Caravan Times receives a lot of correspondence from readers looking for models with light weights that can be towed by ordinary family cars. And with fuel prices on the increase, there is an even greater need for low weight tourers as Britain continues its recovery from the recession.
Here we give you the inside track on features and specifications available in the lightweight caravan sector of the market.
Low weight, low cost touring
The number of Brits choosing to remain in the UK for their family holidays has risen considerably in recent years, leading to a proliferation of stay at home holidays and an upsurge of interest in cheaper vacation alternatives. For their part, caravan manufacturers have seen a rise in demand for cheaper, lightweight, family friendly models which has led to a raft of new lighter models being released.
Elddis Caravans has continually innovated in the small caravan sector and the Xplore 302 offers the smallest UK-built caravan in the market today. Elddis also revealed its big brother the Xplore 304 at the beginning of the year 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. It has a portfolio of 23 low weight touring caravans spanning from the diminutive 2 berth Lunar Ariva, up to a meatier twin axle, 6 berth Lunar Lexon 640. The Lexon 550 and Quasar 464 are two new releases for the 2011 season squarely aimed at the family market, and both feature bunk beds and decent kit lists. The Quasar offers an impressive MTPLM of 1,240kg but still offers four berths, a front end lounge, and a spacious kitchen.
Bailey Caravans has also responded to the need for a sensible lightweight option in launching the Bailey Orion which is light enough to be towed by popular family cars such as the Citroen Picasso, Mazda 3 and Ford Focus C-Max.
The ever popular Sprite Caravans from the Swift Group, continue to deliver lightweight comfort at competitive prices. Since its relaunch in 2004 the range has been renowned for being light and affordable, and its competitive price may have attracted new buyers.
But it’s not just the big name manufacturers who produce well built lightweight tourers. Micro caravans come in all shapes and sizes, from the microlite range from Freedom Caravans to the classic teardrop shape preferred by Tab Caravans and Little Guy Caravans, there is a large assortment for the weight-conscious, modern caravanner to chose from.
