Why do not more people motorhome in Winter?

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by Tom Leaning

I recently took our CaravanTimes production team on location to East Yorkshire, to investigate what motorhoming in deepest, darkest winter was really like.

Auto-Trail were kind enough to lend us their Auto-Trail Tracker RS and Tribute 736 models and Rollerteam loaned their very glamorous A-Class Pegaso 740 motorhome.

We based ourselves at Little End Corner Caravan Site, situated by a picturesque fishing lake. The location was such an idyllic setting, but the eye-catching surroundings were slightly spoilt on the first day by the weather; our welcome to Yorkshire was greeted by cold, wet and windy conditions, which made filming outdoors unpleasant.

Fortunately, a tough filming day was made easier by enjoying an evening of laughter, pasta bolognese and gas heating, as the six of us comfortably relaxed in the Tracker RS, protected from the harsh elements outside.

It was a tough night’s sleep as I foolishly turned off the heating in my motorhome, and woke up unsurprisingly freezing at 2am! I quickly defrosted after turning it back on, and will not be making that same mistake in the future.

Our hard work on our first day was rewarded on the second, when we awoke to a stunning sunrise followed by a beautiful morning of sunshine, which made the lake setting all the more serene and tranquil.

Amazingly, we were the only souls on the campsite, which was understandable as camping near Grimsby in mid-January does not bode well for good weather conditions, but we just felt so lucky on the second day to enjoy that peaceful setting by the lake, in ideal conditions – and we had it all to ourselves.

Do you motorhome in the Winter? And if not, please tell us why below. Otherwise, let us know about any other location gems for winter camping.

Marquis release their most Majestic model to date

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by Tom Leaning

Marquis have introduced their latest Dealer Special, the Majestic 105. CaravanTimes gives you a rundown of this most comfy of coachbuilds.

Based on the Elddis Accordo, this two-berth motorhome offers all the benefits of a coachbuilt motorhome, but unlike van conversion competitors, comes with bags of living space.

Here, CaravanTimes’ Daniel Cartwright previews this enhanced addition to one of Britain’s most popular special edition motorhome ranges.

Glasgow to host 30th Caravan and Leisure Show

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by Tom Leaning

The Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show is returning to Glasgow from the 2nd to 5th February 2017 for the 30th year at the country’s largest indoor exhibition venue.

After attracting 25,000 visitors last year, the annual exhibition will once again take over the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow where it will become home to over 200 exhibitors and a whole host of industry experts over the four-day event.

The 2017 show is set to be the biggest yet with more Caravans and Motorhomes than ever before. Ranging from entry level through to premium A class Motorhomes in excess of £120,000 as well as more mid-range products and accessories there really will be something for everyone.

Jamie Taylor, Group Show Director QD Events, said: “With more and more people choosing to holiday at home instead of venturing abroad, the show is the perfect place for visitors to get to grips with all of the fantastic opportunities that holidaying in Scotland and the UK can offer.

“The show is open to everyone, from those who already have an interest and enjoy the great outdoors to ‘first time campers’ as there is a wide variety of products and equipment to suit all types of outdoor holidays.”

Visitors to the show will be the first to uncover all the latest models, layout and interiors from luxury motorhomes, cool campervans, to the newest caravans, as well as ‘state of the art’ holiday homes and luxury lodges.

Back by popular demand, visitors can make their way to the marquee where they will find the dedicated Family Camping Area, discovering the new tent ranges available as well as a variety of high quality camping accessories.

For those looking for the latest accessory products there will be everything from caravan movers and awnings to the newest gadgets and gizmos, and for those looking to stock up on their old favourites before venturing to the great outdoors, there will be all the essentials on offer.

If that wasn’t enough, a number of clubs and associations as well as holiday parks will be present and visitors will get the chance to book in advice on holidays across the UK.

With so many exhibitors, free help and advice, and exclusive offers and deals only available to show visitors in one destination, it’s the one place to visit for outdoor enthusiasts.

Tickets start at just £9 for seniors and £10 for adults (plus booking fees). Tickets on the door are £10.50 for seniors and £12 for adults. All tickets are valid for one day entry only and can be used on any one day between Thursday 2 February and Sunday 5 February 2017.

Entry is free for children aged under 16 and there will be lots of free fun activities such as face painting, balloon modelling and a kid’s treasure hunt to keep the little ones happy.

To find out more about this year’s exhibition visit www.caravanshowscotland.com

Trigano snaps up Auto-Sleepers and Marquis

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by Tom Leaning

French-based motorhome manufacturing giant, Trigano, has continued its latest expansion into the UK motorhome market with the purchases of Auto-Sleepers and Marquis Leisure.

The two British brands are part of Auto-Sleepers Investments (ASI), their parent company, which Trigano already had a minor stake stake in. This deal now makes Trigano the majority shareholder of ASI.

