Caravan Awards 2023 category:Best Compact Caravan
Welcome to the Caravan Awards 2023 award for Best Compact Caravan.
Those who are new to caravanning are likely looking for something nifty and neat and our Best Compact Caravan award was hotly contended. We know just how important this category is and our winner delivers a lot in a small package.
We are delighted to reveal the 2023 winner.
WINNER – Best Compact Caravan 2023
Xplore 304
(Photos courtesy of Xplore)
Why the Xplore 304 caravan?
The tiny four-berth Xplore 304 has been consistently heralded as a marvel in caravan layout design ever since it was launched in 2011. To cram berths for four and two dining areas into a body length of just 3.8m might seem incredible – but the Xplore 304 is not just a feat of design, it is a very credible option, especially for a young family looking for a small tourer that will sleep four and satisfies a lightweight criterion.
The lounge is L-shaped, and makes a double bed. On the offside, towards the rear, is a dining area for two – and, above it, a bunk base that hinges down from the wall.
At the rear, between the dining area/bunk unit, is the shower/toilet compartment. All you need is here, in compact form – a shower, a neat, round washbasin, and a toilet that is raised up from the shower area so that shower water will drain into the shower tray area rather than surround the toilet.
What does it have to offer?
Space has been saved by placing the wardrobe above the fridge and there’s plenty of space to store all the clothes you’d need for a week or so away. Forward of this unit, a triangular table hinges down; the perfect place for a television, facing the lounge seating. We can quite imagine a family sitting here enjoying some quality time together away from daily life or simply sharing a meal made in the kitchen, which is well-equipped with a Thetford Triplex oven with a three-burner gas hob and plenty of workspace.
One of the defining features of the Xplore range down the years has been vibrant, sunny accent colours, for the curtains, the cushions and the graphics. Xplores are a bright spark in the caravan market and the smallest of them is also one of Britain’s most ingeniously designed tourers. Eleven years on from its launch, the Xplore 304 remains at the forefront of compact tourer ingenuity.
Peace of mind
For peace of mind, Xplore tourers are built on an Al-Ko chassis and there’s a Whale eight-litre on-board rapid water heater (Grade III certified) which runs on gas or electric with a quiet night-time setting and the 304 has a Whale 4kW underfloor space heater. Having such efficient heating will prove a huge draw for young families who need to keep everyone snug and give them more flexibility to tour all year round, rather than just the summer months.
Specifications
Berths:
4
Length:
Body: 3.8m
Overall: 5.54m
Width:
2.18m
Headroom:
1.95m
Heating system:
Whale
MIRO:
886kg
MTPLM:
1,043kg
Price from:
£19,299
Finished reading?
Return to our Caravan Awards 2023 main page to see all the Caravan Awards categories and discover who was our overall winner.
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