news: caravan design awards
10th time
around
CLASS WINNERS AND RUNNERSUP IN THIS YEAR’S CARAVAN
DESIGN AWARDS, REVIEWED BY
PAUL CARTER
THE CLUB’S 10th Caravan Design
Awards Competition at the NEC Boat
Caravan and Outdoor Show in February
was marked by a record entry of over
50 tourers. Models were again divided
into four classes, plus a special
category for ‘best innovation’.
Four judges and two technical
researchers had their work cut out to
cover the Club’s exhaustive 37-point
assessment checklists, which have to
be completed for each individual entry.
Areas assessed extend from sitting and
standing headroom to kitchen design,
storage, handles and catches,
electrical wiring, security, overall
safety and warranty provisions.
The objective is to provide Club
members, and caravanners in
general, with fair and objective
assessments of the models entered,
enabling them to buy with
confidence. Feedback to
manufacturers aims to improve the
quality of their products, ensuring
CLASS 1 – RUNNER UP
Sterling Europa 460
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The Caravan Club Magazine April 2005
high industry standards and
improved reliability.
CLASS 1 – two-berth caravans
£14,000 and under
WINNER
Abbey GTS Vogue 216
£13,715 ex-works
A round dozen contenders made up
this category and the Abbey took the
class with a margin of only eight
points. It was that close. Both first and
second come from the Swift Group, so
it’s not surprising that they share the
same 7ft 4in body width. Both are also
within an inch or two of each other in
terms of interior body length, the
Abbey GTS Vogue 216 being 2in
shorter at 15ft 2in.
What it lacks in inches, however,
the Abbey’s higher price more than
makes up for in terms of specification.
Exterior features extend to GRP-faced
sides and a redesigned front moulded
panel. Smart, aluminium-framed
windows enhance exterior styling,
further complemented by standard
CLASS 1 – WINNER
Abbey GTS Vogue 216
alloy wheels. Practical features are
easy-access corner steadies, a
coupling-head stabiliser, gas locker
light, gas barbecue point and a door
with an inner flyscreen, storage
moulding and glazed upper half.
The 216’s floorplan combines a
conventional clubman two-berth front
lounge with a refreshingly different
L-shaped centre kitchen and a fullwidth rear washroom. The lounge’s
deep seat cushions and backrests
ensure relaxed seating and sleeping,
the latter in the form of two singles or a
double bed. Interior lighting is both
mains and 12V, while windows come
with lined curtains, pleated blinds and
flyscreens, the latter also fitted to the
lounge’s Heki sunroof.
Slatted seat bases have drop-front
access, while more storage is available
in a large wardrobe which offers both
hanging space and deep shelves. The
unit opposite houses an 89-litre
PowerFridge and its top is ideal for the
TV, with power and aerial points to
hand, plus a high-level drinks cabinet.
Storage is also a feature of the
kitchen, including base unit
cupboards, overhead lockers and a
corner cupboard with a roller front.
Inset in the worktop laminate, a large
circular sink mates with a loose plastic
draining board. New on 2005 models
is a flush-fitting cooker comprising a
three-burner gas hob and mains
hotplate, plus grill and oven.
Fittings in the spacious rear
washroom combine white ABS
mouldings with storage units
finished to match interior
cabinetwork. Appointments include
a step-in shower, moulded
handbasin and electric-flush
pedestal cassette toilet, plus a
variety of storage for toiletries and
towels.
RUNNER-UP
Sterling Europa 460
£11,075 ex-works
Very similar in style, dimensions and
layout, the Europa only just lost out to
its £2500-plus more expensive cousin
within the Swift Group family of
tourers. However, it’s not easy to see
where the savings have been made,
which leaves the Europa 460 looking
excellent value for money.
Europa exteriors feature
aluminium-faced sides with a smart
navy and gold livery which is (almost)
repeated on charcoal/cream interior
soft furnishings. Standard on the
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Europa are an Al-Ko hitch stabiliser
and 14in alloy wheels, along with
restyled front and rear panel
mouldings, the latter with stylish new
light clusters and a high-level third
brake light.
Floorplan details echo those of the
Abbey 216, featuring a pair of parallel
settees up front, centre offside kitchen
facing a dresser-style storage unit, and
a full-width rear washroom.
