Welcome to the Practical Caravan Tourer of the year awards 2007. If you want to find the best new caravan, you've come to the right place.
Our awards are now in their 14th year and, for 2007, we've made a few changes. This year, we've introduced the 'Best luxury range' category to reward those vans that offer the best of everything for those prepared to pay a little extra. If your numbers came up last Saturday night, these are the vans for you.
There's also a wider range of models to choose from this year. In previous awards, we've concentrated on British tourers, but this year we've judged foreign tourers alongside their UK-built counterparts. Our conditions were that only UK-spec foreign vans could be included and that a network of at least 15 dealerships must be in place for their distribution. We don't believe there's any point in recommending a model that many buyers will have to travel several hours to buy.
But some things haven't changed. The Tourer of the year awards remain an indispensable guide for anyone in the market
for a new caravan. The following eight pages are the result of testing, touring with, and living in vans of all kinds, from cheap and cheerful two-berths to gigantic luxury twin-axles.
In each category, our judges have put themselves in the shoes of the likely buyer. How easily can the bed be made up in a two-berth? Is there enough work surface in a family van's kitchen? Does that inviting fixed bed force
a compromise in the washroom?
We've acknowledged, too, that no one van can suit everyone. That's why we've also recommended runners-up, plus some of our own personal favourites. And from so many great vans, we've picked the very best – our 2007 Tourer of the year. With such strong competition this has been the hardest choice of all. But we think our overall champion is worthy of the accolade.
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