Best Family Caravans
Look at payload first, because bunks, water and four people's gear all come out of it.
Below are the 20 models on our site with the most berths.
Look at payload first. It is what the van can still carry once four people's gear, the water and the annexe are in.
Your car's towing ratings also have to cover the loaded van on paper. Check the owner's manual and the van's compliance plate, and weigh the car and van loaded.
- Payload - what is left once water, gas, gear and the annexe are aboard
- Sleeping capacity - the number the maker publishes (check the layout, as it may count a fold-down dinette)
- Worth looking for - USB charging at the bunks, and a washing machine for long trips
What to look for
Many family vans now have fixed bunks, so nobody has to turn the dining table into a bed each night. Some also have a separate kids' area and extra storage for long trips.
Look for USB charging at the bunks, and a washing machine if you will travel for months. Most of all, look for enough payload to carry everyone's gear.
Four people and their gear is a real load, and it comes out of the same payload as the water, the gas and the annexe. Work out what is left before you choose a layout.
Can you get bunks and an ensuite?
Yes, plenty of family vans carry both. The floorplan question is where each one goes.
Bunks usually stack in a rear corner, and a full-width bathroom wants the same end of the van. Makers solve the clash two ways. Some move the bathroom to the middle, between the bunks and the main bed. Others fit a corner ensuite beside the bunks and give up the full-width layout.
A triple bunk stacks three single beds in one corner. It is one way a van sleeps six, and a dinette that folds into a bed is another. The list below includes vans that sleep six or more. Check the floorplan to see which kind of bed each one uses.
On a floorplan, check three things. Walk the path from the bunks to the toilet, because a mid bathroom keeps night traffic out of your bedroom. Look at what the ensuite displaced, since a corner bathroom often costs a wardrobe or a third bunk. And allow for the extra length, because fitting both usually means a longer, heavier van with less payload to spare.
Models that sleep four or more
They are in order of how many they sleep, then by starting price, cheapest first. Vans with no published price come last.
Sleeping capacity is the manufacturer's published figure. Check the layout yourself, because six berths can mean a fixed bunk or a dinette that folds down every night.
| Model | Starting price | Sleeps | ATM |
|---|---|---|---|
| PD Series Royal Flair Caravans | $101,518 | 10 People | 4,500kg |
| BreakOut Royal Flair Caravans | $120,138 | 10 People | 3,500kg |
| General S4 Platinum Campers | $17,899 | 8 People | 2,000kg |
| Warrior S4 Platinum Campers | $23,399 | 8 People | 2,000kg |
| Expanda Pop Top Jayco Australia | $72,490 | 8 People | 2,764kg |
| Home Grown 22'6 Triple Bunk Southern Cross Caravans | $98,490 | 8 People | 3,500kg |
| Maxxi 531-2 PT Golf Caravans | POA | 8 People | 2,510kg |
| Maxxi 584 HT Golf Caravans | POA | 8 People | |
| Maxxi 501-3 PT Golf Caravans | POA | 8 People | 1,970kg |
| Stockton XE Austrack Campers | $49,990 | 7 People | 2,500kg |
| Stockton X7 Austrack Campers | $49,990 | 7 People | 2,500kg |
| 720 Tourer Golf Caravans | POA | 7 People | 3,175kg |
| 650-3 Tourer Golf Caravans | POA | 7 People | 2,975kg |
| Glacier Canyon Caravans | POA | 7 People | 3,350kg |
| Palladium Leader Caravans | POA | 7 People | |
| 650-1 Tourer Golf Caravans | POA | 7 People | 2,875kg |
| Infinity Slide Out Avan Campers Caravans & Motorhomes | POA | 7 People | 2,900kg |
| Cobra Aussie Fivestar Caravans | POA | 7 People | 3,500kg |
| Aspire 564-600 Series Hardtop Avan Campers Caravans & Motorhomes | POA | 7 People | 2,260kg |
| 577 Tourer Golf Caravans | POA | 7 People | 2,495kg |
More about each model
The Royal Flair PD Series is a fibreglass composite caravan range, with couples and family layouts from 14 feet 6 inches to 24 feet. It has a full ensuite, air conditioning, a 314 amp hour lithium battery and 600 watts of solar.
The Royal Flair BreakOut is a fibreglass composite caravan range, with couples and family layouts from 14 feet 6 inches to 24 feet 3 inches. It runs two 200 amp hour lithium batteries, a 3,000 watt Victron inverter-charger and roof solar. Airbag suspension, a washing machine and an induction cooktop are standard.
The Platinum General S4 is an off-road soft-floor camper trailer with a large tent that sleeps up to eight. It has a queen bed reached by internal steps, with no ladder, and a tent area for four adults and four children. Its tare is 1,100kg, and Platinum says a loaded General needs a 4WD or a vehicle with a decent towing capacity.
