While motorhomes can of course take the world and his wife along with them, many people say that they really come into their own when it is just the two of you going along for the journey, ready to spend weeks on the road exploring the world. Here, we reveal our pick for the best motorhome for couples at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2024.
Unlike a two berth, a motorhome for couples may have extra berths – after all, one of the crucial considerations will be making sure you both have enough space to enjoy a comfortable tour when you’re staying at one of the best motorhome sites.
This year’s winner is the Rapido C03 – we were really impressed by the manufacturer’s new look at the transverse bed layout, with the ‘van still coming with a proper bedroom. In this guide, you’ll be able to see exactly what we thought of it, as well as find out our shortlisted options. You’ll also be able to take a look at last year’s shortlisted models, featuring ‘vans from some of the best motorhome brands such as Adria, Joa, Hymer and more.
The winner of the best motorhome for couples is:
Rapido C03
- Price: £71,300
- Berths: 3
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MiRO: 2860kg
- Payload: 640kg
- Length: 6.19m
- Width: 2.17m
Reasons to buy:
- It’s a transverse bed layout, so still short, but it has a proper bedroom
Reasons to avoid:
- The bottom of the habitation door is unusually prominent – not good if you are liable to trip over things.
This latest addition to Rapido’s compact range takes a new look at the transverse bed layout, and in so doing creates a motorhome that should be perfect for just the two of you. Rapido doesn’t see why these motorhome layouts should be restricted to a 5.99m or even shorter, and frankly neither do we.
The ‘van, which made our shortlist for the best motorhome for innovation too, is still short at 6.19m, but that extra 20cm gets you a full height wardrobe that is just the right size for two, and a proper set of steps for the bed. No more snagging your toes on those awkward ladders. You still get a decent kitchen, a comfortable front dinette, and a garage underneath that bed that, at 120cm high, can easily store two bikes.
Full review: Rapido C03
Also on the shortlist for the best motorhome for couples are:
Pilote Atlas A656D
- Price: £84,500
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MiRO: 3015kg
- Payload: 485kg
- Length: 6.60m
- Width: 2.20m
Reasons to buy:
- It’s a super comfortable interior with a rugged exterior
Reasons to avoid:
- If you’re not really the off-road type, it’s quite pricey
The A656D is the newer of the (so far) two low-profile models in Pilote’s new Atlas range based on a Ford Transit Trail – so a chassis with limited slip differential, making it easier for the two of you to go off-road and get away from it all.
It is in effect a Ford Transit Trail version of Pilote’s existing P626D Fiat-based motorhome, which has already proved popular. So you get a large dressing room/washroom across the back, a side kitchen and then a comfortable lounge up front with plenty of space for you to stretch out in, even in a vehicle that is just 6.6m long.
Come nighttime, if it’s just the two of you travelling, you don’t even have to move any cushions to make the bed. You just drop the bed down from the ceiling. We like the funky decals on the outside here too, designed to imitate the Ford’s luton. The only downside is the extra money you have to part with to get this chassis.
Full review: Pilote Atlas A656D
Adria Twin Max 600 SPB
- Price: TBC
- Berths: 2
- MTPLM: TBC
- MiRO: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- Length: 5.99m
- Width: 2.04m
Reasons to buy:
- It’s a rugged campervan, but it doesn’t look as if it is inside
Reasons to avoid:
- Not really a van for non-sporty types
Adria’s Twin Max range is the first by the company to be based on the MAN TGE chassis.
As that’s a step up from the usual in terms of both ruggedness and performance, the Slovenian company has seen fit to make the interior look that little bit more special, so you won’t find much moulded plastic in here.
Instead, the warm wood furniture finish matched with the dark colours of the upholstery (including optional leather) make this 6m-long transverse bed model seem extra cosy. There is plenty of room for two people inside too. Something we look for in the best campervan is plenty of room for whatever people may choose to bring with them, and that’s the case here because that bed folds out to provide space for bikes.
Other clever touches include overnight bags that fix to the insides of the barn doors, which you can obviously carry away with you.
