Full review

Words: Val Chapman  Photography: Richard Chapman

The Adria Altea Avon

If you want a new single-axle, standard-width, six-berth caravan, you have only two choices. There’s the Sprite Major 6 TD, and the Adria Altea Avon. All of the others are in the eight-foot width and twin-axle ranges.

While comparable to the Sprite Major 6 TD – in that they both have beds for six – the Avon is unique among new caravans on the British market, because it has three bunks.

Ten or so years ago, triple-bunk layouts appeared in most major manufacturers’ ranges. But layouts have fashions, and triple bunks fell out of favour. Yet they are ideal for a family with very young children.

The Avon, thus, is a very special caravan. And, for 2023, the Altea range has become even more stylish than before, with a grey texture-look wall finish in the lounge, a superb lighting design, and ingenious storage features, all giving the Avon an even stronger appeal to buyers.

Adria’s biggest UK retailer, Barnsdale Leisure, was the first to get a 2023 Avon; that’s where we went to explore the details…

The layout

First, the triple-bunk arrangement. The base bunk is at floor level, making it perfect for the youngest member of the family; there’s no risk of falling out of bed – or, if they do, they simply roll onto the carpet. Bunk two is easy to crawl into, and there’s a ladder for bunk three. Usefully, the base bunk area can be used for storage (ideal when you are on tow with lots of kit); there is a large hatch to the exterior.

What’s also special about the bunk area is that it has a floor-to-ceiling, pleated, stiffened-fabric partition; much more effective in  excluding light than curtains. The partition fabric is a dense enough weave to exclude almost all of the light, so little bunk occupants will have a nice, cosy, dark area in which to sleep.

Opposite the bunks, the table and seating means that this is a proper kids’ zone and, at night, the seating can be transformed into a single bed. Or, if there are three children rather than four to accommodate, this becomes the breakfast area for those who are first to rise.

The ambience and refined finish of the Altea Avon is as impressive as the practicality and versatility of its rear ‘bedroom’. Altea is Adria’s lowest-spec caravan range, yet the look and feel of tourers in this line-up is way above what you might think of as entry level.

Lighting and furnishings

For 2023, the Altea Avon has gained lots of refinements compared with previous models. Among them is the lighting design. There is a total of 15 bright, movable spotlights; seven on tracks in the lounge, some above windows, three in the centre of the lounge ceiling, three above the rear dining area, one in each of the rear corners and an individual one in each bunk area.

LED strips are concealed above all of the top lockers, creating a rim-of-light effect. It all adds up to a stunning lighting design that gives the Avon bags of character.

Alteas have become visually cosier and more luxurious, thanks to the introduction of a grey almost-mottled finish on the lounge walls, and matching-colour fabric panels on each side of the front window, containing pockets for magazines, iPads and the like. Two more matching fabric pockets clip over the edges of the upholstery at the front of the lounge; ideal, perhaps, for phones.

The curtain fabric contributes to the luxury vibe, too; pale gold and dark grey merge in an approximate diamond pattern. And there’s more to add to the cosy appeal of the Avon.

When the lounge is transformed into a bed, a pleated partition, matching the one that closes off the bunks, tracks across the caravan and is held in place by a small magnet on the woodwork and a magnet hidden within the fabric. Very refined.

And when the partition is pushed back into its recess for day mode, there’s a tiny magnet to hold it in place. Much more refined than the usually found plastic strap and press-stud arrangement.

The robust construction and finish that’s typical of Adria caravans is very evident in the new Alteas. Features that exemplify this include disguised catches under the edges of the top cabinet doors; you just place fingers on the catches and lightly pull the lightweight toggle towards you; the substantial hinges then take over and take the door upwards. It's ingenious.

The kitchen

The kitchen surface is new for 2023. An abstract pattern of small fawn, pale blue, and grey irregular shapes – almost as if paint brushes have flicked them onto the pure white surface – looks coolly modern.

The Avon has Adria’s signature triple-burner hob; all three burners are of different sizes and the hob surface flows towards the sink – it’s clearly designed in the interest of making wiping clean the hob area easy.

One of the Avon’s new features for 2023 sits in the corner of the kitchen. A white pole runs from the surface to the base of the top cabinets. Three white metal shelves clip to the pole. They can be swivelled towards the wall, or towards the window, or any angle in between. They’re ideal for mugs, utensils, and salt and pepper. And they look stylish, too.

Three movable towel hooks are part of the equipment, too. These can be clipped over the edge of the kitchen drawers; another little ingenious feature that underlines the practicality and clever design of the Avon.

There’s sufficient kitchen storage capacity for most families‘ needs. There are two cabinets with hinges at the bases of the doors, one under the combined oven/grill, and the other beneath the two drawers. The top cabinet that’s alongside the microwave is fitted with racks for plates and mugs. And the fridge/freezer, on the front end of the kitchen, is Thetford’s tall, slimline model, with 140-litre capacity.

Storage

Storage elsewhere is plentiful, too. There are five lockers over the lounge and two over the rear dining area. And there are two wardrobes, one between the bunks and dining area, the other on the offside between the lounge and the shower room. Both have a large shelf area beneath the hanging zone. And, of course, there’s even more storage space beneath the rear dining area and in the lounge area.

The lounge is equipped with a television bracket, together with a mains socket under a hinged cover, plus an aerial socket. There is also an aerial and mains socket at the front of the lounge. Plenty of TV watching potential.

The free-standing dining table stows away in its own cabinet on the rear nearside of the lounge. The hinged centre-front coffee table gets an upgrade for the new model year; two substantial metal brackets have  replaced the single fold-out wooden support used in previous models. So it’s even sturdier.

The washroom

Styling and practicality have definitely not been skimped in the shower room. You'll find two square, very bright, lights set flush into the ceiling meaning that, even on grey days, it's easy to get the family ready.

The washbasin is an unusual D-shape. Two good-size cabinets, under the washbasin and on the wall, will stow away all of the showering stuff you need. And there’s a towel rail running across the ceiling of the shower cubicle, plus a rail on the wall in the toilet sector of the little room.