2027 Bürstner Habiton HM 6.1: can a transverse-bed campervan really work for taller UK couples?

A bed that goes across the van is the classic campervan compromise. It frees up space for a bigger washroom and a proper garage, but it means your body length is capped by the width of the vehicle. For years that has been bad news for anyone much over six foot. The 2027 Bürstner Habiton HM 6.1 takes a different approach: it makes the back of the van wider so the bed can be longer. The question for UK buyers is simple. Is the extra length enough to make a transverse bed genuinely comfortable for a tall couple, or is it a clever idea that still falls short for the people who need it most? Here is the honest picture, based on what Bürstner and its UK dealers have published so far.

What the Habiton HM 6.1 actually is

The Habiton is Bürstner's compact campervan range built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Bürstner's own site describes it as a Mercedes-based campervan with transverse beds, generous storage and a heated pop-top roof, and the range is pitched at people who want something under six metres that still works as a full-time touring vehicle.

There are two closely related layouts to understand:

• HM 6.0: listed by Bürstner at 593 cm long and 204 cm wide, with a sliding bathroom and longitudinal (lengthways) beds.
• HM 6.1: the same base and similar length, but with a slightly wider rear section that is used to fit a transverse bed and a different washroom arrangement, according to South Downs Motorhomes' description of the 2027 range.

Autoevolution reports that the extra width on the 6.1 comes from a glass-fibre bump-out on the driver's side of the Sprinter body. In plain terms, Bürstner has pushed one wall of the van outwards at the back so there is more room from one side to the other exactly where your head and feet go. It is the sort of thing you occasionally see on larger coachbuilt motorhomes, but it is unusual on a panel van conversion.

On the mechanical side, the dealer video reviews describe the HM as rear-wheel drive, with an HMX sister model offering all-wheel drive. Dealer listings mention a 2.0-litre diesel with 190PS and a nine-speed automatic gearbox for the range, though exact engine options for UK stock are something to confirm with Bürstner or your dealer, because the manufacturer states that specification can change.

Why transverse beds have always been a problem for tall people

Before judging the 6.1, it helps to see why this matters. A typical panel-van campervan is a little over two metres wide on the outside. Take away the thickness of the steel, the insulation and the wall panels on both sides and you are usually left with something in the region of 185 to 190 cm of usable bed length. Some conversions claw back a few centimetres with recesses cut into the side panels, but there is a limit to how far that trick goes.

Now think about who sleeps in that bed. The average UK man is around 175 cm. Plenty of men are 185 cm or more, and a meaningful number are over 190 cm. A bed of 185 cm sounds fine on paper for a 180 cm person, but in practice you lose length to:

• a pillow, which pushes your head away from the wall by 10 to 15 cm;
• bedding tucked at the foot end;
• the simple fact that most people do not sleep perfectly straight.

So a 180 cm sleeper in a 185 cm transverse bed usually ends up sleeping diagonally, curling up, or with feet against the wall. For one night that is tolerable. For a fortnight in Scotland it is the thing you remember.

What the HM 6.1 changes

The headline figure in Bürstner's own launch material and the dealer walkarounds is a transverse bed of around two metres. That is the number that makes the 6.1 interesting, and it is worth being clear about what it does and does not mean.

What two metres buys you

Roughly 10 to 15 cm over a standard transverse van bed does not sound like much. In sleeping terms it is a lot. It is the difference between your pillow pushing your feet into the wall and having a comfortable gap at both ends. On a real van bed, that extra length is what lets you lie straight rather than at an angle, which also stops the two of you fighting over the diagonal.

Based on the quoted length, our honest guide is:

• Up to about 180 cm: comfortable with room to spare, including a proper pillow.
• 180 to 190 cm: workable and a clear improvement over a normal transverse bed, but a pillow and tucked bedding will use most of the margin.
• Over 190 cm: you will probably still be touching one end, or sleeping slightly diagonally. Treat the 6.1 as a maybe, not a yes, and lie on it before you commit.

What it does not change

Two metres is still a measured bed length, and the usable length can be shorter if there are cushions, curved walls at the corners, or window frames at head height. Published dimensions in this sector are usually taken at the longest point. Until there is a formal, independently measured UK test, treat the figure as a strong indication rather than a promise, and remember the manufacturer's own caveat that all information is for guidance.

The real test of any van bed is not the brochure number. It is lying down on it with a pillow, shoes off, and seeing whether your heels or your head touch anything.

Transverse versus longitudinal: what you give up and gain

Bürstner has deliberately offered both answers within the same range, and for a tall couple that choice is the heart of the decision.

The case for the HM 6.1 (transverse)

• A full-width mattress with no gap down the middle. Longitudinal twin beds can be bridged, but it is a faff every night and a cushion joint can sit right under your hip.
• A better washroom layout. The 6.1 uses the width to fit a different washroom from the sliding bathroom in the 6.0. Fixed washrooms tend to be easier to live with day to day, and taller people in particular will want to check shower headroom and where the shoulders go when turning round.
• Storage underneath. A transverse bed sitting high in the van usually means a usable garage beneath it, which is where bikes, chairs and wet kit go.

The case for the HM 6.0 (longitudinal)

• Length is not limited by the van's width. Lengthways beds in a 5.93 m van can run longer than two metres in principle, and nobody has to climb over anyone to get up in the night.
• Each of you can have a different mattress firmness, which matters more than people expect once you are past forty.
• The sliding bathroom gives you a bigger washroom when you need it and a bigger living area when you do not, at the cost of moving a wall every time.

