Full review

A CURVING line of sparkling sapphire blue and diamond-white LED lights in the roof alternate to define the line of the edge of the bed.

The tip of the bathroom washbasin tap lights up in the same sapphire gleaming blue. In the shower are more blue and white LED lights which combine to create a brilliance against darkest grey tile-effect shower surround.

This is the Fleetwood Heritage 640 CB, a fixed bed layout that reaches the pinnacle of touring caravan aspiration.

Its specification list – in company with the rest of the Heritage range for 2009 – from Alde central heating, in-board water tanks and ATC traction control to a multiple choice of finest fabrics that include leather (£1,500 extra), the ’09 Heritage series models are stunning and break new ground in luxury.

We picked the CB out as example because of its wide-appeal layout: rear shower room, off-side fixed bed, offside kitchen, microwave above full-sized fridge/freezer…

Here’s the detail: It’s marketed as a two-berth – that’s because it has a fixed bed and a lovely U-shape lounge. But the lounge converts into either a second double bed or two singles, to make it a true four-berth in real terms.

The Alde hot water circulating central heating system is great for all-year round touring and this year, aluminium, domestic-style radiators are added into the washroom.

The benefit you get in caravan layout terms is that no space is taken up by a Truma heater. In the case of the CB this advantage gives you extra kitchen cupboard space – there are two large cupboards beside the Spinflo oven, grill and hob with three burners and a mains-power hotplate.

In the lounge a distinctive oval-shaped shelf unit divides door area from seating.

LED lighting strips run above all lounge windows and six LED sets, each of four bulbs, are inset to the surround of the rooflight. LED lighting is a feature of the kitchen styling, too, as is a huge arched tap that rises from one side of the sink – and when you pull up the sink cover it reveals a unit, fixed to the underside of the cover, designed for draining cutlery; Fleetwood has put in the practical features as well as loads of style.

Take another example: The cupboard above the radiator in the bathroom forms a drying compartment - slatted bases of the three shelves are designed to allow warm air to rise from the Alde-driven radiator. And a towel rail is hidden under the cupboard, above the radiator.

The lounge spotlights are tiny metal units on thin flexible stalks – a smart touch in a caravan that oozes modern style and luxury. Tracking systems are standard, as are levelling sensors and, even more importantly, the AL-KO ATC snake control system is fitted to all Heritages.

Security is taken care of by AL-KO Secure wheel-locks (and that will save you a big percentage on insurance with most companies).

Heritages don’t come cheap. Starting price for the 490-2 is £18,495. But then Fleetwood provides plenty of choice in its Sonata and Meridien ranges for seekers of caravans in the £13-16,000 price bracket.

Summary:

The Heritage 640 CB will cost you £22,995, which sounds a lot of money in caravan parlance. And it weighs 1750kg (MTPLM).

But everything about this range, from at-a-glance on-the-road glimpses to the detail inside sets Heritages apart in terms of solidity of build quality and attention to style and flair detail.

Talking of style, Fleetwood give you a multitude of choices for upholstery and curtaining, ranging from coolest modern grey themes to subtle creams and browns.

One thing missing in this report? Towing characteristics.

We haven’t yet had opportunity to take an ’09 Heritage 640 on the road but we have towed ’08 and ’07 640 models and can vouch for their typically twin axle stability and predictability. And that was before the advent of the ATC system.

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*    This review was first published in the October 2008 issue of Which Caravan.
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