Verdict
Couples who like fixed single beds and plan to eat out or cook outside on a barbecue some of the time, might find the smaller lounge and kitchen perfectly acceptable. For those planning exclusively UK holidays, our variable weather may mean you’d rather have a bigger lounge. Despite this caveat, we’re impressed by the comfortable adult-sized twin fixed single beds, which are big selling points in favour of this caravan.
Pros
This caravan has excellent beds: two adult singles and a double
The washbasin has plenty of storage options around it
Kitchen storage and equipment are good
Cons
The lounge is too compromised for most people’s tastes
The kitchen has limited worktop space
No carpets
No microwave
The Adora 542’s layout will fit the bill for friends who tour together and couples who prefer single beds.
It provides two fixed single beds, which are larger and more comfortable than using the lounge as twin singles. Behind the beds is an end-washroom and the front of the van is home to a side-kitchen and lounge. All this is packed into a single-axle van with an MTPLM of 1500kg.
The van we took away was a 2009 model, but aside from tweaks to the external graphics, little has changed for 2010. Priced at £13,000 at launch, the Adora is marketed as a mid-level van. However, some of the equipment you would expect to be standard in a van of this price, including carpets and a microwave, are missing.
The twin beds are comfortable and long enough even for caravanners over six feet tall
Pitching & Setting-up
Dark windows and an aerodynamic curved front give the Adora an elegant look. It is also well-equipped, with an Al-Ko stabiliser, 13-pin electrics and Al-Ko Secure receivers.
The front locker is spacious and the van also has a wet locker and barbecue point.
Inside, it is easy to get set up as the controls are just inside the door.
Living
The dark windows could have made the interior gloomy, but a large rooflight ensures the lounge is bright and airy during the day. However space is tight, as the lounge has been shortened to fit those full-length fixed single beds in a single-axle van. You notice straight away.
The living area is separated from the sleeping quarters by a folding door. Although it is not substantial, it provides some privacy. The U-shaped front lounge may be small but the seating is comfortable. There are good lighting options, too.
Kitchen
The offside kitchen has good equipment, but it too has been compromised and has very limited work surface. A small pull-out flap is all that is provided.
The opposite sideboard has a good amount of work surface, but it is too low for chopping vegetables.
Storage is better, as there are three overhead lockers and three drawers in the main kitchen, as well as a cocktail cabinet and another drawer at the opposite sideboard.
Washroom
A sliding door separates the beds from the end-washroom. It’s not ideal for late-night trips to the washroom, as it is noisy.
The washroom is small but it works well. There’s plenty of storage around the central basin and in the separate shower, but there is nowhere to hang a towel.
Beds
Should you need it, the double bed is easy to make up, using pull-out slats. But you need a narrow cushion to make the cushions fit firmly. This is fiddly and takes up storage space.
The twin beds are comfortable and long enough even for caravanners over six feet tall. There is a wardrobe at the end of each bed and plenty of storage beneath them with external access on the nearside.
Storage
Because the lounge is short it doesn’t have a centre chest of drawers. A fold-up table is provided, but it is supported by only a single, flimsy bracket. It will take your cuppa, but not your TV. The point for that is above the sideboard opposite the kitchen.
Technical Specifications
| Berth | 4 |
| MiRO | 1150 kg |
| Payload | 350 kg |
| MTPLM | 1500 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.37 m |
| Width | 2.29 m |