Campaway Casa
- Price: £69,995
- Berths: 3
- MTPLM: 2800kg
- MiRO 2420kg
- Payload: 380kg
- Length: 5.3m
- Width: 2.3m
Reasons to buy:
- You effectively get three large beds, a workable kitchen and a loo in just over 5m
Reasons to avoid:
- Not for you if you don’t like beds that make use of the cab seat
Say what you like about the British, but it seems that not all of us have a desire to cuddle up with our nearest and dearest every night. Some of us like to sleep alone, and find many current campervans and low-profile motorhomes don’t really allow you to do that easily – especially if you are both above average height.
That is the issue Broad Lane Leisure has tried to resolve – we think very successfully – with its Campaway Casa. It’s designed to be a halfway house between a coachbuilt and a van conversion, so despite it being based on a VW T6.1, it still manages to include two beds both 2m long within just 5m of length. The first, obviously, is in the pop-up roof, but the second comes together by extending the rear travel seat and merging it with the swivelled nearside cab seat.
Other couple-friendly innovations include moving the hob up towards the front, next to a side settee, so the cook doesn’t feel buried away at the back.
Full review: Campaway Casa
These are the shortlisted options for the best motorhome for couples at the Practical Motorhome Awards 2023:
Benimar Tessoro 483
- Price: £69,995
- Berths: 4
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MiRO: 3049kg
- Payload: 451kg
- Length: 6.70m
- Width: 2.30m
Reason to buy:
- Great garage and wardrobe, high level of kit, spacious end washroom
Reason to avoid:
- No internal access to garage
Last year’s winner of the best motorhome for couples category is the Spanish manufacturer’s impressive take on an increasingly popular layout that entails having a large lounge with a drop-down bed above it, a side kitchen, and then a huge washroom at the end with a large cupboard behind it and plenty of room to dress inside.
It’s really a layout which is ideally suited for couples because you have all the room in the world to get up in the morning, and at the flick of a switch you have access to a comfy lounge with a large table where you can have all your meals in comfort. Then at the end of the day you just flick that switch to get the bed back – no fumbling around with infills and cushions (as long as you don’t try to make up the downstairs bed. It’s a very comfy bed too.
This model goes a bit further, however, with a high level of spec. You get a solar panel on the roof, along with external shower and BBQ points. The kitchen includes a three burner hob a 145-litre fridge (huge for a couple), and yes, although it is a Continental motorhome you do get an oven, albeit a combined oven and grill.
All in all, you are all set for a couple on tour.
Full review: Benimar Tessoro 483
Globecar Roadscout R Elegance
- Price: £58,189
- Berths: 2 (optional 3rd)
- MTPLM: 3300kg
- MiRO: 2720kg
- Payload: 580kg
- Length: 5.41m
- Width: 2.05m
Reason to buy:
- Good washroom and kitchen by van conversion standards
Reason to avoid:
- No wardrobe
We were really impressed by this model.
By van conversion standards, the kitchen is great. In here, you’ll find a two-way opening fridge and two-burner hob, as well as a mains socket. The taps and controls on the sink fold flat so you can use the cover to create some valuable workspace.
Food can then be enjoyed outside if the weather permits, with the curved light that sits just outside the kitchen peninsula providing light to the space immediately outside the ‘van.
The washroom is similarly impressive too, with a fold away hand basin and a tap that can double up as a shower head.
A good bed will be a key consideration for couples, and in this ‘van, you get a transverse bed, made easier to get into thanks to a wooden block. UK models come with a third bed too – technically, it’s a cost option, but it’s useful to have, should a guest stay over. This is made up in the front dinette with an extra platform.
Storage is excellent for couples, with the option of folding up the rear bed to provide room for any bulky items you’re taking away with you.
Full review: Globecar Roadscout R Elegance
Adria Twin Supreme 600SX
- Price: £65,285
- Berths: 2
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- Length: 5.99m
- Width: 2.05m
Reason to buy:
- Clever second lounge
Reason to avoid:
- More for sporty couples than for relaxed touring
This two-berth is ideal for sporty couples, packing a lot into a space that’s under 6m.
One of our favourite features is the option of creating a second ‘lounge’; this is done thanks to the drop-down double not fully rising into the ceiling. Instead, only part rises, leaving you with a bench to use on the offside during the daytime. We thought this would be an ideal perch for anyone who wants to conduct some bike maintenance.
