IH 600 RD/S4 campervan

Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Price from: £57,495 Berths: 2 Travel seats: 4 Length: 5.99m Width: 2.05m Height: 2.62m Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 625kg

The name IH has long been associated with top-end van conversions but its designs, until now, have concentrated solely on pure two-berth layouts, without any rear travel seats. Company founder, Ian Hartley, has often mooted the idea of a more versatile IH motorhome but only now has one – or rather, a closely related pair – become available as part of the range.

The 600 RD/S4 (the latter part referring to four seatbelts) debuted at the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2019 in October, alongside its longer sister model, the 630 RD/S4. The additional length of the extra-long-wheelbase version is devoted entirely to having more room in the rear lounge, but it’s the six-metre model that we’re focusing on here as it is more unusual to find this type of floorplan – often said to be the UK’s most popular of all layouts in this class of camper – in the shorter Fiat panel van.

Despite their quartet of travel seats, the RD/S4 models each still offer beds for just two people, with IH suggesting an awning and Safari room as part of a pack to cater for those needing sleeping space for occasional guests or grandchildren. There’s no denying the advantage, though, of having belted seats for four, especially as IH has worked strenuously to ensure that its rear passenger seats are truly automotive, rather than the basic, flat bench seen in some rivals.

The company has worked closely with a seating specialist and come up with two separate seats that not only slide forward and recline but also move apart to create extra shoulder-room while travelling. Just look at the chairs’ design and you’ll be assured that you can sit here from London to Lisbon, not just to the nearest Londis.

Of course, squeezing two seating areas into a six-metre panel van does result in a compact lounge astern, but it can still make into a 1.86m by 1.40m double bed. The narrower settee (1.14m) on the offside can be the same width as the nearside one if you opt for an overhanging wardrobe, instead of the full-height storage seen here. Or another option is to have a fixed rear bed (with huge storage below). Armrest cushions and a boxed-in 18.5in TV are typical IH touches that complete the rear zone.

Kitchen furniture can be in traditional wood, or the silver cabinetwork in our photos, and there’s a surprisingly good aisle width through the centre of the campervan. A two-burner hob/sink combo is mated to a microwave that is at a convenient height and has a useful serving surface above. Or you can replace this with a gas oven. Or simply have extra worktop.

The worktop flap at the forward end of the kitchen is unusually large and there’s also a fold-down external table fitted onto the back of the galley.

Completing the layout is the offside washroom, where the table for the rear lounge stores. It’s necessarily quite a compact space but comes with a roof vent, bench cassette toilet, opening window, cupboards and towel rail. The tip-up basin is the letdown in this otherwise ultra-classy campervan.

The show model (priced at £67,649) featured many options, both base vehicle orientated – such as Fiat Comfort seats with integrated seatbelts, 16in alloy wheels, air-conditioning, etc – and habitation extras, including an awning, half-leather upholstery, dimmable lighting, the TV and gloss locker doors. As ever with IH, each 600 RD/S4 will probably look different from the next, as there’s plenty of bespoke detailing.