Lunar Caravans veteran celebrates 40 years in the industry

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by Tom Lowenstein

Back in February 1972, John Bamber started working as a cabinet maker for Lunar Caravans and 40 years later he is still going strong.

The Lancashire-based caravan manufacturer this week recognised John as their longest-serving employee and praised the craftsman’s passion and dedication to the job.

Now in his fifth decade at Lunar, John’s skills and experience are integral to Lunar’s caravans and his cabinet making skills are a keen part of the firm’s heritage, the company says.

“I have always enjoyed my job here at Lunar and it has been very rewarding,” he said.

“Caravan designs have changed dramatically over the years but I have always taken pride in using traditional woodworking skills to create timeless, beautifully crafted cabinets.”

Lunar’s chairman and chief executive officer Brian Mellor congratulated John on reaching the milestone and praised his commitment to the job.

“On behalf of Lunar, may I thank John for his loyalty and contribution to our wonderful product,” he said.

Friendly Club teams up with Vango to support DofE award

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by Tom Lowenstein

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh’s patronage of the Camping and Caravanning Club.

To help mark the occasion, the Club has teamed up with Vango to get involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) scheme and will offer its support to young people across the country taking part in the programme’s challenges.

Since its establishment in 1996, DofE participants have been taking part in a range of outdoor and volunteering challenges that test their physical, mental, expedition and social skills.

The Friendly Club’s Sites are often used during the exercises, and in light of this the Club has decided to collaborate with camping brand Vango to offer equipment ‘starter packs’ to the ten regions across the country.

Director of the Club, General Robert Louden, said that it has always been a supporter of the DofE awards and is delighted to be able to help young people learn the skills they need to succeed in life through camping.

Peter Westgarth, chief executive of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said it was a fantastic opportunity to work with both organisations.

“Their generosity will enable ten teams of young people, who might not otherwise have been so fortunate, to do their DofE,” he commented.

VIDEO: Saving space in the Elddis Xplore with the new Whale heating system

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by Chris Jefferies
Most caravan heaters take up a lot of interior space, which is especially at a premium in a compact tourer, and for this reason Elddis Caravans has broken from the norm in 2012 and fitted an underfloor heating system to their entry-level Xplore range.
This clever heater is made by Whale and fits underneath the caravan chassis, meaning that a lot of room is freed up inside for storage space.
In this video, CaravanTimes meets David Whitehead from Elddis, who explains why they went for this new system and how easy it is to use.
David also looks at the new Truma rapid heat-up water system, which is also fitted to the best-selling 302 and 204 models.
Prices in the Elddis Xplore collection start from £10,799 rising to £13,599, and MTPLM weights range from just 930kgs up to 1,365kgs.

Careful caravan loading can help improve towing performance

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by Chris Jefferies
Towing a heavy caravan can be a tall order for some cars and it is made even harder when it is full of all your belongings for an extended getaway.
To ease the strain on your towcar, the insurance experts over at Towergate have come up with some top tips for packing for a trip away in your tourer.
The key thing to remember is that your baggage shouldn’t exceed the maximum user payload, and this means you should weight all large items on a pair of bathroom scales before putting them in your caravan.
Once you have whittled it down to the essential items, it is important to pack them into the caravan as close to the axles as possible, as this improves stability while on the road.
For this reason, caravans with under-bed storage and cupboards that are situated at knee-height are very useful.
Towergate insurance expert Edward Cross told CaravanTimes: “Overloading your caravan can cause several problems. The axle can even become bent and this will put your caravan under increased stress while towing, which can then lead to other structural problems.
“Our general advice is to try and pack your caravan with the weightier items over the axle. If you’re not sure if your caravan is overloaded, then have it weighed at a weighbridge.”
For more tips and advice from Towergate on how best to load your caravan, read their original article: How to load your caravan for safer towing

‘You Can Caravan Show’ comes to Teesside this weekend

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by Tom Lowenstein

Caravanners in the north-east have long been under-catered for in the show department, but a new event organised by Teesside Caravans is aiming to change all that this week.

The ‘You Can Caravan Show’ gets underway on Friday March 16th and aims to cater to both seasoned experts and newbies considering their first caravan holiday.

A free event, the show will be held at the Teesside Caravans complex in Thornaby, near Middlesbrough, and is designed to be a fun day out for the whole family.

