CampervanMay 2026的目錄

I spent an enjoyable couple of days out in the Peak District sunshine last month testing the new Hillside MVX campervan for the June issue. It’s a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, so there’s no range anxiety and no need to search for charging stations. Some reckon this could be the future of campervans, but what if you want to go the whole hog and get a fully electric ’van? The arrival of the Kia PV5, with a range of between 181 and 258 miles, is exciting and Wellhouse Leisure’s plans for a PV5 conversion (see our news pages) have certainly got social media buzzing! Pop onto our forum or our Facebook page and tell us what you think. Many of you joined us last year for the Out & About…

As we wandered the labyrinthine trails, winding through fantastic rock formations and swaying birch trees of Brimham Rocks, I realised this unusual landscape must be like a natural theme park for many families. While small children weaselled their way through twisty rock tunnels and passageways, playing hide and seek, others scrambled their way to the tops of boulders, proclaiming their hard-won kingdoms. Boulderers had set up their mats at the base of trickier routes, or ‘problems’ and National Trust volunteers led less adventurous visitors on guided walks. This collection of preposterously precarious formations on the low moorland at Brimham is made up largely of a grippy sedimentary rock called millstone grit. Weathering and erosion, mostly during the last glacial period, created the shapes we see today, although some eighteenth century…

Little Satmar Holiday Park is a lovely, well maintained, peaceful park, with facilities designed for comfort and convenience. The site has 13 hardstanding pitches and 36 grass pitches, along with excellent clean showers, toilets, washing-up facilities and a laundry. The site is a short walk to great sea views atop the white cliffs, and there is a regular bus service to visit Folkestone, Dover and further afield. Little Satmar is based a short drive between the port of Dover and LeShuttle, making a convenient stopover for campers travelling to and from the Continent. We had a chat with park managers, Peter and Angela, about life working at Little Satmar… How long have you been running the campsite? Last year was our fourth season as managers of Little Satmar. Tell us…

Wellhouse Leisure has announced plans for its first fully electric model based on the Kia PV5. The new ’van will come with a choice of two batteries – a 55.5kWh with a 181-mile range or a 71.2kWh battery with 258 miles. Prices start from £53,500. The PV5 is equipped with fast charging, going from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes. David Elliott, CEO and founder of Wellhouse Leisure, said: “It looks really modern, is extremely smooth and pleasant to drive, plus it is the first electric van to offer a decent range for long-distance touring.” The ’van will come in two different spec levels, the PV5 Plus and Essential. The interior will be fitted with a side kitchen layout with sliding side door as standard, as well as a pop-top…

SALTER’S STEAMERS CRUISE View Oxford’s dreaming spires from the Thames on a steamer boat trip with the family-run firm, Salter’s. The company offers a range of popular pleasure trips along the river, including 40-minute mini cruises and longer picnic cruises. W salterssteamers.co.uk BLENHEIM PALACE A monumental country house, UNESCO World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Blenheim is must-visit. See inside the palace, enjoy the formal gardens and take walks around the lake. W blenheimpalace.com SWISS FARM A picturesque campsite near Henley-on-Thames, with a delightful fishing lake area to relax in good weather. Visit the site’s licensed café for tasty treats and enjoy your refreshment on the terrace beside the outdoor pool. W swissfarmcamping.co.uk…

Last year we had to cancel a trip. The original journey was supposed to see us heading north towards the Hebridean Islands. This included, amongst other stopovers, an evening at The Fat Lamb with a posh meal, breakfast and a night in the car park, whilst an overnighter in Keswick was booked for the homeward leg. All of our pre-booked campsites had simply refunded the money apart from Castlerigg Hall which had instead given me a credit note. It wasn’t a bother, but at forty quid, I wasn’t going to let it lapse and an expedition beginning in the Lakes and heading across the country to see the puffins at Bempton Cliffs was sketched out. Our traditional paper motoring atlas revealed that if we began our odyssey at Keswick and…

