Looking for something roomy to accommodate a large family? Looks like the Elddis Crusader Tempest caravan could be just the ticket.
It looks like the triple-fixed-bunk set-up is here to stay: the Tempest is the latest player to have its name added to an ever-lengthening team sheet that includes offerings from Bailey (first name on the list), Swift, Lunar, Adria and the Crusader's room mate, the Avante.
Arguably, the Tempest is the most imposing of the three-bunk six-berth contingent. The top-of-the-range Crusader is a big old beast, needing twin axles to accommodate the 20-foot-plus interior length. That's space enough for a full-size lounge at the front and a separate shower cubicle in the washroom.
Phew... There's a lot to get round, then. Better get on with it.
Construction
You could have a torrid time with assorted doors in the Tempest, the worst offender being the entrance door, which left me stranded outside when its notchy handle refused all polite requests to disengage from the latch fully, despite being completely unlocked.
Eventually, I gained entry by distinctly impolite means, and thenceforth kept the keys in my pocket every time I left the caravan. It repeated the same trick once, then behaved better - but always felt sticky.
Inside, the washroom door has one of those new breed of domestic-style handles, but it was already coming loose and didn't engage properly. The push-button release on the wardrobe door reminded me why I don't really like push-buttons: I pushed and, for a long time, it didn't release. Eventually, it admitted defeat but was still prone to bouts of stubbornness. If this one can be classified as a minor niggle, the other two would be unacceptable on any caravan, never mind one costing as much as this.
The quality of the joinery elsewhere on board is very good, with the nice, thick woodwork reminding you that you are, after all, in a top-of-the range caravan. Outside, the panels are joined to one another neatly and precisely
Towability
By the time you've decided to make a six-berth on a twin axle and kit it out with most of the available goodies as standard, there's little point in watching the pounds and ounces - you may as well have that second jumbo jam doughnut and be done with it.
So it is, then, that the Tempest weighs in at just under 1900kg if you take full advantage of the available payload. Nothing this side of a Land Cruiser, Pathfinder or
Discovery 4 will suffice. But, busy high streets and sweaty-palm-narrow site entrances notwithstanding, a massive outfit such as this will be superb on the road, with eight wheels providing well-planted roadholding, suspension dampers helping to smooth out the bumps and the standard hitch stabilizer providing that extra hand on the tiller. My friends old Discovery V8 made light work of it but, then again, I'd have been gutted if it didn't...
The two rear foglights and a pair of reversing lamps are sensible fitments.
Usability
My guess is that it must be great fun working in the Usability Department up at Elddis Towers. These guys consistently come up with ideas that make it all the way onto the finished product.
For example, a caravan's front lounge is often left 'exposed' when converted into a bedroom at night, but not here: a pull-out concertina blind shuts it off completely to give the occupants on either side of the divide a bit of privacy. It also means the lounge can be pressed into service as a changing/dressing room, a task it's much more suited to than the elbow-bashing confines of the washroom.
Something else: there are two mains sockets in the kitchen, so the kettle and the toaster can be plugged in at the same time. There's another mains socket under the fridge that provides power to the bedroom: handy for charging up the mobile overnight
The exterior gas barbecue point is a fine addition on a family holiday machine such as this; and the hinged, slatted bases of the two lower fixed bunks lift up out of the way to give a vast storage area when they're not in use. The awning warmer is basically an exterior-wall outlet for the blown-air heating system. But don't dismiss it as a gimmick if you've never experienced it: it's enough to make a difference in the cooler days of spring or autumn.
Never mind cooler days: if you use the Tempest in the dog days of winter, you'll be glad of the 40-litre inboard water tank, which removes any worry of your water supply freezing up overnight.
The so-called privacy glass on the side windows isn't misnamed: if you want to sneak a look inside this one as you walk past on site, you'll need to press your nose right up against the window.
But the highlight here is the presence of the 'proper' side dinette that offers genuine seating for four (maybe not four full-sized adults, mind), not to mention a terrific single bed that easily trumps the bunks for space and comfort. It's no big deal to transform it from bed to seating in the morning, either.
Storage is first-class. Wide-opening hatches provide easy access to the front bedlockers, and there's exterior access to the nearside one, too: open that hatch and you'll find a mains socket for use in the awning.
Each seat base in the side dinette also has a handy door, making it fuss-free to get to the very useful space in here, too. The wardrobe at the back is good and deep, with plenty of hanging space.