Deep seat cushions and backrests
in the lounge again provide relaxed
seating, as well as combining to make
a double bed. Two single beds are also
available, though the offside settee is
slightly shorter at 5ft 11in. Drop-front
access is again available to underseat
storage in lockers which have sprung
beech slatted tops.
Windows are fitted with cassette
blinds and flyscreens, plus a
Continental style of curtain/net
combination. Furniture, too, is treated
to a Continental flavour as a result of
the metallic silver finish applied to
mouldings. Added light and ventilation
for the dinette is courtesy of a Heki
sunroof.
Based around a simple rectangular
worktop, the Europa’s kitchen unit
lacks for little in terms of appliances. It
has the same deep, circular sink and
detachable drainer arrangement as the
Abbey, plus a three-burner gas hob and
230V hotplate, combined with a gas
oven and grill. Integrated into the base
unit is Thetford’s 89-litre three-way
fridge with electronic ignition on gas.
Supplementing kitchen storage
and worktop space, the facing
sideboard unit has both high and lowlevel cupboards, as well as power and
aerial points for the TV.
Placing the wardrobe – which
features dual hanging rails – inside the
Europa’s spacious end washroom will
meet with the approval of many
caravanners. Here again, cabinetwork
design is matched to the main living
area, while mouldings such as the
manual-flush Thetford pedestal toilet
and handbasin are finished in white.
CLASS 2 – family caravans
£14,000 and under
WINNER
Coachman Amara 520/4
£12,595 ex-works
No fewer than 14 models contested
this highly-competitive sector of the
event, which was conclusively won by
the Coachman. Perhaps not surprising
in view of its popularity, both the
winner and runner-up share an
identical floorplan, as well as very
similar body lengths.
Whatever defines the opposite of
‘flashy’ would be a good description of
the Amara’s exterior design, which
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CLASS 2 – WINNER
Coachman Amara 520/4
relies on an attractive mix of plain and
narrow-ribbed aluminium for the
sides, with chestnut and blue trim.
Front and rear walls feature contoured
acrylic-capped ABS mouldings, the
rear wall carrying a supplementary
waist-level third brake light.
Exterior details extend to an Al-Ko
hitch stabiliser, nearside front gas
barbecue point and adjacent wet
locker, and a glazed door with inner
flyscreen mesh and moulded storage
panel.
The Amara 520/4’s floorplan
features what’s come to be known as
the ‘side dinette’ layout. Up front,
parallel settees are served by a centre
chest for occasional snacks, or a freestanding table; behind this on the
offside a second dinette, placed
CLASS 2 – RUNNER UP
Bailey Pageant Champagne
opposite the kitchen, has single seats
and a hook-on table, and a full-width
washroom occupies the rear. Fourberth sleeping accommodation
comprises two singles or a double up
front, plus a single and a pullman bunk
derived from the side dinette.
A storage unit and drinks cabinet
separate the dinettes on the offside.
Power and aerial points signify its
potential as the place to put the TV.
Elegantly-styled smoked Perspex
doors make a feature of the drinks
cabinet.
The kitchen’s rectangular worktop
accommodates an inset one-piece
sink/drainer, which comes with a fitted
bowl and is finished in cream enamel
to match the combined four-burner
hob, grill and oven. The area of worktop
adjacent to the drainer is served by a
13amp socket. What did appear to be
missing, though, was a dedicated
cutlery drawer.
With its wardrobe included in the
washroom, the Amara 520/4
provides complete washing and
dressing facilities in a spacious area,
where cabinetwork features cream
locker and cupboard doors. As well as
a hanging rail, the wardrobe offers
both shelf and drawer space, plus a
narrow cupboard for table stowage.
Appointments include a step-in
shower with a Perspex door, moulded
handbasin and a manual-flush
pedestal cassette toilet.
RUNNER-UP
Bailey Pageant Champagne
£11,610 ex-works
At almost £1000 below the Amara
520/4’s ex-works price, the Bailey
looks very good value for money and
well deserves its second placing in this
family tourer class.
Like the Amara, the Pageant
Champagne relies for its appeal on a
combination of plain and ribbed
aluminium sides, with Bailey’s
distinctive coachlines and logos, and
contoured front and rear acrylic
capped ABS mouldings. The rear
moulding features an inset panel and
flush-fitted road lights plus twin highlevel brake lights. Exterior details
include an Al-Ko hitch stabiliser and a
glazed door.
