How we picked a winner

OUR intensive three-day test was held at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, with Bailey of Bristol supplying a variety of caravans of different weights and sizes to tow.

Ballast was added to each car to represent a family of four, and the vans were loaded to 85 per cent of the towing car’s kerbweight. Nose-weights (the maximum load that a caravan can put on a car’s towball) were set to the recommended limits: five to seven per cent of the caravan’s running weight or the maximum stipulated weight for the coupling head, whichever was lowest.

Our judging panel assessed each car and caravan combination for stability and composure at speed by lapping Millbrook’s two-mile high-speed bowl. The crosswinds created by the bowl give a great indication of how it’ll react in real-world conditions. Next were the crucial 30-50mph and 40-60mph acceleration tests, which show how our contenders will cope with real-life overtaking situations.

And finally, the brakes were put through their paces in a series of tests including an emergency stop from 50mph. A lap of Millbrook’s challenging Alpine hill route allowed the judges to assess handling, while getaways on 14 and 17 per cent inclines tested the cars’ ability to do hill starts and put hand, foot and electric parking brakes under the spotlight.

Finally, our judges looked at the ‘caravanability’ of each model – how easily it swallowed a whole range of camping essentials, from awnings to water carriers and picnic tables.