If you’re budget’s big enough and you’re able to buy a caravan over £30,000 your expectations are likely to be equally large. At this end of the market, buyers are look for style and luxury as well as functionality, and you’ll also want excellent build quality. Here’s our pick of some of the fantastic caravans in the over £30,000 price range.
Buyer’s Guide – best caravans over £30,000
Coachman Laser Xcel 850 2019
STAR RATING – 4 out of 5
• Price £35,400
• Berth 4
• MTPLM 1927kg
• Shipping length 7.9m
• Width 2.44m
In 2019 this took the Best Luxury Tourer title in our annual awards and with its spacious bedroom and excellent washroom it’s easy to see why. Towing is made easier with the inclusion of Al-Ko’s ATC and an AKS 3004 stabiliser as standard and all Coachman Xcel models come with an E&P self-levelling system fitted as standard. A barbecue outlet is conveniently located on the front nearside corner.
There are parallel settees in the 850, with lots of daylight coming through the windows, the rooflight and the sunroof that still runs right across the width of the caravan, even in this 8ft-wide model. The two settees are not the longest you will come across, they would accommodate four people quite easily, but not many more.
The narrowness is probably a result of the layout, which needs to pack a lot into its 6.27m length. But the entrance doesn’t feel too spacious either, partly because Coachman has included an L-shaped kitchen unit, which rather protrudes into the floorspace.
The extra width provides a huge door to the central washroom. The shower on the nearside is circular and retains the useful clothes hook that Coachman introduced last year. It doesn’t have a roof vent, but it does include a large LED light and two sensibly placed shelves.
Not having wardrobes either side of the transverse bed adds to the sense of space in the rear bedroom. The bed can be rolled back for extra space. The front settees only work as single beds for those under 5ft tall, but they make a great double (using slats), thanks to the sprung upholstery.
BUY IF… you’re looking for luxury and a spacious bedroom
PROs:
Spacious bedroom
Well-planned washroom
CONs:
Front lounge is a little cramped
Read more in our Coachman Laser Xcel 850 caravan review
Hymer Nova 470GL 2019
STAR RATING – 4 out of 5
• Price £39,710
• Berth 2
• MTPLM 1800kg
• Shipping length 6.88m
• Width 2.3m
The build quality is the USP when it come to the Nova 470GL, it’s solid and well finished. It features Hymer’s couples’ layout, with a front lounge and end washroom, and can be plated to 1800kg, so it’s no lightweight.
It’s built on an Al-Ko chassis, complete with heavy-duty corner steadies, the chassis also has an extra-long A-frame. An AKS hitch is fitted, as well as ATC, and a cycle rack is placed at the front, too.
The front lounge area is bright and airy, with natural light flooding in through the window and sunroof. The kitchen on the offside is well equipped, and a full oven with a dual-fuel hob is placed next to the large stainless steel sink. There’s a fridge fitted opposite in the dresser, but a microwave isn’t standard.
End-washrooms are a selling point for some buyers, so the Hymer scores well here in many respects. The entrance door has a full-height mirror mounted on the back, and there is a small mirror above the handbasin. The shower cubicle is on the right as you walk in and the wardrobe is placed opposite.
The 470GL has the standard two-berth end-washroom layout, with front lounge, and it’s the lounge seating that converts into a bed.Making up the comfortable double bed is easily done, with a high-quality slatted system that is simple to operate. The bed converts quickly to a double, or you can use the twin settees as single beds.
BUY IF… you’re after a solid build with a high-quality finish
PROs:
Great build
End washroom
CONs:
No window in the washroom
Read more in our Hymer Nova 470GL caravan review
Alaria TS 2019
STAR RATING – 4.5 out of 5
• Price £33,799
• Berth 4
• MTPLM 1845kg
• Shipping length 7.88m
• Width 2.46m
With its stylish, high-quality interior, and this TS is ideal for couples wanting lots of space and luxury. TS stands for twin single beds, and it’s a popular layout that combines an end washroom and a spacious, L-shaped lounge.
The Alaria is on an Al-Ko chassis, with AKS hitch, plus ATC for added towing stability. A spare wheel is included, plus an on-board 40-litre water tank and alloy wheels. Al-Ko Wheel Secure is fitted as standard, as is a Status TV aerial.
The L-shaped lounge works well in this 8ft-wide configuration. It’s comfortable, very sociable, and comes with good overhead lockers for storage. The side kitchen has plenty of worktop, which includes an extending flap that makes this area very practical. For 2019, a new Thetford oven (with a Cramer extractor) was fitted, and the fridge/freezer placed opposite, with the Sharp microwave located above.
The washroom in the TS is spacious and well-equipped, with a sizeable wardrobe and an LED night-light.
To use the front double bed, you’ll need to make the L-shaped seating into a sleeping surface. But the front settee has a slide-out metal frame, so bed-making is pretty simple. The rear twin singles are over 6ft long, so most should find them comfortable.
