The Sunlight Vanlife 540 V might be the most talked-about campervan of 2026. And for good reason. It does things no other production campervan has tried at this price point. But it also makes one decision that I think holds it back from being the complete package.
Let me explain.
Built on the Fiat Ducato chassis at just 5.41 metres long, the Vanlife is compact enough to use as a daily driver. You could park this thing at Tesco without breaking a sweat. But step inside through the sliding door and it feels nothing like a traditional campervan.
Instead of the open-plan layout you find in every other van on the market, Sunlight has completely walled off the driver's cab from the living space. That wall creates something genuinely new: a living area that feels like a small flat rather than the back of a van. Four walls. Privacy. Proper insulation. It changes the whole atmosphere.
Then there's the staircase. Rather than a flimsy ladder up to the pop-top roof bed, Sunlight has built actual fixed stairs with storage compartments tucked into every tread. It is clever design and it makes accessing the roof bed feel safe and comfortable rather than like a nightly obstacle course.
For a campervan starting at around £61,690 in the UK (or roughly €58,999 on the continent), the standard equipment list is strong:
That bathroom deserves a mention on its own. Sunlight claims it is the largest bathroom across their entire campervan range, and that is saying something for a 5.4-metre van. The folding sink opens up a proper shower area, and there is even a window for ventilation. For a van this size, that is a serious achievement.
The rear living area has two facing sofas that convert for dining, working or sleeping. As a mobile office setup, it works brilliantly. The dual-sofa layout with a camping table creates a proper workspace during the day, then converts to a double bed at night.
Here is where I have an issue.
That wall between the cab and the living space is permanent. There is no door. No hatch. No sliding panel. Nothing. Once you are parked up and in the back, the only way to reach the cab is to go outside, walk around the van, and get in through the cab doors.
In fair weather on a summer campsite, that is a minor inconvenience. At 2am in the rain at a motorway services, it is a different story entirely.
There is also a practical safety concern here. In any situation where you might need to move the van quickly, whether that is a flooding campsite, an uncomfortable encounter with another person, or just a change of plans in the middle of the night, you have to exit the vehicle, walk around it exposed, and then get into the cab. In a traditional campervan, you just step forward into the driver's seat and go.
What frustrates me is that the staircase cupboards would have been a perfect opportunity. A sliding door or even a one-off emergency access panel through one of those staircase storage compartments could have solved this entirely. The cupboards are right there against the cab wall. It would not need to be a full walkthrough. Even a small hatch that you could climb through in an emergency would make a huge difference to peace of mind.
It feels like a missed opportunity from a design team that clearly thought hard about everything else.
The Vanlife sleeps four on paper, with two in the pop-top and two on the converted sofas. But here is the reality: only two people can travel in the cab while driving. There are just two belted seats. So if you are a family of four, everyone can sleep in it, but only two of you can legally travel in it. That makes it impractical for families unless you are meeting at the campsite in separate vehicles, which defeats the purpose.
Where the Vanlife absolutely shines is for couples. If you are single or with a partner and you want a campervan that feels like a genuine living space rather than a converted van, this is hard to beat. The separate cab creates a feeling of enclosure and privacy that open-plan vans simply cannot match. The insulation is better because of that dividing wall. The temperature stays more consistent. There is no cold air pouring in through the windscreen on a winter night.
For couples who work remotely and want to travel for extended periods, this layout makes more sense than almost anything else on the market. The rear lounge as a home office during the day, the pop-top bedroom at night, the full bathroom, the properly equipped kitchen. It all works. The 5.4-metre length means you can drive it into cities, park it in normal spaces, and live in it without feeling like you are piloting a bus.
At £61,690, the Vanlife sits in a fascinating position. It is cheaper than most VW California competitors, which typically start north of £65,000 and offer less living space. It comes from the Hymer Group family, which means Sunlight has access to the same engineering and supplier networks as brands charging significantly more.
The standard equipment list is generous. The awning, alloy wheels, painted bumpers and pop-top roof light all come included rather than sitting on an options list waiting to inflate the price. The 7-year water ingress warranty is reassuring too.
Is it the cheapest campervan you can buy? No. Sunlight's own Adventure Cliff 540 starts from around £56,990 with a more traditional layout. But for the innovation and the genuine feeling of space the Vanlife creates, the premium is worth it.
The Sunlight Vanlife 540 V is a genuinely innovative campervan that rethinks what a compact van can be. The separate living space, the staircase, the oversized bathroom and the dual-sofa lounge all combine to create something that feels fresh in a market full of copy-paste layouts.
But the complete lack of access between the living area and the cab is a real drawback. Not a dealbreaker for everyone, but a notable miss from a design team that got so much else right. A simple sliding door or emergency hatch through one of those staircase cupboards would transform this van from great to near-perfect.
If you are a couple or a solo traveller looking for a campervan that genuinely feels like a small flat on wheels, the Vanlife is one of the most compelling options available right now. If you need family travel capability or if cab access matters to you, it is worth seeing one in person before committing.
Either way, it is good to see a manufacturer actually trying something different. The campervan market needs more of this kind of thinking.
The Sunlight Vanlife 540 V is available to view at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at the NEC Birmingham, 17-22 February 2026, on the Lowdhams stand. Prices start from £61,690.
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