Adria Altea

Good but – Weight, towing and convenience is good. Keeping weight legal is a problem if you want water. Weather proofing is good. I installed a range-hood and a bathroom exhaust fan. Rear view and backing camera with microphone make life easier - no shouting or hand signals needed. Recommend 30 degree rear-view otherwise traffic looks too-far away, but 30… Read more

degrees is hard to get.

Also installed a convection microwave instead of microwave only, but lined space with aluminium sheet to handle extra heat safely - and NEVER anything cooking alone.

Fridge is big and reasonable but 12 V operation is very iffy. Didn't even work on 12V to start with due to wiring fault, Solar didn't work either, reversing light didn't work - but the dealer went out of business before we found out. So check EVERYTHING without delay.

First cold night on a 5-month trip was a disaster - reverse cycle air con is useless at low temperatures (2 or 3 degree) because it ices up. So we bought a compact 1500 watt ceramic heater. Also bought and installed a 5 kW diesel air heater, but that is gross overkill as 2kW is ample for a small van.

Water drainage from shower/sink/hand-basin is problem with air locks even when van is dead level.

Being tall and not wanting to climb over each other I lengthened the kitchen table bed: gained 25+mm by removing the air circulation panel behind the rearmost seat; gained another ~75mm by cutting off all backrest that's not part of the 'wardrobe'; replaced that back-rest with reversible removable backrest. Also removed the folding bedroom door as we never used it so why carry it around. Then we hitched the table up, folding the leg flat against the table underside and used a half-width cushion to fill the gap between the seats to make a 2000 x 720 mm bed that stays set while two people can still use the table: but simply hinge-up table and leg to allow bed to be used. For four people at the table, the half-width cushion goes against the side wall with no problem.

Fine dust can get in. It really needs light-weight mud flaps to stop mud from jamming corner stabilisers and the step. We're not into serious off-road but mud happens and it is a nightmare trying to get the step to come out and to get the stabilisers to wind down when they are jammed.

A fair bit of the internal trim is cosmetic only, dead weight which we ditched

Geting parts takes forever after an emu took out plastic panels.

Love our Adria Altea 552 UP Sport – We have had a Adria for just over 12 months and find it excellent. We tow it with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit. It now has about 10,000Km on the clock. Initially we took it on a number of shorter trips from home in Canberra to Queensland, through NSW and Eastern Victoria. We are currenty 8 weeks into a trip through the top end and the west… Read more

coast. So far, so good - not a problem. While we mainly stick to sealed roads we have driven a number of gravel roads and taken it through some shallow (~50cm) water crossings. When going off the hard stuff, we do drop the tyre pressures. Being a lightweight, it is easy to tow and we find sitting on 100km/h we are getting 13 to 14 litres per 100km. Encountering roads trains has not been an issue as we find no wind effect when overtaking or being passed. We have only had one instance of needing to stop quickly and on that occasion it stopped in a straight line with no sway. If we do have a criticism, it is that the window struts often jam.

A great light weight European Van – This van is extremely well appointed for its size and weight. It has all the amenities you require but in a small space. With an ATM of 1300 kgs it can be towed by many mid sized vehicles with limited towing capacity. The biggest limitation for some would be that it does not have an island bed and it may be difficult for some people with… Read more

movement issues to get into and out of.

As detailed by another owner, the tare weight is very low and I would suspect that this is why the van is no longer imported into Australia.

Ours is a 2016 model and it is one of the last imports.

