Adria Adora 542 PH Sport 2023 Review

For more than a decade Slovenian-built Adria caravans have been the go-to option for Aussie buyers looking for a sleek, easy-towing imported caravan.

With the withdrawal of many European and UK caravan brands from the local market in recent years including Britain's Swift and Bailey caravans and the German-built Knaus vans, they're also one of few options remaining for those seeking a full size but lightweight composite caravan.

Local Adria distributor, the Brisbane-based Apollo Group recently expanded the Australian-spec Adria caravan range with the addition of two new single axle, circa two tonne ATM models: the 18ft 4in (external body length) Adora 492 DT Sport and 19ft 11in Adora 542 PH Sport.

Here's we're reviewing the Adora 542 PH Sport which offers up to three beds courtesy of a layout consisting of a fixed north-south queen bed at the front, a central club lounge-dinette that converts to another single bed, and a kitchenette and combination shower/toilet located along the rear wall.

Made for Aussie buyers

Not that long ago you could buy a large, reasonably well-equipped Adria caravan in Australia for under $50,000, but times have changed and like most locally-built caravans the latest imported Adria vans have not been immune from 'sticker shock'.

Both new Adria models were launched with $79,600 driveway pricing (increased to $85,300 driveaway in early-2023), which is probably around $25,000 or so more than they would have been priced pre-pandemic.

Inflated price tags aside, there's still plenty to like about the latest Adria Adora 542 PH Sport ensuite van, including the standard fitment in the latest models of both an air-conditioner and space heater for year-round climate-controlled camping.

Like other Adria vans sold in Australia, the 19ft 11in Adria 542 gets a few tweaks to make it more appealing to Aussie buyers including some 'checker plate' side protection and larger 130 litre underslung water tanks.

Otherwise, it retains a clean, Euro-style external look including a silver 'sport' front mould and body trim, and auto-style rear wall design with slim-line horizontal tail-lights. There's no rear bumper so the spare wheel is neatly stored in the front boot, alongside twin 4.5kg gas bottles and other external accessories like a Kojack hydraulic jack.

Like other Adria vans it boasts full composite construction, with structural fibreglass sandwich body panels mounted on a hot dipped galvanised chassis, and riding on an independent rubber suspension (IRS) axle with shock absorbers, mechanical over-ride brakes, and alloy wheels.

Up front there's a permanently mounted AL-KO jockey wheel plus an AL-KO anti-sway coupling, along with some very sturdy looking wind-down stabilizers legs mounted in each corner. While there's some space in the front boot for storage, larger items like camp chairs and fold-up tables will have to go in the large under-bed cavity, accessed by a small locker door located in the front offside wall (as well as inside under the bed).

While a very large space, reaching into the far most corners to access your gear could be a chore, while some of the available space is occupied by the house battery, the air-con unit and associated plumbing.

There's not much on the onside wall apart from a wind-out Thule awning, awning light, electrical sockets and a gas bayonet, with a fold-down picnic table noticeably absent on the review van. While on the offside you'll also find the locker for the cassette toilet, the water tank filler and a mains water connection.

Easy towing

Apart from its sleek looks, a prime reason to buy any Adria caravan is its super-light fully insulated body construction, and the Adora 542 boasts a Tare (unloaded) weight of just 1610kg and an ATM (fully loaded) weight of 2050kg. The maximum permissible ball weight of 150kg also opens up a wide range of tow vehicle possibilities, including many popular family runabouts like the 2500kg tow rated Hyundai Santa Fe.

Even better, you can use a 3500kg tow rated dual-cab like the Nissan Navara Warrior we used during the photo-shoot, and experience the sort of stress-free towing you can only dream about with your average, heavyweight Aussie-built caravan of similar size.

The Adria's 542 aerodynamic design and balanced set-up also help create a stable rig when towing, as do in-built safety features like the anti-sway coupling and mechanical over-ride brakes which also means you don't have to fit an electric brake controller to the tow vehicle.

While mainly designed for bitumen touring, Adria vans are not adverse to some Outback adventuring, although a limiting factor is the ground clearance on the 15in alloy wheels and highway tyres. The upside is easier entry into the van through the security door, even without the pull-out entry step in play.

The Adria 542 is not really suitable for extensive off-grid camping either, with no grey water tank or rooftop solar panels, and just a single 100Ah AGM battery and 15A charger fitted as standard.

