Coachman Amara Olympia 520/4

Extras Standard Coachman Amara 520/4 costs £16,590 AL-KO ATC electronic stability system Sound system upgrade to include DVD player Alarm system Awning out let for blown air heating system AL-KO jack Min-Heki roof light in end washroom models Olympia exclusive upholstery Four firm settee armrests Mudflaps11 Door mat in tray 8-year bodyshell warranty (extended from Coachman’s 6-year warranty)

Raymond James Caravans stamps its exclusive identity on the Coachman Amara range by means of 11 items of extra equipment and a new name. Olympia caravans have different fabrics, minor things like mudflaps and a mat – and something really major. That’s the AL-KO ATC stability control electronic braking system. It would cost you £450 if you were to buy it separately – and it adds on immeasurable peace of mind in terms of its safety enhancement. The second most valuable item on the Raymond James special edition list is an eight-year bodyshell warranty. It’s worth £395 and extends Coachman’s normal six-year warranty. Add those two items together and you’re already above the £800 extra you pay for the Olympia 520/4 compared with the standard Amara 520/4 on which it’s based.
The entertainment equipment is upgraded to include a DVD playback facility; that would cost you an extra £300 if purchased separately. There’s an alarm system (key-fob activated) worth £350 – and that’s likely to save you money, as most caravan specialist insurance companies offer a discount for factory-fitted alarms.
The blown air system is extended to warm your awning; there’s an outlet just beside the exterior locker. That’s another £55-worth of kit.
There’s a £125 item you hope you’ll never need – it’s an AL-KO jack (the spare wheel is standard on the Amara as well as on the Olympia).
End washroom models get a Mini Heki roof light; that adds another £99 onto the value list.
Olympias get different upholstery, adding £299 to the special edition value list. Mauve shiny-fabric curtains and cushions, with seating fabric that melds greys and creams and picks up flecks of the mauve that distinguishes Olympias; the upholstery’s probably the first difference you’ll notice as you step inside caravans in this range. And there’s more than colours and cloths to notice about the seating, the four corners of the settees are solid, deeply curved upholstery sections borrowed from Coachman’s higher-priced VIP and Pastiche ranges; that’s £199 more on this list.
Mudflaps and a doormat in a recessed tray each add on £25. Into the pricing structure comes the £495 dealer delivery charge, making the Olympia 520/4 £17,885, compared with the standard Amara equivalent at £17,085 including delivery fee.
The 520/4’s layout is a popular family choice, with offside two-seater dining area that turns into bunk beds, and an end washroom.
Coachman does washrooms well. This one, typical of the excellence in this manufacturer’s ranges, is larger than you’d expect in a 5.4m caravan. It contains a huge wardrobe with shelves down the side and two big drawers beneath. The shower is circular, the washbasin is set into a cabinet containing a large double-doored cupboard, there are deep shelves alongside the mirror and another stretching along the rear wall above the window. And the floor space is generous – which really matters when you’re showering and dressing children.
You won’t go short of space in the kitchen, either. There’s a good-sized cutlery drawer above a central cupboard, and a surface alongside the fixed-drainer sink that’s fine for making meals for four, especially when you consider that there’s a table opposite to help when you need it.
Coachman hides microwaves within kitchen cabinets; this one’s behind a top-hinged, cream-fronted locker above the four-burner hob. To the right of the kitchen area is a tall, deep cupboard fitted for tableware and, in the centre, two wide shelves; that’s the place for the pepper mill and other necessities you’ll use with pretty much every meal…
Upper storage is more than adequate for the needs of four. Six lockers line the lounge; the two at the front are reasonably deep considering they’re in the slope of the roof – but only one of the side four lockers has a shelf. Of the three lockers above the dining area, only one has a shelf. More shelves equal more capacity – but more woodwork equals more weight…
Talking of weight, it’s interesting to note that the extra specification adds only 10kg to the standard Amara’s MRO of 1393kg. In essence, the Olympia package reduces your payload by 10kg; the MTPLM stays the same as the standard Amara 520/4, at 1555kg.
Our test journey from the Raymond James base at Atherstone in Warwickshire took us just over five miles to a five-pitch Camping and Caravanning Club Certified Site, Hoar Farm, near Coleshill. The route was along narrow lanes, so no chance to stretch the Olympia’s stride in an attempt to activate the ATC stability system. But we didn’t have to test it to know that it works. The driver isn’t aware when the system applies the caravan brakes to correct a tendency to sway. It’s there, in the background, as extra protection to help keep you safe – adding peace of mind to the whole tow experience. To our way of thinking, ATC is in itself worth opting for the Olympia package; add in the insurance saving earned by the alarm system and you have a cracking package. The rest of the extra kit is just icing on a very attractive cake.

The Coachman Olympia 520/4 is a special edition of the Coachman Amara, with extra equipment.
Importantly, the additional equipment includes the AL-KO electronic stability control system. One day such things should become standard on all caravans, we believe – any enhancement to safety adds huge value to a caravan’s appeal. Alarms save you money on insurance with most companies. You’ll probably seldom use the awning warmer, you hope you’ll never need the jack. A well thought-out package.