While the Bailey and the Coachman
share essentially the same floorplan,
there are differences in rather more than
detail. For example, the Champagne
features a narrower storage unit on the
offside between the dinettes, with
stainless steel wire trays and table
stowage concealed in the cupboard. A
hinged shelf creates the extra width
required for a TV, for which 12V/aerial
and mains sockets are to hand.
Also, the Champagne’s sunroof,
fitted with a blind and insect screen, is
placed more over the kitchen unit than
the front dinette. To help clear heat
and steam from cooking, the sunroof is
supplemented by a two-speed
extractor/blower.
The Champagne’s sculptured
kitchen unit is quite a dominant
feature of the interior, offering plenty
of worktop and a handy mains socket
for small appliances. Recessed into
the worktop, the one-piece
sink/drainer is finished in cream
enamel to match the combined fourburner hob, grill and oven, the latter
recessed in the centre of the base unit
and somewhat narrower than the
Amara’s equivalent appliance.
Kitchen storage is excellent,
comprising a Thetford 107-litre fridge,
plus base unit drawers – including a
cutlery drawer – roof lockers and
shelves for on-site storage.
Furniture units in the
Champagne’s end washroom are also
matched to the general interior,
including the wardrobe which offers
both a hanging rail and shelves, plus
cupboard space at floor level. Again,
white ABS mouldings feature for the
handbasin and manual-flush Thetford
pedestal toilet.
Like the kitchen in the Champagne’s
living area, the washroom’s walk-in
shower area is a dominant feature.
Located in the nearside corner, it’s big
enough to provide both an area for
showering and for drying, enclosed by a
contoured, clear acrylic wall.
The Caravan Club Magazine April 2005
35
news
Class 3 – Any caravan over
£14,000
WINNER
Coachman Laser 590/4
£18,145 ex-works
With just 11 entrants, this was the
smallest class in the competition, in
which the twin-axle Laser decisively
took the honours over some strong
contenders.
In common with many of the
entrants, Laser is at the top end of the
Coachman range, with an equipment
level to match the quality of its exterior
styling and interior design. Acryliccapped ABS front and rear walls
combine with aluminium sides to
create clean, contemporary lines,
emphasised by flush-fit side and rear
windows and 14in alloy wheels.
Exterior details include an Al-Ko hitch
stabiliser, mains socket and gas
barbecue point, shower point, awning
heater and storage locker.
The Laser 590/4’s floorplan is the
same as its sister Amara 520/4, albeit
in a longer 19ft 6in body. Deep seat
cushions in the main dinette have
sculptured back and armrests, while
windows come with lined curtains,
plus integral pleated blinds and
flyscreens, the last also fitted to the
lounge’s Heki 2 sunroof. Also standard
is Dometic’s Blizzard 1500 roofmounted air-conditioner.
Well planned and equipped, the
kitchen unit offers a variety of storage
both in the base unit, which
accommodates an 89-litre Thetford
fridge, and in high-level lockers and
shelves. Worktop is available at both
ends of the unit and a mains socket is
handily placed at the forward end.
Inset in the worktop, the stainless
steel sink/drainer has a linen-look
finish, matching bowl and a hinged
glass cover. The adjacent four-burner
hob also comes with a glass cover and
is combined with a colour-keyed grill
and oven.
The full-width rear washroom is a
spacious area, where daylight and
ventilation are ensured by a window
and a mini-Heki rooflight. Cabinetwork
matches the furniture in the main
living area, with the exception of
frosted Perspex panels in the main
cupboard doors. The Laser’s wardrobe
is located within the washroom area,
plus a second wardrobe with shelves
for folded clothes.
White moulded fittings feature for
the handbasin, which is set on top of a
storage unit, and the electric-flush
pedestal toilet. The separate step-in
circular shower comes with a fullheight sliding door.
Completing the Laser’s extensive
specification, entertainment is
provided by a Sony radio and 10-CD
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The Caravan Club Magazine April 2005
CLASS 3 – WINNER
Coachman Laser 590/4
multi-changer, while security and
peace of mind are assured by the IDM
alarm.
