Another season, another series of upgrades for Bailey. This autumn, it’s been the Phoenix and Pegasus ranges, which are differentiated by the latter being 8ft wide, that have been given the treatment. As with the Unicorn range, they have both been given the ‘Black Edition’ moniker: Phoenix Black Edition and Pegasus Black Edition. Here, I’m testing the four-berth island bed Bailey Phoenix Black 640.

So, how does it rate, and should it be in the discussion for the best 4 berth caravans?

Pitch and set-up

With its silver sides and large dark-tinted central front window, the 640 looks every inch a modern Bailey caravan.

Bailey points out that the new Phoenix range is light enough to be towed by a Kia Sportage, a fairly standard SUV. As the company’s second most budget range, it doesn’t get ATC fitted as standard, but you do get an AKS3004 stabiliser.

On site, you’ll find that the hook-up connection is positioned on the offside, nicely away from any awning you might want to put up. The gas bottle locker is halfway down on this side, as is the water inlet and cassette loo access (take a look at our guide to how to empty a caravan cassette toilet if you need a reminder!).

Lounge in the Bailey Phoenix Black 640

You open a stable door to get in. That central window does let in a huge amount of light to what is a comfy lounge, even if it doesn’t look quite so big on the inside. The settees could easily seat six, and come with tasteful piping. For this generation of Phoenix, Bailey has done away with curtains on the windows. Instead, you get a velour panel in a basket-weave pattern.

The lounge
Big windows flood the lounge with natural light

There’s the usual pull-out shelf above the central chest. You may resort to using this more often than you expect because the table is a bit of a faff to get out. It is housed under the island bed at the rear, and because that bed cannot stay up on its own you have to hold it up as you get the heavy table out. You then have to carry it through the central washroom and past the kitchen before you can position it.

There is barely any sill at the front, but on what there is you will find a wireless charging pad. There are mains and TV sockets above the fridge to the right of the door, and from this position most people sat here could easily view one of the best caravan TVs.

Kitchen in the Bailey Phoenix Black 640

The fold-out extension in the side kitchen of this island bed caravan is now standard. There’s still a decent amount of workspace with it not in use, lit by a striplight and a window and with sockets nearby. A four-burner dual-fuel hob sits on top of a combined oven and grill, and up above it you get a flatbed Russell Hobbs microwave.

The kitchen
The marbled splashback adds a quality touch

The half-height fridge is on the small side at only 92 litres.

Washroom in the Bailey Phoenix Black 640

The real change here comes in the central washroom. Apparently, Bailey customer feedback has shown that people don’t always appreciate a straight partition dividing the back of such washrooms from the bedroom behind them, because it makes it difficult to reach the side of the bed. So Bailey has developed a concertina door which you slightly fold towards you as you enter the bedroom.

The washroom
With the clever door open there’s plenty of room to use all the washroom facilities

I’ll come to how well it works in the bedroom. One advantage is in the washroom itself. Quite often cassette loos, particularly the small swivel kind, can be tucked into a corner in a way that can make sitting on them uncomfortable if you are of larger than average build. With this door swivelled out, you have plenty of room.

The basin is also set at an angle but it is a good size and has a large lozenge-shaped mirror behind it, which is lit both artificially and by the rooflight above.

Beds in the Bailey Phoenix Black 640

The island bed is large and comfy, with a little shelf on each side between the wardrobe and a small cupboard beneath. There is a mains socket effectively on each side of the bed, while at the foot of the bed you will also find a handy full-length mirror with a socket nearby.

The island bed
Light wood and soft lighting in the bedroom, with useful power sockets and storage

The concertina door does make it easier to reach this area from the front. I was wondering about how easily this door might jam or break, but Bailey assured me it’s been rigorously tested.

The lounge seating converted into a double bed
Lounge seating converts into a sizeable and comfortable double bed

Storage in the Bailey Phoenix Black 640

The underseat areas at the front have no internal access flaps, but they are easy to reach from above without having to lift all the base cushions off, which will come in handy when loading your caravan.

The kitchen base unit includes a small drawer on top and a double cupboard whose top shelf is quite shallow. There is a good size cupboard under the oven. Because of the microwave there is only one shelved cupboard up top, although you do get an extra locker above the fridge. The washroom has a tall cupboard with shelves  and a cupboard under the basin.

Alternatives to consider

The Swift Sprite Alpine 4 DB has been pared down for the new season, with impressive results. The four-berth has a low MTPLM, an airy lounge and is competitively priced, making it a tourer which offers great value for money.

Alternatively, you could take a look at the Coachman VIP 545. It’s a well-equipped caravan that provides a good kitchen workspace and a comfortable front lounge.

Technical specification

  • Price: £25,649
  • Berths: 4
  • MIRO: 1276kg
  • Payload: 162kg
  • MTPLM: 1438kg
  • Interior length: 5.84m
  • Shipping length: 7.35m
  • Overall width: 2.21m
  • Contact: baileyofbristol.co.uk

Spec list

  • Al-Ko galvanised steel chassis
  • AKS3004 stabiliser
  • Al-Ko secure wheel-lock receiver, interior floor-mounted spare wheel
  • 14in black alloy wheels
  • LED awning light, pleated blinds and flyscreens to all windows
  • Status 570 telescopic directional aerial, two TV points
  • Sonos portable speaker with Alexa control
  • Pre-wired for optional Avtex mobile Wi-Fi system
  • 92-litre fridge with 12-litre freezer
  • Thetford combined oven and grill with dual-fuel four-burner hob
  • Rear double bed: 1.9 x 1.4m
  • Front double bed: 1.92 x 1.36m
  • Or two singles: 1.81 x 0.62m

An upgrade you may consider for your tourer is an automated levelling system, which can take the stress out of achieving a flat van. If you want to find out more about them, take a look at what John Sootheran has to say in his guide to caravan self-levelling systems.

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