Bailey Phoenix+ 642 caravan
Description
The Phoenix+ 642 layout is extremely good in terms of versatility, storage and kitchen space – and proven to be good at extreme caravanning, too!
Key Features
Full Review
Words: Val Chapman Photography: John Chapman and Bailey of Bristol
The Bailey Phoenix+ 642
Earlier this year a team from Bailey of Bristol embarked on a ‘Sahara Challenge’, a 2,735-mile trek that took them from southwest Portugal, across the Strait of Gibraltar, into Morocco, and over the Atlas Mountains to the edge of the Sahara Desert.
This harsh-terrain endurance test was designed to demonstrate the durability of Bailey products. The caravans in the convoy were two Phoenix+642s. Extreme caravanning, one might say...
The 642s were chosen for their versatile layout. Phoenix+ 642s have twin single beds – plus two full- length sofas that make two more single beds, so ideal for accommodating four members of the challenge team. These models are also extremely light in weight for their length.
Little wonder, then, that this layout is a component of the new Phoenix range, created to celebrate Bailey’s 75th year of manufacture, and scheduled to reach retailers later this year.
Given a few fabric and decal tweaks, the celebration GT75 642 is the same as the Phoenix+ 642. So, now proven to be capable of an extreme challenge, what are the attributes of this model for caravanners who may wish to make their adventures in less onerous terrain? A day in a Phoenix+ 642 at Campbells Caravans gave us plenty of time to explore…
The layout
First, the versatility of the layout. MTPLM 1,410kg Effectively, single beds for four (perfect for four colleagues to bed down in between Bailey’s extreme adventures). The 642’s appeal to families with teenage offspring is obvious; they’ve grown out of the bunk bed stage, and they’re probably fully grown, so the 1.9m length of the twin beds is important.
The sofas are not much shorter, at 1.81m long. And, when you transform the lounge into a double bed, it measures 1.88m by 1.4m. So, whatever your family’s needs, the 642 is pretty much guaranteed to suit. If it’s friends rather than relations, that are joining you, that need is answered, too.
The washroom
The shower room is across the rear and contains the wardrobe, which is a generous size, providing 80cm of hanging width and a shelf of the same width above. The wardrobe’s presence here means that this is a dressing room as well as a shower room; underlining the 642’s flexibility; privacy for dressing is guaranteed here.
The bedroom
Two lockers, each 90cm wide, are over each bed. Each locker has a tall shelf space plus two smaller shelf spaces, so in total giving plenty of storage capacity. Each bed has a spotlight above; the one on the offside has a USB port built into its base.
There’s a mains socket beside the nearside bed, so a charger could be plugged in here. Shelves by both beds are the perfect place for phones.
The kitchen
The kitchen offers a large amount of surface space, in two areas. When the hob top that matches the work surface is hinged down, there’s a 1.25m-stretch of surface. The kitchen’s slight L-shape means that there is good space all around the circular sink.
Opposite, the surface above the fridge gives you a space that’s 75cm by 67cm at its widest point. That amounts to more surface space than in many caravans that are much larger than the single-axle 642.
Beneath the main kitchen surface area, alongside the oven, is a 70cm-wide cabinet. The two cabinets above are each 61cm wide. One contains a rack for plates and the other a shelf divider.
Alongside the fridge are three shelves and two more are alongside the hob. The microwave is above the fridge unit, with a locker above it. In total, the 642’s kitchen offers plenty of accommodation.
The storage
The good storage story continues in the lounge, with two overhead lockers, each 90cm wide and divided into three shelf spaces.
At the centre-front are two drawers and a small locker beneath. Two large corner shelves add style as well as practicality; each has concealed lighting around the curved top edge. There is space under the settees and beds, too.
It all adds up to a lot of storage space in a caravan that’s an average body length, at 5.84m.
The lighting
Lighting design includes spotlights in the front corners of the lounge, one of which has a USB port built into its base. Lighting runs above all of the lockers and two very bright spotlights are set into the top of the frame that surrounds the high-arching central front window.
The lounge
We love the size of the pull-out, centre-front snack table (59cm by 37cm). Although the windowsill is slightly higher than the table, its 46cm by 72cm size means that this arrangement gives you a good-sized dining area for two.
When you want more space, the free-standing table hides away under the shelves that are beside the hob.
Our Verdict
<p>As well as having extreme versatility, the 642 is a star performer in terms of storage. Added to the obvious sleeping arrangement flexibility is the fact that you could use the twin beds as additional lounging areas – given the addition of a cosy cushion or two. </p>
<p>The 642’s open-plan layout gives it a pleasantly spacious feel, and the generous amount of kitchen surface space, in two areas, would make cooking a pleasure.</p>
