Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Campervan

HELLO Well, it’s been quite the summer. We’ve had not one, not two, not even three… but four heatwaves this year! There’s nothing quite like a sunny day on the campsite and we’ve had plenty of those this year. That said, the baking temperatures we saw a few weeks ago were something else. For a pale Scotsman like me, the only option was to strap ice packs to my body, sit in a darkened room and turn the fan up to 11! We’re into autumn now, but the camping season is far from over and there are still plenty of opportunities to get out and about – and in this issue we’ve got plenty of tips, advice and ideas to help you get going. I’ve been out and about over the…

We’d planned a weekend in Salisbury. However, my husband wasn’t convinced we’d arrive in time for lunch, so we took a scenic detour into the Hampshire town of Stockbridge. This introduced us to a delightful little town we might otherwise never have discovered. We parked near Meadow, a wellreviewed café and art gallery. Our lunch certainly didn’t disappoint – Paul’s chicken Caesar salad was delicious, as was my coconut cauliflower curry with naan. And, as Stockbridge clearly had more to offer, we spent a leisurely afternoon exploring before continuing on. The town is laid out along both sides of a long, wide High Street. Consequently, our walk wasn’t so much ‘around’ as ‘along’ it, and back again. Pausing where the River Test flows through a pond alongside the High Street…

Monkton Wyld has a countryside location on the Dorset/Devon border, only three miles from the seaside towns of Lyme Regis and Charmouth. It’s a mix of hardstanding, grass and surfaced pitches, and most have electric hook-up. The park is divided into separate areas by hedges so you feel part of a smaller site. Monkton Wyld is dogfriendly, with a dog wash area, dog walk and a separate paddock where pets can be exercised off the lead. There’s also a great children’s play area. Joanna Kewley tells us more about the site. How long have you been running your campsite? We first opened to the public in 1991 in a four-acre field. Over the years this has grown to 26 acres but everything is divided up in small paddocks and areas…

After some pretty tumultuous years in the insurance industry, things seem to have calmed down. That’s not to say the many and various problems have been fixed, though; just that most of them don’t seem to be getting any worse. For now. THE CAMPERVAN MARKET Mark Sheppard, Senior Trading Manager for Scenic, Safeguard and Motorhome Protect, has spent the last 25 years working in insurance and keeps a close eye on the leisure vehicle market. He says, “We work with a lot of dealers, and while some have seen an increase in sales over the past year, others have seen a decline. At the NEC Motorhome & Caravan Show the feedback that we got was very positive, with dealers generally very upbeat about the market right now. Having said this,…

The latest addition to Westfalia’s range of campervans bears a name inspired by Jungle Book author, Rudyard Kipling. The iconic German brand says the Kipling moniker embodies its “spirit of exploration and independence”. And that’s all well and good, but I have a feeling that the first thing that will come to mind for most British buyers will be more cake-related. Exceedingly good cakes, at that. In fact, as the Kipling is built at Westfalia’s factory in France, you might say that this is a French Fancy. Anyway, enough of the dad jokes. Let’s focus on the more important stuff, like what this new ’van is all about. Westfalia says the compact Kipling, with its fixed transverse rear bed and generous storage, is a response to growing customer demand, with…

Truro is Cornwall’s only city, but with a population of just over 20,000 it’s hardly a major metropolis. It does, however, have lots of quirky shops, cool cafés and restaurants and a bustling market, and its Gothic cathedral is truly magnificent, towering over the centre of the city. Falmouth is a harbour town with deep maritime roots. Highlights include the National Maritime Museum Cornwall and the gardens at Trebah and Glendurgan. Visitors can also explore Pendennis Castle and nearby beaches. VISIT TRURO CATHEDRAL With its striking Gothic revival architecture, Truro Cathedral, completed in 1910, is one of the few cathedrals in the UK built on a new site since medieval times. Step inside to admire its soaring arches, vibrant stained glass and peaceful atmosphere. W trurocathedral.org.uk TRY LEARN TO SAIL…

When the darker nights set in, and the clocks go back, it’s all too easy to neglect getting out and about in the great outdoors, but we love this time of year. The yellows, oranges and browns of the leaves and trees lure us out into the great outdoors to find rich pickings of the earlier season conkers and of course offer a great opportunity to kick through some fallen leaves as the cold sets in. Given we’re both teachers, we make the best of our holidays together as a family, and October half term is certainly one of them, breaking up a very long and especially busy term. We were due to visit some friends down in Clactonon-Sea in Essex for the first few days of half term but…