Excellent family van. Great value for money – The van fits a lot in for its size. Good main bed with three bunks, separate toilet and shower. Big Dometic, 3-way fridge and a full oven. The air conditioning is ducted so no big outdoor unit hanging on your roof and adding drag. Gas bayonet for the BBQ with two gas bottles hidden in the front boot. Lots of cupboard and storage space. To put it simply, you get a lot for you money with the Adria 552 PK Sport. Show details

Comfortable little van with all mod.cons – Have added a gas heater for cold weather off grid. Stated max. towball weight is not achievable. Have had three water pumps fitted under warranty - obviously a weakness. Awning too short - have had canvas awning made to suit track which runs full length of van using poles to erect. Great in wet weather. Show details

Has anyone had any issues with the clearance of this van please? Looking at getting one, just interested in other people's experiences Also, our car is already fitted with electric brakes, so I believe we would have to have them removed as this van comes with its own braking system? Can anyone shed any light on this please. Thanks in advance

Light to tow, easy to set up, and surprisingly roomy inside. Feels modern without being over the top. It got all the bits you need, like a comfy bed, decent kitchen, and a good little bathroom setup. Show details

Perfect lightweight caravan for family – We absolutely love our caravan and use it for trips of up to 4 hours each way. I'm not sure it would be good for longhaul trips but it's great for our holidays in Sydney as a family. Show details

Such a great van to travel with, easy, comfortable stylish! – Just love our 432PX Adria Altea. Large ensuite, plenty of storage. Very comfortable bed. Quiet, very efficient 3 way fridge Bonus outdoor gas port. Very well constructed, sturdy yet lightweight. Tows so well, so easy even for a novice 10 out of 10 from us! Show details

Love it! – I just recently purchased the Altea 552PK from these guys at Patto's RV Center in Geelong, and I can say they are the best... serious! Between Patto and David, there seems to be a wealth of camping and caravan knowledge. Very happy with after sales service. Often times I will be uncertain about something, and all I have to do is call them, and… Read more

they sort it all out no matter how long it takes. I am 68 years old, and in all my years I never struck such a fantastic after sales service from these guys. The van suits me perfectly as I only have 2500 TC and a ball weight of 160kg with this 17 year old BA falcon I tow it with. So far, except for a few niggley faults that were fixed during warranty, I can hardly fault it. Tows well and has all the mod cons we need. The only extra I would like to see included is an exhaust fan near the cooking area... otherwise all good.

No Spare Parts – Warning do not buy and overseas import as parts are not available, not even a rim for a tyre. Adria has a shocking reputation for supplying parts. Apollo who are the dealers in Brisbane are totally useless. If you buy one of these brands such as Adria be prepared to have no backup at all. Show details

Excellent value for money – Light weight but with loads of features. Some fittings and parts look like are not too sturdy, but seem to cope with regular use. The layout is very functional and comfortable.

More the Hyundai of caravans – Too many things falling off and breaking....bathroom basin hinge failure, compartment locks at front broke, draws sticking all after 12 months and 6000kms of bitumen only travelling . Parts need to come from Europe which is not good when you are on the move

Very pleased with our little 402PH! – Great use of space. Everything works well. Love the large 3 way fridge. Very easy to tow. Although positioned above the fridge, the microwave is really useful. The awning could be a bit longer, but winds out and in easily. The struts can be attached in clips on the side of the van, or anchored vertically to the ground. Very happy so far.  Show details

Off Road Company Claim – I have just taken my new Atria 552UP Sport onto a gravel road recommended by local tourism advisers to view wildflowers in WA. I purchased the van on the suppliers assurance the Sport was suitable for gravel roads. The actual experience was shattered glass doors in bathroom, toilet door coming off hinges, drawers jumping security catchers, toilet cassette trying to force its way through side door, failed window blind and catches.

Lovely light van with a few niggly problems – This is a well finished van it has what we wanted onboard toilet, shower, good size double bed, air conditioning with heaps of storage space. It’s easy to tow lightweight we tow with a Hyundia ix35 and it has no problems doing it. I have done some modifications like shortened the dining table by 300mm to give is some more space then added a… Read more

fold down work bench extension.

Like it has been mentioned before we are having power issues which we have started to manage by not having the hot water heater on all the time and if we are on a site which has extra power outlets we run a second lead to use out side. The blinds are at best crap we have complains but the fix lasted up to the next bump when the blind just rattled down never to rise again. We are thinking of removing the blind and replacing with curtains. -update - We have replaced the blinds as Sydney RV at Penrith does not return calls and we did not wish to continue with the stress it was causing us. This of course does make us think twice about having our van serviced by this dealer - will we get the service we pay for when we don’t get the product we bought from them fixed - We did have the hose on the hand basin split and drain water into the under bed storage area until discovered by my daughter camped next to us, must admit the dealer fixed it very quickly but the blinds no such luck.

