In order to get 7 seats and a viable full width bed with cooker and fridge proved to be difficult. Having to remove seats, put things inside the awning or even manage without was beginning to grate. Having to take 2 vehicles and the cost of fuel to do so even more. Was it possible to transport 2 adults, 5 kids and 2 dogs in relative comfort and arrive with a usable camper all in one vehicle?
Looking at the T4/T5 I was envious of the extra space where the engine is in the T3. Using the space above the engine more effectively would be most important and the balance between travel and camping space usage needed redressing so that the times when it was used for travelling made it more of a practical offering day-to-day.
For our purposes we have found storage is often dead space. Many of the items used while camping are only required to be stored during travel to and from a site. Permanent cupboards robbed us of travel and sleeping space. With a small, lightweight tailer or external storage many of these items could be there only when required.
I now believe I have a design that might work. It's not like anything I have seen before and opens up the van for travel and sleeping allowing the best of comfort in either configuration. For those not needing to cook inside the van (we don't like to as it gets messy and condensates the van also) this interior will be a boon. Whether you opt for the 5 or 7/8 seater setup it gives a new perspective to T3 camping.
I'm drawing up the design properly at the moment and will be posting designs next week for you all to comment upon.
