A rare base vehicle brings with it extra space and rear-wheel drive
NOTso long ago the extra-long Fiat/ Peugeot vans were considered to be about as big as most campervan buyers would want, at 6.36m long. Now, though, there are an increasing number of long-wheelbase MAN, Mercedes Sprinter and VW Crafter conversions of around 7m in length. And then along comes IH with something even bigger – a 7.27m-long Iveco Daily which can be ordered with a five-tonne maximum gross weight and a 3.5-tonne towing capacity! Not only is this a bigger panel van, but it can also be specified with a potent 210hp engine and twin rear wheels (all Dailys are also rear-wheel drive).
Of course, it’s as long as many a coachbuilt motorhome but the 710 IFL is still a lot slimmer, making it easier to pilot through towns and on country lanes. Its all-steel construction is another advantage, along with the large sliding door which gives access to the living space. Then, at the back, the full-height barn doors open onto one of the biggest garages you’ll ever see in a campervan – 1.89m high, 1.73m wide and 0.72m deep. It’s a completely unencumbered space from floor to ceiling, although you will need to be able to reach the toilet cassette for servicing. IH says it can kit out the space with shelves, etc, to suit whatever purpose you envisage for the area.
Inside is the classic IH front lounge layout (hence the FL in the name) but bigger. There’s a long, L-shaped sofa facing the side door (great when the weather’s warm enough to leave that open) and the two swivel cab seats complete this spacious lounge. A free-standing table is added for dining and the slatted base of the settee simply pulls out to make the 710 IFL’s double bed (which IH says is 2.03m by 1.27m). There’s room beneath the sofa to store bedding and access here is via a convenient drop-front door.
If you think the lounge looks large for a campervan, then the kitchen area will take your breath away – you’ll struggle to find bigger in a panel van. On the offside is an L-shaped unit that incorporates a full cooker with three gas rings, mains hotplate and a separate oven and grill. That’s not a cooker you’ll often see in a campervan but it’s the amount of worktop space here that’s really the wow factor.
Opposite, there’s even more preparation space, care of a lift-up flap, as well as a lot more storage in high-level, eye-level and low-level lockers. There’s a cutlery drawer, too, but after all this mine’s-bigger-than-yours design, the size of the three-way f
