Inhoudsopgave van June 2017 - Practical Caravan

Most people know what the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum in Rome or the canals of Venice look like, and we have enjoyed visiting many of these major sights. But those sites are so well photographed that you know what to expect before you arrive. This year, our plan was to find places either unknown or less well visited. To us, it’s such a joy to explore a region and to come across unspoilt villages, ruined castles and beautiful landscapes. Crossing the border from France into Italy by the Mediterranean, we almost immediately turned left, up the wide river valley of the Nervia. This is Liguria, and to the west of Genoa it is known as the Riviera di Ponente. My guidebook’s chapter on this area was reassuringly slim…

‘Deal is one of the important Cinque Ports that defended this coastline as far back as Norman times’ THE THOUSANDS OF people filing through the port of Dover each day have little idea how much heritage they are missing out on by not stopping to visit: there are so many secrets hidden beneath those white cliffs. I hitched up a Swift Lifestyle 4 to our now-departed Suzuki SX4 S-Cross and headed south-east, to discover for myself the port’s history and its importance in the nation’s defence Hawthorn Farm, part of the Keat Farm Parks network, is in Martin Mill, a village that boasts a train station, but little else. After setting up, I followed the lane up to Martin, where there is a historic pub called The Lantern, for…

1 Walking on water Stay just north of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at Alderstead Heath Caravan and Motorhome Club Site for a wealth of walking. There are plenty of strolls from the site itself across the North Downs, or head further into the region. The National Trust walk around Box Hill presents stunning views of the Surrey Hills. Follow the River Mole here and you’ll come across the Stepping Stones, which make a great photo opportunity and a convenient spot to admire the calm flow, framed by elegant trees. This walk will also take you past ancient woodlands and grasslands where you can spot spring flowers. At the end of your hike you’ll pass Box Hill Fort, which dates from 1892 and now houses bats. Web…

1 Aviemore There’s plenty of family-friendly activities in this area, from a trip up to the top of the Cairngorms on the funicular railway to the Landmark theme park. Pitch at Rothiemurchus Estate for a relaxed stay beside the loch. Web www.campandcaravan.com 2 Fort William The Caravan and Motorhome Club park at Bunree is on the shore of Loch Linnhe, one of the most beautiful sites in Scotland. It’s only 10 miles from Fort William and the chance to walk up Ben Nevis or enjoy the Jacobite steam train. Web www.caravanclub.co.uk 3 Edinburgh A family city break to Edinburgh’s C&MC Site is guaranteed to be a success, though you’ll need to book well in advance for festival season. All year round you can visit the castle and Holyrood,…

WE’VE RECENTLY SEEN a series of bumper financial results, suggesting that the leisure industry across Europe is really starting to motor again. Swift Group got the ball rolling by cementing its position as the UK’s largest caravan manufacturer, with a 19% rise in turnover for 2016 to a record £252m. The Hull firm says it has seen growth in all sectors, including tourers, while profits of £17.5m are double what they were the year before. The firm spent £4.9m on improving manufacturing facilities during the year, and in August became debt-free – earlier than expected – for the first time since it took on money to grow the business in 2012. Although it has had to increase prices mid-season, it says it has still managed its foreign currency exposure well,…

Coachman Vision 450 Plus Tested by Claudia Dowell Price £17,805 Berths 2 MiRO 1176kg Payload 123kg MTPLM 1296kg IN A NUTSHELL Attractive and functional living space, neatly packaged JOINING OUR FLEET this month is the baby of Coachman’s entry-level range, the Vision 450. Group editor Alastair Clements drove to Hull for the handover of the two-berth from Coachman’s managing director, Elliot Hibbs, and got treated to a tour of the factory. Within three days of collection the 450 was being pressed into service for a tour of Devon and Cornwall. I hitched the van up behind a white Ford Kuga, on short-term loan, and was soon on the A303 heading towards Devon. The outfit looked great and the Al-Ko AKS3004 stabiliser ensured a steady tow. I was thankful that it…

Seat Leon ST 2.0 TDI 150 DSG The car came with Seat’s Tech pack, which included LED lights, sat-nav and a few other goodies. I’ve driven autos for many years and I’ve found that the DSG ’box is really smooth and jerk-free on changes. Performance is excellent and the car is very quiet and refined on A-roads and motorways. Economy is also very impressive – my car is managing an average of 48mpg over a mixture of fast A-roads and city congestion. Mike Hobbs Seat Leon ST 1.4 TSI I’m very pleased with it overall. It drives well both in town and on motorways, and the removable boot floor is a good feature, because the extra space is needed when we run offspring to and from university. However, it doesn’t…

