Adria Altea 402 PH Sport: Review

Adria is a name that needs very little introduction. This Slovenian brand’s vans, which are sold in Australia by Apollo RV, have made their mark on our roads and in our holiday parks.

Because they’re primarily designed for European roads and conditions, these distinctive caravans are light. Considerably so. No, they’re not made to forge new trails on Cape York, and nor are they intended to be beaten along the Canning Stock Route. Rather, they’re equipped for a more relaxed way of life. Think of them as blacktop holiday park tourers, with a night or two of free-camping thrown into the mix.

Take this little single-axle van as an example. It’s called the Altea 402 PH Sport and weighed just 1285kg Tare. The fact is, whatever family truckster is in your driveway at the moment could potentially tow this intriguing proposition, even when fully loaded. And therein lies the beauty of the Adria – caravanning shouldn’t necessarily mean also buying a new 4WD.

When I picked up the Altea 402 PH Sport from Apollo RV’s Melbourne dealership, I was told the Adrias were currently among the company’s biggest sellers. Let’s find out why…

TAKEN BY SURPRISE

I’ll start with the interior. It’s a clever setup which, if I’m honest, took me by surprise. Externally, the 402 PH Sport has an external body length of 4.8m and an internal length of 4m, while the external width is a svelte 2.35m. Yet the layout doesn’t suffer for the diminutive dimensions. In fact, it even has a club lounge. No, there aren’t acres of living space, but nor should you expect that in a van of this nature. However, should you wish to swing a cat, you’ll have just enough room.

First, it was necessary to offset the bed to the offside front corner, which provided the space necessary for an adjacent combo bathroom. Undoubtedly, the vanity setup is the highlight of this small space. It contains a shaving cabinet plus a washbasin that literally folds out from the wall above the Thetford cassette toilet – not something you’d find on a typical Australian-built van, but I like it!

I view the bed orientation as less of a compromise and more of a requirement. Yes, it is tucked into the front corner and yes, the person sleeping next to the wall will be at a disadvantage, but it allows room for a lot of key features throughout the rest of the van. But let’s first talk about the bedroom because, like the bathroom, there’s more here than meets the eye.

The bed has an elevating back rest. The bed base is made of two independent slatted bases. Lift one side of the mattress, reach underneath, and raise the ‘back rest’ portion to your preferred position. This only works because there is a seam down the middle of the mattress, allowing you to lift the necessary side of the mattress. Is it awkward? A little – more so when you’re trying to adjust the bed base closest to the wall. However, I look at it like this: I’d rather have a bed base that can raise my position in order to comfortably watch the 19in flatscreen TV in bed than to not have it, even if it is a little difficult to adjust.

Under the mattress, Adria has given the little Altea the ducted 2.4kW Truma Saphir combined air-con and space heater, while the water heater is the gas-electric 14L Truma BN14.

The rear half of the van is comprised of the fabric-upholstered offside club lounge and small kitchen. Now, the table is freestanding, so the owner can shift it about as necessary to access the seating area. It can also lower to become the base of a second bed. As for the kitchen, it would be reasonable to expect in a van of this nature that it would be on the compact side, and you’d be right. However, Adria has made the most of the available bench space by using a combo sink and three-gas-burner cooktop. It forms an L shape, which leaves a bit of bench space for meal prep, but a big tick for the hinged bench extension – something more manufacturers should fit.

Did I like this layout? You bet. Yes, there are certain things I would consider changing down the track but honestly, not many. For example, I don’t love the plastic light fittings. But again, these are small things that probably come down to personal taste.

ADRIA CONSTRUCTION

It’s more important to view this van in its overall context. It’s light. It’s compact but comfortable. It won’t break the bank, and you possibly won’t need to fork out for a new tow vehicle. A few clever design touches really make this layout work.

The Adria 402 PH Sport sits atop a hot-dipped-galvanised Al-Ko chassis. Essentially no timber is used in the construction of the body. The body is built from hail-resistant composite panels insulated by XPS foam and EPS styropor (an expandable polystyrene), while ABS plastic is used for the front and rear mouldings.

Towing this van was the definition of ‘a breeze’. I realise I was towing it with a crew cab ute that can tow 3500kg, but regardless, I see no reason it wouldn’t be well behaved behind other vehicles. The coupling is the Al-Ko anti-sway unit.

Two 4kg gas cylinders come with the van. They’re inside the van’s front boot, where you’ll also find the spare wheel. This does not leave a great deal of room for general storage; however, there’s side access to the storage space under the bed, so while there’s a trade-off in terms of external storage space, it has been mitigated somewhat.

In comparison to what we see on modern caravans, the 12V system found here is perhaps best described as entry level. It is comprised of a single 100Ah lead-acid deep-cycle battery and a 15A mains charger. Solar provision isn’t standard, so a job for down the track might be to add an Anderson plug in order to use a portable panel.

GORV’S VERDICT

The Adria Altea 402 PH Sport brings a lot to the touring table, especially in terms of physical dimensions and weights. Mark my words, these are important, arguably more so than any features. Further, it’s aesthetically pleasing and tows like a beauty.

Obviously, there are some crucial factors to consider, such as the rudimentary 12V system, but again, it’s important to view it in context. This van is built for holiday parks and a night or two of free-camping, rather than extended trips into remote areas. Therefore, would you really need 600Ah of lithium and seemingly endless solar? I would argue no.

But it’s the layout that really won me over. On the hunt for a little van for two? Check this one out. I think it might win you over too.

THE SCORE 

FIT AND FINISH –

LAYOUT –

INNOVATION –

HITS & MISSES

COMPLETE SPECS