I can imagine stepping from a nice deck into the spacious centre living area of the IRM Callista Comfort – though I’d really much rather step from the living area via the double doors out into the sunshine. Sadly, we didn’t visit warmer climes to see this caravan holiday home, just the showground of Own A Holiday Home in Cheshire, on a very rainy day.

From a technical point of view, the Callista Comfort has an IRM Isopro ultra-resistant galvanized steel chassis construction with 165mm wood floor joists every 45cm to ensure greater floor rigidity. There’s a galvanized, corrosion resistant steel pantile roof with extra insulation, extra-thick external walls (50mm) with extra insulation and a 64mm ‘ISOTHERM’ floor with reinforced thermal insulation as standard. Heating is provided by a 1500W convector heater in the living area, 750W in the master bedroom and 500W in the shower room.

The exterior has white Canadian-type low-maintenance vinyl cladding, re-sistant to UV and all weather conditions.

Living space

The open plan living area has a vaulted ceiling, which makes the it seem spacious. A large L-shaped sofa, in faux suede (anti-stain and anti-mould treated), converts to a bed. We are used to wrestling with a variety of objectionable cushions to achieve such a transformation – but this was one of the easiest we’ve dealt with.

The large window at the back of the sofa has nets and light-stopping curtains with tie-backs, hung on wooden poles.

There are a few open shelves, a long wall mounted mirror, a TV point, a power point and a couple of cupboards on the wall opposite the sofa. All the MDF, vinyl-covered furniture is light coloured and there is a large wardrobe to the left of the doors. There are vinyl floors throughout (normal for continental designs).

The dining area is adjacent to a picture window. The large dining table has a useful built-in extension leaf and four chairs.

Generous master

The master bedroom is very generously sized – there is no need to shuffle to get in and out of the 4ft 6in metal frame bed with sprung mattress. In fact, the room can accommodate a 5ft bed (an extra cost item) and you’d still have room to swing a cat. Add to this the luxury of two wardrobes, two free standing bedside tables, overbed cupboards, a chest of drawers and wall lights, and it’s a bedroom that would suit most people.

The en-suite shower room has a large open shelf unit across a corner, a toilet and a vanity unit.

And just when I thought there was nothing more to offer, I found the guests’ toilet. In typical French fashion, there’s no hand basin, but one could be fitted, I was told. You could also consider installing a top loading washing machine.

Cook and clean

The kitchen has a reasonable amount of storage for utensils and food, not to mention the odd bottle of wine, with five eye-level cupboards, four base units and four drawers, a couple deep enough for saucepans. A stainless steel sink with mixer tap is under the window and you can see out as you stand up to your elbows in bubbles (though a dishwasher is an optional extra).

A four-burner, stainless steel gas hob (with piezo ignition and flame failure device), a filter hood (not an extractor) and an A-rated (low energy) two-door fridge/freezer are standard equipment. What is not factory standard, but has been specified by Own A Holiday Home, is an oven and grill, and there is space for a microwave.

The kitchen worktops co-ordinated with the sofa and curtains, so that’s reds, oranges and browns – approach those with red eyes in the morning and you could see spots before your eyes! The Bosch boiler is in a kitchen cupboard and, though the instructions on the door were in French, an English translation was available.

Warm shower

The heated shower room has a white shower cubicle with a thermostatically controlled shower with a clear acrylic door and recesses for some toiletries. A dual flush loo is reckoned to be water saving and there are some triangular shaped shelves fitted across a corner and two more shelves in the cupboard under the washbasin.

Second bed

The twin bedroom and a shower room are to the right of the entrance, accessed via doors from the living area. Sadly, it’s not a self-contained suite. The bedroom has two 2ft 6in beds, each with lights over, which can be made up into one double as the bedside cabinets are free standing. There are lots of cupboards, some over the bed, and a wardrobe with a space-saving bi-fold door. There is an insect screen at the window, as well as curtains.

Ah yes... the fabrics. Well, the throws on the beds are included and do match the curtains, but they may not suit all tastes. I did like the bamboo effect finish on the wall over the beds

OUR VERDICT

This is a caravan holiday-home carefully designed to maximise space and it certainly has a spacious feel. Models with two bedrooms and two shower rooms and a separate toilet are not a common design, and the sizable master bedroom is also a great asset. Centre lounge designs are very popular with continental designers.


Technical details
• Type: Single unit caravan holiday home
• Standard: EN1647
• Size: 35ft x 12 ft (40m2)*
• Bedrooms: 2

NB: In France a caravan holiday home must not normally exceed 40m2 and, with annexes (eg decking), must not occupy more than 30% of your pitch.

Main features
• Centre lounge
• Double bedroom with en suite shower
• Separate WC
• Twin/double bedroom
• Separate shower room with WC
• Double glazing and electric heating as standard

Price
From £38,500 ex works (inc VAT)

CONTACT

Own a Holiday Home, Hartford Manor, Greenbank Lane, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 1HW. Tel (free): 0800 977 7004. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.ownaholidayhome.com


This review was published in the January 2009 issue of Park & Holiday Homes magazine. To order our latest issue please click here.


Park & Holiday Homes magazine offers reprints of all homes and parks we've reviewed in our magazine. To view our latest index of reviews see our current issue click here.