Layout finder G In this layout, fixed twin beds towards the rear of the van are accompanied by a central kitchen and an end washroom, plus a lounge up front. This floorplan is great for couples who want to relax in the lounge without having to disassemble a bed every morning. You’ll usually find a curtain or screen separating the rear beds from the lounge. Pros The pair of single beds means that you both have access to the washroom at night. The washroom is often quite spacious Cons The side kitchen may not have much space for preparing meals. The fixed single beds cannot be made up into a double A Square showers are more roomy than circular versions B There’s often an external hatch to access under-bed storage…

Caravans up to £3000 Elddis Hurricane EX 2000 Motor mover, TV/sat system, good condition. Aquaroll, gas, Wastemaster, Isabella porch awning. Two-berth. Mr Turner, Oldham. (01706 878 865) Elddis Odyssey 432 2002, excellent condition. Motor mover, shower, many extras, ready to go. £3000. Mr Bird, Fleckney, Leics. (01162 403 573) Awnings Porch 2014 Kampa Rally Pro Air 390 No poles, very stable in strong winds, includes 12V electric pump. £345, pictures available on request. Mr Fearn, Bramhall, Stockport. (07840 507 107) Dorema porch awning Alloy frame, buyer collects, used once, £100. Mr Winch, Burnholme, York. (07767 365 407) Kampa Rally Air 260 Used one season, perfect. £400. Mr Williams, Holsworthy, Devon. (01288 381 073) Fiamma Caravanstore Zip Complete with sides and front, 3.6m, in very good to excellent condition. Includes pegs,…

Practical Caravan’s Managing editor Sarah Wakely is a regular visitor to this part of southeastern Cornwall – where her in-laws live – and has got to know the area well in recent years 1 Stay here Dolbeare Park is a family-friendly, open-all-year site that’s made regular appearances in our Top 100 Sites Guide over the years; it’s a 20-minute drive from the Moor. The hardstanding pitches are gravel – ideal for drainage during inclement weather – and there’s lots for all members of your party to enjoy, such as an adventure playground, Wi-Fi and seasonal events. 2 Eat here Cornwall is a real foodie hotspot, so it’s no surprise to find some top chefs here. The Springer Spaniel in Treburley is owned by 2012 Masterchef winner Anton Piotrowski. It’s more…

Take a peek into Blenheim MANY OF US love to visit stately homes, and Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, is one of my favourites – there’s so much to see. Now there’s even more going on with the opening of the Duke of Marlborough’s private apartments, where you can get a fascinating glimpse of family life. On the Upstairs Tour you will visit Blenheim’s guest rooms, which have never before been open to the public; take the Downstairs Tour for an insight into the servants’ life at Blenheim – there were 102 in the service of the fourth Duke. There are also the Duke’s Floor Tours, which visit the dressing room, master bedroom, dining room and more. These new tours are available daily until 30 October. To find out more, visit www.blenheimpalace.com.…

When to go We went very early, before the crowds. The downside to that is that some facilities or attractions may not be open. The weather was warm during the earlier part of our visit, getting hotter from mid-May onwards. Way to go We sailed from Hull to Rotterdam and made use of the free motorways in Belgium and Luxembourg before driving south through France and into Italy. We booked our ferry through The Caravan and Motorhome Club and added some Camping Cheques to our order. There’s no need to book campsites at that time of year: we prefer to be flexible and just turn up at a site. We also used ACSI sites. Food and drink Bars and restaurants are plentiful in Italy so there’s never far to go,…

WHEN TO GO Choose a time when ferry disruption isn’t causing chaos, and Operation Stack lines the motorway with HGVs. Queues at Dover Castle are long during the school holidays and the roads are busy, although many are just passing through. WAY TO GO Unless you live in the south, it is hard to avoid the M25. From there, take the M20 (jct 3 if clockwise, jct 5 anti-clockwise and take the M26) towards Folkestone, then the A20 to Dover and the A258 to Deal. Alternatively, follow the M2 (jct 2), then the A2 to Swingate and the A258 towards Deal. FOOD AND DRINK The Lantern Inn Friendly pub serving homemade food, with quaint features such as a copper bar and 17th-century brick floor. As well as pub grub, there…

Bailey completes Arctic challenge A team from Bailey – and Practical Caravan – recently completed a 5000-mile trek to the Arctic Circle and back to prove the robustness of the firm’s Alu-Tech construction. The team took a new Pursuit 530-4 and 550-4, both towed by Volvo XC90s fitted with snow chains, from the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire to the Millbrook Winter Test Centre in Ivalo in Finland. The journey through 12 countries took 16 days to complete. Look out for our Niall Hampton’s story of this epic trip in PC soon! Adria gets some recognition at home It is a mark of just how significant soon-to-be Trigano brand Adria is in its home country of Slovenia that this month it won the first Business Excellence award the nation’s government…

