Full review

Last year the eight-foot-wide 840 layout was invented by the Erwin Hymer Group, which produces four brands including Buccaneer. It first appeared in the Elddis Avanté and Compass Casita ranges and quickly proved to be popular among buyers.

New for 2019

For 2019, buyers have another option. This extraordinary six-berth layout that combines so many elements is now in the flagship Buccaneer portfolio. Which means it has Alde heating, a water tank and E&P's automatic self-levelling system, plus many more goodies than the Elddis and Compass versions offer.

Layout

The Aruba's layout gives you a double bed at the rear, a wide, U-shaped dining area opposite the kitchen, long parallel lounge seating and a shower room every bit as spacious as you'd expect to find across the back of a layout – but this one is alongside the bed.

It's a configuration that's made possible by the extra width; the Aruba and the 840s are 19 cm wider than standard-width models.

Caravan levelling

Levelling a Buccaneer is done at the touch of a button. E&P's Levelsystem has gigantic jacking points under the axles. These descend first, in response to a gyroscopic sensor. Then the front jacking points lower. Then, lastly the rear.

The system is designed to level a caravan on a gradient of up to eight percent. It's all done in two minutes. The Levelsystem is unique, as a standard feature, to Buccaneers caravans.

Sleeping and eating

The double bed is 1.9m long and 1.24m wide. There's a curtain rail fitted; if you favour privacy you can make your bedroom look extra cosy simultaneously.

Its dining area transforms into a second double bed, 1.28m x 1.85m. The frame at each end of the U-shaped seating extends by means of hinged sections. The table's monopod base is telescopic; it descends to the level of the seating frame.

In the lounge, you can use the settees as single beds; they're 1.8m long, or you can make a double, which measures 2.2m x 1.43m.

Feeding six can be a task in a caravan. How easy it is depends on surface space and on the amount of storage space. The Aruba earns a tick beside both of those elements.

The surface stretches a useful 1.09m when you hinge up the 29cm x 40cm extension.

There are three deep drawers, plus a cabinet, containing two substantially-made pull-out metal basket-style shelves, plus space beneath.

Verdict

The new Aruba is surely Britain's most spec-laden six-berth. Think big. Think super-spec. Think pretty much every convenience and refinement that caravanning offers including an automatic levelling system.

The Aruba is luxurious. It's also practical, with snag-resistant upholstery designed to be pet-friendly and stain resistant.

The trend-setter 840 layout, now in extreme posh and prestige guise, will appeal to families who seek the best also to couples who want caravan with three 'rooms' – a bedroom, a dining-kitchen and a lounge.

For a detailed review of the Buccaneer Aruba, click here.