Adria Compact Plus SLS

Berths: 3 Travel seats: 4 Base vehicle: Fiat Ducato Gross weight: 3,300kg Payload: 621kg

This new Adria motorhome has an extending slide out at its rear which, while not a new idea, is executed very well here.

The slide-out is a living-area-expanding design seen in big American motorhomes (RVs) for many years, but rarely found in European motorhomes.

Often, slide-outs create yet more living space in ’vans that already have lots, but here the idea enhances a truly compact, sub-six-metre, low-profile coachbuilt motorhome, adding length enough to allow fixed single beds without compromising the rest of the living space.

Meanwhile that 5.99-metre length is very desirable as it makes the ’van easier to drive and park and cheaper on ferries – especially the many fjord-bridging boats found in Scandinavia. It’s slimmer as well; in fact, some 180mm less around the waistline than ‘standard’ – 2.30-metre-wide – coachbuilts.

The base vehicle is Fiat’s ever-present Ducato, here with the 130bhp motor that’s more than powerful enough to give an easy drive, whether on the motorway or autobahn. Up front the layout is entirely conventional for the type, with swivel cab seats and half-dinette joined by a shallow side seat, located in front of the tall wardrobe.

Overhead lockers are convex in shape, reducing what they can hold, but helping to create a feeling of spaciousness.

Décor is – predictably – neutral in hue, but nicely judged with a selection of whites, creams and taupes working in harmony, while the upholstery is high-quality stuff. The kitchen is also predictable – that is, it’s compact just like many rivals, but it’s more practical than many.

There’s no oven or grill, but a very cleverly contrived L-shaped cooker/sink unit gives easy access to all pans with a three-in-line hob that leaves a narrow-but-useful slab of worktop in front.

The fridge is fairly roomy – at 100 litres – but other stowage space is limited, with just two drawers below and a brace of lockers above. Having cooked, it’s time to dine and the table can accommodate up to five while benefiting  from a neat, pop-up extension. Travel seats in the rear achieve high standards, with a full steel frame and automotive-type head restraints.

Bedtime sees lounge-diner become a transverse single, but it’s not very long (5ft 6in) and skinny at the foot, so best seen as an occasional berth, and for smaller people. The main-event single beds automatically flatten as the the slide-out deploys  electrically, and with a smooth action that speaks of excellent engineering. The beds are a good length at 6ft 2in and each boasts a reading lamp.

Thanks to the design, it’s not possible to have a rooflight in the slide-out, so Adria has fitted an ambient lighting panel above that also mimics a starry sky – very romantic!

The bathroom scores well with a light, bright interior and a semi-separate shower with rigid screens. There’s a modern take on the long-lived drop-down washbasin in here, but it has a permanently open outlet so, if you like your basin filled for washing, you’re out of luck.

The Adria’s last trick is to provide a garage – slim, but should still take full-sized bikes and other kit.

If you enjoyed this review, you can read loads more like it in the Summer 2017 issue of What Motorhome magazine.

There are over 47 campervans and motorhomes featured in the latest issue and you can get a digital version of the latest issue of What Motorhome magazine here.