June 4 2019 we drove down to Catterick to collect our new Motorhome.
I had read about this van in MMM, just before our visit to the caravan and
Motorhome show at the NEC. Before reading this article I had no intention of replacing our Chausson 510, which we had used for three years. But after reading about the new roller team Pegaso 590 and watching some videos on youtube, my mind started thinking I like this and I will have to have a good look when we visit the NEC.
We planned a two day visit staying in a hotel overnight.
On the first day we got inside the Pegaso for the first time and my wife and I were very impressed.
We prefer 6 metre vans, we like the size for driving and parking, and you tend to get better payloads based on a 3.5t chassis.
Well next day after some negotiations we decided to go for it.
We added a 4m canopy, directional aerial, rear parking sensors, and an external tv socket.
I also went for the 150bhp engine with auto transmission.
The only option offered by Roller team was a carpet, which we ordered.
The list of extras that came as standard was one of the things that I liked about this van.
You get 120w
solar panel. Bike rack, spare wheel, fiat comfort pack, passenger airbag reversing camera with 7 inch screen, sat nav, and many other things that are not standard from other manufacturers.
The Pegaso 590 is an A class model with a drop down bed over the cab. This means that with the bed down we still have our lounge available. Also its simple and much quicker to set up than the Chausson was, but you have to access it with a small ladder. The thing we like is unlike our Chausson when you bring down the bed you still have your full lounge. The bed is remarkably comfortable. You can also make up a second bed which sleeps two with infill cushions and a small two legged support. There are two seatbelts in the lounge. For aesthetic reasons you can hide the seatbelts behind the cushions until fequired,
The lighting in the van is all led, and it is remarkable with four different switches to set it up as you see fit. We enjoy the floor lighting, on this setting the mirror at the habitation door has a roller team logo which illuminates on this setting.
The kitchen is well thought out with a Thetford oven/grill, three burner hob, 150 litre fridge freezer with bottle drawer. To the side of the fridge there is metal pull out shelving for storage with three shelves. There is a cutlery drawer within a cabinet that houses a long metal shelf and storage area. There are three over head cupboards from the kitchen to the lounge with a fourth in the lounge on the opposite side. There is a pull out tv bracket above the mirror at the hab door.
There is a small storage area above the fridge, the
solar panel controller and the Truma inet controller are there.
The van comes with Truman’s 6kw heating with inet.
The heating and hot water works from gas, electricity, or a mixture of both.
The boiler can be controlled using Bluetooth whilst close to the van, or by sms text offsite.
Leather upholstery, the cab seats are not standard fiat, and are more comfortable than the standard fiat seats. We enjoy the view we get from the a class windscreen, it’s fabulous.
The steering wheel is leather covered with controls. Passenger airbag, cab aircon are also standard. I like the fact that the drivers door is on the drivers side, and the hab door is on uk nearside.
The van has a separate shower and toilet. The shower on the Pegaso is larger than what we had in the chausson, and there is more storage in the toilet.
To the rear there is a large cupboard which has drop down shelving and this can be accessed from the toilet also. Next to this there is a clothing cupboard. We can carry a 13kg and a 6kg gas bottle in the gas cupboard. To the front there is a third cupboard which is plastic lined for storing wet items such as boots.
After allowing 80kg driver, full water and diesel tanks, 13kg gas, and a spare wheel we have a payload of 635kg. But for some reason they fitted only a 60 litre diesel tank. A full tank only gives me about 350 miles at 27mpg. The van comes with an internal 100L freshwater tank and an external 100L grey water tank.
I am fitting a second
battery to the van, and a second
solar panel.
The single
battery is ok during summer, but we are finding for winter it’s lacking in power.
We love the van. It’s comfortable, spacious for a 6m van, being Italian it’s stylish inside and out.
We have had comments every time we head out with it.
One couple after being shown around went home and ordered one.
Another couple we met on Arran are seriously considering selling their van conversion and buying one.
It’s got so much going for it, but there are things we don’t like.
- It comes with only a 60 litre fuel tank. I think this is due to the Pegaso 740 and 745 models only having just over 300kg payloads. They are obviously trying to improve their payloads. But we have over 600kg, they could have fitted a 90 litre tank instead.
- The nearside lounge window is rather small and of the sliding type which I am not to keen on.
- There is no drain valve for the freshwater tank. You have to dismantle the sofa to get to the tank then remove a plug. Surely a valve would be better.
- No central locking on the habitation door.
- Only one 12v and usb outputs.
We are taking the van down to Catterick this month to have the habitation door replaced, and the pump has been fitted in such a way that I cannot remove the filter cover for maintenance. Roller team are covering all of my costs and paying for three habitation inspections in compensation. But everything else seems done to a high standard.
Would I recommend this van, well after buying it I am bound to be biased and I admit that I am.
I reckon in its type it represents the best value for money you can buy. Pilote and Inteneo both have similar 6m vans, we looked at them both. The Inteneo lacked the quality, extras, and layout at only a slightly lower price. The Pilote was a good van, but even at the same price I would have still gone for the Pegaso, but it was £6000 more expensive and with less in the way of extras.
The caravan and Motorhome annual awards put the Pegaso 590 second in the A class under £80,000. The van that beat it was a 7.5 M van costing £18000 more at £78,000.
Well my wife and I both retire next year, and we are looking forward to many memorable trips in this new van. We did not use the Chausson in winter, but we are going to use this van throughout the year.
Used van, but only one owner from new with a seller with a genuine reason for sale (time to buy a new one after 12 years). And what's more, the new van he bought after selling the old one to me was the same brand, so still had belief in the same make.
