The Discovery's come in D4 -2, D4-3 and D4-4 form, the latter figure denoting the number of berths.

I've seen complaints that though the wrap around awning looks good and sounds a great idea, but it's v heavy and difficult to mount. Some owners have reverted to a standard one to fit on the side because the wrap around was too much to manage.

We like the D4-2 but don't like the single front window from inside and the lack of provision for curtains.

The availability of a front 2 bike rack, or a big front storage box are excellent options.

Is it really in the spirit of Eriba camping? It must be very dark inside. What we love about our van is the fact that you feel outside, even when you're inside, the windows being lovely and big. Isn't one of the joys of it is that it's small? It's not for me.

It will be interesting to see what happens to UK made van payloads now that the 3500kg gross train weight limit is going. That was the main driver for keeping van weights low which, counter intuitively seemed to work through the caravan ranges and be applied to big twin axles which would never be used in an under 3500kg rig anyway. Lightness is king seemed to extend throughout.

The NCC invented their minimum payload formula to encourage a level playing field and stop over zealous marketing people promoting their products with stupidly low payloads, just to be able to boast low overall weight. The minimum formula was/is just that, a minimum, but like lemmings no UK manufacturer will dare offer more as standard for fear of losing sales to rivals who stick with the minimum.

At the time the formula was introduced the minimum was a sensible amount, based on so many kg per metre length plus so many kg per berth plus a 50kg amount based on a range of standard items. At that time motor movers, which weigh circa 30kg, were very rare and now they're almost ubiquitous, but there's no allowance for them in the minimum formula. In addition the average battery now fitted to a van weighs about 25kg and that 50kg allowance only included 17kg for one. So you get 150kg payloads on single axle 4 berths, a bit more for longer twins but around 50kg of that goes in mover plus battery. So the payload available becomes around 100kg, when originally the promoters thought it would be about 133kg after fitting a battery. So somehow owners are supposed to load with 33kg less than their pre mover counterparts. Mmmmm.