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Rob McCabe tests a revamped Bailey boasting a luxurious rear bedroom

Classy body shape and graphics

Bailey has reintroduced the ‘Black Edition’ suffix for its latest Phoenix caravan offerings. But the five-strong Phoenix family has been treated to more than just a name-change and some new graphics: the interior decor has been completely overhauled in an attempt to give it a more upmarket feel.

Has it worked? Well let’s take a look at the big-selling 640 island-end-bed layout to find out.

Build quality – 82%

I have to say, what a great-looking caravan. The quietly classy graphics bring out the best in the already handsome body shape, with the new alloy wheels (black, of course) providing a suitably posh finishing touch. The GRP-skinned sidewalls gleam like their lives depend on it, and they offer impact resistance of which owners of aluminium-bodied caravans can only dream.

Step inside, and first impressions are largely positive. The new stone-grey furniture looks lovely, with the overhead locker doors reassuringly gripped by substantial metal catches. There were just a couple of niggles on our test model: the kitchen cabinet doors were very slightly out of alignment, and the adhesive tape on the nearside lounge window pelmet was not doing its job.

Towing – 92%

A huge plus for those seeking easier towing is the Phoenix’s relatively slimline 7ft 3in width – a full nine inches narrower than the eight-foot behemoths that take up so much forecourt space these days, and one or two inches slimmer than many other mainstream caravans.

It’s a valid consideration if you’re a regular visitor to some remote Certificated Locations or off-the-beaten-track rally fields, And although it can hardly be referred to as a featherweight, the 1,467kg MTPLM nevertheless puts the 640 within the reach of a wide choice of towcars.

Weight distribution is nigh-on perfect, thanks to all the heavy metal in the kitchen (fridge, microwave and cooker) being sited right over the axle. The gas locker is also amidships, over on the offside. Al-Ko’s ATC trailer control system is notable by its absence on the one-up-from-entry-level Phoenix models, but it’s available as a £550 extra. That addition would still keep the on-the-road price under £26,900 – decent value in today’s marketplace.

Daytime – 90%

Lots of light in the lounge

The ambience in the lounge is one of subtle elegance: the unfussy colour scheme and the attractive, tactile quality of the upholstery make it a very pleasant place to be, aided by the lashings of daylight that pour in through that enormous feature front window. The new stone-finish lockers are classy looking, set off by black handles; the taps in the kitchen and washroom and the shower fittings are also black. The usefulness of the front chest of drawers is slightly compromised by the pull-out extension that doesn’t sit flush with the rest of the surface, though.

The outgoing models had what Bailey called a ‘media station’, which essentially comprised a bespoke cubby for the Sonos portable Bluetooth speaker, TV connectivity and a wireless charging pad. The new version looks all the better for not having it, bearing in mind that a portable speaker doesn’t need somewhere to call home. Wherever you place it, the Sonos offers a wonderful sound quality with great clarity and depth, whether streaming live radio or playing your own tunes from your phone or tablet. It’s a lovely bit of kit.

The proven Truma Combi heating is efficient, quiet and quick – it gets to work in no time.

Night-time – 94%

The main draw in this excellent bedroom is the wonderfully plush 6ft 3in-long island bed, which can be pushed back into day mode to give more walkaround space at the bottom. When it’s fully extended, it’s a tight squeeze for whoever is on the off side if the angled sliding door is closed. That aside, everything is laid on a plate for you in here. Each occupant has a bedside shelf, a wardrobe and a window, and there’s a sunroof to let daylight in first thing in the morning. The shelf on the nearside front corner is adjacent to socketry for the telly, while the other corner boasts an illuminated full-length mirror with a hairdryer-friendly mains socket right underneath. No two ways about it – it’s a bedroom that will sell a lot of 640s.

Up front, the sofas quickly transform into a full-size double thanks to slats that glide with sugary sweetness – or leave them be and take advantage of a pair of 5ft 11in-long singles.

Kitchen – 93%

In terms of equipment, you’ve pretty much got everything including the kitchen sink: four-ring hob including a gas-preserving electric hotplate, oven and grill, a 103-litre fridge with a usefully chunky freezer compartment, and a really smartly fitted Russell Hobbs microwave (one of the new breed of flatbed models).

The flip-up worktop extension was previously an option, but is now a standard fitment – good news, as there’s not a huge amount of workspace otherwise. There are plenty of storage options, though, including a huge pan cupboard made possible by the more compact combined oven/grill unit. That’s more than a fair exchange in my book – trying to get a pan out from the bottom of the pile in most caravans is a Herculean task.

Washroom – 91%

Decent space in the washroom

The central location of the bathroom contributes much to the 640’s user-friendly layout – it’s equally accessible from the bedroom or the lounge, so any guests staying the night are spared the awkwardness of having to creep past your bed to pay a visit.

It feels impressively spacious, thanks to the cleverly angled sliding door that gives a welcome few extra inches of floorspace (at the expense of the aforementioned lack of it in the bedroom). The shower cubicle is a good size too, and the full-width raised footrest makes life easier. The style highlight is the attractive, nicely backlit, oval-shaped mirror.

On the downside, there’s no window, so it does feel a wee bit gloomy in here during daylight hours.

Lighting – 94%

They’ve thought of almost everything, the one letdown being the inclusion of just two reading lamps in the lounge, meaning that someone will have to do without if the double bed is in use.

Elsewhere, though, it’s all good. There’s ambient lighting above every overhead locker throughout the caravan – which by itself imparts an agreeable, relaxing tone of an evening. Two piercing, ceiling-mounted lights in the lounge can be brought into play should you ever feel the need to practise your dentistry skills. The kitchen is amply catered for by a full-width underlocker strip, and the two over-the-shoulder reading lamps in the bedroom are joined by pin lights above the TV shelf and that big mirror. The mirror in the washroom is nicely back-lit and there’s a dedicated light for the shower.