Full review

Laden with equipment including an automatic levelling system and underfloor heating, Buccaneers sit at the pinnacle of specification excellence.

Buccaneers have long represented the ultimate in caravanning luxury; caravans to consider for those who are looking for the highest spec they can get. As spec levels are driven ever upwards by demand, other caravans have emerged in this top bracket, of course, which is good, because this focuses attention on caravanning at a top-luxury level.

Buccaneer, though, remains iconic, a sort of Rolls Royce of caravans, one might say. And this is why: They are eight feet wide. Until a few years ago, they were the only UK-built eight-foot-wide caravans. They set the benchmark. And they have the luxury of underfloor heating, which works in synergy with the Alde heating system.

The twin-axle Barracuda has an L-shaped lounge with a 32-inch television mounted on the offside wall. Shelves stretch the length of this wall, below the television, to accommodate all manner of media accessories.

At the rear is a secluded bedroom with an island bed flanked by wardrobes. The Barracuda’s wide body means there is plenty of space to walk along the sides of the bed.

It also means the washing arrangements, forward of the bedroom, are luxuriously spacious, too; the shower is on the nearside and opposite is the toilet-washbasin ‘room’. The corridor in between becomes a dressing room; an adjunct to the bedroom, when the forward door is closed.

Luxury is evident in every area of the Barracuda but it’s arguably the E&P LevelSystem that will impress you first and foremost. At the touch of a button on a handset or a panel by the door, the caravan levels in around two minutes. Giant axle stands level it sideways, then heavy-duty corner steadies lower to make the caravan level from front to back.

ATC stability control, a 100-watt solar panel, a 40-litre water tank, an extractor fan, a clothes drier in the shower cubicle, wheel locks, an Aquasource connector so that you can take water directly from a tap on your pitch, plus an external shower are all standard.

Buccaneer caravans, like all of the caravans made by the Erwin Hymer Group in County Durham, are made using a fully bonded technique called SoLiD, which stands for Strong, Light and Dry. They also have a GRP underskin to provide a water resistant barrier.

Verdict

The Buccaneer Barracuda is a sumptuous package of top-level luxury; opulent, comfortable, super-stylish – and with a lounge that’s very domestic in configuration. Is this model the epitome of caravan luxury? It certainly comes close.

Go and have a look at one; you’ll see what we mean!