BUY IF… you want an elegant tourer, with a modern interior
PROs:
Brilliant lighting
Washroom
CONs:
No solar panel
Read more in our Alaria TS caravan review
Buccaneer Aruba 2019
STAR RATING – 4 out of 5
• Price £33,499
• Berth 6
• MTPLM 1983kg
• Shipping length 8.16m
• Width 2.44m
This new model for 2019 was based on the tried-and-tested six berth from the Avante range and features a raft of luxury equipment, everything from a self-levelling system to cast iron pan stands, it’s a range for buyers who refuse to compromise.
All Buccaneer tourers are 8ft wide and run on Al-Ko chassis. Like the rest of the range, the Aruba is a twin-axle model.and at 8.16m in length, it’s good to know the ATC anti-snaking system comes as standard.
The Aruba’s galley is arranged in full on the nearside. A dual-fuel cooker to the left of the kitchen unit features cast-iron pan stands – a new touch for 2019. Underneath that, you’ll find a separate oven and grill, and next to the cooker there’s an oblong sink. There’s a decent amount of work surface to the right of the sink, and a trusty tip-up flap if more space is required.
The washroom is sited in the offside rear corner, but is arranged like an end washroom in all but orientation. The shower lining’s tiled effect confirms this tourer’s luxury credentials.
In addition to the Aruba’s rear French bed, which is 6ft 3in long, there’s a large make-up double at the front of the van, which measures 6ft 11in by 4ft 8in. Another two berths are on hand in the side dinette, in the form of a small double that measures 6ft 1in by 4ft 2in.
BUY IF… you want a well-designed and kitted-out tourer with a tried-and-tested layout
PROs:
Superb spec makes the most of the floorplan
Plenty of storage,
CONs:
You’ll need the likes of a Disco to tow an Aruba
Read more in our Buccaneer Aruba caravan review
Vanmaster V640s 2017
STAR RATING – 4 out of 5
• Price £67,950
• Berth 4
• MTPLM 2500kg
• Shipping length 7.94m
• Width 2.3m
A big beast at a big price, the V640 is not one for the feinthearted, but setting it up won’t be much of a problem. The Al-Ko chassis is a special heavy-duty design and comes with ATC and an AKS hitch.
The front lounge area feels more like a five-star luxury hotel thanks to its comfortable upholstery, and the wood grain is the real deal, with no photo veneers.
If you like a plain, practical kitchen with tonnes of storage, you’ll find it here, and iit comes complete with Vanmaster bone china. A full oven from Thetford is fitted, plus a Thetford dual-fuel hob, which sits level with the Corian/Tristone special kitchen worktop. A microwave is fitted just above the kitchen to the right, in the overhead locker.
Centrally placed, the washroom comes with a shower on the nearside, and the loo and vanity unit opposite. It’s luxurious with excellent storage and, again, the wood furniture is very much in evidence.
It comes with twin single beds, which can be closed off from the main part of the caravan to give complete privacy. The front double dinette can be easily transformed into a sizeable double bed (2.08m x 1.62m) using pull-out seat extensions for the bed base, the cushions then slipping into place.
BUY IF… you’re looking for super service and build quality and can afford it
PROs:
Sturdily hand-built and looks distinctive
You get a good level of kit
Owners get great personal service
CONs:
Heavy and expensive
Read more in our Vanmaster V640s caravan review
Buccaneer Galera 2017
STAR RATING – 4.5 out of 5
• Price £31699
• Berth 6
• MTPLM 2000kg
• Shipping length 8.14m
• Width 2.45m
This luxury six-berth is packed with features and a high spec, a great van for all the family.
It’s a big twin-axle tourer which rides on a BPW chassis with smart alloy wheels, and a Winterhoff hitch stabiliser plus an IDC electronic stability system.
The silver sidewall graphics really look the part, while the front and rear moulded panels are full-height and of a very smart appearance.
The lounge is a glamorous place to sit and enjoy the view, cossetted in the lap of luxury. There’s also a side dinette, where the family can sit during mealtimes
A well-specified kitchen is essential for six, and the Buccaneer Galera comes up with the goods. There is a Dometic fridge and separate freezer, a microwave, and a full Thetford Aspire oven with a gas and electric hob. Excellent worktop space is also a plus point, and includes an extension flap.
The corner washroom is a swish affair, even if it isn’t particularly large. Its separate shower cubicle has a mock-tile effect, giving it a domestic feel.
The settees in the front lounge can be used as single beds, but at 1.81m (5ft 11in) they aren’t overly long, so most users will no doubt make them into a double measuring 7ft x 4ft 9in. And making the side dinette into a second double is an easy task. The two fixed bunk beds at the rear each have a light, curtain and window, plus good headroom.
BUY IF… you want an excellent specification
PROs:
It is well-built with a high-quality feel
The kitchen area is superb
CONs:
You need to use slats to make up the front double bed
Read more in our Buccaneer Galera caravan review
Note: prices correct at time of original reviews
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