We added an annex which has given us extra out side space and a private storage space at night.

Generally when towing this van has behaved as expected, braking is not an issue with the overriding brakes working well going down Bulli Pass and down Cunningham Gap.

We changed the antenna as it was hopeless, we also added a rear view camera and it has made backing and towing much easier.

Overall it’s a nice van clean looking well insulated and warm on cold nights with a great air conditioner for hot summer days

Great van but beware of after sales support or lack thereof – Love my 402PH Sport - it is well built, has great space and plenty of storage, perfect for a couple with separate shower and toilet. Light weight and easy to tow with a small SUV without electric brakes. Plenty of storage and very light and airy. The build quality and finish is excellent so on all fronts a great caravan at a reasonable price. … Read more

The Adria comes with a 24 month Warranty for the van, 7 years Water Ingress Warranty provided it is serviced by an Adria agent every 12 months and manufacturer warranty in fittings such as stove, fridge, air conditioning etc.

Now the bad news !! My van is only 2 months old and I have some warranty issues, not major problems but annoying enough to warrant correction.

On contacting Apollo in Brisbane (the Australian Importers and Agents) where I purchased the van, I was surprised to be referred to third parties to undertake the warranty work required. This was the start of a frustrating ordeal.

I had to book the van with two third party companies to cover body warranty by one and inclusions (water heater, fridge etc) by the other. I had to wait 3 weeks to have my hot water heater attended to and 5 weeks to have the van issues looked at.

After speaking with the Water Heater supplier when making the booking for service, I fully explained the problem to one of their service technicians and he indicated he knew exactly what the problem was 3 weeks before I delivered the van to be fixed. On arriving at the service centre I again spoke to a device technician and explained my problem. His answer - “oh that’s the valve after the water heater and we can’t cover that under warranty” and I was directed to speak to Apollo.

On confirming my appointment to have the other issues rectified I was informed by the third party that they would have quote on the work required and have it approved by Apollo before any work could commence. Therefore I would have to make another appointment to have the work done. I assume I will have to wait another 5 weeks before any work can start.

On contacting Apollo to see if I could get some priority support I was simply informed by them that this was the norm. Effectively like it or lump it!!

At this stage I have had my van for 6 weeks and have not been able to have a hot shower because the system does not work. I cannot leave my van door open as the catch is insufficient to hold it open in a wind, I have doors that swing open when travelling spilling contents everywhere, I have broken fittings (present when the van was delivered), lights that don’t work and numerous other (small but annoying) items that need addressing. At this rate of delay my warranty will expire before I get anything fixed.

My jubilation in buying and taking delivery of my brand new van and spending many happy days travelling this great country have unfortunately soured due to Adria’s Australian Agent being unable (or unwilling ?) to provide good after sales support.

In summary, a great product, well built and optioned but let down by poor after sales customer service.

5 Star Caravan for Families or Retirees – Perfect! – It took us months of caravan researching to fine our perfect van, we purchased the Adria Altea 552 UP Sport in March 2018 from Apollo in Brisbane. The service and support at purchase was excellent, we have yet to need after sales service but will review this when we do. Ours is a late 2017 model with a layout that would suit a family of 4 or a… Read more

couple, meeting our requirement of a van with the flexibility to transition from family holidays to retirement.

We are writing this review after our first trip and could not be happier. This van has a high clearance (300mm), is super light (Tare 1440kg ATM 1920 Payload 480kg) and very easy to tow (AL-KO hot dipped galvanised chassis). The quality, fit & finish are outstanding, the storage is excellent. The windows are large and really well positioned around the club lounge and island bed which means comfortable airy sleeping. The windows are very easy to open and close from inside or outside once unlocked. The two skylights are well designed so when opened there is protection from all but the heaviest rain. It is well serviced with battery monitor, power points and USB charging points.

