Verdict
One of the best interpretations of the layout, thanks to the location of the wardrobe. Moving that storage area into the washroom gives the living space in the rest of the van an open and appealing aspect. Factor in the high level of kit and competitive pricing and clearly, this is an impressive fixed-single bed tourer.
Pros
Fashionable and open layout
Loads of kit
Warm, appealing interior
Cons
Lots of competition at this price and weight
Rear bedroom partition is flimsy
When one caravan manufacturer hits upon a good layout idea, you can be sure others will follow. For the 2012 season, the vogue layout is definitely the rear-washroom twin-single bed.
Bailey was not the first to market with the Unicorn Cadiz, but the unique AluTech construction method does afford the Bristol-based company a little more layout freedom than rivals. Not having a plastic back panel on its caravans means the toilet can be placed on the back wall of the caravan. Does this give the Cadiz an advantage, or is it just a different way of solving the same problem?
The two fixed single beds are long, wide and comfortable, although the nearside one should be reserved for your tallest sleeper
Pitching & Setting-up
Aside from the Alde heating controller, which does take a little getting used to, pitching the Unicorn is a breeze. Access to the rear steadies is not as easy as on some rivals, but for the most part, the set-up is straightforward.
The regular Bailey arrangement of removable Fiamma water tank allows the water supply to work in cold weather but still has the flexibility to hook up a simple external water container for convenience.
The Cadiz, like all Bailey Unicorn models, has Al-Ko’s ATC system, a hitch-mounted stabiliser and Secure wheel lock.
Living
The lounge space is comfortable and cosy although we’d suggest restricting the number of people sitting in it to four. The seat cushions offer plenty of support and if only two of you are sat in there, you can extend the seat bases to provide extra leg support.
The centre chest is standard and the pull-out top provides sufficient space for two people to enjoy a meal without being too tight for space. Corner lights and LED mood lighting stop the interior ever looking gloomy, but the LED corner spotlights provide battery-friendly, directional illumination for reading by.
Kitchen
The well-equipped side kitchen in the Cadiz is very usable and will delight the majority of caravan chefs, although the problem of fitting a fixed-bed and a rear-washroom onto a single-axle chassis is lack of space.
The working space is a bit restricted but providing you aren’t too messy, you can cope. Storage is under pressure too, but providing your plates and cereal bowls are pretty compact, everything can be squeezed in.
Unlike rivals, there is no mains hotplate, Bailey preferring to provide four gas burners, along with the separate oven and grill and a microwave oven.
Washroom
The rear washroom would be a unique layout if it weren’t for the broadly identical set-up in the cheaper Pegasus II Rimini model.
Putting the Thetford C-250 toilet in the middle of the van means the shower can sit one side of the washroom and the wardrobe on the other. This does mean the area feels more claustrophobic than rival models which have the wardrobe in the main living area, but we’d rather have the extra space in the living area.
The fully lined, separate shower cubicle is large and has some natural light thanks to the translucent roof vent. Storage under the sink is good and the large mirror above the sink is practical.
Beds
Four people can sleep in this caravan in total. The two fixed single beds are long, wide and comfortable, although the nearside one should be reserved for your tallest sleeper, as it is four inches (10cm) longer than the one on the offside. A reading light and small shelf are provided for both sides.
The front double bed is very long, but at 1.12m (3ft 8in) wide, is not especially generous in width-ways. It is only likely to be used as an occasional bed so this is not a huge concern. At least making up the bed is very easy, thanks to the transverse pull-out bed bases – far easier to operate than slats pulled out from the centre chest.
Storage
There’s no excuse for a 6.25m (23ft) long, two-berth tourer to be short of storage, so we’re delighted to say that the Cadiz does well in this respect.
The two single beds both have cavernous storage spaces underneath, with the nearside side one having the added advantage of exterior access. There are three overhead lockers per side over the beds too.
The wardrobe is located on the offside in the washroom and is plenty big enough for most caravanners’ needs. Access to the bottom of the wardrobe is restricted by the position of the toilet, but there is ample hanging space.
One of the Unicorn’s party pieces is the under-seat storage in the front lounge. Rather than conventional lift-top seat boxes, those in the Unicorn lift and pull forward. In truth, getting into them is more difficult than a standard box, although this arrangement does facilitate extending the seat bases for more luxurious lounging.
Externally, small wet lockers are accessed from either side at the front of the van, while the central gas locker is really only big enough for two gas cylinders and little else.
Technical Specifications
| Berth | 4 |
| MiRO | 1436 kg |
| Payload | 157 kg |
| MTPLM | 1593 kg |
| Shipping Length | 7.25 m |
| Width | 2.28 m |
