Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Campervan

Contributors Daniel Attwood Nick Harding Carol Kubicki Alice Lomas Felicity Martin Liz Morrell Dave Richards Peter Rosenthal Claire Tupholme Peter Vaughan There are many good reasons why people decide to get a campervan, but, for us, the clincher was that it would let us spend more time getting out in the colder months of the year. We’ve always loved camping in autumn and winter, but even brass monkeys would think twice about sleeping in a tent in February! A ’van gives you the freedom to camp all year round, but, as you’ll read in this issue, there are still some important things you need to take into account before venturing out in cold weather. Having said all that, I’m already thinking ahead to the spring and our Campervan Campout festival…

Long Hazel Park has won three awards at the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards. The site, near Yeovil in Somerset, was given a gold award in both the Camping and Caravanning Park of the Year and Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Business Award categories. This was then topped off by being crowned Winner of Winners at the tourism award’s ceremony, which took place at Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare. Long Hazel is one of the 100 high-quality campsites in the Premier Parks group. Last year, it was also rewarded for its efforts to encourage wildlife and greener activity, with success in four categories in the David Bellamy Blooming Marvellous Pledge for Nature.…

Best known for its VW Transporter conversions, like a number of others, 8 Ball Camper Conversions has moved into the ‘big league’ with its very appropriately named XL – based on the T6.1’s big brother, the Crafter. This is no ordinary Crafter, either. That was obvious as soon as it pulled onto the campsite behind the Wishing Well pub in Dyke, Lincolnshire. With rugged-looking KMC alloy wheels and BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres and a 60mm suspension uplift kit, plus a winch, Thule awning, roof rack, rear-mounted spare wheel and even an offside ladder and surfboard holder, it looks set for adventure. It even has steps built into the wheel carrier, so that you can climb up to clear snow off the solar panels (350W) on the roof. And, although the 8…

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Buying your first campervan is one of life’s great moments and, while long-time camping veterans will always be full of helpful advice, it pays to plan your first trip to avoid any blunders. It’s also worth doing things in your own way. While certain basic tasks (plugging in mains hook-up, for example) are a set procedure, many other aspects of campervanning are down to your personal preference. You’ll pick them up as you go along, but here are some useful tips ahead of that first adventure. Have a practice camp at home It pays to do your homework before you leave home and check you know how everything works. You should have had a comprehensive handover from the seller, but it’s easy to miss vital information in all the excitement…

On sale 16 February 2023 New look! We’re getting a makeover – don’t miss the all-new Campervan magazine Road trip Vanlife In the know Our campers Campsites Plus Hiking in Cumbria, a guide to pop-tops, and a focus on the Rimor Horus campervan range All contents subject to change Subscribe at outandaboutlive.co.uk 01778 392019 subscriptions@warnersgroup.co.uk Digital Campervan offers To enjoy access to a fully searchable digital library of all issues of Campervan since it was launched, visit motorhome.ma/exdigi22cpvn For extra photos, video, interactive adverts, live web links and additional web-based articles, head to motorhome.ma/cpvnpocketmags…

Dorset may not get all the plaudits of its two big West Country neighbours but that doesn’t mean it’s any less appealing. Quite the opposite in fact. While you certainly won’t feel lonely here, it’s a lot less crowded than Devon and Cornwall, and yet there is so much to see and do. Dorset has a variety of stunning landscapes, from the sweeping beaches and rugged cliffs of the Jurassic Coast to the rolling countryside and picturesque chocolate box villages inland. The New Forest is close enough to visit, too. The riverside market town of Wareham boasts a history going back more than 2,000 years and, up until the fourteenth century, it was a busy port. These days it is somewhere to relax, have something to eat, hire a boat…

The January Motorhome & Campervan Sale returns to the East of England Arena, Peterborough, from 20 to 22 January, 2023. Various dealers will attend the pop-up sale with a selection of new and used vehicles on offer, so if you’re looking for a fresh set of wheels to start the new year, there’s no better time to start your research. Now in its third year, entry is free, and a goody bag is on offer for all those who register in advance. The exhibition, which takes place indoors, is open from 10am-4pm on Friday and Saturday and 10am-2pm on Sunday. At the time of going to press, those exhibiting already included Broad Lane Leisure, Cleveland Motorhomes, Custom Camper Solutions, DG Motorhomes, E S Hartley, Jack’s Shack, Knights Custom Conversions, Maple…

1 When did Campal start out? Campal began in early 2016. We are a family-run, customer focused business. Our “big break” came a year later when, unbeknown to us, one of our conversions featured in Stern magazine in Germany. With a seal of approval from Germany, our reputation for good design, quality and workmanship was born. To this day we have a big presence in Germany, as well as the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria and the UK. 2 How has the campervan market changed since then? Campervans have always been cool, but they are even cooler now. The pandemic has been the catalyst for change in so many ways. There are many more wonderful, affordable, conversion modules, both fixed and removable, out there in all shapes, sizes and configurations, providing the…

Founded in 1997, Speeds has made its name by offering high-quality campervan conversions based on the great-driving Ford Transit Custom. You may have seen its colourful wares at the National Motorhome & Campervan Show (and if you didn’t, where were you?). There is a really coordinated approach to its vehicles, which offer either a sporty flavour with the Speeds Edition models, or a rugged outdoor look with the Adventurer models. The exterior Motorsport has clearly inspired the exterior of the Speeds Edition campervan, with its stealth Panther Black paintwork having been toughened up by the addition of a front spoiler and splitter, combined with side skirts, a rear bumper lip – sporting quad exhaust tips – and a subtle roof spoiler. Combined with the beefy black and diamond-turned silver 20-inch…

