1. Go-Pod PLUS - £15,995.00 - Deposit £2000 with balance on collection.

If we consider tow-ability, the Go Pod, is a dream compared to both the Eriba models, specially the 320gt, which is actually quite a heavy caravan for the space offered, for example towing the Go Pod I see no difference in my MPG, whereas with the Eriba 320gt it dropped by about 12%. The biggest difference is the stability when towing, even in windy conditions the Go Pod is rock solid. Also because the bed in the 320gt, is sideways it is just that bit wider and with most cars would require mirror extensions, whereas the Go Pod in my case does not require anything other than the normal mirrors.
Internal layouts next, the bed in the 320gt is comfortable, but making it up at night is a bit of a pest, specially stowing the rather large table, which can really only be stacked against the door this cuts down the usable space to no more than offered in the Go Pod. The bed make up on the Go Pod is so simple with the built in slats, it is comfortable and deceptively large.
The table in the Eriba is large and if you are planning a meal for four that would be fine, in my opinion it is a bit too bulky. The Go Pod offers a choice of table size my personal preference is for the smaller one, but both are very functional.
Seating, both the Eriba and the Go Pod have restricted depth on the seats, but with the new thinner backrests on the Go Pod this has been addressed. The big benefit is that in the Go Pod you can stretch out full length on the seat, which is impossible in the Eriba, this makes the Go Pod a clear winner for taking a break on a long journey.
The Eriba 320gt, does have a toilet which is nice but in reality it is very cramped and do you really need two sinks in a small tourer? In reality the toilet as I see it is for emergencies and the Fiamma unit in the Go Pod is perfectly adequate.
The cookers in both are very usable so not much to say there, but the top loader fridge in the Go Pod is the outright winner, I was sceptical when I first used it, but from a practical perspective it is fantastic, in both in capacity and function. I can pack all my provisions in it before leaving and they arrive as the departed, I never packed provisions the fridge in the Eriba when I was traveling as everything would rattle about so I had to use a cool box in the car when traveling.
Heating in the Eriba is restricted to gas or a stand alone supplementary heater, with the Go Pod Plus the Whale dual gas or electric heater has proved to be excellent, and quiet on the low setting so that it is almost inaudible through the night. The Go Pod definitely feels much more comfortable and warmer than either of the Eriba models.
Storage was a pleasant surprise, I had feared that the Go Pod may be lacking compared to the 320gt, but to my amazement, everything I had in the Eriba fitted in the Go Pod with space to spare, the under seat storage is much easier to access, and I still have unused space.
The LED lighting and fittings on the Go Pod is far superior to the Eriba, and give a wider selection of settings, both have two 13amp sockets. The built in TV arial amplifier and solar panel on the Go Pod are not available on the Eriba, the latter gives the Go Pod usable off-grid capability.
Overall for what I want from a small caravan, the Go Pod Plus has ticked every box.

We decided to wait for the new awning rather than take the existing one. I thought it was a nice touch from Red Lion to offer us the option of waiting. We had two trips without an awning...and it is do-able if you pack light. We had a 4 night and a 5 night trip without it. However, we now have the awning...and what a difference it makes! It more than doubles the space. We just make the bed up for the whole trip and live in the awning. You do also get a “sun tarp” with the Pod and we did use this for our first trip, not having the awning. It’s a light alternative, although you don’t get the privacy that you do with an awning.

The bed is unbelievably comfy...I am around 6'1" and sleep soundly. It’s memory foam, although we bought another topper to make it even comfier. No more waking up “stiff as a board” as we used to in our trailer tent! The bed has a new slatted base system for 2017 which the Go Pod people used as an idea from a customer. I think it’s great that they work with owners to look at improvements like this.

Everything in the Pod is superbly designed...people have commented that it’s “like a Tardis” inside. There’s cupboard space, under seat space, little shelves to keep things like chargers, phones, TV remotes and hairbrushes on.

For cooking, there’s a two burner gas hob, which is superb. You can even substitute a cupboard and have an oven, although we didn’t feel we would use it. Or you can have a microwave oven installed (again, we wouldn’t use it).

There are a couple of electric sockets which are useful and the lighting is all LED, so it’s low wattage (important if you’re off grid!), efficient and very bright! The porch light is brilliant when you need to get up in the night (if you know what I mean), but remember to switch it off when you get back, so you don’t annoy your pitch neighbours.

There’s also a sink and water pump (although we haven’t used it, so can’t comment) and you get a portable toilet included, should you not want to venture out!

For keeping your chilled stuff chilled, there’s also a coolbox-style fridge. A good tip is to plug it in at home overnight, then it’ll stay chilled whilst you’re on the move. It works from hook-up of course so you’re good for the duration of your trip if you’re on hook-up.

So what’s it like to tow? Well we have a 2 litre diesel and you can hardly tell it’s there. Check your towing weights, of course, but any reasonable size car will have no problems. I’m an inexperienced tower and I’ve driven from Lincolnshire to Cornwall and back with no hassle at all.

For my wife and I, it is a big investment and it’s going to take us five years to pay for it, but it’s one of the best things we’ve ever bought. It’s the biggest new item we’ve ever bought in our married life, so we wanted it to be perfect. And it’s been pretty much that way - everything has worked!

We have at least two more trips planned this year and it means we can have more holidays...what’s not to like, as they say?! If you’re thinking of buying a small caravan, you should definitely be thinking about a Pod. We went to view an owner’s pod as it was a lot nearer than going to Southport and that made our minds up for us - we went straight home and applied for the loan to pay for it!!

We decided on the Plus version, as it included a heating system, a solar panel, and the annex tent. It also included a TV, which didn't really bother us, but there you go. The heating came in very handy the first night we had it... waiting overnight for the ferry in Liverpool, so I can attest to its capabilities. The solar panel is great, as having had campers before, batteries tend to take a little minding and I've had to replace batteries in the past because I didn't keep them on trickle charge, etc. The Khyam annex is easy to erect and from out view point an essential addition.
We'd like to be using the Go-Pod more often, but that's just down to a busy life. The Go-Pod trails very well behind our van and manoeuvring the Go-Pod is not hard, because if you get in a bind, it's easy to unhitch it and adjust it by hand.
In summary, it suits us, is comparable to the room we would have had if we converted our van, and we have the freedom to change the towing vehicle without having to have a 'big' car/van in the future.
I'd recommend the following accessories: Security pack, so you can park up and leave the Go-Pod with confidence and the Tripod stand for the table, so you can take the table outside (on my wish list, for now).