William Coleman
Yesterday I had the pleasure of being invited to Stanton House Hotel in Swindon by the guys at Bailey Of Bristol. The reason for the invite was so I can have the first look at their brand new Bailey Pegasus Grande range which will be officially launched at the October NEC Caravan and Motorhome Show in October. But before then you can have a read of my first thoughts on the new 8ft wide Pegasus model.
So, where to start? Well first of all let me start by saying I REALLY like the new 8ft wide Pegasus models, of which there are 6 to choose from. The new 2018 models include the Brindisi, Bologna, Messina, Rimini, Palermo and the Turin.
The models 4 and 6 berth and range from £22,999 to £24,499, with some additional extras than can be added on which will or course change the end price. What Bailey have done is give some additional options for upholstery, which are free of charge! There are 2 to choose from to ensure you start you personalisation for free.
Bailey have recently delivered the Phoenix range to the market, which is more “first choice” than an “entry level” caravan. The Phoenix is very close to the current Pegasus model, which means that a lot more people could go for the cheaper Phoenix over the Pegasus. So what did Bailey do to ensure their mid level van stays relevant? They went big!
To revamp the Pegasus range Bailey knew they had to do something radical to make their mid level range an industry stand out from their other 2 models, as well as other manufacturers. They have decided to go with 6 new 8ft wide models, which I think is a great move.
Why move into the 8ft area of caravans though? Yes it is very different to all the other Bailey models, but they have actually applied a logical thought process to the design. Inside you have 20-25% more leisure space to make the most of your holiday time. Having looked around all of the models on display I can safely say that the interior design of these new 8ft’ers really does make a world of difference. It is not just a gimmick it a total redesign with the customer in mind.
Having been fully redesigned from the ground up to bring you more than just additional space Bailey have been able to utilise the extra width to bring you much larger living spaces and wider single beds in the Rimini. Bailey have also introduced the island beds to Brindisi and Bologna, a decision that was made from customer feedback. With more space you really can have more holiday.
The interior layouts have also been given a complete revamp. Not only will you benefit from an additional 25% more space you will also be able to choose from a G-shaped front lounge or a U-shaped central dinette.
All versions of the Grande have been rigorously tested and come with an Alu-Tech bodyshell. To ensure that you can use the Grande all year round Bailey tested the range with Truma using their cold chamber. With grade 3 temperature tested and passed you can have a toasty winter inside your van.
As standard the Grande’s come with all the newest innovation and tech. Truma heating, Truma solar panels, AL-KO ATC trailer control system, Tracker retrieve and AL-KO 3004 Stabiliser as standard. So you really are getting a lot of bang for your buck.
I could go on forever going over all the new techs and specs of these 6 new 8ft models but I will leave that down to the guys at Bailey. So if you are at the NEC be sure to visit their stand. At this year’s NEC Bailey will have their largest stand to date.
So if you are the market for a new and improved caravan for the family, 2 wide single beds and and bunk bed options available, or for a couples holiday the Grande range will suit all of your touring needs.
For more info visit Bailey Grande
