Bilbo’s Celex HL 2024

Options’ was the word that sprang to mind as I walked around the smart campervans on display at Bilbo’s Surrey HQ as I went to pick up the Celex HL for a test. Options and quality – both touchstones for this well-known van converter, which has gained a reputation for giving its customers plenty of choice and excellent workmanship.

Looking for a high top? No problem. Like that in a long wheelbase? We can do that. Prefer a different colour for the upholstery? Take a look at our range.

This reputation for top quality is reflected in the fact that Bilbo’s received two Gold Awards for Van Converters at our 2024 Owner Satisfaction Awards. It’s a company that prides itself on the number of returning customers coming through its doors.

In short, it’s a brand you’re likely to consider when you’re looking for the best campervan conversion companies in the UK.

It’s also worth noting that Bilbo’s workshop does all of its own warranty work, so it maintains that all-important customer relationship throughout the life of the vehicle.

All of which boded well for my trip to Jersey, where I would be taking the converter’s most popular model, the Bilbo Celex, which is part of its line-up of VW campervan ranges.

My two-berth Bilbo’s Celex HL came in SWB with a low-lie, side-hinge elevating roof and the new control panel/hub Power Management System (of which more later), all encased in an attractive cherry-red finish.

The HL in the branding indicates that this is a HighLine model, offering a higher level of spec that includes, among other welcome features, air conditioning, swivelling cab seats and an alarm. You could, if you preferred, go for the more basic SL (Startline) version, but most customers choose the higher-spec HL.

The ‘van comes on a VW T6, an option which is among the best vans for converting to a camper.

The Celex is popular for a reason, coming in at less than 5m long and at just under 2.1m high, will fit in most car parks. So its overall footprint is pretty much that of a large car.

It drives like one, too, with a smooth ride on both main roads and in the city, courtesy of that DSG auto gearbox and excellent interior build quality – no rattling drawers or cupboards here, as you would expect with a luxury campervan.

My test model was all clean lines, with little paraphernalia to break the streamlined finish. Just a cover flap for the electric hook-up on the rear offside and another flap for the diesel and AdBlue fillers on the nearside by the front passenger door.

Exterior options include a roof rack system, solar panel, side awning rail, cassette side awning, bike rack and towbar. An LWB version will give you an extra 400mm (good for families or pet owners), while a high-top version offers increased roof height, superior insulation and more storage space.

Our Celex was upholstered in an optional VW fabric that was a natty grey, red and white tartan, with red piping. It had something of a cool retro look and the fitters at Bilbo’s cutting shop confirmed that it was a design originally used on a 1980 VW Golf. It is available in blue, green or, as in our case, red.

The comfortable cab in the small campervan is pretty much standard fare for VW. It looks smart, has supportive seating and provides all sorts of wizardry, including adaptive cruise control, an adjustable steering column and easy-adjust mirrors.

Heating and air conditioning come with rear-view demist and quick-clear windscreen, and the ’van has automatic start-stop idling and parking sensors.

The DSG seven-speed gearbox offers automatic transmission, with the option of moving to manual control. Move the gearstick to the right and you can sequentially move up and down the gears – good for mountains!

Select Reverse and the reversing camera (an option included on my test vehicle) view appears on the touchscreen, which also provides access to the DAB radio.

You can connect your smartphone here via Bluetooth and mirror your screen to use music apps and/or sat nav. You’ll also find access to alarms and other settings via this digital hub.

Both driver and passenger seats swivel. You simply drop the manual handbrake, ensure that the seat is upright and pulled forward, and pull a catch under the seat to rotate it. Voilà! Welcome to the lounge.

Lounging and dining in Bilbo’s Celex HL

You can see why the Celex is Bilbo’s most popular model. This is a classic couple’s ’van, featuring a good-quality double bed and plenty of headspace, by virtue of the easy-to-pop side-hinge elevating roof.

This model wasn’t fitted with one, but you can have a small bed in the roof space here, suitable for small children or even one adult.

