Bailey Phoenix GT75 640

This is the best-selling model in the Phoenix range – and it has family capability as well as couple-appeal

There are standard-width rear island bed layouts in all manufacturers’ ranges – and the lightest of them all is the Bailey Phoenix GT75 640, with an MPTLM of just 1436kg.

The Elddis Avante 550 comes a very close second on weight, at 1440kg – but the Phoenix beats it handsomely on price, being £2,150 less. The Sprite Major 4EB fights its corner in this layout arena with a £23,745 price tag – but this caravan is heavier than the Phoenix 640, at 1,508kg. So, if weight’s a governing factor in your purchase, the Phoenix 640 takes the prize. 

There are a number of other contenders of this layout on a standard width and single axle, including the Adria Altea Dart, the Elddis Crusader Aurora, Swift’s Challenger 560 and Bailey’s Unicorn Deluxe Cabrera; all are both heaver and more expensive.

So, light weight apart, what makes the Phoenix GT75 (so-named to celebrate Bailey’s 75th year in manufacture) 640 special? We had a day at Leisure Sales, in Cheshire, to find out why this is the best-selling layout in the Phoenix range.

The Leisure Sales team had taken our 640 away from the forecourt line-up and sited it on the retailer’s ‘campsite’. It’s a lawned and hardstanding area adjacent to – but quite separate from – the display area. It has the ambience of a campsite – so settling down to our analysis here felt very natural.

We started in the centre of the caravan: the kitchen. And straight away we found ourselves praising the amount of work surface. With the hob top down there’s 1.23m of work surface – and, opposite, above the Dometic 103-litre fridge (with 12 litre freezer compartment) is more; that surface measures 56cm by 44cm. Television connections are close to this surface – but the cook doesn’t have to share space with a television. That’s because there is space for a television on the raised section of shelving within this dresser-style unit. This above-fridge surface is a proper media zone, for this is where the portable Sonos speaker, that comes as standard with the caravan, is recharged, and there is also a wireless charging pad with two USB sockets inset. There’s a locker above this area, to augment storage within the kitchen. 

The lower kitchen cabinet is divided into two sections. One is 35cm wide and has three shelf spaces. The other is 33cm wide and has two shelf spaces. The cutlery drawer sits above this section. And, alongside the microwave, there is a double doored cabinet, 70cm wide and divided into three shelf spaces. There are no racks for plates and mugs, but these can be purchased online from Prima Leisure, a division of Bailey. And, of course, there is a locker for pans under the oven. Overall, kitchen storage space is first rate for a caravan of the 640’s mid-range dimensions. 

Lighting, too, won our praise. A slim, bright strip of lighting runs under the top kitchen locker; soft white light emanates from above the kitchen and lounge lockers; spotlights are in the two front corners and two spotlights are set into the frame of the arched central front window. And, a really nice touch – the large corner shelves are filled with light from concealed strips that run around the inside edges.

We settled down in the lounge to assess the Phoenix’s styling. Upholstery is an on-trend cool grey. The two scatter cushions are in a pale gold colour that catches the light. When you turn them over, the lounge takes on a quite different colour emphasis; the reverse sides of the cushions are dark grey. The curtain fabric combines both the pale gold colour and the dark grey, in an abstract vertical pattern. Fabrics are definitely an aspect of the Phoenix that contribute to an ambience that feels and looks far above this caravan’s price tag. Another is something you can’t see; that’s the composition of the seating – it’s sprung upholstery, designed to be durable as well as comfortable. And deep knee rolls make their contribution to comfort.

The freestanding table is stored under the bed, and it’s easy to extract and replace, on its four brackets. (The spare wheel lives under where the table is stored but there is still plenty of storage space under the bed.) Although under-bed storage for a table is not the most convenient place, in this layout it’s less of an issue than in an L-shaped lounge layout. That’s because a good-sized snack or breakfast table slides out from the centre-front cabinet; it measures 58cm by 39cm. That’s plenty large enough for meals for two, especially when you take into account the 51cm-deep windowsill. 

One of the reasons why the 640 enjoys best-seller status in the Phoenix range is the length of its settees. They’re 1.8m long, so enough to make single beds. So, whereas many fixed-bed caravans are regarded as chiefly designed for couples, this one can work just as well for a family of four as it can for just two. 

There’s another reason why this model works well for four. That’s the door configuration of the central toilet and washing arrangements. You can close off the forward end of the washing area, with the door that doubles as a door to the toilet-washbasin ‘room’. And you can slide the rear door across at the bedroom end – privacy guaranteed from both ‘bedrooms’.

And the bedroom is a major contributor to the 640’s best-seller status. Two windows ensure its super light and bright (here, it scores over transverse island bed caravans, most of which have only one window). There are effectively two dressing tables – although they’re tiny. That’s one on the nearside with a cabinet beneath and TV connections above, and one on the offside, with a mirror above, and there is a mains socket in the ideal position for hairdryer use. 

Small but bright spotlights beam down from the ceiling above both of these areas. Light streams across the ceiling from above the two over-bed lockers, and directional spotlights set into the bases of these lockers both have USB sockets built into their base (as does one of the two in the lounge). 

The wardrobes are 32cm wide and have a two-shelf cabinet beneath. The two over-bed lockers are deeper than most, at 46cm. 

A best-seller, a light weight, an affordable price and with family capability as well as couple appeal; it’s easy to see why the 640 is the best-seller in the Phoenix range. It has a kitchen surface comparable with caravans that are a lot larger. The bedroom plays its part in the star status of the 640, too, with two windows and two dressing tables. Many elements combine to earn the 640 its star sales status.

Berths 4

Length

Body 5.84m

Overall 7.37m

Width 2.21m

Headroom 1.96m

Heating system Truma

MIRO 1.281kg

MTPLM 1,436kg