Full review

Dreamer (Rapido’s budget van conversion brand) is clearly on a roll. Its sales on the French home market were 98% up last year and total annual production topped 400 vehicles for the first time

The company has also launched three new models for the 2018 season, though sadly two of those are unlikely to be seen in the UK for another year, due to issues converting them to right-hand drive. That leaves the D50 as the only completely new addition to the line-up of eight Fiat Ducato-based high-top van conversions available here. Like the D55 and Family Van, it sits in the plusher Select range, rather than the entry-level Fun.

Where the D50 differs from more conventional fixed bed rivals is in the rear bedroom/storage area. Here, the standard format is twin beds with Froli springs and Bultex mattresses (2.00m long on the offside, 1.86m on the nearside), but actually these beds are joined along the majority of their length. Add an infill cushion at the foot and you get a really vast bed, up to 2.00m long and 1.92m wide, according to Dreamer.

This Dreamer also offers other possibilities. How about a transverse double bed with a garage section alongside (just inside the back doors)? Fine, as long as you don’t mind a bicycle (or whatever) next to your duvet. Or even a single bed and a really huge garage.

There’s also the option to convert the front half-dinette lounge into a transverse single berth, using the table and a roll of slats as support. That, however, leaves little floor space. Up front (alongside the sliding door), there’s a compact galley with a worktop extension flap at each end. Fittings include a combi hob/sink unit with two gas rings and spark ignition.

The fridge is an 85-litre compressor model and storage includes three large drawers (one with a bin), all with soft-close mechanisms and central locking. There are lots of top cupboards in this layout, too, and, though the locker doors shout quality, they lack positive locking catches.

The half-dinette impresses with the finish of its upholstery but is rather tight for space – the downside of devoting so much room to the beds/garage. The table has a folding leaf but even then it leaves little room for rear passengers. The toilet compartment comes with the latest Thetford swivel cassette loo and a stainless-steel corner washbasin. A tambour door won’t get in the cook’s way when opened but space is quite limited for showering, although using the toilet and basin should be fine and all the usual accessories (towel rail, hooks, toothbrush mug) are provided.

Neat details in the D50 include radio controls in the bedroom, chequer plate flooring in the garage, rear speakers, and a sturdy interior handle to make shutting the sliding door much easier. Water tank capacities of 110 litres (fresh, inboard) and 100 litres (waste) are impressive for a van conversion.

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