A compendium of ALL small (& cool?) family caravans at the Caravan Camping & Motorhome Show Feb 2022
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- Let’s take a look at ALL of the smaller (up to approx 6m) caravans suitable for families on show at the February 2022 NEC Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show. Lots of info all in one place and advice/personal opinion based on 5+ years of owning our own small caravan.
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Great video, good wide angle view thanks !
You're very welcome, thanks for taking the time to comment, really appreciate it :)
I like car show hope can go 2023
Thanks for this useful overview - I liked the considered voice over commentary.
I agree that the Weinsberg CaraOne 400LK was the best on show for practicality, build quality and value.
Those two fixed bunks are the best I've seen in a caravan.
Both the CaraOne and CaraCito all-electric version are now available in the UK, and should prove attractive small family vans for people with smaller cars or EVs.
I really like the design of the Deseo, twin axle just looks great on a smaller caravan. Am I the only person that thinks of Speedy Gonzales when I say Eriba? I guess so...
Sorry to burst your bubble but no, a common joke in this house too! Or when the key goes in the ignition after hitching then caravan andale, andale!
Hi,
Great video, thanks! We are considering a Freedom Carpento 410. In your video you mention there are ‘quite a few issues’ and that you would cover this in a separate video; is that video available and if not, what were the issues you mention?
Thanks.
Hi James, thanks for your comment! Making that additional video has been occupying my to do list since I said it at the show, unfortunately I run my own business and a few days after I said that things got really manic so I haven't done it yet. Still on my to do list but realistically (looking at everything I've already got booked in) it will probably be at least late summer before I finally get around to it!!! (everything currently coming out on the channel was actually recorded & edited ages ago as I knew my business would be a little bit busy but not this mad!!!) So in the meantime I'd summarise my concerns as: I was super excited to see these live, I think they looked absolutely the... bees knees... that wrap around window is FANTASTIC plus I'm all about small family caravans so I didn't view them expecting the impossible ie I went in with a positive mindset BUT for a UK climate I was worried about the thermal performance ie there was no info on what the walls were, they might be ok but I have (potentially unfounded) suspicions on thickness and material performance AND that massive front window is only single skin (unsurprisingly) plexiglas so it wobbled and flexed a bit too much for my liking plus thermally it will be a disaster, if using year round in the UK there would be a lot of condensation to deal with for a lot of the year I suspect (check what passive ventilation it has) and boiling like a greenhouse at other times... Also there's no heater as standard, it's an option but eats quite a lot into the payload (which on some is excellent eg off the top of my head the 5 berth (that's the 410 isn't it?), 1000Kg was great but the 750Kg 4 berth had a terrible payload which would never accommodate even basic family stuff), but care will be needed to subtract the weight of options to work out what the payload really is, the kitchen surface is really far low so for a family with kids quite problematic and a hassle for everyone else. I'm not much over 5' and I found it low! Also check Andrew Ditton's video about it, he's a lot taller than me and I think has some more useful footage if you're tall. On the topic of tall users the external water (tank, no pump connection, so would need to be filled via watering can or as I do via a rechargeable USB pump (I have a similar set up but the access cap is in a far more sensible place outside)) fill point on the 5 berth was above my head (I think I've included that snippet in this video!) so exactly how that is supposed to be filled once you're on a pitch by anything other than a hose pipe direct from the tap (most pitches aren't close enough, I know I carry a hose everywhere just in case I can fill mine that way!) is beyond me even for someone taller than me... Also I thought some bits of the internal fittings felt really strong and well made eg fold down bunk on the 5 berth, table design was really well thought out and super innovative BUT then there were other bits which weren't good e.g. the washroom doors feeling flimsy and wouldn't stay latched and I did worry a tad about how long lasting the laminated surfaces of all the "wood" would be in extremes of heat & cold (again might be unfounded) because they're rounded and a 1 piece veneer (I think). Allowance has to be made as these were at the show so had many visitors through but it didn't feel as if was a show usage issue, more of a needs a higher quality fitting issue on the washroom door. There were also some niggly finishing issues (I'm a total pedant who works in science so others might not notice!) e.g. blobs of stringy mastic where it should have been smoothed, discolouration on the wheel arches, etc. There's no bunk guard on the top bunk and the mattress is built into the structure i.e. if you've got little one/ones (it's really wonderfully wide!) sleeping up there you'll need to do some sort of mod to stop them accidentally rolling out AND if they haven't yet progressed to night-time dryness clear up could be problematic if a bed protector won't fit around the gas struts, etc. (think it probably would but worth mentioning as unusual not to have a replaceable mattress. Alongside my roof bed Eriba Feeling (of which there is currently a new one on sale in the UK for just over £27k) these small family vans are really the only ones that can accommodate a family in that size space and the Feeling is a beast relatively at 1400Kg so I can forgive these for having niggles and plexiglas but I think it' important that prospective owners go in not expecting the same as equipment, etc. as an equivalent priced UK made van. The UK made van will of course be much bigger and heavier! The 5 berth was definitely my favourite layout, made a really good use of space and felt nice inside. Hope that all helps, just my impressions of course! Have you seen one in person? Best, Becky
@@CaraVanOlogywithBecky Hi Becky, Thank you for the quick (thorough) reply.
