The last time we looked in on Dutch caravan builder Lume Traveler, it was stretching its distinctive anodized aluminum box trailer out and adding a toilet room. Since then, it's taken the longer LT540 and arranged it to better handle cold-weather camping, creating a four-season caravan convertible. The new LT540 Nordic pivots the kitchen indoors and holidays comfortably amidst frosty fjords, snow-dusted forests, and high-elevation slope-side RV resorts.
Looking like a cross between an Airstream and a horse trailer, Lume Traveler's campers are among the numerous stylish, modern European caravans that make an immediate impression from afar. That impression only intensifies upon entering a cabin, where campers are wrapped in warm felts and leathers while enjoying a view through the power-retractable soft-top above the super-queen bed.
One downside of the original Lume design, at least for those who prefer the option of cooking indoors, is the outdoor galley, common on smaller trailers but not necessarily as common on trailers the size and price of the 273-in (694-cm-long) LT540. With the Nordic edition, Lume reaches out to indoor chefs and winter campers by eliminating the tailgate galley and bringing the kitchen inside.
The Nordic kitchen area spreads out across the center aisle with a PITT triple-burner gas stove below an LED-lit extractor hood on one side and a sink with mixer tap next to a stainless steel-faced Dometic CRX 65DS pull-out fridge/freezer on the other. The stainless steel countertop includes an extension for extra work space.
Since Lume pushes its 71 x 79-in (180 x 200-cm) bed back into the space previously occupied by the tailgate galley, it's able to add in the kitchen without much alteration to the remaining floor plan. The toilet room is located between the kitchen sink and front lounge, bringing its own sink and Dometic toilet. As with the standard LT540, the shower is outside – sure to be a bit brisk in the winter months, but at least it's fed by a standard Truma Combi water heater/furnace. Up front, the Nordic has a standard sofa lounge or an available dual-bench dinette with optional bed conversion function.
Interestingly enough, the Nordic still includes Lume's signature electric-retractable soft-top, so users can let the snow flutter in or bundle up in down and enjoy the transition from early sunset to crystal-clear starlit night sky. Soft-top insulation and the aforementioned Truma Combi keep the interior from getting too cold.
The LT540 Nordic includes a full electrical system with 100-Ah lithium battery, 330-W solar panel array, 1,600-W Victron inverter/charger, Victron battery monitor and available Honda generator. The standard features package also brings in an exterior awning, 4+1 Bluetooth audio system, LED lighting throughout, teak flooring, and leather, felt and bare metal trim.
Lume Traveler introduced the LT540 Nordic in time for Winter 2020, and it looks like it will again be an ideal cold-weather escape as RV travel remains popular during a COVID-19 rollercoaster that continues into the first weeks of autumn. The 4,850-lb (2,200-kg) LT540 Nordic starts at €95,500 (approx. US$110,750), which, while more expensive than LT540 No. 1 debut pricing, is lower than the current €99,500 No. 1 price.
Source: Lume Traveler
