More camper van manufacturers are starting to explore the advantages of squeezing compact bathrooms into 17-foot vans. The all-new Karmann Danny 530 debuts as a compact, Fiat Talento-based camper van complete with rear bathroom. Karmann uses some clever strategies to seat and sleep four people while still providing a full kitchen, dining area and wet bath with toilet, sink and shower. And it keeps the price of its pop-top well below €50,000 (about $58,000), reports New Atlas.
That said, the 530 displays much the same spirit of compact, strategic packaging as its smaller brother and the other small camper vans on that list, managing to fit a bathroom, four dedicated dining seats, four sleeping berths and an L-shaped kitchen inside the Fiat Talento.
You can enter the bathroom from inside or outside the van, and you’ll find a toilet and a sink with a pull-out faucet that works as the shower. The van’s rear-popping, frontward-sloping roof pushes the 5.9-foot (1.8-m) standing-room apex over to the rear of the van, though the limited bathroom compartment wall height looks to leave something to be desired in the privacy department, should you wish to stand.
The bathroom and adjacent cabinetry take up the entire rear, leaving no room for the type of rear bed that features in many camper van conversions, including the Talento-based Danny 490. Instead, Karmann relies on a central convertible bed that sits over top the dinette and living space next to it, offering a mattress top for two. Two additional campers are accommodated by the pop-up roof bed.
Read more and see photos here.
Can I buy a Danny 530 in the USA?
Sleeps 4! About 1, possibly 2 could be comfortable. Some people need a lot less to be comfortable. Never serve beans!
If it’s a Fiat- based camper, steer clear. Fiat is failing in the U.S. for a reason.