You've highlighted some very important issues in terms of insulation and quality, which on inspection I would agree with entirely.
I have in fact just been to view one at our local(ish) dealer. I must say I went with high hopes and unfortunately left feeling rather disappointed. All three models were on show.
The positives: excellent lay out for us as a family of four with two kids under 5 (although I echo the concerns regards the top bunk in the 410). The flexibility of two seating/sleeping areas with no compromise on bed sizes was great.
However...my concerns focussed on quality and value for money. Unfortunately all three models at the dealership really were rather tired. All three models had similarly warped flooring with bubbling evident in multiple places. In the 410, which is the model we focussed on, the gas struts on the top bunk were broken and the bathroom door remained rickety. The bathroom itself was the overall biggest let down. Lots of poorly constructed pieces of plastic with ill fitting edges adjoined with masses on (now yellowing) silicone. The kitchen was, as you and other have noted, bizarrely low. I measured it against my toddlers play kitchen and there is only a small difference. Also no oven and no option for one at our dealer. The fabric lining of he caravan seemed rather dubious also. In speaking with the dealer there is a prototype awning in production but no idea of timescales for availability.
Externally there were other concerns. The gas canister locker seemed very flimsy and as you say, the water inlet was poorly placed.
So overall, rather deflated. I'm hoping to view a T@B400 next week and, having two small children, I'm optimistic the front dinette will accommodate them for a few years to come.
The caravan market has exploded the last few years and there has been a considerable premium added to vans across the board. It's a shame that standards can be so apparently poor for what is a £21k van (410 model) without any options.
Again, thanks for the reply. Apologies for all the negatives - perhaps I should have replied after my disappointment had subsided
@@jamesrudge2321 it sounds like we had exactly the same massive high expectations + deep low emotional experience when seeing in them in the flesh (probably a contributing factor to me not miraculously inventing time to make the in-depth video I promised!). I so wanted them to be good and the external look is tremendous + layouts are great, the finishing/materials are imho terrible though. If the floors are warped already seems my show impressions were reasonable :( It sounds like you’re following a very similar path to the one I hoped to before I bought my Feeling. I wanted something small, agile and funky but still workable for our family. Although my 2 boys were 6 and 9 when we were looking to upgrade our folding camper to a caravan (we did have a mega funky trailer tent for a while but that was a total leaking disaster so went back!) and absolutely refuse to share a bed so I was searching with effectively 4 adult sized sleeping spaces in mind as I knew they’d soon sprout (and boy have they, they’re now 13 & nearly 16!). I started out looking at funky tabs & trolls & Knaus sport and Fun but I couldn’t see any really working easily for a family of 4 so my Eriba Feeling is a little more conventional looking than really what I wanted but it’s super practical and still works for us now my boys are grown so whilst expensive compared to a U.K. v/van I haven’t had to swap it :) If Bailey Discovery’s had been out at the time I would have been tempted by the 3 berth BUT I would have had a riot on my hands as they don’t like bed sharing. The Basecamp 6 is quite interesting if you never intend to use an awning but most families do need that space so that’s not as practical as it might at 1st seem! The best combination of practical and value is the Weinsberg CaraOne or the Knaus silver equivalent (same thing I think), it’s really rather conventional (boring?) looking but felt very solidly built. Hence my disappointment with these Carpentos, there’s a massive gap in the market for lightweight, small basic, FUNKY, 4 berths. This thing could have totally owned that market but it’s poor implementation makes it awful compared to everything else! Good luck with the search, hope you find something that works perfectly for you :) PS Don’t worry about an oven, I don’t have one, gas ovens are pretty useless anyway. We use a fantastically efficient halogen oven (even has a rotisserie!) on hook up or the big gas cadac when off grid. Takes a little more thought about meal prep but takes up much less room/redundant weight… Check out omnia gas stove ovens too!
Love the RookieL ... a bit different from my very conventional Swift Elegance ... but liked it a lot. Would I be brave enough to buy one? Probably not!
At first I thought it looked a bit like a horse box so wasn’t sure about external styling or whether it was possible to sit at the dinette and be nosy but that’s probably based on preconceived expectations! It felt really very well made, really solid drawers, I don’t know if the sound on the video quite conveyed that and also really like a tardis inside; felt like a much larger van so lots to like :)
@@CaraVanOlogywithBecky spent a bit of time in it at the show ... it has shortcomings that is for sure ... but has something about it!
( Hey you. Yes you, random person that I will never meet. I truly hope that you will find happiness in life. Today is going to be a great day! ❤)
Dreadful video. Very very wide angle lens makes it look strange. "Plenty of workspace" on 2nd caravan....youre having a Turkish. ..there wasn't any....please be realistic.