Update: This competition is now closed, thanks to all those who entered
by Chris Jefferies
Spring is the busiest time of the year for people having to renew their caravan insurance, and finding the best deal can be tricky.
That is unless you win our latest CaravanTimes readers’ competition, in which case your caravan will be insured for the next 12 months for free.
Then all you have to do is hitch up, hit the road and enjoy a whole year of worry-free caravanning.
This is thanks to Towergate Insurance who have provided this month’s top prize, which will cover one annual insurance policy up to a maximum cost of £250.
This competition will end at midday on Friday 20th April and one lucky winner will be chosen at random and then announced right here on CaravanTimes.
To enter this month’s competition, all you have to do is click here and follow the instructions on the Towergate Insurance website.
Best of luck to everyone who enters and happy caravanning!
VIDEO: A look at the new luxury Crusader range from Elddis caravans
Elddis Caravans first launched the Crusader range more than 35 years ago, and it has now become one of the most popular luxury caravans in the UK.
The Crusader range has been given a bit of a facelift for the 2012 season, and the results are rather impressive. The tourer continues to be the most luxurious in the Elddis line, and now has a new front, lighter weights, and an all-around sleeker look than the previous model.
Caravan Times went to Durham to visit Elddis HQ and get all the details on the new range, and what went into its design changes for the new year.
Rob Quine, Managing Director at Elddis, gives us the insider information on how the Crusader collection was developed for 2012, including an insight into how each model is built.
Prices in the Elddis Crusader range start at £18,999 and MTPLM weights range from 1,335kg to 1,820kg.
NCC warns caravanners about risks of carbon monoxide poisoning
Caravan and motorhome owners are being advised to take extra care when it comes to their gas supply after recent reports reminded people about the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Just last month, 45-year-old Chris Bainbridge died from carbon monoxide poisoning while his wife was left seriously ill after they brought a barbeque into their cabin in the Lake District.
The National Caravan Council (NCC) have urged all touring vehicle owners to make sure they get their gas appliances serviced every year by a registered engineer, and also recommends installing carbon monoxide alarms inside older caravans, a feature that all new caravans now come fitted with.
UK law states all gas engineers must be registered by Gas Safe, so it is essential that you make sure that the person servicing your caravan’s equipment is properly certified.
Although Carbon monoxide is colourless and largely odourless it is highly dangerous so all barbeques, gas ovens and heaters need to be regularly checked to make sure they are working properly and not leaking.
The NCC also warned that stoves or barbeques used in spaces without adequate ventilation can have fatal consequences.
Billington caravan site wins Green Business of the Year award
A caravan park in Billington, Lancashire has been praised yet again for its eco-friendly approach to tourism, picking up the Green Business of the Year award at the Lancashire Evening Post Green Awards.
During the last six months the Hackings Holiday Caravan Park has picked up numerous awards, including a gold David Bellamy Conservation Award and a gold medal in the North West in Bloom awards.
However, the latest accolade to be heaped on the park stands it out not just as an exceptional caravan park but as a leader in the field of eco-business too.
Run by the Hackings family, their home was also named Best Green Household in the awards, the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times reported.
Naturally ecstatic about winning so much praise, Linden Hackings, who manages the park with his mother, wife and son, said his team are passionate about the environment and happy to work hard for it.
“We are delighted our contribution to the environment has been recognised with so many awards,” he told the newspaper.
“Here at Hackings we are a family business with deep roots in the community and with a great affection for the landscape.”
In the last year, over 620 caravan parks across the UK have been presented with David Bellamy Conservation Awards.
VIDEO: What to do if your caravan breaks down overseas
Since the UK is so close to the rest of continental Europe, it seems logical that caravanners may want to venture overseas to experience new environments and new cultures while on holiday.
One worry you might have before taking your caravan to another country is the state of the insurance on the tourer should it suffer damage while abroad. What kind of steps should you take before going to Europe?
Caravan Times visited with Towergate Insurance recently to tackle this exact topic, and try to figure out the best ways to prepare for a European holiday, and the best ways to deal with catastrophe if it strikes while you’re not in the UK.
Edward Cross, Underwriting Director at Towergate, gives his tips on what measures to take before your trip, as well as what options you have if your caravan should happen to break down.
Luxury 1920s Voyageur caravan sold at auction for £11,500
by Cameron Bird
A 90-year-old caravan has been sold at a recent auction for £11,500 – double the original estimate. The real surprise comes when examining this rare caravan, which reveals that caravanning was once an activity that was reserved for the aristocracy.
This elegant Bertram Hutchings Voyageur could once have exclusively been towed by large, powerful cars like a Rolls Royce. The Voyageur was also part of the first generation of caravans that replaced coaches pulled by horses.
The interior of the vehicle was known for its luxury, including a gramophone, stove, gas lighting, oak furniture, and even an early fire extinguisher, according to the Daily Mail. These may seem like trivial items to have nowadays, but in the 1920s it was quite a big deal.
Click here to see more images
There is also a curtained-off lavatory, a beautiful sofa-bed, and a wooden clock on the inside of the caravan, and the outside walls are made from artificial leather called Rexine. The Voyageur was actually nicknamed the “Rolls Royce of caravans”, once again highlighting its high-end reputation.
The two-berth sleeper would have cost £245 in the ’20s, and there are thought to be fewer than 100 still in existence.
Rob Hubbard, from auctioneers Bonhams, the group that auctioned off the Voyageur, noted that: “The original owners probably had a chauffeur who had to sleep on the back seat of the car during a weekend away.”
“I wouldn’t have thought that there are more than about 100 of these left and they are popular with those who have vintage cars,” Mr. Hubbard added.
