Verdict
Bargain used buy. It also has plenty of kit, and a homely traditional interior.
Pros
Low weight
Easy to tow
Homely, sociable dinette
Fixed bed is roomy.
Cons
No front double, so singles just for children
Only three can dine comfortably
Pitching & Setting-up
The Odyssey is fitted with a BPW chassis. The single-lever hitch-head is easy to use and the button-free handbrake makes securing the van a cinch.
It also draws praise for its easily accessible steady nuts, which have collars to help you guide the winder into place. All locks work smoothly, and there’s just one key to fit all of them, which avoids confusion.
The front locker is spacious, but there is a flimsy strut on each side. Because these are set across the opening, they’re easy to damage when moving gas cylinders.
Outside, the van still looks contemporary, especially because it has tinted Seitz privacy windows, which really make it stand out from the crowd.
Living
Up front, the L-shaped front dinette makes a sociable seating arrangement. However, it’s less practical at mealtimes, because only three can reach the rectangular main table.
Lighting around the L-shaped seats is ample thanks to a good selection of spotlights, as well as corner lights and an overhead light.
Specification is good, too. Although there’s no stereo as standard, it does have a well-placed corner cabinet with a TV point. Removable carpets are a useful addition, and their rusty colour should hide any stains fairly well.
For a mid-range tourer, the lounge with its comfy seats is great. All that lets the area down slightly are the compromised dining options.
Kitchen
Importantly, there’s plenty of worksurface in the Elddis’ kitchen. More space is freed up by the oblong sink being placed with the short end nearest you. Surrounding this space are three overhead lockers in the kitchen, with the largest one fitted with handy shelves.
There’s no microwave as standard, but if a microwave was specified, it’s found in the bottom locker. Another contains crockery racks, which leaves just one cupboard for general use, because
there are no lower cupboards.
Another slight negative is that the fridge is on the small side, at just 80 litres. The hob has three burners, and there’s a separate oven and grill below.
A removable drainer and chop-proof glass sink cover complete the space, and make the available space all the more practical.
Washroom
Side washrooms are often compromised when it comes to space, and sadly the Odyssey’s is no different. Its sliding door should be a space-saving solution, but, in fact, it takes up two walls of the washroom cubicle, leaving little space for fixtures.
Another problem is that the mirror is positioned high up over the window, making it hard for many people to use.
There is only one cupboard, which is under the sink, and it’s difficult to access it without knocking the washroom door. However, the good-sized square shower cubicle is good for a side washroom, and it’s lit by a small spotlight.
It also has a good rooflight directly above the cubicle for ventilation, and a drop-in carpet to stop your feet getting cold in the morning.
Beds
This van is aimed at couples and the transverse fixed bed works well for two. It saves hassle making up a bed at night and has a window at the rear for natural light.
There’s storage space on a huge shelf at the foot of the bed, by your feet, and a cubby-hole below that.
The main problem is that there is no provision for a double bed up front. Guests would have to sleep on the two bench seats, which would be fine for kids, but less so for adults.
Storage
For two people, storage is great inside this van. There’s a huge space below the bed, which can also be accessed from an exterior hatch.
For clothes, there’s an excellent wardrobe with three good-sized drawers below the wardrobe’s hanging space.
Up front, the Odyssey has two cabinets in its front dinette. This makes for near-domestic levels of storage, as well as creating valuable extra surface space.
Technical Specifications
| Berth | 4 |
| MiRO | 1152 kg |
| Payload | 173 kg |
| MTPLM | 1325 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.25 m |
| Width | 2.29 m |
