Rainer and Edith of Euro-RV in West Auckland, New Zealand agents for Caravelair caravans made their latest offering available for review and I was delighted with what I found.
Illogically, it had me thinking about our first caravan, a late 1970s Anglo. The Allegra 390 is not a retro-style caravan – far from it with its up-to-the minute furnishings and cabinetry. But both offer the same layout, bed across one end, lounge/dinette at the other end and kitchen amidships.
Our old Anglo, big as it was, didn’t have a bathroom. The Allegra has an efficiently compact one tucked into the rear corner beside the entry door. With a small shower tray in front of the Thetford C402 bench-style model (670mm wide), it is barely a metre deep but has all the essentials including LED lighting and a roof hatch.
I was intrigued with the arrangement of the hand basin. Mounted on the wall above the toilet, it folds down for use in a way RV users are familiar with. Instead of a conventional hand basin, there is a ‘splash tray’. Water from the tap flows onto the sloping tray and drains away to the rear so you have to use it as it flows by. I’m not sure if it is a good idea or not.
Both the Anglo and the Allegra have dinettes but there is a world of difference between them in terms of comfort and usefulness. The Allegra’s firm foam seat cushions are shaped for comfort and are stylishly upholstered, offering seating for four at the spacious dinette table where they have a wonderful view of what is going on outside through windows in the side and end walls.
Windows throughout the caravan are double-glazed and fitted with blinds and insect screens. Gauze curtains provide daytime privacy. Faux curtains each side of the windows form part of the interior décor, in this case a blend of beige and off-white tones with modern abstract patterning that combine with the honey coloured timber laminate cabinetry to create a restful ambiance.
Beneath the seats you will find the 230-volt water heater and the 19-amp power supply/battery charger leaving a generous amount of space for storage, with more available in the five overhead lockers. The table lowers to create a base for the mattress when the dinette is converted to a bed.
With all the essentials for meal preparation concentrated into a fairly small space the cook will need to be well organised. The bench top houses a three hob gas cooktop and stainless steel sink with not a lot of room to spare, so the glass tops over the hob and sink will get a lot of use. Under the bench is a 92-litre Trigano three-way fridge with interior freezer cabinet.
Having a permanently made-up bed in a caravan with an internal body length of just four metres is quite something, especially when it leaves enough room for all the other ingredients that make up the Allegra. And they are not all crammed in either; there is room to move about. The bed is queen size with a firm quality foam mattress over a slat base with a huge amount of storage space beneath. Two gas struts provide ‘lift assist’ making it easier to lift the bed.
The verdict
The French built Caravelair Allegra 390 is a delightful caravan. Fitted with a full-sized awning it would comfortably house mum, dad, and a couple of kids in a campground over the summer holidays. Euro-RV prepares each caravan it sells to Certified Self Contained (CSC) standard and provides the buyer with a CSC certificate. The team will also install a 120watt solar panel, a 100-amp/hour house battery and a 40-litre fresh water tank.
For more information, phone (09) 832 0064.
Check out the full article in issue #133 of Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations magazine (on sale now!). Subscribe here.