The other lounge in the vehicle is located at the front of the ‘van. Here, you can swivel the cab seats around to face the bench and sit at the clip-on table.
The kitchen is also good. You get a two-burner hob and sink, with a fridge and a useful extension for creating some workspace. The clip-on table can be clipped onto the edge of the peninsula kitchen too, ideal for couples who want to enjoy an alfresco dining experience.
The washroom includes a well-lit shower, albeit a small one. In here, you also get a large mirror and a salad-bowl-style handbasin.
Full review: Adria Twin Supreme 600SX
Joa Camp 75Q
- Price: £53,900
- Berths: 3
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MiRO: 2825kg
- Payload: 675kg
- Length: 7.40m
- Width: 2.30m
Reason to buy:
- Excellent spec for the price, comfortable island bed
Reason to avoid:
- Only a two-burner hob
The Joa Camp 75Q is a budget-friendly release from Pilote, with the lower price achieved thanks to the cheaper base vehicle – the Citroën Relay – and the decision to go for modular construction.
The decor may be a reminder of the ‘van’s lower price, with no locker handles and fewer access flaps, but it’s still a comfortable and well-lit interior. The latter is achieved by the light that floods in through the sunroof and windows.
As many as eight can sit at the table – and this can even be used as extra work space, as it’s close to the kitchen. This is a clever touch, as the side kitchen’s work surface isn’t the biggest. You do get a Thetford Duplex oven though, as well as a 133-litre Dometic two-way-opening Series 10 fridge.
Couples are bound to love the comfortable island bed. We think the addition of two swan-neck spotlights is excellent, but should point out the bed doesn’t roll back, and you only get a plastic concertina partition too.
The lounge offers good storage; this includes three overhead lockers that are all a good size, while you get some useful room beneath the side settee.
Full review: Joa Camp 75Q
Rapido C55i
- Price: TBC
- MTPLM: TBC
- Payload: TBC
- MIRO: TBC
- Length: TBC
- Width: 2.17m
Reason to buy:
- Great space inside a nifty little van, and it’s an A-class too
Reason to avoid:
- Interior is a bit pale and samey
We already liked the low-profile version of this motorhome that came out last season so much that we gave the Rapido C55 a 4.5-star review earlier this year in Practical Motorhome. It does include a third bed you can make up from the dinette, but really that would only be an occasional bed. This layout, with two long single beds, a good size kitchen for the space and a pleasant washroom with a swivelling partition, is really ideal for two so that you can really treat it as a real home on the move.
The garage should also be large enough to take two bicycles, so that if you prefer to explore the area on two wheels both of you can do so.
And now that all this comes in an A-class package does it not add a little bit of class to an already great offer? We certainly think so.
Hymer Venture S
- Price: £197,540
- MTPLM: 4100kg
- MiRO: 3725kg
- Payload: 375kg
- Length: 6.45m
Reasons to buy:
- Great upper bedroom, comfy rear lounge with sun deck
Reasons to avoid:
- Pricey
Most of the plus points on this highly innovative new motorhome from Hymer are on its inflatable roof and its general all-round ruggedness. But when you think about it, if you have the money it makes an ideal motorhome for two wherever you are. In fact it would be hard to imagine it with more than two.
As it is only 6.45m long, it’s nice and cosy, but there is still a cosy little rear lounge, plus of course the sun deck from which the two of you can possibly watch that sunset together that you have long been dreaming about. The kitchen has enough spec to whip up a meal for just the two of you.
The expanding washroom means you shouldn’t have to trouble yourselves with potentially meeting other people as you head out to any washblock. And of course at the end of the day there is that upstairs bedroom you can sidle up to, even if you have had one too many, thanks to the stairs. Once you’re up there, the sound reduction the inflatable walls provide should still keep the outside world at bay, and give you some privacy.
