Benimar Tessoro Part 1: The 483 Full Test

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By William Coleman

At CaravanTimes we recently had a Benimar Tessoro 483 on test for a couple of weeks. We have done just over 2000 miles in the Tessoro and tested in various ways – as you will find out in our inspiration features coming up. But before we give you some ideas of where and why you should use a motorhome like the Tessoro we wanted to bring some information on the Tessoro range and the very interesting 483.

The Tessoro range
The Tessoro range is Benimar’s all singing all dancing top of the line range. Marquis exclusively import these and due to their relationship with Benimar these are full UK spec, doors on the right hand side, carpets, truma iNet central heating, grade 3 certified thermal insulation and all proved by the NCC. We think it’s fair to say that whilst being born in Spain the Tessoro has the full UK citizenship.

Being a flagship range all the Tessoro’s have the extras you would expect, from tech items like solar panels, satellite dish and reading lights that charge your phone to comfort items such as memory foam ventilated mattresses and outside showers and gas BBQ points.

The Tessoro range is very competitively priced. For the new prices of around £50,000 depending on model it has the specification of a much more expensive range.

Ford-wards
What makes the Tessoro range significantly different is that it is a full coachbuilt motorhome based on a ford cab and chassis. The ford is 170 BHP as standard which makes it a very capable drive, we cover this more in the video but if you’re put off by “Ad-Blue” then don’t think of it like windscreen washer fluid. You have to top it every now and again but it lets you know when and they sell it at every petrol station – I literally bought some for our 483 on the A816 north of Oban at 7:00PM on a Sunday.

We chose the 483 from the Tessoro range because it is such an interesting and versatile layout. You can see it on the video but the basics are a huge lounge, a huge 3 point access garage big enough for 4 bikes, big kitchen for a motorhome, huge bathroom, more incab storage than you can fill and a double bed that is over 6’4″ long. Watch the video to find out how they fit all that in.

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Bristanbul Video Documentary Part 1

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By William Coleman

So as most of our readers will know, the CaravanTimes team were lucky enough to be part of Bailey of Bristols, Bristol to the Bosphoros trip. Travelling 21 countries in 21 days the team did a fantastic job to take the 2 caravans and motorhome cross-continental.

Bailey have released the first part of documentary from the trip, to watch it just press play!

Let us know if you’ve been to any of these locations or have anything similar booked, we’re eagerly awaiting part 2 which documents the homeward journey via an entirely different route.

So make yourself a quick cuppa and see how the team got on!

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Bristanbul Tour Days 1 and 2

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By William Coleman

The Bristanbul tour was as fun as it was ambitious, 21 countries in 21 days. I was fortunate enough to get an invite on the tour, spaces are not very easy to come by. I was originally going to do all 21 days but due to obligations back in the UK I could only complete 18 days. Over 18 days I was able to complete legs 1, 2 and 3 of the tour as well as visit 10 countries I had never been to before.

Over the next few weeks I will be posting articles about each part of the trip. I was going to post it as one article but it would be far too long for anyone to enjoyably get through.

Country 1 The United Kingdom

Day 1 had to be the UK, we had to start somewhere and where better than Bailey Of Bristol HQ. It was here I got to fully meet the ‘Leg 1’ team for the Bristanbul tour.

Upon arrival I was greeted with a goody bag full of touring essentials, who doesn’t love a big bag of free gifts. The Bailey bag of riches contained the a Hydratem8 water flask and thermos, Mountain Warehouse towel and backpack, 2 bailey jackets and a branded polo.

Once all the unpacking was done we did a quick Facebook Live with Simon Howard and Lee Davey. After that it was time to set off on our way to Portsmouth to hop on our ferry to France. There was quite a delay getting onto the ferry which was not all bad as I got to have good chat with Lee Davey.

Lee Davey is a good guy and was aware that I was not super comfortable with towing on the wrong side of the road on the right side of the car. He coached me throughout the tour and made sure I knew what I was doing. So thank you very much for that Mr. Davey.