Personally, I might have gone for the Continental elevating roof, which accommodates a wider fitted roof bed and is an option on both the Celex and Komba models. But if you don’t want the additional bed, the side roof is undoubtedly super-easy to use.

To lift the roof, you loosen the straps, unhook the clasp, push the handle and up it goes. It’s waterproof, and you can unzip panels for ventilation and light. The elevated roof gives you plenty of headroom, which in combination with the swivelled cab seats makes for a nice lounge area, particularly with that chic tartan material covering all the seats.

There’s a table stored at the side of the fridge, behind the driver’s seat. Simply unfold it and click it into place on the rail in front of the sink and the cooker, and you’re all set for lunch or perhaps a game of cards. There’s also an option for an outside camping table that can be kept in the door.

The bespoke handmade grey (other colours available) blackout curtains used throughout the interior are a real triumph. Easy to use and with no snagging, they feel far more robust than blinds, and emphasise just how much effort Bilbo’s puts into getting those all-important details right.

Unlike some converters, who use curtain kits with a frame that obscures the windows, when they are open, Bilbo’s bespoke curtains allow light in through the whole window.

There are dimmable LEDs throughout the ’van, and a strip of auxiliary downlighting in the kitchen.

It took me a while to get the knack of dimming the LEDs – you have to press and hold for a while – but it’s pretty simple, really. You can easily tap these lights off and on and they will return to the same brightness setting as when you switched them off.

All of the lighting options and many other internal systems are controlled by Bilbo’s new control panel/hub. The Power Management System (PMS), made by Sargent, is an intuitive unit showing the charge level of the leisure and vehicle batteries (and solar panel if you have one) and allowing you to swap between them.

You use the unit to switch your water pump on and off, so you can run the tap, and it will show how full the tank is. The PMS also has an Environment menu, indicating temperatures.

To the left of this is the Webasto heater control, another intuitive system with an easy on/off button and a timer function, so you can set it like the central heating at home. The hot air comes out of a vent at the back of the driver’s seat.

All of this sounds easy, right? And so it is. That includes the super cubbyhole to the right of the PMS: it’s a good place to keep your phone, with the bonus of being a wireless phone charger.

Below the PMS is a cupboard, inside which is the mains RCD (residual current device); you simply flick the switch and the power is on.

There are three mains sockets in the lounge – one at floor level by the rear seat (good for charging outside gear), one at seat level on the other side (by a 12V and double USB socket) and one behind the table at the end of the fridge.

Kitchen and washing facilities in Bilbo’s Celex HL

The side kitchen in this SWB camper is relatively simple in style, providing a two-burner hob with glass cover and Piezo ignition, and a 65-litre Dometic compressor fridge with push-button on/off and temperature control.

The auxiliary battery will power the fridge for two or three days; it can also operate on 12V while you’re driving, or via mains hook-up.

Beneath the cooker is a large drawer – where you could house an optional grill or a microwave – and below that, two locking soft-close drawers. Beside it is a small sink, with a glass cover.

Above the sink and cooker are two cupboards, which look small but have more capacity than you might think.

I found the kitchen suitable for my relatively simple needs – poached eggs, simple pasta dishes, Moka coffee and so on. But the worktop is limited, so if a larger food prep area is important to you, perhaps plump for an LWB model, which should provide additional space.

VW campervan layouts don’t have a washroom per se, but there is room underneath the bed to store a Porta Potti, and there is a connection at the back of the vehicle for a utility shower – good for hosing off sandy feet after a long day at the beach.

Sleeping options in Bilbo’s Celex HL

The double bed, which measures 4’4” x 6’3”, is made up from the rear seating, which proves to be a well padded and comfortable mattress.

Unlike on some other VW campers, the seating area does not slide back and forth. Instead, to make up the bed, you pull out and nip up a safety catch and then remove the armrests. Next, pull the back of the rear seat forward and down over the top, remove the headrests, push in the seatbelt buckle clips (making sure to push them right in), and use the long, thin filler to plug the gap. And that’s job done, giving you one flat, very comfortable bed.