Leave no trace has become a mantra for responsible campervan owners, whether parking for a few hours or overnight. It’s simply responsible ’van ownership. But, as campervan use has escalated, the confusion over where owners are allowed to stay outside of campsites, as well as the few who abuse the leave no trace philosophy, consistently makes headlines in the local and national press. This peaks during the summer but is a yearround problem. Locals object to the influx of ’vans parking up overnight in laybys, coastal areas and other scenic locations where they aren’t allowed, with ’van owners eager to bag instaworthy images rather than stay on a campsite. Meanwhile, abuse of their area – such as rubbish being left, gardens used as toilets and even verbal intimidation – can…

VOTE FOR THE UK’S BEST CONVERTER Campervanners can cast their votes for the UK’s best campervan converter and their favourite campsite. The annual Campervan Awards, brought to you by Out & About Live, recognise the very best campervans in their categories each year, as well as naming an overall winning vehicle. And this year campervanners can vote in the Best Campervan Converter and Campsite of the Year categories. The Out & About Live Campervan Awards will again be sponsored in 2026 by Creation Consumer Finance – a leading provider of consumer finance to leisure vehicle buyers. Creation will also be sponsoring the 2026 Motorhome Awards as well as the 2026 Caravan Awards. Voting closes on 31 October and the winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony in…

The sweet yet spicy hit of the aged malt whisky base, punctuated with floral and herbal overtones, washes over your taste buds as you take a sip of Drambuie liqueur and gaze out at the rolling hills of Yorkshire’s northern moors bathed in golden afternoon sunlight. Relaxing on the comfortable camel-coloured faux leather couch, surrounded by bespoke cabinetry with hand-oiled oak worktops, complete with trademark ‘live edge’, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in some secluded executive retreat. From the oak panelled flooring and Harris tweed scatter cushions, to the knurled brass door handles and unique light fixtures fabricated from copper piping, there’s certainly little to give away that you’re actually sitting in the back of a usually much more utilitarian Defender 110. Known as Skafta, named after…

SOUTH LYTCHETT MANOR CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK Dorchester Road, Lytchett Minster, Poole, Dorset BH16 6JB T 01202 622577 W southlytchettmanor.co.uk OPEN 28 February – 2 January Brownsea Island is dramatically located in Poole Harbour and has several thriving natural habitats, including woodland, heathland and a lagoon. It’s a unique haven for wildlife, such as the rare red squirrel and a wide variety of birds. There are more than 60 types of tree on the island to create a dazzling autumn display. Plus, on Thursdays in November, after the island is closed for the season, you can book to enjoy a guided walk to discover the red squirrels. A little to the east of Poole is Compton Acres – 10 acres of beautiful gardens, including a Japanese Garden with maples which…

Campervans are usually associated with sunny summer days, but they can be a cosy haven even in the chill of winter. If you're a campervan owner, you know that campervanning in winter in the UK requires some careful preparation and a few extra creature comforts. From insulation to water management, here’s your guide to preparing your campervan for the colder months. We will cover both using your campervan in winter and winter campervan storage. The key to ensuring the longevity of your campervan lies in regular use. Campervans left idle for extended periods risk various issues, including flat tyres, hardened engine components, drained batteries, frozen water systems, and the unwelcome presence of mould and rodents. But, while winter campervanning might offer excellent opportunities for exploration, not everyone can keep their…

Landseer Leisure – named after Edwin Landseer, the artist – started developing its first campervan just before Covid. It has since redesigned its pop-top conversion to suit the newgeneration Ford and built up a growing network of dealers. Unusually for a firm of this size, it doesn’t sell direct, but the size of its former cotton mill factory in Preston and its future plans perhaps explain that. At the NEC this October, it will have its own stand for the first time and the Custom 2.0 tested here will be joined by a more entry-level pop-top camper as well as larger ’vans based on the bigger (six-metre) Transit and the MAN TGE. Up until now, Landseer has put all its eggs in the Tourneo Custom basket, offering this high-spec campervan…

HI Back in the summer, I visited the beautiful New Forest. I know I’ve written before about visiting the area but, as I’ve said previously, you can visit the same area more than once and have a different experience each time. And that’s why I wanted to share this trip, because I experienced something completely new! If you’re familiar with my travels or my story, you’ll know I’m not new to the area. I am originally from Hampshire and I still have family there. I usually stay at a lovely campsite called Setthorns, because it is open all year (and I’ll be honest, I rarely visit the New Forest in the summer and hardly ever during the school holidays). On this occasion, I was passing through after a show and stopped…