Country 2 France

The ferry crossing was a piece of cake and I actually managed to get 3 hours sleep ahead of the 375 mile drive down through France to our site. The 5:30am wake up call was not the best thing in the world.

For the first 2 hours of driving Wes Terry from Bailey took the wheel in the Advance motorhome. It was decided that the two team members who had the least abroad towing experience would be eased in using the motorhome.

Once the first 2 hours were over it was time for a tea break and a driver change over. We all bundled into the Pegasus to have tea and coffee before we set off for another few hours. Now it was my time to jump behind the wheel of the Advance. It really did not take too long for me to get comfortable driving a motorhome on the other side of the road.

Due to the speed limits you face when towing we were in a convoy, so we mirrored the caravans so we stayed together. As long as you take your time and stick to speeds you are comfortable driving at then you will have no issues whatsoever. The Advance was an absolute pleasure to drive and made things a lot more comfortable for someone who was slightly nervous to begin with.

Once we got to the site we managed to get the vans set up in about 15 minutes. With the vans ready to live in we grabbed another quick cup of tea before taking a quick walk around the site ahead of dinner.

The site is set in the French countryside of Bourgogne and our pitches were located in front of a large pond. Of an evening it sounded like all the frogs and toads were having a garden. Our first site set the bar for picturesque locations.

The dinner we had at this site was amazing, fresh produce cooked fresh to order. Everyone at the table tried something new and we had locally brewed beer and win. This is a wine region so it would be rude to not try some local specialities.

After a 3 course meal and some amazing wine it was decided that an early night was needed as we had a big day ahead of us. The next day we had a huge amount of miles to cover as we ventured from France to Switzerland and then finally set up camp in Italy at Lake Garda.

Cornwall Park Cream Of The Crop

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By William Coleman

The South West of England is a holiday hotspot and has been for as long as I can remember and when it comes awards the region gets the recognition it deserves. This family run park in Cornwall has been named among the country’s top three touring destinations. As if you really needed any more reasons to visit this beautiful part of the country.

Both the family and staff at Polmanter Touring Park in St Ives are high on life after the site was given this fantastic accolade of being one of England’s top three destinations for both caravan and camping guests.

The site took the Bronze award at the holiday parks category of April’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2018.

This comes after several other recent triumphs by Polmanter Touring Park as they celebrate their 50th year of operation. In the winter the park was the overall category winner in the Cornwall Tourism Awards. Once they conquered that achievement they then went on to strike gold in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards.

The award wins propelled Polmanter into the England of Excellence finals where judges declared the the sites high standards deserve the honour of pole position in the awards.

Stepping up to receive their trophy from TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp at the Bath Assembly Rooms were husband-and-wife park owners Phil and Becki Osborne.

Phil is one of the sons of dairy farmers John and Sheena Osborne who, in 1968, began welcoming campers on one of their pastures with spectacular views along the Cornish coast.

Today, Polmanter still provides the same iconic outlook – but with features such as a heated lido pool, spa, tennis court, play areas, and a shop with Cornish food and drink specialities.

Local produce, freshly prepared, is also a highlight on the menu of the park’s snug Stable Bar which occupies the farm’s former milking parlour.

Becki Osborne, who combines co-managing Polanter with her role as a local family GP, said the Excellence accolade would be the highlight of the park’s anniversary year:

“It’s especially pleasing that a main factor of these awards is the hospitality and quality of welcome which is provided to holiday guests,” she said.

“Delivering this is very much in the hands of our loyal and hardworking staff, so they deserve a large share of the credit for this achievement.

“I hope the publicity from these awards will also benefit other tourism businesses in the area by putting the spotlight on Cornwall as a fantastic place for family holidays,” Becki added.

