Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i Practical Motorhome

Star picture Next month’s theme… Hobbies on tour! Email your pictures and their stories (40 words, plus name, address and contacts) to hotshots@practicalmotorhome.com. The best photo will win these guides: All the Aires Belgium & Luxembourg, All the Aires France; All the Aires Spain and Portugal; Road Trip Europe – Best of Belgium; All the Aires Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; Go Motorhoming and Campervanning; Sea View Camping Scotland; Sea View Camping West Country; Road Trip Europe – The Great War and More; and Road Trip Europe – Go Dutch. Note, list of prize books may change depending on stock. All are from Vicarious Books, www.vicarious-shop.com, 0131 208 3333.…

JUMBO CROSSWORD Read down the letters in the shaded squares to spell out a British TV programme (9, 5) Across 1 Make certain (6) 4 Warranty (9) 9 Partial denture (6) 15 Female relatives (5) 16 Got away (7) 17 Loud explosions (5) 18 Violin tuner (3) 19 Airtight sealed containers (4) 20 Adolescents (9) 21 Most elderly (6) 24 Crises (11) 26 Clearly (10) 29 Make smaller in size or number (6) 31 Straightforward (6) 32 Perceive (5) 33 Manage (3) 35 Process of growing (11) 36 Victorian century (10) 40 Writing materials (10) 42 Clever (11) 44 Finish (3) 45 Sum (5) 47 Account (6) 48 Soldier on guard (6) 50 With regard to (10) 52 Built (11) 56 Road (6) 57 Bank balance document (9) 59 Unlocked…

WALK ONE HIGH FORCE ■ Level Moderate ■ Elevation gain 123m ■ Length 6.8km (1hr 37min) Description A walk to one of England’s most dramatic waterfalls, High Force, following picturesque riverside paths with stunning views of the surrounding Pennine landscape. This 6.8km out-and-back trail near Middleton-in-Teesdale, County Durham, is considered moderately challenging. The area is good for birding, fishing and hiking, and is open year-round. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a lead. The trail takes you to High Force (passing Low Force on the way), one of England’s most impressive waterfalls, plunging 21m over a rocky precipice on the River Tees. It starts at Bowlees Visitor Centre, which houses a dog-friendly café. Make your way down to the Tees riverside, where you’ll cross the Wynch Bridge and join…

Last year Italian brand Roller Team became the latest manufacturer to launch a compact range, the Kronos. The 590, a two-berth with an optional second double bed, is so far the only model in the line-up to make it to the UK. We took a look at it at Todd’s Motorhomes in Lancashire. The 5.99m-long ’van sits on a Ford Transit. Considering its £57,990 OTR price, it manages to provide cab air conditioning, cruise control and a radio with Bluetooth and steering wheel controls, all as standard. It’s far from being a white box, too, with a silver cab and burgundy decals to match the striking accents inside. The ’van comes with two travel seats in the rear, although they are rather basic. You make up the passenger side one…

Rapido has been producing motorhomes at its factory in Mayenne – just east of Le Mans – since the very early 1980s, and integrals (A-class coachbuilts) since 1990. We’re focusing on this century’s integrals based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis-cowl. These are variously referred to as the M Series (suffix M) or 900 Series, although rather confusingly, there are also 900 Series variants based on the Fiat Ducato… these have the suffix F. All were originally built on rear-wheel-drive Sprinters featuring a 121bhp turbocharged diesel engine. The fabricated in-house coachwork is in Polyglace, a 100% polyester material. The new millennium’s offer comprised five models over two lengths, all with a transverse drop-down double bed located above the cab. Stretching the tape to 6.0m/19’ 8.25” were 923M, 925M and 941M. 923…

