Interview With Cathy From Barefoot Caravans
If you didn’t catch these unique little gems on ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces’ then you need to read on. Barefoot Caravans are some of the most stylish, modern-retro compact caravans we’ve ever seen, so no wonder why they’ve had so much attention recently.
We were lucky enough to get a rare opportunity to delve into the story behind the concept. We managed to tear Cathy Chamberlain, Managing Director at Barefoot Caravans, away from her busy schedule to ask her a few questions about the British built Barefoot Caravan for our amazing peer to peer sharing community.
What Camplify absolutely love about Barefoot Caravans
In our business we get to see a lot of caravans and motorhomes. This is by far our favourite compact model on the market right now. Words that come to the forefront of the mind are; nostalgia, quirky, retro, modern, spacious, quality and class. It’s a real head-turner for sure and a conversation starter for those that love camping. Finally a bit of luxury for those that have been searching for it in a small package. It’s not the cheapest compact caravan we’ve come across but you certainly get the bang for your buck, worth every penny we say!
We hope you love them as much as we do! Over to Cathy to tell us all about Barefoot Caravans…
Where did the idea originate?
“Over the years I’ve done lots of camping and festivals and after a particularly wet weekend of camping I wanted more luxury. So I thought it would be nice to design a caravan that gave me and everyone else just that.”
Where does the passion and drive behind Barefoot come from?
“It is hard bringing a new design to the market, our team all loved the Barefoot design but it wasn’t until it was first revealed to the public that we saw how popular it was. Since then we’ve had lots of great reviews and TV appearances and so we are very driven to keep producing Barefoot Caravans in the UK and overseas.”
For a potential owner, how bespoke is the Barefoot?
“The Barefoot is ALL high spec and top of the range. People can choose from our three standard colours; Pale Grey, Cotswold Cream or Duck Egg Blue OR any colour they want as an extra. The kitchen units, seats, blinds and of course the Roberts Revival DAB Mini Radio that comes included with a new Barefoot are all customisable. There are more than enough combinations for people to make it their own”
What sets the Barefoot apart from other makes and models of compact caravans?
“Well there are a few points to mention…It has a very stylish fibreglass monocoque body, everything is hand fitted and the quality and finish of the product is really outstanding. There’s no fake wood and we’ve got solid oak worktops, which was important for me as it shows the quality that people want to see. People are amazed that it has a full bathroom. You have choices with the Barefoot that you just don’t get with other caravans and we really think that we’ve utilised the space better than most compact caravans on the market. We wanted to make sure that people could enjoy camping in luxury and we believe we’ve achieved that.”
What’s your favourite element or feature of the Barefoot?
“Outside, it has to be the overall curved shape including the front window. It took a while to get it right and there are obviously regulations to comply with which can affect a design but I’m so happy with it. And the external handles…they’re beautiful! Inside, it’s definitely the bathroom. It’s really special and to fit so much in such a small space is a real achievement. Most people don’t even expect there to be a bathroom and it’s always a nice surprise to see their reactions when they see it for themselves.”
What are your future plans for the Barefoot brand?
“We get a lot of overseas enquiries from places like America, Australia, South Korea and Europe so the next step is to look at ship to and or look at manufacturers in those locations. It’s really exciting for us to know that people that far afield know who we are and are really interested in our product.“
Where can people see them?
“We have a base in the Cotswolds, a demonstrator caravan in Cheshire and we attend different shows throughout the year. In the summer we’ll be attending the Tatton Park VW Show in Cheshire, we’re always at the NEC in October for The Motorhome & Caravan Show and various others throughout the year. We get absolutely mobbed at the shows and we love showing people around the Barefoot and they love it too!”
The Barefoot full specification
- Thetford 2 ring gas hob and sink with black glass lids
- Stylish kitchen and wall units with solid oak tops
- 65L Isotherm marine style compressor fridge with small freezer. 12/230V.
- Polyvision Eco windows with fly screens and blinds
- Polycarbonate front window
- MPK ventilated rooflight 400 x 400
- Truma Combi 4e heating and hot water system. Works from gas or electric.
- Onboard water tank 30L and offboard fittings
- Beautiful curved bathroom with Dometic cassette toilet, basin, shower, cupboard, mirror.
- Comprehensive electrics system including 2x 230 v sockets, 1x 12v socket, 1 USB port
- LED lighting, ceiling lights, reading lights and floor lighting
- Luxurious U-shaped seating (choice of vinyl fabrics). Converts to big 6ft w x 6ft l bed
- Wardrobe, cupboards and lots of cubby holes
- Roberts Revival Mini DAB Radio
- 13-inch steel wheels with gorgeous retro hubcaps, plus spare wheel
- Hella lights
Dimensions
- Overall length – 5080 mm
- Body Length (shell) – 3780 mm
- Overall width – 1920 mm
- External height – 2360 mm
- Internal length – 3560 mm
- Length of living area – 2800 mm
- Width of living area – 1830 mm
- Internal height – 1830 mm
- Bathroom – W 1040 mm x D 760 mm
- Mass in running order – 950 kg
- User payload – 150 kg
Many thanks Cathy for taking the time to let us interview you, we really love Barefoot and wish you all the best in the future for your little treasure of a caravan!
To learn more about Barefoot Caravans or maybe even to order one for yourself, head over to www.go-barefoot.co.uk or check out Cathy’s BBC interview here to learn a little bit more.