2022 Bailey Alicanto Grande Lisbon caravan

An 8ft wide caravan newcomer for the start of 2022. Bailey has replicated its Alicanto Grande Porto with the same floorplan in a single axle model, the Lisbon.

Big Bailey’s little brother

The settees/single beds are shorter than its twin axle brother (but you’re also looking at £2,000 extra for the twin model and, of course, it’s heavier).

You’ll like the supportive feel of the cushioning, though, plus the corner head rests and the Bailey caravan trademark long, swooping, opening central front window, flanked by much smaller units, also opening.

Typical Bailey, too, the seating extends right to the very front of the ‘van. There’s the usual chest of drawers, too – two drawers and a floor locker, with a slide-out table top, plus a mains socket nearby.

There’s lots of fun to be had with the lighting in the lounge – a multi-function touch panel allows you to change the colouring to suit your mood.

When it comes to bedmaking, pull-out slatting bridges the gap between the settees. The main bed, though, is in an altogether more splendid setting at the opposite end of the Alicanto Grande Lisbon.

It’s a permanent island double that extends out to a very generous 1.90m x 1.53m, flanked by his and hers wardrobes, distinctly curved (wider at the top) to optimise internal space.

A handy feature is the open access to the bottom of each wardrobe – ideal when you want to put away small items when you’re in bed. There are ledges, too, both with hinged tops to more storage.

There’s plenty of padded headboard for the bed, too, plus two overhead lockers.

A sliding door sections off the bedroom from the separate shower and toilet rooms.

The shower cubicle has folding doors, a good depth to the shower tray and a neat handy little wall-mounted moulded section (with drainage) that’s ideal for putting soaps, shampoos etc.  Just as useful is the pull-down rail for wet clothing or towels.

Directly across the corridor from the shower cubicle, the toilet room has a solid door that can also be used to block off the bedroom and its en-suite facilities from the lounge and kitchen areas. A curved wall means the Thetford swivel-bowl toilet is always private.

Also here is a fixed basin with locker underneath. The mirror beyond the basin is also the door to a shelved locker. Plus there’s a window, set at a high level just to ensure a bit more essential privacy.

Mid-‘van, and the kitchen in the Bailey Alicanto Grande Lisbon has an L-shape to it to optimise its space, so you get a small section of extended permanent worktop as well as extra storage space underneath. A detail, maybe, but one you’ll remember is the dedicated storage for four wine bottles to the right of the cooker. Other fittings extend to a Dometic microwave and an Omnivent electric roof vent.

That worktop includes a grooved drainer section, while a splashguard at the left is there to prevent any kitchen mess spilling over into the lounge. There’s also an acrylic splash protection panel on the kitchen wall.

Kitchen storage includes two overhead lockers – the one on the left is un-shelved (ideal for cereal packets etc), the one on the right is shelved – while under the sink is a cupboard with shelving. There are also a cutlery drawer, another drawer, and a floor locker.

Directly opposite the main kitchen unit, there’s a 139-litre capacity, slimline Dometic fridge/freezer with dual hinges (although they’re not really suitable in this scenario), 139 litres total capacity.

Elsewhere, details that help turn a good caravan into a great one, range from the Avtex wi-fi system, to the wireless smartphone charger with two USB ports just inside the door, to the two hooks on the outer edge of the kitchen. Plus the Bailey Alicanto Grande Lisbon and Porto come with the latest security and safety equipment fitted as standard, for a healthy discount on your caravan insurance.

And then there are other upmarket fittings on the new Bailey Alicanto Grande Series 2 line-up, such as the Alde central heating system, the flush-fitting windows and more – all pointers towards what Bailey itself describes as its most upmarket caravan range yet.

Let’s take a look inside:

Verdict: Bailey serves up a capital treat!

Plus: Typical spacious feel for an extra-wide tourer, not as heavy as you might expect, lots of good details

Minus: Just the one shower plughole, microwave directly over hob

In-a-nutshell: Grande design

There’s more information on the Alicanto Grande caravan range on the Bailey website. To find out more about insuring this or your current caravan visit our caravan insurance page

Alternatives: Adria Adora 623 DP Tiber, Coachman Laser 545 Xtra, Swift Challenger X860