The Ford Transit Nugget Is The Latest Compact Camper To Check Out

When it comes to choosing the best van to live in for your van life off grid adventure, there are so many factors to consider, with one of the main decisions being the size of the vehicle. While having a large monster camper van has the benefit of coming with more interior space, there are also many benefits to owning a compact camper like the tasty Ford Transit Nugget that we’re looking at today. Owning a smaller van means that parking is much easier as you’re dealing with a vehicle that’s not much larger than a regular car. This means you can park in tighter spots and take your van to more secluded areas down smaller roads that a larger van may not be able to manage.

Just because a van is smaller, it doesn’t mean that living in a van has to be cramped and uncomfortable. A tiny home like the Ford Transit Nugget is always well designed to house everything that you could need for alternative living whether you’re adventuring for a weekend or a more extended period of time. Smaller vans can also make for more affordable tiny homes both to buy and to run. This is good news for any vandwellers out there as it means there is more money left over for the next trip! So, if you’re looking for your next radical adventure bus, then read on to find out more about the Ford Transit Nugget. 

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Get Up Close And Personal With The Ford Transit Nugget!

The Ford Transit Nugget comes in several different options: the pop top camper, the fixed maxi roof, or the Nugget Plus which comes with a high roof as a standard. This high roof featured in all three models as either a permanent design feature or as a pop-top allows this compact camper van to sleep up to four adults. One double bed is found in the roof space, and the second can be folded out from the living space when needed. The presence of two double beds is good news for anyone looking for the best family camper on the market; there is plenty of space in the Ford Transit Nugget for the kids to come along too. 

Tell Us More About The Interior!

Step inside this Ford Transit Camper and you will be surprised at the space available. The interior layout has been cleverly designed so that everything you need for a great adventure is included, and homely touches have been added to make you feel comfortable on the road. The nugget’s intelligent design gives the illusion of separate rooms throughout the Camper with an L-shaped kitchenette at the back of the camper, creating a wall between the kitchen and living room areas. 

Cooking Up A Feast In The Ford Transit Nugget

This innovative L-shaped kitchen design allows for more privacy if the sitting area is converted into a bed, as the bed feels cocooned beside the wall of the kitchenette. This L-shaped design also hides any kitchen mess from the living room area so you can fully relax and eat a meal without staring at a messy work surface.

The kitchenette itself is fully equipped with everything you need for living off the grid and cooking up a tasty feast with your top cooking accessories and best campervan cookers. It boasts a double gas burner and steel sink unit, along with plenty of space to quickly prepare a meal. There is also plenty of storage space in the onboard kitchen with multiple cupboards and drawers to store both food and utensils. A forty-litre compressor fridge ensures that any perishables stay fresh for the duration of your adventure and allows you to cook fresh, healthy meals while on the road. Check out these vanlife recipes if you’re stuck for ideas!

Water for the Ford Transit Nugget is supplied by an onboard tank that holds 42litres of fresh, drinkable H20. A container of a matching size holds the wastewater, allowing the vehicle to be completely self-contained. The water supplies the sink in the kitchenette as well as the camper’s outdoor shower that can be found at the rear of the vehicle. Not many micro campers have a camper shower included within the design, so having one onboard the Ford Transit Nugget is a slice of luxury that will make your camping trips so much more comfortable. 

What’s Happening In The Living Room?

In front of the kitchenette area in the Ford Transit Nugget is the dining and living room area. Here you will find space to comfortably seat five; three on the bench seat and one each in the drivers and passenger seats that can swivel 180 degrees to face the table. This turning action is made more accessible by the cleverly designed folding handbrake. These seats also all have seatbelts so are safe to use while driving. Small campers and pop up campers need to utilise clever design features in order to maximise interior space, and this use of swivel seats certainly creates so much extra room that would otherwise be wasted.

It is this dining space that converts into the camper van’s second double bed. This is quick and easy to do, making getting ready for bed hassle-free. Simply fold down the dining table and pull out the bench seat and you’re good to go!

The design of the Ford Transit Nugget is practical, but it is also stylish with vinyl wood effect flooring running throughout the living space. This gives the van a homely feel while keeping it easy to clean up. With dark wooden flooring, the white cabinetry and walls found everywhere else in the van allows plenty of light to bounce around the space, making it feel bigger than it is.

The Ford Transit Nugget Is Light And Breezy!

The Ford Transit Nugget also features plenty of windows to allow sunlight into the space. There are windows in both sidewalls of the camper at the lower level as well as in the maxi roof at either side and a skylight in the ceiling. This allows the outside to come in, even on the greyest of days. The camper also features and auxiliary heating system for colder days and nights, so you’ll always be able to get a good nights sleep.

The only thing missing from the standard Ford Transit Nugget is a bathroom area. If this is important to you, then you may want to think about going for the Nugget Plus as the extra space allows room for a toilet and extra folding washbasin at the back of the camper. This area can be shielded for privacy by a retractable screen. The extra space of the Nugget Plus also allows for a more extensive wardrobe and more storage space. 

Where To Buy The Ford Transit Nugget?

The Ford Transit Nugget is being produced in many countries across Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. Ford is making the Nugget with Westfalia- experts in campervan conversions. With two big brands at the forefront of this rolling home, you can be sure to get a quality product that will last for years to come. 

Is It Good For The Environment?

If you’re looking to do your part for the environment, then the EcoBlue Diesel engine that comes as a standard in the Ford Transit Nugget will help you on your way. This is a state of the art engine that is optimised for fuel efficiency, meaning you will use less fuel per mile than a regular engine. Keeping fuel usage down isn’t only good for the environment but is also good for your budget. Less money on fuel means more money saved for the next adventure! Who said that top eco campers had to be boring!

Don’t let the inclusion of ‘Eco’ in the engine name make you think that this thing doesn’t have any power behind it. Electric and Eco friendly motors are showing us that they can produce just as much bhp as their smokier counterparts, and the Nugget is no exception. Ford tell us that you can get between produce either 128 or 168 bhp out of these campers depending on what model you choose, which is more than enough to propel you up those mountain paths and for cruising along highways. It’s not the kind of vehicle that you’d recreate Too Fast Too Furious in; 168bhp is more than plenty!

Final Thoughts…

Prices for the Ford Transit Nugget start at around €36,000 which we think is pretty reasonable. This is a campervan that you can drive away from the factory with everything you need for an adventure, and it feels spacious and cosy at the same time. I like the inclusion of pop-top to give extra room, and the whole feel of the design just feels super fresh and inviting. It’s a perfect family camper and capable of most off grid adventures, but if you’re an adventurous couple or a small group that like to really pound through the wilderness, then you might consider checking out this Storyteller Overland conversion instead! Let us know what you think of the new Ford Transit Nugget by joining Van Clan over on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.                                                                                                                            

Image credits: Transport Executive

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