Set Review: 7639-1 CamperName: Camper
Set Number: 7639-1
Theme: City
Year: 2009
Pieces: 165
Minifigures: 2
Price: USD 16.99
What better way to go on a vacation than to go in a camper fully equipped with all a minifig’s vacationing needs? We’ll be taking a look at the LEGO Camper and all it has to offer to make a minifig’s vacation an unforgettable one!
The Box
The box design depicts a peaceful scene with the camper parked on a field. It also highlights some of the set’s accessories like the surfboard and the grill. However, it does seem a bit weird juxtaposing this calm field alongside a busy cityscape.
The back of the box is packed with images detailing the features of this amazing set. The first image to the left shows how the bags are numbered for each segment of the camper, to make building easier for junior builders. The other images show the numerous features of the camper, like two areas for sleeping, cooking equipment, the interior, as well as the bicycle. We’ll cover each of those aspects later on.
The Pieces
Inside the box you’ll find two bags of pieces (split into each segment of the camper as you saw earlier), the base for the vehicle, the instructions, a sticker sheet, and an advertisement for the LEGO Club Magazine.
The first phase of building starts off with bag 1 and the base piece.
Bag 1 has pieces of a variety of colors, as well as another bag to hold all the smaller pieces. The female hairpiece unique to this set and set #7197-1 Venice Canal Chase. It also comes with four mudguards in dark bley as well as a fish.
Bag 2 consists of mainly lime and white pieces. As you can see, the surfboard and the bicycle pieces are present here, as well as a cup. There are also 2x4 curved bricks, which will no doubt be useful in MOCing.
The Instructions
The instruction art is basically the same thing as the box art with the only difference being the choking hazard warning at the bottom right hand corner.
The background for the instructions is a shade of light blue with streaks of white going across. Nothing too complicated.
The Build and Design
A young minifig couple is included with this set. What I don’t understand however is that the female is wearing a vest, whereas the male is wearing a tank top…
Nevertheless, the torsos are very well designed. Little details like the necklace and the bow on the female torso bring the minifig to life. The male torso brings about a wave of nostalgia, seeing as it is actually from the early to mid 1990’s.
There isn’t any back printing for the male, but there is for the female.
The building is divided into two stages. At the end of the first stage of building, you’ll end up with something that looks a lot like a pickup truck, as well as a fish cooking on a grill. This stage should take about five to ten minutes.
Completing stage 2 of the building will yield the camper, complete with all of its wonderful features and its occupants. Overall, the building should take about 15-20 minutes.
The lone extra part in this set is a transparent yellow cheese slope.
The surfboard is attached to two 2x1 lime plates. The bicycle is attached in between two studs on the camper. Both help to cover up the studs on the top of the vehicle and help maintain its clean appearance.
Lime green and white make for an excellent color scheme. It doesn’t look too busy and the overall look is clean and appealing.
The rear of the camper has some nice details like the bar piece, the grills, the light, as well as a license plate sticker.
As with most LEGO City vehicles, the front uses SNOT to attach the front details.
One complaint I have is about this little gap near the front wheels. While it isn’t blatantly obvious, it does somewhat detract from the overall look of the camper. However, inserting a brick to fill in the gap blocks the wheel from moving. I suppose one could extend the front part of the vehicle by just one stud, and then insert a 2x1 inverted slope brick to fill in the gap.
It would probably look better if the studs next to the slope piece were covered with 2x1 tiles.
The camper opens up to reveal a snug interior. Hanging from both sides of the wall is a cup and a pan.
The windows also provide a nice view out of the camper.
There is even a TV inside, for getting the latest weather report or news updates.
A single 4x1 brick is used to serve as a table. It’s a simple, but neat little feature. The interior is actually pretty roomy, allowing both minifigs to sit inside comfortably.
The little space on the top of the camper is supposed to be a bed of some sorts – but as you can see, the unlucky minifig sleeping in that little area would most likely get extremely claustrophobic. I think it would have been better if that space was used as a storage area for luggage or something like that.
Final GradeDesign: 9/10 – There were a few minor flaws in the design, but nothing too obvious. I also must commend the designers for being able to add many details to the interior of the vehicle and making it roomy.
Parts: 8/10 – There are some hard to come by parts like the fish, bicycle, and the surfboard. The cups and pan are also great pieces to have.
Minifigs: 10/10 – Great hairpieces, detailed torsos, what else could you want?
Build: 8/10 – Since this is a City set the build is quick and easy, however it is fun building the interior of the camper.
Playability: 8/10 – Lots of nifty little features to play around with.
Price: 10/10 – USD 16.99 is an appropriate price for a set with 165 pieces.
Final Grade:53/60 or 8.8/10This set is probably one of my favorite City sets of the 2000s. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to collect more civilian related sets in the LEGO City line.
