As Boat and Caravan 2011 came to a close on Sunday the main story this year was the increase in lightweight caravans on display. Caravan Times has often heard from readers looking for models with low weight and towable by ordinary family cars. And with fuel prices on the increase, it gives us an even greater need for lightweight tourers as Britain claws its way out of recession.
So throughout this week on Caravan Times we’re celebrating lightweight caravans. Each day we’ll showcase a manufacturer’s range of low weight tourers, giving you the inside track on features and specifications available. Most of all, we’d love to hear your thoughts about the weight and size of caravans today: click here to have your say in our forum topic.
Boat and Caravan 2011: light and affordable touring
Mainstream manufacturers stole the headlines at Boat and Caravan by showcasing a number of lightweight and cost-effective models. Take a look below at what’s coming up during Lightweight Caravan Week.
Elddis Caravans has continually innovated in the small caravan sector and with the Xplore 302 offers the smallest UK-built caravan in the market today. Elddis also revealed its big brother the Xplore 304 at the NEC – and with a weight of only 1050kgs MTPLM, the firm claims it is the UK’s smallest and lightest four-berther. Both have full-sized bathrooms and show clever use of space with their L-shaped lounge layouts.
“Lightweight luxury” is the motto of Lunar Caravans – and at Boat and Caravan 2011 they didn’t disappoint.
The Lexon 550 and Quasar 464 are squarely aimed at the family market, and both feature bunk beds and strong levels of equipment. The Quasar offers an impressive MTPLM of 1,240kg but still offers four berths, a front end lounge, and a spacious kitchen.
Meanwhile Bailey Caravans took the opportunity to showcase its new “entry-level” tourers which combine light weight with popular layouts. The Bailey Orion is light enough to be towed by popular family cars such as the Citroen Picasso, Mazda 3 and Ford Focus C-Max.
Earlier last month Swift Caravans caught up with Caravan Times and revealed the Sprite Caravans range has seen a 40% increase in sales over the last year. 
Since its relaunch in 2004 the Sprite range has been renowned for being light and affordable caravans, and its competitive price may have attracted new buyers.
Finally, we’ll take a closer look at some of the lightest caravans on sale today. Trigano Caravans range of “Silver” pop up tourers were on display at Boat and Caravan 2011, and we’ll give you the lowdown on these striking caravans this week. We also spoke to Freedom Caravans about their Microlite range. 
And for those looking for something different entirely, Tab Caravans and Little Guy Caravans offer that classic teardrop shape with a modern twist.
