There are so many different caravan layouts that it can be tough to find a layout that you love. To make your life easier, I took a look at all the 4 berth caravan layouts to determine which is the best for a family of four.
There are three 4 berth caravan layouts that I would recommend for families:
- Large double/two singles at the front, one single/bunks dinette, rear washroom. Example:
- Large double/two singles at front, large fixed double, rear washroom. Example:
- Large double/two singles at front, two fixed singles at the rear. Example:
These 3 layouts are the best, suiting a range of families for different reasons. I’ll explain why I’m recommending each of the three layouts and I’ll also give a few caravan recommendations that use these layouts.
Large double/two singles at front, one single/bunks dinette, rear washroom
This is a very popular 4 berth caravan layout for several reasons. Notably, it offers a great deal of flexibility in terms of sleeping arrangements. Further, 4 berth tourers with this layout normally have a sizeable end washroom too.
Here’s a floor plan for the Swift Challenger 530.
As you can see, this caravan has the layout that I’ve mentioned. At the front of the caravan, you can see the primary lounge area/dinette. 4 berth caravans are often quite small, but the lounge area in the Challenger 530 is actually quite spacious. The same can be said of other 4 berth tourers using this layout because it is well optimised to make the most of the space.
Here is an image of the lounge area in the Challenger 530:
This is the 2016 edition of the Swift Challenger 530, but the dimensions haven’t changed since. The seating area is very spacious, regardless of the fact that this is a fairly small caravan. The colour of the furnishings definitely help here; the caravan might appear smaller with darker furnishings. However, there’s no denying the fact that there’s plenty of living space in this caravan.
With this layout, you also have an additional dinette opposite the kitchen. This is always handy. It gives extra dining space if everyone’s struggling to fit around the main table in the lounge area. Furthermore, it gives young children their own space, so parents can enjoy the main lounge. Even if it’s poor weather outside, you can still get a bit of a break from the children!
As I briefly mentioned before, a 4 berth tourer with this layout gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of sleeping arrangements also. In theory, you could have 4 single beds: the two sofas at the front of the caravan as singles and then the bunks. Alternatively, you could have a large double at the front of the caravan and one single made up out of the dinette. Or you could have… I’m going to stop there, because you get the point. This layout offers you a great deal of flexibility.
Another benefit to note about this layout is the fact that you will normally have a sizeable end washroom in caravans using this layout. Let’s take a look at the floor plan of the Lunar Clubman ES, which perfectly proves my point here:
As the floor plan above shows, the Clubman ES has a sizeable end washroom for a caravan of its size. The same can be said of other caravans using this layout too. For example, if you refer back to the Challenger 530 floor plan, you will see that the same is true of that caravan. This is one of the obvious benefits of choosing a caravan with this layout, because I know many caravanners value a capacious washroom highly.
Examples of caravans with this layout
Here are some examples of caravans with this layout.
- Swift Challenger 530
- Lunar Clubman ES (3 berth with optional bunk)
- Coachman VIP 520 (3 berth with optional bunk)
- Swift Elegance 530 (2019)
Large double/two singles at the front, large fixed double, rear washroom
This is another popular 4 berth caravan layout and my personal favourite. This isn’t as flexible as the last layout I mentioned, but it’s the best as far as I’m concerned because of the fixed double bed.
I like the advantage of having a fixed double bed rather than having to make the bed up every night. Let’s face it, having to make up beds can be a bit of a hassle. With this layout, you have a fixed double bed so there’s no messing about. You can even use the lounge area as two singles, meaning there won’t be a load of messing around making beds up for your children too.
Let’s have a look at the floor plan of the Bailey Unicorn Valencia, one of the 4 berth caravans with this layout:
With this layout, there is a large lounge area at the front of the caravan that doubles as a dinette. Moving further down the caravan, you’ll have a kitchen with the fixed double bed just beyond that. The fixed double bed is a major benefit of this type of caravan. It offers the comforts and practicality of your bed at home within your caravan. And the washroom will usually be situated at the rear of the caravan.