To return the bed to seating, you simply reverse your actions.

Storage and equipment in Bilbo’s Celex HL

As mentioned, the rear seat doesn’t slide, but the advantage is a lot more storage space and a saving in weight, because the seatbelts come off the side pillars rather than being integrated. As a result, you can buy a Bilbo’s vehicle and still enjoy 500-700kg user payload (see our guide to motorhome weights for more on this).

Perhaps the best storage is that found under the seats, which stretches right through to the back, where there is a sliding door, so you could store longer items, such as skis, golf clubs or walking poles, here. The underseat area is also big enough to house a Porta-Potti on either side. Above the seats, you’ll find two more long cubbyhole cupboards.

Other storage includes a large shelved area at the back. The rear curtain pulls across above this, so if you open the rear door, the bed remains hidden. And when you open that rear door, the tailgate will give you useful rain cover, too.

There’s a wardrobe with hanging space here, plus the shower connection and the fresh-water filler. You’ll find room for two cylinders in the gas locker, handy if you also have a gas barbecue.

Buy if…

You’re an active couple who want a high-quality campervan to go on regular short breaks without having to worry about manoeuvring a larger vehicle, but still with a degree of comfort and smart styling.

Alternatives to consider

The Vantage Luna is a model that provides plenty of comfort and is well worth considering if you’re looking for a great every day vehicle. Another option that has impressed is the Adria Active Duo, a model which comes on the Renault Trafic and provides ‘van owners with a well-made rising-roof.

Technical spec of the Bilbo’s Celex HL

• Price: £74,535 (available from £64,515)
• Sleeps: 2 (roof bed optional)
• Belts: 4
• Length/width/height: 4.89/2.10/2.02m (16’0”/6’9”/6’6”)
• MTPLM: 2800kg
• Payload: 400kg
• Transmission: DSG auto seven speed
• Water (fresh/waste): 36-litre onboard water tank with internal filler/35-litre waste-water tank
• Leisure battery: 130Ah AGM leisure battery
• Gas: 2 x Camping Gaz 907 bottles

The base vehicle

• Chassis: Volkswagen T6.1
• Engine: 2.0TDI 150PS
• Power: 148bhp (110kW) @ 3250-3750rpm
• Torque: 251lb ft (340Nm) @ 1500-3000rpm
• Transmission: DSG auto seven-speed

Features include: SWB, Stop/Start system, ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), TCS (Traction Control System), EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), EDL (Electronic Differential Lock), ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme), City Emergency Braking, automatic post collision braking system, driver alert, adjustable safety steering column, power steering, 6.5” touchscreen, DAB+ radio, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Thatcham category one alarm and immobiliser, tyre pressure monitoring, full-size steel spare wheel, AUX-in socket and four cab speakers

Standard highlight features

Air conditioning, alarm, alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, auto headlights with auto-dimming rear-view mirror, cab comfort pack, composition media radio with DAB and App connect, front and cornering fog lights, exterior pack, electric folding wing mirrors, heated front windscreen, leather multifunction steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors, glazed tailgate with wash/wipe

Options

Rear camera, diesel blown-air heating, half Red Tartan cloth upholstery

Conversion

Van conversion with swivelling cab seats and low-lie side-hinge elevating roof

Lounging and dining

Swivelling cab seats, two rear seats, side mini lockers, rear overhead locker, lined blackout curtains, sliding table, power management system with digital functions, 240V mains system with 12V charger, 130Ah AGM leisure battery, 12V socket – varied use, 12V USB socket, wireless charge pad, dimmable LED lighting, fire extinguisher

Kitchen

65-litre compressor fridge with removable freezer compartment, two-burner hob, sink with glass lid

Sleeping

Double bed measuring 4’4” x 6’3”

Other equipment

Sealed gas locker suitable for 2 x Camping Gaz 907 bottles, 36-litre onboard water tank with internal filler, 35-litre waste-water tank

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