Kia Weekender tiny camper amplifies van life on a whole new continent

Since launching in 2025, the Kia PV5 has brought some big, new energy to the camper van scenes in debut markets like South Korea and Europe. And we're not talking solely about its all-electric energy, but about the fact that it's becoming something of a modern day Volkswagen T1 in offering a fun-sized base van representing boundless road-trip freedom. Now, another continent gets to experience that same energy, as KombiLife brings to market what it hails as "Australia's first PV5 camper:" the Kia Weekender. While most of the world's population prepares for an El Niño-powered winter, Australians are just hitting their late-spring stride on the way to summer. And KombiLife's Weekender package arrives just in time to become the ideal liittle camper van for all types of multi-day road trip, light cross-continent overlanding and holiday camping. Like any good Australian camper van, the Kia Weekender has been built up to tackle the rough, unsealed roads that are unavoidable in the Outback and other parts of the country. Given that Kia doesn't so much as offer all-wheel drive on its tiny modular electric van (the larger PV7 will get AWD), we wouldn't exactly call it an all-out off-road adventure machine, but KombiLife does toughen it up with a set of knobby Falken Wildpeak 215/65R16 all-terrain tires and a model-specific bull bar topped by Stedi auxiliary pod lights up front. The new KombiLife Weekender is far from the most rugged camper van we've seen, but it is the most rugged Kia PV5, thanks to all-terrain tires and a front nudge bar with off-road lightsKombiLife It's no Epicore Action Van, but it's the first Kia PV5 we've covered with an off-road package of this sort. It might not hold its place as ruggedest Kia PV5 camper van for long as more and more businesses ride the PV5's popularity to exciting new camper designs, but it's definitely earned the rank for now. Beyond the modestly burlified exterior, KombiLife really digs in on its work inside the cabin, combining elements from a number of PV5 campers and other small camper van packages to create what looks like a comfortable, high-functioning base camp. The sink system includes a hook-on collapsible basinKombiLife We haven't yet covered a PV5 camper with the classic mini-camper layout that pairs a long sofa running along one sidewall with a kitchen or storage unit across the way, so the Weekender becomes the first. Because the launch model lacks a pop-up roof for standing up, KombiLife pushes the kitchen outside for better ergonomics and dedicates the passenger side to a tall storage console with slim shelf on top and storage cubbies below.The sofa is a simple design meant to seat both occupants comfortably before expanding out into a 75 x 47-in (190 x 120-cm) double bed. The KombiLife Kia PV5 Weekender is ready to lounge any time and can readily tap into the vehicle's climate control for a comfy reprieveKombiLife Beyond creating a cozy day/night space out of the PV5's compact interior, the split-sided conversion also leaves a clear center aisle for travel. KombiLife encourages owners to fill that space out with the likes of a bicycle, surfboards, skis or other adventure sports gear requiring a lengthy storage berth. It looks like you can only fit one mountain bike in the center of the PV5 Weekender KombiLife The outdoor kitchen brings the design more in line with PV5 campers like the Dutch-designed Vantrack Lightcamp. This opens up the standing space you'll want when cooking while inviting you to enjoy the fresh air and scenic outdoor spaces you traveled to see. The kitchen slide-out features a Dometic twin-hob induction cooktop beside a worktop, along with storage cabinets large enough for pots and pans down below. The unit slides away below the sofa after use. In place of an inbuilt sink, the Weekender kitchen uses more of deconstructed design with 11-L Dometic canister and Go faucet supplying a collapsible basin on the opposite side of the van from the slide-out. We'd prefer to see this system on a slide-out of its own, just so accidental spills end up on the ground and not the camper floor, but it is an efficient design that saves space to keep the camper small and light without giving up any critical cooking and cleaning capabilities. The slide-out induction cooktop is powered by the PV5's traction batteryKombiLife Once the meal has been prepared, Weekender campers can enjoy it on the swivel table mounted up near the front of the sofa. They can sit in the swivel driver's cab seats or on the sofa, where it'll be easy to grab a drink from the 30-L fridge located in a drawer under the front of the sofa. Instead of adding the complexity and expense of a separate leisure battery and electrical system, KombiLifie relies on the vehicle-to-load capability of the PV5's 71-kWh traction battery. It says it delivers ample power to run the induction cooktop and even additional appliances like a microwave or toaster. The shop does wire in an electrical subsystem to lower the voltage for equipment running on 12-V DC power, including the fridge, lights and fans. Swivel cab seats and adjustable dining tableKombiLife "The PV5 has everything you want in a conversion base: a flat floor, generous space, a real 416 km (258 miles) of range, and a price that's within reach," raves KombiLife Director Mark Kofahl. "And because the van itself is the battery, we've been able to leave out the auxiliary battery system entirely." One feature of the PV5 that promises to be quite a boon for campers traveling through the extreme temperatures of Australia is the van's "Utility Mode," which allows campers to run the vehicular climate control system through the night without further draining the battery by keeping other vehicle systems running. So in addition to integrated electrical power, campers enjoy integrated heating and air conditioning. KombiLife finishes off its interior handiwork with some strategically placed organization. Long soft-sided overhead storage cabinets from VanEssa serve as a more flexible alternative to hard cabinets, and rear door-mounted organizers panels add loads of small storage space. These light, flexible storage solutions help keep the total weight of the conversion kit as low as possible to ensure it's able to get the most range per charge. The KombiLife Weekender has some serious organization on the rear doors – use it to hold utensils and cooking tools and you have a nicely equipped outdoor kitchen area KombiLife As it's done for other markets, the Kia PV5 brings a particularly affordable camper van option to Australia, especially for an all-electric vehicle. The Weekender starts at AU$79,990 (approx. US$55,700) before available options like roof racks, alloy wheels and fly screens. In 2027, KombiLife will add an optional pop-up roof developed by Reimo with a built in 76 x 44-in (192 x 112-cm) double bed. Source: KombiLife