Rimor Seal 12P

Berths: 4 Travel seats (inc driver): 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Maximum weight: 3,500kg Payload: 806kg

To get news of entry-level coachbuilts that start from a fiver under £30,000 is news indeed. Yet that’s what Rimor’s three-model Seal range offers. This, the 12P, is the only one with a French bed layout.

Rimor’s recent financial problems seem to be over with a big injection of cash from Euro mega-group Trigano, while Motorhomes and Caravans of Hull is the latest appointed importer.

The 12P appears to have a conventional bed-equipped overcab pod, but in fact has wonderfully large lockers, where most modern low-profiles come with just a few little shelves. It’s also all made with a simpler construction technique that saves money.

The Ducato cab plays no part in providing living space – its seats retain the original Fiat upholstery. But while the chassis is the conventional taller Ducato device, the budget-style habitation door has no external step.

The 115bhp motor, with its six-speed manual ’box, was previously unavailable in right hand drive, but should provide adequate power for comfortable progress.

Aft of cab, there’s a pullman dinette, ahead of the French bed, while the offside sees the wardrobe and kitchen located before the bathroom.? All this provides an entirely practical living area arranged to service four people, but with no real lounging space.

The kitchen has rather less in the form of space and facilities. Not much working surface, no drainer and limited storage is made up for by a rather decent fridge and one equally decent drawer.

Enthusiastic indoor cooks can pay £329 for a Smev oven/grill (which will rob storage space).

In contrast, the bathroom provides both space and good facilities. Decent basin, countertop and stowage are partnered with an equally pleasing separate shower.

The French bed is a huge 2.04m (6ft 8in) long. As expected, there’s a big locker beneath, but it can only be accessed from inside by a small door. Large items must be loaded through the external locker door. The strongly made dinette bed is long too - where some rivals come up rather short, this one does nicely at 1.88m (6ft 2in).

Lighting offers attractive fittings that include ambient strips above overhead lockers. Finally, heating is by Truma Combi: 4kW is okay, but it’s gas only.

This is an abridged version of the full review appearing in the June 2015 issue of Which Motorhome.

A great van just on value. There are compromises but the opposition should be worried.