Caravelair Alba 497 Family: 7 berths

Caravelair has been building entry-level caravans since the 1960s. Last year, the French manufacturer introduced the Alba, a series that will have a second family caravan from model year 2020. In this caravan test, more about the Caravelair Alba 497 Family, a lightweight caravan with 7 berths.

Caravelair has an aviation background: the first caravans date back to 1962, when they were designed and built at the Sud Aviation aircraft factory – you can still recognize a piece of an airplane wing in the logo. The caravans are known for their low weight, so they can also be towed by smaller generations of passenger cars. For example, the smallest Alba – model 390 – weighs only 730 kilograms.

Exterior

The news about the Caravelair Alba 497 Family is hot off the press. According to the specifications, the caravan weighs just over a thousand kilograms empty – still a decent weight for a caravan with a total length of 670 centimeters. Loaded, you can take it up to 1,300 kilograms, which means you can even hitch this family caravan behind a modest car.

The exterior of the caravan reveals that we are dealing with a real family caravan here, recognizable by the three windows above each other, in the left side wall. The bottom two windows are built into a large service hatch (105×105 cm): if you fold up the partial bunk bed inside, you can transport children's bicycles here. The 30 mm thick walls are insulated with high-quality XPS insulation material, and because a lot of plastic is used during construction (instead of wood), the manufacturer gives a 7-year warranty on watertightness – for this, you have to visit the dealer every year for a moisture inspection.

Living, eating, sleeping

The Caravelair Alba 497 Family is a spacious family caravan with a fixed double bed at the front, a dinette in the middle of the caravan, and a bunk bed with three beds above each other, against the left side wall, at the back. If you convert the dinette, you have two extra sleeping places for children, so in total, you can sleep here with two adults and five children. Opposite the dinette, we find the kitchen with a three-burner gas stove and a large refrigerator. At the back of the caravan, opposite the bunk bed, there is a large toilet room with a washbasin. The Alba 497 Family is a dressed-up version, and that is because the caravan is equipped with all kinds of luxury packages. Such as the Primavera package, which also includes the large front window of the caravan and the 15 cm thick comfort mattress on the double bed.

The Alba is also equipped with the Ambition package, which includes a Trumatherme boiler (5 liters), a hand shower, extra reading lights at the seating area and the fixed bed, a screen door, and a 30-liter waste water tank. And as if that weren't enough, the French manufacturer also includes a Travel-plus package, with a stabilizer coupling and shock absorbers, an extra service hatch, plus a spare wheel and spare wheel holder in the drawbar box.

Installations

The caravan has Truma heating, a Trumatherme boiler and a 150 liter compressor refrigerator with freezer compartment. Due to the special construction method, Caravelair offers a 3-year factory warranty on all models and a 7-year warranty against moisture ingress.

Conclusion Caravelair Alba 497 Family

The 497 Family is the newest model in the Alba series introduced last year. With seven berths, it is an ideal caravan for large and blended families. A small drawback is the payload – heavy items such as the awning must therefore be transported in the car. Are you going out together, or with a small family? An Alba is available from 12,695 euros.

PROS & CONS

+ equipment and finish
+ price
– payload

Technical information

DIMENSIONS
Body length, with drawbar: 500/670 cm
Width: 230 cm
Height: 258 cm
Headroom: 195 cm

SEATING & SLEEPING
Number of berths: 5+2
Bed sizes
fixed bed: 210×140 cm
dinette: 170×100 cm
bunk bed: 3x 185×85 cm

WEIGHTS
Empty weight: 1,030kg
Max. permitted mass: 1,300 kg
Payload: 270 kg

Price from € 17,995
More information: www.caravelair.nl

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