Rufus

Review Review: 60057 Camper Van

  

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My life seems to have been nothing but Campers recently. :look: Still, when I saw a few of the new 2014 CITY sets available already at a certain toy store, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to produce an early review, given my love of CITY civilian vehicles. Having reviewed 2012's 4435 Car and Caravan, I'm interested to see how this latest addition to the outdoor recreation collection compares.

Review: 60057 Camper Van

Set Information


Name:
Camper Van

Number:
60057

Theme:
CITY

Release:
2014

Parts:
195

Figures:
2

Price:
GB £17.99
|
US $19.99
|
EUR xx.xx
|
AU $xx.xx
|
CA $xx.xx
|
DKK xxxxxx.xx

Not yet available

Links ... Shop@Home ... Brickset ... Bricklink ... Peeron

The Box


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Click for a larger full frontal image

No matter how far our intrepid campers stray from the concrete jungle, it seems they cannot escape the City's looming tower, still visible over the trees in the background. The nine-year-old blue box surround suits this set; the lady protagonist paddles happily in the blue while her chappie puts his oar in from the artistically-rendered shore. As usual, this European version of the box features no part count, suggested age range or Choking Hazard warning.

Several nicely-tesselated insets demonstrate the set's features on the rear. Modularity is assured, in the recent subdued format of bags alone rather than the individual modules' builds.

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Click for a larger image

The highlight for me here is the fantastic spread of the new 2014 vehicles. I can live without the fire truck, but just about every vehicle here is right up my street. Gotta get that car transporter! :wub: Click here for a close-up. Note that the subversive Pokemon-esque 'Collect them all!' mantra (Pokemantra?) has gone; collecting all of these would be a daunting task for your average nine-year-old, and expensive for his or her parents.

Our life-jacketed heroes parade with oars aloft on the box top:

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Ginger dude shows off his orange top in the scale inset. I really like that treescape in the background. :thumbup:

Measuring 260 x 190 x 58 mm, the box is the standard size for this price point, demonstrated here in comparison to 2013's 60018 Cement Mixer:

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I've yet to even open the cement mixer box. :blush:

Box Contents

The usual thumb-tabs open the box, and out fall two polybags, each containing a smaller bag for fiddly bits; two instruction manuals; and the Dreaded Sticker Sheet:

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I dread stickers far less these days, particularly since the days of STickers Across Multiple Pieces seem to be over, and I even put these on this time. They are printed on a glossy white background, which isn't quite the same shade as the white of the bricks, but this isn't too noticeable.

The Instructions


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Two similarly-sized manuals are provided, identical on the front save for the module number; both have covers made from thinner paper similar to the inside pages, rather than the glossier covers found on many instruction booklets.

On the inside front cover, the newish cartoon demonstrates how you should sort your pieces before building; opposite this, acres of blue space surround diminutive depictions of the modular build:

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I don't know if it is deliberate, but the blus background has a vague watery pattern ...

... which continues throughout:

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The build is simple and rather pedestrian; the only SNOT-work is seen here on the front bumper. Piece call-outs are a little reduntant in a set of this size, but I'm not complaining.

At the rear are found an advertisement for one of the new CREATOR sets, a CITY diorama, and the two pages of inventory. Page one is here; page two is on the inside rear cover ...

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... and demonstrates the thinness of the cover paper and the presence of the evil WGW kid on the rear.

The Parts


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The red canoe is the highlight of the parts from Module 1: it appeared in a few Pirates sets in the mid-1990s, and the mold hadn't been seen since 2001 until 2013's 79107 Comanche Camp brought it back to us in Reddish Brown. Otherwise, the selection is unremarkable except for the 1x3 tiles, which come for the first time in Green.

Module 2's contents are a little more interesting, with some useful tiles, and I'm delighted to see smaller Dark Tan plates in a low-priced set.

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The newer-style trap door and frame appear for the first time in white; I was excited to see the R5 droid head in plain light bluish grey, but it also appeared in two Star Wars sets last year.

The Figs


Meet Tom and Barbara. Tom is not called that because he's ginger; he has a lopsided facial expression which could be a smirk, or sceptical, or indicative of some neurological condition. He sports an orange anorak first seen in 2011's CREATOR 5770 Lighthouse Island.

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Both torsos have back printing. Barbara has evil hair, and a nice blouse ...

... but it's the same as that of Olivia from the Car and Caravan set:

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Barbara, alone out of the foursome, seems at least to be a Happy Camper.