Trigano already owns British brands Auto-Trail, Roller Team and Tribute, as well as Chausson, Mobilvetta and Benimar, which are all sold in the UK.

Auto-Sleepers is one of Europe’s oldest motorhome manufacturers building popular coachbuilts and campervans. The company employs 386 people and achieved a turnover of £121 million in 2016.

Marquis Leisure is the UK’s largest dealer network operating 11 dealerships selling motorhomes, campervans and caravans.

This acquisition is part of Trigano’s continued external growth strategy in the fields of recreational vehicle, recreational vehicle accessories and trailer.

Mr Geoff Scott CEO and Mr Mike Crouch MD remain in their existing roles and continue as shareholders within ASI.

Mr Crouch commented on the recent purchase: “It’s very much business as usual for ASI. The current business model is successful and it will be both interesting and exciting to explore the potential new opportunities as a member of the Trigano Group of companies.”

Trigano to purchase Slovenian caravan manufacturer

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by Tom Leaning

Trigano, the French-based motorhome giant, has commenced negotiations to acquire the Slovenian camper van and caravan manufacturer Adria Group, as part of its continuing strategy for external growth in the leisure vehicle and trailers market.

Trigano entered into exclusive negotiations to purchase 99.08 per cent of the capital of Slovenian holding company Protej d.o.o., the owner of Adria’s parent ACH, according to a recent statement from the French manufacturer.

“Financing of this acquisition will be ensured by already available credit facilities granted by Trigano’s banking pool,” Trigano said.

Adria manufactures and markets motorhomes, caravans and mobile homes. Its current operational profitability is comparable to that of Trigano, the French company said.

Adria employs around 1,500 people and achieved a turnover close to 350 million euros (£303.4 million) in 2016.

Hymer reveal Perfect 10 for the new Carado

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To celebrate their tenth anniversary, Carado have released the Perfect 10 series of motorhomes. CaravanTimes visited TravelWorld in Telford to have a look around these limited edition models.

Indeed, as it is such a special landmark for Carado they have pulled out all the stops for this latest series of motorhomes, and there are certainly some impressive new attributes to these models.

Here, CaravanTimes’ Daniel Cartwright reviews the T 447 model, which appears to be a true family motorhome…

5 New Year Resolutions for Motorhome owners

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by Tom Leaning

To prepare you all properly for the year ahead, CaravanTimes has asked some Caravan and Motorhome experts to recommend Five New Year Resolutions to promise yourselves this year, to make your 2017 as good as it can be!

In Part 2 of our two part feature, Ed Glover of Salop Leisure has kindly offered his top five recommendations for New Year Resolutions:

1. Look after the environment

“Please try and only use bio degradable (green) chemical waste in your Motorhome. By doing your bit and helping protect the environment on your travels, you will make the experience more pleasant for yourself and for your fellow travellers out on the road.”

2. Carry out TABB tests every month

“TABB (Tread, Air, Battery, Breaks) tests are extremely important, routine checks to carry out on your motorhome. If you make sure your vehicle is in tip-top condition on a regular basis you will massively reduce the chances of having problems while out on the road.”

3. Be conscious of your rear view mirror

“Make a big effort to be as safe a Motorhome driver as you can be this year. Obey the rules of the road, always check your mirrors, and pull over and allow fast moving traffic past when you can.”

4. Support local tourism industry

“Travelling to different parts of the UK gives Motorhome owners opportunities to support local communities. One way to show your support is simply by shopping for supplies in local independent shops rather than supermarkets chains.”

5. Explore more!

“Be more adventurous this year! Be bold and travel abroad. And try and visit one new town or county in the UK each month. Have a cracking 2017!”

Part 1 in our New Year Resolutions series offers recommendations to our Caravan owners.

5 New Year Resolutions for Caravan owners in 2017

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by Tom Leaning

To prepare you all properly for the year ahead, CaravanTimes has asked some Caravan and Motorhome experts to recommend Five New Year Resolutions to promise yourselves this year, to make your 2017 as good as it can be!

In Part 1 of our two part feature, Darren Brown of Broad Lane Leisure has kindly offered his top five recommendations for New Year Resolutions:

1. Use your Caravan more often

“It may be an obvious one, but it is as simple as that. Get out on the road as often as you can and enjoy everything the outdoors has to offer.”

2. Enlighten the uninitiated

“Spread the word about how much fun caravanning is to your friends. Obviously, you don’t go over the top, but be a champion for caravanning and enlighten the uninitiated. There are more people out there than you think who have considered buying a Caravan but have put off making a decision about it until next year. Let them know what they are missing out on!”

3. Let’s give Caravanning some “Street Cred”

“This links back to my second point; Caravanning still lacks street credibility, especially among the younger generations. Let’s encourage people that Caravanning can be cool!”