Full review: Hymer Venture S
Elddis Autoquest 115
- Price: £62,889
- MTPLM: 3500kg
- MiRO: 2619kg
- Payload: 881kg
- Length: 6.6m
- Width: 2.2m
Reasons to buy:
- Flexible lounge, spacious kitchen
Reasons to avoid:
- Washroom is a bit basic if you are planning long tours away from facilities
This end kitchen Autoquest model was always going to be a great couples vans, with two long parallel settees that made adequate single beds. This season it has got that little bit better, because they gone for a 45cm longer Peugeot base vehicle, and they have used pretty much all that extra length on even longer settees. When it comes to making up the double, however, the extra length remains as seats. It may sound parsimonious, but actually the double was already a great size, and this arrangement works even better for just the two of you. If you want to, you can leave the double made up all day because you will still have somewhere for the two of you to sit.
It’s also great if one of you is an early riser, or if one of you fancies an early night while the other still wants to sit up and read. And of course it is a great solution if one of you needs to rest during the day for health reasons. The other will still have somewhere to relax.
Put that all together with a well thought out kitchen, a large wardrobe and an adequate corner washroom, even if the shower tray does share space with the washing area, and you have a real contender for couples.
Full review: Elddis Autoquest 115
The best of the rest – we also recommend the following motorhomes for couples
Frankia Platin I 8400 Plus
- Price £160,200 OTR
- Berths 4
- Belts 4
- L/W/H 8.6/2.3/3.2m
- Base vehicle Mercedes Sprinter
- Engine 3.0-litre 190bhp turbodiesel
- MTPLM 5500kg
- Payload 840kg
OK, so this motorhome can sleep four people, and two of them can ride in the back. But would you really buy it only for that purpose? With two single beds that drop down over the cab, a central washroom spread right across the van that is large enough to swing a dressing gown in, a well-equipped kitchen to the left of the door and a comfy C-shaped lounge taking up the rear, this motorhome is ideally suited to a couple going on a long tour who want to take everything with them. It really is like moving your own home, especially as there is also loads of extra storage space in the garage at the rear and inside the double floor.
If you want to head off the beaten track on your travels, this motorhome should accommodate most of your needs too. As it includes four solar panels on the roof, and is equipped with lithium batteries and an inverter, you should be able to live tucked away off grid in here for at least a couple of days at a time.
There is, as there always is, a downside. Here it’s the price when new, which most of us, let’s face it, are hardly likely to be able to afford. But if you have the money, this is a serious contender.
The other thing to mention is that, of course, with an MTPLM of 5500kg, you will need a C1 licence to drive this.
BUY IF… You have all the money in the world – and a C1 licence.
PROS
Luxurious layout ideally suited to couples.
CONS
Not good if you are likely to have additional passengers (especially teenagers) most of the time, because the second bed has no privacy.
Read our 2020 Frankia Platin I 400 Plus review
Devon Arizona
- Price £48,597 OTR
- Berths 2
- Belts 3
- L/W/H 5.99/2.05/2.59m
- Base vehicle Fiat Ducato/Peugeot Boxer
- Engine 2.3-litre, 130bhp turbodiesel
- MTPLM 3500kg
- Payload 850kg
The Arizona packs quite a bit into its just-under-6m length. Like a rear washroom with a separate shower cubicle, and a kitchen with permanent drainer – you really don’t see that very often any more.
So it should make an ideal vehicle for the two of you to go away in. At that length you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding somewhere to park it en route while you go exploring.
Thanks to the inclusion of a 25-litre underslung gas tank, there is ample uncluttered storage space.
You do have to make up the bed by sliding the side sofa towards the nearside travel seat and using an infill cushion, but the scatter cushions are cleverly designed so that they double up as pillows, so that is one less thing you will have to bring with you.
That rear washroom is also fully accessible from the back, so if you take a dog with you, you should be able to bring them in easily for a wash before they get their muddy paws all over the cushions. Or you might just like to take a shower when you come back from the beach.
You even get a choice of vans – although they are all varieties coming from the same Sevel factory.
BUY IF… You want a short-ish van conversion that still has all the mod cons.
PROS
Washroom includes separate shower; underslung gas tank.
CONS
Bed is a bit fiddly.