ON THE LOOKOUT for a new caravan? If so, we can help! Just like our travel stories, expert reviews and advice, we reckon that our online classifieds are the best in the business – and now we’ve made them even better with a new search page that makes them even easier to use. So now you can read our review of your chosen caravan, watch the video, then find it online, making www.practical caravan.com the one-stop shop for all your touring needs. We already know that 50% of you access our website via mobile devices, so our classifieds are fully responsive — they will work just as well on your tablet or smartphone as they do on your desktop or laptop computer. We’ve worked hard to make these classifieds as easy…

First drive Škoda Octavia Estate 2.0 TDI 150 4x4 Price From £25,855 Kerbweight 1458kg 85% match 1239kg Max towing limit 2000kg Towball limit 80kg THE OCTAVIA IS Škoda’s most important model, with 436,000 sold last year, and the wagon is Europe’s best-selling estate. It is popular with caravanners, too, having taken overall victory in the 2013 Tow Car Awards and class wins in 2013, 2014 and 2015. However, it is starting to show its age – hence this mid-life nip and tuck. The most dramatic change in this facelift is the face itself – which looks far better in the metal than in pictures. Behind that grin are plenty of upgrades, but mechanically it’s largely unchanged, with a wider track (20mm for all models bar the racey vRS) the only…

HAVE YOU EVER checked the weight of your caravan, or whether your vehicle is suitable for towing it? It’s tempting to consider the large space within your caravan as unlimited storage for all of those home comforts, but actually there are strict weight limits on what you can carry on board. Various terms and figures need to be considered to understand the relationship between the weights of your car and van. This will ensure you are within the safe and legal limits. Weighbridge The most accurate way to weigh a vehicle is to visit a public weighbridge. Find your nearest one here: ww.gov.uk/ find-weighbridge. Once a weight check has been completed, make sure you ask for a copy of the paperwork, including the date, the vehicle registration number and weight…

IMPORTANT! Ensure that any mains electricity connection is disconnected, and also disconnect the caravan’s 12V battery before starting work SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, after gremlins got into the seven-pin caravan plugs and caused road-lighting issues, we changed the plugs on my parents’ aging caravan (PC, November 2016). All’s been well since, but Dad is about to change his tow car to one fitted with the current 13-pin system, so we thought we’d look at upgrading the electrics. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect inside the caravan where the two seven-core cables entered (actually one seven-core, the other for the 12S plug was five-core), but it was very simple. The cables terminated at a pair of fuse boxes mounted to the van’s front wall, and all the connections were made with…

Layout finder S With a nearside-rear dinette as well as rear corner bunks, this layout has lots of space for the kids, while mum and dad relax in the lounge. The amidships kitchen is often short on work surface, but the side dinette provides extra room. The washroom, opposite the kitchen, is useful for nighttime visits, but there is not as much elbow room in the shower. Pros Children can take over the rear while their parents relax up front. The rear dinette offers a separate play space, and can usually be shut off from the rest of the van Cons The washroom has limited space, and the kitchen is squeezed between the lounge and the main door A This area may house a wardrobe or dresser unit B Fixed…

ASK JUST ABOUT any caravanner how they got into touring, and most will say that their passion was ignited by childhood holidays. So, in a world where the industry is worried about the future of the hobby, surely the best way to forge the caravanners of tomorrow is to get them touring today? With that in mind, this month we’re testing some ideal vans for taking kids on tour, from bargain Baileys to a six-berth Buccaneer – proving that having children doesn’t mean giving up on luxury. Finally, for those who missed the story on our website, Truma is recalling some external gas sockets and gas removal valves. Affected parts all have a yellow handle cap and are stamped with date codes from ‘01.2016’ to ‘01.2017’. Faulty valves could leak,…

1 Heritage hike Ease yourself into exercise with the Ironbridge Gorge Walking Festival. Pick from 57 different walks, taking advantage of the old railway lines and miners’ paths. Plus, there’s a ceilidh to look forward to at the end. Date 29 April-7 May Web www.iron bridge.org.uk Stay at Severn Gorge Park Web www.severn gorgepark.co.uk 2 Enter the vale Take on the peaks of North Wales as part of Llangollen Walking Festival. Hike the Clwydian Range, Dee Valley and Berwyn Range, and reward yourself with stunning views all the way across to Snowdonia. Date 29 April-1 May Web www.llangollen walkingfestival.co.uk Stay at Carrog Station Camp Site Web www.station campsite.com 3 Bag a Munro Experience the Cairngorms as you’ve never seen them before by putting the miles in…

I LOVE THIS time of year. It’s a bit of a school playground question isn’t it? “What’s your favourite season?” (Closely followed by “What’s your favourite colour?” and “Who’s your best friend?”) Each year I mull it over; 53 mullings on, I’ve come down hard on spring. There’s no doubting the joyous colours of autumn: kicking leaves; collecting conkers; open fires in country pubs. The wide-eyed anticipation and frosty morning magic of winter: steaming dogs; Christmas carols; mulled wine. Or the hopeful anticipation of summer: rockpooling; old-fashioned ice cream; barbecues with friends. But in spring, this beautiful country of ours goes from contender to award-winning, red-carpet recipient of the ‘Most Beautiful Place in the Whole World (With Knobs On)’ category. There is a point in April or May when nature…

