High flyer

Bailey’s popular Pegasus has been revamped – Rob McCabe takes an in-depth look to see whether it has retained its appeal

Over the years, the Pegasus Bologna has been a consistent strong seller for Bailey, and it’s pretty easy to see why. It’s eight feet wide (very much in vogue), and it has an island bedroom with an en-suite washroom (a long-running permanent fixture at the top of the most sought-after designs chart).

While the layout lives on in the best traditions of ‘if it ain’t broke…’, Bailey has treated this year’s model to a thorough restyling. Let’s go take a look.   

Build quality – 93%

There was a great showing from our test example, which was very expertly finished. The joinery work was neat and accurate from front to back, with pleasing attention to detail much in evidence behind the scenes – looking under beds and inside lockers often reveals some untidiness, but not here. And the wood veneer is gorgeous, imparting a pleasingly upmarket look to the Pegasus. The GRP outer skin on the Alu-Tech-constructed bodyshell adds sleekness and sturdiness.

Towing – 90%

Although you may need to consider the Bologna’s width when route-planning, said routes can all be renamed ‘easy street’, such is the reassurance that comes from having four wheels on the ground as you breeze along (okay, eight wheels if you want to take the car into account as well…). Al-Ko’s ATC trailer control system will be there with you on every journey for extra reassurance.    

Daytime – 86%

Wraparound lounge seating

Considering that eight-feet-wide caravans are just six inches wider than ‘regular’ offerings, it’s remarkable how much more spacious they look and feel when you walk into one. The effect is even greater when, as here, the lounge area consists of wraparound seating uninterrupted by a front chest of drawers. If there are just the two of you, it’s very user-friendly – you have a plethora of options when it comes to deciding which way to put your feet up. It’s less convincing if you have a couple of friends in – that section of seating under the front window is a victory for good looks over comfort.

When I say ‘good looks’, I’m not kidding – the combination of the restrained, elegant upholstery, the pelmets either side of the windows that are reminiscent of posh wallpaper, the beautiful wood finish and the vibrant pop of colour from the scatter cushions is a winning one.

If you run out of places to put things when you set up on site then, frankly, you’ve brought too much with you. As well as uncommonly spacious under-seat storage, there’s a vast amount of room under the double bed – and a special mention must go to the locker just inside the entrance door, which is great for stowing away shoes if you’re not using an awning.

As you’d have every right to expect from a £30k-plus caravan, you’re well looked-after when it comes to standard equipment. The Sonos Bluetooth speaker delivers a sound quality at odds with its diminutive size, and its portability means you can plonk it anywhere you like.

Two TV viewing stations are laid on (lounge and bedroom) as well as a wireless charging pad and plenty of mains sockets and USB slots. The 130W solar panel up on the roof will help keep the lights on for longer if you’re away from a hook-up for a few days.

Night-time – 93%

Island bed

Although nominally a four-berth (the front seating makes up into a perfectly comfy double bed if called upon), this works superbly as a holiday apartment for a couple. And after spending the evening relaxing in the refined surroundings of the lounge, said couple can retire to their very nicely set-out en-suite bedroom – probably feeling rather pleased with their lot.

The transverse island bed is a lovely thing, pulling off the neat trick of being cossetting and super-supportive at the same time. While the bed is the star of the show, the rest of the bedroom also makes a good account of itself. There are no wardrobes either side of the bed, which allows enough space for what are effectively proper bedside tables. In the morning, you can fetch in the coffees and open the blind that covers the big sunroof, or sit up in bed and gaze out of the window on the offside wall.        

Kitchen – 95%

L-shaped kitchen

The L-shape structure of the kitchen lends it a discrete identity and contributes a healthy slab of work surface. A generously provided complement of storage options covers all bases, and you are well served when it comes to cooking: a dual-fuel hob, separate oven and grill, and a fitted Russell Hobbs microwave are all at your disposal. The latter is very nicely fitted into the cabinetry, which itself looks very elegant.

The tall, slim built-in tower fridge-freezer on the nearside sets the seal on what is an impressive overall kitchen offering.     

Washroom – 90%

Ease open the sliding door in the bedroom and the first thing to catch your eye is the coolly backlit ‘floating’ oval mirror. It makes for an impressive focal point and it’s big enough to make itself useful. Likewise there is abundant storage: two big lockers, a generous swathe of shelving and a nicely styled row of hooks on their own binnacle will cater for a plethora of toiletries. The separate shower cubicle is fully adult-sized.

Lighting – 90%

Lighting is all very nicely done. Ceiling-level mood-lighting strips run pretty much the full length of the interior on either side to give a pleasing ambience in the evening. The two reading lights in the lounge are backed up by two flush-fitting lamps overhead if you need a bit more ‘oomph’. The bedroom features two reading lamps (with USB charging slots built in), the aforementioned ambient strips and a user-friendly flush-fitting lamp right above the mirror-fronted wardrobe.

As is usually the case these days, the entire kitchen area is bathed in a strong, white light courtesy of a long LED on the underside of the overhead units.       

Verdict – 91%

In the great scheme of things, the new Bologna is a modest update on last year’s offering. But the interior decor is on another level – it has gone from ‘nice’ to ‘wow’. So long as you’re not looking to seat four people with any regularity, there’s no reason not to recommend the multi-talented Pegasus Bologna.