Full review

The Bailey Pegasus range which launched Bailey’s Alu-Tech construction system in 2009 moves upmarket for 2016 with a newly-developed heating system and a new upholstery construction.

The heating system is the new Truma Combi E unit, with a 6KW capability. Truma and Bailey have worked together to design the system for Pegasus so that all the ducting is internal, and in three distinct zones, so that there is an even spread of heat.

But it’s the styling that you’ll notice first when you see a new Pegasus. Graphics are similar to the Unicorn range, with the giant “B” for Bailey incorporated into the design.

Interior styling has a more upmarket look and feel compared with the previous Pegasus models. Like the Unicorn range, the top lockers have gloss finish on the lower sections. But unlike Unicorns, the 2016 Pegasus gets a totally new seating construction system. Designed by caravan upholstery maker Belfield uniquely for Pegasus, the seating is made from high quality, dense foam, with fibres that are aligned vertically.

Backrests are higher, and deeply curved for both back and shoulder support. The seat cushions are in two layers, which you flip over and then fold out to create a double bed in the lounge.

The Modena is a new layout for 2016. It’s the lightest and shortest of the three fixed-bed Pegasus models. Its layout is closely based on the Pursuit 434, which is a best-seller in that range; the Pegasus Modena is the result of customers asking retailers for this compact layout with higher spec than the lighter-weight Pursuit version.

There are two fabric scheme choices. Our review example has the optional Belvoir scheme (it costs an extra £199). It has a bold, modern look, with practical dark brown seating, and curtains and cushions in an abstract petal design bringing in turquoise and subtle gold shade. The standard Richmond fabrics have paler, fawn seating.
 

Showering

The Modena’s shower room runs the full width of the caravan. It’s compact in depth, as shower rooms go, but all you need is here, with a square shower on the nearside, a small, circular basin and enough shelving and two cabinets to contain showering and pampering equipment.

The showerhead is the Ecocamel type, with an air inlet to increase flow rate.
 

Sleeping

The Modena’s mattress, like the seating, is a new construction from Belfield. It’s a softer foam than the lounge seating. Our review took place at Stanton House Hotel, near Swindon, where Bailey unveiled the new Pegasus range to retailers, so lying down on the bed to assess its qualities had to be brief, lest we give the wrong impression to onlookers! But on a quick analysis, we’d say it feels soft in a way that indicates it would be cosily comfortable. Belfield tells us the design allows it to react like a pocket-sprung mattress in providing comfort. And it’s lighter in weight, as we discovered when we raised the bed to take a look at the storage area beneath.

Making up the bed in the lounge is a procedure unique to 2016 Pegasus models. You remove the four backrests (two of which can be used as under-pillow supports), then pull out the centre slatted base, flip over the left hand seat cushion, fold out the base mattress and lower it onto the centre area, then repeat for the other side. The process takes just two minutes. And the seating sections feel light to lift. Compared with lifting sprung mattresses, making up this bed was a substantially lighter and far quicker task, we discovered.
 

Storage

Six top lockers, a lovely big space under the bed (with an exterior hatch), more space under the lounge (accessed by lifting the slatted seat bases which self-support on spring hinges), plus and a neat wardrobe with two shelf areas for shoes and a third shelf for small items… The Modena is a compact caravan but, for its size, packs in a good quantity of storage space.
 

Dining

For coffee and drinks times you can hinge up a small table, with a surface that’s 50cm wide and 45cm deep. The freestanding table is stored against the wall, in the bedroom, just behind the wardrobe. It’s unobtrusive, almost forming part of the wall décor. There’s a shelf above it, complete with mains socket (ideal for charging phones).
 

Lounging

The Modena’s lounge seats four. The nearside settee is 1.4m long; the offside one is 1.68m. The high, curved backrests are a revolution in caravan comfort; you feel perfectly supported when you sit upright and, in more relaxed pose, the height of the backrest (48cm) holds shoulder level well. Is this the most comfortable caravan seating yet? We think it’s certainly up there with the best.

Loads of light comes into the lounge through the opening centre skylight window which reaches up into the roofline. It’s surrounded by a matt fawn panel with three inset LEDs focusing down from the ceiling. There’s a lovely ambience in this lounge; the Modena feels and looks as if it costs much more than £16,999.

Relaxing on these new settees is a good place to analyse another new feature in Pegasus caravans. That’s the three-zone ducted warm air heating system we mentioned earlier. During testing in Truma’s cold chamber, the system warmed a Pegasus Verona caravan from -15ºC to +20ºC in just 64 minutes.

And there’s an enhancement to the system on offer for Pegasus models. For £250, buyers will be able to get an iNet box which enables you to control the caravan’s heating and water heating from your phone or tablet. This is due to go on sale through Bailey retailers late in October 2015. Within eight metres of the caravan, it works off Bluetooth. For use beyond that range, you can insert your own sim card into the iNet box and control the heating system from up to seven phones or tablets. You can select fan setting, temperature, specify electric or gas operation, and water temperature.
 

Kitchen

When you hinge up the 30cm-wide extension, you get a kitchen surface that’s 86cm long. Keeping in mind that, although the Modena can sleep four, most will be bought by couples, its kitchen has enough space to make meals for two. And there’s additional space opposite, 37cm wide and 73cm deep.

New Pegasus models all have dual fuel hobs (with a mains hotplate).

The Modena doesn’t have a lower kitchen cabinet; the whole kitchen length is taken up by the oven and fridge, plus an ultra-slim (9cm wide) cupboard containing a shelf and two bottle clips. There’s no drawer, for cutlery. The top cabinet, alongside the microwave, is the potential place for tableware, and there’s a two-shelf cabinet above the dresser opposite. If the Modena has an Achilles heel, it’s that kitchen stuff will have to invade other top lockers. But keep in mind that this is a 1275kg caravan that’s a modest 4.95m long and its easy to accept being adaptable when it comes to finding places for stuff.
 

Towing

We’ve not yet towed the Modena; our review model was positioned, along with the others in the range, for display to Bailey's retailers, so taking it out for a tow wasn’t part of this test opportunity. Suffice to say it’s within the weight scope of a large number of medium-sized cars.