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quoteRoom for two
With the arrival of the 520 for the 2020 season, Compass fills a rather vital gap in its Capiro caravan line-up – for a two-berth with a full-width end washroom.
Don’t forget, also, for every Compass caravan there’s an Elddis equivalent – here, it’s the Affinity 520.
Apart from details like exterior graphics and interior furnishings, it’s a straight badge-engineering project – all Elddis and Compass products come out of the same factory in Consett, County Durham and use the same SoLiD bonded bodywork technology, with a traditional aluminium outer skin. At the same time, the 520 remains pretty light overall.
Indeed, the Capiro 520 caravan is a straightforward, classic two-berth end washroom formula, with two long settees and a good run of kitchen as well as a generous smattering of equipment.
The latter has a Thetford cooker (dual-fuel hob, separate grill and oven) with a deep, rectangular sink alongside – some will applaud this as being of a size to be practical, others will always argue more water is involved. Whatever. This, in turn, leaves lots of space to its left for worktop or to add the drainer when needed. Even so, a worktop extension would always come in handy!
The TV area/dresser unit on the nearside, directly opposite the kitchen, offers plenty of extra worktop space, as well as housing the Russell Hobs microwave oven.
There are also mains and USB sockets here, plus two drawers and two lockers under the worktop itself.
Across the back of the Compass Capiro 520 caravan, it’s a relatively spacious washroom. There’s a part-circular shower cubicle (it has an Ecocamel Orbit water-efficient showerhead on a riser bar for height adjustment) with swivel-bowl toilet next to it.
Also here is a countertop basin and a double-doored wardrobe that includes both hanging space and shelving. And still there’s space for dressing. Meanwhile, the opaque window behind the toilet and the rooflight will prove a boon for ventilation and drying the whole washroom as effectively as possible.
Heating’s unlikely to be a problem, either. All 2020 Capiro caravans come with Alde “wet” central heating and hot water system, with the newest 16mm piping. The other thing this Capiro doesn’t lack for is high-level ventilation and opportunities to let in daylight. There’s a Heki Midi opening rooflight over the lounge and a long sunroof over the kitchen area, along with a standard rooflight.
As with any new-season changes, all Capiro tourers get a different upholstery – called ActiveCare, it has stain resistant properties – and exterior graphics for the 2020 season.
Compass also points to improved locker doors and exterior sockets among a number of smaller improvements across the four-model Capiro caravan range.
And check out the caravan insurance savings on offer with a PIR alarm and Al-Ko ATC as standard. Purchasing the optional Al-KO Secure wheel lock will lower your insurance premium even more!
Verdict: A good blend of equipment and low weight in a classic end washroom formula
Plus: Spacious washroom
Minus: A little bland in places
In-a-nutshell: Fills the bill for couples
There’s more information on the Capiro range on the Elddis website. To find out more about insuring this or your current caravan visit our caravan insurance discounts page.
Alternatives: Bailey Phoenix 420, Coachman Acadia 460, Swift Challenger 480
Compass Capiro 520 factfile
| Model | Compass Capiro 520 |
| Dimensions | 6.68m L, 2.26m W, 2.65m H |
| Internal length | 4.98m |
| Berths | 2 |
| MTPLM | 1,345kg (upgradeable to 1,500kg) |
| Payload | 126kg |
| RRP | from £22,794 on the road |
| Safety & security | Al-Ko ATC, Al-Ko stabiliser, PIR alarm, smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, spare wheel and carrier. |
| Key options | Alternative upholsteries (£275), wrap-around front seating (£259), Al-Ko Secure Wheel Lock (£259), additional locker shelving (£42), 100Watt solar panel (£535), Omnivent (£225), tracking system (with first year’s subscription) (£280) |
The pictures and the layout drawing are different.
Hi Mark, it’s definitely the same caravan.