HI I was recently looking at photos from earlier this year and came across my Cornwall trip. I think the extremely wet and windy weather exacerbated the situation, but it was one of the few times where I felt like not planning ahead made touring something of a challenge. After all these years on the road, I can roll with whatever happens, but this time definitely felt like a slog. That said, thanks to park4night, Brit Stops and local recommendations, I did manage to find some brilliant stopovers. You know I love sharing the spots I find, so here are my top picks. They are winter proof, so should be ideal for year-round touring, or rather the unpredictable British weather. But, equally, I know they will be stunning in summer…

One of the best things about owning a campervan is having a kitchen, as you can enjoy a cuppa and knock up a tasty meal, wherever you are in the world. For some, it’s the simple pleasures like beans on toast or a tinned curry – something easy that requires minimal fuss at the end of a busy day. For others, it’s all about sampling local produce. Rustling up a gourmet meal is all part of the adventure! When it comes to campervan cooking, simplicity and practicality are key. Whether you're a fan of quick and easy meals or aspire to be a culinary explorer, your campervan kitchen can cater to your tastes. To fully enjoy the experience, ensure you have the right campervan kitchenware, from stackable lightweight pots and…

JOA 54G The Joa 54G proves that compact doesn’t need to mean compromise. At 5.41m, it is manoeuvrable and well equipped, with a rear garage bed, full kitchen, washroom and lounge. The refreshed Joa by Pilote identity, unveiled at the NEC show, makes sense, as Joa vehicles are designed and built in the same factory and benefit from the same expertise as Pilote. The 54G is an ideal all-in-one for solo travellers or couples seeking style, value and everyday usability on the road with practical features and thoughtful design touches. ACE 1200 RL Ace is a revived British brand which made its official return at the NEC in February. The brand is aiming to attract first-time leisure vehicle owners with a simple range of keenly priced models. There is a…

Redline is the campervan arm of dealer, Venture Caravans, which was established in 1971. Nine years ago, all that camping and motorhome experience was funnelled into the campervan market and Redline now converts around 100 vans per year. The company offers a range of models, starting with the entry-level Classic, but here we took a look at the Sport GT, the flagship. ‘Our’ version was based on the Ford Tourneo Custom, but you can also order this model on the latest Volkswagen Transporter instead. As the Ford comes in Titanium specification, it has the 2-litre 170hp engine with the eight-speed automatic gearbox. Redline chooses the Tourneo models as they come with more driver aids, but you can specify the Transit Custom (panel van), a less powerful engine or a manual…

Glastonbury, in the Somerset Levels, might bring to mind crystal healing and ley lines, but away from the town wildlife flourishes. Our campsite was perfectly placed, close to both the RSPB’s Ham Wall reserve on the Avalon Marshes and the town centre. On the easy walk to the reserve, swallows danced alongside us through the fields, insects buzzed among the flower-rich wetlands, and birds warbled and chirped in the June sunshine. In the reserve, we were astonished by the profusion of flitting dragonflies as we meandered among a horde of electric blues and fresh greens. Later, a warden helped us identify the four-spotted chaser dragonflies as we were mesmerised by a marsh harrier hunting over the reeds and charmed by the swans with an astonishing seven fluffy cygnets. We spent…

SETTHORNS CAMPSITE Brockenhurst, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 5WA T 01590 631641 W campinginthenewforest.com OPEN All year To really feel miles from anywhere, lose yourself amid the tranquil woodland of the New Forest National Park. This secluded campsite offers hardstanding electric hook-up pitches nestled among the forest’s trees and bushes. There are no toilet or shower facilities here, so you will need to use the amenities in your own unit. Dogs are welcome and walks are in abundance for them! Setthorns is a haven for wildlife, and free-roaming ponies are regular visitors. The site is full of winding paths that can be explored on foot or by bike. There’s easy access to a nearby disused railway line that can be followed to further venture into the surrounding area. Two miles away…

