Full review

There’s one traditional family layout that doesn’t go out of fashion. Alongside the triple-bunk innovation that has become synonymous with “big-family” caravanning, the twin-lounge five-berth thrives, its popularity – established by several generations of caravanners –undiminished.

There are several reasons why the five-berth layout with the sometimes-irksome-task pull-up bunk at the near endures.

Top of the list has to be its twin-lounge aspect. For “lounge” read play area, dining room – and, of course, bedroom; the Quasar 525 gives you two of every important area. What’s more, its all-up weight is less than 1400kg.

Quasars sit at entry level in Lunar’s echelon of ranges. But these are far from no-frills caravans.

They will impress you with their finesse and spec level which extends to a super-pitch water  point and an external shower connector. And the 525 will impress you, in particular, because it has a separate shower – a rarity in this layout.

You also get refinements including an external gas barbecue point, an external storage locker containing a mains socket – not always found on so-called budget caravans. More importantly, you get an AKS hitch-head stabiliser and the spare wheel is standard.

Living space is where this five-berth scores over rival layouts. Specifically, the caravan is more open-plan than caravans with three bunks in a stack because there is less woodwork.


By comparison, the 525 still gives the smaller caravanners their own space at the back – but someone has to make the beds at night.

The front lounge gives you two adult-length single beds, which is a key factor in this layout’s universal family appeal.

If you’re buying a caravan to last until your now-young children are teenagers, this is a strong contender, because this front lounge can be either double bed (parents) or two singles (teenagers) – with parents nestling cosily in the rear double bed. Options and flexibility are handed out by the 525 in huge quantity.

There’s plenty of quality to admire, too. Quasar-style curtains are lined, high-quality and well-made. There’s plenty of material – enough so that, should you wish to draw them over the blinds for an extra cosy look, you can.

The list marked “Things to impress you” goes on when you open the washroom door. The little room is amazingly spacious considering that this caravan has beds for five in a short length. And the shower is surprisingly large, with a substantially-constructed plastic folding door.

Something else sure to impress you is the practicality of the kitchen. At first glance you may think the lack of covers on the metal sink and drainer make it look basic –  an attempt to save cost and weight. Which it may be.

But give it more consideration and you will realise – as we did on test – that the uncovered sink and drainer is a plus-point.

Ask yourself how often you prepare food with the sink cover down from choice on a caravan and you are well on the way to realising the merit in this arrangement. A permanently open sink works really well.

Kitchen storage space doesn’t quite match the working surface’s top-marks status, though; the cupboard is slim, and contains only two small shelf areas plus an equally small cutlery drawer that’s not enough space for place settings for five- but, with a two-drawer unit at the centre- front, that’s not a problem.

Verdict:

If you need to sleep five, and want maximum living space in a 5.3 metre caravan, plus the luxury of a separate shower, all under 1400kg, this layout is just about as good as caravans get.

Add in the Quasar touch of finesse, exemplified by curtain quality and upholstered pelmets, plus an obvious high build quality that is pretty much taken for granted in a Lunar, and it’s easy to see why Lunar rates this model among its best sellers.

• This new caravan review was first published in theSeptember 2010 issue of Go Caravan magazine.