Practical Motorhome May 2020

Editor-in-chief I type this at the NEC Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show and, as always, seeing all the fantastic motorhomes on display has made me itch to get back out on the road. This time of year is so full of promise as we look forward to the warmer months ahead, with the open road under our wheels… it’s such an exciting time. It’s not always easy to decide where to pitch, which is why I’m so proud of our Top 100 Sites Guide this year - it will help you find the best sites out there. It is, in my opinion, the best we’ve ever produced: not only do we include full details of all our brilliant winners, we’ve also featured a directory with more than 600 other sites, by region.…

letter of the month I cannot be the only one who sometimes finds it a little awkward to see the speedometer in my motorhome due to the position of the steering wheel. One solution is to use a GPS speedometer app on a tablet (1), which gives a good-sized readout in my line of vision that is easier to see than that of a standard sat-nav unit or phone app. I made a simple cradle out of plywood, which hangs on the radio control knobs, safely held with a cord to the dashboard. The functionality of the app depends on which one you choose, but there can be useful features such as ‘maximum speed’ or trip readings, as well as the ability to give readings in kilometres. There is the added benefit of your…

1 Touring the North Island of New Zealand in October 2018, for a 60th birthday, in a lovely hired Bürstner. This photograph of the Mount Tongariro range was taken en-route to Whanganui. Derek Strachan 2 We had the great pleasure of spending New Year’s Eve at the welcoming quayside of Glencaple on the beautiful Dumfries & Galloway coast. What a stunning way to end 2019! Alex Morton 3 At the end of our Spanish tour, we stopped at Candás, on the north coast. Camping Perlora was sensationally located on a rocky headland, just a 10-minute walk from town. Jos Simon 4 We found Glanllyn, in the Snowdonia National Park, by chance. They didn’t have hardstandings with hook-up left, but did have power by the lake. Were we lucky? I’d say so. Robert O’Connell Email your pictures and their…

Barbecue accessories You can barbecue like the experts with this 10-piece stainless steel kit from B&Q – all you might need to cook up delicious treats. Price £32 Web www.diy.com Dometic CAM200 bike rack camera The CAM200 can be mounted on your fully loaded bike rack, to give a clear view for reversing into the tightest of spots. Price £350 Web www.dometic.com Campervan doormat Keep the dirt out of your campervan or motorhome with this aptly designed doormat. Price £12.50 Web www.redcandy.co.uk Keychain charging cable This tidy keychain charging cable is perfect for a power boost while you’re on the go, and it’s compatible with Android and Apple. Price £15 Web uk.wildandwolf.com Citronella candles Citronella candles create a relaxing atmosphere on warm summer evenings spent outdoors, and they help to keep the bugs at bay. Price £1.15-£4.20 Web prices-candles.co.uk Colapz Trunk This flexible tube makes filling…

Our expert panel SARAH WAKELY Editor-in-chief sarah@practicalmotorhome.com PETER BABER Reviews editor peter.baber@futurenet.com GENTLEMAN JACK Contributor askjack@practicalmotorhome.com CLAUDIA DOWELL Features/travel editor claudia.dowell@futurenet.com NICK HARDING Contributor practical.motorhome@futurenet.com DIAMOND DAVE Contributor practical.motorhome@futurenet.com WHAT SHOULD I DO TO REPAIR A DELAMINATED REAR PANEL? Q I was rather alarmed recently to discover a fairly substantial bulge - about a foot long and a couple of inches wide - on the side panel of my 2004-model-year motorhome. I visited my nearest dealer but they weren’t exactly helpful in sorting it out - apparently it’s delamination, and they said that there’s nothing much they can do about it. What do you think? I’ve got to admit I’m concerned. Jonathan Sullivan A Diamond Dave answers… Without seeing the bulge in the panel first-hand, it’s difficult to say, but I wouldn’t have considered such a bulge to be acceptable, especially in this highly visible position. Delamination is a real cause for concern, however.…

The Nightstop Scheme is run by us in conjunction with the Motor Caravanners’ Club (MCC), and the sites are certificated locations (CLs); you don’t have to join any club to use them. You’ll need to ring the relevant site to confirm whether there’s space for you before you visit: you’ll find all the information you need to know at http://po.st/PMHNightstops. For further information about the MCC, visit www.themotorcaravannersclub.co.uk. 1 Airman Hotel SG17 5JF 2 The Black Horse Pub HP16 9AX 3 The Seven Wives PE27 5RF 4 The Penrhiwgaled Arms SA44 6LN 5 Railway Hotel SA32 7LQ 6 Belmont Hall CW9 6JA 7 Mousehole Camping TR19 6XB 8 Blenkinsopp Castle Inn CA8 7JS 9 The Thelbridge Cross Inn EX17 4SQ 10 The Ship Inn YO15 1EW 11 The Crown Inn GL7 5QH 12 Elton Farm GL14 1JU 13 The Gloucester Old Spot GL51 9SY 14…