Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2023 i Practical Caravan

We asked, what’s your favourite seaside campsite? Here are just some of your choices! Star photo Our winning entry receives one of these beautifully illustrated maps from Awesome Maps – check out the amazing range at www.awesome-maps.com STAR PHOTO TAG US #PRACTICAL CARAVAN OR EMAIL LETTERS@PRACTICALCARAVAN.COM NEXT MONTH’S THEME… SUMMER FUN! Send us your best touring shots for a chance to win an Awesome Map…

'Talgarth is steeped in history and makes the perfect base for exploring South Wales' THE CHARMING market town of Talgarth sits on the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons, also known as Bannau Brycheiniog. Thought to be the medieval capital of the area that is now the national park, Talgarth is steeped in history and makes the perfect base for exploring South Wales. From castles to forests, there is plenty to see in the town and even more to be reached with ease in the locality. Brecon, Crickhowell and Abergavenny are a short drive away, while the Black Mountains loom large to the south-east. HOUR BY HOUR DAY 1 10am Begin at Bronllys Get your bearings in Talgarth with a visit to Bronllys Castle. The three-floor tower is the last…

IN-DEPTH TEST SHOWROOM IN-DEPTH TEST Price £39,995 Berths 4 MTPLM 1800kg WE RECKON THAT before this year, there is a good chance you won’t have heard of French-built La Mancelle caravans. But the brand has a long, impressive history: owned by French giant Trigano, it was born in 1960, in the historic city of Le Mans. Late last year, fellow Trigano Group member Marquis decided to import a range of La Mancelle caravans to the UK; these have now arrived and are available to view at three Marquis branches (Surrey, Exeter and South Yorkshire). We featured a two-page review of the Fantaisy 440 CL in issue 465; here, we take an in-depth look at a model in the more luxurious Liberty range, the four-berth island-bed 490 SA. Design When you first…

USED TOW CAR DISCOVERY. IT’S NOT ONLY the name of a Land Rover, it’s also the mindset that most caravan owners have. After all, caravanners want to head out and find new places to explore, safe in the knowledge that they’ve got their overnight abode with them every step of the way. The Discovery 4x4 looks like the ideal vehicle for them to do that in, because it’s large, practical and designed for off-road. But Land Rovers also have a reputation for the odd glitch. Caveat emptor. What's it like inside? In essence, this generation of the Land Rover was a heavy facelift of the Discovery 3, and the good news is that cabin space and practicality are two huge strengths of both versions. For a start, there are seven…

I’M ALL FOR the easy life, especially when we’re away in the caravan. After all, this is supposed to be a time for relaxation and being lazy if you want, isn’t it? We have a TV in the caravan, for occasional viewing, when there is something specific that we want to watch, or for those days when the weather turns miserable. Our latest tourer came with the Vision Plus VP3 Digital TV and Radio Amplifier, which was fine, but with the VP3, it’s a case of switching it on and a blue light illuminating to show that it is indeed on, but nothing else. To get the best TV signal means one of two things. Best picture You’ll either be slowly rotating the Status antenna while it’s connected to the…

WHETHER OR NOT you have a tracking unit fitted to your caravan, the chances are, you’ve heard of Phantom trackers. In October 2021, along with another local company, AMI, which deals with trackers for construction vehicles and plant, Phantom was acquired by the Moving Intelligence Group, based in the Netherlands, Germany, and now the UK. It may have changed its name, but it still offers a range of popular security products. And as with many things in the world of caravanning, how Phantom came about is an interesting story. I recently visited the new Moving Intelligence premises near Stockport, where I spoke to Sales Director and co-founder of Phantom, Steve Cherry. Beers and ideas In 2001, Steve, his brother Simon and a friend who worked in the car finance marketplace…

THE BIG SHOT NORFOLK Where are we? Blakeney Point, Norfolk Why tour here? The four-mile ridge of sand and shingle at Blakeney Point on the North Norfolk coast is one of the best places in the UK for seal spotting. There are two species of seals in the UK, the grey and the common (aka harbour) seal. Blakeney is home to England’s largest grey seal colony. For more brilliant British places to spot wildlife, see p20. Don’t miss… Seals are best viewed on one of the many local boat trips, which won’t disturb the animals. Photograph Andrew Michael, Getty Images Stock Photo 'If you want to see the animals in their thousands, then Blakeny Point is the most prolific breeding site for grey seals'(p20)…

Mnched collapsible lunch box This space-saving lunch box, with a 1065ml capacity, is a great addition to your caravan kitchen. Folding down to just 3cm, it’s also microwave safe. Price £20 Web mnched.com Volcann Flatpack Portable BBQ & Cooktop Cook your full English all at once on this compact charcoal barbecue, which has a flat cooktop and a grill section. Price £39.95 Web indooroutdoors.co.uk Luci Outdoor 2.0 Pro Inflatable Solar Light This long-lasting lantern is handily powered by solar, offers four settings, charges your mobile and is waterproof. Price £42 Web gooutdoors.co.uk Smartphone bicycle mount Never take a wrong turn again with this sturdy mount. The bracket can be used with any bike and phone, in landscape or portrait mode. Price £14.99 Web decathlon.co.uk GSI Outdoors coffee system If you…

