Adria Adora 623DT Sava - Practical Caravan

Demand for a twin-axle model in this Alde-heated range has been strong, but does this five-berth layout work as a family caravan?

Verdict

The Adora Sava is a really well-thought-out family caravan that competes strongly, in more than just price terms, with other 8ft-wide UK models now coming onto the market. Although contemporary, its pared-down Continental style will probably not appeal to all buyers. Plus, you will need a hefty car (something with a kerbweight in the region of 2100kg) to tow it.

Pros

Well-appointed washroom with huge shower cubicle
Very comfortable front lounge

Cons

No Al-Ko ATC fitted as standard
Bed slats don’t stay up unaided

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Adria likes names that begin and end with ‘A’, such as Alpina, Altea and Adora. The only completely new caravan in its 2019 line-up – the Adora Sava – follows this convention, but in one way, it strikes out on its own. It’s a twin-axle van.

You might think it’s a bit unusual for a manufacturer to provide its sole twin-axle in its second-from-top range. But it makes perfect sense when you realise this is a five-berth, designed to carry everything that a budget-conscious family needs to take with them.

Public demand for a twin-axle model in this Alde-heated range has been strong. So does it work?

This is a five-berth, designed to carry everything that a money-minded family needs to take with them

Pitching & Setting-up

With an exterior width of just over 8ft, the Adora could be a handful on the road. But the twin axle isn’t the only thing that should make it easier to tow – Adoras come fitted with Al-Ko’s Delta axle. This is designed to lessen the impact of crosswinds and other unexpected buffering, by dampening the effects of centrifugal force. Just for good measure, Adoras are also fitted with a stabiliser. Al-Ko’s ATC anti-snaking system doesn’t come as standard, though.

Adrias may long be a familiar sight in the UK, but the Adoras still look stylishly Continental, with their long A-frames (designed to take a cycle rack), silver gas bottle locker and black tinted front windows. This year, they come with a new rear light cluster and chrome grabhandles. It’s also reassuring to know that even this mid-level range has heavy-duty corner steadies in all four corners. Finally, this year, Adora vans also have a stable door.

Living

The Continental, unfussy feel continues throughout the spacious interior, with sleek, handle-free overhead lockers. The fold-up occasional shelf over the central part of the U-shaped seating, in place of the traditional three-drawer chest, has been brought in from the Alpina range. This does make a handy place to leave your coffee while you bask in the sunshine coming in through the huge front windows and sunroof, because there isn’t much of a sill here (although there is a mains socket in the corner).
When you don’t need it, the shelf can simply be folded away to provide more seating room. Adria has made that end of the lounge even more comfortable this year, by putting fabric on the bulkhead.

There is a sideboard to the right of the door, which includes storage for the lightweight table and has a tower of switches and sockets above it. This includes one mains socket, two USB sockets and a TV socket. Your TV could easily go on this unit or the wall above. The only thing missing is a boot locker and coat hooks. There are two non-directional spotlights in the lounge and three LEDs in the sunroof housing. The small dinette can only seat two, but includes two spotlights, while a large rooflight with three integrated LEDs lights up this area and the bunks opposite.

Kitchen

The Sava kitchen has a large worktop, thanks to the in-line three-burner hob being sited towards the back. There’s also a handy mains socket in the corner.
You get a square steel sink on the right, and this area is well-lit by a window and an LED strip. Some narrow basket shelves are included in the cupboard to the left of the Thetford oven with separate grill. There is also a small pan locker beneath the oven.

The two drawers under the sink are large enough for all but the most bulky kitchen ware. The pan locker below is partly taken up with the wheel arch. All three units are pared down on the outside and handleless, like the two overhead lockers, one of which holds a microwave. Further back on the offside is a Slimline AFS Thetford fridge, with a pan locker below.

Washroom

There are no fewer than three mirrors in the washroom – a small one behind the towel rail, and a larger one over the small handbasin, with two narrow shelved cupboards on either side. These are perfect for cosmetics, leaving the cleaning products to go in the large cupboard under the basin.

The third mirror is in the very large shower cubicle, which also has its own rooflight. The main washroom is mainly lit by the opaque window above the toilet.

Beds

You can easily assemble the large double at the front by pulling two platforms out from under the settees. And with that fold-away shelf, you don’t need to worry about knocking your knees against any central chest of drawers at night. The two bunks in the rear are large enough for a young teenager – although they might not appreciate the cute elephant motif on their individual lights.

The bed you make up from the rear dinette is suitable for the smallest in the family, and the partition shuts off the whole area. The children might like that, but you might not be so keen to give up access to the toilet.

Storage

Thanks to its twin axles, the Sava should have a substantial payload (the figure is currently unconfirmed). With external access to the front and back under-seat areas, fitting in bulky items should be easy. Accessing these internally is slightly more time-consuming, thanks to the bed platforms at the rear bunk not having slats that stay up unaided. But you do get a large access flap.

The wardrobe opposite the kitchen has a large hanging rail but it’s not really full-height because there is a shelf halfway down. Still, when you include the sideboard next to this and the large overhead lockers, the storage will be fine for an average family.