the leisure

carpet, space heater and blinds/flyscreens.The fitted radio/CD player excellently

broadcast both music and speech. Furthermore,the whole campsite was able to enjoy this as thetwo door-mounted speakers sounded as loudoutside the ‘van as they did in.

The stays fitted to the high-level lockers werenot really up to the job and were alreadybeginning to fail. This problem has - thankfully -already been addressed for production models.

Unlike in many high tops, here we findgenuine full-standing headroom at a minimum of1.89m (6ft 2.5in).

ACTIVE CATERINGClever Danbury has done very well here tosqueeze in as much as it has. This prototype had

The split kitchen locates the cooker on the nearside....

The water heater takes up most of the offside seat box. A wheeled waste water porter is standard equipment.

...drainerless sink, detachable worktop and 12V compressor fridge complete thescene opposite.


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battery and smart charger.This prototype had a fairly small (40-litre)

Waeco Coolmatic compressor fridge. I thoughtthis to be adequate though not generous (seeActive improvements for proposed changestoproduction models).

The 230V-only storage water heater providedlashings of hot water. When wild camping, themost efficient (and cost effective) form of waterheating in a motorcaravan will have to beemployed…the kettle!

Fresh water is stored in an underfloor tankand waste water collects in a (freestanding)wheeled waste water porter. It’s very easy to use,but a bit cumbersome to store.

ACTIVE SLEEPINGRock ‘n’ roll is an Active feature. Not a blur ofcrepe sole shoes and DA hairdos on the dancefloor, but instead (or as well as) the simple andeasy way that each forward-facing seat turns intothe lion’s share of a single bed. The remainder ismade from the swivelled cab seat and slide-outextension to the rear seat squab. Result: twocomfortable single beds from which each of the

The single beds are completed using an infill and the base of the swivelled cab seats. The overcab locker is big enough to store bedding and infills.

Rock ‘n’ roll seat mechanism allows the rear seats to flatten.


somnolent can decant into the central aisle forunimpeded access to the loo without disturbingthe slumbers of the other. Danbury manufacturesthe seat-to-bed mechanism in house and a jollygood job has been has made of it too.

ACTIVE ABLUTIONSThe washroom is located back at the blunt endalong with the wardrobe. A concertina foldingdoor ensures privacy when shut - and couldallow a view through for the driver when open.Ours didn’t afford the latter as its rear doorslacked windows.

A moulded wall unit above the swivel-bowlelectric flushing loo contains the tip-up sink, ashelf with fiddle rail, and a double-door mirror-fronted cabinet. Clothes storage takes the formof a half-height hanging wardrobe and somecupboards. Artificial illumination is by a centraloverhead luminaire. There is no shower tray asstandard, which I didn’t miss. Neither were thereany clothes hooks, a towel rail or toilet roll holder,which I did miss.

The faucet does double duty as theshowerhead and this is included even if theextra-cost shower pack (tray, drain and curtain)isn’t. This is still handy for hair washing or forrinsing off sandy feet outside.

ACTIVE IMPROVEMENTSThe test vehicle was the very first prototype ofthe long wheelbase single bed version Active. Byand large, Danbury has got it right first time.However, feedback from showgoers suggestedsome improvements, which the company will bemaking to production models. I’ve detailed themin the accompanying info box.

As I have frequently said in MMM, I’m not an



engineer and have never claimed to be. Soothers more qualified than me may disagree withthe following criticisms. I was concerned over theabsence of a fire blanket/extinguisher and smokealarm. Furthermore, the LPG regulator is open tothe main salon and not in the gas cylindercompartment where it would be sealed from theinterior and vented to the exterior. Also, I thinkthat there should have been an easily accessiblecontrol manifold so that individual gasappliances can be isolated.

It can’t have failed to escape your notice thatthe test vehicle didn’t have glazed rear doors. Thiswas chosen as a ‘let’s try it and find out’ option inresponse to a customer’s comment (who had thedouble bed version) that he felt that the windowsmade the washroom feel like a goldfish bowl. Iwould go for the glazed option every time as itwould add light to the interior and gives a valuableview through, handy when parking in an urbanenvironment. The choice is yours.

PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS• Removable worktop extension replaced bydual-purpose hinged worktop extensions/trimmed travel seat head restraints• High-level lockers over cooker redesigned • Fridge replaced by Dometic RM4230 three-way 70-litre model• New cooker with smaller hob to allow alarger worktop area• Wipe-clean surface to wall behind sink• Deeper sink unit • Improved clothes storage in washroom• Chrome-plated heavy-duty stays to high-level cupboards• Insulation added to roof void• A handbook for the residential side iscurrently being written

Across-the-rear washroom features a swivel-bowl loo and good-sized tip-up basin. Opposite lurks useful storage space.

