Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Practical Motorhome

Visitors to the Yorkshire Dales will soon have even more to explore, as Ingleborough National Nature Reserve has been expanded and formally designated as part of the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves. The reserve has grown by 179 hectares (442 acres), now spanning 1186 hectares (2930 acres) of protected upland landscapes. This expansion, part of the Wild Ingleborough project, secures greater protection for nationally important wildlife, from the northern brown argus butterfly to curlew, black grouse, and rare plants such as the Yorkshire sandwort and Teesdale violets. For touring visitors, the update also means improved access to the area. The extension includes new direct walking routes from Ribblehead station on the Settle–Carlisle railway line, making it easier than ever to link up a campsite stay with a scenic day…

PICK OF THE MONTH Milenco Telescopic Cargo Bar Loading your motorhome correctly is crucial to staying safe, so this handy product from the experts at Milenco caught our eye. It’s designed primarily for caravans, but works equally well for motorhomes: place the telescopic bar between seats or walls, adjust to size and secure – all of your kit will then be kept in place when you’re driving, helping to keep everything where it should be. The unit is available in two sizes; this is the smaller of the pair. Price £34.17 amazon.co.uk Nebo Curvbeam 600 Flex This smart headlamp delivers a powerful spotlight and 180° flood beam in a sleek design, with BackBalance Fit™ ensuring secure comfort and balanced weight for active use. Price £39.99 nebotools.co.uk Compass 360° UC Swivel…

As a journalist, I’m surrounded by deadlines. Every part of my working life is framed with a deadline. As many as 10 a week is not uncommon. And to paraphrase my favourite author, Douglas Adams, “I love the noise deadlines make as they whoosh by.” So when it comes to my leisure time, the last thing I want to have to deal with is a deadline. Having to take your hotel breakfast before 9am. Only being able to catch a bus at 1.37pm. Most of all, I hate pre-booking and planning holidays. Having to be in place X for time Y fills me with dread. While some people – I call them The Organised People – love nothing better than burying their heads into a mound of OS maps and…

On a beautiful summer’s morning almost 110 years ago, men of the British Army stepped out into no-man’s land at 7.30am. It was 1 July 1916, and the start of what was then called ‘The Big Push’. With high hopes of a walkover to victory, the Tommies stepped into what can only be described as machine-gun oblivion. By the end of the day, more than 57,000 were casualties, with nearly 20,000 dead. But as the Battle of the Somme raged on, the Germans were pushed back. New weapons and tactics helped the British Army win battles, then the weather turned the area into a quagmire, ending with the coldest winter in Europe for decades. The Pyrrhic victory of the Somme cost more than 400,000 British and Commonwealth casualties in 1916…

In 2025, Swift added the 6.19m-long 505 to its Ford Transit-based Voyager range. For 2026, changes have been minimal, with new graphics externally and largely cosmetic changes inside, although the new Truma Combi Neo boiler has been added as standard. On first appearance, the 505 does look striking, with new grey graphics complementing the cab colour, alloy wheels and flush-fitting tinted windows. Internally, Swift is using contemporary soft furnishings. The Ford Transit cab comes as standard with the Euro 6 130bhp, 2.0-litre TDCi engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. An option is the 165bhp version of the 2.0-litre engine with eight-speed auto transmission, which adds 30kg to the MIRO. The MTPLM is 3500kg which means that the 505 can be driven on a Cat B driving licence and has…

Hymer is well known for producing totally palatial A-class (integral) motorhomes and luxurious coachbuilts. Newer readers may not be aware that their early conversions were all based on panel vans. In addition, they have continued to build them ever since, though only relatively recently have they gained real market penetration in the UK. This month we are looking at their game-changing Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Grand Canyon S – more recently known as the Grand Canyon 600 to differentiate it from the 700, its younger but longer GC sibling. Sprinter has just celebrated its 30th birthday. At its launch, I commented that its relatively narrow track and slimmer body than its market sector rivals might limit the van’s appeal as a motorcaravan base vehicle, and that both were likely to broaden. Wrong!…

what3words ///verging.getaway.unnaturally Why tour here? This pretty French town offered a very different scene during the First World War when it was slap-bang on the main road that the Allied troops used to reach the battlefields of the Somme. The town, including its Basilique de Notre-Dame de Brebières, was bombed extensively, but was later rebuilt. Today, Albert stands as a centre for the many visitors who come to learn the history of the Battle of the Somme and to pay homage to the many men who fell. The mural seen here shows the British forces blowing up the basilica’s bell tower. Other places in the town worth visiting include the Somme 1916 Museum, much of which is located in a Second World War bomb shelter 30 feet below ground. WHERE…

letter of the month I enjoyed the October 2025 issue of Practical Motorhome – especially the travel features on the Iberian Peninsula. The coverage of Almeria and its unique desert landscapes, along with the practical touring tips, really struck a chord with us. We’ve been planning a trip through Spain and Portugal in our Bavaria i600, and your article couldn’t have come at a better time. It helped us refine our route and inspired us to seek out some of the less obvious gems, like the windmills of Castile-La Mancha and the quieter beaches away from the main costas. It’s great to see a balance of scenic inspiration and practical advice. The Q&A section was also a useful read – especially the tips on checking gas systems and preparing for…

