HOW TO BUY A CARAVAN PART ONE Layouts

THE LOCKDOWN COULD actually have the occasional plus point – it might cause you to sit down and do some research about the next caravan you want to buy.

Let’s face it, there have probably been times when you bought one, only to regret your choice a little after a while. Perhaps you rushed to get an island bed, only to find the front of the van cramped. So did you then opt for a caravan with no fixed beds – only to be rapidly exhausted by all the rigmarole of putting the beds out every night, and back every morning?

To make life easier, here is our run-down of the most popular layouts, who they are good for and who should avoid them.

1 Transverse island bed, rear washroom

Island beds are a surprisingly recent addition to caravans, and were really introduced from the world of motorhomes.

Caravans are a bit wider than motorhomes, though, so it is far more common to see them with a transverse island bed, which takes up less overall length.

This floorplan, with an end washroom, is probably the most popular, particularly for those who tour as a couple, with only occasional guests.

You get a washroom more to yourselves, and the centre of the caravan feels more airy than it would if there were a central washroom spread over the axle.

That means less privacy than there would be