Read our 2019 Devon Arizona review
Elddis Autoquest CV60
- Price £42,099
- Berths 2
- Belts 2
- L/W/H 5.99/2.5/2.67m
- Base vehicle Fiat Ducato
- Engine 2.3-litre, 120bhp
- MTPLM 3500kg
- Payload 654kg
The winner of our 2020 Motorhome of the Year award (which is the same van as the Compass Avantgarde CV60) would really make an excellent little van for the two of you to go away in. Unusually it includes a French bed in the rear offside corner which you can roll back to form a very comfortable day bed where you can either look at the world outside through the large windows and rooflight or watch TV on the sideboard opposite. (All the necessary TV sockets are included.)
But even with all that in place, and even within the van’s 6m length, there is still room for a second lounge – almost a “dining room”, in fact. Because once you swivel the cab seats round a pedestal table can be put in position which is just the right height and spot for the two of you to enjoy a bite to eat – and is conveniently located very close to the kitchen.
That kitchen is only adequate, although it does include a good amount of clear storage, thanks to the gas tank and heater both being underslung.
Having that day bed in the rear does of course mean that you won’t get the large storage options you can get in van conversions with transverse beds – where the rear can be lifted up to provide a useful storage space for day-to-day use. But we think if you are after homely comfort on your travels you might be willing to sacrifice that.
BUY IF… You are the kind of couple who like to mix travelling with the occasional bit of relaxing.
PROS
Really comfy rear lounge – and a separate eating area.
CONS
No really large storage area.
Read our Elddis Autoquest CV60 review
Auto Sleeper Symbol Plus
- Price £57,700
- Beds 2
- Belts 3
- L/W/H 6.0/2.26/2.64m
- Base vehicle Peugeot Boxer
- Engine 2.3-litre, 160bhp
- MTPLM 3500KG
- Payload 525kg
If your idea of the ideal van conversion for touring as a couple involves some degree of comfort and a nice double bed but at the same time a decent attempt at a kitchen and a washroom, and all in just six metres to make the driving easier, then the Symbol Plus may be just the thing for you. The kitchen and washroom are both at the rear. The former, first trialled in Auto-Sleepers’ now discontinued Stanway model, is L-shaped so has masses of workspace for a van conversion. It also has good storage – and comes with a microwave. The washroom is only adequate, but thanks to a swing-out partition you can make the whole of the rear of the van into a kind of dressing room.
The double bed has to be made up by sliding the side-facing settee forward and addingn infill cushion to link it up the single forward-racing seat. But it is comfortable, and with this you have easy access to all the services in the night.
Best of all, the forward facing seat is a proper travel seat, so you could transport an extra passenger if you have to. They would just have to find somewhere else to sleep.
BUY IF... you need all mod cons in a small space
PROS
Comfy sideway settee and large kitchen for a van conversion.
CONS
Corner washroom is narrow.
Read our 2019 Auto-Sleeper Symbol Plus review
Niesmann + Bischoff Flair 920 EK
- Price £160,390 OTR
- Berths 4
- Belts 4
- L/W/H 9.27/2.4/3.34m
- Base vehicle Iveco Daily
- Engine 3.0-litre, 180bhp turbodiesel
- MTPLM 7200kg
- Payload 1450kg
This is another motorhome possibly to dream about rather than actually to buy. It comes with a whopping £70,000-plus of optional extras, so that price is fairly flexible anyway.
And yes, it is a four-berth, but the second double is drop-down over the cab that can easily be tucked away again when it’s just the two of you and no one would notice.
Because this really is a dream of a motorhome for a couple. With an engine powerful enough to take you anywhere, it has a high spec cab and very comfortable rear lounge. But the kitchen and the washroom will probably leave you having to pinch yourself that this is a motorhome you are standing in.
The kitchen includes a whole selection of drawers and cupboards that should cater for your every need, and loads of work surface. The fridge, at 106 litres, is possibly a little small, but certainly enough for just the two of you.
The washroom, spread across the centre of the van, includes not just a separate shower (you would expect that) but a separate toilet room as well. It opens easily into the rear bedroom as a dressing area.
And that bedroom features two large single beds with sprung mattresses. Outside there is a row of storage lockers running the length of the vehicle. You really couldn’t want for more.
