Shaping up

Rob McCabe is highly impressed with a new model from the revamped Elddis Avanté stable

Airy ambience

Among all the smartly turned-out new Elddis and Buccaneer tourers at a recent launch event (see page 17), a brand-new arrival staked a justified claim to be the main draw. The two-berth, end-washroom 520 layout has proved a hit in the Elddis Affinity, so increasing its reach by offering it in the revamped Avanté range could be a smart move. We gave it an early test to see if it’s likely to pay off.

Build quality – 90%

There’s quite a difference between the new and outgoing Avantés, and that’s because Elddis has treated the Avanté (and the next-level-up Affinity) to the more shapely front and rear panels that, until now, have been the sole preserve of the range-topping Crusader. Taken with the high-gloss GRP sidewalls, it has resulted in uncommonly attractive vehicles from all angles. Another very welcome Crusader filter-down is the beautifully engineered pantograph-hinged front gas locker.

Indoors, the sidewalls are now ‘HaloTEC’ plastic single-piece panels: said to be impervious to any moisture, the lack of any seams lends the caravan a very clean, uncluttered look. As always, dovetail joints on the drawers are good to see, and our test example – slightly notchy bed-slat operation notwithstanding – was flawlessly presented.

Towing – 92%

Pretty much all the boxes are ticked in the towing department: the familiar Al-Ko ATC check-lamp is a welcome sight on the A-frame, and all the weighty appliances are clustered around the axle for optimum weight distribution. With a relatively modest MTPLM of 1,345kg it’s also the lightest Avanté by some margin, meaning a wide range of cars will take towing duties in their stride.   

Daytime – 93%

Minimalist feel in the lounge

First impressions are often key. As soon as you step inside, you’re greeted by bright, welcoming and contemporary-looking living quarters. The front lounge looks very suave in its new upholstery scheme and offers four good corners to recline into, thanks to big scatter cushions at the front of either sofa and bolsters at the other end. It’s a lovely space to spend time in, and the long sofas mean there’s plenty of room to entertain if you have a couple of friends in for drinks.

Subtle tweaks include redesigned front overhead lockers, with a cutaway cubby hole where the stereo speakers were on the outgoing model. The speakers are now hidden under the front window shelf, giving a slightly cleaner, more minimalist look. Said speakers serve a good-quality Pioneer unit, with an app that allows you to use your smartphone as a remote control – a clever idea.

If you want to watch telly instead, all the socketry is by the impressive big sideboard on the nearside. A mains socket at the front of the lounge gives you the wherewithal to place the TV on the front table if you prefer – the length of coaxial cable you’d need would be largely tucked away behind the sofa.

For two people, storage is bountiful. There’s no exterior-access locker, but the wide-opening hatches under both sofas provide ample compensation – and there’s a huge amount of space within them. A plethora of lockers, drawers and shelves ensures you’ll be able to stay clutter-free on your travels – and the word ‘enormous’ barely does justice to the wardrobe. Heating is courtesy of the tried-and-tested Avanté set-up of the space-saving Whale dual-fuel system, with blown-air outlets sited strategically throughout.

Night-time – 88%

Handsome living quarters

This 520 perfectly illustrates my oft-stated argument that a well-planned two-berth can be a great alternative to a fixed-bed layout.

First, the length of the sofas give you far more room to stretch out during waking hours than most single-axle fixed-bedders do – and if you enjoy spending time just relaxing in your caravan when you go away, that is surely a significant consideration. If you’re happy to convert the sofas into 6ft single beds at lights-out, you can haul your sleeping bags and pillows out through the hatches, plonk the backrests and cushions on the floor and be tucked up inside 90 seconds.

Yes, making up and putting away the double will take a few more minutes of your time, especially if you’re fitting an undersheet, but there’s your trade-off for all that daytime living space. Which is more important to you? Only you can answer that!

Kitchen – 94%

Well-equipped kitchen

The Thetford cooker comprises a dual-fuel hob, oven and grill, and the Russell Hobbs microwave is neatly fitted at a user-friendly low level. With all that at your disposal, the culinary sky is the limit, and there’s a good amount of work surface to help you reach for it – especially if you use the big nearside dresser top as back-up prep/serving space. The gloss-black Dometic fridge looks posh, and offers a generous 98-litre capacity. With excellent lighting, a pleasingly hefty sink cover and lots of storage too, this is a facility to be proud of.

Washroom – 97%

Spacious washroom

The full-width end washroom is a room of epic proportions. Its practicality extends to more than just its size, however. The big wardrobe – offering plenty of drawer space too – boosts its dressing room credentials, and two cupboards and some shelving provide excellent storage. 

Lighting – 92%

You’ll be well illuminated wherever you are on board. Four adjustable reading lights in the lounge (backed up by an LED strip above the chest of drawers) cover all the bases, and you get the warm glow of ambient lighting running along above the lockers. In the kitchen, two pairs of piercing flush-fitting lamps ensure that you’ll notice that garlic the very moment it starts to turn. The long mirror on the outside of the washroom wall is commendably lit, and the washroom itself benefits from two flush-fitters serving the wash-hand basin and a separate light in the shower cubicle.

Outside, there’s the usual awning light and a very useful A-frame-mounted lamp that illuminates the inside of the gas locker.

Verdict – 92%

With its pin-sharp styling, well-appointed and handsome living quarters, competitive asking price and huge washroom, showroom success surely awaits.