Choosing Attie the Van
“A campervan is a five billion star hotel”
Attie is Our Renault Master Medium Wheelbase Campervan.
Our van Attie!
so Why Did we choose a Renault Master van?
Hmm, good question.
We had been dreaming about buying a van for years.
And it wasn’t a decision that we made lightly. It took us a long time to finally jump all in.
The plan to buy a van had been in motion for almost 10 years. We had been saving and planning and dreaming for a very long time.
But when we were finally ready to invest in a van, COVID-19 came and shocked the world. The effects COVID-19 pandemic played a part in our decision to ultimately get Attie the Van.
In any case, we finally decided to put our life savings into our dream van in October 2021.
And we called her Attie the van.
So, how did we get here?
Well, here’s the story of Attie the van.
It all started with a caravan.
The original plan was to buy a caravan.
A long time ago, my parents took my brothers and I around Australia for three months in a caravan, and it felt like pure freedom (more on that: Dreaming About A Van).
There are heaps of awesome things about caravanning, but a caravan is a tricky beast.
At some point, we pivoted towards a campervan. We liked that it was all-in-one, and that we weren’t necessarily tied to a caravan park or campsite.
So, we were onto a campervan.
We loved the adventures and the freedom of movement that a van could give. Over the years spent dreaming of having a van, we collected ideas and resources (read more: Before We Bought Our Van (Part I)) and tested a few vans (read more: Before We Bought Our Van (Part II))
But would we go with the Toyota HiAce? Or the larger Sprinter van? We had no idea.
There were a few comparable options on the market that we considered:
The Mercedes Sprinter
There are a lot of Mercedes Sprinters on the road. The Sprinter a versatile van, very stylish, and a lot of people convert them into beautiful functional campervans. Although it seemed like a great van, we didn’t go for this option because of the badge and the reported mechanical expenses. It’s still one to consider for the next build though!
The Ford Transit
The Transit is an icon. It’s a well-loved van, and has a lot going for it. But we weren’t convinced on the reliability after we read a few negative reviews about some mechanical issues. It would still be one we’d consider for a future van, especially because the cargo height is great.
ThE Fiat Ducato
Fiat is Italian, and the square shape is advantageous for a van build. It looks similar to the Ram ProMaster in America, and that’s because it’s effectively the same van. Fiat bought Chrysler during the recession a decade ago, and remarketed a version of the Ducato as the ProMaster, so the Ducato might look oddly familiar to overseas van lifers.
The Volkswagen Crafter
The VW is a German classic. You often see the smaller VW Transporter, especially in coastal areas where the surf is good. Whilst there are few out there on the road, the bigger VW Crafter is less common and was not as readily available on the market.
The Toyota HiAce
The Toyota HiAce is the most popular campervan model in Australia, and for good reason. It’s compact and reliable, and was a strong contender. We considered the hi-roof model, but it was a bit too small and not as stealth as we wanted with the conspicuous roof.
The Iveco Daily
The Iveco Daily has a great body size, although it is very narrow. It’s perhaps underrated due to its bulk, but it seems to be a practical van because it is used by a lot of couriers. For us, there were just too many unknowns.
The Peugeot Boxer
Neither PB nor I have ever seen one on the road, perhaps because they just aren’t around in Victoria. We didn’t opt for it, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for one!
The LDV Deliver 9
Kind of enigmatic, the LDV Deliver 9 wasn’t really on our radar. LDV is owned by SAIC Motors in China, but we didn’t know much more than that.
The VW Kombivan
It would be a dream to buy a kombivan. They are gorgeous and nostalgic. But sadly, they are also very expensive, have a lot of mechanical issues, and are quite small. I’m out here hoping VW will bring them back with all the modcon upgrades!
Finally, The Renault Master
The Renault Master was a stand out for us. It’s a powerhouse, and they are everywhere. It has a boxy shape, which is helpful for a build, and is also reliable — you still see the old models rolling through town. Interestingly, the Opel Movano (in Europe), Vauxhall Movano (in the UK), and the Nissan NV400 (Europe) are all badge-engineered Renault Masters and look very similar.
For a bit more info, Drive has done a more in-depth analysis comparing four major vans, and actually these four were the main vans we considered: The Sprinter, the Transit, the Ducato, and the Master.
We found it really difficult to choose between the different vans. We had hired a few of these models to try help us decide. All the vans have their merits, whether on the price point, features, reliability, or style.
So we went back and forth, and back again, between the different brands.
But we just kept coming back to the Renault Master.
THe renault master.
We thought the Renault Master would be the best fit. But we had a sort of checklist to make sure it was.
It looked a bit like this:
Size: The Master is big, but not too big. It felt like it could fit everything that we needed, but without being too bulky or scary to drive (a key factor for me).
European brand: Renault is a French brand. It has been around for over a century, and has a good reputation. Renault made some of the earliest cars on the market.
[For a bit of fun, Renault has a virtual museum showcasing their famous cars throughout history, called ‘The Originals’. Worth checking out.]
Stealth: Because there are so many white Renault master vans on the road, a Master would blend in… provided we don’t add too many external additions.
Specs: There are a few things going for the Renault Master. It has a large 100L diesel tanks with a reported fuel efficiency of 8.5L. The turning circle is a surprising 13m, and the van moves well for its size with 110kW of power output. The GVM (gross vehicle mass) is 3510kg so it’s classified as a light commercial vehicle, handy for all sorts of reasons including insurance. It also has all the other useful stuff like a reversing camera, android auto, sat nav, and barn doors. (There’s a lot more detail here at carsguide).