BUY IF… Money is no object and you want everything
PROS
Very high spec and a comfy interior
CONS
Perhaps the fridge is a bit small
Read our 2019 Niesmann + Bischoff Flair 920EK review
Carthago liner for two I 53
- Price £122,250 (Fiat)/£135,560 (Iveco)
- Berths 2
- Belts 2
- L/W/H 7.83/2.27/3.05m
- Base vehicle Fiat Ducato/Iveco Daily
- Engine 2.3-litre, 130bhp turbodiesel (Fiat)/3.0-litre, 150bhp (Iveco)
- MTPLM 4800kg (Fiat)/5000kg (Iveco)
- Payload 765kg (Fiat)/ 965kg (Iveco)
Although its name more or less demands that it is a two-berth, it is possible to use the liner for two as a four-berth. As an optional extra, the rear lounge can be made into a second double bed.
But, as with the Frankia Platin, why would you want to? The liner for two shares the Frankia’s layout. In fact it goes one stage further, because the C-shaped lounge in the rear includes a seat that turns into a recliner, from which you can watch the TV that slides out. Very decadent.
The central kitchen is spacious with loads of work surface, while the central washroom has a shower with two different kinds of shower head, one of which is a rain shower.
Storage on the outside includes a huge garage complete with ramp, and more lockers that make use of the double floor.
The liner for two is based on either the Fiat Ducato or the Iveco Daily. Such options make it marginally cheaper than the Mercedes-based Frankia. But if you are going to go for this motorhome, and you can afford it, we would recommend the Iveco option, as it is better powered.
BUY IF… You want ultimate comfort, regardless of cost and size
PROS
Comfy lounge, loads of storage.
CONS
Fiat engine a bit underpowered for this.
Read our 2019 Carthago liner for two I 53 review here
WildAx Elara
- Price £69,675
- Berths 2
- Belts 2
- L/W/H 6.97/2.34/2.75m
- Base vehicle Mercedes Sprinter
- Engine 3.0-litre, 150bhp turbodiesel
- MTPLM 3500kg
- Payload 330kg
Do you think that if you opt for the convenience of a van conversion you have to make do with dodgy beds made up from car seats and the odd infill cushion? Then the WildAx Elara should prove you wrong. In the rear of this Sprinter conversion you will most unusually find an island bed, and not just any island bed, but an island bed that is very nearly 2m long.
Such a large bed doesn’t necessarily intrude on available storage space either: there is a series of small wardrobes and cupboards here, the rear doors give you easy access to the area under the bed.
In front of this is a pleasant lounge with an L-shaped settee and a pedestal table by the swivelled cab seats that is a perfect spot for a quick meal.
And all this rests on a powerful Mercedes engine. There are no extra travel seats, but you might want to keep this van to yourselves.
Then again, if the island bed doesn’t appeal because the two of you prefer to sleep alone, you can go for the fixed single beds option.
BUY IF… You need a really big bed in a van conversion.
PROS
Huge bed, comfy lounge.
CONS
No extra travel seats.
Read our 2019 WildAx Elara review
Roller Team Pegaso 590
- Price £61,540
- Berths 4
- Belts 4
- L/W/H 5.99/2.35/2.95m
- Base vehicle Fiat Ducato
- Engine 2.3-litre, 120bhp turbodiesel
- MTPLM 3500kg
- 635kg
Yes, it’s an A-class, but it’s only a tiddly one, less than 6m long. So it still makes for a nimble vehicle.
Although it’s actually a four-berth, the 590 is another one of those vehicles you would be much better off using almost exclusively as a two-berth. The second bed is made up from infill cushions and dropping the dinette table, so it is a bit fiddly (although perfectly OK for an emergency). If you don’t use it, you can leave the ladder in place to access the drop-down bed over the cab, and still leave the large front lounge in order, with easy access to the rear washroom at night time and to the kitchen for that early morning cuppa.
For an A-class the 590 is also surprisingly cheap. Yet it still comes loaded with a really high spac fitted as standard, including a Truma Combi 6 heating system and a rear view mirror.
And there is one thing that makes this particular range of A-classes unique in the UK market currently. Roller-Team is the only A-class manufacturer that provides its vehicles with a driver door on the UK side. With all the others you have to put up with it still being on the passenger side. It’s not a deal-maker, but over time is the kind of little convenience that you will come to appreciate.
BUY IF… You want a comfortable A-class – but not a long one.