The honest summary: if one of you is very tall, or you both move a lot in your sleep, the longitudinal layout is the safer bet. If you want a proper double, a fixed washroom and a garage, and your heights sit comfortably under the two-metre mark, the 6.1 is the layout that finally makes a transverse bed sensible.

Other height-related checks that matter just as much

Bed length is what everyone asks about, but tall owners run into other things first.

Standing headroom and the pop-top

The Habiton uses a pop-top roof that Bürstner describes as heated, which is a genuine plus for UK shoulder-season touring, because fabric roofs are normally the cold spot in a van. Check two things in person: the standing height in the main living area with the roof down, because that is how you will use it on a quick overnight stop, and whether the pop-top gives you a second bed for guests or just extra standing room. For a tall person, a pop-top can be the difference between stooping all evening and standing up straight.

Driving position

The Sprinter cab is generally well regarded for long-legged drivers, with a good range of seat and wheel adjustment. Even so, sit in it with the captain's chair swivelled and un-swivelled, because the swivel base can raise the seat and eat into headroom for anyone over about 190 cm.

Getting in and out of the bed

A transverse bed in the rear of a van sits high so the garage fits beneath it. That means a step or a climb, and the person sleeping on the inside has to shuffle across their partner to get out. Check how the 6.1's bed is accessed and whether there is a sensible step. It sounds trivial in a showroom. It is not trivial at three in the morning.

Dinette seating

Tall couples often find campervan dinettes more cramped than the bed, because knee room between the bench and the table is fixed. Sit at it for ten minutes, not ten seconds.

Weight, licence and UK practicalities

A Sprinter-based van with a glass-fibre extension, a heated roof and a full washroom is not a light vehicle, and this is where UK buyers need to pay attention.

• Plated weight. Bürstner's UK configurator shows a 3.5-tonne chassis option, and other figures in the configurator suggest heavier plated variants exist for some specifications. If you passed your car test after 1 January 1997 you can drive up to 3,500 kg on a standard B licence; anything heavier needs C1. Ask for the exact maximum authorised mass and the mass in running order of the van you are actually buying, with your chosen options fitted.
• Payload. At 3.5 tonnes, a well-equipped Sprinter conversion can leave a modest payload once two adults, water, gas, food and a weekend's kit are aboard. Ask the dealer for a realistic figure, not the brochure minimum, and factor in that taller people tend to carry taller bikes and bigger gear.
• Width. The HM 6.0 is listed at 204 cm wide. The 6.1's bump-out makes the rear slightly wider, and the exact overall figure for the 6.1 is not something we have seen confirmed yet. It is unlikely to change which roads you can use, but check it against your driveway, your gate and any width restrictions on your regular routes.
• Length. Under six metres is a useful threshold in the UK. It fits standard car park bays more often than not, and many campsites and ferry operators price vehicles under six metres more favourably.
• Automatic gearbox. The nine-speed automatic mentioned in dealer listings is welcome on UK A-roads and for anyone who tours in hilly country, but it is another thing to confirm on the specific vehicle.

Price and availability: what we can and cannot say

The Habiton HM 6.1 is a 2027 model-year vehicle and UK dealers have begun listing the range, with Bürstner's configurator showing prices in pounds for UK buyers. We are deliberately not quoting a base price here, because launch pricing for a new layout tends to move between first announcement and first deliveries, and option packs make a big difference on a van like this. Expect it to sit at the premium end of the compact campervan market, as a Mercedes-based conversion with a heated pop-top always will. The right move is to build the exact specification you want on Bürstner's configurator, then ask a UK dealer for an on-the-road figure including delivery and first registration.

How to test the bed properly before you buy

1. Measure yourselves first. Know your height in centimetres and add 15 cm for a pillow. That is the bed length you actually need to lie straight.
2. Bring your own pillow to the showroom. Dealers rarely dress beds with realistic bedding. Your pillow and a duvet change the picture.
3. Lie down together, both on your backs. Then both on your sides facing the same way. Transverse beds get narrower at the shoulders if the walls curve inwards.
4. Check the corners. Window frames, speaker housings and roof lockers often intrude exactly where a tall person's head wants to go.
5. Do the night-time exit. Whoever sleeps on the inside should climb out over the other person without using the light. If it is awkward in a showroom it will be worse in the dark.
6. Test the shower. Stand in it with the door closed and raise your arms as if washing your hair. Tall owners complain about this more than anything else.

The bottom line

The 2027 Bürstner Habiton HM 6.1 is a genuinely clever response to a real problem. By widening the rear of the Sprinter, Bürstner has pushed the transverse bed to a quoted length of around two metres, which is comfortably more than most van conversions can offer across the vehicle. For couples where both partners are under about 185 cm, that turns the transverse layout from a daily compromise into a sensible choice with a proper double, a fixed washroom and a garage beneath.

If one of you is nearer 190 cm or above, the honest answer is that it will probably still be snug, and the longitudinal HM 6.0 in the same range, or a different layout altogether, is the lower-risk option. Either way, do not decide from a brochure. Measure yourselves, take a pillow, lie on the actual bed, and confirm the plated weight before you fall in love with it. Those three checks will tell you more than any specification sheet.