Verdict
The new Casita range of Compass caravans offers cracking value – and in this format it takes some beating.
The build is excellent and the 586 should be more than capable of dealing with life on family caravan holidays.
The spec can’t be faulted, either, and quality seating and excellent lighting levels plus a spacious rear-corner washroom make it a worthy van.
A great finish lends it an upmarket feel – it’s a family tourer that’s packed with positives.
Pros
Sturdy build quality
It has a good spec
The seating is comfortable
It has plenty of mains sockets
Storage is good
The kitchen is practical
Cons
The wardrobe could be larger
There is no exterior mains socket
Compass has been around since late 1978 and, apart from the odd blip, the firm has produced a constant range of popular tourers.
And, for 2017, the range of Compass caravans being offered is arguably the best yet.
The recently revamped range has proved a bigger sales success than predicted and, with new dealers being added to a growing list, Compass is now in a stronger position than before.
Here we are reviewing the Compass Casita 586, a single-axle, full-blown six-berth – a tourer that looks like incredible value at less than £19,000 on the road.
It’s also a manageable 7ft 6in wide, so there shouldn’t be any worries about getting down narrow roads on the approach to smaller sites.
And to see other Compass caravans for sale, click here.
It's a family tourer that’s packed with positives
Pitching & Setting-up
The Casita comes on an Al-Ko chassis with alloy wheels, a spare wheel, an AKS hitch stabiliser and ATC stability control. Corner steadies are easy to locate and all of the service points are on the offside. There’s a capacious front gas locker, too.
The one-piece sides are made from tough aluminium and the SoLiD construction should add to the longevity of the Compass, with a 10-year water-ingress warranty.
A multi-directional Telco TV aerial is standard, together with a front sunroof.
Grabhandles are plastic with a chrome finish to add some extra class, while the graphics and the chrome Compass badge on each side look the part.
A mini Heki roof vent is fitted over the kitchen area and a midi is over the front lounge. The ABS front and rear panels are full-height and the quality is first-class.
Living
The front lounge in the Compass Casita 586 offers twin parallel seating and a central chest of drawers.
As well as the aforementioned sunroof plus a rooflight, there are integrated spotlights around the Heki rooflight, plus four LED corner reading lights. There are also four side overhead lockers.
A coffee table slides out of the chest of drawers, while a CD/radio/MP3 player is tucked out of the way in an overhead locker.
Two air vents in the offside seat base allow blown-air heating through from the Whale dual-fuel 4.3kW heating system.
The Compass’s lounge also has seat-base locker flaps, so there’s no need to disturb the seating cushions to get at bedding, and deep front windows give a good view out.
The second seating area is the side dinette. It’s wide as a single, but isn’t quite large enough for two. However, this space offers good extra seating for children.
It also has two LED reading lamps and two more blown-air heating outlets on one of the seat-base ends. As with the front lounge, there’s also integrated lighting above the roof lockers.
Kitchen
A big family caravan needs a good kitchen area for food preparation, and the Compass Casita 586 doesn’t disappoint.
It’s well-equipped, too, with a Thetford Aspire 2 oven and dual-fuel hob, plus an 800W stainless-steel microwave.
Compass also fits a 110-litre Dometic fridge/freezer, while downlighters beneath the overhead lockers add good task lighting for the user. The 586 has a twin mains socket in the kitchen (you’ll also find further 230V points in the lounge and the side dinette area).
The worktop space here is good. If you need more, the side cupboard between the lounge and the dinette has a small amount of worktop that could also be utilised.
The black sink with combined drainer looks classy, and the cooker hob has three gas burners and an electric hotplate.
Storage in the 586’s kitchen is also well taken care of, which means feeding time should prove a breeze.
Washroom
The Casita 586 has a rear offside corner washroom, which boasts enough floor space to allow for a circular shower cubicle. There’s also a smoked side window with an electric-flush Thetford loo beneath it.
The bathroom is well-equipped and comes with a good-sized, fashionable bowl sink and a large cupboard with shelves beneath.
The 586’s washroom has an upmarket feel to it and certainly makes the Casita feels more special than its price-tag suggests. It’s practical and also quite swish, and is bound to score highly with families.
Beds
Let’s start off at the front end of the Casita.
The main lounge area makes up into a generous double bed. This is done by using wooden slats that pull out from beneath the central chest of drawers, and rearranging the cushions.
Then you head for the side dinette – this makes into a large single bed with a fold-up bunk above.
That leaves the fixed bunk beds, which are over in the nearside corner. These have a side window each and also a built-in ladder for the top bunk.
So the Compass Casita 586 provides super sleeping accommodation for up to six.
Storage
The 586 offers good storage, with deep overhead roof lockers and a side dresser that comprises a narrow cupboard and worktop.
The side dinette also comes with three overhead lockers, while the kitchen has some excellent storage. Two overhead lockers are provided for plates and other crockery, while a third houses the microwave oven. Two cupboards and three drawers are also provided, along with plenty of worktop.
The rear bottom fixed bunk bed also has storage beneath, but no exterior access flap.
The washroom has a large cupboard beneath the hand basin and is further enhanced by a couple of shelves.
However, the wardrobe is a little disappointing: with six on board you’re going to struggle for hanging space. It should be okay for four, but full-height storage is restricted by the size of the wardrobe.
Technical Specifications
| Berth | 6 |
| MiRO | 1287 kg |
| Payload | 173 kg |
| MTPLM | 1460 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.35 m |
| Width | 2.26 m |
