A cylindrical caravan which can expand when pitched up is back in the UK

A French cylindrical caravan that can expand from 4m long when being towed to 12m squared when on site is available in the UK again and on display at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at the NEC this week.

The Beauer 3X, which is on display at the show’s main entrance, was last available in the UK last decade before its then distributor and the French company parted company.

Now under new management in France, the caravan is being distributed by River Motorhomes in the UK.

Despite including sophisticated technology, which can expand the caravan to its full length in under a minute, the caravan can have an MTPLM of just 1200kg. The innovative caravan has waterproofing guaranteed for 15 years, while the electric opening and closing system is guaranteed for “life” and has manual override just in case. The caravan runs on an Al-Ko chassis.

Two layouts are available: both the 3X1 and 3X 2 have a U-shaped lounge at one end and a 2m-long transverse bed at the other, with the kitchen and washroom area in the middle. But the 3X1 has a slightly larger kitchen with more storage, while the 3X2 goes for a larger washroom.

Three different specification packages are available. The Essentials Pack (currently on sale at the show for £23,990) gets you a 40-litre compressor fridge and a two-burner hob in the kitchen, a removable Porta Potti and a 50Ah lithium battery. The Comfort Pack gets you a permanent cassette toilet, a 91-litre fridge and a 100Ah lithium battery, while the Premium Pack (£34,990) gets you induction hobs if you want, a 130-litre fridge and reversible heating/air conditioning.

River Motorhomes is also the current distributor for the Icelandic Mink teardrop caravan brand.

The Beauer 3 is not the only innovative tourer on display at the NEC this week, with The Fifth Wheel Company also returning to the February Show with the Inos, a conventional caravan, yet one which will likely cost you over £70,000. The Inos is made with a wood-free construction process, a 400kg payload, and much of it is bespoke.

Adria has also debuted three caravans from its updated Action and Adora ranges at the NEC this week.

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PeterBaber

Peter Baber is Reviews Editor of Practical Caravan. His first caravan reviews date back to the early 1990s during his first stint working for the magazine, before he embarked on a 20-year career in business journalism which saw him edit a wide variety of magazines, and launch a few too, including one that won an award. Although he enjoyed that, he always knew he wanted to come back to the world of caravans and camping, having first got interested in it during two summers working as a campsite holiday rep in Switzerland in the 1980s. Peter reports on all the new models that make it to dealer forecourts each season, giving his judgement online and in magazine reviews. When he is not working, he likes to improve his skills at throwing pots (he is part of a pottery studio near where he lives and has just started selling his wares), indulges in a bit of baking, and likes playing tennis.