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Many modern motorhomes have kitchen facilities that are good enough to match or even beat our domestic set-ups. At the heart of these is the humble leisure vehicle cooker, slightly smaller than most home ovens, but even so, a brilliant appliance for creating culinary feasts while you’re on tour. And the good news is, you don’t have to be a masterchef to make the most of your cooker and kitchen. They are really easy to use and clean, and compact, and they give you the freedom to roast, boil, fry and grill, all powered by your vehicle’s gas supply. Here’s everything you need to know… COOKER TYPES In modern British motorhomes, most cookers are supplied by either Thetford or Dometic, with models generally either duplex or triplex. A duplex set-up…

what3words ///crisp.oval.exporters Why tour here? The Isle of Harris on the Outer Hebrides is famous for its pristine beaches - beautiful drops of golden sand placed amid a swathe of green-blue aquamarine water. Nowhere is this more true than at Huisinish, where the south-facing beach presents far-reaching views of the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll need to negotiate a 12-mile, single-track road to reach the beach on Harris’s western edge, so be prepared to have your nerves tested. There’s a small motorhome site overlooking the bay, but there are just five electric hook-up spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis. Try the low season, when the chances of getting one are higher. Don’t miss… At the edge of the world, there’s some great hiking to be had out here – walk the…

Summer festivals across the UK New Forest & Hampshire County Show ■ 29-31 July 2025 This agricultural show in the heart of the New Forest (1) offers a great day out for families, with livestock competitions, equestrian events and fun forest activities. There will be more than 40 stands selling food and drink from across the world and in addition to the Show Rings, you can view live performances, such as the Adams Axemen Lumberjack Display Team. Adult day tickets from £23.50. W newforestshow.co.uk Stay at Camping in the New Forest W campinginthenewforest.com ■ Dog Lovers Festival 1-3 August 2025 Canines will receive a warm welcome at this dog-friendly tribute festival in Derby, which includes an outdoor cinema and an outdoor dog pool. There’s a daytime disco and you can enjoy…

It’s just over a year since we took a look at this popular rear-island-bed four-berth from Benimar. But for 2025, the brand has made considerable changes to the Mileo’s interior. So we thought it was time to revisit the 294, which we did at the South Yorkshire branch of Marquis Leisure, currently Benimar’s sole UK distributor. The new interior looks sunnier. There’s a warmer wood tone, with formerly off-white cupboard doors now in deep brown. When it comes to upholstery, last year’s greys and dark blues have been replaced by a warmer oatmeal on seat bases and scatter cushions in avocado green. The exterior remains pretty much unchanged, and it’s still a standard Fiat Ducato cab with a 140bhp engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. The MTPLM of 3650kg means…

Summer savings from Auto-Sleepers The Auto-Sleepers Group is promoting some very tempting savings with its Summer Offers programme, giving up to a £5000 deposit contribution towards previously unregistered 2024 models across its Fiat-based coachbuilt and van conversion ranges, £3000 towards a Mercedes-based coachbuilt and £4000 on any Mercedes-based M-Star van conversion. The offers run until the end of July, but canny buyers should also watch out for any big savings on the last of its previously unregistered 2024 and/or ex-demonstrator stock at Auto-Sleepers’ dealer group, Marquis Leisure. Marquis is offering up to £10,000 off selected Auto-Sleepers, as well as its Elddis-based special edition models, along with fellow Trigano Group marques that it represents in the UK – Benimar, Elnagh and Mobilvetta – and McLouis. More at auto-sleepers.com and marquisleisure.co.uk. St…

Prequel As far back as the 1890s, road vehicles – including commercial ones - were built by separate companies owned by Karl Benz and by Gottlieb Daimler. In 1926, the companies combined to form Daimler-Benz AG and shortly afterwards began trading as Mercedes-Benz. The long-serving Mercedes-Benz light commercials 207/208 and 307/308 were looking a bit dated by the early 1990s and commercial operators criticised the semi forward-control layout, which placed the engine half in the cab and half under the bonnet. Thus, a completely new design of LCV was unveiled in 1995. First generation 1995-2006 Sprinter was the first Mercedes-Benz LCV to be named rather than being identified by a letter or two followed by a series of numbers. The engine had moved forward out of the cab and major…

