By William Coleman
As the world becomes more virtual, we thought it was time to have a browse around Bailey’s online showroom to take a peek at the Unicorn Black range. After an online tour, we had our eyes firmly set on the all-new Cadiz.
The Cadiz was a standout model for us at CaravanTimes due to the spacious rear washroom and central kitchenette. This layout has a special place in our heart, as we used an almost identical model to travel all over Europe on a three-week press tour with Bailey.
This style of layout tends to be a popular option due to how well-spaced each area of the van is, especially when it comes to night-time living. Like most single-axle models there are some compromises on space; walking through bed areas to get to the washroom isn’t always ideal, but this van deals with these niggling issues well.
Exterior
Like all Bailey models, the Cadiz features the high-performance GRP skinned ‘Polar White’ Alu-Tech bodyshell. Whether your chosen destination is in the UK or further afield, this outer shell makes the Cadiz a van that’ll keep you cool when touring in the hot summer months.
In addition, because of its thermal properties, and Truma’s cold chamber testing, the Cadiz is also perfect for winter holidays, too. The van can withstand temperatures as low as minus 15 Celsius, and we should know – we tested it in the Arctic!
A new exterior feature for this year is the 14-inch alloy wheels that come with a graphite finish. The alloys are eye-catching, but they will require frequent cleaning to keep them looking showroom-sharp.
The new ‘Back Edition’ graphic scheme makes the Bailey branding stand out, this is unmistakably a Bailey van, but it is the interior that makes this caravan, all in all, a favourite of ours.
Interior
When it comes to Bailey’s van interior decor, they always play by the numbers and stick firmly to what they know sells, which is based heavily on market research and customer feedback.
Inside the Cadiz, you’ll find a mixture of light and dark colours that contrast well and create a modern feel while maintaining the core features of the classic caravan. This ‘modern-classic’ theme can be seen throughout all of Bailey’s leisure vehicles and they don’t have much competition when it comes to blending classic caravanning with modern interior styling.
Inside the living room, you’ll find the Brompton colour scheme soft furnishing on the sofa seating – this feels more classic than modern, while a shade or two darker grey may sit better – but this colour comes as standard, so you can customise this to your taste. This year there is the optional ‘Alperton’ soft furnishing to choose from, but this does come at an extra cost.
The overhead lockers have had a total makeover and may just be the standout change for 2021. The design team opted to introduce a new dual-colour cream gloss finish to the new Italian design lockers.
There is also a textured canvas strip on each overhead locker door that looks classy. However, this could become smudged and would need fairly regular polishing/cleaning due to the nature of the lockers and the usage they see. Wipe clean is always the best option inside a caravan, especially on surfaces that only ever get touched by hand.
Washroom and kitchenette
It’s in the kitchen area where you will find a new branded feature that is both practical for use and a great way to show Bailey’s branding power. The new black Perspex splashback highlights the model’s logo and chrome detailing.
As subtle as this new feature is, it makes a lot of difference to the styling of the kitchen. The light reflects from the Perspex and makes it look as though it’s independently lit by LEDs. These small additions are what we like to look out for; the smallest detail can influence the final buying decision.
This year seems to be the “Year of the Sink” as almost every major manufacturer has added different style basins in the kitchenette. Bailey opted for a stainless-steel, round kitchen sink with concealed fixings, swan-neck mixer tap, washing up bowl and drainer.
The Cadiz features a domestic-style rear washroom with a basalt stone finish. There has not been a huge change to the washroom, but it’s still one of the nicer bathrooms in a caravan in this price bracket. The shower cubicle is large and the wash basin’s size rivals one you find at home.
Night-time
The evening formation of this caravan is quite a common one; by day you have clear access to the entirety of the van, and come bedtime this can be sectioned off.
One thing we would like to see is a partition blind that would close off the two rear single beds from the living room, but that may interfere with the ease of access to the rear washroom. This is a tricky one, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you travel with light sleepers.
At the rear of the caravan, you have two static single beds and the lounge features two benches that can be made up into a large double.
Each bed features beech slat bases with sprung-hinged tops for extra comfort and ease of access to the under-bed storage compartments.
Verdict
Bailey’s new Cadiz is a well-made caravan that follows a long line of desirable Unicorn models and sits well in the current line up. Some caravan lovers think that four-berth single-axle models will not have enough space for a family of four, but having travelled around Europe in one of this layout’s predecessors, we can safely say this van can accommodate four adults with ease.
With an on-the-road price of £25,599, you are getting a high-quality van. There is stiff competition out there at this price range, but with Bailey, you know you are getting a van that has been extremely well tested. The vans are handmade right here in the UK at Bailey’s factory in Bristol, so you know you’re getting that Great British quality.
