Practical Motorhome February 2021

Editor-in-chief I type this as England is once again in lockdown, with campsites and dealerships firmly shut for another few weeks. I think most of us expected this to happen, but it doesn’t make the restrictions any easier to live with – it’s frustrating not being able to get out in the motorhome whenever and wherever we like. News of a possible vaccine is currently a light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re all likely to be keen to take to the road as soon as we can. If you’re planning a winter tour, take a look at our round-up of some great sites that are open during the off-season, on p34 – you’re sure to enjoy your stay. Then, check out our guide to gadgets that are perfect for cold-weather…

letter of the month What great memories were brought back by Gentleman Jack’s ‘From the Archives – the 1980s’ article (issue 240). That was a wonderful decade, with so many new makes and models appearing with their own identities. The annual trip to the Earl’s Court show was a highlight of the year. So many of the company ‘chiefs’ would be on their stands, more than willing to talk about the new features of their products. It is good to see the number of then sales staff who are now operating their own successful sales outlets. And the highlight of the day? The wonderful steak pie in the Canal Boat basement restaurant. A lovely place to peruse the collection of brochures that you collected on the morning round! John Dinning The writer of our Letter of the…

STAR PICTURE 1 As we couldn’t go to Scotland this year, we explored beautiful Austria. On our way west towards Lake Constance, we crossed the Alps several times, for instance via the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse. Sonja & Manfred Hohl 2 The sunshine after the rain – overnight (permitted and currently free!) on the quay at beautiful Aberystwyth. The beach in front of us, the marina behind – what’s not to like? Sally Moorhouse 3 Photo taken while staying on a lovely campsite within short walking distance of East Head, Chichester, West Sussex – considered one of Sussex’s best beaches. Rosalind Hooper 4 From a trip to the Nevis Range in September. As always, Scotland did not disappoint. Stunning scenery, great mountain biking, awesome climbing and welcoming people. Paul Leach Email your pictures and their stories (40 words, plus name, address…

Furry friend Ideal for removing dog hairs from sofas and beds, just pop the brush into its container to remove the fluff, then empty the container. Price £12.99 Web musthaveideas.co.uk Happy lantern This quirky battery-operated lantern comes in a choice of four colours, and is sure to cheer up your awning. Price £20 Web goodhoodstore.com YuYu Long Water Bottle Keep warm or cool with this wearable hot water bottle, which comes with a range of outer covers, including cashmere. Price From £33 Web www.yuyubottle.com Vintage canvas holdall With timeless appeal, this is a great size for weekend breaks or trips to the gym. Have it personalised with your initials on the side. Price £39.95 Web notonthehighstreet.com Firepit portable campfire This foldable firepit weighs just 2.6lb, but can support up to 18lb in weight. It is stable, durable and designed to avoid spills. Price £27.99…

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 information at www.practicalmotorhome.com/nightstops. 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 Riverside Guest House LL36 9YR 15 The…

Our expert panel SARAH WAKELY Editor-in-chief sarah@practicalmotorhome.com PAUL CRITCHER Deputy editor paul.critcher@futurenet.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 COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN AN ERROR CODE? Q I went to check my motorhome over before lockdown started again, and when I tried to get the Truma heater fired up, the following error code came up: E512H. It’s not mentioned anywhere in Truma’s troubleshooting guide. Can you help? Tim Harris A Peter Baber says… We at Practical Motorhome have come across the code too, particularly when we come back to a vehicle that hasn’t been used for a while. Truma says the 512 code (‘E’ stands for error, while ‘H’ just means it is an error connected with the heater, rather than the air conditioner, if you have one) is warning you about a fault with the air temperature switch on the boiler. The…