Best budget caravan 2025

Those looking for the best budget caravan will find there are tourers out there that can offer a good spec and a well-planned layout at a price that is right.

If you’re looking for the best caravans at the more budget end of the market, you’ll find there are still plenty of options that can offer a good spec and a practical layout. In fact, you may be surprised by the design and features they can come with – and the Practical Caravan Awards 2025 are here to help you find the budget tourer for you.

We’ve rebranded this category for this year – it was previously known as the best caravan under £20,000, but we think the change better reflects the market.

Between us, our judging panel has decades of industry experience, and have combined this to pick out what we consider to be the pick of the budget caravans for the 2025 season, as well as revealing the tourers that we highly commended. As well as that, you will find vans from some of the best caravan makes, such as Freedom, Bailey and Swift, as we’ve shared our favourites from recent years too. These budget caravans all show that these types of caravans can still offer a good spec and have plenty of merit.

This year, we thought the Xplore XC Lite was the best budget caravan on the market – we liked how it managed to provide such a clever design, despite being compact.

The best budget caravans

Our top picks at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025

Xplore XC Lite
Capsule Mini R
Freedom Wayfarer Quad

The standout options from recent years

Weinsberg Cara One 400LK
Xplore 585
Swift Sprite Major 6
Adria Altea Aire 492DT
Bailey Discovery D4-2
Bailey Phoenix 440

The best budget caravan

Xplore XC Lite

• Price: £22,749
• Berths: 4
• MTPLM: 1090kg
• MIRO: 955kg
• Payload: 135kg
• Length: 5.54m
• Width: 2.18m

Reasons to buy:

• A cleverly-designed caravan that makes the most of its compact dimensions.

Reasons to avoid:

• The beds in the dinette area are really for kids only.

The best budget caravan at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025

This compact and versatile caravan is ideal for couples or young families.

The Xplore XC Lite is a feature-packed caravan designed for comfort and convenience. Its innovative layout includes an end washroom and an L-shaped lounge, providing a spacious and versatile living area. The lounge is perfect for relaxing or entertaining, enhanced by a directional TV aerial and a large Heki rooflight for natural light and ventilation.

The well-equipped kitchen offers a microwave, oven, fridge-freezer and an extractor fan, making meal preparation effortless. Outside, an external gas BBQ point ensures al fresco dining is equally easy and enjoyable.

For year-round comfort, the Xplore XC Lite features blown-air heating, while an alarm and anti-theft tracker provide added security. The caravan runs on stylish alloy wheels, with a spare wheel included for peace of mind. Compact yet complete, the XC Lite combines practicality with modern features, making it a perfect choice for adventurous travellers seeking comfort on the road.

Capsule Mini R

• Price: £16,995
• Berths:  2
• MTPLM: 750kg
• MIRO: 650kg
• Payload: 100kg
• Length: 3.8m
• Width: 1.98m

Reasons to buy:

• Small and light, it’s easy to store, tow and pitch

Reasons to avoid:

• No heating system as standards

Highly commended at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025

The Capsule Mini Caravan combines compact design with an impressive specification, making it the ideal choice for lightweight touring. Its one-piece fibreglass bodyshell with 50mm polyurethane bonded insulation ensures durability and comfort in all seasons.

Built on an AL-KO galvanised steel chassis, it features a rubber torsion axle with shock absorbers, an AL-KO hitch and 14in steel wheels. The monocoque construction also means that there are fewer seams and seals that can break down over time and allow water ingress.

Inside, the compact living space feels light and airy thanks to its clever design. The dining table lowers to form a double bed, and there’s plenty of storage, with both top lockers and under-seat storage. The kitchen features a stylish solid pine worktop, single gas burner hob, stainless steel sink and a 42-litre 12v compressor fridge with a freezer compartment.

The bathroom includes a pull-out shower head and a Thetford Porta Potti with electric flush. Despite its diminutive size, the Capsule Mini offers completely self-contained living.

Full review: Capsule Mini R

Freedom Wayfarer Quad

• Price: from £14,995
• Berths: 4
• MTPLM: 850kg
• MIRO: 700kg
• Payload: 150kg
• Length: 4.5m
• Width: 2.05

Reasons to buy:

• It’s got a big spec and character for a small size and price

Reasons to avoid:

• A bit cosy for four in the dinette

Highly commended at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025

The Freedom Wayfarer Quad is a titchy caravan with a big personality. It’s packed with features to suit adventurous families or couples, and is designed with practicality and comfort in mind. The interior includes a versatile dinette area that easily converts into a spacious double bed, and there are also fixed bunk beds, making it ideal for accommodating up to four people.