Friendly Club to attempt world record during Diamond Jubilee weekend
The Camping and Caravanning Club has set its sights on a new world record and is hoping to enter the Guinness Book of Records with its attempt over the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend.
Coinciding with National Camping and Caravanning Week at the beginning of June, the Club is hoping that the thousands of holidaymakers heading to its network of sites on the bank holiday will help put it in the record books.
Carrying on the Jubilee theme, on Monday June 4th the Club will attempt to break the record for the ‘most people wearing paper crowns across multiple locations’.
Caravanners at each of the Club’s 130 campsites will be provided with a special paper crown, with adjudicators from Guinness heading to the Sandringham Club Site, which is acting as the hub for the attempt.
“It’s a great event to bring people together and enjoy the great outdoors, particularly during National Camping and Caravanning Week and the Diamond Jubilee central weekend,” said Robert Louden, director general of the Club.
Club president, conservationist and celebrity David Bellamy will also be on hand at Sandringham to help break the record.
“Help us set a Guinness World Record,” he said. “I’ll have my paper crown at the ready.”
What’s more, the Friendly Club’s ambitious plan is the largest multiple-location world record attempt ever in the UK.
Norfolk locals angry over caravan park expansion plans
A Norfolk caravan site’s expansion plans have hit a bump in the road after local residents complained that it was big enough already.
Pentney Indoor Bowls Club last year was granted permission to convert land around it into a 50-pitch caravan site to house revellers visiting its country music festivals but has since applied to double its capacity.
Initial planning permission meant that Terry Gray, the bowling club’s owner, could only use the caravan site when he was hosting the weekend festivals, but his plans to expand the site to 100 caravans has provoked an outcry from locals, Lynn News reported.
While the initial application was accepted on condition that Mr Gray carried out work to ensure the protection of the local environment, residents are anxious that extending the site further will have serious consequences for local wildlife.
Villager Robin Munford said: “The damage to the environment would be devastating, water voles and otters are amongst the many animals that will be at risk from the increased noise, litter, dogs and pollution to the river,” the news provider quoted.
VIDEO: The Bailey Retreat and the new hobby of leisure homing
For the majority of UK caravanners, their previous purchases have been for either a touring caravan, or a static caravan. A new market has now emerged which has been labelled leisure homing, and it represents a bit of a hybrid between the two.
Leisure homing involves renting a pitch out in a caravan park and leaving your touring caravan there year round, and Bailey caravans has jumped on this trend with its new Retreat model.
Caravan Times visited Bailey recently to get all the details on the Retreat, and how it fits in to the leisure homing market.
Simon Howard, the Marketing Director at Bailey, tells us exactly what to expect from the Retreat, as well as the thought process behind its larger size and extra weight.
South Coast Caravan and Motorhome Show kicks off Easter weekend
With Easter weekend upon us, you may well be getting ready to hitch up and head off for a bank holiday caravan break.
If you’re looking for a show to attend this weekend, however, the 2012 South Coast Caravan and Motorhome Show gets underway on Saturday hosted by event organisers Apple Tree Exhibitions and Shows.
A diverse range of exhibitors are heading to the stunning Broadlands House in the heart of the Romsey countryside for the show, with many of the industry’s biggest names ready to show off their top caravans and motorhomes.
Among the line-up is West Country Motorhomes, a leading retailer for Durham caravan maker Elddis.
West Country offer their own special edition version of the Elddis Autoquest motorhome, the Sunseeker, and it will be on show at the event – with great Easter savings offered.
Other manufacturers (among many) making an appearance include Lunar, Bailey and Swift, with caravanners having the whole Easter bank holiday weekend to enjoy the show.
It runs from Saturday April 7th until Monday April 9th, from 9.30am until 4.30pm. Adult tickets are £7, seniors £6 and children go free.
Couple’s Coachman VIP caravan parked at their vow renewal
Caravan lovers Chris and Linda Pearse renewed their wedding vows recently and their brand new Coachman made an appearance as a VIP witness.
The couple from Basingstoke have been married for 20 years and to celebrate their porcelain anniversary they decided to renew their vows before heading off on a second honeymoon.
In light of their love of all things caravan, they decided that their Coachman VIP 460/2 should be parked at the venue so they could hop straight into their towcar after the ceremony.
“To celebrate being together these past 20 years we decided to get married and what could be more appropriate than to park our new van at the wedding venue,” Linda said.
It is not the first Coachman the happy couple have owned either. In 2005 they bought their first VIP 460/2 and earlier this year they traded it in at Chichester Caravans for the latest model.
Friendly Club survey reveals surprising facts about caravan insurance
New data released by the Camping and Caravanning Club’s insurance provider, Club Care, has revealed that the average claim made by a caravanner is worth 16 times the value of insuring the tourer in the first place.
Club Care’s study also reveals that the majority of claims (32 per cent) were made for damage repairs and a further 27 per cent were “impact-related claims”.
These figures highlight the importance of taking out a good caravan insurance policy, the broker adds.
Nine per cent of all claims were related to caravan thefts, with the research revealing that the majority are stolen between May and August, with a spike in thefts around the May Bank Holiday.
What’s more, just three per cent of all caravans stolen in 2011 were recovered, further emphasising the need to store your caravan in a safe place.
The vast majority (57 per cent) were stolen from outside people’s homes, with 27 per cent were taken from non-CaSSOA approved sites.
Britain’s caravanners do appear to be relatively safe when it comes to towing, however, with just eight per cent of all insurance claims relating to road accidents.
For more results from this survey, head over to the Club Care Insurance website.
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