Full review

£14,995 • MTPLM 1150kg • MIRO 1026kg

This lightweight caravan from Lunar weighs very little over 1000kg but has a very large shower room

Review first appeared in Caravan Buyer January 2012

 

The Lexon 420’s two-berth, end shower room layout is one that we see less often among today’s caravans. That’s because fixed-bed layouts now dominate the couples market. Yet there is still a place for this straightforward two-berth layout, especially as short, fixed-bed caravans often have the shower in the same compartment as the toilet. This new Lexon has a separate shower – in a shower room that’s amazingly spacious.

Showering 9/10

At 80cm wide and 67cm deep, the Lexon 420’s shower is as large as many in houses.
Among other practical points to notice is the amount of hanging space for towels. There’s the usual loop, plus a rail running across the length of the shower. Towels can dry here – and, importantly, so can rain-soaked coats.
We love the design of Lunar’s new-for-2012 shower doors. They’re hinged 10cm inwards from the frame. That’s to allow this wide door (it measures 72cm) to open without colliding with the washbasin. The door design adds style, as does the shower itself. The temperature control is mounted on a pale green opaque plaque. Two shelves for shower gels are also pale green – this time in clear plastic – and they look just like glass. Each little shelf has a metal edging to keep shampoo containers in place.
The shower rose has an air intake at the base of the handle to increase water pressure without actually increasing the amount of water used. Air is drawn into the water, resulting in more power. This is how it works: the water and air mix, causing turbulence – and this increases the pressure inside the showerhead, forcing the water out with greater power. We have the same air-intake showerhead in our long-term-test Bailey Unicorn; the extra water power this system pushes out makes the showering process noticeably quicker.
The 420’s shower room shares another feature with Bailey’s Unicorns. It’s a traditional linen cabinet. You lift a square lid to find four hooks, on which a bag is suspended. It’s designed for dirty washing, but we find it more practical to use it for rolled-up clean towels that would otherwise take up a lot of locker space.
If there’s one fault with the Lexon 420’s shower room it’s the slim size of the cabinet under the washbasin. But we’re being soft on the pedal of criticism, because less woodwork means less weight – and this Lunar is brilliantly light for its length.

Sleeping 7/10

The lounge gives you two single beds, each 1.84m long (that’s 6ft 1in) – or a double bed; you take your choice… If you’re taller than 6ft you’ll probably choose the double bed option, because that gives you a bed length of 2.13m (7ft) across the caravan.

Storage 15/20

Storage may be in short supply in the washroom but wardrobe accommodation is quite the opposite. The wardrobe rail runs the whole 80cm width of the unit and four shelves, 27cm wide, run down the left hand side.

Dining 8/10

For breakfast or snacks the pull-out table that’s part of the front drawer unit is fine. For main meals, though, most caravanners will get the larger freestanding table out from its clips within the wardrobe.

Lounging 8/10

Two sprung settees and some cushions for cosiness – the 420’s lounge comfort is traditional, but there’s something else to notice. We took possession of our 420 in late afternoon. As the afterglow of a pink sunset faded we switched the caravan to evening mode and its lovely bright lighting seemed to change the character of the 420.

Kitchen 17/20

The amount of lower kitchen storage space is impressive for a caravan that’s only 4.2m long. The kitchen has a big cabinet with two deep shelf spaces and a cutlery drawer that is easily large enough for the cooking utensil and tableware needs of two people.
As well as ample cupboard accommodation, the 420’s kitchen gives you a generous amount of surface space, measuring 48cm deep and 69cm wide.
The sink cover matches the cream, stone-effect surface. Big arched taps in both the kitchen and shower room add on the style, too.
You get a mains hotplate amid the burners and a Sanyo microwave with programmable timer. A strip of very bright LEDs runs under the top cabinets the whole length of the kitchen – these are not token trimmings; this is serious lighting!

Build 9/10

Lunar has built its reputation on light weight – but light weight doesn’t mean a lack of quality in the furniture. Woodwork is beautifully crafted. Edges are rounded and the total look belies the 420’s ultra-light 1026kg MIRO.

Towing 8/10

Our 20-mile journey from Lunar’s factory to Little Orchard Caravan Park, near Kirkham, was ample to demonstrate the 420’s stable characteristics. The kitchen is in the centre, keeping the weight of the oven and fridge over the axle and making the 420 inherently more stable than the once-popular two berth models with end kitchens. VC

 

VERDICT 81/100

A lightweight caravan that's good quality and great value

TOWMATCH INFO

Weight (MTPLM): 1150kg

To tow this caravan at 85% you need a car kerbweight of 1352kg

To tow this caravan at 100% you need a car kerbweight of 1150kg

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