The fixed double bed is the main benefit of this layout. However, there are other benefits too. For example, caravans with this layout will normally have a large washroom in comparison to caravans of a similar size with different layouts. Most caravans with a fixed double bed have an end washroom, which are usually more sizeable than side washrooms or caravans that have the toilet cubicle and shower cubicle opposite each other on the caravan corridor.
There are, of course, drawbacks to the caravans utilising this layout. The primary drawback is the lack of flexibility as far as sleeping arrangements are concerned. This is definitely a caravan aimed at parents with children or couples who have the occasional guests. Caravans that contain a fixed double bed don’t have the flexibility of a side dinette that converts into a single or bunk beds for example.
Furthermore, a fixed double bed takes up a lot of room. Unfortunately, this means that the caravans feel less spacious than counterparts where there are no fixed beds. Notably 4 berth tourers with a fixed double bed very rarely have a side dinette. If they do have a side dinette, the layout is very unique (see the short-lived Coachman Pastiche 470 (2016) which had a fixed double at the front of the caravan rather than the rear).
Examples of caravans with this layout
This is a very popular layout, so it suffices to say that there are plenty of caravans with this layout. Here are some of the best:
- Bailey Unicorn Valencia
- Bailey Unicorn Barcelona
- Buccaneer Schooner
- Swift Elegance 570
- Bailey Discovery D4-4
These are all excellent caravan choices, with the Bailey Unicorn Valencia and Buccaneer Schooner two of the best 4 berth caravans that money can buy.
Large double/two singles at front, two fixed singles at the rear
This is another popular 4 berth caravan layout that’s clearly aimed at small families. A caravan with this layout has the large double/two singles at the front, as is standard in 4 berth tourers. However, at the rear there are two fixed single beds. This is a rather unique layout and isn’t seen as much as the other two layouts I’m recommending in this blog post. It could be the layout that works best for you, though.
To get a rough idea of what this layout looks like, here’s an example. This is the floor map of the Coachman Laser 665, a popular model that uses this layout:
On the floor map above, you can see the large lounge area at the front of the caravan. These sofas can be used as either two singles or one sizeable double. Opposite the door you have your kitchen. Towards the middle of the caravan, you have ‘washroom’ section of the caravan. This is quite a large space, separated from the rest of the caravan using doors. Within you have a toilet, hand basin, large cupboard, and a separate shower cubicle. And finally, at the rear of the caravan, you have two fixed single beds.
There are several notable benefits of this caravan layout:
- Flexibility
- Spaciousness
- Large washroom
This is a very flexible layout. Using this layout, you could have 4 separate beds at any given time should you want them. Referencing the Coachman Laser 665 again, you could have two 5′ 0″ x 2′ 4″ singles at the front of the caravan and two 6′ 2″ x 2′ 7″ at the rear. Or if you wanted, you could have a 6′ 9″ x 4′ 7″ double at the front with the same size singles at the rear. The flexibility of the Laser 665 and caravans with the same layout is spectacular.
Caravans with this layout are often very spacious, which is one of the biggest advantages of this layout. As an example, here are some images of the Compass Camino 674:
To judge the spaciousness of a caravan, you really have to be in it. However, the pictures do a good job of demonstrating how capacious caravans with this layout are. Considering these caravans are designed for 4 people, the main lounge area is more than large enough for 4 to sit in comfort. There’s also plenty of corridor space, as well as a large kitchen.
Most caravans with this layout have a fairly sizeable ‘washroom’. In the Camino 674 that is pictured above, there isn’t really a washroom per se. Instead, there is a toilet compartment and a shower compartment opposite each other. Here’s an overhead 3D view of the Camino 674 that shows you what I’m talking about.
So while this arguably isn’t considered a washroom, the layout of the toilet compartment and shower cubicle actually feels more spacious than some of the washrooms you’ll find in 4 berth caravans.
Examples of caravans with this layout
Here are some examples of caravans with this layout.
- Coachman Laser 665
- Compass Camino 674
- Elddis Affinity 574
These are all fantastic caravans and are all worth your consideration if you love this 4 berth caravan layout.
I hope this blog post has helped you to learn more about the best caravan layouts for a family of 4. Hopefully this has helped you to decide on a caravan!