Coachman Vision 580/5

Ideal for a family seeking plenty of space without too much weight

Coachman’s new Vision is £500 cheaper than its Amara predecessor. It’s also 15kg lighter. The Vision range has a new Truma Combi blown-air heating system, with capability to deliver up to 6kw.

Weight has been shaved off the 580 in a number of areas; notably, it is 10cm shorter than its predecessor, although we felt during our test day that the difference is not discernible. And the lockers are straight-fronted, whereas they were formerly curved.

Its body shape is new, and features dark grey integrated grab handles. But, happily, there’s something that isn’t new about the 580/5 we picked for this exclusive test. That’s the layout. And that’s because the 580/5, introduced for the 2013 models year, is a star performer, a family layout that proved, in its first year, to be very popular with buyers. We are therefore delighted to see that it appears in the new Vision range. One of the key features of the long-running Amara range was always pleasantly pale woodwork, making the most of the space in visual light-and-airy appeal. That’s a feature carried forward into the Vision range. And in the open-plan 580, with a side dining area, it’s especially appealing.

The 580’s five-berth capability comes in the form of a single bed created from the side dining area, a double bed at the front – and the really clever bit, two bunks that are tucked away unobtrusively in the nearside corner. And there’s more to distinguish this brilliant layout. It’s the ingeniously designed shape of the shower room…

Showering

The shower room is almost triangular in shape, occupying the distance from the bunks to the offside wall, and extending forward, with a wall at an angle; here, on the offside, are the toilet and washbasin – with plenty of floor space in the centre of the little room.

The shower is circular, and has five shampoo shelves, four of which have metal rails to keep the contents in place when you tow. The basin is wide and deep, in a Belfast style, and the mirror above it is huge. Importantly, there is a wide towel rail high up on the wall above the outlet for the blown air heating, so towels placed here will dry. Storage accommodation is in the form of a small cabinet on the offside wall and a large cabinet under the basin.

Sleeping

The 580’s strong appeal is the position of its bunks; the rear of the caravan feels almost like a separate bedroom. But we have to say that had there been a solid door to close this area off, that bedroom feel would have been greatly enhanced. But then the ethos for the Vision range is about weight economy, and a door would have added a lot of weight.

The base of the double bed slides out from under the offside settee, as it did on Amara models for 2013. And the fifth bed makes from the side dining area using the table that clips to the wall here as the centre of its base; the table leg folds up to align with the underside of the table. Importantly, there is a power point built into the base of the bunk stack; this means you can charge a phone here and a hairdryer can be plugged in for use near to the mirror alongside the entrance door.

Storage

The advantage of this bunk layout goes a lot further than sleeping arrangements. Below the bunk is a brilliant area for storing all kinds of stuff. And the super-efficient gas-filled strut hinges raise the base of the lower bunk all the way to the top of its travel on their own as soon as you get hold of it and pull it up slightly. Easy!

We found the same ease of use when investigating the storage areas under the lounge seating, too. The areas under the side dining seating for two are accessed by sliding back their slatted bases. The seven head-height lockers are a different shape in the Vision compared with those in the Amara. They have straight doors, as distinct from the curved doors of the Amara – and that’s one way in which the designers have saved a little weight.

The top lockers have removable shelves. The wardrobe, within the shower room-bunk beds enclave at the back, gives full hanging depth and there are two drawers beneath it. Overall, storage in the 580 is excellent; bearing in mind it is designed for the needs of five, it fulfils that amply.

Dining

The freestanding dining table has its own cabinet, built into the wall that divides the bunk area from the rest of the caravan. Its presence creates a shelf on the forward end of this wall; there’s a mirror here. The table is a sturdy affair. And, because it’s stored vertically, it’s easy to get it in and out.

The 580’s layout gives you dining options, which is one of its strengths. Two can dine amidships on the offside – and this can become the playroom when rain forces such activities to take place inside.

Lounge

Concealed rim lighting runs behind curved feature wood sections at each front corner; that’s a Vision style point that we really like. Lights are within the centre sections of mouldings that run above the top lockers.

On the prototype we tested, the day before Coachman‘s 2014 model launch event, the 580 was not connected to electricity and there was no battery present, so we weren’t able to see the effect of this lighting; it will be a pleasure in store when we do a future test on a Vision equipped with power! But even without having the lights on, we can say lounging, Vision 580-style, is a light and bright experience.

Although there’s no sunroof, as there is with Coachman’s Pastiche, VIP and Laser ranges, the roof light lets in plenty of light and it’s all very airy. That’s due in part of the use of plain, pale fabrics. The curtains are cream with a horizontal weave and a light reflective sheen. The upholstery is cream with a hint of pale turquoise. The armrests have a turquoise dot design and two scatter cushions have more turquoise, in a vaguely floral, roundel pattern.

We always think turquoise conjures an image of summer sun and azure seas; somehow, the Vision 580, with its open plan ideal family layout, really seems to embody the idea of sunny family holidays. One feature we love about the Vision 580’s lounge is the shelf running across the front, with a power point for charging phones, and speakers and light switches set into a moulding made of quality matt plastic. All very refined.

Kitchen

This is where a family caravan gets its greatest test when barbecuing isn’t possible. The Vision 580 has a good wide and deep working surface to the right of the sink, and a little in front of it as well.

A hinged, smart smoked glass top covers the sink and there is a grey plastic removable drainer. Even when the drainer is in place there is enough surface to prepare food. Cooking equipment arrives in the form of a mains hotplate plus three burners, oven and grill plus an 800watt Sharp microwave with automatic timer buttons for certain foods.

In typical Coachman style the microwave is hidden behind a door, finished in fawn linen effect and matching the two other kitchen top doors and one of the drawers in the lower unit. There are two drawers; one of them designed for cutlery is above the fridge – a really practical feature which frees up the drawer above the central cabinet for other stuff. Compared with the Amara, there’s a difference in styling of the drop-down cabinet (designed for pans) under the oven; the doors in Vision models doors are wooden, replacing the glass ones formerly used, and saving a little weight.

Towing

We couldn’t tow this prototype model because we tested it at the launch venue, the day before the launch started – and once it was sited with spirit level precision, Coachman understandably didn’t want us to hitch it up and take it for a tow. So we will have to wait to tow the 580. But we did tow the Amara 580 and found its behaviour to be as good as any single axle caravan of similar dimensions and weight we’ve towed.

The Amara 580/5 that we liked so much for the 2013 model year has just got better! With more powerful heating, lighter weight and a lower price tag, the Vision 580/5 has even more to offer than its predecessor. An impressive caravan which we believe will have wide appeal