I had heard how amazing the Netherlands is for cycling but I needed to see for myself if this was truth or hype. There is no doubt that the geography is promising; the highest point is an underwhelming 322m (1,058ft), and much of the country lies below sea level. My fact-finding trip began in Lelystad, a town built on land that was once under the sea and is flat as a pancake. Beyond the dykes there was no hint of a hill. We meet the Dutch often when we travel in our campervan; they are enthusiastic campers and often speak excellent English. Nevertheless, I was determined to learn a few Dutch words and, by the time we had reached our Lelystad campsite from Germany, I had mastered some pleasantries. Even…

A campervan is for life, not just for hot summers. Campervans take time, effort and money – to buy, maintain, insure and fuel. So why do so many of my fellow vanlifers hang up the keys over the colder months? I for one embrace campervan getaways all year round; our joy at escaping from the nine-to-five routine is never dampened by rain, fog or frost. So many campervan owners don’t feel brave enough to use their beloved ’van all year round. The campsites and roads are packed with happy holidaymakers during spring and summer, but as soon as the weather starts to turn and the kids go back to school we find that we often have places almost to ourselves. Since converting our Renault Master minibus into a four-berth campervan…

Specialist creates wheelchair-accessible camper Berkshire-based Roy Wood Transits, a mobility specialist and Auto Campers dealer, has engineered an accessible campervan for two of its customers. Having searched shows and mobility events with little luck, Rob and his wife turned to Roy Wood Transits – a previously accredited Motability partner – for its expertise in campervan mobility solutions, choosing an Auto Campers Day Van Hi-line as a starting point. Roy Wood Transits installed a telescopic linear platform tail lift, which reduces in height as it stows to maintain rear visability; wheelchair and occupant restraints for a safe and comfortable journey without the need to transfer to a passenger seat on shorter journeys; and a bespoke slide-in portable toilet shelf to aid easy transfer, complete with folding grab rails and load lock…

An employee-owned campervan conversion company has been celebrated by Nicola Surgeon, Scotland’s First Minister. Jerba Campervans won the First Minister’s Award for Manufacturing Leadership for its outstanding efforts in employee engagement and welfare. The North Berwick-based company accepted the award from Ms Sturgeon, at Bute House in Edinburgh after showcasing its 100% employee-owned status. Jerba specialises in converting and customising Volkswagen Transporter vans. Converting VW T6.1 models, the North Berwick-based firm is officially recognised by Volkswagen as a Motorhome Qualified Converter, and is the only firm in Scotland to receive this qualification. Co-founders of the firm, Simon Poole and Catherine Brookes, along with trustee, David Miller, collected the prize. The accolade celebrates competitive and innovative manufacturing companies in Scotland which champion fair work and inclusivity while investing in the skills…

Great advice from Bath VW’s Winston McGlynn. Buy basic then add extras as you go, to suit not just your budget but your needs (you’ll soon learn to prioritise them). I’d add to that. Buy the best quality you can, too. And from a company that can fully demonstrate it knows what it’s talking about and can show how it looks after its customers. That’s easier said than done, I know, especially when the background is literally hundreds of converters out there across the nation, all too keen to compete for your campervan pound. So, more advice: if possible, buy local. And definitely go somewhere where you can see examples of the manufacturer’s work. Enter Bath VW Campers. A relative newcomer – it started out in 2016 – but already…

“The brand synonymous with reliability and the quality/price ratio”– Sales Director, Prisco Vicidomini For the 2023 season, Rimor is launching two new campervans that are expected to attract a significant number of British buyers. However, the brand is still not widely known in the UK and this is something that Sales Director, Prisco Vicidomini, aims to change in 2023. “We would like to make ourselves known more and more to the UK public as the Italian brand synonymous with reliability and the quality/price ratio,” he says. New campervans are coming While Rimor’s current line-up includes four coachbuilt motorhome ranges – Kilig and Evo on Ford, Seal and Super Brig on Fiat – it also has the Horus campervan range (on Fiat Ducato). And, in this line-up, Rimor has just launched…

When I first bought my 20-year-plus VW T4 in 2021, the idea was to have a summer of adventures. One of those was going to be driving the Northumberland 250, a circular road trip route taking in many of the highlights of the county – from coasts to castles and forests. But what I’d failed to consider was the confidence I needed to do such a trip. Just a couple of weeks before I was planning to leave I chickened out, worrying about everything from doing it alone to the distance I’d have to cover. It would take around six hours just to get there. I’d never driven the ’van more than three hours and it had broken down on me a few weeks before. I decided I wasn’t brave…

I first encountered Eilidh Carr on Twitter, enticed to follow her by the fabulous photographs she posts on social media of her home island of Berneray in the Outer Hebrides. The pictures became even more dramatic when she bought a drone and started sharing aerial views of the island’s three-mile long white sand beach and other wonderful local scenes. Eilidh doesn’t just post beautiful images, she also shares stories of her life on the northwestern fringe of the British Isles. I soon became intrigued by her account of creating Coralbox, a gift shop in a wooden cabin by Berneray’s harbour that she and her father built from scratch. Even more captivating were posts about her next project, the conversion of a short-wheelbase Ford Transit into a campervan. She wanted to…