Verdict
The small lounge could make this tourer a squeeze for large families, but it has a few neat idiosyncracies that are sure to turn a few buyers’ heads.
Pros
Kitchen and washroom storage
Large beds
Single-axle manoeuvrability.
Cons
It’s heavy for a van of this type
Front bed can only be used as a double
Small lounge
Location of waste pipes
Small dealer network.
Pitching & Setting-up
A van of this size on just a single axle is sure to raise a few eyebrows, but Adria addresses the towing-stability issue by equipping the Adora with a Continental-style A-frame, which is longer than the norm in Britain, and comes with an AKS stabiliser as standard.
That single-axle status makes the Adora relatively easy to manoeuvre on site – especially with a buttonless handbrake – and its generous payload figure is likely to appeal to a kit-laden family of six, just as long as they have a car powerful enough to handle the towing.
On the downside, the front stabilisers are hard to wind and the waste pipes are far under the van and difficult to access.
Living
One or two design issues hold the Adria back here. The lounge – an important portion of any family van – is where big differences occur between the Adora’s U-shaped seating and that of rivals. Also, Adria had to compensate for the long A-frame by reducing the interior length by 20cm, and you feel it here. There is space to seat six, but only just. What’s more, as large as the Adria’s table is, it simply cannot compare to the total dining area of most direct rivals.
During the day, the lounge is flooded with light from the one-piece front window, and once the sun sets there are plenty of options for lighting. You can use the front corner lights, adjustable spotlights or ceiling lights. There’s also a clock and a pre-wired place for a CD/radio unit, plus speakers. It’s nice to have a power point in the lounge, too.
Kitchen
It’s here that the Adora really shines. A four-burner hob complements the 97-litre fridge, and the grill is separate from the oven. Adria also supplies a glass lid for the sink as well as for the hob, maximising surface workspace.
We particularly liked the extendable chopping board above the fridge, and the fact that the power point is at the far end, near the second main work surface area.
There are three overhead cupboards, hinged on the side and with domestic-style, frosted-glass doors. The Adria also makes use of the overhead space near the bed for large shelves, and provides an enormous corner cupboard, four drawers and two long shelves.
Along with its amazing storage capacity, the Adria kitchen is bright and airy, thanks to a large sunroof. All this, plus the high level of spec, makes the Adora’s kitchen really stand out.
Washroom
A washbasin with mirrors above it is located just outside a toilet/shower washroom. Underneath the basin there’s a spacious cupboard, and you also get plenty of shelving, fronted by rails to prevent things falling off – a theme echoed throughout the van.
The Adria has a bench toilet, which fits perfectly in the space provided for it. The toilet is also waterproof, so no curtain is required to separate it from the shower. A curtain is provided at the door, however, to prevent water leaking into the caravan. There are also two moulded-plastic shelves.
Beds
The fixed double is at the rear, the front seats convert to a double bed, and the side dinette becomes two bunks.
Not only is the fixed bed nice and big, it also uses the overhead space especially well, having seven overhead lockers for clothes and four small shelves that are perfect for books, a glass of water or a mobile phone. A mini sunroof makes this area light and airy as well as functional.
There’s also a good, solid door separating the fixed bed/washroom area from the rest of the van, blocking out sound as well as light.
The front double, assembled by placing the back cushions on the fold-down table, is also sizeable. The shortish lounge, however, means you can’t use this area to form two single beds.
Assembling the bunks is a trouble-free operation. The side dinette table doubles as the base of the lower bunk and the top bunk folds out from the wall on free-moving hinges. There’s a privacy curtain for the bunks, too, and a light for the lower (but not the upper) berth.
Storage
Unfortunately, the shape of the Adora’s roof precludes having overhead lockers across the front of the lounge, but there’s plenty of space under the sofas, as there is under the dinette seats and under the fixed bed.
The wardrobe is reasonably deep, if not particularly long, and includes a low shelf that helps you maximise the space. Then, of course, there’s all that cleverly designed kitchen storage space. All in all, Adria owners should have plenty of room for all their kit.
Technical Specifications
| Berth | 6 |
| MiRO | 1285 kg |
| Payload | 415 kg |
| MTPLM | 1700 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.89 m |
| Width | 2.29 m |