The carpeting is provided in loose-fit sections, an absolute necessity in a caravan that will no doubt have more than its fair share of muddy trainers and wellies to contend with. The big centre section is a bit unwieldy, mind: dividing it into two would make it much more user-friendly
Living And Sleeping
The triple fixed bunks mean that much of the chore of bed making on holiday is removed: indeed, if you're using the Tempest as a four- or five-berth and the kids are all happy to claim one of the bunks each that only leaves the front double to attend to. If Mum and Dad are happy to take advantage of the long lounge and use single beds instead of hauling out the slats to make the huge double, the chore is all but eliminated completely.
Each bunk occupant benefits from a 12V reading light and privacy curtain, but the person in the uppermost one loses out on a window. Other makers see fit to oblige, so it's a strange omission here.
They're fine beds: on the basis of my trying out the bottom one, the mattresses are firm and supportive, and there's room enough to toss and turn. The windows are sited so that their infrastructure doesn't get in the way of shoulders or elbows.
The wider-than-usual side dinette makes up into a luxurious single bed that allows the luxury of sprawling. The base is formed by slotting the clip-on table top between the seats. A curtain for a bit of bedtime privacy would be a useful addition, though.
The washroom is directly opposite the bunks, so it's effectively an en-suite facility for the bedroom.
The front lounge transforms into great sleeping quarters, whether in single- or double-bed mode: the sprung upholstery is deep and supportive, giving all-night-long comfort. Slats glide in and out effortlessly to make the double. Pull the concertina blind across and you really feel that you, too, have your own proper bedroom.
Just as much care and attention have been lavished on the lounge to make it a fine place to be during the waking hours: sink into those substantially upholstered front comers and you'll find them every bit as comfortable as they look. There's enough room here for six, but why cram everybody in when there's such good seating available in the side dinette? With two dining here, everybody on board will be able to wallow in space and comfort.
Kitchen
Elddis kitchens are always impressive and this one's no exception. There's an enormous amount of storage, divided among lockers, drawers and a huge cupboard under the sink. A respectable amount of work surface has been designed in, and there's always the possibility of using either the hefty chinchilla glass covers of either the sunken sink or hob.
These now-familiar covers are heat, scratch and stain-proof. With three gas burners (one of which is supersized), a grill, oven and microwave, cooking dinner for six should be easily achievable. The wall-mounted Thetford fridge with totally separate freezer, directly opposite the cooker, is a real tour de force - stylish and, with plenty of capacity, immensely practical.
I can think of just one reason to mark this impressive kitchen down, and it's the usual - one little striplight over the sink just isn't good enough for a kitchen this size.
Wash Room
Once you're past the disappointment of the door, things start to look up. The mirror-fronted cabinet takes care of storage - that 'cupboard' under the basin is actually a bijou linen basket. The wash hand basin has been attacked by the mastic gun: generous sealing is one thing, but there's so much of it here, it looks untidy. There's a carpet section in here - loose-fit, thankfully, so it can be whipped out.
The washroom is nice and spacious. Sensibly, the separate shower compartment is at the back of the room, so doesn't put the wc or basin out of commission if it's being used. This is a nice facility - spacious and with sensible provision for gel and shampoo.
Lighting and Electrics
Two wall lights in the front comers, four reading lights, four downlighters surrounding the sunroof binnacle and two 'mood-lighting' strips. That's the lighting allocation... for the front lounge. Strewth! Suffice it to say, you won't run short of illumination, unless you're trying to see what's occurring on the hob after dark. The mood lighting is hidden under the overhead lockers on either side of the lounge and in the side dinette. It doesn't give out much light by itself, but with so many other lighting options at your disposal, you can dial in whatever ambience you fancy of an evening.
There are another four downlighters surrounding the second sunroof in the middle of the caravan, two reading lights in the side dinette, one for each of the bunks, a downlighter over the mirror outside the washroom and no fewer than three in the washroom itself. Let there be light? I should cocoa.
Let there be power, too - there are five mains sockets inside, two of which are accompanied by aerial/12V sockets to give you a choice of TV viewing locations. As mentioned, the bedroom is connected to the mains, too, although its semi-hidden location under the fridge had me foxed at first.
All the controls are where they should be for ease of access, putting the seal on a thoroughly well-connected caravan.
Verdict
The Tempest's build quality concerns are very out of keeping for an Elddis: none the less, I'd be less than elated to encounter them if I had just taken delivery of a vehicle costing nearly 21 grand (sterling). In virtually all other regards I'd be chuffed to bits: it's spacious in every area, smartly turned-out and really makes the most of what is a terrific layout.
Michelle has recently started an automotive review service where she test drives and reviews everything from industrial forklift truck models to touring and sports vehicles. Her latest industrial work deals with the revolutionary electric forklift trucks.
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