Bailey Endeavour B64 high-top rising roof campervan

A classic layout but adapted to offer four berths

Words and photos: Iain Duff

The Bailey Endeavour B64

Regular readers will no doubt be aware that my colleague, Peter Vaughan, has been to some exciting destinations with Bailey campervans over the last year or so. 

First, he tested the Endeavour B62 in exotic Morocco and the Sahara Desert. This was closely followed by a trip to the snowy Italian Dolomites where he put the Alora 69-4S through its paces.

So, you can imagine my excitement when I got the chance to review the Bristol manufacturer’s new four-berth Endeavour B64 campervan. 

And where do I find myself ? Lincolnshire. Yes, Lincolnshire. Now, I’ve got nothing against the place, but it’s where I live and work. 

Possibly the flattest place in the UK and home of the cultural hotspot, Skegness. Ever feel like you’ve been cheated?

I jest, of course. Jealousy is a terrible thing that I don’t approve of and, anyway, Lincolnshire is a lovely place.

I pitched up in a campsite in the heart of a village that’s as quaint and picturesque as anywhere in England and I even got some early summer sunshine to enjoy. 

Plus, the narrow, winding roads in the surrounding countryside turned out to be ideal for trying out this Ford Transit-based campervan.

Along with the B62, the Endeavour B64 is Bailey’s first foray into the campervan world. Both are built on the six-metre Transit, which immediately gives Bailey a point of difference from its mainly Fiat and Peugeot-based competitors. 

The cab

Zipping around the Lincolnshire roads, the Transit’s six-speed automatic transmission (this is standard) made for a smooth and easy drive. 

Visibility is good, which is an advantage when you’re keeping an eye open for oncoming vehicles on those high-hedged country lanes.

It felt stable, too, for what is a very tall campervan (3m  overall, because this is the tallest ‘H3’ Transit with a pop-top on top).

Standard features in the cab also include air-conditioning and cruise control and, instead of the basic radio of this test vehicle, production models will feature Ford’s infotainment system with a 12in central touchscreen display, DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a reversing camera.

In true Henry Ford spirit, you can have any colour you want… as long as it’s metallic Chrome Blue. 

That’s combined with matching bumpers, black alloy wheels, an overcab glass sunroof and outdoorsy graphics. A wind-out Thule awning is fitted as standard, along with an awning light and a 100W solar panel.

The pop-top

Although the two models look superficially similar outside, there are significant differences between the Endeavour B62 (tested in the November 2023 issue) and its sister model, this B64.

Firstly, the latter has a pop-top, which doubles the sleeping capacity to four (and is unique with this floorplan). 

The layout

The internal layout is completely changed, too – instead of a rear lounge, the B64’s seating (and sleeping) area is at the front, with the kitchen at the back on the offside, opposite the washroom. 

It’s another classic British layout, similar in format to Auto-Sleepers’ long-running (Fiat/Peugeot-based) Symbol. 

Despite only being six metres long, the B64 feels quite roomy inside. You can put that down in part to the H3 Transit’s loftier interior headroom of 1.96m, as well as the lack of a fixed bed. That higher roof has also allowed Bailey to raise the floor and make it flat throughout the living area.

The lounge

In fact, the lounge is a well-lit and comfortable space to sit and relax. An electric step makes access through the sliding side door easier and it automatically retracts when you start the engine.

Inside, a sofa along the offside is long enough for you to stretch out and put your feet up. 

The flush-fit, top-opening windows provide plenty of ventilation in the lounge, but cannot of course be opened while travelling. Daylight is boosted by a Heki rooflight and the glass panoramic overcab skylight. 

The windows have pleated flyscreens and blinds and there’s a selection of lighting options to help create the ambience that suits you best, including downlights, ambient strips and flexible reading lamps. 

These have  built-in USB sockets and there are three mains sockets in the lounge, too.

The dining table has its own storage space right at the rear of the campervan, with its two legs stashed in the wardrobe. 

The travel seats

Opposite the sofa is a single chair with an L-shaped backrest. But, unlike others with a similar layout, it isn’t a travel seat. Instead, the B64 has Aguti seat frames hidden under the sofas on each side. 

Firstly, you have to remove all of the sofa cushions. Then lift and secure the slatted settee bases, hinge up the travel seat backrests and add the squab and back cushions (plus the nearside seat’s head restraint). 

The advantage of this arrangement is that the B64 is a four-seater but the seat bases and extra cushions do eat into your storage and, in travel mode, the sofa cushions have to be stacked in the aisle at the rear, restricting use of this area if you make stops en route to your destination.

The storage

Flat-fronted top lockers provide the main storage in the lounge, with two cupboards above the sofa and another on the nearside. These have positive catches to ensure they don’t fly open while you’re on the move. For smaller items, there’s an open shelving unit but this is only really of use when parked up.

Between the lounge and washroom, there’s a very slim wardrobe, tall enough to hang shirts and trousers. Below it is another cupboard which you could use as a shoe locker. 