There is more information about Polmanter, which is a member of the Best of British consortium of top family-owned holiday parks, at www.polmanter.co.uk

Go Back In Time With Lee Davey And His Son Charlie

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William Coleman

Journalist and caravan enthusiast Lee Davey, along with his 10 year old son Charlie, will be embarking on a journey to retrace the steps family members took during the Second World War. Ahead of the D-Day anniversary they will setting off on their trip with the help of The Caravan And Motorhome Club.

The time traveling pair will journey from Kent to Normandy via the New Forest retracing the footsteps of Lee’s rahter Ronald Davey and Charlie’s maternal great grandfather Geoffrey Woodcock.

The idea for this adventure was sparked following a restoration project Lee and Charlie did of a 1976 Bailey Maestro, which they will be using as their touring vehicle. While on their trip Lee and Charlie will be finding out about Charlie’s great grandfather’s experiences during the war.

“Charlie was learning about the war at school so I was telling him about the roles his grandfather and great grandfather played, and he said it was a shame he didn’t get to meet them. So, to ‘bring them to life’, we thought we’d follow their footsteps from 74 years ago as closely as possible from the camp where my dad was based, to a ferry crossing that closely resembles the journey his great grandfather took to Juno Beach on D-Day, “ said Lee.

The war had a very wide reach and affected almost every family in the UK and Lee’s was no exception. Lee’s father Ronald was stationed at the Office Cadet Training Unit (OCTU) in Wrotham, Kent. Ronald worked as an instructor who taught cadets to ride motorcycles and various other vehicles.

The Club will be stepping in and helping with some accommodation for Lee and Charlie. The daring duo will stay at the Bearsted Club site, located very close the where the OCTU was based. They will stay for two nights over May’s late bank holiday weekend before journeying to the Club Centenary site in the New Forest for a further two nights.

The Centenary Club site was built on a WW2 air base and is located near where Ronald worked as a despatch rider who would convoy vehicles to waterproofing stations on the south coast.

Charlie’s great grandfather Geoffrey was stationed just a few miles away in Dorset with the glider regiment. He was in the 249 (Airborne) Field Company RE at Tarrant Rushton Airfield and was attached to the famous 6th Airborne Glider Regiment, who landed at Pegasus Bridge ahead of the D-Day invasion.

Geoffrey arrived at Juno Beach by landing craft on the morning of D-Day, having crossed from Southampton. Lee and Charlie will follow the almost identical route that the Portsmouth to Caen overnight ferry crossing takes to Normandy. Spending four nights at the Club’s Port’Land Site, they will explore the nearby area where Geoffrey helped capture five Nazi prisoners, reinforce Pegasus Bridge, clear mines and repel the German counter attack at Ranville.

“I can’t wait to retrace the footsteps of my father and Charlie’s maternal grandfather, especially as we’ll be doing so in the run up to D-Day. It’ll be great to create our own memories on this exciting adventure too,” said Lee.

Having met Lee, and spent a fair bit of time with him, on the Bailey Bristanbul tour I know just how close to his heart this trip is for him, and to be able to take Charlie with him makes the experience all the more special. Touring holidays are all about spending quality time with family. And what better way to re trace family footsteps than with your son in a caravan you both refurbished.

Design Award Winner- Micro Motorhomes

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By William Coleman

Back in February, at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC, the Caravan and Motorhome Club held their annual ‘Motorhome Design Awards’. The awards celebrate the variety of makes and models of the motorhome industry all while choosing the best the market has to offer to ensure the public make the best decision they can when purchasing.

The independent panel of judges picked 97 vehicles for this years awards. Each judge assessed a wide range of essential criteria which included comfort, electrics and safety, air-con, heating to name just a few.

Who would not want a Micro Motorhome! They blend leisure time and practical use all under one roof and on four wheels.

Wellhouse have had a fantastic year. Not only have they recently partnered with Lunar caravans but now they are winning awards with their Toyota Proace Lerina.

This is great news for Wellhouse as they start to distribute their Procace Lerina to 20 dealers nationwide.

Cumbria Park Rooting For The Future

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By William Coleman

The conservation of the British countryside is something I feel very strongly about and love the efforts being put in by parks and sites all across the UK. A Cumbrian park have planted a half a million years worth of tree life in a major conservation project.

