It’s funny how life can come and hit you at unexpected moments. The last time I tried out this caravan was straight after picking it up from Adria’s UK headquarters, in Sudbury, Suffolk. Then I signed off my report by saying, “I’m looking forward to many trouble-free nights in this van.”

That stay was in mid-January (14 to 16 January, to be exact). As we all know, many caravan parks remain open for the first two weeks of January, possibly to catch the last of any extended Christmas break. But the vast majority tend to shut for February and most of March, when, let’s face it, the weather isn’t exactly likely to be saying, “Come out to play!”

Touring put on hold

So I sat back and started dreaming about where I might take the Aire when caravan parks began opening again in March and April, perhaps for a pleasant little break over Easter. That was before the lockdown descended on 24 March.

Since then, obviously, we haven’t taken the caravan anywhere. Not for April, May or June. Easter has gone, and both public holiday weekends in May. Terrible.

Only now, as I write this in June, do I dare to dream again, as current plans seem to suggest that, in England at least, caravan parks will be opening again at the start of July.

I shouldn’t necessarily need to worry about social distancing requirements, because the Aire comes with a spacious end washroom and a shower cubicle that is larger than a good many caravan park showers I have seen. So I won’t need to use any toilet block.

The two-berth Altea 492DT Aire is perfect for social distancing and has a washroom equal to the size of those in some caravan parks

It should be fairly easy to rely on the caravan for cooking, too, because the Aire is one of those generously sized two-berths with a large sideboard, which could provide plenty of extra kitchen storage if needed. I will just have to go easy on the amount of clothes that I pack!

I wouldn’t mind too much, either, if I end up having to spend most of the time in the caravan, because the Aire’s lounge is both comfortable and roomy, with a convenient pull-up shelf at the front which means that I might not need to bother with the fold-away table – unless I decide to invite some friends into my  ‘bubble’.

In fact, the whole of this interior is styled in such a pared down, minimalist way, it is sometimes possible to forget you are even inside a caravan. It looks much more like a modern apartment – complete with not very helpful spotlights.

But where to go? That’s the question. The Aire is quite light, with an MTPLM of 1420kg, and although as standard it doesn’t come with either shock absorbers or ATC. I remember that I still found it an easy tow, even along rather winding Suffolk country lanes. So there must be somewhere that I can take it, and soon? Here’s hoping.