Make way with the Morley's in the Pegasus Grande Palermo

Having looked around this model at the Caravan and Motorhome show in October 2018 and being suitably impressed, we were all excited to try out the new 8ft wide Caravan. Andy was a little disappointed that he didn’t get to tow it, as it was delivered to, and collected from site, but who knows maybe they’ll be opportunity in the future!

We packed the Nissan Navara, which believe me was no mean feat and required vacuum packing all the bedding to ensure everything was going to fit. We could have done with vacuum packing the dog too, but as this was not possible, we managed to move things around to make a comfortable space for Bruno! Clothes, bedding, entertainment, toiletries, kitchen utensils, cutlery, food and drink, children, dog and husband packed, we were ready to Make Way to Longleat.

Arriving on site just as the sun began to fade; we were pleased to see the Pegasus Grande Palermo as the children were beginning to get hungry! We were confident that the caravan would already be warm and cosy having previously experienced the Truma heating system in the Phoenix 650 and knowing how effective it is.

As we stepped inside the Palermo, the children’s first impressions were “This caravan is amazing”, “I really like this caravan” and “can we have it?”, so positive first impressions all round.

For me, I was very excited by the under bench storage in the side of the front seat. Perfect for stowing away everyone’s shoes and no need to have a great pile of shoes by the front door. I was also excited that for the first time in our caravanning experience we had a bin in the door (it’s the little things!). No more dirty bin bags hanging on the caravan door, yey!

Time to unpack. Having looked around we realised there were no overhead lockers at the rear of the caravan due to the bunk beds and bathroom running along either side of the rear. Would this pose a problem when storing the clothing needed for three children, for one week?

After considering the space that was available, the children’s clothes were comfortably stored in the cupboards above the dinette and there was also a shelf to spare, ample room for all the girl’s crafting activities.

With Father Christmas having arrived only the day before, there was a lot craft to store! Our clothes and bedding easily fitted into the storage space under the seats and in the overhead lockers at the front of the Palermo.

The bathroom had a vast amount of storage space too. In fact, as a family of 5 we were unable to fill it. The cupboard space in the kitchen was more than adequate to store all of our equipment, including food and drink for a week.

The 145-litre Dometic tower refrigerator offered plenty of space and the freezer compartment is much larger than the icebox in our own caravan. The food that went in chilled would come out frozen! Something that doesn’t happen in our own caravan.

The 8ft lounge was a real winner that along with the dinette made the caravan feel extremely open and spacious.

Our friends Jon and Sarah Feeney (already owners of a Bailey Pegasus Ancona) confirmed this one evening when they came over for a drink. With our girls busy crafting together at the dining table, we discussed our experiences in the Palermo and they commented on how ‘social’ the layout was.

Being able to eat at the side-dinette table and not having to get the collapsible table out of the cupboard to be setup at the front of the caravan for every mealtime is particularly handy. Using the handy stool/storage box that resides under the seat at the back of the Palermo, we were able to comfortably seat five around the table with more than enough elbowroom.

The high-density foam filled sofas offered comfortable seating during the day and were perfect for a goodnight sleep. The girls loved using the curtain to create their own little space and Finley loved his double bed.

The co-ordinating bedding sets (available as an optional extra) fitted the girl’s bunks perfectly and were in keeping with the caravan décor. An optional extra that I would purchase, I loved how neat and tidy the beds looked! You can follow our adventures and to see some of the fun we had over on our YouTube channel.

In summary, what we love: The extra space of the 8ft Grande, the dinette, the rear end bathroom and bunks, the storage/stool, the support that the sofas/beds offer, drop down storage space near the door. Bruno was more than happy to stay in this caravan if we had to pop out for a short while, so it definitely has the Cockapoo’s seal of approval.

Overall, would we buy a Pegasus Grande Palermo?

If we were able to do so, we most definitely would. The extra few inches on offer in an 8ft wide caravan make a huge difference. This caravan felt extremely spacious and homely. The user payload is good, the MTPLM is not enormous and the standard level of equipment is very good. The interior, like all the Bailey caravan ranges is hard to beat in our opinion.

One final note, if like us your caravan is not stored at home, make sure you speak with your storage facility to make sure they are still able to accommodate you.

Want to find out more about family adventures from Make Way With The Morleys? Read about their trips away in a Phoenix 650 here