Elddis Crusader Supersirocco

The 2009 Elddis Crusader Supersirocco is a top of the range luxury twin-axle that will sleep four but is best suited for two

The 2009 Elddis “winds” range makes an outstandingly different contribution to caravan choice with its chocolate and cream upholstery and array of fluffy cushions. But that first-glance impression of stylish cosiness is only the beginning, as we discovered when we made a Crusader Supersirocco our home for a few days of Dorset discovery.

For a start, there’s the road behaviour. Five hours of easy towing from our base on the border of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire underlined the stability advantages of twin axles. Big heavy caravan it may be, but the on-test Mitsubishi L200 (in gorgeous bold red Raging Bull livery) made easy work of the tow task, so Driver Chapman arrived un-tired, even though it was close to 10pm when the Raging Bull charged up to the entrance of Best of British Group five-star Merley Court Touring Park, just outside Wimborne.

The kitchen was first on the scrutiny list as duckling legs hit the pan followed by tomatoes, peppers, onion, orange juice and marmalade, and at this point I discovered I’d forgotten to pack the olive oil. No problem – I’ll just have to cook it in rosé wine to augment the orange juice. Never has a simple pot-boiled duck leg dish tasted so good. The Supersirocco surroundings helped, of course.

By now we were thoroughly at home in the L-shaped lounge-diner and heading rapidly for apple pie, all the lights on and noticing the LED green-hint strips above the front and bedroom windows. That greenish light, we remarked as we chomped through our food, actually looks a shade incongruous amid the soft cream light of the front corner tungsten pair and the quartet of spotlights. Why green? Will everyone like it? I questioned as I reached for what was left of the rosé after I’d consigned most of it to the cooking pot. “Too critical. Get on with your dinner,” was Mr Chapman’s contribution.
There is, though, one inescapable negative comment that has to be made about all L-shaped dining areas like this one: you either sit side-by-side or one of you has to sit at the end of the table with their feet curled around the table leg. You can’t sit opposite one another.

And after dinner? Sit back and relax amid those cushions, on what amounts to two long settees. Just perfect. Now that’s what I call luxury.

Tomorrow we have an agenda of a few Dorset delights and a quick foray into the New Forest. For now, though, it’s that fixed bed that beckons and we sink into pillows thinking of New Forest ponies and deer and the wonderful coastline of Dorset that’s only a few minutes’ drive from Merley Court Touring Park.

We found the Supersirocco’s ambience a pleasure to return to after each day’s exploration. Off with the walking boots and on with those feature green LED lights and on with the oven, too. It’s taking care of trout in white wine with spring onions while we take more notes on the kitchen.

At first glance you’ll probably assess the amount of work surface as merely adequate. But look closer. There’s an additional area. It hinges down from the television cupboard unit that separates kitchen from bedroom. That section augments the useful surface area jutting out forward of the sink, giving you a slight L-shaped configuration. Then you notice something else useful. To the left of the cooker (three-burner hob, grey mirror-fronted oven and grill) is a third top, above the heater unit and, although it’s lower than the rest of the kitchen, we found it ideal, to pop items en route to the table. It’s a very workable kitchen design.

Storage gets top marks, too – a large central cupboard plus a slim wire-basket-shelf cupboard that forms the L-shape. Opposite is the kitchen’s star feature – a full-sized fridge with separate freezer, fronted in dark grey brushed steel-effect and with cupboards above and below.

Just pause a moment there and consider with us the advantage of having almost as much fridge and freezer space as in your kitchen at home. You don’t have to shop so often – and there’s room for enough food for much more than the four people this caravan is designed to accommodate.

Add to your list a table lamp to place to the right of the kitchen, because the strip-light is over the hob and, when you’re cutting up food in the sink area to the right of this, there is insufficient light. A couple of spotlights mounted into the bases of the head-height lockers would have been much more in-keeping with the otherwise five-star trimmings. In the context of luxurious fittings elsewhere in this caravan, a strip-light looks dated and cheap.

But there’s plenty to like about the Supersirocco – and top of year-round caravanners’ lists has to be an in-board water tank. Crusaders are among a select few of models that provide this facility.

Styling, too, is a strong point throughout. We did, though, discover a weak ‘point’ – literally. There are only three power points – and one of those is in the television cabinet. Hairdryers are as much facts of caravanning life as phone chargers – and the grooming appliances have to be used near to a mirror. The nearest socket to the two mirrors – in the dressing room – is in the centre of the caravan to the rear of the kitchen. And without stretching an extension lead across the bed and round the corner to the mirror, you’re stuck with wet hair.

We did find a solution – we used the slim mirror on the front of the wardrobe, which is beside the fridge. Not the ideal venue for grooming. In a caravan of this price, another couple of sockets including one near the lovely long low windowsill in the bedroom, would be appreciated.

To return to the hairwash requirements, though, the double-sized shower is utterly superb. You can shower the children in here all at once if you wish – and close the door to confine the splashes. A caravanning couple we met during our test remarked that the shower was ideal for washing muddy Labradors after a long walk. The washroom is – yes – big enough to swing a Labrador. More precisely, it’s of true dressing room dimensions. And although the wardrobe is forward of this area, you do have a five-shelf cupboard just to the right of the door. Look more closely: there’s an outlet for the blown air system at its base, which means this is the ideal place to dry damp clothing.

The cupboard under the washbasin deserves close scrutiny – it incorporates a shaped cotton sack, ideal for storing laundry.
On our last evening we’re dining Supersirocco-style – and the menu’s inspired by Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food book: sizzling beef with spring onions and black bean sauce. Within minutes the aroma of groundnut oil, ginger, garlic and filet steak is tantalising.

The Supersirocco kitchen passed the Oliver test with superlative marks. Enough space to produce TV chef food. What more could you ask of a leisure home of wheels?

If indefinable quality is top of your wish list, you’ll find that in the 2009 Elddis Crusader Supersirocco.
There’s a fixed bed, large fridge/freezer, rear dressing/washroom, inboard water tank and twin-axle stability.
Crusaders have been top-spec caravans for more then 25 years, and the flagship Supersirocco lives up to its ‘super’ name. The layout of this model will find its greatest appeal among couples, but you do also have the second double bed that makes out of the L-shaped lounge.