All the heavy weight is positioned over the axle, the kitchen, bathroom and 130 litre water tank. Packing the van was so easy with the under-van storage accessible right through the van to both sides. You can also access all this storage inside from under the club lounge seats. We weighed our tow ball weight fully laden at 110kg. Empty it is around 90kg and the maximum allowable tow ball weight is 120kg.

The large club table is fantastic for preparing meals, it can be taken outside if needed and can easily be dropped down to make a very large bed for two adults or three small people. Our two teenagers rated this bed as super comfy. The storage around the club lounge area is plentiful, the open shelf is very handy for books, games, torches, sunglasses etc. The overhead cupboards are large as is the switchboard cupboard. The TV (both 12 & 240 volt) is on an extendable arm so it can be viewed from either end or removed and attached to a fitting under the awning.

The Kitchen is practical and very easy to use, a good size sink and three gas hotplates both have covers extending the bench space. The oven/grill works well and the draws and cupboards are spacious and easy to access. The 3 way fridge is huge and you can even remove the freezer if you want. We used a max/min thermometer to monitor the fridge which remained steady on 3 degrees and the freezer on -18 degrees.

The bathroom is a combo shower toilet with amazing storage, large mirror and double power point. The sink pulls down and is nice and large, the hot water works within minutes of switching on. Spacious enough to use as a change room and the opaque window perfect for ventilation. There is no water level monitor however it is very easy to see the water level from the rear of the van and with 130 litres this is not an issue at all.

The extra-large island bed is really comfy and the under bed storage is especially well designed with each side lifting separately, making access a breeze. The bedroom is separated from the rest of the van by a pull across concertina blind, great when travelling with four. The door side under bed area stores a compact reverse cycle air-conditioner which is very quiet. The side and overhead bed storage is ample, we put in an additional shelf on both sides just below the power point block height, this was for convenience as we really don’t hang much up and it makes the cupboards even more easy to use.

A few other additions we made to further improve our van: We installed a plug for our solar panels (Apollo arranged this for us before pick up @ $190). We also put removable sticker hooks on either side of the bed to hang a couple of small knitted baskets from K Mart ($7) that hold tissues, phones, glasses etc. We changed the large cutlery insert for a smaller one making the top draw easily able to store cutlery, tea towels, coffee mugs, tea/coffee/sugar, serviettes and more.

In summary the Adria Altea 552 UP Sport is perfect, we hope this review is helpful with your van searching!

Love getting away in this van – This is our first van, having upgraded to a camper trailer from a tent and now with the van. We've now had the van for almost two years and used it at least a dozen times. We only stay in caravan parks so the kids always have a pool to swim in. Towing is a breeze and I always keep to the 100km/h suggested limit on the freeway and never… Read more

have any concerns with handling.

I tripped on the top lip of the step and fell hard from the van, seriously hurting my knee and feel that the step should be better. It is a long way off the ground. Apollo had a second step when on display and I think that the van should have a double step attached rather than the current Thule single step. A small design floor that you need to be aware of.

The awning is great but not suitable for any kind of wind. It would be better if there was a proper tie down kit available for it so you could leave it out without any fear of damage. It is very easy to wind back in. We find that we may need to pack it away on a trip where it is very windy.

The windows are a bit sticky at times and have been addressed under warranty. I am concerned at how this will go long term.

We live on NSW Central Coast and after sales support is quite ordinary. Dealers change and getting warranty work can be a challenge. We had the TV aerial replaced as it stopped working and it was a lot of back and forth over weeks to have a new aerial trialed even though the service team were adamant it would not fix the problem. It worked immediately. I have since also upgraded the aerial and get good reception in most areas.

The fridge can really struggle on a hot day and we have fashioned up a fan to help but it doesn't provide much benefit. We carry an esky for our drinks which we keep outside anyway so we only need to go to the fridge at meal times.

I was going to rate 5 stars but I've listed a few things here which could be better so I dropped it to 4. Overall these are minor in the grand scheme of things and we love the van.

