Verdict
Aside from some gripes about the double bed, this is a luxurious compact ’van with an excellent kitchen.
Pros
Homely interior; highly equipped kitchen with large amount of worksurface.
Cons
Lack of headroom in transverse double bed.
Living
The half-dinette has a swing-out section under the dining table which increases the table surface quickly and easily.
Compact vans do not excel when it comes to lounging as it’s hard to find a decent way of stowing the dining table. But you do get a fully swivelling TV bracket for watching from all over the ’van, and there is a 240V plug socket in the base of the bench seat.
Spotlights on rails allow you to slide them into the perfect position, and the Van also has an extra flip-up coffee table on the end of the dinette bench seat.
Kitchen
The kitchen has three burners, an ample steel sink and one 240V socket. There is a good amount workspace in front of the hob, but no extractor fan – which is a shame as you will be cooking in a confined space here. In general, though, this is a first-rate compact kitchen. As well as twin glass lids on the hob and sink it has an oven/grill beneath the cutlery drawer. It also has a bin which is shaped into the corner between washroom and dinette, with an elasticated top to hold a bag in place. The illuminated cupboard that houses six Hobby-branded glasses is a nice touch, too.
Washroom
The Thetford cassette toilet is squeezed into the washroom, which saves space – and this is vital because the circular shower takes up most of the room. It has a solid base and two plug holes, allowing good drainage but not much elbow room behind its tambour door. However, the four mirrors increase the sense of airiness and there is extensive storage space above and below the sink.
Beds
At the rear, the transverse double bed has a slatted base and a chunky foam mattress. Headroom above the bed is not especially good, but the payoff is that the garage below has more height than most.
There are seven lockers over the bed, but this feels like overkill at the head end because it’s easy to bash your head on them. Also, the ladder up to the bed does not feel very stable.
The Van has a third berth, designed for children, which could just about accommodate an adult. This is a transverse bed which uses the offside single seat. It’s fairly simple to make up, with the extra width supported by the dinette seat’s coffee table extension. It feels a little delicate though, and so would be better suited to children than adults.
Storage
Despite its generous height, the Hobby Van’s garage is only plated to carry 120kg. It does have more fixing points than many compact ’vans, with four floor-level eyelets and an extra two up top.
The wardrobe is under the transverse bed so you have to crouch, but the illuminated hanging rail is stylish.
Technical Specifications
| Payload | 790 kg |
| MTPLM | 3500 kg |
| Shipping Length | 6.05 m |
| Width | 2.14 m |
