Twin lounge
Two drop-down beds, crash-tested travel seats and a garage, too
Practicality from two relaxation zones
If you’ve been tempted by a rear lounge but need more than two travel seats, here’s a solution. It’s been around for decades, so there’s plenty of choice in both campervans and coachbuilts. Arguably, this is the most popular layout for larger van conversions in the UK.
Whether you are a family looking for two separate seating areas (it’s probably best for older kids to have their own space!), or you’re a couple wanting more room to sprawl, this layout can deliver. Remember, though, that with no fixed bed, storage space for holiday clobber can be tight for family touring – especially if there are six of you. Some manage to fit exterior locker space under the end lounge but the best we’ve seen in this regard is probably the new Bailey Adamo (see opposite).
The layout consists of a front dining area and a rear lounge, with the travel seats fitted in the front
– the best offering four three-point belts in a crashtested pullman dinette, although campervans and imported low-profiles are more likely to have only a half-dinette bench up front to provide two extra travel seats, with cab seats swivelling to face the rear as part of the front lounge.
Most coachbuilt models are over seven metres long but there are exceptions – Rimor’s Evo 77 Plus is less than 7m and the new McLouis Fusion 330 is super compact at 6.49m. You’ll also see several models with a rear L-shaped seating area, rather than the traditional ‘U’ – check out the Bürstner Lyseo TD Harmony range. And you can even find A-classes in this sector – models like Rapido’s 8094dF have the big advantage of the A-class cab bed.
Another innovation in this sector is drop-down beds in low-profile models. A number of imported
’vans now have lowering beds over their front and rear lounges, as does the new Bailey Adamo. You’ll also find British six-berth ’vans, such as the Elddis Autoquest 196 and Bailey Autograph 81-6, with a drop-down bed over just the front lounge, plus double beds made from each seating area.
Many place kitchens up front, opposite the dinette. These are often equipped with full-sized cookers well suited to preparing family meals, but, owing to a lack of space, they can come up short in the areas relating to storage. Fridges, too, can be modestly sized under-counter units.
Bathing departments can cater well for families if there’s a separate shower (as in every Auto-Trail). But some models (including Swift’s Edge and Escape) are much more compromised in this area with all-in-one washrooms that are rather confined for family use.
Most twin-lounge layouts (especially those at the more affordable end of the market) struggle to offer the sort of kit-swallowing storage capacity that a family will need for anything much longer than a weekend away. What you really want is a garage as well.
With this new Bailey, you can finally have a full-sized garage and two comfortable lounges in one motorhome that not only has a sensible price tag but comes with all the standard equipment you’ll want included, too.
It’s not the first motorhome to match a rear lounge with a garage, but it does so with aplomb. For a start, this is a proper garage, not just a useful extra external locker. There’s a full-height door on the nearside and the garage has 1.03m headroom.
Inside, the inclusion of the garage makes a real difference to the feeling of the rear lounge. It’s still a U-shaped seating area with windows on three sides, but there’s also a wardrobe in the offside corner, a shelved locker (also accessible from outside) on the nearside, and a huge – and hugely useful – shelf between. The space here feels cosy and private.
The larger front seating area has swivel cab seats and twin side settees. The table is a permanent fixture and is massive when unfolded.
Finally, if the thought of turning seats into beds every night puts you off many of the Adamo’s rivals, then this Ford-based Bailey has another ace to play – two electric drop-down beds, each a decent size and lowering right down to seat height.