The Bailey us Pegasus Grande range was quite a novelty when it launched, bringing 8ft-wide caravans into the mid-market sector, when for the past few years, they’d had more of an impact at the budget and luxury ends.

That was a couple of seasons ago, and caravans move on. So this year, the Pegasus Grande has been upgraded again. We went to Bailey’s factory to see how this upgrade looks for the new single-axle Brindisi, with a transverse double bed at the back.

Pitch and set-up

Brindisi’s new look boasts dove-grey sides and off-white front and rear panels

You immediately notice what’s new with this season’s Pegasus Grande, because the most obvious change is on the outside: the side walls are now grey.

This isn’t just an attempt at bling – the grey is dove-grey, rather than silver, and both front and rear panels retain the old off-white, which makes the caravan look individual and distinctive.

An 8ft-wide van on a single axle might sound surprising to some, but with an MTPLM of 1499kg, this is definitely not a monster to tow, and it comes with a stabiliser and Al-Ko’s ATC trailer control as standard.

Lounge

New Light Oak furniture finish enhances the bright and airy lounge while smart soft furnishings in mauve and grey, with blue honeycomb curtains

The large window and two Hekis brighten the interior, as does the Light Oak furniture and Goldhawk soft furnishings – mauve and grey with blue honeycomb curtains.

The kneehole on the settees seems large, but it adds to the comfort. With two heating vents, the lounge should still feel cosy in winter, and as the nights draw in, there are three spotlights in addition to the ambient light and two LEDs in the ceiling. One of the spotlights also has a handy USB socket.

There is a mains socket in here and two speakers in the corner linked to the DAB radio in the corner locker. The sockets for a TV are above the sideboard by the door.

If only two of you are eating, the clip-on table is ample. For more, you’ll need the foldaway table, which is stored under the bed. We found it a bit of an effort to retrieve – the bed tends not to stay raised on its own.

Kitchen

Hob cover provides plenty of additional worktop in the well-equipped kitchen

The smart kitchen has a black splash back, dual-fuel four-burner hob, separate oven and grill, circular stainless-steel sink and microwave, although the 103-litre fridge is perhaps only adequate for four.

There is no worktop extension, but you wouldn’t really need one, with the wooden hob cover providing extra work surface.

One of the two overhead lockers has a crockery rack, while the other is shelved. Below the worktop there is one large drawer and a double cupboard with shelves. There are two small pan lockers, one below the oven, the other above the microwave.

Washroom

Capacious washroom is illuminated by its own rooflight and the huge mirror

The end washroom has a roof light over the main area and the shower, while the long mirror across the back panel helps light bounce around. There’s plenty of storage, with open shelves beside and below the mirror, a small cupboard under the basin and a larger one above the toilet.

The shower only has one drainage hole, but you do get two robe hooks.

Beds

Transverse double bed is comfortable and provided with good lighting and storage

The main transverse double bed is very comfortable, and whoever gets to sleep or read here is well served with spotlights (one with a USB socket) and a little shelf on either side of the bed for stowing your glasses or mugs of tea.

The dresser unit in the corner includes a large mirror, and because there are more sockets here, to provide a second possible location for a TV, one could double up to power a hairdryer.

Even with its large kneehole, the L-shaped settee in the front lounge can easily be made up into a bed. You don’t need any infill cushions, but you do need somewhere to store the clip-on table, and possibly the corner cushions if you want to make full use of the whole bed area.

Storage

L-shaped lounges with pull-out beds can make storage under the seats more limited and harder to reach. Bailey alleviates the problem by providing external access on the offside. Usefully, only half of each of the overhead lockers in the lounge is shelved, so you can still store relatively large items up here. The wardrobes and cupboards either side of the main bed provide more storage space, as do the two unshelved overhead lockers. There is, of course, the area underneath the bed for stowing larger items, too.

Verdict

Generous floorpan makes good use of available space in this 8ft-wide model’s interior

The impressive Pegasus Grande wasn’t exactly calling out for an upgrade, but this is a useful improvement. Our sole reservation is that with the advent of the more entry level-orientated Discovery, there is now a little bit less to tell the Phoenix+ and Pegasus Grande apart. That said, this is definitely the one to consider if you have a bigger tow car, feel confident about towing and want that little bit of extra space as well as a more luxurious interior.

Thumbs up: Elegant dove-grey and off-white exterior makes the Brindisi distinctive

Thumbs down: Storage area below the transverse double is a bit tricky to access

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Adria Adora Isonzo

Bailey Phoenix+ 642

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