A few things I would like to see on the van are; bike rack, USB ports inside, side table outside and a better step

Perfect first family caravan – Built for Australian condition it's loaded with all the comforts of home. Great 4 birth family van with a large combo shower toilet and vanity,tare weight is only 1030kg all you need is a med suv or a large family car. No need for electric brakes it comes with its own mechanical brakes and stability control it brakes and tows fantastic. I… Read more

owned one for 3 years with out any problems and had some great holidays touring Victoria I recently upgraded to a larger caravan.

Its a great van I highly recommend it.

ADRIA: Good product, Bad service & support – Our Altea 552UP has served us very well over 2.5 years & travelled around 35,000kms. Design & build quality is good & is holding up very well to Australian conditions. As with many other reviews, service availability & standard is extremely poor; at Dealer & Distributor level. I would necessarily qualify recommending this product due to… Read more

very poor customer support.

It should be noted that Apollo’s sales centre in Melbourne does not have a service facility!

Two years with this van and it's now gone – So, it's now two years since I bought this van and did the initial review, and I've just said goodbye to it as it was towed away to be sold at auction. I still think they are great vans, very well made and cleverly designed. However the Achilles heel is the cost and availability of parts as they have to come from Europe. I had an accident in mine… Read more

a year ago and I've been waiting since then for the repair to be done and all the time the cost was escalating! Eventually I got fed up waiting and the insurance company declared it an economic write-off. I've reduced my rating of the van to three stars accordingly. The rest of the review still stands, so I've left it below...

I must say the best thing about this van is it's compact size and low weight. It has all the features of a larger van, but is small enough to fit in the tightest sites, tows easily and economically with a medium sized SUV, and stores under my car port. I tow it with a 2.2 litre diesel Landrover Discovery Sport and at gross weight of 1600kgs I can cruise effortlessly at 100km/h for hours on end and get an average of 12 L/100kms fuel consumption.

I've used it both at caravan parks where I'm plugged into power and water, and also 'free' camping relying on gas/battery and the built-in water tank. The Altea performs well in both situations, although it's small size and limited water capacity means that showering, cooking, and doing the washing up is a bit of a compromise when free camping - but still heaps better than a tent/camper trailer! It comes with all the essentials already included, and good European and Australian brands too such as Truma, Dometic, Camec, and Thetford, and is still about 10K cheaper than similar locally made vans where lots of things cost extra. This is definitely not an off-road van though, no matter what the salesman may tell you about being "semi-offroad" and being "designed for Australia". It's a touring caravan with a few mods for Australia, consisting of a slightly heavier gauge chassis, larger wheels to give it a bit more clearance, and slap on a bit of checker plate down the sides. However, many Oz built vans that claim to be off-road are no better, and the Altea seems to be built very well and so should handle our roads and the occasional gravel track as well or better than a lot of them! Things I particularly like - well built and well insulated; quality branded equipment; the under bed reverse cycle aircon instead of a roof mounted one; clever fold-away wash basin in the toilet; dinette converts to full size bed; large three way fridge; Alko hitch with built in stabiliser and override brakes instead of electric ones, so don't need an electric brake controller; clever use of space and lots of storage in such a small van; simple but elegant interior design. In fact - if Ikea made caravans this is what it'd be like!

Things not so good - no range hood coupled to cheap smoke alarm means lots of false alarms; awning and window blinds a bit flimsy; stereo speakers small and tinny; no water tank gauge or internal USB outlets (though strangely there are two on the outside); door catch doesn't hold it open in strong winds, no pre-wiring for solar. [Update: I've now solved most of the above issues by making modifications myself, but it would have been nice not to have to!]