As well as a range of demonstrations and workshops intended to give the novice an introduction to the wonderful world of caravanning, there will also be competitions and face painting to keep kids entertained.

Of course, the standard exhibitions of new caravans and exclusive discounts will be available throughout the event, with anyone buying a caravan having a tank of petrol thrown in with the price.

The new Bailey Retreat models will also be on show, giving anyone who still hasn’t set eyes on these luxury semi-permanent touring caravans a chance to have a peek inside.

General manager of Teesside Caravans, Lisa Pluves, said that the show aims to do away with the misguided preconceptions that surround caravan holidays.

“We hope to encourage people to come along with an open mind, speak to the manufacturers face to face, view the models on display and realise what they are missing,” she said.

The show runs until Monday March 18th.

Bailey Caravans announces sponsorship of QSW windsurfing and mini racing teams

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by Cameron Bird

Bailey Caravans has announced that it will be sponsoring the relatively new QSW windsurfing and mini racing teams, as they compete at events around the UK this summer.

The company will provide a Bailey Orion 530-6 caravan for use by the teams when they’re transporting equipment between events, and when they need temporary lodging.

The QSW team was started in 2007 by caravan dealer Neil Greentree, owner of Quayside Windsurfers, and has grown into the UK’s largest independent windsurfing team over the last five years.

Meanwhile, the QSW mini racing team was founded in 2011 when Jonathan Lewis joined the Greentree Group, because of Mr. Lewis’ extensive racing background, including teaching Richard Hammond how to drive a Formula 1 car during an episode of Top Gear.

The racing team managed one outright win and three other podium finishes in its five events last year, and will feature a Bailey sponsored car in this year’s team.

Bailey claims that the Orion caravan is the perfect choice, given its reputation of being aerodynamic, easy to drive, easy to park, and easy to store.

Both QSW teams have a full programme of events planned for this summer, including motorsports events at Brands Hatch and Silverstone, as well as windsurfing competitions in England and France.

VIDEO: What to do if your caravan is damaged in a road accident

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by Chris Jefferies
Caravan accidents happen thousands of times a year on UK roads, but in the heat of the moment it can be difficult remembering what you are meant to do first.
With breakdown recovery and insurance details to consider, not to mention personal safety, there is a lot to bear in mind.
In this video, CaravanTimes talks to Edward Cross from Towergate Insurance, who explains how to speed up the (sometimes painful) process of making a claim on your policy.
Ed also shares some top tips for avoiding caravan accidents in future, and he looks at the situation of what happens if you get in an accident with an uninsured driver.

Meet the Colim… a matching caravan and towcar combo

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by Cameron Bird

For anyone who has ever faced the dilemma of either buying a new car or a new caravan, there could be a solution coming in the future.

A new vehicle design by Christian Susana is a combination of a caravan and a car, and the most impressive feature is a detachable front that allows for the car to be driven away without the living quarters of the caravan.

The futuristic looking caravan-car combination has been called Colim (Colors of Life in Motion) by the designer. This name is a bit of a mouthful, but hopefully the stylishness of the van itself would be able to outweigh the strange name.

Click here to see more images of the Colim concept caravan

The motorhome is designed for two people, with a maximum of four, and the owner has the ability to “personalise the four mobile walls on the inside of the vehicle depending on the present life situation of the user”, according to the designer.

Strange looks

The Colim would not only be perfect for anyone who wanted a caravan-car combination, but it would also work beautifully for anyone looking to make a statement on the road. The motorhome looks like it could launch into space at any moment, and it’s safe to say anyone driving it would turn heads everywhere they went.

The interior of the Colim looks like it was designed for the crew of Star Trek, so anyone who steps inside the motorhome will get the distinct feeling that they just walked into a science fiction movie. The interior design is laced in chrome in the initial design, with gold chairs and cushions featured as well.

When the cockpit is detached from the rest of the motorhome, it looks far different from any other car on the street. It almost looks more like an escape pod from a space shuttle than an actual car. The roof slopes downward towards the back of the car, and half of the car body is comprised of windows. The wheels lack the traditional spokes, and are instead solid white which adds to the very interesting look of this design.

The Colim is only in the initial design phase at this point but someday Christian Susana’s dream could become a reality and you could be behind the wheel.



Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes

Southwold caravan park bids to extend season by two months

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by Tom Lowenstein

A council-run caravan and camping site in Suffolk that overlooks Southwold Denes Beach, next to the picturesque Southwold Harbour could earn an extra £46,800 per year if it is allowed to extend its season by two months, the local council claims.

