Coachman Pastiche 525/4

Ideal for a young family or grandparents

Exterior

High arched shoulderlines and a sunroof spanning the whole width have ensured Pastiches grab attention since the start of the 2012 model-year. Grey skirts and defining lines on wheel arches, plus big, bold graphics, combine to ensure these caravans look much more chic than previous models.

Not much changed about the exterior appearance as Coachman took the Pastiche range into 2013. There is, however, some great Pastiche news: the arrival of a new model with an innovative layout. The 525/4 looks, on the outside, every inch the quality caravan that you’d expect for its price, complete with AL-KO’s ATC stability control (notice the panel on the drawbar).

Interior

From the outside, though, there is no clue to the layout innovation that sets this caravan apart from all others. The 525/4 has twin bunks, in a cohesive bedroom area at the rear; so, too, have lots of caravans. But none have a kids’ bedroom configuration like the one in the 525. And no other caravan has an L-shaped kitchen whose rear wall divides off the bedroom area brilliantly.

Behind the wall is a spacious entrance hallway with somewhere to hang your coats and place your shoes in a specifically designed recess, out of the way alongside the door. The L-shape of the main kitchen area is mirrored by an L-shaped dresser unit opposite. Up front, the settees create a double bed, of course, but they’re also long enough to make single beds – unless you’re very tall.

The more we looked at the 525 the more family versatility possibilities we could envisage. It’s a caravan for parents and two young children, with a proper bedroom for them, well away from the main living area. The shower room is alongside the bunks, and it’s plenty large enough for a parent to shower the children. The washbasin is 48cm long and 28cm wide, making it near enough the size you’d find in a house.

The 525 is also a caravan for parents and two teenage offspring, especially girls; the bunk area has a mirror and a power point for a hairdryer within the area that can be enclosed by a pleated partition. It’s also a caravan for grandparents who sometimes like to take grandchildren on holidays. When they’re not with you, the bunk area is great for storage, and it’s so far out of the way that anything put on the bunks wouldn’t be in your line of sight. When the children are with you, they have their own, separate space. Equally as importantly, so do you! So, this is a caravan with three-generation appeal. And it’s also a caravan for people who enjoy cooking on holiday, for the kitchen is enormous, both in terms of storage and surface.

Unusually, Pastiches have fixed drainers. But in the 525 there’s no need to worry about the drainer taking up valuable surface area. There’s plenty of room, to the left and right of the sink and drainer, and an additional space to the right of the (dual fuel) hob. The L-shaped dresser unit opposite the kitchen houses the fridge, with more worktop above it and alongside, stretching towards the door, above a double-doored cabinet.

The microwave is found above this area as well, with two lockers alongside it. There’s more storage in this dresser than in many caravan kitchens. Yet in the 525, there’s another cabinet, 84cm wide, plus three drawers and four top cabinets, in the kitchen itself, opposite. Add in four top lockers plus four shelves and you’re probably getting the picture that this is one of the most capacious kitchens anywhere, in any caravan.

We’ve analysed the practicalities, but how about the styling, for which Coachman is renowned? Pastiches look more modern and chic than ever before, with pale cabinetry and plain, pale fabrics. Everything you touch is solidly constructed and finely crafted. Handles are big and chunky, combining matt and shiny metal. Lighting is concealed. And there’s plenty of it. Equipment level is high, and includes an extractor fan (importantly this one is directly above the hob) and AL-KO’s stability control system, ATC.

High spec with loads of style, but the kitchen and bunk bedroom design alone ensure the 565 represents good value