Trees are one of the main sources of life for every living thing on the planet and they are being taken down quicker than we can plant them. Being aware of this issue and taking action is south Cumbria’s Silverdale Holiday Park.

They are ensuring that the trees they plant will provide a combined lifetime of 500,000 years to ensure humans and animals get what they need to ensure survival.

During this campaign there have been hundreds of native species planted in the sites grounds, which include oaks and yews that can live up to staggering 7 centuries.

It has been estimated that the 500,000 years of the newly planted trees are now ready to branch out and create homes, food and breeding habitats for lots of different species of wildlife. As well as providing oxygen for planet’s atmosphere and inhabitants.

The work gone into this project is a lot more complex than simply planting saplings and watching them grow. You need to ensure that the trees have the best chance of surviving, according to business owner Michael Holgate.

Experts were brought in, he said, to plot locations around the 100-acre coastal park where the trees would be best protected from the salt-laden winds:

“An easier option for us would have been non-native trees which flourish more readily, but these don’t provide the same benefits to birds, animals and insects,” said Michael.

“We are especially keen to create homes and food sources for red squirrels which, with the help of local nature groups, we hope will soon be staging a come-back here.

“Our staff got right behind the project as we had a May deadline for the optimum planting period, and they are now able to watch their adopted trees set out on their long life,” he added.

Due to Silverdale’s green fingers they were one of 15 holiday parks, from around 3,000 in Britain, to gain a special honour from botanist pioneer Professor David Bellamy in his annual conservation awards.

It celebrated over eight miles of new hedgerows planted in 2017 by the park to create a “wildlife corridor” to help sustain species from dormice and hedgehogs to butterflies and bees.

Michael Holgate, whose family business began over 60 years ago and now comprises six top-rated parks in the area, said the new trees are its most exciting initiative yet:

“This is future planning on a pretty big scale, given that we are setting in motion around half-a-million years of tree life in Silverdale,” he said.

“Wildlife will certainly benefit, but trees also help prevent soil erosion, store carbon to combat climate change, and capture polluting chemicals which run off farm land.

“Best of all, trees simply look lovely – and I know that many of our staff are proud of playing their part in creating a landscape for future generations to enjoy,” added Michael.

There is more information about the group’s parks at www.holgates.co.uk

TomTom Launch New Caravan Sat Nav

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By William Coleman

Gone are the days of stopping to read your map or the arguments that come from the co-pilot holding the A-Z upside down. The satellite navigation industry has changed the way we drive and for those of us who love to take our caravans and motorhomes away they are a godsend. Recognising the demand TomTom have launched their new TomTom Go Camper for help the touring industry cruise easy.

TomTom have actually launched 2 models in their latest range of caravan friendly sat navs, both of which make the perfect navigation gadget for the keen tourer. The TomTom Go Camper and the TomTom Go Basic. The Go Basic is the lower budget of the two models which is still great but does not have as many features as its big brother.

The feature packed TomTom Go Camper has been made with the tourer in mind and is a flagship model for the navigation giant.

Having found out the hard way many years back having the wrong sat nav can make a pleasant journey a bit of a nightmare when it comes to the roads you need for touring vehicles. The new Go Camper has been specifically catered to the requirements of both caravan and motorhomes users alike.

One of the new features is specific routing for your vehicle’s dimension, an issue I ran into when visiting Richmond Park in South West London. Width restriction are not a motorhomes best friend. So this new addition would certainly remove any panic of inner city driving.

Whenever I go away you can almost guarantee that I will have forgotten something, so having to find the right shop is always a pain. The Go Camper’s point of interest database is full of camping specific locations, as well as speed camera alerts all included.

Tired of the constant upkeep some sat navs need? The Go Camper features a built in wi-fi makes life easier when it comes to software and map updates. You can even connect up your smartphone.