PROS
Works well as a two-berth, with everything staying in place at night
CONS
No outside BBQ point
Read our 2019 Pegaso 590 review
Swift Escape Compact C402
- Price £50,900
- Berths 2
- Belts 4
- L/W/H 5.99/2.26/2.78m
- Base vehicle Fiat Ducato
- Engine 2.3-litre, 120bhp turbodiesel
- MTPLM 3300kg
- Payload 603kg
This two-berth, one of three models Swift included in its then new Escape Compact sub-brand in 2019, justly went on to win the Best Compact Motorhome category in our Motorhome of the Year awards that year.
It’s called Compact mainly because of its width – at 2.26m, it should be that much easier to navigate around narrow city streets and windy country lanes.
But it certainly doesn’t feel cramped inside, thanks to the modern interior with matt white surfaces that Swift introduced on all Escape models in the 2017 season.
Even if it is a two berth, and only 5.99m long, this motorhome still has room for two lounges – one in the rear, which is a definite plus for UK travelling, and a dinette at the front where there are two travel seats. So you could, if you really wanted to, use this as a day-to-day vehicle.
Those two lounges don’t mean other areas are compromised either. The washroom doesn’t include a separate shower, but it is roomy. And the kitchen still manages to include a microwave as well as an oven and grill.
The only thing we would say is that you may need to be cosy as a couple: the transverse double you make up from the rear lounge is not the cosiest we have seen.
BUY IF… You need a nimble little mover
PROS
Narrow width makes manoeuvring easier
CONS
Rear double bed is a bit small
Read our 2019 Swift Escape Compact C402 review
Bailey Advance 66-2
- Price £48,129 OTR
- Berths 2
- Belts 2
- L/W/H 6.59/2.28/2.76m
- Base vehicle Peugeot Boxer
- Engine 2.3-litre, 130bhp turbodiesel
- MTPLM 3500kg
- Payload 800kg
This two-berth is part of Bailey’s lower-priced Advance range that it significantly updated in 2019. It went on to be named Motorhome of the Year that year, and it’s not hard to see why.
It is strictly a two-berth: it has two facing settees in the lounge without even an option for folding travel seats, so you would have to be sure you would only need it for two people before you bought it.
But if you are sure of that, it really makes an ideal motorhome for a touring couple. Those two facing settees are enormous. If you are the kind of touring couple who like to invite people into your motorhome for a get-together when you arrive on site, then this is the van for you.
The settees are so long that you can easily leave them at night-time as separate single beds. But if you prefer a double, you only need to pull the two platforms together to make an enormous one.
And you still get enough room in here for a perfectly adequate kitchen and of course, a very generous washroom-cum-dressing room at the rear complete with a separate shower cubicle.
Best of all, this motorhome has a whopping 800kg payload, so you really can take everything with you.
BUY IF… You often like to socialise on site.
PROS
Huge lounge and washroom
CONS
The kitchen is only adequate.
Read our 2018 Bailey Advance 66-2 review
How we choose the best motorhome for couples
A motorhome for couples may have more than two berths, with a key consideration being to ensure you both have enough space for a comfortable tour. This means we look at things including the value for money the ‘van provides, the layout, and the space the motorhome offers couples, amongst other things.
We’re in an excellent place to be accessing these things, thanks to our combined decades of experience in the industry. Since Practical Motorhome first launched in 2001, we’ve carried out hundreds of tests, many of which you can find in our motorhome reviews section. We make sure we highlight the plus points of each ‘van, as well as any flaws that become apparent. Our About Us page provides more information about our testing process.
Our Owner Satisfaction Awards are another valuable tool, giving us an insight into how the public get on when buying from the many manufacturers out there.
Combining this puts us in a strong position to begin to draw up our shortlist.
After creating a preliminary list of ‘vans to include, we then whittle it down to a final list. Each model on the shortlist is a worthy contender for the best motorhome for couples, and we’ll highlight why each model was included.
You can find more motorhome reviews in our Motorhome Buying Guides – check out Best A-class motorhomes and Best campervans
We also take a look at the best motorhome manufacturers round up, while you can find out more about the different motorhome accessories on the market with our guide to the best motorhome cleaners and the best motorhome sat navs.
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