If it’s for touring, it has to be air. If it’s seasonal, get the poles out! Craig Peacock Air awnings make life so much easier. My 10-year-old and I get it done in no time – I’ve sold my old awning now. Stuart Vialls People often say that air awnings are easier, but we get our full-size Isabella set up in 15 minutes flat. Claire Rogers My Dad put up our full-size awning, with each of us kids holding a pole in the wind and rain. It would take what felt like hours. Now that I have my own caravan, I use an air awning – 15 minutes and it’s done. Brett Phillips I have both an air porch and a full-size Isabella awning, and I don’t notice much difference…

Although Hawthorn Farm has 200 touring pitches, the way that it has been landscaped and divided maintains a relaxed, small-site atmosphere. The hardstanding pitches, with electric hook-up and water, are all arranged towards the top of the slight hill and there are also several grass fields where you can choose your pitch. One of the great things about the pitches here is that there is more than enough space on either side of the access roads to make it easier to manoeuvre your van. The amenities are good, with plenty of toilets and showers. There is also a shop and café. The campsite is in Martin Mill, which is a short walk from the village of Martin, where there is a charming pub that serves beers from some of the…

Where tested Camping les Grennettes, 1 Rue de l’Ermitage, 17740 Sainte-Marie-de-Ré, France When tested October 2016 CARAVANS ARE REALLY a box of compromises. Every year, manufacturers have to decide where a line between acceptable and unacceptable is drawn. For the past couple of seasons, the trendometer has pointed firmly towards centre washrooms and transverse island beds. The Swift Challenger 635 tested here puts both in the same layout. That in itself is not particularly remarkable. Lunar and Elddis have similar layouts. But this van undercuts rivals by the thick end of £5000. That pays for a lot of holidays. So has Swift cut corners that deliver uncomfortable compromises, or performed the sort of packaging magic trick which just wrong-foots rivals? This was what we sought to find out on a…

‘We tested these products against grimy cushions and carpet, coffee stains, rubbed-in chocolate and even tried them on pen-applied ink’ GIVEN THAT WE all eat and snack in our vans, and that we often end up in muddy fields or by a beach, it’s no surprise that interiors get grimy from time to time. And of all the surfaces affected, it’s upholstery and carpets that take the biggest hammering. Yet, surprisingly, few caravan cleaning product lines have dedicated upholstery or carpet cleaners. Which is why, in this test, we’ve looked at both automotive and household cleaning solutions. To put all through their paces, we pitted them against generally grimy cushions; dirty short-pile carpet; short-pile carpet with tough, dried-in coffee staining; fabrics with rubbed-in chocolate; and we even marked a test…

How much? £6500-£22,000 The Leon ST has been out for only around three years, but already there are true bargains out there. Just £6500 can get you into an early 1.6 TDI model, but at this price it’ll have plenty of miles under its belt. A budget of around £14k will net you a much newer example of the coveted 2.0 TDI, with some of the warranty remaining. Up your budget to £18,000 and you’ll get a 2016 (66-plate) car that’s virtually new. The mileage will be around only 5-6000, which means that someone else has run in the car for you! What will it tow? Kerbweight .......................... 1358kg 85% match...........................1280kg Towing limit........................ 1600kg Towball limit.............................75kg (figures for 2016 2.0 TDI 150) How much is a towball? Witter flange towbar…

Layout finder DD Island-bed layouts are, for many caravanners, the height of touring luxury – they offer a domestic-style sleeping area in which you don’t need to make up a bed from cushions each night. Elsewhere the floorplan can vary, but one popular variety is to have the washroom split across the van's central aisle. It usually means that the shower and toilet are separate: handy if there are two of you getting ready at the same time. Pros The island bed is as close to a domestic example as you can get. The lounge usually makes up into a second double Cons Split washroom areas might not be hugely spacious A You'll usually find lots of storage under the island bed B Check that the kitchen is large enough…

Focus on… Vanmaster Those who have been caravanning since the 1990s may remember Vanroyce, a brand of luxurious, British-made caravans that simply oozed refinement – even if they might also have squeezed your wallet. Well, the team behind Vanroyce (or some of them, at least) lives on in Vanmaster, a small, bespoke manufacturer that celebrated its 21st birthday in 2016. It takes a full five weeks to make each Vanmaster tourer at the company's factory near Wigan, such is the level of dedication that is attached to each product. So you can expect a perfect finish to much of the interior. There's also a huge range of fabrics to choose from for the upholstery, although the interiors are very traditional. In terms of layouts, the range has stayed fairly similar;…