Full review

LONGITUDINAL permanent end bedroom caravans have been around for some time now, but it was Bailey who pioneered this incredibly successful layout in the UK with its Series 5 Senator Indiana.

Bailey took the basic premise of the layout and turned what was arguably a slightly gloomy-feeling two-room design into a much more open-plan, better-lit and more welcoming single room design (corner washroom aside, of course).

It’s a layout that has proved an instant hit with the public, so no-one has been terribly surprised to find many rival manufacturers taking the idea and running with it for the 2007 model year.

What is surprising, however, is the fact that Lunar’s take on the design for its new Zenith is considerably narrower than most of its rivals.

Swift’s Challenger 540 made the most of its new-found airiness by adopting a bodyshell that’s right up to the 7ft 6in legal limit, and those manufacturers who have adopted the design for some of their cheaper models - Explorer Group and Swift Group included - have stuck firmly to this maxim.

The Zenith EB, on the other hand, is just 7ft 1in wide, which strikes us as odd, given the 7ft 6in wide Lexon, Stellar, Clubman, Solaris and Delta elsewhere in the Lunar range. It also strikes us as something of a missed opportunity.

You could hardly fail to notice the difference between Zenith ’06 and Zenith ’07 from the outside, though, for the frumpy, forgettable looks of the old model have been binned in favour of a startling, but pleasingly modern-looking shape that embraces the tail end treatment enjoyed by several 2007 Lunars.

Whopping great vertical tail lights are the biggest change here - and fresher, more minimalist body graphics.

The gentle curve to the mouldings front and rear are further enhanced by the adoption of more substantial-looking (and feeling) grab handles finished in a contrasting shade of dark grey.

It’s inside, though, where the changes are most obvious. The new ‘kirsch’ woodwork is by far the best cabinetry I’ve seen in any lower-priced Lunar and shames that fitted to some of its bigger rivals to boot.

While there are one or two design hiccups here and there (why, for instance, do so many manufacturers still insist on fitting reading and wall-lights at the front of the lounge, and leaving the rear portions of the settees in comparative gloom?), thoughtful, practical touches like the loose-lay bound-edge carpets (which would have been better still had they been sectioned into two or three pieces), tilt/slide Remis Top sunroof and wok-friendly three-burner hob continue the good work done by the handsome exterior styling.



The seats up front are pleasingly plump and supportive, and convert into a pair of 5ft x 2ft 3in single beds (or one 6ft 7in x 4ft 10in double) via the usual pull-out slats, while sitting four to dinner shouldn’t be a problem, given the generously-proportioned folding table.

Another continuing (and, it has to be said, extremely welcome) industry trend of swapping a space-wasting fixed drainer for a removable one opens up a surprising amount of worktop space in the EB’s kitchen, too, and while the 70-litre Dometic fridge is a bit of a disappointment (its freezer compartment is of the old-school matchbox variety, not the more usual full width type), the spark-ignition Spinflo Caprice Mk III cooker is a reasonable compromise.



The huge dresser located diametrically opposite sports its own pair of individually switched halogen downlighters, a proper TV station and enough room to site a TV, digi-box, DVD player and stereo, while those doors open to reveal an impressive amount of storage space - and right over the axle-line, too.

Out back, the 6ft 4in-long double bed has the usual cut-off mattress to facilitate easier access to the corner washroom, but the proper padded headboard, his ‘n’ hers reading lights and oddments shelves (together with a larger communal shelf) are good to see, as are the clear rooflight overhead, ventilation spacer board by the wall and gas strut-assisted wooden bed base.

And finally, the washroom. The swivel toilet (manual flush in this instance) really should be in front of the shower area, not behind it.

Our verdict:

THIS latest Zenith is a quantum leap over the outgoing model in just about every respect.

My only real issues with the new EB are its compromised washroom layout, and its surprisingly substantial £11,500 asking price.

Fact-file:

Price:  £11,495
Berths: 4
Warranty: Three years
MRO: 21.5cwt (1090kg)
MTPLM: 26.6cwt (1350kg)
Internal length: 18ft 2in (5.56m)
Overall length: 23ft 1in (7.03m)
Internal height: 6ft 3in (1.90m)
Overall width: 7ft 1in (2.16m)
Overall height: 8ft 5in (2.56m)

•    A full version of this review appeared in the January 2007 issue of Which Caravan. To order a road test reprint contact Tina Beaumont on 01778 391187.

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