Full review

The Compass Casita 866 is an eight-feet-wide, six-berth caravan with bunks and a particular little dining area made for kids.

The six-berth, eight-feet-wide Compass 866 layout proved to be so popular in its first year that the manufacturers decided to introduce a standard-width version of it, to give buyers another option.

That's the 586 which, like the wider 866, has bunk beds. It's a great family caravan – but the 866 wins on one thing: sheer space.

Ingenious layout

At 19cm wider than the 586, the 866 is a spacious caravan in all areas. And it has an original layout, creating a small dining area, alongside the bunks; the perfect place for breakfast for the youngest caravanners and it also gives them play-space; their own little space that's a dining 'room' in miniature.

Alongside the kids' zone lies the shower room. It's as large as many that span the width of a caravan at the rear, but this one is aligned along the offside of the caravan, with the shower at the back. That layout is only made possible by the extra width that of the 866.

In the central area, you really get the feeling of open-plan space, with the central family dining area sweeping around the monopod table in a U-shape. This area is capable of seating all six occupants of the caravan although, with two other seating options – the extended lounge plus the tiniest area at the rear, it's more likely to be used as a dining area for three or four.

The 866, thus, is a caravan of enormous layout versatility.

Sleeping

That goes for the night-time arrangements, too. The lounge settees are long enough to be used as single beds; they're 1.83m long. A 1.43m x 2.12m double bed can be made here, of course. That's in addition to the double created from the dining area.

Here, the table's telescopic leg becomes the centre of the bed base and the ends of the U-shaped seating unit pull out to increase width. This bed is 1.28m x 1.9m.

The kitchen, oppose the dining area, has useful cabinet and drawer accommodation. The tower-style fridge-freezer is aft of the kitchen with the microwave above it.

Casitas come with the ATC stability control system as standard. The heating system is the Whale 4.3kW dual fuel unit, with Whale's iVan touchscreen control. The water heater is the underslung Whale Expanse unit.

The Extras

As with all Casitas, the 866 has a generous list of optional extras. These include an alarm system (£310), wrap-around seating (£259), two choices of fabrics, both of which are stain-resistant Aquaclean (£275), and an exterior access hatch to the nearside under-settee storage area (£77).

Buyers may also want to consider the two Al-KO Secure wheel locks, at £605; this package also includes a jack to enable you to fit the second lock.

Verdict

The family-layout 866 is an excellent choice for buyers wanting maximum space. With three seating areas, and equipment including a large fridge-freezer, the 866 is a really special caravan.