Verdict
It may not be cutting edge, but the Lunar Quasar 586 is still an attractive and well-built van. Come the end of the Practical Caravan review, the attention to detail in this tourer really stood out, such as in the individual amenities for the bunks and the side dinette cushions you fasten in place.
The 586 faces a challenge from its stablemate, the Venus 580/6, which has the same layout but weighs and costs less.
Pros
The fixed bunks get individual lights, curtains and windows
The freestanding dining table is stored in a cupboard right by the lounge
There’s great attention to detail throughout
Cons
The washroom door may foul the base of the lower fixed bunk
The microwave is difficult to reach and, so, less safe to use
It is very similar to its stablemate, the Venus 580/6, which costs and weighs less
Quasar is Lunar’s most affordable range, but a step in price above the models in the manufacturer’s entry-level Venus brand. It underwent major revisions for the 2014 season, so new features for 2015 are limited. The main ones are smart new decals and wheel spats, new ‘Montana Oak’ woodwork complemented by cream and chrome fittings, ‘Kassis’ soft furnishings, and high-impact dark worktops.
There is a new layout for this year, too. It’s the six-berth Lunar Quasar 586, featuring a front lounge, an offside side-dinette (which converts into bunks), and fixed bunks in the rear nearside corner. With an MTPLM of 1420kg, the Quasar can be towed by a wide variety of family cars – how does the Lunar Quasar 586 perform in the Practical Caravan review?
The fixed rear bunks are what this layout is really about – each occupant gets a small opening window, a reading lamp and a privacy curtain
Pitching & Setting-up
The Lunar Quasar 586 is built using the manufacturer’s ‘Core’ construction system, which uses light materials in traditional ways to reduce weights. While not having as much showroom appeal as other marques, the Quasar still looks smart.
At the front, there’s the ubiquitous Al-Ko AKS 3004 stabiliser and button-free handbrake. The A-frame fairing has steps to ease cleaning. On the offside, it’s good to see that the two waste-water outlets are very easily accessible. On the nearside, the wet locker has a mains socket and a hatch offers access under the lower bunk. The main electrical controls are in a neat unit above the door.
Living
The lounge in the Lunar Quasar 586 feels extra spacious because the offside dinette helps create an open-plan feeling at the front. The pretty, neutral-coloured soft furnishings also help.
There’s comfortably enough room for six to dine at the front of this caravan, but you can fall back on the side dinette if things get a little too cosy.
There are TV connection points on the front shelf and a narrow dedicated unit on the offside. Both include satellite dish connections.
With plentiful windows, a rooflight and numerous artificial lights, the lounge can be kept bright at any time of day.
Kitchen
Like cooking on your caravan holidays? The well-equipped kitchen in the Lunar Quasar 586 has a dual-fuel hob, a separate oven and grill, and a large Dometic fridge/freezer. A microwave is fitted at a height of 1.54m from the floor and over the widest part of the curved worktop. This makes using it quite a stretch.
A wide cupboard at the lounge end is where the main table is stored, so it is where it’s needed. A mini-Heki rooflight allows ventilation, while an easy-to-clean cream splashback and removable drainer complete the picture.
Washroom
There’s a saying that you can’t fit a quart into a pint pot. Well, the designers have very nearly achieved that in a washroom that fills two-thirds of the width at the rear of the Lunar Quasar 586.
This leaves space for a circular shower cubicle, a vanity unit with a basin, a large mirror and an electric-flush toilet. A mini-Heki and an opening opaque window provide ventilation. Artificial lighting is good too, all controlled by a pull-cord switch.
The only niggle is that the door opens into a handle at the base of the bunk, meaning great care is needed to avoid damaging the door.
Beds
Although the Lunar Quasar 586 has six berths, it’s more likely to be used by a family of four. The front lounge converts into either a pair of singles (large enough for adults) or a spacious double. Whatever the arrangement, each occupant gets a reading light.
The side-dinette converts into bunks suitable for children, but only the top occupant gets any light. The full-length curtain for closing off the bunks at night has its own storage cupboard.
The rear bunks are what this layout is really about. They’re of a decent size, and Lunar has cleverly incorporated the ladder to the top one at the end of the unit. Each occupant gets a small opening window, a reading lamp and a privacy curtain.
Storage
With nine overhead lockers (not counting kitchen cupboards), rafts of bed-box space, a good-sized wardrobe and drawers here and there, the Lunar Quasar 586 provides reasonable storage space for six occupants’ kit – with careful packing.
Because kids’ sleeping bags could be left out on the bunks, the space under the lower one can accommodate plenty of toys and outdoor kit.
Elsewhere, storage in the washroom appears minimal, but adequate, while kitchen storage should prove to be sufficient. It includes a roomy overhead crockery cupboard, a second shelved cupboard next to it and, beneath the work surface, a decent-sized cupboard with a cutlery drawer and shelved space.
Technical Specifications
Berth | 6 |
MiRO | 1227 kg |
Payload | 193 kg |
MTPLM | 1420 kg |
Shipping Length | 7.36 m |
Width | 2.21 m |