We've been working on an exciting project for Folly Farm adventure park and zoo in wales. The brief was simple, they required a family holiday unit that complimented their traditional fairground and provide 2- 5 berths with a bathroom, kitchen and two bedrooms. It wasn't an easy project, in order to create a six berth caravan with all the luxuries of a modern holiday let using a 8 x 3 metre chassis, we had to start from scratch and come up with something completely new.
First we started with kitchen - what does a family kitchen need to be practical? Oven, hob, fridge, sink, microwave and plenty of storage. This proved difficult in the space we had available and the only option was create an open pantry to house the fridge and make use of the high ceilings in our wagons for storage. This worked really well and creates an easy to work in kitchen with plenty of work surfaces.
Pantry with fridge and microwave
Open plan living space with a family kitchen
The next room to design was the master bedroom as this would dictate how much room we had left in the main living area. The idea was to have a multi function room with loose furniture to add a bit of flexibility. The depth of the room can accommodate a double bed along its length or across its width with enough room to walk around the bed and still fit in two bed side cabinets if needed. There will need to be clothes storage and enough room to get changed etc. A big ask for a small space!! Due to limitations of an opening door we decided on a pocket sliding door which not only gave the wagon a Showman's feel but also allowed it to flow and created more space.
Next up, the bathroom and bunk beds. That was fairly straight forward. The bathroom was exactly the same as our Grande Roulotte model so we knew that would work. The bunk beds were more tricky but we settled on a design that Folly Farm provided and over engineered it to survive the abuse children would bestow upon it. The pantry now served as the right depth to accommodate the bedroom door when left open and keep the open plan feel to the wagon.
Bunk beds
Bathroom
The final area was the seating. It just so happened that the space left was the size of a standard double bed so although it is set up as a corner seating/dining area (table not shown in picture) but had the potential of offering a further 2 berths if required.
Lets not forget a place for the TV. This sits on the end of the pantry wall and we built a small bookshelf for those important attraction pamphlets and board games. A large window and the glazed single door provide plenty of light and the Karndean flooring flows throughout the wagon making it feel nice and spacious.
Seating area
Next up was heating. The spec was all electric (a future proof energy) and with the possibility of connecting to Biomass at a later date. For this we installed electric radiators that could be converted to a wet system if needed and a twin coil calorifier tank with a 1kw element for the hot water. This keeps the electrical demand lower than a traditional electric shower which can be around 8-12kw! and also allows for the biomass to heat the water if installed in the future.
With the inside complete we now focused out attention on the outside. Natural stained larch cladding, with a vibrant blue trim and shutters. Chrome detailing and a couple of outside downlighters set the scene.
This wagon is available to book from June 2020 so why not experience it for yourself?