Is there a real 4 berth family caravan?
I sent this to the club magazine a number of months ago, but it didn't get published. So I'm taking a chance and posting it here!! I just wonder what others think? Have I got it wrong?
I might be opening a can of worms here, but here I go anyway! We have a 2008 Avondale Dart 475, which is serving us very well a first caravan, and it’s fixed rear bunks suit our needs as a family of 4, with boys aged 13 and 8, and it’s light weight is perfect for our Skoda Octavia Scout. We’ve had several wonderful breaks since buying it just before the first lockdown in Feb 2020, but at 15yrs old, it is starting to show its age. Whilst spending the half term week at the club’s Wythall site near Birmingham, we were able spend a whole day at the Motorhome and Caravan show at the NEC, and despite seeing loads and loads of beautifully appointed caravans, there are virtually none that I would call a proper 4 berth family caravan. There is to me far too much of a fixation with fixed beds. This means that many 4 berth caravans that are being touted as ‘family’ caravans actually aren’t really because in order to create sufficient space for the fixed bed, the door is forward of the wheels, meaning the front dinette will only convert to a double and not two singles. My boys might tolerate ‘sharing’ a bed occasionally now but not in a year or two, and our 13-year-old is already 5ft 7in tall so he won’t squeeze onto any front sofa because they’re all too short. In truth they are not 4 berth caravans really, they are 2 berth with a separate bedroom, and if some friends turn up then you can accommodate them if they don’t mind sharing. I raised this issue with a few reps on the stands and none of them could really answer the dilemma, except one who pointed us to a competitor’s model (that actually no longer existed).
There are some vague possibilities, some versions of the Weinsberg CaraOne are every similar to ours, except it’s smaller so there’s no point, and one or two builders still do the two full singles instead of a fixed double, but this is a huge waste of space to me. We could go for a six berth to get a couple of fixed bunks (I know someone who has), but then we’d end up with a dinette we don’t want, and probably a washroom not much bigger that the one we have now (if like us you have to stick to a single axle sixed outfit because of storage space). There were a couple of continental caravans that might work, but they were surprisingly heavy even by modern standards, and the last fixed bunk 4 berth van I can find made in the UK was the Coachman Pastiche 525/4 which won caravan of the year in 2013 and promptly left the line up the following year (and it isn't exactly lightweight either). We’re already aware that the significant weight of modern-day caravans means we would also have to change the car too, but in actual fact there’s little point because no one seems to make a proper 4 berth family caravan that’s just a nice increase on the size of our current one. Or is it just me????
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Have you considered a different approach and looked at pup tents. Our two boys, now 30+, went into small tents around the age of 10 years old. They loved there own space, long lie-ins, the caravan stayed tidy and it gave us some peace and quiet. When they hit 16/17 years old they no longer wanted to come away for long holidays, so the need for that potentially larger caravan no longer existed.
I know C&MC sites do not "allow" these small tents, but independents, CL's and Continental sites do so it could be an option for you.
A year ago we looked inside the Weinsberg vans as they are made by Knaus and looked a nice idea. Specifications are good and prices very attractive. The units we saw on display at Davan caravans in Somerset all had bits falling off though, so it may be worth looking into the quality of finish.
Colin
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Good suggestion above re pup tent....our daughter/SIL have just bought a Weinsberg van with two rear bunks (far larger than required for their two small kids, so would last...has decent kitchen, shower room and a lounge that converts to a double....they are a family that loves it!
yes, it's a small caravan but uses the space so we'll....add in a large front locker, huge inside kitchen and lounge lockers and it works really well...and light and easy to tow.
might get one myself😉
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Pup tents are allowed on your pitch on CAMC sites so your idea might be a viable option.
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Have you ruled out a van with fixed single beds, rather than bunks?
Our family are looking at layouts that would suit both them and us and have concluded that the only suitable one is (from rear to front) .....
rear shower room........fixed singles.......kitchen.......lounge that converts to a double bed.
