Full review

DOG owners will love one feature of this year’s Lexons. It’s a connection point for an external shower. Great, also, for showering sand off the kids. Or cleaning your boots.

There’s more to notice before you step inside. The gas bottle locker is wide and opens smoothly on its gas-filled struts to create easy access for lifting gas bottles in and out. Amid the current fashion for big splashes of grey graphics, Lexons look subtle, even understated, but then no-one ever bought a caravan just because they liked the graphics.

Inside, the Lexon 520 has a lot more features that appeal. As a family caravan with a reasonably short length and an MTPLM of only 1420kg, the 520 has much appeal, not least because its layout is versatile.

SLEEPING

You have the usual double bed making from the lounge, plus two bunks that can be created from a wide dining area just forward of the full-width shower room. The 520 may be aimed squarely at the family market but we can see couple-appeal in this layout, too.

LOUNGING

Cushion and upholstery comfort is great. At 1.68m, the front lounge settees are long enough to put your feet up but not of sufficient length to lie down on.

DINING

With a permanent dining area, you have a breakfast room – no need to put away the double bed before you start the day’s breakfast procedures.

In two-berth mode, you can even leave the double bed made-up during daytime and use the dining area for lounging as well as eating. That’s because it’s wider than the usual two-seater side dining area and therefore seems a more comfortable place in which to relax. The versatility of this layout means that it’s a strong candidate for your shortlist if you occasionally take grandchildren on holiday.

SHOWERING

The shower is larger than average. Usefully, a hanging rail runs the length of the shower area – perfect for drying garments after a rainy walk.

Forward of the washroom, six shelves surround a large mirror and a deep curving shelf runs beneath it. This is the 520’s ‘dressing table’, complete with socket for powering a hairdryer. There’s another socket in the dining area, one on the middle dresser and others in the lounge and kitchen.

KITCHEN

Kitchen surface space is ample for the needs of four, as is both upper and lower cupboard space. The cabinet beside the fridge contains a good-sized cutlery drawer as well as two deep shelf areas. Considering the short length of the caravan, this is an excellent kitchen

DINING

With two dining areas, there has to be a high score here, especially when the side one is a metre wide.

STORAGE

Plenty of space under seating but the area under the nearside dining area is fiddly to access through a system of sliding slats, webbing straps and press-studs.

SECURITY

Lexons have AL-KO Secure wheel lock receivers; opt for the lock as well (an extra £219) because this may give you money off your caravan insurance, as most insurers recognise the effectiveness of these devices.

BUILD QUALITY

Lunar has built its reputation on keeping caravan weight low – but all the components and furniture look and feel high quality.