Ford’s Nugget camper is based on the rather excellent Transit Custom, a medium sized van, and is built by conversion specialists Westfalia, a name familiar to many.

The Nugget goes head-to-head with Volkswagen’s popular California and the somewhat rarer Marco Polo from Mercedes Benz. Both are expensive, but that does not seem to be any hinderance to sales, not if the number I regularly spy on my travels through the Dales is anything to go by.

Prices for Ford’s camper start at a heady £73,734 and for that you get a base vehicle with a 130PS diesel engine. My test vehicle had the more powerful 185PS motor under the bonnet and this was mated to a rather slick six-speed manual gearbox. I also had the slightly longer wheelbase model, which manages to squeeze in space for a toilet.

Budget around the £80,000 mark including VAT, though there is an options list to plunder.

I was quite surprised at how spritely the Nugget was on the road, with strong acceleration from rest right up to and beyond the national speed limit. You certainly won’t hold anyone up if you’re in the mood to press on.

The two captains chairs up front offer plenty of adjustment and the view out excellent. Both chairs swivel round when parked up to form part of the dining area.
Directly behind the front passenger seat is a bench seat with seat belts for extra passengers. That being the case,

I can see many customers being content to run a Nugget as their only vehicle. Its exterior dimensions are relatively modest, so regular car parking spaces are not off limits, and the camper should comfortably fit on the average family driveway.

Equipment count on the base vehicle is quite comprehensive, with cab air conditioning, adaptive cruise control and satellite navigation amongst the highlights.

Much missed was the optional rear view parking camera.
However, what you really want to know is what is the Nugget like as a home away from home.

Rather unusually, the kitchen is situated at the back. It comes complete with a two-burner gas hob, a refrigerator, and a sink. There is a modest amount of storage space, so I guess stocking up on food requisites fairly regularly will be the order of the day.

In order to be able to move around, the pop top roof needs to be raised, a simple enough task which requires releasing just one clip. It does require a good deal of strength to raise it and it does help being tall. Lowering it also requires some effort and I never quite mastered tucking all the material safely away.

With the top raised, the upper bed can be lowered from the roof and there is a ladder supplied to help clamber up. Those less than agile may find this a bit of a challenge.

The mattress itself is quite comfortable and once the bed is made up for a trip away, you simply raise the bed back up into the roof each morning and can jump straight back in come bedtime. Easy.

The bench seat also converts into a second double bed, so in theory the Nugget can sleep four adults. You would all have to get on rather well…. More likely, a family with two children will be best catered for.

The long-wheelbase Nugget does come with a toilet, sat right at the back in the kitchen area. There is a screen you can pull across to provide a modicum of privacy and there is a separate drop-down wash basin fitted too. I would suggest it is best saved for that night time emergency pee.

I must say that the fixtures and fittings are all high quality, and this does go some way to explaining the rather bullish pricing. A larger coachbuilt motorhome can be had for less money, but they do cater for a different market.

A few days away in Northumberland proved to be very comfortable. We made good use of the onboard folding table and chairs which were ideal for watching the sun set over Bamburgh beach. Drifting along, stopping where we pleased and with a plentiful supply of food and drink on board made for a relaxing break.

Praise must also go to Ford’s excellent base vehicle. The powerful, yet refined diesel engine was quite parsimonious, the trip computer indicating a shade under 35mpg for the 400 or so miles covered.

The slick manual gearbox and light clutch made driving easy, though I would be tempted to pay the extra £1,806 needed for the automatic.