First look: Coachman Acadia 675
New twin-axle tourer at a tempting price
IT SEEMS WE can wave goodbye to the Coachman’s Vision range, and the Pastiche too, which was essentially just the Vision with Alde heating added. For 2020 Coachman has amalgamated everything into one range, all of which comes with Alde heating as standard (see p64).
The twin-axle 675 we are looking at here is new for 2020. As a 6m-plus layout with a rear transverse island bed and an end washroom, it has previously only been available in the more upmarket Laser range.
But a word before we start about the brand name. Acadia is not a misspelling of
Arcadia: it’s the name of a stunning national park in New England. So does this Coachman caravan live up to the pedigree?
Pitch and set-up
Not much has changed in terms of overall shape. You still get the same attractive profile that seems lowerslung than your average box-like caravan. There is an external gas barbecue point on the nearside front corner – ideally located, not too far from an awning. The mains hook-up point is near here, too, so you don’t have to worry about cables trailing through the awning either.
There is also external access to the nearside underseat locker. As there isn’t any internal access to this area that doesn’t involve lifting up the slats, this could be a godsend.
Lounge
Brown and grey seem to be the colour themes for the new Acadia upholstery, finished off very nicely with tartan-style scatter cushions. Coachman has kept the sunroof that, unlike almost any other manufacturer’s, stretches right across the top of the front panel. This adds to an already-impressive level of lighting in the front lounge, which has a rooflight and, for night-time, a central LED and four spotlights. There is a big sill at the front with switches on one corner and a mains socket on the other, and plenty of room for a small radio.
The central chest incorporates a top shelf that pulls out for when you’re just having a quick snack, although the main table is only a short stretch away in its own spot. There is a sideboard next to this that has the requisite sockets for a TV above it.
Speakers connected to the Pioneer FM radio with Bluetooth connectivity are nicely positioned between the rooflight and the sunroof.
Kitchen
There is a large extension flap in the kitchen, even though the main work surface is plentiful. It only has one mains socket near it, though, so if you have a toaster and a kettle, be ready to do a bit of plug switching.
Above, two overhead lockers sit either side of a microwave. One holds a crockery rack, the other a mug rack.
There is a drawer (with cutlery tray) under the sink, and a double cupboard underneath it that is partly taken up by the wheel arch. Next to this is a large cupboard with a pull-out drawer, plus a pan locker under the separate oven and grill that sits under the four-burner dual-fuel hob.
All that means you shouldn’t be pushed either for pan
storage or for dry food space, as across the aisle, next to the slimline fridge, there is more storage in the sideboard.
‘Speakers for the radio are nicely positioned between the rooflight and sunroof’
Washroom
A standard salad-bowl washbasin in the middle of this washroom sits in front of a mirror lit by a single LED, with a towel rail, radiator and toothbrush mug nearby. You aren’t deprived at the far end either, because the large shower cubicle has a towel ring and a robe hook well placed just outside. It does not, however, have its own roof vent, so you’ll have to rely on the one in the centre of the room if things get steamy. The room gets light from an opaque window over the offside loo.
Beds
The transverse bed at the rear is a good size and comfy, with ample headroom for sitting up and reading and plenty of light coming through the window. There are even two small shelves next to both of the wardrobes by the bed where you can store your glasses.
There is a rather low-set dresser unit in the offside front corner, with a cupboard and mirror and a little step beside it that we imagine is part of the wheel arch. A separate set of sockets here is ideal if you want a second TV or prefer watching in the bedroom.
We did, however, have a small issue with moving around the bed. It is retractable, which is good in the daytime, but when you pull it out for sleeping there is only a tiny space between the end of it and the wall. If one of you has a tendency to get up in the night to use the loo they had better be sleeping on the far side. And if that person is sleeping in one of the beds in the front, which can either be singles or doubles, they are almost certainly going to disturb the sleepers.
Storage
It’s good to see that, in transitioning to the Acadia, Coachman has kept its steeply curved locker doors that more or less rely on their own weight to stay down. Opening them up requires minimal effort.
In general, storage in this van is good. You don’t get internal access to the underseat areas at the front, but the slats are relatively easy to lift up without having to remove too many cushions. Outside the kitchen area, storage spaces are relatively unencumbered too. There are two overhead lockers and two corner lockers in the front lounge, and three lockers above the rear bed, as well as two wardrobe, drawer and cupboard units either side of it.