Coachman Golden Laser 640/4

Glossop Caravans’ special edition 2009 Golden Laser version of the standard Coachman is heavy, pricey, but loaded with luxury

A caravan with a 12-bottle wine rack built into the kitchen has to be up there with the best. Add in a full-size fridge freezer, air conditioning, and some of the most finely crafted cabinetry on the caravan market and it starts to look like a top-class package.

Glossop Caravans’ Golden edition of Coachman’s Laser 650/4 comes at a top-class price. So what do you get for pence under £20,000?

First, the layout. The fixed-bed 640/4 has a splendid end washroom, a three-level offside kitchen and an L-shaped lounge.
Throughout, luxury and quality are evident, as you’d expect from this manufacturer, at this level. Upholstery and curtains look hard-wearing and are classically stylish. Unfortunately the carpet lets this splendid caravan down. It’s too pale (cream) to be practical and isn’t of a deep enough pile to complement the lovely upholstery.

But there’s plenty to praise about the Laser 640/4. The kitchen has to top that list. Wine rack to the left, large central cupboard with drawer above, oven, grill and four-burner hob to the right…

But it’s the triple-level configuration of this kitchen that makes it so very different. Centre-stage oval sink, fixed drainer and hob pretty much fill the main kitchen area. But don’t imagine this kitchen lacks surface space in total. To its left, about 10cm lower, is the heater-cabinet top. The third level is under the bedroom-kitchen divider that also houses your television. It’s 10cm higher than the cooking area. You have a ledge – ideal for coffee mugs – and then you have a hinged surface to extend the kitchen over the bed. That adds about 30cm to the kitchen space, making this one of the most practical kitchens around.
The pale opalescence of the surfaces adds to the light and bright image of this caravan. Compare this image with the top-echelon caravans that are fitted with privacy glass and you realise  that Coachman’s flagship Laser gives you bright and light living.

The styling and quality list goes on: Cushioned pelmets edged with the chenille of the curtains – and the curtains are edged with the weave feature in the upholstery.

The lounge’s L-shape makes it look spacious in lounging mode – but, put a table into any L-shape and you realise that they all have limitations in seating options. You can’t sit opposite one another. And, any which way you do it, the table fills the lounging area. So as soon as mealtimes are over, put the table back in its housing and you have your luxurious space back again.

Space and light are keynotes of the bedroom. With windows both sides, it’s a lovely bright environment even on a dull day. The nearside window has shelves above and below it, with a mirror above, giving you the perfect grooming location. The grooming department, though, will impress you even more: circular shower; striped green and cream folding window blind; mirror above the blind; wardrobe in the corner; more striped green and cream upholstery covering the toilet lid… It’s a lovely little room with plenty of storage and lots of nice decorative and design touches.

 Excellent though the craftsmanship and quality is on the Laser, there is one item of specification it lacks compared with those in its top-bracket class: an inboard water tank. For year-round use most caravanners regard this as essential equipment. That omission apart, the Glossop Golden Laser truly deserves its “Golden” identity.

The special edition Coachman Golden Laser 640/4’s principal appeal is as a two-berth, like many luxurious fixed-bed caravans. Call it a two-plus-two if you like, for the option to sleep another two is certainly practical.
Laden with equipment, oozing quality of workmanship. Coachman’s Laser only has the absence of an in-board water tank to let it down compared with other models in its bracket. Glossop’s package of extras includes etched wine glasses and even a glass cutting board.