Full review

Starting at some £4,000 less than its nearest sister model, the 600S is the entry-level of the eight-strong IH range that pushes the boundaries in van conversions.

But if you think you’re getting ‘budget’ at this price, think again. The 600S exterior  is a bit ‘plain Jane’. You also get standard rear doors here, not the trademark IH fixed rear panel with opening boot. And the only exterior colour is white.

There are fewer individual options in the living quarters than offered further up the range too. But there are a couple of interior fabric and worktop alternatives, and you still get plenty elsewhere as standard, not least the underslung gas tank.

It’s a rear lounge format much favoured by us Brits. Large scatter cushions add extra comfort, while the Heki rooflight overhead incorporates diffused lighting. The cab passenger seat is on a swivel, which provides a single seat away from the rear bedroom.

Such is the size of the double bed, you can sleep either way, and you’ve still got easy enough access to the washroom and kitchen.

That kitchen unit is home to a full Thetford cooker and a generous-sized sink. For more work surface there’s a full pull-up extension to the side, although this does completely block access via the sliding door.

There are two deep drawers for food/pan storage, a single overhead locker, and a rather neat fold-down tabletop on the outside of this kitchen unit for use with the sliding door open.

Diagonally across the corridor is a Dometic 8-Series fridge with removable freezer, and a cutlery drawer that is a supremely neat bit of woodworking.

The washroom is the only weak point. Its only ventilation is an electric extractor, so it’s not the lightest of interiors.  There’s also just the single plughole in the GRP shower tray.

A bench toilet is easier to clean than a swivel bowl, although it’s a rather old-hat pull-down washbasin. There’s no stinting on the fittings.

As with any IH design, details abound. There’s lots of carpet lining, including the interiors of overhead lockers.

True, other manufacturers offer similar rear lounge layout conversions on the same Fiat base. Arguably, though, this is the benchmark.