First Test: Avondale's 2007 Dart

MY last encounter with Avondale’s Dart was last summer, and while the 545-5 I took to Wiltshire was a fine caravan in many ways, it never really felt as though it had an identity all of its own.

Well it does now. The new Dart is, quite simply, a revelation.

Ironically, its handsome new look once again bears more than a passing resemblance to that of the Argente although closer examination of its smart new one-piece rear reveals the slightly disappointing truth that what at first appears to be a high-set LED ‘third eye’ brake light is, in fact, a dummy.Elsewhere, though, the Avondale ticks pretty much every important box.

In an extremely clever move, what appear to be the usual triple windows up front are, in reality, nothing of the sort: it’s a single pane window, with two vertical ridges set into the plastic to give the illusion of a three-pane window that should keep traditionalists and single-window fans alike happy.

Staying up front, the new frowning front panel lends the new Dart character, and the front locker is retained as nothing more than an odds and ends bin, rather than the usual gas locker. As is usual for Avondale, the Dart’s gas bottles live in a dedicated offside locker, right above the axle line for optimum stability.

In services terms, too, the new Dart scores well. Finally ensconced on our caravan pitch in Sherwood Forest, it soon became evident that only the battery/hook-up locker lives on the awning side of the caravan, with everything else - grey water drains included - banished to the offside. The latest Shurflo water plumbing system works well, too, even if it’s still a little noisier in operation than I’d have preferred.

SPECIFICATION
Price	Approx. £10,500
Berths	5
Overall length	21ft 8in (6.64m)
Overall width	6ft 9in (2.09m)
Overall height	8ft 5in (2.59m)

Step inside (noting, on the way, the new window-less entrance door, à la Bailey Discovery), and you’re faced with a vision in...brown. Now, before anyone starts making dark rumblings about regressing to the 1970s, take a look at the fabrics that Avondale has chosen. They work, don’t they? And look down below: those are loose lay, bound-edge carpets - a first for Dart. Yes, the door lockers are still of the old-school framed variety, but somehow it’s not such an issue when you’re paying less than £11,000 for the privilege.

The new range line-up is six-strong, as was the case before, although now, it’s a range of six individual and very different models. The end kitchen 380-2 and end washroom 470-2 remain, as does the four-berth end washroom 545-4, fixed-bunk 556-6 and the 510-5 tested here, but the 525-4 is all-new, and sports a longitudinal fixed rear bed layout reminiscent of the new-for-2006 Swift Challenger 540 we tested just a couple of months ago.

We, however, have the 510-5, and yes, that does mean an all-in-one washroom. It’s not the biggest unitary washroom I’ve ever seen, but for teeth-brushing and nocturnal penny-spending, it’s fine, and the separate shower riser gets its own dedicated monobloc mixer tap. In all honesty, though, this caravan will spend most of its life on sites with five-star facilities, so its compact size isn’t really a problem.

So, the washroom’s a bit of a compromise, but that’s the only area in this caravan where compromise is called for. The end dinette, for instance, is great for use as a kids’ playroom and can be partitioned off completely with a concertina blind.

We, however, used it as a permanent end bedroom, and while the double bed is a mite narrow, Mrs Le C and I enjoyed three nights of uninterrupted slumber on it, and the single ceiling light provided ample illumination, even if a couple of reading lights would have been a welcome addition.

Moving into the kitchen, and there’s little - if anything - to complain about. The missing in-built drainer opens up plenty of worktop space, and the stainless steel sink is both large and easy to clean.Top marks, too, to the new wok-friendly three-burner hob that comprises the top part of the oven/grill beneath.

Up front in the lounge, the seemingly low-backed settees are actually very comfortable, and you can slide out the front table extension without having to move your television. The folding table (which lives in the wardrobe) is of a good size, too.

I have just one gripe, here: the single-pane front window means Avondale has had to fit a single giant blind and flyscreen to it, and operating same is definitely a two-person job. The plus side is that, added to the light admitted by the large sliding Remis-Top rooflight, the Dart’s lounge is fantastically bright and airy, even with all those dark brown hues doing their best to soak up all the light.

VERDICT

I towed the 510-5 over a good couple of hundred miles, and while the Subaru Legacy 2.0 I used struggled a little in power terms (actually, I think it was suffering from a misfire), it was as stable a rig as you could hope for. And I enjoyed my time spent living in it, too. I think it looks good, has enjoyed a welcome improvement in terms of build quality, and has more than a few novel little surprises up its sleeve to boost its showroom floor appeal.

A starting price below £10,000 would have given the Bailey Ranger something rather more worrying to think about, but this is unquestionably the best Dart yet - and by a country mile.

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