Quick summary
Pioneer is the fixed-bed Crafter. The bed stays made, so the living area does not have to be rebuilt every night. It suits people who want to arrive, cook, wash and sleep without rearranging the van.
Frontier is the flexible Crafter. A rail floor and a folding bed let the same space work as a lounge by day and a bedroom at night. The concept also includes an optional utility pop-top.
Volkswagen Crafter CR35 medium-wheelbase conversions, with Whole Vehicle Type Approval planned. Customer availability is anticipated from March or April 2027. Prices currently start from £94,950. Specification can still change before the finished vans are launched.
1. Why a Crafter, not another Transporter?
CamperKing built its name on the VW Transporter: Go, Freedom, Monte Carlo, Le Mans, Santorini, St Tropez and Pursuit. Pioneer and Frontier are a different size of van. The Crafter CR35 medium wheelbase gives a larger living area, which is what makes a proper washroom, a bigger kitchen and a fixed bed realistic in the same conversion.
If you want a compact daily driver that still parks like a large car, a Transporter CamperKing is still the better fit. If you want onboard washing, a dedicated cooking space and more room for longer trips, the Crafter is the point of these two models.
2. Pioneer: less setting up
Pioneer is built around a fixed bed. You do not convert the lounge at the end of the day, and you do not lose the bed to make space for breakfast. CamperKing describes it as a layout for people who like everything in its place.
Around that bed you get a large kitchen, an onboard washroom and a drying room, plus hot water as standard. It is aimed at weekends and longer tours equally: arrive, settle, and leave the layout as it is.
- Fixed-bed layout
- Onboard washroom
- Large kitchen
- 48V Renogy power system
- Onboard hot water as standard
- New CamperKing furniture and premium interior materials
3. Frontier: more ways to use the space
Frontier takes the same Crafter ambition and uses a rail floor with a folding bed. Living and sleeping share the floor area, so the van can change with the day instead of keeping a permanent bed.
It still has the large kitchen, the washroom and the 48V power system. The concept also features a utility pop-top roof by Jackdaw Overland.
- Rail floor layout
- Folding bed
- Optional utility pop-top
- Onboard washroom and large kitchen
- 48V Renogy power system
- Same new furniture direction as Pioneer
4. Pioneer vs Frontier at a glance
| What changes | Pioneer | Frontier |
|---|---|---|
| Sleeping | Fixed bed, left made | Folding bed |
| Living space | Stays a living area | Changes through the day |
| Floor | Fixed layout | Rail floor |
| Roof | Not the headline feature | Optional utility pop-top on the concept |
| Best if you want | Less setting up | More flexibility |
| Shared | Crafter CR35 MWB, washroom, large kitchen, 48V power, hot water | |
The short version: Choose Pioneer if you want the bed ready when you stop. Choose Frontier if you would rather fold the bed away and use the floor for living, kit or a change of plan.
5. What both vans include
You can find the same core habitation kit on Pioneer and Frontier. These details come from the concept specification and may be refined before customer vans are built.
- Dometic CV11525 double hob
- Dometic 3-in-1 air fryer
- Dometic RC 10-4T 70-litre fridge freezer
- Ceramic butler-style sink
- Dometic 4110 cassette toilet
- Internal rain-style shower and an external shower point
- Webasto heating
- 68-litre fresh water tank
- 48V Renogy power system and onboard hot water
The interior direction is new for CamperKing: flush-fit cupboards, soft-close doors, positive-lock latches and sound deadening, with Bartolacci surfaces and Alston headlining called out on the concept. It is a step on from the familiar Transporter furniture.
6. The base van and engines
Both layouts start on the Volkswagen Crafter CR35 medium wheelbase. The standard offer is a 140PS engine with an automatic gearbox. A 177PS engine is planned for buyers who want more power, and a manual gearbox is planned for drivers who prefer to change gear themselves.
Confirm the exact engine and gearbox when you enquire. Running changes are normal while a model is still moving from concept to production.
7. Price, timing and what "concept" means
CamperKing's guide price starts from £94,950. Development is expected to continue through to a completed launch in early 2027, with customer availability anticipated from March or April 2027.
You can register interest and talk through which layout suits you now. You should not treat every feature, price or delivery month as locked until CamperKing confirms the production specification.
Contact us with your exact requirements for a better understanding on what would suit your needs the best.
8. Who should pick which?
- Choose Pioneer if you want a bed that is always there, a washroom, and a kitchen with its own space. Couples and anyone who dislikes making and unmaking a bed each day.
- Choose Frontier if you want the same washroom and kitchen, but a floor you can clear. Useful if you carry bikes, kit, or like the van to change between lounge and bedroom.
- Stay with a Transporter CamperKing if you need a smaller daily driver, a lower budget, or a van you can view now. Look at T7 Go, T7 Freedom, Monte Carlo, Le Mans and the rest of the current range.
Want help choosing?
Complete Campers Southwest is a CamperKing supplier for Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Tell us how you travel, whether you want a fixed bed or a folding bed, and how soon you need your vehicle. We can talk through Pioneer, Frontier and the Transporter models already in the range.
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