RUNNER-UP
Bessacarr Cameo 625 GL
£20,495 ex-works
New on 2005 Bessacarrs are restyled
front and rear moulded GRP panels,
the latter with a full-width grab handle
and futuristic-looking vertical road
light clusters. Bonded sides are faced
in smooth aluminium with Bessacarr’s
distinctive green livery.
The tandem-axle Cameo 625 GL
comes with a host of standard features
that include an Al-Ko coupling
stabiliser and 15in alloy wheels. Other
details are a gas locker light, gas
barbecue point, storage locker with
mains socket and a one-piece door
with a deep, opening window.
The Cameo 625 GL’s U-shaped
seating is common to all models in the
range. The kitchen unit is handily
placed on the offside, while the
remainder of the layout is occupied by
a fixed double bed and a full-width rear
washroom.
The forward ends of both lounge
settees can be raised for the ultimate
in relaxation. At night, occupants can
choose between a pair of single beds or
a double up front, plus the fixed
double bed. Windows come with lined
curtains, concertina blinds and
flyscreens. Added ventilation is
provided by a pair of electrically-
operated Remistar sunroofs – one over
the lounge, the second over the rear
double bed.
Featuring an attractively
sculptured top, the Cameo’s kitchen
unit offers worktop space, plus a pullout worktop and a handily-placed
mains socket. Inset in the top is the
deep circular sink and detachable
plastic drainer common to all Swift
Group kitchens. Storage is available in
base unit cupboards and overhead
lockers. Built into the unit, the cooker
comprises a three-burner gas hob and
mains hotplate combined with a grill
and oven. A Dometic extractor with
inset downlighters is positioned over
the sink and hob. Opposite the
kitchen, a floor-to-ceiling unit houses
the Dometic 135-litre fridge/freezer
and a mains microwave.
The fixed double bed is a good size,
fitted with a comfortable mattress
which, together with the slatted base,
rises easily on gas struts to reveal the
storage area underneath. Access to
this area is also available through an
CLASS 3 – RUNNER-UP
Bessacarr Cameo 625 GL
exterior hatch.
While the washroom isn’t
particularly spacious, it does include
cupboard storage for folded clothes.
Furniture is matched to the living area,
while white moulded fittings include a
handbasin and electric-flush pedestal
toilet. Swift’s trademark circular
shower occupies the nearside rear
corner.
Class 4 – any fixed double-bed
caravan
WINNER
Buccaneer Argosy
£16,545 ex-works
The biggest class in the competition
with 16 contenders, reflecting the
popularity of fixed double-bed tourers.
It was also a close-run contest, the
Argosy emerging just a handful of
points in front.
Distinctive burgundy coachlines
and model decals make the Explorer
Group’s luxury Buccaneers instantly
recognisable. Changes have been
made to the 2005 Argosy’s interior,
which now features an L-shaped front
lounge and a transverse rear fixed
double bed; as a result the washroom
has taken up centre stage, opposite
the kitchen unit.
Comfortable lounge seating
includes bolster armrests and large
scatter cushions. Matching burgundy
lined curtains are supplemented by
concertina blinds and flyscreens. A
Heki sunroof, also with blind and
flyscreen, improves daylight and
ventilation both in the lounge and the
rear bedroom. Lounge seating can be
converted to a pair of single beds or a
second double.
Argosy’s centre nearside kitchen
unit is a good size and offers worktop
space at the forward end, where a
13amp socket is also provided. Baseunit cupboards and drawers, plus an
89-litre Dometic fridge, are
supplemented by a pair of deep roof
lockers.
Appliances comprise a linen-look
stainless steel sink/drainer which is
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news
CLASS 4 – WINNER
Buccaneer Argosy
inset in the worktop and comes with a
flush-fitting figured glass cover. A
similar cover is fitted over the fourburner hob which, built into the base
unit, is combined with a grill and oven.
To dispel steam and heat, a two-speed
blower/extractor is fitted over the
kitchen area.
Also on the nearside, the
washroom features a space-saving
roller door finished in metallic silver.
Daylight and ventilation are courtesy
of a frosted window, plus a mini-Heki
roof-light. Washroom storage units are
matched to the general furniture
finish, again with white ABS
mouldings for the handbasin, electricflush pedestal toilet and step-in
shower.
Fitted transversely across the rear,
Argosy’s fixed double bed benefits
from not having a tapered end.
