Verdict
A plush, pricey twin-axle tourer which does little wrong, if you can live with the compact fixed bed. The transverse bed is a nice idea if you are short enough to sleep in it comfortably.
Pros
This twin-axle tourer is lighter than some single-axle vans
The interior is one of the plushest around
Storage is excellent
Front lounge bed is huge
Cons
The fixed bed is too small for our taste
The external appearance lacks sparkle
It’s plenty of money
Lunar has taken great strides over the last few seasons. Since its management buyout brought the company back into UK ownership, the model line-up has become increasingly desirable without deserting the lightweight credentials that made the company’s name.
Lunar has emerged particularly strong at the top-end of the market, where its Clubman and Delta models have become the benchmark for luxury caravans that can be towed by relatively ordinary towcars. This 21ft twin-axle tourer weighs less than some rival’s single-axle tourers, which is an impressive achievement. The Delta TI was extensively revamped for the 2011 season. The biggest change was the swap to a transverse bed and rear washroom.
Good lighting, excellent comfort and impeccable soft furnishings mark out the Delta as a caravan of considerable class
Pitching & Setting-up
Outside, the Delta has the full set of Al-Ko kit. The hitch stabiliser, button-free handbrake and heavy-duty steadies are barely worth mentioning in a caravan at this level, but the inclusion of the ATC stability control and the Secure wheel lock system are welcome.
The remote-operation external LED light and Whale super-pitch set-up are thoughtful additions and that sort of thoughtful addition should make the Lunar a pleasure to live with.
The only real downsides are the noticeable ‘show through’ or telegraphing in the sidewalls where the strengthening beams leave a slight bump in the aluminium skin and that the rear steadies are hard to locate without crouching or kneeling.
Living
One area that seems to suffer universally in fixed-bed caravans is the lounge. In order to squeeze in the bed, the lounge often gets chopped and ends up too small.
In fact the Delta’s lounge is a pleasant surprise. The usable width of the seat is 145cm, more than enough for two to sit each side of the van without being too snug. Elsewhere, the lounge works beautifully.
Good lighting, excellent comfort and impeccable soft furnishings mark out the Delta as a caravan of considerable class. The pull-out centre chest is big enough for a couple to use for lunch. The dining table is stored nearby in one of the kitchen cupboards.
Kitchen
The side-kitchen in the Delta is a nice place to prepare your caravan tuck. The double-height fridge with separate freezer is vast, although this does mean that the microwave mounted above it is a long way off the ground.
The hob has three gas burners and a single mains electric hotplate, and sits on top of a grill and separate oven.
The integrated drainer robs the Delta of food preparation space, but the glass top can be lowered when the sink isn’t in use to provide a bit more space. The LED strip light is far more effective at lighting the counter than it looks.
Washroom
The sliding door access to the rear washroom is an excellent space-saving idea and ensures that every square inch of available space is used. That said, it’s not a spacious wash area.
The towel rail is touch of class although in practice, is mounted so tight to the wall that you’ll not be able to dry much more than a hankie on it.
The Mini-Heki rooflight and offside opaque window ensure that natural light is in good supply too.
Beds
For the most part, this Delta is a caravan we could recommend pretty much without reservation, but the bed does need any buyer’s undivided attention. In the showroom, the bed looks big and comfortable, but run a tape measure over it and this van’s Achilles heel is revealed. The fixed bed is too small.
Lunar quotes the bed at 1.83m long but our tape couldn’t find much more than 1.8m dead. Bear in mind that you won’t want to sleep with your head touching the wall either, so the usable length is less than that. Taller caravanners will simply run out of room.
More than that though, buyers really need to imagine the bed with a duvet on it. With that hanging over the end, access to the washroom is restricted and you’re likely to end up remaking the bed each time you pass. We measured 33cm between the foot of the mattress and the wall. With the duvet on too, that distance drops to nearer 20cm (7 3/4in) and that’s just too tight for comfort.
Lighting around the bed is good, storage is excellent and the mattress is deep and comfortable.
Incidentally, the front lounge bed is huge and easy to make up.
Storage
Any caravan this size has got no excuse for poor storage, and happily the Lunar excels in this respect. With 10 overhead lockers, separate wardrobes for either side of the bed and relatively unencumbered lockers under both front seats, there is little to moan about.
The most impressive storage is definitely in the kitchen. There are three cupboards, the leftmost of which is lined with pull-out baskets.
Opposite is a small locker adjacent to the door and a dedicated drinks cabinet at eye-level.
In fact the only thing we could find fault with was a lack of coat hooks.
Technical Specifications
| Berth | 4 |
| MiRO | 1575 kg |
| Payload | 160 kg |
| MTPLM | 1735 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.91 m |
| Width | 2.28 m |