3rd caravan and easily the best – Good quality Good value Easy to tow Has all the features of a much larger caravan . Plenty of storage and excellent fridge. 130 litre fresh water tank and 80 litre grey tank makes good for freedom camping

Loved it except for one thing – Love the design, the modern, sleek finish, the single beds are longer than other vans and the double bed wider without invading the space of the rest of the van, and most importantly that it is a ton lighter than your regular van. It is also well insulated so it heats well. But plug a kettle in if you have the fridge, heating, and lights on and… Read more

the power trips. We have to turn everything off to run the kettle or take it outside and plug it in to the main power at caravan parks so it's not the kettle. If we run the microwaves when the heating or tv is on same problem. Not sure if it has something to do with the way it's been wired overseas or it's just a problem with this particular van. We are trying to find out. Anyone else with the same issue?

Excellent example of a Euro caravan – The 432 PX was bought based upon 2 criteria: it must be light enough to tow behind our vehicle (GTM < 1500kg), full-time double bed and toilet shower combo. With that in mind I filtered for months on all caravans that were available and kept coming back to this van. Found a near new one for $31k and purchased. With all the reviews that had been… Read more

done on this van I knew exactly what to expect and I got exactly that. Well made van with everything well placed, ample storage and all the things I would expect in a van $10k dearer made in Australia. Without dissing the Aussie vans, the Europeans really do know how to make a quality product. Since owning the van I have made a few changes and modified something but that's just to suit me. Other wise the quality of the fit and finish is exemplary. the new 402PH is basically the same design but just heavier (I don't get why).

One of the advantages of owning a Euro-caravan is the fact that they all come out with ALKO anti-sway stabilisers built into the tow-hitch which is a very good idea and serves to keep the van stable behind the tow vehicle even at speeds of 110km/h. All-in-all an excellent caravan.

Excellent van and tows very well. The BMW of caravans – Recently purchased in July 2016 and have already taken it out for a family trip with the kids. Everything on these vans is high quality with superb fit and finish compared to locally made vans. And the price is cheaper than the local stuff to boot due to mass manufacturing at Adria Slovenia. Service and support from recently opened Melbourne dealership run by the importer Apollo motor home group is first rate. Highly recommended.

Great Product. Absolutely lousy after sales service – We love this van. It is a quality product that tows really well. It's been reliable, does not leak, is comfortable etc - all the things you expect out of a van. Probably the only fundamental thing wrong with the van itself is the fridge. It's a Dometic 189 litre. It's a sub-tropical rating but these aren't good enough for Australia and they now… Read more

only use tropical rated fridges. We've done all we can to make it work more effectively, like fans, shade awning an moving the sensor. Also it struggles to keep its temperature when running on 12v. The problem is the wiring in the van is too small and there's too much voltage drop between the car and the van.

The biggest problem though is that the brand is let down by deplorable after sales service and warranty support.

Let's deal with the service side of things first. The first thing we found that service agents come and go. One minute they're an Adria dealer, the next they're gone. Even when you find one, we haven't been happy with their service; they've been unreliable and unprofessional.

On the warranty side, we were very annoyed to find that genuine warranty claims (like a plastic ensuite fitting cracked through movement) were denied. The one that was admitted took months and lots of follow up (directly with the distributor Apollo Motor Homes) to get resolved. You'll also find the parts are frightfully expensive e.g. $900 for a small ensuite window.

We're in no hurry to get rid of this van as it works very well but we are certainly on the look out for reliable service agent.

We note from other reviews that we're not alone with problems with after sales service with Adria vans.

Would we get another one? Probably not. After sales service/parts etc are very important to us. We'd probably look at other European products though. We do like the low-weight and simplicity of Euro vans.

We'd give the van 4 stars and the after sales service/support one star, so it only gets 2.5 stars in our books.

Love it! – Purchased a 2008 model caravan a couple of years ago now, as was rated to be ok to tow with my VW TDI 2.O Golf. Quality, clean, modern with good design. More than you could imagine packed into such a small light weight easy to tow caravan. Travelled up & down through our wonderful WA. Hardly a month goes by without use. Traded up vehicle to… Read more

short wheel 4x4, still tows like a dream. Hardly know it's there.

Proud owner of this little "cubby". Home away from home.

Very nice and comfortable ride – We had a great experience with our caravan. Really happy we got this once in a life time experience.