Guide to Pennine Pathfinder folding campers

In our “guide to folding campers” respected caravan journalist, Andrew Jenkinson, reviews the all new Pennine Pathfinder Q6 from folding camper manufacturer, the Pennine Group – which is sure to be of interest to Shield Total Insurance customers looking to either downsize, or find a leisure vehicle that is easier to tow and/or manoeuvre.

Transcript to Pennine Pathfinder folding camper video guide

Here I am in a Pathfinder Q6. It’s a folding camper. But it’s not a trailer tent, some people mistake it for one.

The difference between this and a trailer tent is, this is a little bit more luxurious, because it’s half and half: it’s half a caravan, and it’s actually half a tent as well.

You’ve got two beds made up at either side when you fold the unit out. You’ve got this bit of lovely lounge area and it’s very comfortable – believe me. Five people could sit round here and eat a meal without any problem at all. It feels like a luxury caravan. We’ve got a full kitchen unit.

Now, you’ve got to remember we’re actually in a folding camper here, not in a proper full-blown caravan, but it comes with a full oven, it’s got a grill, it’s got three burners, it’s got everything you need: a sink. Well I’ll tell you something now: some caravans haven’t even got a sink as big as this. It’s superb, plenty of storage, plenty of cupboards, everything feels substantial.

So you’ve got the bottom half like a caravan, the top half is the trailer tent. The washroom is even large enough to even get changed in there.

So is it good? Yes, I’d say it’s a great buy, because you can store it, it’s easy to tow, it’s easy to manoeuvre, you can even put it in the garage. And also it will sleep up to six, and it’s cheap and easy to insure.

The Pathfinder Q6 is something if you want a caravan, but don’t want the hassle of towing a bigger caravan around with you, this is the job.

You don’t need a 4×4, you don’t need a big car, any car can tow these. I think if anything sells these to anybody, it’s the fact that you can tow them with anything: a Fiesta, a Peugeot 308, a 307, for that kind of everyday car, these are ideal.

Well I like the size, when it’s folded down, because it’s easier to tow, and easier to park at home.  I’m quite impressed by them.

Folding camper insurance

At Shield, we’re specialists in all types of folding camper insurance. We know the difference between folding campers, trailer tents, and other types of camping unit. We offer discounts of up to 35%, including, just recently, a 5% discount for keeping your folding camper inside a locked garage.

For further information about trailer tent’s, check out our trailer tent buyer’s guide.

For safety and security advice, have a look at our top tips on how to keep your trailer tent safe from theft, fire and weather damage.