The Platinum Warrior S4 is Platinum's top soft-floor camper trailer, built for long off-road trips. It has a queen bed with a step-through section, a tailgate kitchen and a double fridge slide. Its tare is 1,390kg, and Platinum says a loaded Warrior needs a 4WD or a vehicle with a high towing capacity.
The Jayco Expanda Pop Top is a 17 foot family pop-top that sleeps up to eight, with a tare of 2,117kg. Slide-out beds, bunks and a dinette that converts give it room for four adults, two children and two more. It comes in one floor plan, in Jayco's Outback trim, with independent coil suspension.
The Southern Cross Home Grown 22'6 Triple Bunk is a 22 foot 6 inch semi off-road caravan for a family. It has a queen bed and three bunks, with two 100 amp hour AGM batteries and 400 watts of roof solar. It weighs about 2,625kg empty and up to 3,500kg fully loaded.
The Golf Maxxi 531-2 PT is a 7.1 metre pop-top caravan that sleeps eight, with fold-out beds at both ends. It weighs about 2,010kg empty and up to 2,510kg loaded. It has a shower and toilet, roof-top air conditioning, a wind-out awning and a microwave.
The Golf Maxxi 584 HT is a 7.6 metre hard-top caravan that sleeps eight, with fold-out beds at both ends. It weighs about 2,085kg empty. It has a shower and toilet, roof-top air conditioning, a wind-out awning and a microwave.
The Golf Maxxi 501-3 PT is a 6.9 metre pop-top caravan that sleeps eight, with fold-out beds at both ends. It weighs about 1,570kg empty and up to 1,970kg loaded. It has roof-top air conditioning, a wind-out awning and a microwave.
The Austrack Stockton XE is a hard floor camper trailer with an internal ensuite that has a shower and an electric flushing toilet. It has a king bed and a double bed, and the lounge converts to another double. It weighs about 1,910kg empty, with an ATM (aggregate trailer mass) of 2,500kg.
The Austrack Stockton X7 is a hard floor camper trailer with a push-button electric lift roof, and it sleeps up to seven. It has a king bed and a double bed, the club lounge converts to a double and the dining area to a single. It weighs about 1,890kg empty, with an ATM (aggregate trailer mass) of 2,500kg.
The Golf 720 Tourer is a caravan that sleeps five to seven, with a 9.57 metre travel length. Roof-top reverse cycle air conditioning, AL-KO independent suspension and 270 watts of solar are standard.
The Golf 650-3 Tourer is a caravan that sleeps five to seven, with an 8.87 metre travel length. It has a rear bathroom with a shower and toilet, bunks at the rear, and a slide-out dinette. Roof-top reverse cycle air conditioning, AL-KO independent suspension and 270 watts of solar are standard.
The Canyon Glacier is a 22 foot family bunk van that Canyon says sleeps up to seven. It has a queen bed at the front, bunks at the back and a separate shower and toilet. Its tare is about 2,550kg and its ATM is 3,350kg.
The Leader Palladium is a semi off-road family caravan built in Victoria, with a slide-out cafe dinette. It sleeps six, and the dinette converts into a seventh bed. It comes in one 21 foot 6 inch tandem-axle layout with a full ensuite and double or triple bunks.
The Golf 650-1 Tourer is a caravan that sleeps five to seven, with an 8.87 metre travel length and a 6.5 metre body. Roof-top reverse cycle air conditioning, AL-KO independent suspension and 270 watts of solar are standard.
The Avan Infinity Slide Out is a hard-top caravan with a slide-out, in two layouts, 7.8 and 8.8 metres long overall. The Infinity 609 sleeps two to four and the Infinity 706 sleeps five to seven. Both have an ensuite with a separate shower and toilet, a club lounge and a roof-mounted air conditioner.
The Aussie Fivestar Cobra is a 22 foot off-road family caravan on a tandem axle. It sleeps up to seven, with an island queen bed and bunk beds. It weighs about 2,750kg empty (tare) and its loaded limit is 3,500kg (aggregate trailer mass, or ATM). Ask Aussie Fivestar for its price.
The Avan Aspire 564-600 Series Hardtop is a tandem-axle hard-top caravan in nine layouts, 7.18 to 7.7 metres long overall. The double layouts sleep two to four, and the two family layouts sleep up to six or seven. It weighs about 1,760kg to 2,000kg empty, with air conditioning and a 3-way fridge as standard.
The Golf 577 Tourer is a caravan that sleeps five to seven, with an 8.15 metre travel length. It has a rear bathroom with a shower and toilet. Roof-top reverse cycle air conditioning, AL-KO independent suspension and 270 watts of solar are standard.