Follow a straight line (well, in our case, given the vagaries of the land, it was more of a wobbly line, veering slightly north to avoid the rain) between the well-known destinations of Weymouth and Poole and you’ll travel for about an hour through the gorgeous county of Dorset. What is perhaps not immediately noticeable is that as well as fine scenery, you’ll also be surrounded by splendid history, from TE Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) to Robert Baden-Powell (of Scouting fame), from the Tolpuddle Martyrs (school history lessons, anyone?) to Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy (who served with Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar). Oh, and don’t forget the ghost village taken over then abandoned by the army during World War II. Add a naked giant on a hillside, a…

SHOWROOM FIRST LOOK Price £29,080 Berths 6 MiRO 1408kg MTPLM 1650kg FOR THE 2023 season, the popular Altea has been given a revamp, with the line-up streamlined to just three layouts. Adria has kept one large family floorplan in the new range, with the Avon sleeping up to six. The model reviewed here came with the ‘All Inc’ pack, which includes alloy wheels and a microwave. Pitch and set-up The Altea’s new bodyshell echoes that of the more expensive Adora, making it look more upmarket than the price suggests. It comes on an Al-Ko chassis, with an AKS hitch stabiliser, heavy-duty corner steadies and LED road lights. You also get an LED awning light, while the stable-type door, although unglazed, is good to see. These models come with the extra-length…

USED VANS SHOWROOM USED VAN BUYER THE AVANTÉ is very popular with customers looking for a value-for-money tourer, and the range has always offered a wide selection of layouts. It’s remained a strong brand, selling well over the years. Many Elddis dealerships have also based their special edition models on the Avanté. By 2015, the line-up had eight layouts. The impressive spec included blown-air heating by Whale. The generous storage was another strong point. Model history The range provided excellent layouts for families, although some proved less appealing and were discontinued. For 2015, the Avanté was placed on an Al-Ko chassis with AKS hitch and ATC. The eight models ranged from the 462 end-washroom two-berth to the huge 636 twin-axle six-berth. The Avanté 576, a single-axle six-berth, was launched for the…

TOW CARS QUICK TEST What’s new? The current generation of Audi A6 has been around for some years now, but the plug-in hybrid model is more recent. This is our first opportunity to tow with one. With a kerbweight of over two tonnes, 299hp and four wheel drive, this makes an appealing alternative to a large SUV. What are we looking for? We want to know if the Audi tows well, and if there are any compromises involved in choosing plug-in hybrid power. Towing ability Look at the spec sheet, and you’d think that this car was a large 4x4. With a kerbweight of more than two tonnes, it’s very heavy indeed for an estate car, giving an 85% match figure of 1828kg. We matched the Audi to a Swift…

TOWING SAFELY poses all sorts of extra challenges for drivers. Not least among these is seeing what’s behind you when there’s a caravan blocking the way. That’s why extension mirrors are essential with almost all car and caravan combinations. Do I really need towing mirrors? Almost certainly. Although there’s no law requiring the specific use of extension mirrors when towing, you must be able to see four metres out from the caravan, 20 metres behind the driver. Unless you have a very wide car and an unusually narrow caravan, this isn’t possible without extension mirrors, so you will, in effect, need them to stay legal. The mirrors shouldn’t extend more than 2025cm beyond the overall width of the car and the caravan (depending on when they were designed), which is…

Featuring models on UK sale for 2023! FIND THE PERFECT FLOORPLAN FOR YOUR NEEDS Please check model details with the manufacturer or dealer before travelling to view or buy There are a wide range of caravan layouts to choose from (pictured below), all with their own pros and cons. When you’re trying to settle on the arrangement that will suit you, there are some points to think about that can help you decide. Here, we take a look at a few of the most popular floorplans out there, and what they can offer you. B TRANSVERSE ISLAND BED, REAR WASHROOM Island beds are a surprisingly recent addition to caravans, and were really introduced from the world of motorhomes. Caravans are usually a bit wider than motorhomes, though, so it is…

Star letter Lincoln highlights Scrolling through the pages of the latest Practical Caravan (issue 466), I was delighted to see the 48 Hours feature visiting Lincoln, my adopted home city for the past 17 years. No trip to Lincoln can be complete without exploring the city’s intrinsic connection to the RAF, and a more recent addition to its skyline, the International Bomber Command Centre on Canwick Hill, with the spectacular Spire Memorial soaring into the skies over the south of the city. At 102ft tall (the wingspan of the Avro Lancaster Bomber), the Spire and surrounding Wall of Names commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of the nearly 58,000 men and women who served in RAF Bomber Command during World War II. It has spectacular views across the city, and of…