Some people will tell you that Christmas in a motorhome is a daft idea. Those people are just wrong. Very wrong. In fact, with a little forward planning, it can be absolutely magical – the perfect balance of cosy and Christmassy. You’re free from the usual domestic chores, there’s simply no room for unpopular relatives to invite themselves, plus you’ve got all the traditions you love, packed into your neat and twinkling home-on-wheels. Preparation For the very best Christmas motorhoming experience, you really need to make like a Boy Scout and be prepared. Picking a site There’s no need to trek to the North Pole. Find a good all-year-round site close to home, friends or family, or something festive – a Christmas market, a stately home, or somewhere with proper…

‘‘On the South West Coast Path there were plenty of opportunities to photograph the dramatic cliffs and coastline’’ I have a romantic view of Dorset. It comes from reading Famous Five books as a child and memories of family camping trips near Durdle Door. Vague recollections of waterside fish and chips in Wareham, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits in Bridport and farm shop milkshakes a stroll away from the campsite… Memories that are all wrapped up in an early 1980s soundtrack featuring the likes of Dexys, Gary Numan, Adam and the Ants, Talking Heads and The Jam – served up with ‘lashings’ of ginger beer, of course! I’ve returned to the county over the years and it never disappoints. So when the opportunity came to take a sparkly new motorhome to South Lytchett…

It’s all downhill at this holiday town and resort in the Cairngorms, Scotland, famed as a winter sports destination. However, you’ll find many other outdoor activities to enjoy year-round, including walking, climbing and cycling. Long established as a popular area with skiers, Aviemore’s reputation as a centre for winter sports came to the fore with the opening of a chairlift in 1961. Its popularity was further enhanced when the Cairngorms National Park (at 4528 sq km, the largest national park in the UK) was established in September 2003. The town is located halfway between Pitlochry to the south and Inverness to the north on the B9152, just off the A9, and has relatively easy road access, weather permitting. Its beautiful setting makes it well worth the journey, with the peaks…

The return of the Autograph Bailey has relaunched its Autograph range with new extras including twin 95Ah AGM batteries and a 200W solar panel. The Peugeot-based Autograph had been mothballed for a couple of seasons while the Bristol company focused on two Ford-based ranges. Autograph is now a four-strong range featuring an extra-wide body with a 180bhp engine and Al-Ko’s low-profile AMC chassis. The four models include the two-berth end-washroom 72-2 (£89,999), the four-berth 79-4I with an island bed and 79-4T with single fixed beds (both £92,749), and the five-berth 81-5 with a rear lounge (£93,999). The new range should be on display at this October’s Motorhome & Caravan Show at the NEC. Auto-Sleepers launches new family-friendly campervans A new range of Fiat-based campervans aimed in particular at active families…

Don’t block your gas vents! What do you keep in your gas locker? I’ve covered this subject before but it bears repeating. The problem is that many motorhomes are lacking in storage space, particularly outside storage, and the gas locker can often appear to be underused, but it is called a gas locker for a reason – its purpose is simply to store gas cylinders. On a recent habitation inspection I spotted rags covering the gas dropout grill in the bottom of the locker while the vehicle was up on the lift. Once the motorhome was back on the ground I opened the gas locker to find cloths and a spray can completely blocking the dropout grill, as well as a Frisbee and window mop in the locker. There is…

Motorhoming is all about enjoying the great outdoors. There’s nothing better than relaxing by your vehicle in the evening with a gin and tonic, watching the sun go down while mulling over the day. But when the sun does set, campsites can become very dark places indeed. Agreed, some are well lit, but most are not – which of course, is also a great part of their charm for many of us. Lighting up Whatever the case, the ability to find your way about the site grounds after dark, whether you are off to visit the shower block or walking the dog, is going to involve a torch. Most of us possess some kind of torch, usually ranging from the light on our phone to an ancient device that grandad…

