Full review

Transverse island beds continue to rise in popularity. In common with most manufacturers, Coachman tells us that this layout is a best-seller in all its ranges. This manufacturer’s top seller is the VIP version of the transverse bed concept. That’s why, for 2017, the layout has been introduced into the twin-axle luxury Laser range. Laser and VIP models have similar specs; now buyers have the alternatives of picking a more spacious twin-axle transverse bed Coachman, or a shorter, single-axle model.

It’s not only this layout that’s new to the Laser range. Lasers are slightly longer, both in overall and body length, for 2017. The 10cm increase means a slightly more spacious lounge.

And there are lots of equipment changes for 2017. Among them are new spotlights (of which more later), a new-style tap in the shower room, a shower head with adjustable flow rate, a new microwave surround panel, and a 114-litre Thetford slim-line fridge-freezer.

It’s the new red and grey graphics, with diamond-shaped patterns, though, that will catch your eyes first. And then you’ll be wowed by the stunning fabrics, a combination of palest creamy grey-fawn and textured fawn materials.

We’d been inside the prototype Laser 675, at the Coachman factory, just before this new model’s unveiling to the public, for some time, taking in the luxurious looks and first impression stuff, before we started to explore the practicalities…

Showering

A new feature introduced throughout all of Coachman’s ranges for 2017 is an Eco-Camel Jetstorm Plus showerhead which allows you to choose between three different flow rate settings. The tap is new. The little room oozes style, just like the rest of the caravan. The window is dressed with a tri-fold blind, edged with six bold shiny metal rings. The mirror has two light panels set into the glass. Each has 18 bright white LEDs; these, combined with two intensely bright spotlights set into the wooden casing above, create good lighting where it’s important.

Lasers have Alde heating, of course, so there’s a heated towel rail in the shower room, on the real wall alongside the toilet.

Floor space is quite generous; 70cm in depth, and the shower is large, at 65cm x 80cm. Two shelves are in the shower cubicle to take care of shampoos. And an array of shelves underneath and to the left of the mirror are not just practical, they look great too, edged with chrome strips and with little chrome bars across the ends. It’s this sort of fine detail that will impress you throughout the new Laser.

Lasers have underslung water tanks. In the 675, it’s just aft of the axles, on the nearside; its presence enhances the appeal of these Alde-heated caravans for year-round use. And there’s a refined fill system. On the control panel you can select the internal tank or your external water container to take your supply from, and the system automatically switches from internal to external water supply when the internal tank runs out. The level indicator is on the same panel. above the door.

Sleeping

The bedroom window has the same luxurious folded blind feature as that in the shower room. Above it, a bright light shines down, concealed behind a pelmet close to the roof. The bed head is upholstered in two sections; the top is plain fawn suede-effect and the main part is a stunning design of triangles, in raised textures, some white, some darkest brown.

In common with most transverse beds, this one retracts to increase corridor space. In its extended position it’s 1.87 long.

Wardrobes, on each side of the bed, differ in size. The larger one gives you 45cm of hanging space, the smaller one 30cm. Each has a drawer and cabinet beneath; the ideal place for shoes.

Apart from the convenience of a bed positioned so that each occupant can get in and out without climbing over the other (that factor is the driving force for the preference of island beds over side fixed beds), this bedroom’s star feature is its large dressing table. The unit has two doors to its lower storage section and a slim two-shelf cabinet above ideal for make-up necessities.

The (nice pale grey) pleated concertina room divider slips neatly into a recess at the fore end of a wardrobe, and secures with self-holding catches top and bottom. Very refined!

Storage

The storage area under the bed is 1.5m long and 1.3m wide at its widest point, narrowing slightly towards the foot end. It’s a vast amount of storage space. But the T-shape of the metal structure that allows you to retract and lengthen the bed base restricts the aperture, meaning that folding chairs and an awning table will have to go in and out through the exterior hatch.

Storage under the nearside settee is great, and with a drop-down hatch. On the offside, the metal pull-out frame of the double bed means  that there’s no drop-down hatch. But anyway this locker is largely occupied by the Alde heating unit and electrical installations. With so much storage space elsewhere, this locker need to not be used, though.

Dining

Although the front-central chest of drawers is slimmer than in previous Lasers, its extendable top still gives you enough space to create a breakfast table; It’s 68cm long and 62cm wide.

For major meals, you’ll want to extract the table from its own section of the fore end of the dresser cabinet. It’s easy to extract and exceptionally light to handle, too. The leg design is an unusual cantilever design; easy to use. Usefully, the lounge is long enough to put the table up and also use the extension to the chest of drawers. Although there is a slight difference in height, in this mode, you have a massive 1.56m of table length!

Lounging

The settees are 1.52m long, making this lounge just about long enough to seat three people on each side. The backrests are slightly contoured, so that the tops are marginally slimmer than the bases, which increases comfort, giving more support to the lower back area. The fabrics create a gorgeous look. We love it! We also love the new-style spotlights, which have a built-in night-time setting so that the base lights up. They’re also beautifully designed, with fine ridged metal detail and acrylic mini spotlights.

Kitchen

By the time our analysis reached the kitchen area we were already bowled over by the new Laser’s layout, its fabrics and its level of equipment that includes an alarm system and extractor fan. The kitchen, too, has practicality in spades with oodles of storage space in two cabinets and three deep drawers – and two separate surfaces, within the kitchen and atop the dresser.

A new design of drawers within the cabinets arrives for 2017; large metal shelves, ideal for vegetables, slide out on runners. Both cabinets are 34 cm wide; the drawers are 59cm wide. Add in three top cabinets plus the big fridge (140-litre capacity) and the 675’s kitchen can safely be categorised as great in terms of storage.

Unusually, Lasers have recessed drainers; some say they’re far more practical than the space-saving removable ones and we tend to agree. We love the sink, drainer and hob surface, too; it’s shiny black, smart and undoubtedly will prove to be very durable.

There’s a 1.4m stretch of kitchen surface; plus space on top of the dresser. That’s just about enough space, but we think a hinged extension would have improved practicality, especially when you are working with the sink and drainer top raised.

For as long as we can remember, a unique feature of Coachmans has been microwaves hidden behind cabinet doors. That’s changed for 2017, with the introduction of flush-fitting microwave surrounds. They look smart and stylish, matching the white cabinet fronts that have dark feature strips.

Towing

Great on style, level of equipment and fine detail, but how about on the road? Lasers’ twin-axle geometry with the bonus of ATC put them up among the best in terms of towing credentials. The timing of our prototype 675’s review, before its unveiling, meant that we couldn’t take it out of the factory grounds, so our tow-test was a very brief – and slow – one. It felt great behind our SsangYong Rexton, of course and we’ve towed Lasers before, so we’ve every confidence in the road manners of this new model.