Under-seat space is taken up by the mechanism for the travel seats, so can’t really be used for storage, which does leave the question of where to keep your bedding during the day. 

I stashed mine in a nook (or it might have been a cranny, I’m not sure) below the offside bed, but it didn’t feel ideal. Likewise, the infill cushions you need for the bed have to be stored somewhere – I used the wardrobe, but that eats into space you need for your clothes. 

There could, perhaps, be sufficient storage if there’s only two of you travelling, but with four on board it would  be a different matter.

The technology

These days, many campers choose to stream TV through their laptop or phone, but if you prefer the more traditional approach, the B64 is fitted with a digital TV aerial socket and a wall-mounted bracket, with space for the optional 24in screen. 

It’s pre-wired for an optional mobile WiFi system to keep you connected while you’re on the move.

The lounge also features the digital control for the Truma Combi D 4 E diesel/mains blown-air heating and hot water system, as well as Bailey’s control panel for the water pump, lighting, etc. All the controls are mounted above the sliding door. 

The lounge beds

At night, the lounge transforms into the downstairs sleeping area and here you have a choice of single beds or a double. The most straightforward option is to convert the offside sofa into a single bed, simply by removing the backrest cushion. 

A second single bed can be created by extending the nearside seat and adding a spare cushion. 

Both beds are 1.87m long, with the nearside one being 66cm wide and the offside berth a couple of centimetres narrower.

Alternatively, you can set up a double bed by sliding out the slatted supports and filling the aisle between the two singles with extra cushions. 

The result is a spacious double bed measuring 1.87m long by 1.73m, although this arrangement takes up the whole of the floor space at the front of the campervan, stopping you using the ladder for the roof bed.

The kitchen and washroom remain fully accessible, but the singles leave more room to move around.

The pop-top bed

A better option for the warmer months if there’s only two of you camping, might be to sleep in the pop-top and leave downstairs as a living room.

The roof bed, accessed via a ladder that’s stored beside the dining table at the rear, is 2.02m long by 1.27m wide, so it’s big enough for two adults. 

The mattress sits on a solid base and there are flexible reading lights with USB sockets, an opening rooflight and zipped ventilation panels.

The interior space

One of the biggest challenges for campervan designers is coming up with clever ways to make the most of the limited space on offer in a panel van (especially here as the Transit is notably less spacious inside compared with a similar-length Ducato). 

Quite often, they need to find innovative solutions and that’s certainly the case with this Endeavour B64. 

The width of the gangway between the kitchen and the washroom is particularly narrow here and, to address this, Bailey has come up with an ingenious feature similar to that already seen in the B62 model. 

The washroom has a curved tambour door which allows a wider aisle when everyone is up and about but, when it’s ablutions time, it slides around to make the smallest room feel considerably larger. 

The washroom

When the door is in washroom mode, a floor panel lifts to reveal a shower tray. 

For a campervan, the washroom is actually fairly spacious, even for those of us on the bigger side. 

Thanks to the revolving tambour door, there’s enough room for showering, with generous headroom and a shower tray with two drains. 

The showerhead extends out from the basin’s tap and slots into the wall-mounted riser. Pity the waste tank has a capacity of just 56 litres so will need emptying frequently if you use the shower.

With a cupboard under the washbasin, as well as a high-level locker, there’s storage for toiletries as well as some counter space. 

A large mirror, a couple of towel hooks, a roof vent and a swivel cassette toilet complete the washroom facilities. 

The kitchen

Opposite the washroom, the kitchen comes well equipped to suit British tastes. Here. a Thetford Triplex three-burner hob and combination oven and grill will massively increase your culinary options.

The galley also includes storage for one 6kg gas cylinder, as well as cupboards, two small drawers and large overhead lockers. 

The 90-litre Thetford compressor fridge sits under the counter, right at the back of the campervan. Its position means you can reach in through the rear door and grab a cold drink without having to climb on board. 

The kitchen also features a good-sized round sink and some limited but useful worktop space. A further mains socket can be found here, as well, although its position, tucked away in a mini shelving unit, is not the most practical. 

What I liked most about this kitchen is that it’s a pleasant space to spend time. The opening windows above the hob and on the rear doors make it bright and airy, and on warm days you can really take advantage of those big doors and leave them fully open. 

It’s not difficult to imagine yourself parked up on a sunny morning at an idyllic spot by the sea, looking out over a coastal vista as you rustle up breakfast.

Motorhome supplied by Bailey of Bristol
Tel: 01173 135385
baileyofbristol.co.uk

Insurance: £578.38
Tel: 0800 975 1307
shieldtotalinsurance.co.uk
For quote details: motorhome.ma/QuoteInfo

<p>Bailey has taken a long-established British layout and given it a new twist by incorporating two rear travel seats and adding a pop-top. However, although the B64 has seatbelts and berths for four, storage is much less family friendly.</p>
<p>Where this Endeavour really scores is with its space-saving washroom design and comprehensive spec from the cab to its kitchen, as well as the Ford&rsquo;s driver appeal.</p>