Coachman Pastiche 545/4

Ideal for couples seeking a good level of spec and an island bed

The Pastiche 545 has two distinct rooms and a solid wooden door between the two. It has a kitchen with a huge, double-doored cabinet, and with working surface on both sides of the caravan. The showering and washing arrangements are en-suite in a very domestic manner. With layout features as apartment-like as this, you'd be forgiven for assuming this caravan might be a big heavyweight riding on twin axles and with a heavyweight price tag, too.

The 545 is a surprise, though. Its designers have created all of those luxury layout features commonly associated with length and twin axles, in a model with a body length of only 5.8m. And, while at 1625kg MTPLM the 545 surely doesn't attempt to compete in the lightweight arena, it is certainly a strong contender for those looking for lots of spec including an alarm system, and a general high standard of finesse. If you're looking for a caravan with ATC stability control, a sunroof that creates an exceptionally light, bright lounge, feature lighting designs and programmable central heating, you may have found the one for you here.

We sometimes hear comments from caravanners that, at Pastiche price level, some buyers expect the more evenly distributed warmth of Alde heating, and we have to say there is a case for respecting that viewpoint. But, on test, the Pastiche 545's Truma Combi blown air heating warmed up quickly and kept us toasty, even if we have to comment that the warm air emitted from the three lounge outlets was always considerably warmer than that sent out from the two outlets in the bedroom and the one in the washbasin room. The Truma Combi system used in the Pastiche range is programmable. It delivers 4kw of output on gas operation and 1.8 kw on electricity.

Showering

The 545's shower sits on the offside, forward of the bedroom; a separate room containing the toilet and washbasin is opposite. The solid wooden door of the toilet room opens across the caravan, to completely close off the showering, washing and bedroom area, truly creating two separate rooms. That feature, above all, will win over many potential buyers because it is so practical. The shower is almost circular, and spacious, at 69cm x 75cm. The small washbasin is set into a symmetrical-design cabinet giving you a cabinet plus four shelf spaces. There's a second cabinet above, with more shelving. There are two mirrors, one above the basin and a second on the outside wall. Why two mirrors? The answer is that people of short stature will appreciate the one over the basin because it's quite low. If you're of average height or taller, you'll be stooping to peer into this mirror. Yours is the higher one, on the other wall! Coachman, it seems, caters for caravanners of all dimensions!

Sleeping

If you're very tall, though, you might find your feet overhang the end of the island bed; it's 1.86m long, which is not a lot over six feet. The bedroom, though, is a delight, with a suite of two wardrobes, cabinets and top lockers surrounding the upholstered headboard - again we are reminded of the similarity between this bedroom and fitments you'd find in a house. And when you close the door across the corridor, you appreciate just how cohesive this en suite room is.

The mattress is deep and comfortable. Floor space around the bed is ample; the bed frame is slightly longer than the wooden base, which means there is more floor space at the foot of the bed. While there might be enough mirrored preening facility for some in the washroom, the 545 gives you more, in the form of a dressing table, on the wall that adjoins the shower. There's a deep mirror here, and a cabinet - with a hidden surprise. Within the cabinet there's a mains socket plus an aerial point - and a desk-style covered aperture through which you can feed cables to your TV or hairdryer on the cabinet's surface.

Storage

Caravans with fixed beds always provide generous storage. Some under-bed areas are easier to access than others, though, and the 545's is one of the easiest we can find. That's because you can get at three sides of the bed. The sturdy metal frame is supported on big gas-filled struts, making raising and lowering it an effortless task. With twin wardrobes, two top lockers, two drawers and two shoe cabinets, we can safely say the storage needs of most people are amply met here in the bedroom.

Storage in the lounge comprises four side lockers, two of which contain shelves, plus two smaller lockers that follow the curving line of those high shoulder arches that define the Pastiche. The frame of the double bed that you can make up here in the lounge slides out from the offside settee and doesn't allow space for a drop-down hatch. In use as a two-berth (which is the principal appeal of the 545), though, you won't be pulling and pushing duvets in and out of the fore-end. So this is not an issue.

Dining

The hide-away for the four-seater table is on the forward end of the kitchen. For meals for two, though, the pull-out top of the chest of drawers will usually suffice; it's 35cm deep, giving you a level surface, taking into account the chest's top, of 81cm.

Lounging

When you sit back and nestle into any one of the four curved, two-section armrests you begin to appreciate the finer points of the 545. We'll start with those armrests. Two sections? It's a puzzling description, maybe, but wholly accurate, for you can zip off the top section that's upholstered in a tactile, slightly furry fabric, and have an armrest that's much lower, if you wish.

Fabrics are fawns but the look avoids risk of being boring by the use of curtains with an interesting light-reflective sheen and cushions that have a bold leaf design in pale lime green and grey. This is a calm and pleasant décor, enhanced by lighting design that makes good use of that distinctive shoulder shape at the front. Six LED lights are set into a crescent on each side, following the shape of the shoulders.

Kitchen

The fridge is under the TV/ microwave dresser, so the top gives you extra kitchen surface space when you need it; there's more than enough space for the cook to share this area with a TV. The main kitchen equipment is on the offside, with the sort of double-doored cabinet you'd usually associate with big twin-axle caravans. This cabinet is 70cm wide and, although there's a wheel arch and some gas taps within it, this is generous kitchen storage by any standards and is more than twice the size of that found in many caravans of comparable length.

Pastiches have recessed, fixed drainers, which a significant number of caravanners tell us they prefer compared with removable drainers. When the glass top that covers the sink and drainer is down, there is an 89cm-wide working surface. When it's raised, there's still a workable area to its left and in front of it. Three drawers, each 35cm wide, give ample accommodation for small items and cutlery. All in all, this kitchen's storage must be rated as exceptionally good considering that the total body length of the 545 is not enormous, at 5.8m.

Towing

We fortunately didn't actuate the electronic ATC stability control system (so far as we're aware) during our test tow. But it's good to have the knowledge that it's there to control a sway should one develop; we all know the risks associated with White Van Men swooshing past caravans at an enthusiastic pace; ATC as a standard component obviously enhances the appeal of a caravan. And, in most caravanners' minds, the heavier the caravan on a single axle, the more valuable ATC becomes. Our test tow went smoothly and pleasurably, with the 545 feeling sprightly behind the Kia Sorento that seemed the ideal match.

Plenty of spec including an extractor fan, a layout that creates two separate and pleasantly spacious rooms, a kitchen that spans the width of the caravan, and the sort of quality in furniture and fabrics that will appeal to discerning caravanners. The Pastiche 545/4 has many, many strong points