However, the bedroom is all bed and
no room – at least to move about – but
it can be partitioned from the rest of
the interior by a decent sliding door.
The hinged bed base features beech
slats and goes up and down easily with
gas strut assistance. The storage area
underneath can also be reached
through an exterior hatch.
class, where it rubbed shoulders with
some twin-axle giants.
Construction features a one-piece
GRP roof, front and rear wall allied to
sides which comprise a sandwich of
marine ply and outer aluminium with
a pressure-injected infill of
polyurethane foam insulation. The
result is claimed to be strong and
weather-resistant, backed by a sixyear warranty against water ingress.
The glazed door, however, remains on
our offside towards the rear.
The Nova 435’s floorplan is not
one you’ll find in a British tourer: just
inside the door are the wardrobe and
CLASS 4 – RUNNER-UP
Hymer Nova 435 LS
RUNNER-UP
Hymer Nova 435 LS
£13,690 ex-works
Nicely priced and just as nicely
designed, Hymer’s Nova deserved its
runner-up placing. With an internal
length of just 14ft 3in, it was a
surprise to find it in the fixed bed
Best Innovation
WINNER
Celtic Rambler fifth-wheel unit
£38,000 ex-works
From design to construction, running
gear and the main components that
make it work, the Celtic Rambler
cannot be compared with a caravan,
even though it’s a towed vehicle. The
manufacturer readily agrees that its
target market is the luxury motorhome
in general and American imports in
particular.
Facilities inside the Celtic Rambler
include an offside rear L-shaped
kitchen, which is directly opposite the
dining area. Forward of the latter, a 3ft
3in-wide slide-out provides a spacious
lounge area. The bedroom and en-suite
washroom are up a couple of steps
towards the front.
Domestic-style kitchen appliances
comprise a four-burner hob, grill and
oven, plus a stainless steel sink and
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BEST INNOVATION–
WINNER – Celtic Rambler
drainer. Storage is available in base
units cupboards and drawers, as well
as high-level cupboards all round.
Dometic’s 135-litre fridge/freezer is
built into a separate unit, and there’s a
mains microwave.
Backing the island double bed are
mirror-fronted cupboards and shelves,
while the mattress can be raised on gas
struts to reveal storage compartments.
A large sunroof and windows on both
an L-shaped seating area with a clever
island-leg table that adjusts to a
variety of positions. The kitchen unit is
placed amidships on the offside, and
a fixed double bed occupies the front
nearside area, leaving the opposite
corner for the washroom.
Compared with the opulence of
some models in this – and other
classes – the Nova’s kitchen facilities
are not over-indulgent. Just a stainless
steel three-burner hob and a circular
sink with a tiny drainer are fitted into
the kitchen worktop, where work
space is at a premium. An extractor
and light are fitted over the hob,
beneath a pair of deep roof lockers.
Space in the base unit is taken up
by the built-in oven and grill, plus a
Dometic 89-litre PowerFridge. More
storage is available in a narrow
cupboard opposite the kitchen, which
contains slide-out wire trays. Aerial
and power sockets placed here make
it handy for a TV.
Also handy for that early-morning
cuppa is the shelf that extends behind
the double bed. Tapered towards the
foot end, the mattress is fitted on a
slatted base which also uses gas-strut
assistance to it, revealing the storage
underneath. A particularly wide hatch
also gives access to this storage area
which, like other fixed-bed models in
the class, would benefit from being
compartmentalised.
The ‘en-suite’ handbasin apart,
washroom facilities are shoehorned
into a small compartment which has
to double as the toilet and shower
room, and isn’t really ideal. The
washroom benefits from a window and
an electric-flush pedestal toilet.
sides provide ample daylight and
ventilation.
The en-suite washroom door
doubles as a partition between the
bedroom and living area. Interior
fittings are not that remarkable –
circular shower and corner handbasin –
although the marine toilet with its own
holding tank is more readily found in
up-market motorhomes. Tanks are also
fitted for both fresh and waste water.
On-board electrics combine
conventional mains and 12V systems,
with 270Ah battery and 50amp
charger. Alde’s gas/230V ‘wet’ heating
system uses concealed radiators, with
heated pipes running in the floor cavity
beneath the living area.
The Caravan Club Magazine April 2005
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