Crusader is the most luxurious you can get in mainstream Elddis. This year, these 8ft-wide models have an extra touch of luxury, with a 60th anniversary pack marking the County Durham company’s birthday. At Glossop Caravans in Derbyshire, I took a look at the Elddis Crusader Mistral, a single-axle with transverse island bed and end washroom.

Pitch and set-up

The Mistral is 8ft (2.45m) wide and over 7m long, with a single axle. But I don’t think it should be too intimidating to tow, because it comes with ATC and an Al-Ko stabiliser. It’s also relatively lightweight for a van with this spec, even with an onboard water tank.

I think the vehicle looks grand on the road, thanks to the elegant curved front profile and silver sides. You are well equipped when you park up on site, too.

The mains hook-up, water connection and cassette access are tucked away on the offside, and lit by two service lights. You will not need to worry about which Al-Ko wheel lock fits the caravan either, as the Elddis tourer comes with an Al-Ko Diamond Standard secure wheel lock.

Lounge in the Elddis Crusader Mistral

The best 4 berth caravans will ensure all four inhabitants can have a comfortable experience in the tourer. With the Mistral, I think the front lounge will be comfortable for the four people who are going to be living here, but not much more than that.

If you are likely to be entertaining more than four once you arrive, I’d suggest thinking about going for the £565 wraparound seating option. There’s a lot of storage in here, so losing that chunky chest wouldn’t be a tragedy.

Whatever you choose, the settees are comfortable, with four smart scatter cushions (each adorned with a special 60th anniversary tag) and four bolsters.

The lounge in the Mistral
Lounge is bright and airy thanks to big windows and the Stargazer skylight

I found the lounge airy and bright, thanks most of all to a Stargazer skylight in the roof that goes all the way back to the Omnivent over the kitchen.

At night, along with ambient light, you get four individually switched spotlights. You’ll also find a handy wireless charging pad on the front sill, and a mains socket.

Owners of the best caravan TVs will find the sockets for any potential set are placed to the right of the door, where you will also find two of those all-important USB ports – but no USB-Cs as yet.

Kitchen in the Elddis Crusader Mistral

The side kitchen comes with a big fold-out extension, which you might not need to use, because within the permanent unit, there’s a large workspace with two sockets right where you need them.

A reasonably big window and two LED lights located underneath the lockers help to illuminate this area.

The four-burner dual-fuel hob, separate oven and grill, and half-height fridge in the kitchen
Four-burner dual-fuel hob, separate oven and grill, and half-height fridge in kitchen

You also get a four-burner dual-fuel hob above a separate oven and grill, and a large rectangular sink over a half-height fridge – which at 98 litres, you might find a little on the small side for four people. Above the sideboard by the door, there’s an 800W Russell Hobbs microwave.

Washroom in the Elddis Crusader Mistral

I was pleased to see there is space to reach the washroom, whether or not the bed is rolled out. But I did think it’s a shame the washroom itself is a bit narrow, which you notice when you open the cupboard above the salad-bowl-style basin.

The ladder radiator, toilet and salad-bowl-style handbasin in the washroom
Washroom is well-equipped, with a cupboard below the salad-bowl-style handbasin

You have to step into the shower cubicle, but the concertina door doesn’t go all the way up, so there is space for steam to escape through the roof vent just outside.

A ladder radiator and the toilet are on the left side by the door, while an opaque window lets in more natural light.

Beds in the Elddis Crusader Mistral

I was pleased to find the rear bedroom feels spacious, thanks to the large wall mirror, something which can be a factor when choosing the right caravan. The double bed has two handy individually switched spotlights (although they don’t have USBs).

A bedside table can be pulled out on each side from under the half-height wardrobes. The socket in the side could be used for a hairdryer. There is a second set of sockets for a TV in the front offside corner.

The island bed in the rear bedroom
Rear bedroom feels even more spacious because of large mirror on the wall

The front settees will only work as single beds for small children, but they make up a large double. There’s no need for an infill cushion, even in this 8ft-wide caravan, but you may need to turn the base cushions around as the kneeroll is quite substantial.

Storage in the Elddis Crusader Mistral

Storage options will be an important consideration for when you’re loading your caravan.

In the Elddis Crusader Mistral, underseat areas in the lounge are mostly clear and have internal access flaps. If you have to raise the slats, they stay up if you take away the base cushion.

Along with the large central chest, there is one overhead locker on each side. There are two more lockers over the bed at the rear, as well as space under the bed, which is partly taken up by the water tank.

Looking towards the rear of the Mistral to see the kitchen, bedroom and washroom
Ample storage in bedroom, with two wardrobes

The wardrobe on the front side of the bed (the larger of the two, although it also stores the table and the Alde reservoir) has two drawers and a locker below. The narrower cupboard at the rear has three drawers underneath.

Kitchen storage includes a column of four drawers by the fridge, a pan locker and two overhead cupboards with racks. The sideboard comes with a shelved cupboard and drawer at the bottom, and a smaller cupboard above the microwave.

Alternatives to consider

The Bailey Unicorn Deluxe Cadiz is another tempting choice for a family of four, providing plenty of comfort and a spacious end washroom. Alternatively, if you wanted the option of an extra berth, the Adria Adora 612 DL Seine could be worth considering. It’s a well-designed and innovative caravan, which comes with a well-lit lounge.

Technical spec of the Elddis Crusader Mistral

  • Price: £35,699
  • Berths: 4
  • MiRO: 1507kg
  • Payload: 153kg
  • MTPLM: 1660kg
  • Interior length: 5.70m
  • Shipping length: 7.49m
  • Overall width: 2.45m

Spec includes

  • Front gas bottle locker with gas strut assisted door
  • Flush-fit tinted front windows
  • Al-Ko Diamond Standard secure wheel lock
  • Spare wheel
  • External BBQ and satellite points
  • Teleco Teleplus X2/39U directional aerial
  • Quiet-close overhead lockers
  • Pet-friendly Mara upholstery
  • Backlit bed headboard
  • LEDs throughout
  • Alde heating
  • Thetford K1520 MK2 dual-fuel four-burner hob with separate oven and grill

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