Your guide to caravan berths
If you choose the wrong berth, this is the kind of situation you could find yourself in. So, whether you’re hosting guests, extra family members, or making sure there’s space for your family pets, getting the right caravan berth is essential for a great experience.
That’s why we’ve created this guide. It will walk you through what a caravan berth is, the berth options available to you, and the types of layouts you can expect from each.
What is a caravan berth?
In caravans, motorhomes and campervans, a ‘berth’ refers to a sleeping space. For example, a two berth caravan will comfortably sleep two people, whereas a six berth caravan will sleep six.
Sleeping spaces in caravans can include:
- A fixed bed that’s always made up
- A seating area that converts into a bed at night
- Bunk beds that are either fixed or fold out from a seating area
While ‘berth’ effectively means ‘bed’, its definition is broader and implies things like additional living space, storage, and a larger overall vehicle, always enough to cater for the number of people.
Does berth or layout matter more when choosing a caravan?
When choosing your next caravan, you may want to immediately opt for one with the highest number of berths.
However, many caravan owners often find that the layout plays more of a role in how much they enjoy their daily life in the vehicle.
This is because a focus on layout means considering how you like to live in your caravan, and gets you to answer questions like:
- Do you prefer a fixed bed or one that converts from a seating area?
- Would you like an en-suite bathroom, or is shared access acceptable?
- Is kitchen workspace or storage more important to you?
In general, when selecting a layout, consider who will be travelling, the duration of trips, and how you plan to use the space. Berths will come into this as you will want to make sure that you have enough beds for everyone who will regularly be using the caravan. You can see further down this post what layouts are available within each berth range.
Want to walk around your new caravan online?
Use the Bailey Virtual Caravan Showroom to step inside each model and see what you make of its layout before seeing it in person.
The benefits & layouts of each caravan berth
2 Berth Caravans
- Ideal for: Couples, solo caravanners, or friends travelling together
- Main benefits: The small size of a two berth caravan means they’re particularly easy to tow. This makes them ideal for city visits or heading down single track lanes for more rural adventures
Our 2 berth caravans
4 Berth Caravans
- Ideal for: Families, friendship groups, or couples who enjoy hosting friends and family for a stay.
- Main benefits: Our most popular caravan berth size, the four berth caravans come in many different layouts, including options for separate bedrooms, bathrooms that can be accessed from both sides of the caravan, L-shaped lounges and central kitchens, meaning you’ll be sure to find one that suits how you like to live
Our 4 berth caravans
6 Berth Caravans
- Ideal for: Larger families with growing kids, multigenerational holidays, or couples who regularly host guests or grandkids.
- Main benefits: With space for six people, these caravans are all about flexibility. Expect clever storage, fixed beds for easy evenings, and family-friendly zones that make long trips more comfortable for everyone
Our 6 berth caravans
Key concepts when choosing a caravan
MTPLM (Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass)
This is the total weight that your caravan can safely reach when fully loaded.
It includes everything on board your caravan, including:
- Basic weight of the caravan
- A full water tank, leisure battery and hook-up cable
- The user payload (see below)
When towing your caravan, you’ll need to make sure your tow vehicle is capable of safely towing this weight, and that your driving licence allows it, especially if it’s over 3,500kg.
The rules on towing changed in December 2021 and now anyone with a standard licence can tow a caravan up to an MTPLM of 3500kg. Prior to this date, if you passed your test on or after 1st Jan 1997 you were restricted to a caravan with a lower MTPLM.
Total User Payload
This is the amount of weight you’re allowed to add to your caravan. It includes:
- Personal items including clothes and washkit
- Kitchen equipment
- Optional extras like solar panels and motormovers that were not added to the vehicle in the factory
- Outdoors gear like bikes, BBQs, deckchairs, tables etc.
The payload is the difference between your empty caravan (how it was fresh out of the factory) and the MTPLM.
You need to make sure you stay within your payload to remain safe and legal on the road.
Single Axle vs. Twin Axle
A single axle caravan has one set of wheels. This keeps the weight and cost down, making it easier to manoeuvre or tow through narrower roads and smaller sites. They can also be towed by lighter and smaller tow cars.
Twin axle caravans have two sets of wheels, offering a more stable and smoother tow, especially at higher speeds or on motorways. You’ll typically see these on the largest touring caravans, meaning they’re often popular with large families or for long-term travel. Twin axle caravans are heavier, allowing for a larger payload and often a more spacious layout. You’ll need a larger tow car to tow these types of caravans.
Your Quick Glance Guide to the Bailey Caravan Ranges
Alicanto Grande Deluxe
The new Alicanto Grande Deluxe, with its luxurious comfort pushed to new levels, refined for those elevated experiences away from home. It’s the new way to enjoy unparalleled luxury wherever you go.
Pegasus Black Edition
The 8ft wide Pegasus Black Edition features a striking new exterior and front curvature, combining premium design with spacious, relaxing layouts for shared adventures —all while remaining as affordable as ever.
Unicorn Deluxe
The new Unicorn Deluxe; an elegant experience tailored to suit your style. Wherever the road takes you, make every journey an unforgettable adventure.
Phoenix Black
The Phoenix Black Edition, boasting a new infinity window and premium finishes, strikes a perfect balance between space, comfort & affordability – so you can be ready for anything, anywhere.
Discovery
Your passport to adventure has arrived. Meet the eye-catching Discovery range. The updated contemporary styling and ingenious use of space make the new Discovery your perfect partner to every escape.
Find Your New Caravan
Ready to choose the perfect caravan berth for your needs? Discover our full range of caravans for sale online in the virtual showroom before you head to a retailer to see them in person.
