We took the Bailey Pegasus Verona single-axle caravan out on a road trip to the picturesque central Flinders Ranges, SA, to test it against Australian conditions. Built in Bristol, England, the Verona is an 18ft 8in (5.71m) internal length, fully-featured caravan.
WINDOWS
An eye-catching feature of the Verona, new in 2014, is the towering window that rises up right into the roof. You will be treated to perfect views of the night skies and mountain ranges. When you’re concerned about privacy, or the searing sun gets too much, roll-up block out blinds and screens will provide some cover. And the adjacent and similarly double-glazed front and wide windows, can each be opened to create a delightful breezeway.
BAILEY PEGASUS VERONA BUILD
British Baileys receive more than 50 separate modifications before they go on sale in Australia, a serious commitment to this market from a company building around 9000 caravans a year. It has a sleek, laminated and moulded five-part body shell, and lightweight pressed-steel chassis, as well as uprated axles and better insulation to the roof and body sides to cater for our roads and climatic extremes.
KITCHEN AND BATHROOM
On the inside, the luxury extends to a queen-sized bed, curved timber furniture, wardrobe, and a full ensuite with separate toilet and fibreglass shower. The kitchen does not have lots of bench space but it’s still very workable and well thought out, with everything you need including three gas burners and one electric hotplate, grill, full oven and microwave, good-sized 195L three-way gas/electric refrigerator and spacious kitchen storage.
TOWING
Possibly the main drawcard of the Bailey Pegasus Verona is how light it is. It has a tare weight of 1370kg, and we towed it from Melbourne, Vic, to the Flinders Ranges very easily, hitched to the back of the latest sport model Holden. Its light weight means that it can be towed by almost any medium-sized Australian 2WD family car or light 4WD. This is a massive drawcard for weekend travellers or those who may not have a dedicated towing vehicle. The Verona certainly felt solid on both bitumen and loose surfaces behind our Commodore, with the ‘safety belt’ of its standard Al-Ko ATC (mechanical trailer control system) on standby to correct swaying.
THE CARAVAN WORLD VERDICT
The Verona is one of five models in Bailey’s Pegasus range. Priced at about $58,208 (RRP – delivered in Victoria), it sits in the middle of Bailey’s range and it packs a punch with meticulous styling, a pioneering body construction system and a deceptively spacious fit out.
The bottom line with the Verona is that you get a caravan that punches above its weight in size and features, without necessarily having to upgrade your tow car. It’s an attractive proposition.