Maybe that's because of all the fun that can be had with paddles. :look:

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The life-jackets are the newer kind: narrower than their earlier counterparts but leaving a small but unsightly gap in the neck region.

Both Tom and Barbara sit comfortably in the canoe, and there's room for more. The set comes with a spare oar, but no extra life-jackets, so if John and Olivia want to join them it'll be at their own risk.

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It's nice to see the couple rafting together, though I suspect the reality will be more like this. :snicker:

The Camper


No build pictures for this simple set; just straight down to business!

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I was critical of the newish front end piece when it appeared in the 60017 Flatbed Truck; I'm still not 100% sold on it, but here, helped by the 1x2 curved slopes to either side, it does help to define the contours of the van's front end. I like the multiple appearances of ornage indicator lights, and the clicky-hinged wing mirrors look fab. :thumbup:

The van's lines are for the most part clean and purposeful, helped by the unbroken stripes in green and dark tan: colours which are replicated on the stickers, so don't apply them if you want to modify the set with different colours.

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I'm not so keen on the white mudguards - they look a little odd next to the bluish grey of the camper base. You may notice a slight oddity in the construction: the front mudguards are mounted a plate higher than the rear. This isn't too obvious - I failed to notice myself until typing the review - but it does spoil the image a little. The rear mudguards sit lower in order to maintain the green stripe and provide a tile surface for the opening side - there isn't a way to avoid this without making the whole camper a plate taller. It might be possible to lower the front mudguards if this height difference bothers you, but this will result in the front bumper looking incongruously high.

There are nice curves to the roof, brought about by the 4x6 car bonnet panel sitting flush with the larger roof piece in front, and the curve slopes to the rear.

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The back end is a little spartan - it could do with a ladder to the roof, or possibly a rear window. The blocky bley mass at the base here demonstrates the simple construction technique throughout; the cliff face of bley broken only by the sticker and the dark bluish grey plate edge at centre-bottom.

This dark bley plate forms part of the chassis:

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If the dark bley bothers you, you might switch the two 2-wide plates over here; this will fix the dark bley spot at the rear, but might weaken the chassis.

Features

The cab has opening doors, as do most CITY vehicles these days; I recall a few years ago that AFOLs bemoaned the lack of doors - proof that The LEGO Group does listen to its fanbase.

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Barbara is driving, today. There is space atop a blue brick next the steering wheel for the obligatory coffee mug; in front of this, two grille tiles neaten the cab nicely, and might represent ventilation or heating. The cab can easily be reconfigured for right hand drive if you prefer.

A high arch provides easy access to the rear of the camper ...

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... and allows Tom to join Barbara in the cab, albeit sitting sideways.

To allow access to the rear, the whole left side of the van opens:

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You can see here why the rear mudguard is lower - if it were a plate higher, it would prevent the side opening.

The roof is also easily removed, allowing adult fingers to manipulate the figures with ease:

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Tom and Barbara have a decent-sized table, a large double bed, and the grille tile at the bed's foot could I suppose represent a stove - though there's no other cooking equipment.

Unlike in the Caravan, this camper's bed sleeps two comfortably - though one of them has to sleep on their side.

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Note the stickered television screen on the wall - a similar feature to the Caravan, which was showing a scene related to one of its sister sets (the Dirt Bike Transporter). If 60057's television is meant to relate to another set, I can't tell which. The horizontal bars, which I presume are meant to represent static, look a little like scratches.

Up on the roof, there's a handy compartment for storing the oars and life-jackets, or whatever camping paraphenalia you fancy.

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A minor criticism: unless the boat is attached to the roof, there is no way to secure the trap door; this means repeatedly having to pick the oars off the floor when you inevitably forget and turn the van upside down.

The front section also has sizeable storage space, and here the lid is more firmly attached:

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So firmly that it can be tricky to open. There's not much to store in there, but I guess it depends what you want to use your camper for. The 2x2 jumper plate and the R5 head provide a little detail, but they are there to allow attachement of the canoe to the roof ...

... like this:

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There's a little ambiguity as to exactly how the boat should attach; it can sit a stud further back than this, or a half stud to either side, but I think this position looks best. The red of the canoe really sets of the colours of the van - now it looks really smart! :wub:

Comparison to other camper vehicles


Let's now see how this latest camper compares to the most recent CITY camper, 2009's 7639 Camper:

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The latest version is taller, with a more detailed, textured front end, and wing mirrors, and I prefer the trans-clear headlights; although the newish bonnet (hood) piece adds contour to the front, I do miss the SNOT grille tiles.

