New Retreat 249DD gives the kids their own end of the caravan
The new Retreat 249DD family caravan gives kids their own rear sleeping zone while keeping the main living area free for the whole family.
Published on: 23 September 2026
Anyone who has travelled with kids in a caravan knows that fitting everyone inside is only half the battle. The real challenge is giving everyone enough space that you’re not constantly living on top of each other.
Retreat Caravans has taken a crack at that problem with its new 249DD family caravan layout, which gives the kids a dedicated retreat at the rear of the van while retaining a separate central living space for the rest of the family.
Designed with a family of four in mind, the new floorplan is available across all five Retreat ranges: ERV, Daydream, Fraser, Whitsunday XE and Macquarie.
A family caravan with space for the kids
The big talking point with the Retreat 249DD is the rear kids’ zone. Rather than simply squeezing bunks into the main body of the caravan, Retreat has created a dedicated area where the kids can sleep, relax or disappear with a book or device when everyone needs a little breathing room.
It also solves another familiar family-caravanning problem: what happens when the kids go to bed? In layouts where children’s beds encroach on the main living space (which is most of them), bedtime can effectively mean lights out for everyone. With the 249DD, the kids can settle into their rear sleeping area while the adults continue using the main lounge and dining space.
That could mean watching a movie, planning the next day’s drive or simply enjoying some quiet time without tiptoeing around sleeping kids.
The family still gets a proper living space
Importantly, Retreat hasn’t achieved that separation by doing away with the communal space. The 249DD retains a sizeable central lounge and dining area designed as the main gathering point for the family. The kitchen sits alongside it, allowing whoever is preparing dinner to remain part of what’s happening in the living area.
It’s a layout that becomes even more useful when the weather turns bad and four people suddenly need to spend a lot more time inside. Rather than thinking of a family caravan in terms of how many people it can sleep, the 249DD considers how those people actually use the van throughout the day.
One Retreat 249DD layout across five models
Another win with this new floorplan is that Retreat hasn’t restricted it to one caravan range. The 249DD can be ordered across all five current Retreat models, allowing buyers to choose the same basic family layout with different levels of touring and off-grid capability.
At the top end is the ERV 249DD, which combines the floorplan with Retreat’s 48-volt all-electric platform. The Daydream 249DD is aimed at families looking for serious off-road and off-grid capability, while the Fraser offers a balance between off-road ability, off-grid capability and comfort.
The Whitsunday XE takes a more premium off-grid touring approach, while the Macquarie is positioned as the more accessible off-grid tourer in the Retreat range.
Specifications aren’t identical across the five models. Power systems, batteries, solar capacity, suspension, appliances and other equipment vary depending on which 249DD version is selected.
Built for more than the weekend away
Although the layout makes plenty of sense for a weekend or school-holiday escape, it’s longer family trips where the idea becomes most useful. A caravan on an extended lap isn’t just somewhere the family sleeps. It becomes the kitchen, dining room, lounge room and refuge from bad weather, sometimes for months at a time.
Having somewhere the kids can retreat to – without taking over the main living area – gives both generations a degree of independence without needing a much larger RV.
All five versions of the 249DD also use Retreat’s RXP 2.0 wall construction, although their other touring specifications differ across the range. The new floorplan arrives during Retreat Caravans’ 20th anniversary year, with the Australian manufacturer marking two decades in business in 2026.
Is this a better way to design a family caravan?
For parents who have experienced the joy of sitting silently in a darkened caravan because the kids have finally gone to sleep, a dedicated children’s zone could be a very welcome addition.
And for the kids? Having an end of the caravan they can call their own isn’t a bad deal either.
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