Full review

THE first UK-bound all-new Adiva was a long time coming.

The outside, although retaining Adria’s instantly recognisable front has dramatic sweeping graphics along the high gloss sides and dark windows. It features all the normal paraphernalia - alloy wheels, external wet locker, barbecue point, awning warmer battery locker etc.

All the correct stuff is on the non-awning side, too - mains hook-up and battery locker, toilet emptying hatch, fresh water inlet (the waste water outlet is hidden by the wheel arch - so buy a mat for this job).

The front locker is assisted by a gas strut - you have to lift it all the way up, but it will stay up there leaving you to root around to change the gas bottles over, pull the spare wheel out or find anything else you happened to have stored away in here.

There is one very obvious clue towards the rear of the sidewalls to what’s inside. The two large locker doors (one on each side) - and boy, are they large - offer access to a cavernous garage space more reminiscent of motorhomes than caravans.

The garage area measures the full width of the ‘van with a maximum height of 93cm (about 3ft) and actually stretches nearly 6ft into the van in places. As a neat touch for winter caravanning, the blown air ducts running across the roof of this storage space have a vent allowing hot air into the garage.

Inside it’s pretty much unlike any caravan I’ve ever seen. Semi-circular seating at the front is trimmed in a very soft cream suede-type fabric - the material is applied with a coat of DuPont Teflon to protect against stains and spillages.

This colour and feel contrasts strongly with the walnut-style wooden furniture. Although the carpets were not fitted to this example, removable sections will be supplied as standard. Even all the fittings - ceiling light, spotlights, plug sockets and control panels are stylish and modern.

The layout is refreshing, too. As mentioned there is a semi-circular lounge at the front ahead of a central washroom and wardrobe and opposing kitchen. The entire rear of the caravan is taken up by two raised single beds, explaining the garage area below - an arrangement which is very typical of many motorhomes currently on the market.

The lounge, because of its shape (thick corner backrests cut down on seat space and the curves mean you can’t really wedge yourself into a corner) and table, isn’t really that comfortable as a lounging area.

It’s great for dining, though. The oval table is big enough for four at a squeeze, ample for three and has enough space for a banquet for two.

The one thing I did miss is a nearside window. Every time I heard a noise outside I kept turning round to look in the window that wasn’t there.

It slightly affects light levels as well. The dark windows make the outside seem quite dreary even on a sunny day, but interior illumination is helped by the rooflight over the kitchen.

The table pushes down to make the front double bed up - great for one tall adult at 6ft 10in long but at only 4ft wide it’s not really big enough for two full-size adults.

The specially-shaped cushions fix by the use of press-studs onto the table so they don’t slip - these are infill cushions that will need to be stored elsewhere during the day.
 
The kitchen is as well equipped as any other caravan on the UK market, with a four-burner spark ignition hob with grill and oven. There’s even one of those pan storage lockers below that you find in UK-built caravans. The 96-litre fridge (88 litres are usable) is of the digital control variety which are very simple to operate.

The stainless sink, with integrated drainer and proper metal tap has a glass lid so you can put your chopping board on top. Between the cooker and fridge are three smoothly sliding drawers - one with cutlery compartments - and a locker. Above are three side-opening lockers with loads of room and one has plastic mug racks.

Opposite this is a smoothly curved wardrobe unit with an aluminium-style roller door to access the television point. The wardrobe has two shelves to the left and a shelf at the top, with a smart pull-out, front-to-back hanging rail.

Adjacent to the wardrobe is the washroom. It looks a bit plasticky compared to the quality of the rest of the caravan.

There is, however, lots of storage. It does have a shower but the tray is small and the compartment a little too confined for a full-sized adult to shower comfortably without bashing elbows.

The toilet is the bench cassette-style with an electric flush and although there’s a towel rail, there’s no toilet roll holder.

The real star feature of this caravan has to be that end bedroom, though. There are proper steps leading up to the raised singles, measuring 6ft 8in by 2ft 11in. On each side there is a small door to a decent sized locker for shoes or clothes - there is no light in there though and they have no natural light.

Decent foam mattresses are covered by valance sheets in the same suede-style as the lounge.

They can either be left as singles or a wooden extension can be pulled out to make up a double using infill cushions. However, this goes over the steps making access in and out of bed tricky when the double is made up.

There are windows on each  side, with a shelf above and each window has pull-down blinds and flyscreens as well as the same net curtain system as in lounge. Three lockers at the back offer more clothes storage.

A padded headboard offers night-time protection, but sitting up in bed to read is also easy with the provision of two very large, supportive bolster cushions. Each occupant gets a spotlight (ice cube-style) and there is a roof vent for those hot, steamy, summer nights. There is also more ambient rope light behind the silver trim along the back wall - very smart. 

A curtain offers some privacy, but you couldn’t really get changed in the bed area without being a bit of a contortionist.

Our verdict:

Full marks go to Adria for the styling of this caravan. On the outside it’s modern yet not too radical, but the inside really turns heads. Inspired by Adria’s A-class motorhome, the modern furniture marries very well with the plush suede-style fabric. All the fittings are equally modern and suit the caravan perfectly.

However, style seems to prevail over practicality in many areas. There’s no internal access to the garage, that funky yet flimsy wardrobe rail won’t hold much and that lounge isn’t really suitable for lounging.

I also wish that Adria had applied some more thought into making the white plastic washroom combine more harmoniously with the styling throughout the rest of the caravan.

You are always going to have to compromise with a layout of this type, where fixed beds take up over a third of the interior space, but by raising these single beds a little higher, Adria has created valuable storage space that would otherwise have been wasted.

The front lounge isn’t really suitable as a bed, but this is really only a two-berth caravan. For those who want modern styling and generous equipment levels in a striking package for under £15,000, then this Adria could be the caravan for you.

•    A full version of this review appeared in the February 2007 issue of Which Caravan. To order a road test reprint contact Tina Beaumont on 01778 391187.

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