The Base Jumper galley is designed with the home gourmet in mind. It's fully equipped with all the essentials you need to whip up a storm wherever you are -just bring the local produce or freshly caught seafood. The knives and other utensils are chef-quality and there's plenty of space to spread out while you work. But, we didn't stop there. We sourced some of the best leisure appliances too.

The design conscious 110L Waeco fridge with separate freezer compartment is quiet, reliable, and efficient. Unlike other brands of portable fridges, the Waeco fridge doesn't need to be level to perform. Waeco has a unique compressor that is designed to be portable. It can run while on up to a 30 degree angle and on rough corrugated tracks without losing its efficiency.

Knowing some food tastes best when grilled, we installed the Spinflo four burner gas stove with grill and Dometic rangehood. The Truma hotwater heater runs off either mains power when you're hooked up or gas when you're free camping. It goes from 0 to 100 (degrees Celsius that is) in just 30 minutes. With a 14L capacity, there's plenty of hot water for both cooking and showers.

Being able to kick back and relax when the adventure is done for the day is key to the Base Jumper experience. We've gone to a lot of trouble to ensure that you have the gear, layout, and comfort to really 'chill out'. Not only is the wraparound couch inviting, it's exceptionally comfortable thanks to the premium laminated foam upholstery. The graduated foam construction is specially designed for dual purpose sitting and sleeping comfort.

Lay back, pick up the remote, and switch on the Majestic home theatre system. Watch your favourite DVD or view your photos on the 15" flat LCD screen. Or, if music takes your fancy, the system can handle just about any format you could think of (CD/MP3/MP4 or radio). What's more, you can listen to it in 4-channel surround sound and hook your iPod into the auxiliary input.

The Base Jumper comes with compact hooded barbeque, outdoor furniture, and an outside shower plus optional customized awning so you can get the most out of the outdoors as soon as you drive away. Rest assured each piece fits snuggly in its own storage compartment so it won't break or rattle.

The Fiat Ducato oozes style and intelligence. Whichever way you look at it - from the front, side, or back, the Ducato is an ideal base for an adventurous campervan. The redesigned Fiat Ducato was released in 2006 and now sets the benchmark for most commercial vehicles in this segment of the market.

The front

The headlamps are placed high on the front of the vehicle to give a better view of the road and ensure that minor dings won't damage them. When you need to clean the windshield after some heavy back-road touring, you can rest your foot on the foot support (with antislip surface for maximum safety) even if you are wearing wet or muddy shoes.

Thanks to the large windshield and optimal positioning of the door pillars and side windows, everything can be readily seen, including low obstacles or other cars coming around a blind corner or from behind.

The side

Looking at the vehicle side on, you can easily appreciate its sturdiness and dynamism thanks to:

• A steeply raked windshield designed for less drag
• The big protective front bumper linked seamlessly to the side mouldings
• The lengthwise groove endowing the sides with elegance and linearity
• Big wide-angled wing mirrors with built-in direction indicators.

Getting into the van couldn't be easier with two new devices adopted for the sliding doors:

• The ergonomically styled suitcase-like handles ensure a firm grip and whether you're a righty or a lefty, you can open the side doors with either hand
• The upper slide rail makes the movement smoother.

The back

The rear bumper has reflectors built into it and includes an antislip step which allows access through the rear doors. The twin doors have a protective moulding which takes the brunt of any knocks. The vertical light clusters (tail and stop lights, reversing lights, direction indicators and fog lights) are located high so they are protected against any minor impacts. The third stop mounted in the spoiler atop the rear doors is also highly visible.

When sitting in the van with the rear doors open, the view is all the more enjoyable. The Base Jumper has high doors that open to 270 degrees so you’ll never have to miss another jaw dropping view.

Fiat has also introduced an automated manual transmission option on 3.0-litre Multijet turbo-diesel versions of its Ducato.

Benefits include:

• Lightweight self-shifter reduces emissions and fuel consumption
• Requires less maintenance

On any vehicle, the suspension system dictates its payload, road-holding and comfort. In a OVC, the suspension is a decisive factor when it comes to:

• making full use of the maximum admissible loads on the front and rear axles
• reducing the distance from the ground to the rear compartment floor
• reducing tyre wear.

The new Fiat Ducato has a lower load floor, wider rear track, wider front track, and a greater GVW (3500 kg) than many of its competitors meaning its air suspension is perfect for crafting a Base Jumper.

The well-tested suspension setup has been extensively redesigned and the improvements in van performance are across the board;

• Better suspension geometry means the wheels stay parallel regardless of vehicle movement
• Better road-holding and less driving effort required
• Better comfort with less friction in the shock absorbers and less transmission of vibrations
• Less wear on the tyres
• An increase in the maximum permitted load on each axle.

The Base Jumper offers the most advanced car-derived safety devices. The cockpit is a veritable survival cell with an integrated set of:

• reinforced structures
• energy absorbing zones such as programmed deformation areas to protect the cockpit
• latest generation airbags and seat belts
• Optional extra safety approved seatbelts can be fitted in the rear lounge in all models