4. Get families involved

“Caravanning has traditionally been a family activity. Many happy family memories are waiting to be made this year, and by inviting more of your family members along on your next Caravan trip, you’ll be able to share those happy memories with them as well.”

5.Venture to new places

“Caravanning enables us to explore – so do just that! Make sure you visit destinations around the UK – and even further afield – that you’re dying to see. The world is waiting!”

Part 2 in our New Year Resolutions series offers more recommendations to our Motorhome owners.

Daughter raises funds for cancer patient mum who sold caravan to pay for cost of living

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by Tom Leaning

The family of a cancer patient who had to give up her treasured caravan to pay for the cost of living with the disease are appealing to donors to help buy their mother a new vehicle to get her back out on the road again.

According to the Camden New Journal, Stephanie Dawson, 27, of West Hampstead, is hoping to raise £3,000 to buy a second-hand caravan for her mum Andrea, 52, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in July.

Her parents, who live in Derbyshire, bought a new caravan in July and were “absolutely obsessed” with it, setting off every weekend with their labrador to explore the countryside.

The short trips allowed Andrea to escape some of the “mental effects” of cancer and Ms Dawson said the weekends in the countryside helped her pull through in some of the harder moments.

But recently the family were told she required further treatment, and the cost of taking time off work meant they had no choice but to sell their treasured caravan.

Ms Dawson said: “Her treatment is all free on the NHS but with having treatment over such a long period, she isn’t able to work at the moment, but you’ve still got the mortgages and the bills to pay for. No one talks about the costs of living with cancer, and the nicer things in life, like a small second-hand caravan, can suddenly get taken away. It was really hard to see it sold because it meant so much to her. It was a big blow.”

Ms Dawson said she decided to launch the campaign because she felt powerless to help her mum, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment and had to spend much of the Christmas holidays in hospital.

“Chemotherapy is so much worse than people tell you. There’s nothing you can do, and there is nothing I can do to make her better.

“But that caravan allowed her a little bit of escapism. But it’s not just about getting her something materialistic, it’s about trying to help her feel normal. For my mum that means fresh air and countryside.”

To donate visit: https://www.gofundme.com/my-mums-chemo-fighter-the-caravan

Loch Lomond clamps down on motorhome wild camping

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By Tom Leaning

From March 2017 new rules will require those planning to wild camp in their campervans or motorhomes in certain areas of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park to obtain a permit in advance.

According to the Scottish National Park, the new permits will be available online, over the phone and from National Park buildings. If you wild camp in the new Camping Management Zones without a permit between 1 March and 30 September each year, you risk a £500 fine.

The rules, which were approved were by Scottish ministers and the Park Authority in late 2015, are aimed at managing the number of people wild camping in certain areas of the park. The four areas covered by the new Camping Management Zones are along the loch shores in west Loch Lomond, east Loch Lomond and north and west Trossachs.

If you want to camp in these areas you will need to stay at a designated campsite or, if you prefer to wild camp, you will need to buy a permit in advance.

The Park Authority confirmed the permits will cost £3 per motorthome/campervan (the same as camping in a tent). It has not confirmed how many permits will be issued each year.

However it did say that, “The Park Authority will provide low-cost, informal opportunities to camp through a mix of informal campsites and by issuing camping permits. Some of these permit areas will have access to basic services like toilets and parking and, where possible, we want to offer places for motorhomes to stop off too.

“Certain sites within the Camping Management Zones are well suited to providing places for visitors in motorhomes to stop overnight. There are both campsite locations and permit areas within the Trossachs North and West Loch Lomond Camping Management Zones, with suitable off-road locations to accommodate motorhomes.

“We’re keen to make sure that motorhome and campervan users have all the information they need to make sure they know what the plans will mean and how they will benefit all visitors to the park.”

It added that the informal campsites will have basic facilities and allocated parking with each pitch booked. Meanwhile those who obtain a permit to wild camp will be able to make use of the “wild loch shore experience with no facilities on site”.

In its development strategy document, the Park Authority added that all those planning to wild camp must always follow the ‘leave no trace’ principles, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

It also stressed that the new rules cover less than 4 per cent of the park’s 720 square miles, so camping in most areas of the park is unaffected by these new camping management zones.

“The sheer number of visitors to our most easily accessible, popular loch shore areas, combined with impacts from antisocial behaviour, is causing significant damage to both the environment and to the local communities whose local economies rely heavily on tourism,” a spokesman said. “The plans will help us to both protect these parts of the National Park from environmental damage and vastly improve the experience for visitors, including for those who come to camp.”

You can find more information about the new motorhome wild camping rules here.

Swift Academy celebrate first graduates

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by Tom Leaning

The achievements of thirty employees have been recognised by Swift Group, the UK caravan and motorhome manufacturer, at their inaugural Swift Academy graduation.

