2022 Globecar Globescout Plus campervan

If you’re in the market for a van conversion campervan and haven’t seen any Globecar products yet, do make a note to check them out, because their build quality is up there amongst the best.

The German manufacturer offers a comprehensive portfolio of products, specialising wholly in the production of van conversions, all based on Fiat’s Ducato or its Peugeot or Citroen equivalents.

The world in your hands

The Globescout Plus campervan is derived directly from the standard D model, but with a particularly attractive sub £53,000 starting price.

You’ll want to build on that, though – literally. Typical for most German marques, the expectation is you’ll add a whole host of extra kit from an extensive options list. Some of the more popular ones are listed opposite.

As standard – and somewhat unusually for a conversion of German descent – the Globecar Globescout Plus is based on Peugeot’s Boxer. It comes with a 140bhp diesel engine and six-speed manual transmission as standard (if you want automatic there’s the opportunity to switch to a Fiat; Peugeot still doesn’t offer this).

The smart silver bodywork you can see here is from a choice of optional metallic paint finishes. A slight anomaly of using Peugeot rather than Fiat is converters can colour match the door handles to the main paintwork, as here. That, along with features such as the flush-fitting side and rear windows, make for a smart appearance that’s also a bit sleeker than the usual offerings.

The sliding door is on the UK offside, opening to reveal the kind of floorplan that came to the UK from mainland Europe a long time ago and has finally found favour over here.

There’s a travel seat for two on the UK nearside behind the cab area which, coupled with both cab seats swivelled, makes for a lounge area around a table with a handy swing-out extension section.

A locker door in the side of the rear seat base gives access to some key electric controls. This seat has a rather upright backrest, but adjustable head restraints. The table is particularly substantial, resting on a wall rail and single leg. It’s sturdy because it’s needed for making the third sleeping berth.

The main bed is across the back of the Globecar Globescout Plus and again is typical for this type of campervan. It can be left permanently up, or its three mattress sections can be folded out of the way for daytime load carrying.

The back windows are openable, as is the sole side unit, so there’s plenty of possible ventilation here. Reading lights are on rails for adjustability on the offside, plus there are lockers overhead.

There’s a handy step up to the bed – it’s literally a block of wood in a cut hole and something of a Globecar trademark.

The Globecar Globescout Plus kitchen is along the offside, just inside that sliding door. Unlike many, there’s an angle to the furniture unit here – to help offer the best compromise between accessibility and storage space.

The main facilities are a two-ring gas hob and a separate sink in matching stainless steel, with worktop space provided by a flip-up extension.

Also in the kitchen unit are a succession of drawers – one directly under the hob, plus full-width fittings in the rest of the area – they actually make a lot more sense than low-level lockers in a confined space like this. The mains socket directly over the sink is maybe not such a good location.

Adjacent are a Dometic three-way fridge, over which is the wardrobe, while directly across the corridor from the kitchen area is the washroom. Access here is via a solid door, where there’s a lift-out section for the shower tray and a curtain extends all round for showering (some may not approve).

The tap at the inset handbasin extends out for hand-held showering with a trigger operation to help keep water use to a minimum.

A window is an unexpected bonus here, as is the very high-level mirror, which is actually the door to a locker.

Overall, though, it’s the quality of the conversion work that prevails. How much you want to spend is completely down to you.

Verdict: Popular van conversion floorplan with a quality upgrade

Plus: Attractive starter price, good use of space, proper bed

Minus: Options will push that price up

In-a-nutshell: Global attraction

There’s more information on the Globescout Plus on the Globecar website and to find out more about our low-cost premiums visit the campervan insurance page.

Alternatives: Adria Twin Supreme 600 SPB, Pilote V600G, Rapido V55