When they use it the children would use the single beds and the parents would make up the double, when we use it we would then avoid having to make up a bed as the fixed singles are there.
Not many fixed singles around now, we are looking at new vans, Bailey and Adria have them, but the Adria ones are very long.
Easier to find what you need in a slightly older van I think.
We presently have a TA with fixed double, so already have a suitable tow car.
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I think that for a proper four birth caravan you could have a look at a six berth caravan, especially one like our present Sprite major 6 TD or the same layout in its Challenger form. It does have two long fixed bunks at the back but also a good size rear dinette (where the extra two births come from). For four we've found it perfect, for six a bit of a squeeze, for two very spacious, the rear lounge part is excellent and 'kids' still use it occasionally.
We've had ours 10 years now and really a fixed double layout is what would suit us best now but while it's bone dry and working we're keeping it
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Arriving on site and then having to erect a pup tent in the rain isn't ideal.
Growing up in my teens I spent many nights in a pup tent (or awning) but thankfully those days are well and truly over. Tenting can be fun but only the truly hardy enjoy it in wet ( or cold) weather.
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The 2 single bed version is a good suggestion. We had a Lunar caravan which had 2 single beds at the rear a split bathroom in the middle and then kitchen, front of van was the lounge easily big enough for 4 people and at night converted into a good sized double bed. You could even remove the centre cabinet to make it a king size.
When our gKids came away with us they had the 2 singles at the rear of the van. You could close off this area with a concertina door. The bathroom being in the middle was then still accessible to us at the front. There was another solid door that could be used to close off the rest of the van by opening the toilet door which then went across the middle of the van. It was a great design as when just the 2 of us used it this door made the rear bedroom into an en suite.
Fabulous van I think one of our favourites. It was fairly long just a bit shorter than a twin axle but for a family it was good.
When our children were young we had a 3 come 4 berth van, once they got to big for that they were of an age to go in a pup tent which they loved.
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Phoenix GT75 642 ?
https://www.baileyofbristol.co.uk/touring-caravans/phoenix-gt75/phoenix-gt75-642/
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Thanks all for you replies. Sorry I've not been on sooner but rather ironically, we've been away in the caravan for a couple of weeks (River Breamish site if anyone is interested).
A few have mentioned 'vans with the single fixed beds at the rear, and yes, this may be our best option, and I have seen the new Bailey GT75 one advertised too. The Weinsberg KaraOne, whilst being a preferred layout is smaller than our current Dart so isn't in the running.As for 6 berth ones, this does seem to be the only other alternative, but becomes quite a waste of space for us (in my opinion anyway). Pup tents might work if we were to go to a non-club site, but out of habit we tend to stick to club sites (for me at least, you more or less know what you're going to get).
I have noticed the Coachman VIP 520 can have a bunk fitted to make it a 4 berth, but my preference would always be fixed bunks as these will generally take a little more weight. It's also quite heavy.
I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed the 2024 models of our manufacturers might feature something a bit more family friendly (in my opinion anyway, I knw everyone has different views and preferences).
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You can use a pup tent on your pitch on CAMC sites. See my earlier post.
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Agree, no problem on Club sites, more likely a problem on commercials. We have used a couple where they said no pup tents or sleeping in awnings.
Not a problem for us usually, but if we were away with DD and family it would be. We can fit 5 in the van meantime since the children are still small, but SIL would either be outside or cluttering up the floor in the van!
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I am not sure if they are still available but we used to have an sleeping annex in the awning (not one that extended the length of the main awning) One lad used to sleep in that and the older one in a pup tent.
David
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yes and even better now they are pop up (like tents) so don't need hanging to the awning frame. Big enough for a double airbed and about quite tall, about 5 feet.
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If you were to choose a good used van, the Swift Elegance 565 has two fixed singles either side of the van behind the axle, a really good large rear bathroom and a convertible double at the front. 1700 kg with 7.54m length might not suit but our 2021 model purchased new has the advantage of all plastic construction with a lifetime water ingress warranty (actually 25 years).
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