Coachman VIP 565 experiences?

Hello Joff and Gill

I bought a VIP 565 new in 2022 and can highly recommend it. I assume you have picked it for the layout which suits my needs.

I have had two issues with it over the two years, the first problem was straight after the first service. When I was loading the caravan a couple of days after the service I noticed a considerable amount of water under the front draw chest. I traced this back to the boiler under the offside front seat and then checked the heating header tank in the wardrobe which was empty. I contacted my dealer and took the caravan back to them. They said there was a fault with the boiler and it needed replacing, which would be carried out under warranty. They said it was a common issue with the ALDE boilers that year, I don’t know if thats true our not and it did seem a big coincidence that they had just serviced it. Anyway, they boiler was replace under the warranty with no cost to me, ALDE even upgraded the boiler to the next model up. The new boiler has been faultless since.I don’t put this issue with Coachman. It was either an issue with the ALDE boiler, which is fitted in other makes of caravan, or something the dealer did while carrying out the service.

The only other issue was with the bathroom door catch / lock. The catch is magnetic, with a magnet in the keep pulling out the latch when the door is closed. This stoped working in the second year and Coachman refused to change it, stating it was out of warranty. I sauced a replacement lock on line for about £10 and it took me 15 minutes to change it.

Thanks very much Whittaker. I'm glad you're happy with the caravan and the boiler issue was fixed.

Yes - we decided to go for the single fixed bed layout. Working surface around the sink/hob seems a bit small especially since the small shelf near the door (above where the table is stored) is tiny but we know we have to compromise somewhere and we lke many other things about the van.

Can I ask how the sofas and mattresses are faring after a couple of years please?

Over the two years I've done around 150 nights away. The mattresses are still like new and are comfortable although this is obviously personal preference (hard / soft etc.).

The sofas are still firm and have kept there shape well but I have to say they haven't had a lot of use as we're usually either off site until fairly late or sat outside or in the awning. My caravan came with six scatter cushions, 3 on each side, which for us is too many but that's not really an issue.

You're right about the lack of work surface in the kitchen. The 2022 model has a drop down worktop extension on the left hand side of the worktop which helps. I don't know if the 2024 model has this. I also bought the extremely expensive sink bowl which comes with a chopping board that fits on top of the bowl which also helps a bit. All in all we have not struggled too much with this.

The thing I miss most from my previous caravan is the large storage under the fixed double bed which was great for the table and chairs that we use in the awning. I bought large fitted bags for these and now store them between the two beds when traveling. They just become a bit of a nuisance if we don't put an awning up.