Fogging the price lines
It might call itself Adria’s budget caravan range, but you’ll soon find its Altea line-up of four models for the 2021 season is far from budget in terms of build quality and specification.
It’s certainly not short of direct competitors bearing the same fixed single beds, rear full-width washroom formula – whatever the price point. And whereas opponents have a more typically British feel to them, Adria sticks firmly to a more continental flavour.
That starts with an exterior design with single front window and a stable-type door without a window – such fittings usually suggest low price.
But, allied to such features as GRP sides and roof and ABS plastic rear wall (with 10-year integrity warranty), near-flush fitting windows, heavy-duty corner steadies, a full-width front locker with a door that’s more sturdy than most and an overall look that – despite steel wheels with trims rather than alloys – looks pretty upmarket.
There’s a considerable tail overhang, but Adria has always majored on a longer drawbar that suggest towing will be steady.
It’s a U-shaped lounge in the Altea Tyne (as per Adora), although there’s also the facility of a short flip-up tabletop in the centre.
Shown here is the lighter Gille upholstery. There’s also the option of a darker blue, called Flavie. The large, opening sunroof is a major contributor to making the lounge feel extra spacious, too.
Along the nearside, the kitchen has Adria’s signature hob and sink combination set in a fairly short unit that also boasts two generous drawers plus a floor locker. Next to these is a tall cupboard with slide-out tray.
Cooking facilities in the Altea Tyne 612 extend to a Thetford Duplex oven/grill combination plus a microwave oven. While a 140-litre fridge to the immediate right of the unit should prove more than capable of keeping your food and drinks chilled.
Those permanent beds may lack the pleasantry of padded headboards, but they do have adjustable backrests, so you can sit up (not fully) for reading/looking out the windows/watching TV.
There’s also clutter-free storage in both bed bases, that’s easy enough to access.
Completing the four berths, it’s all straightforward, making a transverse double from the settees, coming up at a commendable 2.12m x 1.68m.
The full-width washroom at the very back of the Altea Tyne 612 caravan is something of a star feature. Accessed via a solid central door, there’s a full-size shower cubicle in the nearside corner, with folding doors, a showerhead on a single fixing point, a fixed hanging rail for wet clothing etc, but just the one (also rather small) plughole.
On a centre console, there’s a clear “salad bowl” basin served by a swan-neck metal mixer tap, with mirror beyond flanked by slim lockers.
On the offside, the swivel-bowl toilet is accompanied by a metal brush and holder, but more critical is what’s behind the loo – an opaque window.
Throughout, the Altea (pronounced al-tay-a) has thoughtful features – from the waste bin on the door to practical flat-fronted locker doors, kitchen hook rails, USB outlets and more.
Meanwhile, a subtle future warning from Adria: “Possible import duties are not included and will be charged separately.” It’s just something to bear in mind.
In this video we take a look around the 2021 Adria Altea 612 Tyne caravan:
Verdict: Budget-plus contender with a dash of style
Plus: Clean-cut contemporary design, overall build quality
Minus: Pricier than 'budget' models of other manufacturers. Lack of standard fit security.
In-a-nutshell: Altea-gether now
There’s more information on the Altea range on the Adria website. To find out more about insuring this or your current caravan visit our caravan insurance discounts page.
Alternatives: Bailey Unicorn Black Cadiz, Coachman Acadia 565, Swift Elegance 565
Adria Altea 612DL Tyne factfile
Model | Adria Altea 612DL Tyne |
Dimensions | 8.25m L, 2.30m W, 2.58m H |
Internal length | 6.14m |
Berths | Four |
MTPLM | 1,650kg (upgradable to 1,800kg) |
Payload | 161kg |
RRP | from £20,795 on the road |
Safety & security | Al-Ko stabiliser, Al-Ko Secure pre-fittings, smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, CRiS, heavy-duty corner steadies |
Key options | None (dealer-fit only) |
Really useful article on a range of Caravans we’d like to see in real life (once we’re permitted to travel, of course)