Full review

If you believe in horoscopes, you’ll know that a supposed characteristic of the people born under the sign of Taurus is being stubborn. Whether that’s true, it’s a characteristic of the makers of the new Lunar Taurus 690.

Lunar Automotive has stubbornly fought to get this new model and existing models out to market after the old business collapsed. And, a fine model it is too. The Taurus 690 is an eight-foot wide family caravan with the space and facilities to match.

Any young family looking for a caravan which gives the parents and children their own space should add this model to their shortlist. Read on to see why!

Lounging

With its L-shaped lounge and deep seats the Taurus 690 is perfect for a family who want to spend time together eating or entertaining themselves here. There’s a huge space on the nearside wall for a TV to make this into an entertainment den, especially if you make the double bed up!

Below the TV space, there’s a long shelf and further shelves below it for storage, a big cupboard above the TV and a corner cupboard at the front, which has a door on it too.

The excellent lighting highlights the pale grey upholstery, which offsets the dark grey curtains. The effect is to make the lounge space warm and inviting, yet modern-looking. Reading lights in the corners add to the atmosphere. Hidden LED strip lighting on the edges soften the hard lines of the shelving and enhance its style.

Small details make the lounge more comfortable, including a cubbyhole in the lounge side of the kitchen unit, which is ideal for storing gadgets or TV controllers. And, a USB charging point in one of the reading lights means you can charge your gadgets without them cluttering up the lounge.

Cooking

With an eight-feet wide caravan, you notice the extra space they give you in the kitchen. Compared to standard-width caravans, the space in the Taurus 690’s kitchen is enormous. When one person is cooking, another can get past them to the washroom with ease.

The kitchen surface is L-shaped too, which means you have a big surface space for preparing food. The round, metal kitchen sink has a chrome mixer tap which stands out from the dark surface around the sink.

The Thetford oven, hob and grill sits to the right. The hob has three gas burners and an electric hob. With its separate grill and oven, you’ll be able to cater for a family of four. If you have more guests, you’ll cope too.

Kitchen storage is good too. There are four drawers on the left side of the kitchen for cutlery, food and kitchen gear. Plus, two big overhead cupboards above the sink and hob gives you more space for food and ingredients.

For quick cooking, there’s a microwave oven on the opposite side of the kitchen which might be too high for some chefs. It’s useful for catering for families on site. Below, there’s a shelving unit with a big space and an electric socket, making it the perfect spot for a coffee machine or kettle.

Underneath the top are two big, open-sided shelves where you can store big items. With the lip on each shelf items should be fairly secure as long as they aren’t top heavy.

An interesting feature are the twin cubby holes to the left of the washroom door. They are ideal for storing a wine bottle in each, or other liquids in bottles. You’d want to remove anything in there and store it securely before you tow, however.

Dining

The Taurus 690 has two dining areas, one in the back in the children’s space, and the other in the lounge. There’s a pop-up table to use in the lounge which you’d probably use for adults, unless your family wants to eat less formally off their knees without the table up.

Children get the best of dining arrangements with their own dining table at the back of the Taurus. The table seats four small people and, with the benefit of the door closing off the space, the children can eat in peace, while the adults do their own thing in the lounge. It’s civilised dining.

Washing

With a caravan this wide, you’d expect a big washroom. And, the Taurus 690 delivers. The washroom sits between the kitchen and the rear bedroom, and it’s spacious. To left, as you enter, there’s a set of small, open shelves. These will be useful when you’ve pitched up, but not so useful for storage on the move.

A semi-circular shower unit with sliding doors in the corner sits next to the shelves. The shower has a faux-tile decorative section at the back, with two small shelves for soap or shampoo. Despite the wheel unit at the back, there’s still plenty of standing room in the shower. Also,

Next to the shower is a Thetford toilet (with plenty of elbow room), and a towel roll holder on the wall next to it. On the opposite side of the washroom is the washbasin which sits on a deep cupboard. At first glance, the sink sits a little farther back on the surface for small people. But, Lunar thought about this and put in a pull-out step at the cupboard’s base. The cupboard below the basin is good for storing your washing kits or towels.

Above the sink is a useful shelf for bits and pieces, and a cup and brush holder to the left. A big mirror reflects to the soft light from the light above it. The down-lighting in the room illuminates the space well and makes it feel warm and cozy.

To the right of the basin unit is a tall storage unit which includes a hanging wardrobe and four drawers below. This is ample space for hanging coats, dresses or delicates, and keeping your underwear tucked away. A sliding door between the washroom and rear bedroom means you can wash in private.

Sleeping

The rear bedroom can sleep up to four people. The 690 has two fixed bunks on the offside with a ladder to the top bunk. They are 178cm by 63cm wide, which means they are suitable for all but the tallest teenagers. A window next to each and a skylight means you can keep the room ventilated, especially important for odorous teenagers.

When you’re not using the table (which could seat five at a push) you can convert the seats into another bed and opt to have a further bunk added. If you have a big family, this is a great solution for holidays.

Adults will want to sleep in the front by converting the L-shaped lounge into a double bed. Like many beds, you pull out a slatted base from the sofa and overlay it with the seating and backrests. The bed is 198cm long by 110cm wide, which is plenty for most couples.

Storage

The main storage areas are under the lounge seats, and the sets in the rear bedroom. With a family of four, this is enough for storing clothing and equipment. There are plenty of overhead lockers in the lounge and rear bedroom for smaller items, like books, toys, gadgets and clothes.

Having an eight-feet wide caravan means you get space to move and space to store everything you need for a family holiday. But, be wary of overloading your Taurus 690 when you’re towing it. This caravan only has a payload of 181KG, which is easy to use up. You may need to load your tow car up with heavier items before you hit the road.

Verdict

The Lunar Taurus 690 is the new incarnation of the company’s former Lexon range. If you’ve got a big or growing family, and you want space for everyone, the Taurus 690 fits the bill. Sleeping up to six people, and with tonnes of space for lounging, eating and cooking, this caravan delivers. You’ll need a sizeable towcar to move it, but what you spend in buying it and what you save on hotel or holiday rentals is likely to make the Taurus 690 an easy choice to buy.