Verdict
The Lunar Delta RI really works. It has a good specification, storage and a spacious end bedroom. The washroom and large side kitchen work well. It’s no wonder that this luxury tourer won its class and became the overall winner of our Practical Caravan Tourer of the Year Awards 2016. Despite its size, it is lightweight with a 1550kg MiRO. A shining star in the Lunar Delta range for 2016, we believe that the Lunar Delta RI is going to prove a top seller at the high end of the caravan market in 2016.
Pros
Generous storage options
Outstanding washroom
Superb bedroom
Excellent lighting
Spacious caravan
Cons
Front lounge is tight for four diners
Pity there’s no cocktail cabinet
The Delta range has been around since 1980 and, in its 36 years, it has offered luxury and low weights. Known by many as a well-specified range, the line-up for 2016 may just include its best model to date: the Lunar Delta RI.
Lunar has rather cleverly taken a layout that originated in the world of motorhomes, featuring an end island bed and a full-width washroom amidships, and improved upon it.
Rival British caravan manufacturer Coachman took the plunge and introduced it in the VIP 545/4 and Laser 650/4, which made their debuts at February 2015’s NEC show. Show-goers liked them and the Coachman models sold well, but there were drawbacks. The washroom felt tight for space and there were two entrances from there to the rear bedroom, to access either side of the lengthways island bed, the foot of which extended right to the washroom bulkhead. This made the layout feel claustrophobic. Read our full Coachman VIP 545/4 review and Coachman Laser 650/4 reviews for more about this.
Lunar has stepped into the breach by coming up with a twist for the floorplan, which was an ideal addition to its Delta range. Lunar enlarged the washroom and turned the island bed through 90˚, transforming it into a transverse double, which permits a single entrance to the bedroom. To complete the layout, the bed was made retractable, to allow access around its foot. These tweaks make the Delta RI a very desirable luxury tourer. And to see other Lunar caravans for sale, click here.
The Lunar Delta RI is going to prove a top seller at the high end of the caravan market in 2016
Pitching & Setting-up
The Delta RI is built on an Al-Ko twin-axle chassis, which comes with heavy-duty steadies, the ATC trailer-control system and an AKS stabiliser. The Delta range also receives Al-Ko’s automatic brake adjuster, a spare wheel and an underslung carrier.
Attractive alloys and decals complete the exterior design of this smart tourer.
A wet locker is also part of this luxury package and, for those who like to cook outside, a barbecue point is standard spec, as is an exterior mains socket.
The front and rear panels are full-height moulded ABS units. The chrome-effect grabhandles can be backlit in the evening. The Delta has an external showerhead, pipe and connector, which are ideal for washing off the dog!
Lunar fits a 40-litre fresh-water tank with automatic changeover – when the onboard tank empties, the water system draws on an exterior source. A Wastemaster grey-water carrier is provided as standard kit.
The Delta has the latest Status digital TV/radio aerial, while the large gas locker is easy to access.
Living
If we have any niggles, then we may as well get them out of the way first. There’s a slight one in the lounge. This is a four-berth, right? Yes, but the van will more than likely be used by a couple than by a family. The lounge is a little on the short side; four adults will find it a tad cosy, though not a tight squeeze. We reckon an L-shaped lounge would work better here. Perhaps that could be offered as an option for 2017.
Otherwise, the lounge is comfortable. We like the sumptuous upholstery and colour. The deep front windows allow in plenty of natural light. This is bolstered by the Maxi Sky-View rooflight, which has been enlarged for the 2016 model year to a whopping 1.5m x 0.6m and works better than before.
Good overhead lockers and excellent night-time illumination are other features of the lounge, while the central chest of drawers and mains socket plus the alarm sensor are situated here, too.
Front access flaps in the seat bases allow bedding to be retrieved without disturbing the seat cushions. The freestanding table is lightweight, while a slide-out section of the chest of drawers serves as a coffee table.
Kitchen
The Delta’s kitchen is well-equipped and practical. It sports a Thetford Aspire 2 oven, a dual-fuel hob and stainless-steel sink with a clip-on drainboard. The worktop is generous but, for those who want more, a fold-up extension flap is provided.
Only one mains socket is fitted here, as is the switch for the top-notch kitchen lighting, including that built into the surround of the gloss-finish overhead lockers. They look great and, with the LEDs on, they’re stunning.
Ample storage space in the galley is freed up because the 180-litre fridge/freezer is across the gangway. Above it is an easy-to-access 800W microwave.
Washroom
Once you’ve passed through the main living area, you reach the washroom, and it’s here you realise what a great design this is. Lunar has added bags of floor space and storage by fine-tuning the layout to have one door between the bedroom and washroom rather than two. The result is a washroom that feels much bigger.
The domestic-style shower cubicle is a good size, while the handbasin and the cupboard supporting it are centred width-ways. Just above the basin is a large mirror. On the nearside is the electric-flush toilet.
As you enter the bedroom, you’ll see a mirror on the left that folds out to reveal extra storage – a welcome touch. Good natural and artificial lighting, and plenty of ventilation round out the room.
Beds
One of the Delta RI’s two comfortable doubles is the island bed at the rear. Lunar’s designers cleverly opted for a transverse bed measuring 1.83m x 1.34m. For less than £30 extra, it can be lengthened with an optional 0.10m extension for the supportive air-pocket mattress, making it 1.93m (6ft 4in) long.
Either way, its ‘easy action’ day/night mode simplifies retracting it for the day and extending it at bedtime.
The lounge sofas, meanwhile, can be converted into a good-sized, 2.11m x 1.51m, double bed using conventional pull-out slats.
Storage
The Delta RI offers a huge amount of storage, especially if used by two – even with four, though, you won’t go far wrong. The lounge has deep overhead lockers while the kitchen has large cupboards with drawers. Opposite is a corner cupboard with shelves above; a glass-fronted drinks cabinet would have been the icing on the cake.
The washroom has excellent storage, from its cupboards to a small wardrobe. Towards the rear, two nearside wardrobes flank the island bed’s headboard. Overhead lockers and an enormous expanse under the bed offer more storage than most couples will need. Still, it’s better to have too much than not enough!
Technical Specifications
| Berth | 4 |
| MiRO | 1550 kg |
| Payload | 160 kg |
| MTPLM | 1710 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.89 m |
| Width | 2.33 m |
