Essentially the most egg-shaped of all of the egg campers, the British-developed Barefoot Caravan has been wowing camper fanatics with its shapely fiberglass since launching over a decade ago. Regardless of its compact, curvy measurement, it additionally boasts a 6.1-ft-peak (1.9-m) cabin with a personal bathtub and convertible dinette. As with different RVs, although, Barefoot pricing has risen steadily and is now near double what it was 11 years in the past. Fortunately, Barefoot has developed the brand new Bothy mannequin to roll pricing again in time whereas simplifying the structure right into a lighter, extra spacious providing. It is a compelling entry level to the egg-camping expertise.
Molded fiberglass trailers are actually having their second. Relationship again to the Sixties, they’re removed from new however have lengthy been relegated to one thing of a distinct segment market, being dearer and restricted in measurement compared to mass-market trailers. Whereas they’re positively identified for superior building and long-lasting sturdiness approaching heirloom ranges, most RV consumers are content material to surrender some high quality for a lower-priced product.
However we have seen a quite fast succession of molded fiberglass trailers hit the market previously few months alone. Most just lately, it was the dual-axle Awaken Morningstar, and within the weeks previous that, we noticed a pair of small egg campers within the all-terrain-prepped Scamp X and downsized Escape 13. And a pair weeks earlier than these two wheeled eggs launched, Barefoot was presenting the all-new Bothy on the Motorhome & Caravan Present in Birmingham, UK.
We perceive why of us have lengthy plunked trailers just like the Scamp and Escape into the “egg camper” carton, however they actually solely loosely resemble precise eggs. The curves of the Barefoot camper, alternatively, recreate these of an precise egg extra faithfully than another egg camper we have seen, together with the one which wore the title EggCamper. Extra particularly, the Barefoot seems like an egg positioned on its facet, full with a large base on the rear and slim peak on the entrance.
Barefoot Caravans
The curves hit the attention excellent, however the worth is one other story. To be fairly sincere, small camper pricing has risen so steadily over the previous decade, we won’t even recall if we have been offended, pleasantly shocked or impartial after we reported on the Barefoot’s authentic £21,950 (approx. US$29,625) base worth. What we do know, although, is that worth seems like an absolute steal in 2026, when that very same mannequin, now referred to as the Barefoot Basic, begins at £39,950 ($53,925). And whereas Barefoot does provide a “Lite” mannequin for £5,000 much less, its different fashions solely drive base worth up and over £40K.
Barefoot itself will need to have realized that its pricing had climbed to a stage that left potential consumers out within the chilly, and it put collectively the brand new Bothy as a viable answer. The simplified, light-weight mannequin does not roll pricing proper again to 2015 stage, but it surely does pull it fairly near yesteryear’s sticker with a £25,500 ($34,425) place to begin.
Barefoot Caravans
So what do you lose to realize that huge worth drop? The devoted lavatory is the primary and most notable characteristic to go, and whereas we usually hate to see the lavatory deleted, Barefoot does mitigate the loss by together with a Thetford moveable rest room. Additionally, the Barefoot’s slim, cramped moist bathtub compartment by no means seemed like essentially the most snug to make use of, so opening up that area would possibly finally enhance life on the highway. As an example, the very best level within the trailer roof is on the rear over the deleted lavatory, so the Bothy has a barely greater inside peak of 6.3 ft (1.9 m).
Bothy campers can all the time arrange an inexpensive pop-up privateness tent exterior the trailer for the moveable rest room and maybe a bathe system and may then absolutely take pleasure in a extra spacious, snug room-on-the-road for 3 seasons’ price of tenting.
Barefoot fills out the area left by the lavatory’s removing with a brand new cushioned bench that enhances the Bothy’s sleeping capability to 3 berths, versus the Basic’s two. At 69 x 28 in (176 x 71-cm), that mattress will probably be best-suited to a baby and positively a bit small for an grownup man of common peak or extra.
Barefoot Caravans
Barefoot additionally simplifies the kitchen, deleting the dual-burner range to shorten the primary block, which now homes simply the Dometic bowl sink piped to contemporary and waste water tanks, an open worktop, and under-counter drawers and cupboards. The corporate pulls out the under-counter door fridge from the Basic and replaces it with a smaller 24-L top-loading electrical cool field on the block throughout the aisle.
The entrance of the trailer homes the wraparound couch dinette simply inside the big image window. The detachable desk stows away at night time to clear area for accessing the 2 particular person 75 x 28-in (191 x 71-cm) single beds. The 2 beds can be adjoined right into a single double mattress with an non-compulsory package.
Barefoot Caravans
The Bothy nonetheless features a 110-Ah leisure battery with management panel and shore energy hookup. It doesn’t, nevertheless, have the usual Truma Combi air/water heater, inside LED lighting, retro digital Bluetooth radio/speaker, or wine rack packaged within the Basic.
Development-wise, that baby-blue eggshell is identical fiberglass monocoque as used for the Basic and different fashions, backed by a 10-year guarantee. The precise exterior dimensions examine in at 16.7 x 6.3 x 7.7 ft (508 x 192 x 236 cm, L x W x H), however the lightened amenity set drops weight by over 550 lb (250 kg) in comparison with the Basic, giving the Bothy a base weight of 1,556 lb (706 kg) earlier than any non-compulsory add-ons.
Barefoot presents the Bothy atop a chassis prepped to deal with both a 1,653- or 1,874-lb (750- or 850-kg) most weight, giving consumers a selection as to how a lot weight in cargo they will carry. A payload of lower than 100 lb (45 kg) appears fairly slim for a caravan so we might positively be choosing the 1,874-lb possibility.
All in all, the Bothy looks as if an excellent little Barefoot variant in step with the comparatively latest surge in pared-down, entry-level additions we have seen from small trailer builders across the US and beyond. Barefoot’s greatest promoting level has all the time been that fiberglass shell, each due to its distinctive aesthetic and its sturdy single-piece building. Having a extra open ground plan with a lighter tow weight makes quite a lot of sense, particularly at almost £15K much less.
Sadly, although the Bothy has confirmed fairly in style within the UK since launching final autumn, there are not any instant plans to convey it to the US, the place NuCamp serves because the unique producer and distributor of the US-spec Barefoot trailer. Hopefully, the Bothy will make it over ultimately.
Supply: Barefoot Caravans