Swift Group launched the Academy in Sept 2015, just over a year later there are over one hundred employees from all areas of the business studying a variety of business and management courses. The thirty graduates are the first to finish their course, and having enjoyed the experience many are looking to progress onto the next study level.

The Swift Academy was introduced as a key component of succession planning at Swift, developing talent from within and ensuring the business has the skills, knowledge and capability to be successful today and in the future. Employees study at a level appropriate to their experience and position and can work their way towards studying for an MBA (Master of Business Administration)

The Swift Academy has also become a key element in recruitment in the company with one of the region’s largest apprenticeship schemes employing ten students a year, along with a degree scholarship programme. Both opportunities enable students to earn while they learn, and Swift always welcomes applications for each.

Managing Director James Turner and Deputy Managing Director Amy Archer handed out the certificates.

‘The development of the Swift Academy was a new venture for Swift and it is tremendous to see what has been achieved for both the company and each person. Studying and working is not easy and requires dedication, a quality we appear to have in abundance. I wish each graduate and those currently studying every success’, said Ms Archer.

Latest UK survey reveals 17 million camping and caravan trips taken in 2016

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by Tom Leaning

A recent analysis of the caravan and camping market has reported that the industry is on the rise.

As the UK heads towards the annual Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at Birmingham’s NEC from 21 to 26 February 2017, just under four out of ten UK adults had experience of camping or caravanning in the past three years according to a Mintel report*.

A total of over 17 million camping and caravanning trips are estimated to have been taken by UK adults in 2016, over 15 million of which were in Great Britain, and include a spectrum of accommodation options from yurts, safari tents and shepherd’s huts to tiny two-berth mini and large luxury caravans, sophisticated motorhomes and holiday lodges. The total trips taken figure is expected to rise to 17.9 million in 2017 and to over 21 million in 2020, and Mintel forecasts Great Britain’s camping and caravanning market will be worth over £3.2 billion by 2020.

Of those camping in a tent in the last three years^, ‘getting away from it all’ is one of the key attractions (42 per cent) as well as ‘connecting with nature’ (41 per cent). Just 14per cent overall of those camping would welcome the opportunity to be disconnected from technology with no WiFi or internet, although surprisingly 32 per cent of music festival campers claimed they would welcome the lack of connection!

Among those interested in such leisure holidays, 16per cent plan to buy a tent from 2016 onwards, 9 per cent a towed caravan, 12 per cent a motorhome or campervan, and 10 per cent a static caravan or mobile home. Motorhomes are seen as adventurous and fun, comfortable and family-friendly, with secure, spacious, high quality accommodation. A multi-destination European trip attracted 55 per cent, while 34 per cent would aim for a North America tour and 37 per cent would use a motorhome to see a sports event.

Market drivers for camping, caravanning and motorhomes trips in recent years include a reduction in petrol prices and a desire for families to reconnect with their environment. A report published by The Wildlife Trust** found that children have become increasingly separated from nature, highlighting that fewer than 10 per cent of children play in natural areas, with 78 per cent of parents concerned their children don’t spend enough time interacting with nature and wildlife.

The government’s Climate Change Risk Assessment report 2012 (produced every five years) predicts that future climate change is likely to improve the appeal of the UK as a holiday destination for both UK and overseas visitors with increased summer temperatures and a longer summer season.

The NCC (National Caravan Council), the event arm of which runs the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show, estimates in the UK at present there are approximately 550,000 touring caravans, more than 205,000 motorhomes and 330,000 static caravan holiday homes in use, totalling over one million leisure vehicles.

From Tuesday 21 to Sunday 26 February the Birmingham NEC will be home to the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show 2017, with over 350 leading leisure brands exhibiting caravans, motorhomes, campervans, trailer tents, folding campers, tents, caravan holiday homes, camping equipment and accessories.

This year’s show has plenty of free, have-a-go features including an indoor children’s assault course and mobile climbing mountain. A towing and manoeuvring skills area offers expert tuition for those new to caravanning and motorhome holidays as well as those who want to brush up on their techniques. For pet lovers there is the much-loved dog agility arena.

Throughout the six days of the show the Discovery Theatre plays host to celebrity guests including Countryfile, and more recently New Lives in the Wild presenter, Ben Fogle; Kate Humble and Julia Bradbury discussing their love of the great outdoors; celebrity chefs including baker Selasi Gbormittah performing live cooking demonstrations; and the professionals sharing their top tips on owning leisure vehicles and camping holidays. New for 2017 are bushcraft workshops where visitors can learn essential survival skills.

Advance ticket prices are from £7 per person and children 15 and under enter free^^. Tickets are on sale now and can be ordered online: www.ccmshow.co.uk