TOP 4 CARAVANS OF THE YEAR 2009 “CARAVANS.COM CARAVAN OF THE YEAR 2009”

Here at Discover we are looking to see what caravans are the creams of the crop, the crème de la crème.

We’ve kept our eye on the latest additions to the caravan world and we’re pleased to report that the world looks bright. (In the caravan community anyway!).

We’ve decided to create categories that matter you and caravanners across the country.

So we’ve come up with the following groups and categories:

• Best Caravan for big Families

• Best Caravan for Small Families

• Best Caravan for Couples

• Tourer of the Year

BEST CARAVAN FOR SMALL FAMILIES - BAILEY RANGER 6 SERIES - £11,790

We voted for the Bailey Ranger series 6 for best caravan for small families. The value for money that this caravan offers is nothing short of first class, with the series 6 being the flagship for the brand. The Ranger is now the entry level range for Bailey after the removal of the Discovery from the range.

The Ranger hasn’t taken a step backward; in fact it hasn’t put a foot wrong. The additions to the Ranger offer some incredible improvements, including a new design for impact resistant sidewalls offering excellent protection and rigidity. The interior is where the changes can really be seen, the 107l fridge and C250 Thetford toilet brings excellent quality for an affordable price. The twin dinette is our favourite layout from the Series 6 with brilliant use of space and functional design.

BEST CARAVAN FOR COUPLES – STERLING EUROPA 470 - £17,000

Sterling has produced a sterling silver caravan with the Europa 470 The original design of the silver sided caravan shows how timeless the Elite Onyx is. The attention to detail is incredible giving you the feeling that aesthetics are important externally as well as internally. The exterior shows a tradesman’s attention to detail with an exceptional finish on lockers, vents and grab handles. The interior layout is excellent for couples, the nearside bed and large lounge area gives the caravan as a sense of space. The luxurious additions, functionality and attention to detail means the Europa wins hands down.

BEST CARAVAN FOR BIG FAMILIES – ELDDIS AVANTE - £16,000

Year on year Elddis strive to give luxury and comfort at a reasonable price. Offering a great use of space with plenty of storage, we can only assume that the interior designers also worked on the development of the Tardis. The 6 birth family layouts are really functional offering a wonderful bed area for the parents as well as excellent beds for the kids, ensuring no one starts complaining. The fixed bunks for the kids are a great design, making most of the space. The dinette area is the masterpiece when it comes to functionality, and like many times before Elddis have excelled expectation with excellent use of space and design.

TOURER OF THE YEAR -BAILEY RANGER GT60 SERIES 6 540/6 - £13,000

There has been so many caravans going for the top spot this year, the standard of caravans is at an all time high. Some colleagues believe it’s due to the credit crunch and that manufacturers great and small are trying to give us more “van for our buck”.

I personally think that caravanners are voting with their wallets (and purses) and forcing manufacturers to redesign their caravans! Whichever way you look at it, we’ve had some cracking caravans this year. For us the Bailey Ranger GT60 540/6 has shown itself to be an impeccable caravan and just edged it in the competition. The Ranger is lightweight, modern and wonderfully comfortable.

The Layout is similar to the Bailey Senator offering a creative side dinette design offering greater access to the rear bunks and allowing a sliding door to separate the space. Little designs such as individual windows and lights for each bunks makes sleeping arrangements a pleasant ordeal. The dinette can also convert into a comfortable 6 footer giving the Ranger the reputation as a comfortable 6 footer. At just under £13,000 you get a lot of caravan for your money.

The balance between the amount of features and the slender price tag is unrivaled at the moment. We're delighted to see a new range of tourers that addresses the current issues of high fuel prices and tight budgets. This response is combined with the 540/6's comfortable interior and family-friendly design. We're proud to call it our 2009 Tourer of the Year.