Inviting interior

The new Adria Adora 492 DT Sport released at the same time as the 542 Sport boasts a common feature found on many European vans: a curved front 'panoramic' window that provides a nice view out as well as plenty of natural light to filter in when lounging around during the day.

While the 542 Sport misses out on the big front window, it does get the equally desirable, fixed north-south walkaround queen bed up front, rather than a front lounge/dinette that also doubles as a main bed in the 492.

At the other end the 542 misses out on the 492's full width ensuite with separate shower and toilet, making do with a less user-friendly combination shower toilet instead.

Decisions, decisions!

Even without the panoramic window, there are sufficient windows on three sides of the 542 Sport, along with a roof hatch in the living area to let some outside light in. Add in some curved cabinetry with cream and birch finishes, decorative white curtains and some bright cushions, and it should never feel dull inside.

There are also a few LED lights scattered throughout the van, along with some golden-glow ambient lighting behind the overhead cupboards.

The kitchenette along the rear wall comes equipped with a stainless sink with flick mixer tap, a skinny three gas burner cooktop with glass lid, and an oven and grille, with the 165 litre three-way upright fridge/freezer and high-mounted microwave located nearby, opposite the lounge/dinette.

The lounge area looks inviting enough, with its grey cloth upholstery and a large table with enough seating around it for five or six adults if you decide to invite some of your new camping buddies around. You can also watch the 18.5in TV from here which is mounted on a pull-out arm above the benchtop directly opposite.

Sleeping-wise, the 190 x 154cm lightweight mattress looks pretty comfy, and you can prop up the rear section to provide back support when sitting up in bed, while there's also the option to turn the lounge area into another, 188 x 98cm bed.

All other available space in the layout is taken up by storage, including some cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, overhead cupboards above the dinette, and some cupboards on either side of the fridge including a half-robe.

The foam bed mattress folds over and the supporting slats hinge up to provide access to available storage space under the bed. There's also a full-height privacy curtain that helps separate the bed from the lounge and kitchen area at night.

As well as promising excellent insulation properties courtesy of its full composite body, along with double glazed windows with built-in blinds and screens, the Adria 542 offers year-round climate control thanks to its ducted under-bed 240V air-conditioner and gas/electric space heater.

What's missing? Apart from an off-grid battery system and grey water storage, there's no washing machine fitted, due to space limitations as well as the need to keep weight down. The 440kg payload seems sufficient for a touring van, given you'll still have 310kg to play with with the water tanks full.

While many buyers would prefer a separate shower and toilet, the combination ensuite is nicely finished and boasts a flip-down sink and tap below mirror-fronted cabinets, that folds up out of the way to minimise clean-up time after using the shower.

They may not be as affordable as they once were, but the latest range of European-built Adria touring vans remain a smart option for nervous and first-time caravanners, as well as those with smaller tow vehicles wanting to haul a larger caravan.

It might be missing a couple of desirable features, but the Adria Adora 542 PH Sport ticks most of the boxes for a modern touring caravan.

Price: $85,300 (Vic, drive-away) 
Travel length: 7400mm
External body length: 6070mm (19ft 11in)
External width: 2390mm
Travel height: 2710mm
Interior height: 1950mm
Tare weight: 1610kg 
ATM: 2050kg 
Ball weight (maximum): 150kg
Body: Polyester FRP sandwich panel sides and roof and ABS front and rear walls 
Chassis: AL-KO hot-dipped steel
Suspension: Single axle independent AL-KO rubber torsion with shock absorbers
Brakes: Mechanical over-ride drums
Stability Control: AL-KO anti-sway coupling fitted 
Wheels: 15in alloy with 205/70 R15 tyres
Fresh water: 130L 
Battery: 1 x 100Ah deep cycle AGM and 15amp charger
Air-conditioner: Truma 2.4kW Saphir Comfort RC
Gas: 2 x 4.5kg 
Hot water/air heater: Truma Combi 4E CP Plus combination gas/electric
Cooking: Thetford three-burner gas cooktop, grille, oven
Fridge:  Thetford 165 litre 3-way
Microwave: Camec
Toilet: Thetford cassette with electric flush
Shower: Combined shower/toilet 
Washing machine: No
Lighting: LED 
TV: 18.5in LED TV/DVD with Winegard Sensor antenna
Audio: Bluetooth with two internal speakers
Supplied by: Apollo RV Sales Melbourne, Campbellfield, Victoria
More info: Adria Australia