“You’re doing what?” This is the response I always get from friends when I tell them of my latest campervan trip with the family. Our holiday plans and adventurous itineraries are always sure to gobsmack fellow parents, as the idea of willingly cramming myself into a ’van for two weeks with my boisterous young children fills them with horror. And yes, I understand; it’s certainly the complete opposite to a relaxing stay in a villa, all-inclusive hotel or quaint cottage. But we like it. Actually, we more than like it; enjoying special time with our children while exploring the world in our campervan is our dream. Most of the year we live a conventional domestic life in Staffordshire, with a busy routine for school, work and children’s clubs. So, for…

NEW WEBSITE MAPS ANDALUSiA STOPOVER An online portal has been designed to help travellers plan routes across the south of Spain. The tool will act as a search engine, collecting information on stopover areas and allowing users to filter results by location. Each listing will include photographs, service information and nearby attractions, as well as direct contact or booking links where applicable. The portal was launched by the Asociación de Áreas de Pernocta de Andalucía which covers six provinces (Almería, Cádiz, Granada, Huelva, Jaén and Málaga) and hopes to expand to its networ, aiming for 20 areas.…

Summer touring and great music go hand in hand, and the Norfolk Motorhome & Campervan Show, on the outskirts of Norwich, is set to deliver another fantastic weekend of entertainment (17-19 July). Visitors can expect a lively evening programme with bands including The Houndogs, bringing rock ’n’ roll classics and vintage rhythm and blues, the Britpop Boys, celebrating the sounds of Oasis, Blur and the golden era of 90s guitar anthems and Ultimate Texas, delivering the energy and harmonies of Sharleen Spiteri. Beyond the music, Norfolk is a great chance to park up, explore the exhibition area and spend time with fellow tourers. This year also sees the introduction of the first-ever Out & About Live Club camping area, exclusively for magazine subscribers. It’s a dedicated space where readers can…

One of the most common questions I get asked in this job is: ‘what’s the difference between a large campervan and a motorhome?’ In some ways it’s fairly straightforward – generally, a campervan is a converted panel van where all the fittings are built into the original metal shell. A motorhome, on the other hand, sees a coachbuilt habitation area manufactured; only the cab and chassis of the base vehicle are used. That’s the simple answer, but it can get more complicated. In fact, these days there are many examples where it’s quite difficult to decide which is which. The Rapido V62, based on the 6.36m-long Fiat Ducato, is a prime example of where the line between a campervan and a coachbuilt is blurred. It is essentially a panel van…

We’ve previously reviewed Cambridge Campervans’ conversions on the T6.1 Transporter and now here is the latest model, based, of course, on what Volkswagen calls the ‘new Transporter’ and everyone else calls the T7. With the new model, Cambridge has added spec but kept the base price keen, at a fiver under £60k. That’s for the top-spec Commerce Pro version of the Transporter but with just the 110hp engine and manual gearbox. The demo model seen here has the 150hp engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox (both shared with the Ford Transit Custom) and comes in at £67,995 (based on a pre-registered, delivery mileage van). Alternatively, Cambridge can convert customer-supplied VW vans, with the conversion here costing £24,050. Going for the Commerce Pro trim level means you get a high spec from…

The previous-generation California was undoubtedly a huge success, with over 200,000 sold up to 2024. It changed little internally over T5, T6 and T6.1 generations from its launch in 2005, although cab and engine spec improved to match customer demands and environmental legislation. It would have been easy, therefore, for VW to simply repeat the recipe in the new Transporter, the joint venture van produced at Ford’s factory in Turkey. We first got a glimpse of the future of Volkswagen’s own in-house camper at the August 2023 Caravan Salon Düsseldorf, where the California Concept broke cover. Instead of being built on the Transporter, here was a California based on the Multivan people-carrier. In fact, until recently, the California (offered in Beach Camper, Coast and range-topping Ocean specs) was the only…