When you’re thinking of buying a caravan, everyone is going to have their own list of must-haves and nice-to-haves, However, one crucial element is going to be picking the right layout for your needs.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re choosing the best small caravan or are more interested in a larger caravan for families – the arrangement will be crucial.
With that in mind, I’m sharing five caravan layouts that I think those on the hunt for the right tourer should be looking at.
1. Transverse island bed, rear washroom
This layout, seen in models such as the Bailey Unicorn Vigo Deluxe, has consistently been the best seller in a number of manufacturers’ ranges, and it’s not hard to see why.
It provides you with an interior that is as open and airy as possible, not constricted by any central washroom. And because it is a transverse island bed, rather than an in-line version, the front lounge can still be a decent length without the caravan being excessively long. The Vigo, for example, is only 7.34m long overall.
This is a particularly good layout to go for if you are mostly going to be touring as a couple. If you’re travelling with more, anyone sleeping in the front will need to get past you to use the loo at night.
2. Island bed, central washroom
Despite the popularity of the end-washroom layout, some caravanners prefer a layout like this, with a washroom straddled across the middle. In effect it creates three rooms and makes the rear bedroom (usually with an in-line island bed, but sometimes with single beds or a transverse island bed) very private.
This is a good layout to go for if you’re primarily using the caravan as a seasonal pitch. Those three rooms really make it feel more like home. Good examples of this layout include the Coachman VIP 545 and the Swift Challenger 560.
3. Front lounge, side dinette, end washroom
This layout – with either a parallel-sofa or L-shaped lounge up front and a side dinette opposite a kitchen – is perhaps best exemplified by the Xplore XC Lite, which had a long run under its previous name as the Xplore 340. But it’s also found in larger types of caravans such as Coachman’s VIP 520.
Its main attraction is that it is super flexible: you can use it as a three-berth, if the side dinette turns into a single bed, or even a four-berth, because sometimes it can turn into a pair of bunks, too. Or you could use it for just the two of you – particularly if you are likely to spend most of your day outside the caravan.
You could leave the front bed made up all day, and use the side dinette, located near the kitchen, for mealtimes. This layout also usually frees up enough space to have a really decent washroom in the rear.
4. End-washroom two berth
Caravan park facilities have improved enormously in recent years, but there are still many people who prefer having their own facilities on board – and are prepared to sacrifice the convenience of having a fixed bed for it.
That is why just about every range from every manufacturer will still include one model with two long parallel settees at the front that either work as single beds or can be drawn together to form a double, a side kitchen and a washroom that is usually large enough for you to get dressed in private and often includes clothes storage.
Other advantages to this layout include the large sideboard that usually sits opposite the side kitchen. This provides either additional workspace for the chef or a place to rest a TV. Good examples of this layout include the Coachman Laser 480 Xtra.
5. Rear children’s lounge
There have been a large variety of family layouts involving bunks over the years, but the one that seems to feature in line-ups most often involves having a front lounge for the adults, a side kitchen and side washroom next to each other in the middle, and then a second lounge at the rear, usually with two permanent bunks and a side dinette that can be turned into a second pair of bunks.
This creates a rear lounge where the children can keep themselves to themselves on a rainy day, while the adults have somewhere to retreat to at the other end of the tourer.
The downside here is often the side washroom, because it is usually not big enough to include a separate shower cubicle – although Swift’s Challenger 590 still manages to have one.
If you’re loading your caravan up and want tips on how to take extra kit on tour with you, don’t miss our tips on how to take extra kit on tour with you.
Lead image: Matt Lincoln
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