Full review
Ironically, the handsome new look of the 545-5 bears more than a passing resemblance to that of the Argente (not that this is a bad thing) although closer examination of its smart new one-piece rear (it used to be a two-piece affair) reveals the slightly disappointing truth that what at first appears to be a high-set LED ‘third eye’ brake light is, in fact, a dummy.
Elsewhere, though, the Avondale ticks pretty much every important box.
In a clever move, what appear to be the usual triple windows up front are, in reality, nothing of the sort: it’s a single pane window, with two vertical ridges set into the plastic to give the illusion of a three-pane window that should keep traditionalists and single-window fans alike happy.
Staying up front, the new frowning front panel lends the new Dart a new-found character, and the front locker is retained as nothing more than an odds and ends bin, rather than the usual gas locker.
The 510-5 hasn’t got the biggest unitary washroom I’ve ever seen, but for teeth-brushing and nocturnal penny-spending, it’s fine, and the separate shower riser gets its own dedicated monobloc mixer tap, should you choose to sluice yourself down therein.
In all honesty, though, this caravan will spend most of its life on sites with five-star facilities, so its compact size isn’t really a problem.
So, the washroom’s a bit of a compromise, but that’s the only area in this caravan where compromise is called for. The end dinette, for instance, is great for use as a kids’ playroom (although it could use more lighting in there and more PlayStation/Xbox-friendly sockets), and can be partitioned off completely with a concertina blind.
We, however, used it as a permanent end bedroom, and while the double bed is a mite narrow, Mrs Le C and I enjoyed three nights of uninterrupted slumber on it, and the single ceiling light provided ample illumination, even if a couple of reading lights would have been a welcome addition.
Moving into the kitchen, and there’s little - if anything - to complain about. The missing in-built drainer opens up plenty of worktop space, and the stainless steel sink is both large and easy to clean.
Top marks, too, to the new wok-friendly three-burner hob that comprises the top part of the oven/grill beneath.
The comfortable settees
Up front in the lounge, the seemingly low-backed settees are actually very comfortable, and you can slide out the front table extension without having to move your television (the dedicated TV table on the offside wall was too small to take our portable), which is devilishly clever. The folding table (which lives in the wardrobe) is of a good size, too.
I have just one gripe, here: the single-pane front window means Avondale has had to fit a single giant blind and flyscreen to it, and operating same is definitely a two-person job, unless you enjoy re-marrying blinds and screens with their intended cassette tracks.
The plus side is that, added to the light admitted by the large sliding Remis-Top rooflight, the Dart’s lounge is fantastically bright and airy, even with all those dark brown hues doing their best to soak up all the light.
Fact-file:
Price: Approx. £11,195
Berths: 5
Warranty: Three years
MRO/MTPLM: Not published by Avondale as we went to press
Internal length: 16ft 10in (5.18m)
Overall length: 21ft 8in (6.64m)
Internal height: 6ft 3in (1.93m)
Overall width: 6ft 9in (2.09m)
Overall height: 8ft 5in (2.59m)
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• A full version of this review appeared in the October 2006 issue of Which Caravan. To order a road test reprint contact Tina Beaumont on 01778 391187.
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