Detailed Review

THE Fleetwood brand may have sadly departed, but the Slovenian caravans with which Heritages and Sonatas used to share space at Adria Concessionaires’ picturesque Suffolk base are stronger than ever before, and appear to have pretty much every key layout base covered.

The 542 DL follows the surprising new trend of a single-axle caravan sporting twin beds.

We say “surprising” because there was a time when the UK market practically shivered in horror at the very idea of a caravan that permanently gave over any precious floor space to the seemingly minor business of sleeping. We’ve all since woken up and smelt the coffee, of course …

The twin single bed layout is even more “wasteful” of caravan floor space – at first glance, at any rate. And when employed on a single-axle chassis, as here, eats heavily into space elsewhere – most notably the lounge, in the case of this Adria.

But hold on a moment. Couldn’t those single beds be viewed as a pair of daytime chaises longues, perfect for those post-lunch naps ? Looked at in this way, you could argue – with some justification – that these so-called space-wasting beds are actually a valuable extension to the lounge.

And in this particular instance, that’s extremely good news, for the Adria’s lounge isn’t what you’d call spacious.

Worse still, there’s no nearside side window, which looks a bit odd. “Odd” is not how you’d describe the view aft from the lounge, however.

From the little television station behind, and adjacent blue-illuminated drinks locker, to the attractively crafted cabinetry in the kitchen, this is unquestionably a handsome-looking environment.

Kitchen worktop space is small, but the sink/drainer, domestic-style cooker and good-sized fridge tick all the right boxes. The close proximity of the Heki 2 rooflight makes it a pleasantly airy place in which to assemble those culinary masterpieces.

And so to the Adria’s raison d’être: its bedroom. The Adria’s beds lie amidships, sandwiched by the kitchen up front and the washroom out back.

The beds are of unequal length, but they’re of a particularly good width and are comfortable to lie upon. Each is served by a large window, pair of roof lockers, padded headboard and a dedicated reading light.

A small corner shelf for wristwatches, spectacles, etc., would have made it perfect, but this aside, it’s a cracking slumber room.

Which leaves the Adria’s final “room”: its end washroom. The doorway central leads into an area where you have a large washbasin/vanity unit directly ahead, a Thetford C-200 swivel loo to your left and a generously-proportioned separate shower to your right. Storage throughout is plentiful and of a good, practical size.

Our verdict:

A slightly larger and better-lit (especially by day) lounge would improve this model hugely, but there’s a limit to how much you can cram onto a single-axle chassis, and we suppose the single beds do go some way towards offering daytime lounging as well as night-time sleeping.

A splendid washroom completes this stylish and competitive Slovenian contender in what is fast becoming a seriously popular class.

• This review was first published in the September 2009 issue of Which Caravan.