Elddis Chatsworth 515

The special edition Elddis Chatsworth 515 gives you £2577 of extra equipment for just £496 more than the price of the standard Elddis Avanté 515 caravan on which it is based

Based on the Avanté range, Elddis makes seven special edition models to Glossop Caravans’ specification. The name Chatsworth derives from the stately home in Derbyshire, not far from the small town of Glossop.

We chose the twin-lounge five-berth 515 model for this review, as an example of the range.

The standard Avanté 515 costs £16,999. Add in the normal delivery fee of £495 and you pay £17,494. The Chatsworth version costs £496 more. But for that, you get £2577-worth of extra equipment, plus an interior look that’s totally different from the standard caravan. That’s where we’ll start this review, for it’s the unique fabric scheme that will catch your eyes first when you step inside a Chatsworth.

Rich, deep burgundy in cushions and tie-backs, are lovely. This colour is also integrated into the pattern in the cream upholstery with elliptical and rectangular shapes. It’s an interesting design that makes you look at it, rather than just take it in as part of the overall look of the caravan. And in the 515, with two lounges, there’s a lot of upholstery fabric to absorb your attention.

This is the five-berth in the limited edition Chatsworth range, with the ability to create a double bed plus an overhead bunk in the rear lounge. The front lounge is long enough to make single beds (as an alternative to the double, made by sliding out a slatted base from under the two drawers at the front). The central offside shower room contains a separate, step-in shower. The kitchen has plenty of surface space for making meals for five and the amount of seating space is superb in terms of family needs; when guests join you, 10 can find places to sit here.

So what do you get in this practical family holiday environment over and above the standard Avanté 515?
The distinctive burgundy and cream upholstery scheme, with beautiful shiny pale cappuccino colour curtains, accounts for £349 of the £2577 package of goodies; it’s the highest value item on the list and it’s the one which might sway you towards this caravan because it’s so appealing.

The next most expensive items in the package both look after your caravan’s security. There’s a wheel lock, made by chassis-manufacturer BPW; its main bolt goes through a wheel spoke into a receiver which is located on the chassis. That’s worth £299. The alarm system is  worth £269; the PIR is in mounted in the ceiling close to the doorway.

A number of exterior items enhance practicality and ease of use. There’s an automatic gas changeover system, so that when one cylinder becomes empty, the system switches to your second cylinder. A gas barbeque point is useful when you don’t use an awning and a mains socket plus warm air outlet for the Whale blown air central heating system are useful when you are using an awning. Corner steady load spreaders are fitted; ideal on soft ground. There’s an exterior access storage locker, and three items that change the appearance of the Chatsworth compared with the Avanté. These are silver side skirts, silver light clusters and a rain deflector panel above the front windows. Chatsworths also get larger Heki rooflights than the standard Avantés.

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The Glossop Caravans special edition Elddis Chatsworth range gets a generous package of extras that mixes practicality, security and visual appeal, giving the Chatsworth an identity all of its own. In terms of value, getting £2577-worth of equipment for only £496 is enticement in itself; add in the idea of getting a caravan that’s a limited edition and the Chatsworth brand has a strong appeal.