Coachman has launched the Veloce, its first campervan. Two Fiat Ducato-based two-berths, the VL65 and the VR65, are now arriving at dealers.

On the surface, it’s a premium caravan brand trying its hand at van conversions.

Look closer, and it’s something more useful to Coachman: a cheaper front door into a brand whose motorhomes start above £100,000.

What Coachman Has Built

Strip out the “luxury campervan” language and here’s the spec.

  • Fiat Ducato, 2.2-litre 140hp engine, eight-speed automatic as standard
  • Two berths, four travelling seats, 3,500kg MTPLM
  • Around 6.36m long
  • 100Ah lithium battery, 110W roof solar panel, Whale heating and hot water
  • 90-litre fresh and 45-litre waste tanks, 90-litre fridge, 4m Thule awning

The two layouts split on the bed. The VL65 has a rear lounge with parallel seats that make up into the bed. The VR65 has a transverse rear bed that rises and falls electrically.

The VL65 is £86,500, the figure in Practical Motorhome’s first review and on dealer pages. That review puts its payload at 423kg. At least one dealer stock page still shows the VR65 price as TBA, with 401kg of payload.

Coachman says the range is NCC approved and backed by its 10-year water ingress warranty, as long as the van is serviced every year.

Practical Motorhome’s verdict was measured. It called the Veloce a good start, praising the magnetic clip-on table, removable shelves and washroom, but marked it down for limited kitchen storage and a dark interior.

Why the Price Matters More Than the Van

Coachman only moved into motorhomes in 2022, with the Travel Master. Out and About Live’s 2026 guide lists its motorhomes from £106,495 for the Avventura, rising past £123,000 for the Travel Master.

The Veloce sits about £20,000 below that entry point.

Coachman now has a product for the buyer who wants the name and the finish, but not the size or price of a coachbuilt motorhome. It’s the opposite direction to the Lusso, which pushed Coachman further up the caravan market. This one reaches down.

The catch is where it lands. Panel vans are already a busy part of the market.

Swift, Auto-Sleepers and Bailey are already there. Bailey’s 2026 Endurance range, built on the Ford Transit and covered in our E62 analysis, started at £72,999 on the road according to Caravan Guard. Practical Motorhome pointed Veloce shoppers to the Swift Carrera 144 and the Auto-Sleepers Active FG635 as alternatives.

And the market isn’t growing fast. UK motorhome registrations ran at about 16,700 in 2025, up around 1.3% on 2024, according to European Caravan Federation figures reported by RV PRO.

With volumes that flat, a new range wins buyers mostly by taking them from someone else. So the question isn’t whether the Veloce is a good van. It’s whether a Coachman badge is worth a premium to buyers who compare spec sheets line by line.

What This Means for Coachman Dealers

Straight talk. An £86,500 campervan won’t sell on the badge alone.

1. Lead with the licence

At 3,500kg MTPLM, most drivers can take the Veloce on a standard car licence. For a buyer worried about licence limits, that is the headline. Put it near the top of your product page, with a line telling buyers to check their own licence.

2. Have the payload conversation early

The VL65’s 423kg payload has to cover your passenger, extra water, bikes, food and kit. Show the figure and what it means in practice before the deposit, not after handover. A buyer who finds the limit on their first trip becomes a complaint.

3. Check your listings against Coachman’s spec

Descriptions of the two layouts don’t match everywhere.

Coachman describes the VL65 as a rear lounge that converts to a bed. At least one dealer page online describes it as fixed single beds. Get your copy right before a buyer spots the difference.

4. Answer “VL65 or VR65?” on your own site

Most buyers will ask. A clear comparison page, with photos of both beds made up, keeps that buyer on your site rather than a rival dealer’s.

5. Start with your own caravan owners

Coachman caravan owners who are thinking about giving up towing are the obvious first buyers. They already trust the brand. Contact them now, while the range is new, rather than waiting for them to walk onto someone else’s forecourt.

And chase Coachman for the VR65 price. A stock page that says “TBA” sends enquiries to the dealer who can quote.

What It Means for Buyers

The case for the Veloce is simple. An automatic gearbox, lithium battery and solar panel come as standard, in a van most people can drive on a car licence.

The case against is the price gap.

Add Bailey’s £1,850 automatic option and the 2026 Endurance still starts about £13,501 below the Veloce. Buyers should compare like for like before deciding what the badge is worth to them. Our campervan cost of ownership calculator helps put the purchase price in context.

The Bigger Takeaway

Coachman faces a question every caravan maker meets sooner or later: what happens when owners stop towing?

Coachman’s answer is a van with the same name on it. If it works, a Coachman caravan owner has a cheaper, smaller way to stay with the brand.

Does your dealership still treat campervan buyers and caravan owners as separate customers? Pull your list of Coachman caravan owners this week and start that conversation.