Buccaneer Clipper caravan

The Buccaneer Clipper is a mighty tourer at a mighty price – with a lot of hi-tech stuff on the spec list. This one has two single beds – think of them as a great place for daytime relaxing, too

The Buccaneer Clipper 

Picture this: You’re driving back to your Buccaneer Clipper after a day out. It’s cold and you’ll want the heating on when you arrive. So you send a text – to the Clipper, and it turns the heating on for you…

The latest in caravan communication technology is telemetric heating control. Your text is received by a SIM card in the caravan which activates the Alde heating system, so that when you arrive, the caravan is toasty and you are set for a cosy evening.
And there’s more here to make your evening cosy. Buccaneers have satellite dishes attached to their roofs. No setting up and fiddling around to find the right direction. That’s automatic.

Those two features set Buccaneers apart from all other caravans. Yes, they’re pretty close to the top of the tourer price tree. But you do get a lot for your money, not just in terms of electronic gadgetry that’s there to woo the techno-fans, but in terms of, big caravan in big style with a big list of equipment.

And there’s more. It has something called iDC, which stands for Intelligent Drive Control. It’s the BPW equivalent to the AL-KO ATC stability control system (Elddis caravans are on BPW chassis). Both iDC and ATC are designed to detect the first sign of snaking, and then correct it by applying the caravan’s brakes lightly to whichever side is causing the problem.

The full-width shower room is one of the Clipper’s star features. It’s complete with large wardrobe and two-shelf shoe store. The shower is rectangular and larger than many you’d find in a house. There’s a heated towel rail (part of the Alde central heating system). And above the window (on the nearside) is a folded Roman-style blind – a delightful touch of refinement.

So far, so good, until you consider the proximity of the power point for a hairdryer. The nearest socket to the mirror is around four metres from the only mirror. A socket at floor level at the head end of one of the bed bases would have provided the perfect solution.

Kitchen equipment extends to an extractor fan and a microwave with auto-cook and auto-defrost facility. The hob is a departure from the norm. It has three big jets. Would you want a fourth? Or a mains hob? At this price it would be great to have no restriction on the number of pans you use to concoct your meals, one might say. But chef friends of ours insist that they don’t need to use more than three pans in their caravan. They’re the professionals, we’re amateur cooks. You decide.

Clipper spec is high; importantly it includes an inboard water tank, making it suitable for winter use. Less importantly, it has a remote-controlled front rooflight. And it has a rain sensor, which closes the rooflight. Is this taking caravan gadgetry too far? Just maybe.

Something you’ll appreciate much more about the Clipper is its level of finesse. Four firm cylindrical bolsters give armrest comfort, there are no knee-rolls on the settees (which means the double bed makes up flat). Anything not to like? If the dark privacy glass isn’t to your taste, you can order your Clipper with untinted windows as a no-cost option. Our advice: go for that and let in all the daylight you can.

The Buccaneer Clipper is a heavyweight price, and you get a heavyweight list of tech that extends to a remote controlled rooflight, heating that you can switch on by mobile phone and a built-in satellite dish. The Clipper is equipped with the Suretrack vehicle tracking system. There’s an alarm; a Whale Aquasource waterline system with 40-litre onboard tank; and the toilet has a ceramic bowl. The Clipper adds up to a mighty touring package that includes Alde heating and stability control.