There were many gems at this year’s Caravan Salon in Germany, but this Fiat Ducato-based mini motorhome from Weinsberg caught our eye. The Ducato is a popular platform for camper upfits, but Weinsberg’s take is interesting, and impressive, and it just looks cool.
This is the CaraLife 630 LQ, a new offering from the German-based company for 2024. It doesn’t have a pop-top roof like the new VW T7 California, but it does have a nifty kitchen fitted at the front of the living area in an L-shaped layout. This creates enough room for a sink, two-burner stove, refrigerator, and a decent amount of counter space while also creating an outdoor dining area with a fold-out table. Inside you’ll find a second table that sets up for meals and stows away to make room for the shower. Wait, what?
Showers in small vans are becoming more common, and Weinsberg opts for a quick-deploy stand-up shower nestled between the bed/garage and kitchen. A simple folding mechanism brings the cubicle shower up from the floor, and an available toilet can be stowed in the bench seat for the dinette. A mirror with storage for toiletries is mounted up front at the kitchen sink, giving this small van a legit full bathroom.
In creating this kitchen/bathroom arrangement, Weinsberg effectively separates the CaraLife into two distinct areas. The cab is completely blocked off from the living area, just like the sneaky-cool Isuzu stealth camper we recently covered. The flip side is that the living area truly feels like a living area, not the back half of a van. A sizable bed occupies the back portion of the van, mounted transverse with an optional extension to make the space a bit larger. The main dining table stows beneath it, and it all sits atop a modest garage accessible from the back. Cabinets line the walls for storage.
Checking out options at Weinsberg’s website, customization is plentiful and the end result is a posh camper for enjoying vanlife. It has seats and sleeping arrangements for three people, and it’s modestly priced with a starting MSRP of €59,990 (approximately $65,000). Unfortunately for US vanlifers, the CaraLife isn’t available in North America. But it will be making the European rounds at shows through the fall for adventure seekers across the pond.
