Being smaller than the Bailey motorhomes like the Alliance and Adamo, I’m used to the vehicle being easier to drive and park. It’s also proven to be fuel-efficient and extremely comfortable to drive. There are some very narrow, heavily overgrown, single-track lanes near my local Drop Zone in Devon and Freediving Centre in Cornwall, and this shorter, narrower van will make those trips much easier. We even took the van into the tight medieval streets of Bruges, something I would have hesitated to do in the Adamo.

Like the Adamo, it has an automatic gearbox and cruise control and has proven a very comfortable ride, even on a single eight-hour drive. I also find driving a right-hand drive vehicle in Europe can be tricky at some junctions. I have, in the past, had to get out of the driver’s seat and cross to the left to check for traffic. However, in the Endeavour, the large window on the sliding side door gives clear views even at difficult intersections.

All things are compromised, and with the reduced outside dimensions making driving easier, we lose a little space inside when compared to my old Adamo 75-4DL. But the clever folks at Bailey, who know a thing or two about building leisure vehicles, having been at it for over 75 years, have made incredible use of the space. I was not expecting the same facilities as in the Adamo, yet here they were: a three-ring burner, grill, oven, shower and toilet, lounge, and a double bed. And I think the amount of cupboard space even exceeds the Adamo!

The most inventive feature is an elliptic doorway that slides around between the bathroom and kitchen. This effectively moves space between the two areas to where you need it and steals it from the area not in use— a priority moveable space. Amazing. There are some other little touches we’ve loved. The tap in the washroom is also the showerhead and can be moved to different positions. The back cushions of the sofa make a thick, comfortable headrest which doubles up, for us, as a bedside shelf where we put teacups and phones.

The deep, metallic blue colour gives the van a very ‘premium and executive’ look, and it was my first look at the outside of the vehicle in the factory that inspired me to take it to Europe on a cultural trip. A van that looked like that needed to be driven by someone in a DJ heading to the Opera. But it’s primarily built for adventure and lends itself to off-grid and wild camping adventures more than most vehicles.

There are charge points aplenty: 5V, 12V, and 240V. The addition of the 5V and 12V sockets allows more options for charging when off-grid, and power comes from the large, roof-mounted solar panel. Even the fridge is a compressor type, running off 12V, so it will happily run from the power of the sun. This means gas, a finite resource unlike sunlight, can be saved for cooking. Since I often have to commando camp on documentary or film shoots or when diving, skydiving, or even in London for meetings, the ability to need no hook-up is a major advantage. And we’ll be testing these facilities on a longer Off-Grid Adventure in the Scottish Highlands next Spring.

Choosing the right vehicle, whether a campervan, motorhome, or caravan, is a matter of looking at the pros of each and deciding which best suits your needs.

Soon we’ll be taking out the sibling of the B62, the B64. Designed with two double beds and the capacity to take four passengers, we’ll be using it for trips with the kids. You can view our walkthrough video of both new vehicles: