Nu Venture Nu Surf (2011) | Review (2024)

Full review

Compact but capable, the latest Nu Surf could be about to capitalise, too...

Here's an affordable new micro-motorhome built to high order by a small team in an equally small factory that is a model of dedication. With appeal to singles and couples in equal measures, Nu Venture have been making compact coachbuilts like the Nu Surf for nearly 20 years now.

The company is run by the triumvirate of working directors – Gordon Hulton, Debbie Hulton (Gordon’s daughter) and Steve Webster, who cut his manufacturing teeth working for a rather large caravan (and former motorhome) manufacturer not a million miles away from Nu Venture’s Wigan premises.

Nu Venture production was some 65 vehicles last year, including the occasional bespoke van conversion to individual order. There are plans to up that to 75 this season, for a variety of reasons: Steve says production is getting more efficient, there’s a theme of downsizing in the motorhome market generally, and Nu Venture now have a carefully selected network from some respected mainstream dealers – Todds of Preston, Derbyshire’s Leisure Kingdom, Robsons of Wolsingham, and Hampshire’s P&P Car and Camper Sales. If you’ve got a motorhome to trade in, you’ll probably come to a better arrangement with one of these; if you’re buying new with nothing to part-exchange, a visit to the factory could be in order.

Although Nu Venture started out building on Citroën C15 and Fiat Scudo, it’s with the Citroën Berlingo that they have found particular success in recent years. It’s a small but highly likeable base vehicle that has proved ideal for carrying a compact coachbuilt body.

The Nu Surf’s starting price of just £100 over £28k is bumped up here by the fitting of a number of extras that most folk would consider desirable: cab air-conditioning, extra 12V and 230V sockets, and an upgrade to a 110Ah second battery, plus puff cushions. Puff what? Take a closer look and those upright settee cushions do indeed puff up, offering a higher than normal backrest and just that bit more comfort whether used for seating or as infills between the seat bases for the bed arrangement.

It’s an otherwise traditional approach to the floorplan, which sees a kitchen across the back and a toilet room in the rear offside corner. I hesitate to call it a washroom because, although there’s a swivel-bowl toilet and a tip-up basin, and a wardrobe, this is more of an en suite toilet area than a full-on washroom. A shower is an option.

Next door, that end kitchen now boasts a four-ring hob and grill under one smoked glass lid, with sink and drainer under another. By not squeezing in an oven (it’s not even on the options list) Nu Venture have been able to optimise the kitchen storage, now fitting a 60-litre, three-way fridge – also including a cutlery drawer and some pretty generous locker capacity.

Bedtime gives you the choice of twin singles of 6ft by 2ft 2in, or with a bit more involvement, you can construct a transverse double that’s officially 6ft square. Not massive, granted, but the firmness of the cushions – supplemented by slatted bases – offers genuinely supportive comfort.

You’ll have few problems with storage, thanks to the massive cavern that is the locker over the cab (the freestanding table lives here, and it’s the most obvious place for the extra cushions needed for the double bed). Note also, its sturdy door, with the most impressive of hinges, and a proper travel catch. There’s also generous luggage space in the settee bases. And, although the overhead lockers are comparatively small, their size helps to maintain a general feeling of spaciousness, which is further enhanced by the large, opening Heki rooflight.

Although the cab plays no part in the living quarters, the front seats are in the same light brown upholstery as the rest. If you don’t like the look of the seating material here, there are all kinds of alternatives.

Outside, Nu Venture have made a good job of the not particularly easy task of complementing the Berlingo cab’s sleek lines to an overcab coachbuilt design. The GRP front zone and rear panel help here, with traditionally built side walls. At the same time, they’ve kept the overall dimensions just right – any more overhang and it could start to look a bit back-end happy, although one of the reasons for putting the caravan door on the side is so that a bike rack can be fitted at the back if required.

One downside is that only the most athletic will want to try to retrieve the spare wheel. You could actually have a rather stunning silver exterior, although that adds £1800. But the final key card here is the promise of economy in the 40s mpg from that willing but rather refined Citroën diesel.

To read the full motorhome review in PDF format exactly as it appeared in the June 2011 issue of Which Motorhome, click here.
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