The kitchen is equipped with a twin gas hob, sink and a fridge, offering everything needed for convenient meal preparation on the road. The all-in-one washroom has a  cassette toilet , shower and basin ensuring that essential facilities are always at hand.

For effortless towing and stability, the Freedom Wayfarer Quad comes fitted with an AL-KO AKS stabiliser as standard, enhancing safety and handling during transit. Lightweight yet durable, this caravan delivers functionality and comfort in a streamlined package, making it an excellent choice for those seeking a van that’s easy to tow, but don’t want to compromise on essential amenities.

Weinsberg Cara One 400LK

• Year: 2022
• Berths: 5
• MTPLM: 1100kg
• MiRO: 947kg
• Payload: 153kg
• Shipping length: 5.93m
• Width: 2.04m

Reason to buy:

• Triple bunks, light weight

Reason to avoid:

• No microwave or dual fuel heating

If you want a budget-friendly family tourer, this is a great compact option. It provides a front lounge, while a centre washroom and wardrobe is opposite the kitchen. But the crowning glory for families will be the triple fixed bunks. Yes, this really is a 4.02m long caravan that can sleep up to five.

With an MTPLM of 1100kg, the 400LK is also within most family car towing capacities too. But don’t be fooled into expecting a skimpy build – the 400LK is well put together and even comes with heavy-duty corner steadies. The specification comes with the essentials, including a three-burner hob and gas blown heating, as well as a fridge. The side washroom offers good storage and also a Dometic flush toilet.

We’d say this is a great tourer for newcomers to caravanning in particular.

Full review: Weinsberg Cara One 400 LK

Xplore 585

• Year: 2022 
• Berths: 5 
• MTPLM: 1400kg 
• MiRO: 1225kg
  
• Payload: 175kg
• Shipping length 7.36m
• Width: 2.18m

Reason to buy:

• A bright and cheerful interior with good storage in the kitchen

Reason to avoid:

• The rear lounge could feel a tad cramped

Just dipping under £20,000 (excluding the delivery and registration charges) upon its release in 2022, our judging panel thought the Xplore 585 made a great option for those looking for flexible accommodation at the Practical Caravan Awards 2022. 

The rear L-shaped lounge makes up into a double bed with a pop-up bunk above, while the front lounge has parallel seating that converts to a sizeable double. We liked the multiple sleeping options and the significant amount of storage space overhead. 

There’s a smart kitchen with nice touches, such as the pull-up worktop over the sink and hob. Whale blown-air heating adds to the overall comfort, as does high-quality upholstery. Lightweight, with an MTPLM of 1400kg, this is an option that should appeal to beginners to caravanning and those looking for good value.

Full review: Xplore 585

Swift Sprite Major 6

• Year: 2018
• Berth: 6
• MTPLM: 1468kg
• MiRO: 1249kg
• Payload: 219kg
• Shipping length: 7.31m
• Width: 2.25m

Reason to buy:

• Great family washroom, good storage

Reason to avoid:

• Adults have to make up their bed

Sprite bagged our Tourer of the Year gong, for the Major 6 in 2018, which has fixed bunks at the back next to a rear corner washroom. At the time, much of the design thinking that was seen in the Escape entry-level coachbuilt motorhome range in 2017 seemed to flow into this Sprite.

Step into the kitchen and you’ll find there’s plenty of room for one of the best caravan kettles to go, allowing you to enjoy what can be an essential once you’ve pitched up – there’s even further room in the workspace underneath too. Three LED lights ensure lighting is good here – they extend over the three-burner hob and the round sink. A Thetford oven, complete with a separate grill, sits under the hob, with a small locker to be found below that.

A huge shower cubicle highlights how this tourer was built with families in mind – we reckon you could probably fit two kids in there at a time, a useful feature in a budget caravan.

Something we will highlight is that the bed needs making up for the adults – however, doing so should prove relatively straightforward, as split backrests will ensure it’s a fast process to turn things over and get them on place on the pull-out slats.