Nearside seat box is home to the gas cylinder cupboard.

One of the changes on production models will bethe redesign of this high-level kitchen cupboard toavoid it clashing with the washroom door.


TEST REPORT EXTRA


IN BRIEF� Base vehicle: Renault Trafic LWB high top

panel van� Engine type: 2.5-litre 4-cylinder common-rail

turbocharged diesel (1.9-litre engine standard)� Output: 99kW (135bhp) @ 3500 rpm� Gearbox and drive: Six-speed manual,

fascia-mounted gearchange, front-wheel drive� Make and model: Danbury Active LWB� Body type and construction: All steel high

top panel van� Conversion NCC badged as EN1646

compliant: No� Electrical equipment: 230V hook-up, two

13A sockets, leisure battery, smart charger� Lighting: Two twin-tube fluorescent fittings,

four halogen downlighters in salon, onefluorescent fitting in washroom, threecourtesy lights

� Cooking facilities: Slot-in unit with stainlesssteel electronic-ignition 4-burner hob, grill,and thermostatically-controlled oven (withinternal illumination)

� Refrigerator: Compressor-type 12Voperation, capacity 40 litres

� Water heater: Storage type, 230V operationonly, capacity 22 litres (4.83 gallons)

� Space heater: None fitted� Fresh water tank: 73 litres (16 gallons),

underfloor� Waste water tank: Wheeled wastewater

porter supplied� Gas locker capacity: Two 4.5kg/3.9kg

cylinders� Rear restraints: Two forward-facing travel

seats with three-point inertia-reel seat belts� Additional features: Remote control central

Ove

rall

wid

th1.

90m

(6ft

3in

)*

Overall length 5.18m (17ft 0in)*

locking of all doors, radio/CD player, steeringcolumn adjustable for reach, engine immobiliserand intruder alarm, rock ‘n’ roll single bedmechanisms, wind-up opening rooflight, rearwashroom with fabric concertina door, mouldedvanity unit with mirror door cupboard, shelf withfiddle rail, tip-up basin and swivel-bowl electric-flush cassette toilet, island-leg dining table withtwo floor sockets, lined curtains with matchingtie-backs (salon), internally-fitted thermalscreens (cab)

DIMENSIONS (*data supplied by manufacturer) � Overall length: 5.18m (17ft 0in)*� Overall width (excl mirrors): 1.90m (6ft 3in)*� Overall width (inc mirrors): 2.30m (7ft 6.5in)*� Overall height: 2.56m (8ft 5in)*� Interior height: 1.89m (6ft 2.5in)� Bed dimensions: Two singles 1.854m x 584mm

(6ft 1in x 1ft 11in)� Max authorised weight: 2910kg*� Load capacity: 650kg*

PRICE (all prices include VAT)� Standard model: £28,709 (on the road)� As tested: £33,654 (on the road)� Warranty: Base vehicle and conversion 3 years

OPTIONAL EXTRAS (*fitted to test vehicle)� Base vehicle options: 2.5-litre 135bhp engine

(£1700)*, metallic paint (£349)*, satellite

navigation and electric windows/mirrors(£1199)*, air-conditioning pack (£759)*, alloywheels (£799)*, towbar (£139)*, front foglamps (£89), passenger airbag (£259), glazedrear doors with heated windows andwash/wipe (£299)

� Caravan options: Diesel-fired space heater(£899), shower pack (£599), upgrade togas/230V water heating (£399), flat screen TVand DVD player (£899), freestanding awning(£399), leather upholstery (£1899)

Danbury Active kindly supplied for evaluationby: Danbury Motorcaravans, Unit 1 BristolMineral Works, Limekiln Road, Rangeworthy,South Gloucestershire BS37 7QB (tel: 08701 202358;web site: www.danburymotorcaravans.com).

E & O E

ACTIVE ASSESSEDIs the Active fit for purpose, or would it be like thepurchase of that exercise bike you’ve got hidingaway in a cupboard under the stairs - a good ideathat somehow didn’t translate into reality?

After completing this test of the very firstprototype, and taking into account the proposedmodifications, my answer would be thatproduction models will be very much fit forpurpose. Furthermore, the long wheelbase singlebed version of the Active is very much a practicaland driver-friendly motorcaravan that has theadditional advantage of being clothed in anelegant and eye-catching body. Danburydeserves to do well with it, and if the level ofinterest this prototype generated when it was inmy care is anything to go by, they will. The test vehicle came with optional unglazed rear doors.


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TEST REPORT EXTRA GOING ACTIVE - Out and About Live · · 2015-12-11TEST REPORT EXTRA MOTORCARAVAN ... And I’ll tell you something else ... would enable the speedometer to be