Full review
IH have been building high-quality van conversions since 1992, but it wasn’t until 2007 that they created their first in-house coachbuilt, the original J1000, based on the VW T5.
This newest incarnation is based on the Mercedes Sprinter, giving it a classier badge to go with its flagship status.
Inside the layout is much the same, with its swivelling cab seats, mid kitchen and bathroom, and rear U-shaped lounge, but it’s all been tweaked to make this model worthy of IH’s top-drawer reputation.
Style has always been a major consideration for this West Yorkshire company, with leather upholstery, curved units with contrasting wood panels, and branded etching throughout.
In this J1000M the leather is a creamy-white, with brown and gold-patterned inserts on the cab seats and matching half-leather cushions in the lounge. LED spotlights provide illumination, while the designer striplights and blue ambient lighting also use LEDs.
The woodwork is relatively dark but is a very warm hue, while the practical gold-coloured carpet is removable and sectioned.
But perhaps even more important for the image-conscious camper is the exterior, which looks as far removed from your average coachbuilt as is possible without being overly radical.
The Mercedes nose is possibly the best looking of its ilk, while the main body is painted in one of a number of bright colours, including the pictured aqua-marine. The awning, bumpers and vents are colour-coded, and the alloy wheels are very smart.
But this doesn’t add up to a package that’s all style and no substance. On the contrary, the J1000M is an extremely comfortable and practical two-berth motorhome.
The rear lounge has been redesigned with a less-rounded seating arrangement which makes for a flat and easy-to-assemble bed – and it’s extremely sumptuous to sit in too.
There’s a large island-leg table (with two legs) for use when dining – although if you are alone you’ll probably use the passenger cab seat which swivels to face a generous flip-up worktop that’s perfect for solo meals.
Above the rear window is a TV, which electronically lowers at the touch of a button from behind the Perspex-fronted cocktail cabinet. The cabinet itself has clear racking, making an aperitif before dinner all too tempting.
A Heki rooflight makes this a light and airy place, especially with windows on all three sides of the lounge. There are shelves at each corner, giving you somewhere to put your evening drinks and nibbles – a touch often forgotten in rivals.
And music isn’t just piped through the cab speakers – there are no less than seven scattered throughout the ‘van, including a large bass speaker at the rear.
The kitchen is first-class with a four-burner hob, Smev combined oven and grill unit, an extractor fan, and a trendy stainless-steel circular sink with a separate circular drainer.
There are no plate racks, but the branded wooden cutlery holder is specifically cut and recessed to fit each type of utensil – there’ll be no rattling cutlery here to moan about while on the road. There’s loads of storage space too, including lots of drawers that slide with a real quality feel.
The other side of the aisle, beside the bathroom door, is a 189-litre Dometic fridge/freezer with a colour-keyed panel to match the J1000M’s other trim. The same finish is on the kitchen worktop, as well as the flip-up worktop extension that partially covers the entrance door.
The bathroom is sandwiched between the fridge and the wardrobe, the latter offering a pair of useful drawers at its base.
There’s also a very trendy full-height mirror comprising a tall, staggered pile of six square mirrors that I’d be proud to put in my home, never mind my motorhome. Another Heki is situated above, and there’s a large window in the habitation door too.
The J1000M has one of the best bathrooms in its class. After all, it can be a squeeze to fit a separate shower cubicle into larger ’vans than this.
A row of mirror-fronted cupboards face the door, below which is a wooden unit housing a white plastic washbasin, a large shelf suitable for extra towels and another cupboard. Frosted glass mugs and a soap holder are positioned on the wall, and there are hooks everywhere.
The Dometic swivel cassette toilet faces rearwards, towards the separate shower with its height-adjustable showerhead and a tall mirror.
It’s very unusual that I’ll rave on like this without finding any criticisms, but here I really can’t complain about anything. I love the light and airy lounge, the designer touches, the quality feel to everything you open, and the practical edge that it has over many of its competitors.
Ah, but the Mercedes’ driver’s seat is a little too high for me – I knew there had to be something!
A longer version of this review was published in the May 2010 issue of Which Motorhome magazine.Content continues after advertisements
Moving to the Mercedes base vehicle gives the IH coachbuilt a vehicle commensurate with the quality of the interior. The result is one of the best luxury two-berths around. But it's expensive.