Full review

FOR many years, Adria was a brand which sold steadily but in fairly small numbers in the UK.

However, since parent company Adria Mobil of Novo Mesto, Slovenia, acquired Fleetwood, things have started to change. The company now operates out of Fleetwood’s HQ at Long Melford in Suffolk and has started to make serious inroads into the British market.

Which is as good a reason as any to visit one of Adria’s longest serving dealers, Amber Leisure at Hitchin, to see the single-axle, five-berth 2007 Altea 542 UK.

The ‘van is built on an AL-KO chassis and has shock absorbers as standard. Although most - if not all - British manufacturers will tell you that these aren’t essential, having spoken to caravanners who have towed ‘vans with and without them they all told me that the ride characteristics are better when shocks are fitted.

The Altea’s A-frame is somewhat longer than on many caravans but having towed a number of Adrias, I can confirm that the extra length improves stability.

The entry door on the nearside is just forward of the axle. Although it is a stable door, it would benefit from having a window. But it is left-hand hung so that, should it ever open during towing, there’s a reasonable chance that the wind would tend to close it.

The front lounge area has wrap-round seating and a free-standing table. Normally, I’m not a fan of this layout, but I’ll make an exception in the case of the 542 because it is extremely accomplished.

There would be no problem in seating five people in comfort when dining and when entertaining I thought the seats could take seven or eight without being cramped.

The seat cushions are thick and firm and there are vent boards behind the back cushions which should ensure good air circulation. Facing the entrance, the centre kitchen has a three-burner gas hob and an 80-litre Thetford fridge but no grill or oven. Alongside the hob is a rectangular stainless steel sink below which are two large drawers and a ground-level cupboard.

Above the kitchen unit are three roof lockers - again a good size although none of them has a crockery rack. Nor is there much work surface on the kitchen unit, so the free-standing table and the top of the floor cupboard facing the kitchen will need to be called into service.

The toilet/shower compartment is on the nearside, between the living area and the rear of the ‘van. It’s well appointed with the latest Thetford bench cassette toilet, a good size washbasin, ample storage facilities for toiletries, a large obscure-glazed window, and a ventilator in the ceiling.

There is one problem however: when you sit on the toilet the wheel arch gets in the way of your left leg! And the shower curtain covers only the door so I assume that the wallboards are waterproof.

Beyond the toilet/shower compartment are two permanent full-sized bunks - certainly long and wide enough for most.

And as in the case of the wrap-round seating, the mattresses are firm and supportive. Each bunk also has its own window and wall light so anyone sleeping there is unlikely to complain of claustrophobia.

Opposite the bunks is a dinette which makes up into the fifth bed. The seats are wider than many I’ve come across, but despite that, I don’t think this is anything other than a two-seat dinette - although you might be able to seat four small children.

At night, the rear accommodation is separated from the front of the ‘van by a concertina door, forward of which is the wardrobe.

Although not large, the wardrobe does have a reasonable amount of hanging space.

All the windows in the ‘van open and have flyscreens and blinds. The main windows also have unlined curtains and there’s no carpet.

An internal battery box has been added to the specification for 2007 and while this means that the ‘van can be used on sites without mains hook-ups I would have preferred to have seen an external battery box fitted.

It may boil down to a matter of cost, and whichever way you look at it, the Altea 542 UK is superb value for money.

C

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

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