seater bus versions. Another virtue of the vehicle was its engine size. for at it was considerably larger than its contemporaries and was well suited to the considerable weight of some of the caravan conversions. For convenience a higher roof line was needed, although some conversions used the elevating or folding extensions to minimise travelling height and cost. The Martin Walters conversions, known as the Dormobile were once synonymous with the word campervan. In fact before the modern popularity of the VW campervan most people used the brand name Dormobile to describe a campervan. Nowadays, it has become popular to hire a classic campervan but out of the numerous campervan hire companies out there, only one is offering the British made Ford Thames 400e Dormobile. M. Calthorpe (Coachbuilders) Ltd.; Airborne Service Equipment Ltd.; Kenex Coachworks Ltd.; Moortown Motors Ltd.; M.T.S. & Co. Ltd.; Peter Pitt; and Martin Walter Ltd., all appeared in Ford's "Holiday Adventurers" brochure dealing exclusively with motor caravans. Retrospect Looking back on the 400E series today it can be seen as an important link in the chain of Ford van models that have appeared over the years. Compared with the old E83W it represented a massive step forward, notably in its engine, body, gear change, suspension and capacity. It was also an important go-between, for it must have provided its designers with a new concept upon which to improve, and improve they did as we shall see when looking at its successor. Unlike the smaller vans, the 400E series changed very little in its lifetime, which was understandable as there was no direct association with a passenger car variant which required constant facelifting to satisfy the car buying public. The range started and finished much the same, although as it went on it gathered more body styles, even the early 8 seater estate car returning in the last few years of its existence. For deliveries it was most useful, especially with the nearside door to get at the load; also, it was so easy to slip over the offside wheelarch down to the ground in one step when making your exit from the cab. References See also Ford Thames 300E - small car based light van Thames Trader - heavier trucks Commer FC - built similar vans Morris Commercial J4 – similarly-sized vans from the same period Ford E83W Thames 400E Vans Cab over vehicles Vehicles introduced