Full review

When Lunar extended the Lexon range to introduce two new twin-axle models, and also enhanced equipment of all Lexons to feature the Alde heating system, the manufacturer brought this mid-market range much closer in appeal to its top-spec Deltas and Clubmans. In fact, stepping inside the long, spacious new 640, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re in a Delta.

For a start, the new Lexon 640 has the benefit of the same twin-axle stability as the Deltas – and that’s an important factor when you’re choosing a caravan that you’re going to be towing many miles. Lexons have the AL-KO electronic anti-snaking device called ATC (Active Trailer Control) for added reassurance.

So, high spec for the road – and high spec for living, the 640 ticks a lot of appeal boxes. Its layout is twin beds. But before you file this new model under “strictly for couples”, consider this: the 640, we think, has family appeal, too. That’s partly due to its size. Families need lots of living space and lots of storage space; the 640 provides both in ample measure.

And the sleeping arrangements? Those twin beds would be ideal for a couple who keep different bed-times and rising times and who don’t want to climb over each other to get in and out of a double bed. But they’d be equally fine for children – or, more especially, teenagers, who want their own bedroom space (and plenty of it) and are past the age at which bunk beds are fun.

Showering

The 640 has one of the largest shower rooms in the business. That’s not only in terms of floor space. It’s in terms of storage accommodation. There are two wardrobes. One has three shelf spaces beneath it; the other contains three drawers. The shower is huge; every bit as large as you’d find in a house.

There’s the anticipated cabinet under the oval washbasin. A strip of LEDs casts light down on the mirror attractively. In addition to the Alde panel radiator in the shower room there is an additional vent for warm air to rise from the radiator fins which run across the back of the caravan. Our test day was warm, though, so there was no chance of testing the effectiveness of the 640’s heating system in the shower room, but the size of the panel radiator suggests this room would get – and stay – pleasantly toasty.

Our review prototype 640 hadn’t had its towel rail fitted to the wall over the radiator at the time of this test; when this important little piece of equipment arrives, that will bring the towel spaces to two; there’s a loop alongside the shower. So, as a showering and dressing room, this space excels in every aspect.

There’s only one minor feature that detracts from near perfection in terms of practicality. That’s the proximity of the nearest power point that you’d use for a hairdryer. It’s at the forward end of the offside twin bed, which means you’d have to use an extension cable to enable you to dry your hair using the mirror in the shower room. Don’t let that situation detract from the whole, though, for the new 640 is a very impressive caravan.

Sleeping

The twin beds have deep mattresses. Both have full-length drop-down front access hatches to the storage areas beneath, and exterior openings, too. If you want to get in from the top, you’ll find that raising the base is effortless, making use of the robust sprung hinges.

The front bed makes up by drawing a conventional slatted base from under the front central chest of drawers. The settees aren’t quite full adult sleeping length – but they’d make ideal beds for children.

Storage

Two big wardrobes, with drawers and shelves in the shower room, two big spaces under the twin beds, more under the settees… There’s more lower storage space than a family of four would ever want. The under-settee lockers have full-length drop down front hatches as well as the ability to easily raise the tops.

Upper storage ability matches the excellence we see under the beds and seating. Over each twin bed are two wide, deep lockers running the whole length of the beds. Six lockers surround the lounge. There’s a cabinet alongside the door, below the TV position. Above this, a drinks cabinet has a light inside it and a frosted opaque plastic door; the light shines through into the living area adding to the ambience here. Storage, overall, then, is brilliant.

Dining

Straightforward – a pull-out small table at the front and a main table for meals for four. But there’s more to notice here. The top of the chest of drawers is wider than many we see in caravans and, although the pull-out extension is slightly narrower, the resulting flat surface is plenty big enough for two to dine. The freestanding table is stored neatly away within the forward kitchen cabinet.

Lounging

In lounging terms, there’s a big plus-point about the 640 – or, indeed, any other twin-bedded caravan. Don’t think of those beds as purely for night-time use. Throw some extra cushions on them and they make great places for lounging. Perfect, then, for feet-up television watching…

The 640 has two TV positions; in addition to the one by the cabinet alongside the door, there’s a second one in the offside corner of the lounge. The important feature here is that windowsills on the redesigned Lexons are deeper than those on previous models, so there’s space to put a TV here without impinging on the capacity of the chest of drawer’s surface for other uses. It’s here in the lounge that you really notice one of Lexon range’s key changes for 2013.

The windows are deeper; they’re in fact 25% larger, so more light comes in. And the new, more vertical front body line means that the lockers over the windows are deeper; Lunar tells us that there is 87% more space in these lockers compared with the shallower, more angled lockers of 2012 models. The redesigned front panel has enabled Lunar to create more headroom at the front of the caravan because there is less of a slope in the roofline here.

Upholstery is new and distinctive for 2013. It’s a raised geometric pattern of brown velour on a cream-weave surface. The threads of the velour catch the light and seem to change colour, from dark brown to pale fawn, depending on the direction of the light. Curtains are of a light-reflecting fabric, too; they’re satiny brown with a vertical weave pattern. The front end of the settees have curved firm back supports; the other ends have squashy bolsters, In between, you can position four scatter cushions any way you like, to create comfort.

Kitchen

This is a kitchen for cooks – and for people who like to minimise the frequency of food-buying expeditions on holiday. With a tower fridge and separate freezer, plus two capacious kitchen cabinets, you could stock up for two weeks in this kitchen – if you wanted to.

Those lower kitchen cupboards are well designed, we think, for practicality. On the left, a fitted cutlery drawer gives you enough space for four place settings and more. Below, two deep shelf spaces take care of all sorts of stuff. The right hand cupboard is larger, with a deep, wide drawer at the top; ideal for cooking utensils.

The microwave is opposite. Under the fridge is yet another cabinet, and five doors front the upper kitchen accommodation. A strip of LEDs lights runs the length of the kitchen under the lockers. There’s enough kitchen surface for making meals without struggling to find enough space to prepare food. Even with the fan-shaped plastic removable drainer in place, there’s a reasonable amount of surface alongside and in front of it, and also around the circular sink.

The chopping-board style sink cover sits above the level of the surface around it, but this circular area is nonetheless a practical integral part of the working surface. A well-fitting washing up bowl is provided. There’s a hotplate and three burners; the oven and grill have smart plain glass doors. In all, this is a kitchen that’s designed for proper cooking without space restriction.

Towing

Towing spec for 2013 features shock absorbers as well as ATC. Add those two features to four-wheel geometry and you have one of the best road-specs anywhere in caravans. An impressive tow test, then? Well, actually, we couldn’t take the 640 on the road because your caravan tester was perfecting the art of walking on crutches at the time of this review!