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So here it is (an Adria Izola 697SL). Collected from Poole on Wednesday, we stayed the night near Wimbourne Minster so that we could test out all the facilities, and get help from the dealer the following day if necessary. Overall the van was fine, a slight lack of attention to detail on the part of the dealer, but they sorted out all the problems. Given that I had a 100 point checklist for pre-delivery inspection, I think I was better prepared than most people, and perhaps what the dealer was used to. But it’s a hell of a chunk of money, so excuse me for being picky!
Despite being a large vehicle, it handles reasonably well on the road, and everything works as expected, in fact the heating is crackingly good, so expect to stay warm, although no idea at the moment as to the cost. It’s got two large LPG cylinders, so should be more economic than the usual Propane leisure cylinders.
I’m now crawling all over it to understand where everything is, and to find the best way of making a few essential adaptation, but I’m getting a handle on how it’s put together and it’s all pretty simple.
We are also very pleased that we’ve been able to get it onto the driveway, which we didn’t think likely due to the steep slope and narrow access. The rear bumper just clears the drive slope on the way in, and getting it around the corner and between the garage and workshop was much simpler than expected.
We’ve yet to try loading things up, although I’ve tried the bikes and there is plenty of room for those inside the garage, just need to devise a loading and attachment mechanism, as I’m too tight to spend £300 on the Fiamma Garage Slide which is the ubiquitous method.
Starting to think about how to personalise the interior as well. The fabric is inoffensive but a little dated, so it would be nice to add a personal touch and make it feel more like home – which it will be for the next few months!