The rake of the windscreen is shallower in the new set. The disadvantage of the addition of wing mirrors is a two plate-high step at the top of the windscreen, but this is a minor point.

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60057 is considerably longer than 7639: a good four studs, bumper to bumper, though 7639 has a stud's overhang at the rear. I'd like to draw your attention here to the subtle but important difference between the two, and to which I alluded in my review of the Car and Caravan set: 60057 has a more sober livery, and a more realistic overall design; however it loses a chunk of the Classic Town cuteness that exudes from its immediate predecessor.

Lacking from the rear of the new set is any means for Tom and Barbara to get onto the roof - the set is crying out for a ladder, but even a window would help to break the cliff-face monotony.

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I do like the round tiled lights. There really needs to be some detail on that bley boxy bottom.

The 2009 Camper allowed both walls to open, giving easy access to the cosy interior; 2014's left wall opens completely, and the roof is removable. There's much more space in the new one, partly because the table has been pushed right to the front; if you want Tom and Barbara to share a romantic dinner, then you can reposition the blue driver's seat without tooo much difficulty.

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7639's latching mechanism was fiddly - you have to unclip and reclip the rear lamp. 60057 has no latching mechanism at all, but it isn't necessary: the stiffness of the plate hinges means the door stays in position.

60057's living quarters share a lot in common with 2012's 4435 Caravan: the window/wall panel/small window configuration is identical, as is (or should be) the placement of a television on the inside of the white wall panel.

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The opening mechanism is similar, but simplified in the Camper Van, and the interior has been tidied up somewhat; I'm pleased that the Camper has trans-black windows rather than the Police-ish trans blue of the Caravan. I like to think that TLG listened to me here. :grin:

Conclusion


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When I reviewed the 4435 Car & Caravan, I was in retrospect rather unfair to it. I complained about the sobriety of the colour scheme (of the caravan, at least), which, compared to the cute lime green and curvy 7639 camper, seemed rather too masculine. The likely explanation for this is the arrival of the Friends range necessitating a wider dichotomy from the principally boy-oriented CITY range; however, seeing this latest camper, I begin to see to logic.

The result makes up for the loss of Classic Town cuteness with a huge dose of realism: 60057 looks like a LEGO version of a real camper. Whether this is the right direction to take is up for debate; however, if this is the designer's intent, I would say it has been a success.

Of course there will be niggles: the colors and position of the mudguards are a little fussy; the rear bottom is too simplistic in its boxy bleyness; and there needs to be a ladder or something else at the rear - else how are Tom and Barbara ever going to get that canoe back on the roof? :laugh:

I can live with the mudguards, and if I find I can't live with the rear I will modify it. This is a lovely little set: smart and realistic, but fun for play. The only quandry is whether to choose this over the many other wonderful civilian vehicles now available. :wub:

Design & Build
8
A realistic design and smart livery is achieved effortlessly despite the simple build. It could just do with a little something more at the rear.

Parts
8
It's great to see the return of the kayak-style boat, even if its uses are somewhat limited. There's a number of useful parts in white, and the smaller dark tan plates are most welcome, even if there's only a few of them.

Figures
7
Tom and Barbara's torsos are both nice, and though not unique they aren't so common. It's a shame that Barbara wears the same top as Olivia, because if you have the caravan, you're likely to want to show the two sets together.

Playability
9
Plenty of storage compartments, and easy accessibility to the interior, give the set an edge over earlier camping-related sets. Other uses for the paddles I will leave to your imagination.
:grin:

Value
9
The expected inflation hike for this price point maintains the 10c per part guideline, though many of these parts are large and specialised. But you wouldn't buy this set for the parts alone: it's a great-looking vehicle, a fun play set, and a super addition to your LEGO town.

Overall 82% My Score 9/10 The triumph of this set is the achievement of a very realistic-looking camper and a fun play set for a simple build. And it's just one of many great looking civilian sets new for 2014! Your dilemma should not be which to buy, but which to buy first.


Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the review. Please tell us what you think!

