Detailed Review

£22,000 • MTPLM 2163kg • MIRO 1990kg

This caravan is designed for seasonal pitching so you can leave it on your favourite campsite all summer long

Review first appeared in Caravan Buyer magazine, May 2012

 

Bailey’s two Retreat models are specifically designed to be sited on a seasonal basis. Both have fixed beds and Alde heating – and they’re almost nine metres long and 2.48m wide.

The Willow has strong appeal to couples (and the ability to sleep two more in the lounge); the Sycamore has a family bedroom converting from a central dining area.

The Willow was the first off the production line (as we detailed in our March issue) – and the first to arrive at a caravan park. And Caravan Buyer’s test team was the first to take up residence, at Stowford Farm Meadows, at Combe Martin on the North Devon coast.

The Retreats give you all the benefits of high-spec touring caravans – big fridges, freezers, comfort and the lovely silent, evenly-distributed warmth of Alde heating – in a size that’s more comparable with a static caravan than a tourer. The keynote here is that if you buy a static caravan, you’re stuck on one site. If you buy a Retreat and decide to opt for a different site the following season, you can arrange to have a contractor with a suitable vehicle (over 3500kg) to move it.

Retreats aren’t designed to be towed by their owners, so they don’t have hitch-head stabilisers or ATC. The weight and the cost of those items have been invested elsewhere, to make the Retreats true homes-from-home. For example, the Willow has a true breakfast-kitchen, with a breakfast bar and high stools. And the toilet is ceramic, clearly much heavier than plastic alternatives. It’s amidships, directly forward of the bedroom, with the shower opposite.

 

VERDICT 75/100

A great option if you don't want to tow

TOWMATCH INFO

Weight (MTPLM): 2163kg

This caravan is not designed to be towed. It is designed to be delivered to the campsite by your dealer and later moved to storage or to another site by your dealer or specialist delivery firm

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO NOW?

BAILEY WEBSITE

WHERE TO BUY ONE
Complete regional listing of specialists who sell Bailey Retreats and are equipped to deliver them to your campsite

WHERE TO STAY
Hundreds of Retreat-Friendly campsites all around the UK