This piece of kit seems like a winner. Specifically designed to assisted motorhome and caravan drivers with all the added features to make our life easy. Seems like a must have for this season.

Post 1997 Towing Law Could Lead To £1000 Fines

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By William Coleman

There is no denying the rise in popularity of the touring holiday, or the ‘staycation’ as it is now being referred to. As the demand grows so does the amount of people who are new to towing who may not be fully aware of the laws that regulate towing and other various licence restrictions.

For those that may not be aware the DVLA laws on towing changed on January 1st 1997. Prior to the new law anyone could tow a vehicle and trailer with weight up 8,250KG, which now looking back seems like a massive amount. Post 1997 the weight was limited to a maximum of 3,500KG.

So how do you make sure that you comply with the new laws and avoid a hefty fine with points on your licence? There are several ways that come to mind but the most obvious it make sure that you have the right combination of vehicle and caravan to come under the 3,500KG.

Once you have chosen the right set up be sure to not overload the caravan and towing vehicle, Trust me it does not take a lot to go over the limits. Always drive with little to no water on board as that takes up far too much weight.

The second option I would suggest is to take a B+E course to upgrade your licence. This way you will have the correct licence and avoid any issues with the law. The Caravan and Motorhome Club run a fantastic range of training courses that can help with training prior to taking the B+E test, Click Here.

So just to be totally clear, for those who may not be in the know, the DVLA states that anyone with a regular Category B licence post 01/01/1997 can tow a trailer that weighs up to 750KG, as long as the vehicle they tow with has a maximum combined weight of no more that 3,500KG.

For anyone who was unaware or may be new to the touring world do make sure that you take this into consideration when buying, loading your vehicles of choice. I could not think of anything worse that being strapped up with a £1000 fine as well as points that stick to your licence for 4 years.

The National Camping And Caravanning Week

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By William Coleman

With the National Camping and Caravanning Week almost upon us we have some news and info on what is coming your way. Running from Monday the 28th of May to June 3rd the Camping and Caravanning Club have joined forces with the British Mountaineering Council (MBC) to help get the nation more active and embrace outdoors through walking and camping.

This year the event is taking place at the end of May to coincide with the late May Bank Holiday. For those who may not know, the annual event in the Camping and Caravanning Club’s celebration of all this outdoors and camping.

When you are on your holiday, camping or touring, you are always walking around finding new things to see and do. So it is no surprise that walking is considered the number one activity for campers and caravaners. By teaming up with the BMC, the Club wants to highlight vital footpath repair work needed in the UK’s 15 National Parks. The BMC’s Mend Our Mountains campaign aims to raise £1 Million for repairs.

Julia Bradbury, TV presenter and President of The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “National Camping and Caravanning Week is a week-long celebration of the great outdoors through camping in all its forms. I’m really excited to be involved in this year’s event, especially given its walking theme – camping is a fabulous way to enjoy a gentle countryside stroll or a big mountain hike – and everything else in between. It’s time to get the tent out of the garage, lace up your walking boots and go camping. I hope the nation joins us – even if it’s for the first time.”

As part of the efforts to raise awareness of both National Camping and Caravanning Week and the BMC’s Mend Our Mountains campaign, plans are also underway to illuminate the Great Ridge in the Peak District at night in May, with Julia Bradbury at the forefront. The spectacular ‘Great Ridge Light Night’ is being led by the BMC and will involve hundreds of volunteers illuminating the landmark by torchlight, which includes headtorches sponsored by outdoor brands Robens and Vango.

This annual event is always something to look forward to. What I enjoy about it the most is that the event brings so much attention to our industry along with a lot more people. The more people that buy into touring holidays is exactly what we all need. Over the past 2 years we have seen a huge influx of newcomers to our community, so the more the merrier.

Travelworld To Represent Dethleffs

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By William Coleman

Travelworld, who have been providing the UK with motorhomes for over 40 years, have recently announced that they have agreed terms with Dethleffs to become their new dealership in the Midlands for the 2019 model season.