Servicing: Especially compared to the Mercedes Sprinter, the Master seemed to be cheaper and easier to repair for servicing and parts. The 5-year servicing is also capped for new models.
Postie van: Renault won the Australia Post contract for 2013-2018 (it’s now the Mercedes Sprinter, who also supply vehicles for the Australian Ambulance service). This is a great sign for the Renault Master, as these vans get a big workout with all the deliveries, so it has a proven track record (of sorts). And the postie Renault vans are also everywhere, so we thought it would be easier for us to blend in for “stealth mode".
Other campervan conversions: Other people have converted Renault Masters and old postie vans. It was reassuring to see lots of converted versions of the van. It told us it was possible!
Readily available: There seemed to be quite a few Renault Masters on the market. It was just a matter of price.
We just liked it: It was a gut feeling. All the reasons added up, and it just felt like the right one.
So we were left with a question.
which Renault Master?
We had a decision to make: the short, medium, long, or extra long wheelbase.
Short Wheelbase: It was cute, compact, but a little too small for our needs.
Long Wheelbase: It was a close second, as it is has a bigger cargo area with an extra 70cm in length compared to the medium. But the length didn’t coincide with more height, and it wouldn’t fit in a normal carspot.
Extra Long Wheelbase: We were really gunning for the extra long wheelbase for a while, because of the size and PB would be able to stand inside the van. But it’s really a monster at almost 7m long and 3m tall. But it was also almost impossible to find a secondhand XLWB, and it was also a lot more expensive. And the van has duel rear wheels, so we figured would need a lot more fixing when things went wrong.
Medium Wheelbase: It was a bit of a goldilocks story. The Medium Wheelbase seemed to be ‘just right’. However, we had to make some compromises. It is on the smaller side and PB can’t quite stand fully upright. It’s not perfect — I guess one would say it’s perfectly imperfect.
The dimensions between the Renault Master models
So, we had decided on the brand and the model. So, all that was left was to find the right van at the right price.
But there was a bit of a hiccup.
When we were finally ready to buy a van, the pandemic hit.
Buying a Renault Master during the pandemic was not easy.
Nor was any car for that matter.
It difficult to source any van on the secondhand car marketplace at a reasonable price. Pricing is of course determined by supply and demand. And car prices climbed upwards of 37% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
This is where the story gets interesting.
We were set on a getting secondhand van, but the gap between a secondhand van with 100,000km and a new van with a 5 year warranty was narrowing.
We asked ourselves: should be put our dream off for another year or two and wait for prices to stabilise, or should we bite the bullet and just get started?
When we factored in the warranty, guaranteed reliability, and the value we could retain in the van, and zero pre-cleaning, the pros outweighed the cons.
We decided to commit a cardinal sin:
our first-ever van build would not be in a secondhand van.
It’s actually not a new van either. Well, it is. We bought the demo model, but in the end they sold us the 2021 Renault Master at the demo price (apparently they didn’t want to spend on renewing the rego and other administrive costs).
So We Finally Had a Van.
Our very own Renault master Medium wheelbase! And we named her Attie the Van.
Attie the Van is not a conventional house, but our van does feel like home.
But Did we make a mistake?
The Renault Master is not all rainbows – it does have some faults. Let’s go through a few:
Standing room: The 1.86m clearance is perfect for me, but not so perfect for PB. In fact, the three other vans that we considered all have higher cargo clearance. Bit of regret there.
It’s ok for now because we plan on spending a lot of time outdoors, and we have lots of seating room! We figured, this is our first van — we can see how we go, and choose a different van for the next build!
Still, it’s not ideal.
A few key dimensions for the Sprinter, Transit, Ducato, and Master.
Bench seat: The Renault Master has three seats up front, meaning you have to do a bit of acrobatics to get into the cargo area. And we’ve discovered it’s going to cost an arm and a leg to swap the bench seat for a single passenger seat. Bit of a pain.
Safety features: There is no safety rating for the Master as it has not been put through the ANCAP crash testing. There are three airbags (dual front airbags, and drivers side airbag), but no curtain airbags. The Master does not yet have an automatic braking system and if you want lane departure warning, blind sport warning, or front parking sensors, you have to get these as add-ons.
Control: There is no parking gear. You park it in neutral, put the handbrake on, and that’s it.
[This is significant because we had a scary incident because we almost crashed into a car behind us when the van was parked on a hill. We opened the sliding door, and it suddenly started to roll backwards (the handbrake was on tight). Luckily we were able to stop it just in time, but really got the adrenaline going. A quick trip to Renault to tighten the handbrake fixed the problem. Not sure why it doesn’t have a parking gear though.]
Cabin design: The cabin is not designed particularly well. There are a few just little things that make you wonder. For example, the cup holders are hopeless. A standard drink bottle doesn’t fit, and a tall drink bottle with smash against the windscreen. It’s bizarre.
European remnants: There are a few remnants from European models. As an example, the coat hooks on the bulk head are on the wrong side. Things aren’t always where you’d expect it for us driving-on-the-left-side-of-the-road Aussies.
Perhaps the grass is greener on the otherside, and we should’ve chosen a Sprinter or Ford Transit.
But, perhaps not.
The Renault Master may not lead the way in safety or technology, or even style, but it’s an honest, hardworking powerhouse that ticked a lot of boxes for us.
Attie the van is perfectly imperfect.
And there is always room for more vans in the future (hopefully!).