IH 630FB

Berths: 2 Travel seats: 2 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato XLWB panel van Gross weight: 3,500kg Payload: 480kg

All van conversions are a compromise, even ones based on a in a 6.36m extra-long Fiat Ducato. But what if, to squeeze the rest in, you got rid of the lounge?

IH says its new 630 FB has been driven by such customer demand, and buyers have been tempted by the huge bed and the equally enormous rear boot that results.

As you sleep lengthways there are none of the usual clamber-over-your-partner antics. With six reading lights, corner shelves, rear speakers, a TV locker and a sunroof, a bedroom like this has never before been seen in a van conversion. Top-loading lockers down each side of the bed provide handy storage but, although there’s room to sit up in bed, you’ll have to be careful not to damage the pleated blind on the rear window.

See the bed as somewhere to sprawl, rather than just where you go for shut-eye, and this FB layout starts to make more sense. The storage below allows you to make better use of the outside space, with room for superior outdoor recliners.

As the cab seats are often the best pews on a van conversion, the biggest loss is perhaps the ability to invite guests in. IH has incorporated a fixed corner shelf (perfect for drinks), while the round island leg table is just big enough for two. Alternatively, the passenger seat can be served by the large kitchen worktop extension, which is sturdy enough hold a laptop.

This is an uncharacteristically well-appointed galley for a conversion, even one as good and pricey as this, with a Thetford Caprice cooker and a sink with an integral draining board with a glass lid. Storage is in drawers, so access to plates and pans is easy, despite the relatively slim corridor. Placing the fridge further forward (below the wardrobe, where the floor opens out) is another shrewd design.

Bed aside, the 630 FB is unchanged from its rear lounge sibling. So opposite the galley you get the same washroom with plenty of storage, all the necessary accessories (soap dish, towel rail) and a bench cassette toilet. Showering requires the use of a curtain, but the flimsy tip-up washbasin is the weakest aspect. Much more appealing is the deep mirror outside.

This is an abridged version of the full review appearing in the June 2016 issue of What Motorhome. Buy it now.

A Marmite van, but a bullseye hit for its target audience - those who want sleeping comfort and loads of storage.