Southwold Camping and Caravan Park on the south-east coast is currently open for seven months each year, but Waveney District Council, which operates the site, is hoping to expand this to nine months as of next year.

Should the application be successful, the council calculates that this would allow it to take an extra £181,900 during the next five years, the East Anglian Daily Times reported.

The application also includes a £15,000 investment that would add 20 new electrical hook-ups to the park, bringing a boost to its pitch fees.

Some £3,700 would also be spent improving its website if the move gets the green light.

Currently, the caravan site is open from April 1st until October 31st, but the new plans would see it stay open until November 30th this year before opening a month earlier on March 1st in 2013.

Marquis to offer deals on Elddis-built motorhomes at East Midlands show

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by Tom Lowenstein

With just a handful of days to go until the eagerly-awaited East Midlands Motorhome and Caravan Show kicks off, Marquis has announced it will be offering a range of savings across its Majestic range of motorhomes throughout the event.

Marquis is the biggest motorhome dealership in the UK and is hosting the show at its Northants outlet in Great Billing from Friday March 23rd until Sunday March 25th.

As well as motorhomes, a wide range of touring caravans will be on display at the show and visitors can ask the Marquis experts for advice, take a test drive in the Majestic while also witnessing various demonstrations and enjoying free refreshments.

The Majestic is built exclusively for Marquis by Elddis based on its Autoquest range and during the weekend Marquis will be offering a range of show-stopping discounts on the motorhomes.

Anyone buying a Majestic caravan at the show will also get one year’s free insurance and as if that wasn’t enough, everyone attending will be given a free goodie bag too.

Council rejects Chickensley man’s caravan housing benefit application

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by Tom Lowenstein

A man who lives in an Abi Pioneer caravan in his friends’ back garden has had his housing benefit application rejected by Kirklees Council.

After becoming homeless, David Facer was forced to spend more than a year living in a tent behind advertising hoardings on Wakefield Road in Dewsbury but was delighted when Kevin and Tracey Dewhirst offered him the caravan in their back garden in Chickenley.

Suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, the unemployed lorry driver was grateful for their hospitality and applied for housing benefit so that he could pay them rent, the Dewsbury Reported revealed.

“I was so grateful when Kevin and Tracey said I could live in their caravan,” he told the newspaper.

“I had no other options, my mother lives with my handicapped sister and my other brothers and sisters have families and no room to spare.”

With nowhere else to turn, the 47-year-old now lives in the little touring caravan and uses the Dewhirst’s bathroom and kitchen, but the council argued that his application was not of a commercial nature and so was ineligible for benefit.

The local authorities stated that the application ‘appears to have been made to take advantage of the benefit scheme’, but this is refuted by Mr Facer.

Arguing that it is not a static caravan so can be moved elsewhere, the authorities say that the application was not of a commercial nature but Mr Facer is still able to appeal the decision.

“I am not trying to take advantage of the system,” he said, adding that he will be fighting the council’s ruling.

Speaking to the local newspaper, Mrs Dewhirst said that they did not mind their friend living in the caravan, which they had originally bought to let their children camp out in during the summer.

“We couldn’t see him living in a tent like that anymore, particularly in his state of health,” she said.

“[The Council] say the caravan could be moved – you’d need a crane to get it out of the back garden.”

Top retailer to represent Elddis at Exeter Caravan Show

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by Tom Lowenstein

It’s that time of year again when the Exeter Caravan Show prepares to welcome caravan and motorhome lovers through the doors of the Westpoint Arena.

This year, the show runs from Friday March 16th until Sunday March 18th and retailer Pearman Briggs will be representing Elddis Caravans at the event.

Based in Gloucester, the premium motorhome and caravan dealership is heading down the M5 to showcase their Magnum Special Edition range of caravans, with many an Elddis and Buccaneer caravan also in tow.

The Magnum Special Edition is based on Elddis’ award-winning 2012 Xplore models and offers an exclusive specification with a unique graphic upholstery design.

Pearman Briggs will also be taking the Elddis Autoquest range of best-selling motorhomes with them to the show and a range of special deals will be offered across their collection of Elddis vehicles.

If you’re heading to the show, you can find the Westpoint Arena just outside Exter nestled in the West Country about a mile from junction 30 on the M5.