Motorhomes Caravans & Destinations
UPMARKET LIVING
The Beduin Scandinavia range from Dethleffs ticks all the boxes for space, comfort and luxury. MCD editor Claire Smith takes a closer look
The Beduin Scandinavia caravan from Central RV
Brand new to Central RV, and in fact New Zealand, the Beduin Scandinavia caravan from Dethleffs definitely has the ‘wow’ factor with a very spacious kitchen and lounge design, and full-width rear bathroom. Central RV has two models available from the range, with the main difference between them being the bed layout. The 690BQT offers an east-west island queen bed, with the 670BET having twin singles.
Stepping into the caravan, my first thoughts were of how spacious the layout is. The kitchen is big, the lounge is big, and there’s lots of space in-between. Light grey upholstery is matched with cabinetry in a contemporary range of white, grey and wood look. It is nicely offset with dark grey walls and timber-look vinyl flooring. The result is very chic, very tidy. Very upmarket ‘apartment-esque’. But also welcoming, comfortable, and relaxing.
KITCHEN
Located at the front, the kitchen spans the full width of the caravan and is as stylish as it is functional. The sink sits in the left-side corner and is flanked by a good amount of bench space on either side. For cooking, you have a Thetford three-burner cooktop, with a hinged cover, and an oven/grill beneath. The automatic threeway fridge is a generous 175-litres and includes a 31-litre freezer. Plenty of room to store cold and frozen food for a week or more.
Although the usual overhead kitchen cupboards are sacrificed to make way for two large windows, there is plenty of storage with five bench drawers, drawers above and below the fridge, a jar/bottle slide-out, and a full-length (split) pantry. And once you’re parked up and settled, you can pop all those often-used items like condiments and coffee on the handy shelf that runs along the wall, above the bench. To the left of the sink there is also another small shelf and some hooks – useful for keeping the washing up gear at hand.
As mentioned earlier, there are two lovely big windows in the kitchen area: a panoramic window directly above the stovetop and bench, and a second curved window further above. These, combined with an overhead hatch, add to the sense of openness, space and light inside as well as providing an efficient means to expel kitchen odours and steam.
LIVING AREA
The living area is generously proportioned with room to comfortably fit 6-8 people. On the right side is a bench settee, with a wraparound lounge opposite. There’s plenty of room to stretch out and relax in total comfort with a good book and a glass of wine. The cushions are firm but comfortable with good back support and additional head supports (removable) in case your afternoon reading session results in a short snooze.
The free-standing dining table is nice and big and is hydraulically height adjustable.
The lounge layout of the two models differs slightly to accommodate the bedroom configurations. In the 670BET (twin bed model), the lounge includes a removable ‘footstool’ at the far end of the L-shaped settee. There’s good storage space under all cushions of the settees, and if you have extra travellers on board, the L-shaped settee can be reconfigured into a
bed for one adult (or two children), plus the bench settee also provides a single sleeping space.
At the end of the bench settee is a bench area/cupboard designed to house your TV decoder and other such equipment, with a TV bracket attached to the wall above. Both models come standard with a 22” TV/DVD with a Kiwisat 60cm automatic satellite dish. The layout means that every seat in the house can see the TV comfortably. It can easily swivel back to face the bedroom too.
The 690BQT has a slightly different layout to the above, with a full height seat rather than the removable footstool of the 670BET model which creates a U-shaped lounge, an additional overhead cabinet, and a longer bench seat opposite.
Four overhead lockers on each side of the living area provide good storage. The lockers are deeper than you might expect – plenty of room for spare blankets, towels, clothes etc. The wooden handles look stylish and also eliminate having to fiddle around with latches or pushbuttons to open and close.
"There’s plenty of room to stretch out and relax in total comfort with a good book and a glass of wine. The cushions are firm but comfortable with good back support and additional head supports (removable)... "
BEDROOM
As mentioned, there are two bedroom layouts to choose from.
670BET - TWIN SINGLES
Central RV’S owner, Brent Thurlow, tells me that the twin single layout is becoming increasingly popular. And I can see why, there’s a lot to like about this set-up, especially when the beds are nice and big like these - 200cm long and 85cm wide. And the mattresses are premium quality, Swiss-made Watergel temperature regulating, and very comfortable.
Each bed has a large window alongside, plus three overhead cabinets – again, nice and deep – plus a goodsized cupboard. The bed bases lift up easily to provide storage for bigger items, although the left side does accommodate a small water heater tank and wheel arch, so has slightly less than the right.
690BQT – EAST/WEST QUEEN BED
Measuring 200cm by 150cm, the queen bed, also featuring a Swiss-made mattress, is comfortable and roomy. It’s retractable, which means that during the day when you need a bit more space, the bed length can be shortened by 400cm. As with the twin set up, there’s a window on each side – one behind the bed and one opposite. There are three overhead lockers plus a wardrobe on either side.
BATHROOM
At the rear, running the full width of the caravan, the bathroom is nicely set up with a good amount of space and lots of storage. The full-sized shower has an adjustable, sliding shower head, a handy drop-down towel rail above, plus its very own lighting and heating - with a separate radiator in the shower cubicle. Better than home!
The vanity unit is nice and solid with a stone/resin benchtop, three overhead cupboards (mirrored), cupboards and shelving below and alongside, and a near full-length mirror on the wall opposite the shower above the Thetford toilet. A large window sits behind the sink and there’s a ventilation hatch in the ceiling. There’s a towel rail behind the door plus a few hooks for hanging clothes, robes and anything else you want kept off the floor.
WARMTH, LIGHT AND VENTILATION
One of the defining features of the Beduin Scandinavia range is its superior insulation and full Alde central heating, including underfloor heating (LPG/230V). As its name suggests, the range is designed for Europe’s sub-zero temperatures, which means you’ll be warm and toasty in even the coldest New Zealand winters.
Each living area includes a ventilation skylight with insect and black-out screens (insect cover only in the bathroom). All windows are double-glazed and tinted and include insect and black-out screens also. The lounge skylight includes illuminated lighting, and there is LED lighting throughout, including relocatable reading lights on a quick release track system in the bedroom and living area.
All Dethleffs caravans (and motorhomes) feature the Airplus ventilation system which circulates air from top to bottom, including through the overhead lockers. It’s a clever innovation that helps minimise condensation.
The Beduins include 400w of solar plus a lead carbon deep-cycle battery as standard, which means you’re covered for power and warmth all year round. Exterior
Manufactured to Dethleffs’ impressively high standard, the range includes a comprehensive safety package, including AL-KO heavy-duty chassis and suspension for a payload of 350kg, ATC Trailer Control, anti-sway coupling, AL-KO Octagon shock absorbers, and AAA selfadjusting brakes.
The wheels are 14-inch alloy with heavy duty commercial tyres, and like all Dethleffs caravans, the Beduins also have a GRP glass fibre composite roof.
The storage areas under the beds are accessible from outside, plus there is a large storage hatch up front (which also holds
2 x 9kg gas bottles). For summer BBQS, there’s an exterior gas port available.
Also worth noting is the extra wide 70cm entry door, it makes a difference when you’re loading up boxes and bags.
SUMMARY
While I was reviewing the caravans at Central RV’S Taupo dealership, I overheard a couple who had been looking through the Beduin range at the same time. They commented on how impressed they were with the ‘apartment’ atmosphere and the sheer amount of space on offer. I have to agree, the Beduin range ticks the boxes for comfort, space, and aesthetic. There’s been no sacrifice of space or functionality in the living areas to accommodate the full rear bathroom. There’s a nice flow between all living areas and the kitchen is an inviting space and the living area is comfortable and open.