Travelworld Motorhomes who are represent Carado, HYMER + Niesmann + Bischoff became an exclusive Erwin Hymer Group dealership in 2015.

Since then the company and grown in leaps and bounds. The company pride themselves on their commitment to the group by taking on other franchises such as Goldschmitt, the chassis accessory brand. The group also acquired Rent Easy, a platform for renting high end motorhomes for those who want to dip their toe before purchasing.

One of the original brands from within the Erwin Hymer Group, Dethleffs, merged in the early 80s and enjoyed a very rich history that predated Hymer’s. Arist Dethleffs built his first leisure vehicle in 1931 to allow his family to join him on long business trips, now Dethleffs is the largest leisure vehicle volume manufacturer within the group.

Ross Edwards Travelworld Managing Director had this to say, “We have actually been in discussions with Dethleffs for several years now about the prospect of offering their products, but it was important to us that the timing was right. Alongside our expansion into our new dealership site we feel this is the perfect timing and it now means that we can offer brands within every segment of the ERWIN HYMER GROUP structure”.

Speaking of the brand new dealership that Travelworld are building here is a little sneak peak they showed me a few months ago, Click here.

Enjoy Yorkshire With The Caravan And Motorhome Club

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By William Coleman

As the 2018 season continues we can look forward to a lot more sunshine, which means more enjoyable leisure time. What better way to enjoy the sun than get outdoors and become more active with The Caravan And Motorhome Club.

This month CAMC are holding their National and CycleFest events in Sledmere, Yorkshire so get those tires pumped and brakes checked. The Club have 15 Sites across the county so wherever you choose to stay you will never be too far away from the fun so you can enjoy #YorkshireYourWay.

The National, 25-29 May

The Club is hosting its largest ever outdoor event during the late May bank holiday, from the 25 to 29. The National will take place at stunning stately home Sledmere House in Driffield, Yorkshire.

The event is open to both Club members and the general public. One of the Club’s key events of the year, the National offers four day of fun and games for everyone and for all ages. Daytime activities include baking, crafting, wine making, team sports and plenty of adventurous pursuits in including hover archery, zip wires and even a ninja assault course!

In the evening, guests will be spoiled for choice as the Adria Entertainment Marquee will feature live performances from Queen, American Divas and Elvis tribute acts, plus the Club Band will be performing a special concert in honour of their silver anniversary.

Day and evening passes are available from just £5.00 per adult (The National will be open to non-residential visitors from 10am to 11pm) while members can choose to stay for the whole long weekend from just £98 per pitch, including electric hook-up. Members are welcome to arrive to set up their pitch form 8am on Friday 25 or Saturday 26 May. The entertainment can be booked with the pitch or bought separately from the Club shop.

National CycleFest, 27 May

As part of The National weekend, Experience Freedom from the Caravan and Motorhome Club is encouraging people to get active and on their bikes with its National CycleFest event on 27 May. Accredited by British Cycling and supported by Raleigh and Maxxis, CycleFest is designed for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy cycling.

There are two rides in the CycleFest, an 8km family route which can be completed on all types of bicycle including electric assisted, recumbent, road bikes and mountain bikes.

The family route is ideal for younger riders and those looking for something less challenging. There are also two sportive routes offering a more demanding option for keener riders with a challenging 89km and less challenging 58km option in the standard sportive. Both the family and sportive rides take in spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

To enter the family ride costs from just £6.50 for adults over 17 years and £1 for under 16s. The standard sportive costs £25 for adults over 17 and £10 for under 16s and the challenging sportive costs £30 for adults over 17 and £10 for under 16s. On the day entries will be accepted for an additional £5.

As part of the entry fee, riders will also get access to a cycle demo area with some major bike brands, some great family activities including kids’ entertainment, food, drink and trade stalls making the whole day an action-packed family day out.

So if you want to make the most of the summer and embrace the great outdoors these events are perfect. On top of that it is a great way to become more active and, if you are like me, dust off the push bike and see as much as the country as possible.