The Skyroof in the Adria Twin Supreme – is it a Game Changer or a Gimmick? Established caravan and motorhome journalist Andrew Ditton puts the Skyroof through its paces.
Having spent over 20 years in caravan and motorhome journalism, it was with a healthy dose of realistic cynicism that I received the news of the Skyroof in the Adria Twin Supreme; a cutting edge and Adria-exclusive innovation that was unleashed onto an unsuspecting public about a year ago.
It’s a window over the cab in a van conversion. How excited am I supposed to be about a window?
Fortunately, I was offered the chance to take away an Adria Twin Supreme 640SLB for a three month tour of Scotland including the stunning Outer Hebrides.
When I collected the van, the accommodation was bathed in bright sunlight. It was a bright sunny day and while the added light inside was a bonus, I felt cheated that there was no storage area over the cab. The usual storage shelf has been sacrificed for the Skyroof.
While a modicum of storage has indeed been sacrificed, structural integrity has not. In a recent visit to Adria HQ in Slovenia, I learned that in order to keep Fiat happy and maintain the strength of the base vehicle, a lot of research, testing, mocking up, strengthening, and reinforcement has gone in to the entire area around the new window opening as well as into the window unit itself. If you think it was a simple case of taking a can opener to the roof and sticking in a proprietary window, think again.
Back to Scotland, and as my time with the Twin Supreme wore on, I gradually became more and more fond of the Skyroof.
If the sun shone on my bald head as I was driving, it was simplicity itself to reach up and close the blind without taking my eyes or concentration off of the road.
In the Outer Hebrides we found some stunning sites. The views out of the front of the van have, on occasion, been breathtaking. However, a man needs to eat, and to eat means cooking and washing up. Standing at the sink takes on a whole new dimension when you can see a stunning sunset slowly taking shape through the Skyroof; it’s at the ideal height to make sure you don’t miss the scenery for one second.
I found that it wasn’t on the sunny days that I appreciated the Skyroof the most. After all, when the sun was shining, I usually had the side door flung wide open bringing the great outdoors inside.
The Skyroof made the greatest difference on dull days — days where you don’t really want the door open, and the sky is flat and grey. It was during those days that the Skyroof really came into its own, bathing the interior of the van with every available lumen of light. Rather than feeling cramped and enclosed, the Twin Supreme felt bright and open, lifting the spirits even when the sun proved evasive.
It is very, very rare indeed for me, the cynical caravan and motorhome journalist, to use the expression ‘game changer.’ But after 12 weeks enjoying the bright and cheerful ambience of the Adria Twin Supreme, I cannot think of any other way to describe this outstanding innovation. It really does change everything, and a Skyroof is now high on my list of ‘must haves’ in a van conversion. Don’t just take my word for it though. Check out the Adria Twin Supreme yourself at your local Adria Dealer and see for yourself… and reach for the sky.
Watch Andrew’s latest video of his Twin Supreme journey here