The length of the beds further enhance this tourer’s credentials as being aimed at families – the front make-up double bed is 2.02 x 1.7m; alternatively, use the sofas as two singles measuring 1.8 x 0.83m. Then, at the rear, you will find fixed bunks, which come to 1.83 x 0.57m, a length which would make them long enough for teenagers.

Full review: Swift Sprite Major 6

Adria Altea Aire 492DT

• Year: 2020
• Price: £19,395
• Berth: 2
• MTPLM: 1500kg
• Shipping length: 6.96m
• Width: 2.3m

Reason to buy:

• Excellent sunroof, high-quality build

Reason to avoid:

• No twin mains socket in kitchen

Adria gave the Altea a bit of a lift for 2020 – the interiors were made to feel lighter and have a more contemporary design. One layout we found of particular interest was the two-berth Aire 492DT, a tourer which, at the time, was new out.

Stepping into the lounge, you’ll find four or five of you could easily be hosted. The spacious feeling is amplified by a large sunroof, although something we would like to have seen is a slightly extended front window

The offside kitchen is well kitted out; features include a Thetford oven and grill, a microwave, an L-shaped three-burner hob and sink unit, and a slimline fridge/freezer – it’s another nicely lit area, although it only offers a single main socket in the kitchen.

We also like how the washroom combines a good size with practicality – there’s an electric flush toilet, a central handbasin with good storage beneath, and a decently sized shower.

Then, when it comes to the sleeping arrangement, a large double bed can be made out of the lounge seating; alternatively, use them as two singles.

Full review: Adria Altea Aire 492DT

Bailey Discovery D4-2

• Year: 2020
• Berth: 2
• MTPLM: 995kg
• MiRO: 885kg
• Payload: 110kg
• Shipping length: 5.61m
• Width: 2.23m

Reason to buy:

• Seating is good, lightweight

Reason to avoid:

• Windows could be a bit too small

We think the 2020 Discovery D4-2 is an impressively lightweight tourer, so you could use one of the best small tow cars to pull it – however, this comes at the price of a simplistic interior. Despite this, the lounge is fairly comfy, with a smart grey finish, while the front window was deemed ‘reasonable’ when we reviewed it at the time. However, it could have done with the more traditional panoramic design, we reckon.

The kitchen is fairly small – its L-shape houses an oven with a three-burner hob, a 103-litre Dometic fridge and a fold-up extension to boost what could otherwise have been a restrictive amount of work surface. We should highlight the absence of a window in the washroom, but it does offer a Thetford electric-flush toilet and a shower.

There is also a choice of either having two large single beds (each measuring 6ft 7in), or using slats to create a double bed in the lounge.

Full review: Bailey Discovery D4-2

Bailey Phoenix 440

• Year: 2019
• Berth: 4
• MTPLM: 1316kg
• MiRO: 1166kg
• Payload: 150kg
• Shipping length: 6.88m
• Width: 2.21m

Reason to buy:

• Good-size bed, excellent storage

Reason to avoid:

• Limited space in lounge

This tourer was revamped for the 2019 season, combining sleek and modern with the brand’s pared-down look and neat design touches. If you’re looking at this on the pre-owned market, it’s worth noting only an AKS 3004 stabiliser was fitted as standard in the Phoenix 440, with the ATC trailer control system coming as a dealer-fit cost option.

However, when it came to towing it, we found the Phoenix was fairly easy tow, even on busy suburban roads – making sure you have been sensible with your car/caravan match will be an important part of this. The lounge can seat four, although the table (which can cater to the same amount), needs to be reached from its slot by the rear bed. Despite this, the area is very nicely lit, with a large central window ensuring light floods in.

The kitchen has a gas-only hob, which comes with a separate glass cover, and you get four burners – beneath this, a separate oven and grill can be found. The square sink is a good size, too, and helpfully, you get two mains sockets in the area too.

The washroom includes a shower cubicle with an Ecocamel shower head, but there’s only a single drainage hole, highlighting the importance of levelling a caravan carefully.

Caravanners well over the height of 6ft will find the rear double bed accommodating. The two front settees can be used as either a slightly narrow (albeit comfortable) double bed or as single beds for small children.

Full review: Bailey Phoenix 440

Written with contributions from John Sootheran.

For those who want more touring inspiration, don’t miss our pick of the best used caravans either.

Written with contributions from John Sootheran.

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