Adria Altea Dart caravan

With the shower room in the centre, closable from each side, the Dart is ideal for both couples and families

Words: Val Chapman  Photography: John Chapman

The Adria Altea Dart

The Altea range caters for families, in the form of the six-berth Avon, and, for both couples and families, with two models: the Tyne, with twin beds, and the Dart, with an island bed, and a shower room in the centre of the layout. 

This is the Altea model to go for if you want the versatility of transforming the lounge into a bedroom. That’s because those sleeping at the front can get to the shower and toilet area without walking through the bedroom. So, luxury for two, with excellent four-berth capability – and an all-up weight of a modest 1,650kg.

We’d come to Barnsdale Leisure, where a Dart is on display inside the showroom to explore this model in detail. (Whatever the weather, caravan perusing is easy here, and you get to see the caravans with the lights on.) 

The washroom

We started our analysis in the centre. The shower is on the nearside; the toilet and washbasin are on the offside, in a separate compartment. When you open the door of the toilet area, it swings across the caravan to latch on the forward end of the shower compartment, so creating an en suite to the  bedroom.

At the rear of the shower/toilet area, a sliding door divides it from the bedroom. So, it can be as an en suite to the lounge as it can be to the bedroom.

It’s a delightful preening area, with a large mirror above the rectangular basin, a towel rail close to  the basin, and two cabinets, one under the basin and the other above the toilet. The shower cubicle has an interesting style feature: it has double doors, clear at the bottom and top, with horizontal obscure lines in the centre, decreasing in width towards the top and bottom. The chrome loop door handles add to the style.

The kitchen

Adria caravans excel on style, practicality, and fine details. One example that ticks all three of these boxes is here in the Dart. In the corner of the kitchen, by the sink, is a white pole running from the work surface to the underside of the cabinet above. Three clips each secure a removable rectangular metal shelf, in any orientation you choose.

These are perfect for cooking utensils, a washing-up brush, perhaps, and small items you use regularly, like salt and pepper. You can rotate them towards the sink, or keep them aligned close to the wall.

Alteas have Adria’s signature hob and sink arrangement, an in-line, three-burner hob that flows towards the sink, making cleaning easy. A black glass hob cover and a white chopping board sink cover ensure that both of these can become part of the surface when covered.

With the 35cm-square extension hinged up into position, the Dart’s kitchen surface is 1.47m long, so offering plenty of space.

There’s a combined oven/grill, and a microwave, hidden behind one of the two top cabinet doors that have soft-close mechanisms built into their substantial hinges. They open by means of concealed tilt-catches; very neat and refined. 

Lower kitchen storage comes in the form of two drawers and a drop-down-door cabinet, all 54cm wide, plus a cabinet under the oven. Opposite is Thetford’s tall, slimline fridge/freezer. Its capacity is 140 litres. Cabinets are both above and beneath it. So, an excellent kitchen with good storage capability and plenty of surface space.

The lounge

And the lounge? One word describes it in a nutshell: spacious. That’s because the seating runs all of the way around the caravan. It’s deep; it has supportive knee rolls, and it’s comfortable. A snack or drinks table hinges up from the front wall. It’s 37cm wide and 17cm deep and, because it’s flush with the windowsill, you can add in another 7cm of depth; plenty of space for lots of muffins and hot chocolate!

Storage above the lounge is provided by four cabinets, all with soft-close mechanisms. Lounge styling is quite stunning. The walls are finished in mottled grey. It looks like fabric until you touch it, and realise it’s actually wallpaper. 

Fabric does, though, play a part in the décor here. On each side of the wide front window are two pockets; perfect for copies of Caravan magazine(!), and more of course. Two smaller pockets are alongside the ends of the sofas; ideal for keys or phones. Black window surrounds look smart and the combination of pale gold and fawn in the diamond pattern curtain fabric adds a touch of sophistication.

Lighting

Alteas have plenty of style elements. Lighting features are neat and cleverly designed. Tracks run above the side windows and across the upper edge of the gigantic panoramic rooflight. 

Each track has three neat spotlights, and you can move their positions along the tracks, or indeed move any of the spotlights from one track to another.

The bedroom

The charming bedroom has large windows on both sides, making it an exceptionally light environment. Both have long curtains of the same lovely fabric as those in the lounge. The wardrobes, on each side of the bed, have inset shelves that are ideal for coffee mugs, phones and books. Below each wardrobe is a three-shelf cabinet.

The table store, on the nearside of the bedroom alongside the shower cubicle, provides a shelf, and above is a television bracket.

Smart décor that characterises Alteas ensures their appeal to buyers who favour ultra-modern styling. The Dart’s layout provides the luxury of a completely separate bedroom closed off by a sliding door, and a superb en suite shower area with a hinged door to divide it from the kitchen. 

And, if you like the Dart’s layout, but would prefer Alde heating, the Adria Adora Tiber gives you just that; plus, it’s 17cm wider. The Dart is a great-value caravan, and the Tiber comes in at £5,420 more, but it’s nice to have the choice.