I am a huge fan of the overnight parking provided by Canterbury Council at their Park & Ride. I am happy to pay the £8 fee and, as a result, ensure I arrive early to go into town on the bus and contribute to their economy. I build my European adventure each year around starting from Canterbury. From the number of campervans I see using what would otherwise be a deserted car park each night, the council must earn around an extra £500 per day. I am therefore unable to understand how Pembrokeshire County Council cannot also see the economic advantages – it is such a shame they have recently scaled back plans to launch four motorhome parking sites. Ant (surname withheld) I picked up your magazine in the newsagent,…

Leisure vehicle dealers Highbridge Caravans is marking over half a century of business with an epic challenge this November, while raising money for charity. Alongside two colleagues, Devon sales manager Jody, who has worked in the motorhome industry for more than 20 years, will set off in a campervan on a journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats. The drive normally takes around 20 hours but the team will make special stops at every one of Highbridge’s UK manufacturing partners as well as both branches. The aim is to complete the journey in under 24 hours, leaving little room for error (or coffee breaks!). As well as celebrating the company’s history and British manufacturers, the challenge is raising money for Children’s Hospice South West. This charity provides specialist care for…

SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9. No single digit can appear twice in any one row, column or 3x3 box WORDWISE You have 15 minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the grid. Each word must contain four or more letters, one of which must be the central square. No proper nouns, plurals or foreign words are allowed. There is one nine-letter word in the grid; the clue is: inspire with passion 15 = average More than 25 = well done NOTES HALF & HALF The Britannia Royal Naval College is based on the estuary of which river? Cross out a letter in each square to get a grid filled with words. The…

When your booking confirmation tells you to “drive in between the big red shoes and watch out for the griffin”, you start to wonder if you’re going to the right place. Then, when booking your table for dinner, you are given the option of the ‘Witchy Corner’ or ‘The Bellows’, so you check the date to make sure you’re not visiting during Halloween! Mermaids and minotaurs The Highwayman Inn in Sourton, Devon, is probably the quirkiest pub and camping spot I have ever visited, and I’ve stayed in a lot of places over the years. Originally a 13th-century coaching inn, these days, the inn is a local landmark, with the eye-catching entrance representing the old Launceston to Tavistock coach, and inside, a recumbent mermaid, a white-robed skeleton and a grotto…

Having spent many holidays exploring the delights of France, we decided to broaden our horizons this year and visit Germany. With more than three weeks to play with, we planned to tour the Black Forest, before crossing into France to explore Alsace. In early June, we set off from Devon and spent a night at Black Horse Farm CAMC site near Folkestone before an early Eurotunnel crossing. We traversed the familiar flat arable lands of northern France, using the autoroute via Mons and Namur, to reach our first stop in the Belgian Ardennes, with its undulating wooded hills. Camping Club Benelux in La Roche-en-Ardenne is a large site tucked in a delightful bend of the River Ourthe. We spent three nights there, and each evening we enjoyed watching beavers swimming…

Awnings may not seem to be as essential a purchase as they are when you have a caravan. After all, motorhoming and campervanning is meant to be all about getting up and going, and having an elaborate fabric structure attached to your vehicle somehow seems to work against such a philosophy. If, however, you want something that will make the living area of even the biggest campervan feel a bit more spacious and comfortable, most of the top awning manufacturers have products that should be suitable. Generally speaking, campervan awnings are split into two kinds. Driveaway awnings, which are the most popular, can be detached from your vehicle and stand on their own more or less as a tent. Then when you come back in the evening you can reattach…

New chapter for Choose Choose Leisure has undergone a management buyout. The company’s founders Paul and Jenny Santos have passed the Canterbury, Kent-based dealership to a team led by Dave Williams – who took over as managing director just over two years ago after a career working for manufacturers Swift, Bailey and, latterly, Auto-Sleepers. Dave is now the majority shareholder in the business. He says: “This acquisition has been years in the making, with Paul and Jenny successfully assembling the senior management team to secure the long-term future of Choose Leisure. “We are delighted with the faith shown in us and, alongside my fellow directors and shareholders, Lisa Canning (finance) and Charlie Joiner (service), we are excitedly looking forward to building on the success that Paul and Jenny have enjoyed…

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Keeping your motorhome safe and protected over the winter period is something that should always be considered during the colder months of the year, and especially when the gritters first appear on the roads. There are various schools of thought when it comes to winterising your motorhome. Some people go to great lengths to drain down all the water tanks, fit dehumidifiers and heat the interiors. They carefully lug all the cushions into their house and open all the cupboard doors, spend hours cleaning the vehicle and then cover it with a tailored cover. Other people simply park it up and switch it off, while some like to use them and take advantage of the quieter all-year campsites. There are pros and cons with all these approaches. USE IT ALL…