If you’ve ever been to a caravan show – and we’d recommend one as a good place to start – you’ve probably been quite overwhelmed at the number of tourer layouts to choose from. With all the glittering new vehicles and LED lighting it’s a real assault on the senses. It’s all too easy to be seduced by a shiny-looking caravan and forget the practicalities.
Shows are a great way to cram in a lot of different types of caravans and amass a shortlist, but they’re not always ideal for a longer, more detailed and thorough look. There are a few key layout things to really focus on before you sign on the dotted line for that shiny new tourer. So what should you focus on and what aspects are less important when you’re searching for the best caravan?
What you can tow
First, you need to work out what you can tow, so you will need to understand caravan weights.
In line with the views of the major caravanning clubs, Practical Caravan recommends using the ‘85% guideline’ when calculating a suitable car/caravan match.
This states that a caravan should weigh no more than 85% of the car’s kerbweight (provided this figure is also within the car’s legal maximum towing limit).
Layout selection
This is the next most important aspect of selecting a caravan layout, and also one of the trickiest. We all have different sizes of families, our hobbies are all different and how we prefer to spend our leisure time is also unique. So the idea that there is a ‘best’ layout is the wrong way to look at it.
What works for you and your family is pretty much a unique choice. For instance, some people like L-shaped front lounges, some do not.
One particular item to guard against is having a rigid list of fixed priorities. When advising people on layouts, we come up against many very well-informed people who have carefully researched every layout, read every magazine feature and watched all the caravan reviews on YouTube.
They tend to treat buying a caravan as a check-list and have rigid views based on the thoughts of other people. Sometimes this can be useful, but often it’s not helpful at all. So we’d avoid being too focused on getting everything on your list and be a little more flexible.
However, there are a few key points that everyone should prioritise.
Step into the washroom
The washroom is often placed in caravans to fill an awkward corner – such as around the wheelarches – and sometimes it can feel like an afterthought when compared with the rest of the van.
While you probably won’t spend as long in the washroom as the lounge, bedroom or kitchen areas, you still need to be able to stand comfortably upright in it to shower, without your head hitting the roof or your shoulders touching the sides of the caravan.
Some caravanners only ever use campsite facilities and as such may be able to make do with less room, but having a good washroom can be a real bonus if a campsite has a poor washroom or is a long walk away (and it’s raining, or dark).
Things to look for are twin drain points in the shower (this means that water is able to drain better on a campsite), separate taps for the shower and sink (more convenient to use) and some storage for toiletries.
Another thing to consider is a solid shower door. Shower curtains are like human cling-film when you add soapy water and heat, so anything with a fixed wall or door is preferable.
Opening rooflights also help steam to escape, while an opening washroom window is useful as it allows you to pass the shower head outside to rinse off wet dogs, muddy boots or wetsuits.
How many berths
A fundamental one. If there are four people in your family, then it needs to have four berths. When children are small, a family of four could manage in a three-berth, but they will soon outgrow it, so it’s going to be worth looking for the best 4 berth caravan.
Caravan makers are always trying to squeeze the maximum amount of things into a fixed space and sometimes the beds suffer. Without a doubt the best beds are those that offer a large space with a one-piece mattress, either in single- or double-bed form.
Not having any gaps between cushions increases comfort, so beds made of the fewest sections are likely to be more comfortable. While mattress toppers are supplied with many lounge beds, they’re bulky to store and not quite as convenient.
Most mattresses are memory foam these days – in various grades and thicknesses – and can come on a variety of bases ranging from rigid boards to sprung slats or Froli-style sprung plastic sections.
The combination of bed base and mattress affects comfort. Check that the bed design works for you and your body shape.
While there are things you can do to make a caravan bed more comfortable, we’d always advise trying out the beds – both making them up and pretending to sleep on them, in the showroom. Make sure you and your partner try them together, too – sometimes beds are longer on one side than the other.
Equally, check that you don’t bang your head on the overhead lockers (it’s surprisingly common!) and, if you like to read in bed, that you can sit comfortably upright and the reading lights are well placed. Are there handy USB charging points nearby for a phone?
If your feet overlap a window or locker, or the bed shape simply isn’t long enough in the showroom, it won’t magically improve in the long run.
While we’re talking beds, it’s important to decide what style of bed to go for. For example, some dislike having to convert a lounge into a bedroom every day, so for them a fixed rear bed is a must-have, perhaps in the form of an island bed caravan. Some people, however, don’t mind sacrificing convenience to get a more compact van, and will happily convert from bed to lounge each day.
Another factor to consider is how you use the beds – do you both go to bed at the same time? If one of you is an early riser and there are no spare lounge seats to use in the morning, that can really cramp your style.
Layouts for families
If you have a family of three to four people, then there’s quite a lot of choice. Younger kids can potentially share a double, but make sure they won’t fight! If they want their own space, bunk beds can also work well.
Bear in mind that if you’re going to be selling the caravan in the future, you may find it harder to find a buyer, because they’re only really attractive to other families with kids.
Tourers with central washrooms tend to work well for families, because you don’t have to climb over each other to use the toilet facilities. Equally, if the children go to bed early, this still allows the adults to stay up and use the lounge area during the evening.
Couple’s choices
Couples are spoilt for choice – whether you want large settees, a good-sized kitchen or spacious washroom, there’s something available. Focus on the comfort of the beds and the living areas, as well as how you like to use the space. For example, if you prefer outdoor living and barbecues then a more spartan kitchen might work well for you.
But if you’re more of an indoor chef, then a UK-made caravan with a large cooker (and a hob with both gas and electric hob options) might suit you better.
A lot of the skill in selecting a layout is picking one that suits the practicality of your touring lifestyle – not merely one that you like the styling of. You almost need to role-play how you use the space. Try it – you won’t regret it!
After choosing your tourer, you may find yourself thinking about the various gadgets that can improve your touring experience. Take a look at what John Sootheran has to say about the 12 accessories and upgrades that he thinks make caravanning easier.
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