Fans of Battle Royale video games, such as Fortnite and Call of Duty, can now experience the games for real at Rumble Live Action Gaming, a family-friendly attraction based at Grafham in Cambridgeshire, which has just opened up its second site, at Rutland Water. In a beautiful woodland setting, your team will scavenge the area to find utility boxes of ammo, respawns and weapon upgrades. You’ll be equipped with laser rifles and grenades, which transform into over 100 different types of weapon and track your performance throughout. Tickets cost from £15 per person. Find out more at rumblelive.co.uk.…

South Wales Shire Horse Society 1 July 2023 Fans of all things equine will love this event in Abergavenny, including shire horse and miniature horse shows. You can also enter your pooch in the on-the-day dog show. Don’t miss the sheep-herding display, pony rides, classic car competition and charity stalls. Adult tickets £8, children £4. swshs.org.uk/show.html Stay at Blossom Holiday Park blossompark.co.uk Holmfirth Artweek 2-8 July 2023 This West Yorkshire exhibition shows and sells the work of local and national artists to raise money for charities. It hosts more than 400 exhibitors and 2000 artworks, including photography, paintings, textiles, ceramics and sculpture. Tickets for the exhibition cost £2.50. holmfirthartweek.org.uk Stay at Holme Valley Camping and Caravan Park holmevalleycamping.com Buxton International Festival 6-23 July 2023 The beautiful Peak District is the…

WHEN YOU SEE a bird, do you really see it? I ask because it’s perfectly possible to go through life with an almost complete disregard for birdlife. I’m not an expert - about either birds (although I’m beginning to hold my own with those who are) or photography. I’ve only recently worked out how to use the manual focus on my Nikon camera, but I do have a strong sense of what I think is beautiful and a passion for birds that has its roots in my childhood. What I lack in expertise, I make up for in enthusiasm, and here I hope to explain and illustrate how to become a chronicler of the breathtaking beauty to be found on our doorsteps and beyond. Countryside birds It’s so easy to…

Swift and Bailey see profits boost Steeply rising turnover in the past year has helped to fuel substantial improvements in brands' performance MAJOR CARAVAN manufacturers Swift and Bailey have seen a big profits boost on the back of a sharp rise in turnover this year. The continuing high demand for caravans saw Bailey of Bristol jump back into the black during 2022, with a pre-tax profit of £3-6m for the year, compared with a loss in 2021 of £571,531. Turnover for the brand increased from £97.2m to £131m. Swift, meanwhile, saw its pre-tax profit for the year to the end of August last year jump by two-thirds, to £19-2m. Group turnover rose from £232.7m to £301.1m. Bailey said the events of the past year, which saw caravan stock levels on…

SHOWROOM FIRST LOOK Price £49,995 Berths 4 MiRO 1839kg MTPLM 1996kg* THE BESSACARR BRAND was acquired by Swift in 1996 and sold as the company’s most luxurious caravan range. In 2008, Swift carried out a streamlining process, which saw it drop the Bessacarr line-up, although it still used the name for a motorhome range for some years. That prompted Couplands Caravans, in Lincolnshire, and Swindon Caravans, in Wiltshire, to enter an agreement with Swift to build Conqueror-based models that were badged as Bessacarrs. From 2014, Couplands Caravans and its subsidiary, Brayford Leisure, became the sole dealers for the range. For 2023, there are five Bessacarrs: two single-axle models based on Conquerors, and three twin-axle Elegance Grande derivatives, the latter having the new bodyshell introduced for this season. So, how do…

USED VANS SHOWROOM CARAVAN HISTORY Caravanning fever grips the nation The 1970s could really be classed as beginning at the tail end of 1969, with the then major caravan show in London, at the famous Earl’s Court. This was the show that displayed what was on offer for the following year, 1970 - the true start of caravanning in the 1970s. Crowds gathered (120,000) to get into the Earl’s Court International Caravan & Camping Exhibition. Salesmen in those heady days at Earl’s Court often had folk lined up for a new caravan. They would swap over with a colleague to have a break and carry on signing up, such was the demand to buy. Scotland had its own version of this with Kelvin Hall, in Glasgow, while Birmingham had Bingley…

TOW CAR ADVICE MAKING THE SWITCH to a fully electric vehicle is quite a leap for caravanners, and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are expensive. For many customers, a full hybrid car (sometimes called a “self-charging” hybrid) requires fewer adjustments and shallower pockets. Full hybrids can run on electricity alone, albeit only for short distances. You never charge a hybrid’s battery as you would an electric car’s or a plug-in hybrid’s. Instead, you rely on energy recaptured while slowing down and braking to top up the vehicle’s battery and give the engine - usually petrol - some extra help as and when needed. Although this type of powertrain can’t match the super-low running costs of a pure electric vehicle or the fuel-efficiency of a PHEV, you can treat them much the same…