The world's first production version of a fully double-decked van with two separate bedrooms upstairs has been introduced by Montrose Caravan Distributors, in addition to the interesting newcomers to the Willerby range, a 30 footer, a pair of 22ft. vans and an 18-footer.
To include descriptions of these new models, a caravan representative visited Montrose headquarters at Cheadle.
Peak Caravans, of Derby, are the builders of the double decker, which is called the Diplo- t mat; the standard version costs £999 10s., while an extra £100 buys the de luxe version with mains electricity and a house-type hot and cold water system. Twin axles are used on a proprietary chassis with main members of 5 in. channel. Exterior is in Masonite insulated with Seepak felt and the roof is white cotton duck on hardboard insulated with Celotex.
Opposite the single entrance door on the offside is the stairway leading up across the van. To the rear is a coat and box lobby followed by a lounge lift, long in which there is n comfortable double bed settee against the rear wall faced by a fireplace and cocktail cabinet in the front nearside corner.
Forward of the staircase the space is divided into kitchen and bathroom on the nearside. The former has a stainless steel sink, kitchen cabinet, cupboards and a Bottogas Royston cooker, the bathroom, in tiled finish, has quite a roomy bath, basin and Racasan closet. The standard's water system relies on a tank and pump for cold water while hot being carried from the Gascol stove in the lounge.
The floor space in all rooms on the lower deck is remarkable for a van containing so much.
Upstairs, the full headroom is restricted to a gangway along most of the nearside, the space beside the mattresses is all on bed level so that bedmaking must be done kneeling down. This should be quite simple in the front bedroom which has two singles 2ft. 6in. wide, but not so easy in the rear bedroom with a 4ft. double mattress.
Also in the front bedroom is a wardrobe with full hanging space down to floor level. Between the stairs and the rear bedroom are cupboards and shelves.
Ventilation upstairs and downstairs seems adequate and the general standard of workman¬ship appears honest although the polished and veneered furniture units do not look quite of £1,000 quality.

An article in The Caravan 1951