By William Coleman
As we head towards the end of the year, we visited GreenTree Caravan Store to get our hands on a luxury caravan from Elddis, but is this four-berth one of the best touring vans for 2021?
Elddis’ leisure vehicles are instantly recognisable for a multitude of reasons, so we wanted to see if this year’s Crusader lives up to the very high expectations the company has set for itself.
The Crusader Borealis is a new model for 2021, which has a ton of new interior design features and an all-new Alde heating system. This new twin-axle is a bit of a show-stealer within the Elddis line up and we may see a lot more of these vans come the new year.
Exterior
Elddis has brought a real head turner to the market with this 2021 model. The exterior colour – matt grey – makes this van stand out from most you’ll come across on site.
Ensuring that you can use this van all year round, Elddis has used Grade III thermal insulation for guaranteed all-weather comfort.
From the outside, this caravan looks extremely smart and we are very much on board with how many new vans are using different coloured exterior shells. It is refreshing to see caravans being made in different colours and I am sure this will appeal to younger buyers too.
Another great feature is the new Kromex badges, which show off the strong branding Elddis incorporates into all of its leisure vehicles.
If you are into your wheels, you’ll be overjoyed with the exclusive ‘Tardis’ Sports alloys with wheel spats. They are modern and trendy without having that boy racer look that some alloys have.
Interior
Inside the Borealis is quite striking and unique when compared to 90 per cent of other vans on the market. Through the entire caravan, you are treated to light wood and lots of bright lighting, which highlights the amount of space provided.
Elddis’ lighting redesign does wonders for the Borealis’ interior, especially the multiple directional LED lights that are found throughout.
A magnificent panoramic Sky-Scape sunroof gives a flood of natural light into the front dinette. This may be the largest skylight we have seen on any Elddis caravan.
The new ‘Ashton’ craftsman built cabinets look amazing and provide a huge amount of storage – a perfect balance of style and function.
As there will be a lot more touring in the colder months, the all-new Alde 24-hr multi-programmable central and water heating system should come in handy for when the temperature plummets. The new system runs on both gas and electricity (up to 3.15KW).
All the cupboards on board are ‘Quiet-Close’, something all manufacturers should be investing in moving forward. To keep the sound down even more, Elddis have added soft close draws throughout.
The interior colour scheme – Elddis calls it Ashton – is one of this van’s best selling points and we are wondering what can be done next season to top this?
Nighttime
Being a twin-axle four-berth model means you have enough space to sleep four and still have around 65 per cent of the van to use.
Boasting a fixed rear island bed and mid washroom gives great separation from day and night time living. Once the lounge bed is made up, the rear bedroom can be completely cut off, ensuring total privacy.
The fixed bed mattress is lightweight, yet super-supportive with soft-touch Argentum+ anti-bacterial and anti-allergy technology.
As you’d expect, the L-shaped lounge is where your second bed is located and the new spring-assisted beech slats provide a very comfortable sleep and ease of access to the concealed storage.
Kitchenette
Here you will find one of the nicest kitchenettes of all the 2021 caravans. When it comes to kitchens we love seeing new innovations like this. The extended work space separates this kitchenette from most other caravan kitchens you are likely to see in 2021. There is a ton of prep space, a giant sink (maybe the largest we’ve seen) and under-panel LED lighting.
A lot of caravan kitchens follow a very similar pattern, which seems a bit ‘off the shelf’. Elddis have made a mobile kitchen that any chef would be happy with.
The Dometic grill/oven combo can handle anything from baking cookies to a full Sunday roast. The three gas-ring hob and hot plate sit quite deeply into the hob so any spillage will be contained.
In the kitchen, you have durable ‘taupe grey’ smooth-finish worktops with taupe brushed-effect acrylic edging. We really cannot say enough good things about this kitchen!
Washroom
The Borealis’ washroom area benefits greatly from the separation of the toilet and shower. You have a large shower cubicle that is similar to the size you’d expect to find in a house or flat.
Inside the shower cubicle is an exclusive Eco Camel Orbit water-saving Halo shower head with built-in Aircore Technology.
The spacious restroom has lots of storage and a domestic style towel rail, which may be a tad close to the toilet. This same toilet is an auto-fill system that features an electric flush, so no more pull chains for this caravan.
Verdict
The Borealis is the first Elddis van we got our hands on this year and we have a second review coming up. It was a pleasure to review the Crusader Borealis from start to finish.
We did a double-take when we saw the price tag, because you do not usually get this level of luxury and build for just under £30k.
Both the internal and external design and build quality of this caravan are magnificent. The colour scheme, the LED lighting, large sky-light and brilliant kitchen are just a few of the many features that make this one of the best caravans we have reviewed in 2020.
If you’re interested in seeing this van or finding out more, you can visit the Greentrees Caravan Store or have a browse of the website.
