Coachman Pastiche 565/4

Coachman has joined the race for business among caravanners looking for twin beds, with the Pastiche 565

The great quest to save weight gathers pace every year, with every mainstream caravan manufacturer now obsessing over grams and kilos.
Even caravan builders with a reputation for making solid tourers which sell on build quality have joined the race to save weight and reduce running costs.
Coachman has a deserved reputation for building some of the most well-screwed-together caravans on the market. But, as fuel prices show no sign of coming down, even this long-established upmarket manufacturer is adapting its products to changing needs.
Launching arguably the best-looking tourers on the UK market for 2011 certainly helped Coachman and, rather than resting on its laurels, the company has continued to innovate. The new addition to the Pastiche range is the result – it’s a four-berth tourer with fixed twin beds and an end shower room on a single-axle chassis.
Some might say that a caravan with a 1640kg MTPLM should be on two axles for extra stability. But there are heavier single axles on the UK market. Going to single axle rather than twin saves weight – if this means owners can save on fuel by running a standard saloon rather than a more expensive 4x4, then the new 565/4 represents an attractive proposition.
 

Showering

Compared with longer caravans, the 565’s shower room is a rather narrow affair. There’s a reasonable amount of space for towelling yourself dry, but it’s not the most palatial of end shower rooms.
The shower is entirely separate from the rest of the shower room, housed in a square cabinet with a clear glass door.
There’s a good-sized vanity unit with a deep Belfast-style sink, and shelves for shampoo containers. Two shallow cabinets take care of storage needs. Three downlighters overhead and a separate light in the shower provide plenty of illumination.
 

Sleeping

Twin beds have suddenly grown in popularity, finding favour with folk who might keep different bedtime hours or get up during the night without disturbing their partner. They are, however, a bit of a ‘Marmite’ feature – you either love them or hate them.
The front double bed is a doddle to make up, thanks to Coachman’s super smooth slat system which slides out effortlessly from under the offside settee. But why would couples who plan to use the double bed sacrifice all that space on those oversize settees amidships? And if you want twin singles, there are two-berth tourers with roomy end shower rooms which do the job just as well in a much shorter and lighter body. With this in mind, the 565 layout makes sense for couples who intend to entertain guests for the occasional sleepover, but it doesn’t really make a fantastic four-berth. As a two-berth, though, the sleeping arrangements in the 565 are first rate.
Storage
One advantage of those single beds is the huge storage compartments underneath them. Over the beds, there are two runs of eye-level lockers plus some shelf storage, and the lounge offers a further four lockers.
Shower-room storage is quite restricted, with just a couple of cabinets, but the kitchen fares marginally better, with two cupboards above the worktop and a fairly modest cabinet and drawer below. Further under-seat storage is easily accessible in the lounge.

 
Dining

The pull-out table at the front is fine for two to sit down for coffee or lunch. And of course there’s the larger freestanding table for more elaborate meals or when there are four eating. Space for four big adults to sit to eat is quite pinched. But then this layout’s chief appeal is to couples – and the dining area underlines that.
 

Lounging

Again, the 565’s layout is fine for two, but less than ideal for four as the lounge is just too cramped. The décor and level of finish are superb. The big, wide sunroof lets in extra light. The lighting is comprehensive, with LED strips above the lockers, reading lights and downlighters.
 

Kitchen

The Pastiche 565’s kitchen is comprehensively equipped, but space is at a premium. Worktop space is restricted to narrow strips on either side of the sink and hob. Storage is reasonable, but it falls short of a genuine cook’s kitchen capable of elaborate culinary escapades.
 

 
Towing

The 565/4 is a pretty beefy piece of kit that needs a hefty car to tow it. We’d recommend a muscular estate car like a Volvo V70 or Mercedes E-class with a torquey turbodiesel to tow this Pastiche with ease. That said, it behaved impeccably behind our Kia Sorento, on test with Val Chapman at the wheel. The inclusion of AL-KO ATC trailer stability control as standard is a welcome aid to keeping the 565 on the straight and narrow.
 

The 2012 Coachman Pastiche 565 is a desirable couples’ caravan, with twin beds and a high standard of build quality