Our first trip away in our 1998 project ’van, back in 2023, was great fun, but something of an adventure. We took it away to see what worked and what didn’t. It didn’t take long. Pretty much nothing worked. But we were at a music festival so we didn’t really mind; it helped us build up a list of what needed doing. We gradually worked through the non-existent plumbing, electrical problems and all sorts of other issues. But one thing that really makes sense at a music festival is solar power. You can head off to the main stage all day, then come back to a battery that’s full and ready to charge your phone for day two. Solar panels are a smart upgrade. These days they aren’t too expensive,…

I’m sure that I am not alone in usually taking many of the systems in our leisure vehicles pretty much for granted. We arrive at a campsite, flick a few switches and press a button or two, and everything kicks into life. Obviously, familiarity with these things makes us more proficient in their use, but I’m often asked about using the Alde heating system and these can be basic questions, such as, “Can I have hot water without the heating?” or vice versa. So with that in mind, here’s a quick guide to some of the basic operations of the Alde 3030 system (the previous generation 3020 will have the same functions, but different graphics on the control panel), which should help both inexperienced and experienced users make the most…

Tucked below the dramatic cliffs of the Mendip Hills, the village of Cheddar in Somerset offers a heady mix of wild landscapes, ancient history – and of course, irresistible cheese. Whether you’re craving crisp country air or a taste of tradition, the village offers natural beauty, scenic walking trails and a rich archaeological heritage. Your break might include tasting traditionally made local produce, hiking clifftop paths or exploring prehistoric caves, but whatever you choose to do, Cheddar is a delightful destination for a weekend escape to the countryside. DAY 1 9am Gorgeous scenery How better to start your trip – and your day – than with a stroll through Cheddar Gorge, one of England’s natural wonders? Limestone cliffs frame a winding road, perfect for photos and hiking. Follow the three-mile…

Pilote adds new flexible ’van Pilote is adding a 6.33m-long model to its Vega campervan line-up for 2026, with a flexible bed set in the rear. The V630S replaces the shorter V600S and has two double transverse bunks that fold to allow for more storage. The V600J has been discontinued. In the French brand’s coachbuilts, two models join the Ford-based Atlas range. The 6.33m-long A630G has a transverse bed and a drop-down bed; the 7m-long A690GJ, fixed twin beds. The new models, which both have washrooms with swivelling partitions, in effect replace the P600P, P650C and P650GJ within Pilote’s conventional width low-profiles, which have now been discontinued. In A-classes, the fixed-single-bed G720FGJ, introduced last season as a special edition, is now a permanent feature in the 28-vehicle range. Equipment upgrades…

Following the publication of A Visual History of Motorhomes, we asked author and leisure vehicle expert Andrew Jenkinson to pick the most influential and notable motorhomes featured in the book ■ A Visual History of Motorhomes by Andrew Jenkinson spans 100 years of motorhome history, featuring rare images of chassis cabs, coachbuilts, and other vans that reveal the evolution of the vehicles over the years. The book costs £25 and is available from Pen & Sword Books. W pen-and-sword.co.uk All photos courtesy of Andrew Jenkinson archive unless otherwise stated…

Fixing fridge faults Fault-finding in a motorhome can sometimes be a nightmare, especially if there happens to be more than one fault affecting the equipment in question. I recently had a vehicle in the workshop with a fridge that wouldn’t ignite the gas. On removal of the fridge (that lower vent was too high to access the burner in situ), it was soon established that there was no spark getting to the burner electrode. A quick check proved the piezo device was working. A broken ignition lead was found, so I ordered a new one. Thankfully, the customer in this case was local to me, so bringing the vehicle back was not going to be a problem. With the new ignition lead acquired, the fridge was removed again for fitting.…

Much has changed in the world of touring over the past few years and one trend that is now becoming increasingly common is camping without using fossil fuels. There is a clear and obvious need to decarbonise all areas of our life, and while you might not be fully prepared to invest in an electric vehicle just yet, it’s not actually that difficult to dispense with fossil fuels when you’re on a campsite. And as the advert says, ‘every little helps’… Of course, you could simply plug into an electric hook-up and not use the gas hob or heating system (especially if you have a system with electric blown-air heating), but what if you want to be entirely free from hook-ups for the ultimate freedom? Happily, there are plenty of…