David and Rebecca, serious cyclists

David and Rebecca met at a triathlon. They like to take their bikes on tour, although the rides are not so strenuous these days. Their teenage son, Declan, is just getting into the sport. So they need to provide Declan with his own space, and to store their bicycles. They have a powerful tow car, although having splashed out on that, their budget for a caravan is only moderate.

1 2014 Swift Challenger Sport 524

The end washroom and extra dinette in this caravan should be ideal for the family.

It gives them enough space to store an extra bike in the middle of the van, right over the axle. That’s in addition to any bikes they might have on a rack on the car.

When they arrive on site, they can easily get the bike out, and Declan can have his own space of sorts. This model is a four-berth, so he can bring along a friend if he wants to.

Price Within budget

Berths 4

MTPLM 1408kg

Shipping length 6.94m

Grantham Caravans

granthamcaravans.co.uk/ model/caravans-for-sale/4berth-caravans-for-sale/swiftchallenger-sport-524-2014

2 2019 Lunar Ultima 524

The Ultima has the same layout as the Swift, offering all of the advantages that brings. It’s a little bit lighter, too, and a lot more recent as a model.

The one downside is that Lunar as a brand is no more, so spare parts might be more difficult to get hold of. Still, as well as alloy wheels, you get an outside barbecue point and an extractor fan inside in the kitchen.

Price £14,295

Berths 4

MTPLM 1325kg

Shipping length 6.76m

Golden Castle Caravans

goldencastle.co.uk/product/ lunar-ultima-524-2019

3 2017 Adria Altea 472DS Eden

This is the longest of our three choices, which means Declan can have an entire lounge, and two friends can join him, too.

There is still room to put a bike in the middle, between the kitchen and the washroom. But the family may not want to, because the extra length in an Adria is also taken up with a longer A-frame that is left bare, ideal for mounting a bike rack.

The family just need to make sure they can still access the gas bottle locker en route.

Price £12,995

Berths 5

MTPLM 1350kg

Shipping length 7.5m

Burton Caravan Centre

burtoncaravancentre.com/ family-caravans/adria-altea472-ds-eden-caravanstaffordshire-cg5279086