Rufus

Resources

My flickr Photoset

6637838827_1cbc353f07_t.jpg 4435 Car and Caravan Review

7639-1.gif 7639 Camper Review by Macoco

No joke to end with, I'm afraid, but here's a picture of the more recent camping vehicles together:

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If you like my reviews, and would like to learn how it's done, please consider joining the Reviewers Academy:

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Thanks for the excellent review 'Rufus', though I was thinking of review this when the set was available in Oz, but ah well.... :blush:

It's an improvement on the 2009 camper, but yes......the only downside of it is no ladder to gain access to the storage areas and canoe. :wink:

I wonder if this can be modified to have a small sink in it eh ? :wink:

Or converted into a food van ?

Brick On Review On 'Rufus' ! :wink:

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Yet another great review 'Rufus'! I've been wondering how this set sompares to the other camping vehicle sets from the previous years. To be honest 60057 isn't really eye-pleasing. I much prefer the Car and Caravan set because the car and the caravan looks aerodynamic and sleek. But in terms of interior, I'd prefer 60057 better. Keep up the good work 'Rufus'!

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As usual, fantastic review Rufus, thank you. You've definitely highlighted the main points, and I think with a little modding of the rear of the camper, it can become great! Even without that, on its own, it is a very nice set. :classic:

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Great review and nice model! Definitely not as warm as the previous one, but the extra space is nice.

They should give the ladies a different color torso if it is going to be the same style. Otherwise they look like twins.

This is a great canoe…we seem to have quite a few of these from the Islanders sets in the 90's.

Thanks for taking the time to show us what is in the box!

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Thanks for the great review Rufus. You're right about that rear end - it's missing something, but it's undeniably on my list of sets to snag.

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I like your style of reviewing Rufus! Easy and enjoyable to read with clear pictures and fun facts!

Nice set btw :wink:

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Excellent review, Rufus! The new City 2014 sets such as this Camper Van is pretty refreshing. Looking forward to pick this up as well when it hit retail.

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Very nice review! I love the comparison with the other camper van models. I personally like 7639 more but this set is also very desirable since the other one is retired.

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The newer-style trap door and frame appear for the first time in white

I almost wanted to correct you on this, but just in time I remebered that where I saw it before was in set 60043, which is also a 2014 set...

I personally like 7639 more but this set is also very desirable since the other one is retired.

I'll check today, but last week our local Intertoys still had this set for sale.

I think this set is better than 7639 though, more realistic. Not sure if I'll get it, will probably wait until it's on discount.

Edited by jfbat

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Thanks for the informative review. I really appreciate the comparisons, and I am still excited to get this set when it is available.

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Thanks, Rufus, for the comprehensive and entertaining review. Can't wait for these City vehicles to start appearing in the stores here!

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I'm not saying it's a bad set, but I don't like it that much. Thanks for the review, and congratulations for your opening pic, way better than the official one.

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Great review Rufus...think some MOD work will cover the few wee areas that need improving :)

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Thank you for the review and I like that you included earlier released campingsets and compared the new van with them.

This camper van is now a must have for me, so thanks again.

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I have picked this one up today (*Along with other similarly priced sets.) which surprisingly for me were on sale at £12.99 in the UK as opposed to last years which were all at £17.99 and continue to be. I even queried the price and the lad in my local toy shop said that when they put them out they also queried the price with the head office as they were considerably cheaper but they were told that £12.99 was the correct price for this years vehicles in that bracket. I find it hard to understand why they are that much cheaper but who am I to argue especially as I have a 10% discount as a loyal customer as well!

I'll be building these over the next few days holiday, so thanks for the review, I'll let you know what i think once I have done it. I already like the canoe as a break from all the sea front related stuff like surf boards etc, it is nice to have a more inland river related holiday theme.

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Nice work Rufus! :classic:

As The Cobra said, I'm not a huge fan of the set either. I think it's lacking... Something, I'm not sure what. :shrug_oh_well:

Edited by Lego Spy

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Thanks for the review! I have the other campers, but will probably get this one too. :) I do like that the interior has a bed and table; I've modded some of the other campers with more of an interior.

Tom and Barbara-- are their neighbors named Jerry and Margot? ;)

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Thanks for the comments everyone! I just realised I forgot to add a poll. :blush: Now corrected. :sweet:

which surprisingly for me were on sale at £12.99 in the UK

Lucky you! :thumbup:

Tom and Barbara-- are their neighbors named Jerry and Margot? ;)

Quote possibly! :wink:

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Lucky, yes, went back today and they were re-pricing them all at £17.99, but they have already sold about half of them at the cheaper price. I managed to grab the police prisoner transport that still had the £12.99 price on it. I think that was the last of that size set I had to get, the other cheaper and more expensive sets were all priced right anyway.

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