Motorhome maker Auto-Trail raises £5,000 for Help for Heroes

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by Arash Hekmat

Motorhome maker Auto-Trail has announced that it raised £5,200 in 2011 for Help for Heroes, after the charity was chosen by its employees to receive the donations and funds.

Among the fundraising events undertaken last year were the Coast to Coast Challenge, which saw employees cycle from Whitehaven on the west coast to Sunderland on the eastern side of the country over two days.

Staff at the company, which produces Tracker, Apache and Frontier motorhomes, also completed the National Three Peaks challenge, scaling Scafell Pike in England, Snowdon in Wales and Ben Nevis in Scotland, all within 24 hours.

Other events included an annual golf tournament for staff and suppliers, factory open days and tours for customers.

In the past five years, Auto-Trail has raised some £21,000 for a selection of charities including Cancer Research UK, Huntington’s Disease, St Andrew’s Children’s Hospital and When You Wish Upon a Star.

The company has already chosen its charity for 2012, selecting Women’s Aid, North East Lincolnshire.

Lucky couple win free Swift Challenger Sport from Caravan Club

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by Arash Hekmat

One lucky couple will be able to holiday in a brand new Swift Challenger Sport 514 after winning the Caravan Club’s Find the Freedom competition.

Mr and Mrs Loloyd, from Brynnock, have taken home the top prize, which was donated by Swift Group and is worth £16,000.

The competition was run online throughout August 2011 in a bid to encourage people who have never gone caravanning before to get in on the act. Now, the Lloyds will have no excuse not to set off to some of the best caravan holiday destinations in the UK and further abroad with their new tourer.

More than 6,000 people took part in the contest, which asked visitors to the club’s new Discover Touring website to guess where in the UK a photo of a caravanning family was taken.

Nick Page, commercial director of Swift Group, said: “We were happy to offer our support to the Caravan Club by donating one of our newly launched Swift Challenger Sport models and we are thrilled that the competition attracted so many entrants.

“The aim of the initiative was to increase awareness of the delights of UK touring and its viability as an affordable and flexible holiday option and we believe that this has been achieved.”

Self-catered accommodation created at two Camping and Caravanning club sites

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by Tom Lowenstein

In a bid to expand the options for people staying at its sites, the Camping and Caravanning Club has created new self-catered accommodation at two of its parks.

Holidaymakers will now be able to take advantage of new accommodation at the Ashbourne and Hereford Club Sites, with the investment going towards a holiday apartment at the former and a pitched tourer at the latter.

These latest additions to the Club’s facilities add to the 13 other locations where self-catered accommodation is on offer, and more is on its way.

The Cheddar Club Site is poised to take delivery of two further holiday caravans which will take the place of two units being put into retirement, while a range of other options are also on offer.

Camping pods, dens and safari tents have all been added to the Club’s offerings in recent times, and it is increasingly encouraging people to try out the alternative types of accommodation.

“Our self-catering and alternative camping accommodation provides a welcome new twist to the traditional tents and touring units,” said Bob Hill, sites director at the Camping and Caravanning Club.

“Holidaymakers all have different requirements and as a Club we aim to provide a range of holiday options to suit everyone.”

Dometic Freshlight 1600 could solve compact caravan air-con quandary

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by Tom Lowenstein

It’s a problem faced by many caravan owners – do you choose an air-conditioning unit and block up the bright and breezy rooflight, or do you stick with the overhead window and get hot and sticky in summer?

Well, caravan appliance manufacturer Dometic offered an answer to the problem when it launched the FreshLight 2200, and now it has unveiled a smaller model for compact caravans and motorhomes.

Designed for use in vehicles up to 6m in length, the Dometic FreshLight 1600 integrates an air-con unit with an overhead rooflight, removing the quandary of which feature to opt for.

Featuring an integrated ventilation and automatic blower system, it fills the caravan with cool, fresh air while also providing a window and can even be fitted with a pleated blind to match the rest of the vehicle.

It is also energy-efficient, using just 620 watts to cool and 800 watts when switched to heating mode, while its cooling capacity reaches 1550 watts.

Astral Caravans: Long gone but still not forgotten

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by Chris Jefferies
Since the heyday of caravanning in the 1960s and 70s, many classic caravanning names have disappeared leaving barely a trace, while only a select few, such as Swift and Sprite, have survived and indeed flourished.
One such name that some CaravanTimes readers may be familiar with is Astral. The company enjoyed 21 years of trading with before going bust in 1980, but their dedicated members’ club still keeps the name alive all these many years later.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the small, but highly committed Astral owners club – a group of friendly caravanners who have managed to meet up at least once a year since 1972.
The club includes third generation Astral owners, as well as founder members who have been rallying with the organisation for 40 years.
Not one to let a landmark pass him by, the club’s chairman Andrew Ingham has organised a special event at Drax Social Club near Selby, which will feature a three-course lunch and slideshow looking back at some classic images from the illustrious history of Astral Caravans.
This event will take place from April 5th to 10th, with pitches priced at £6.50 per unit per night and Sunday lunch supplied for an additional £15 per head.
Proud heritage
The name Astral dates back to 1959, making it one of the oldest in UK caravanning. Over the company’s 21 years, many popular ranges were launched, such as the Ranger, the Scout (pictured above) and the Flyte.
In their halcyon days, Astral was a big player on the touring caravan market, according to caravan historian Andrew Jenkinson.
“They were once a big name in the industry, ranking with Swift, Bailey and Coachman of today, being one of the largest exporters and manufacturers of both touring and holiday caravans,” he said.
Andrew puts their decline down to combination of factors, most notably the general downturn in the British economy towards the end of the 1970s.
However, the Astral name lives on, not just through the owners club, but at the caravan sites up and down the country where this name is still held in high regard by those in the know.
Have you ever owned a second-hand Astral? Or perhaps somebody in your family bought a new one back in the 60s or 70s? You can share your experiences, memories and stories of classic caravans in our community forum

VIDEO: A closer look at the new Bailey Retreat leisure home

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by Chris Jefferies
The Bailey Retreat is a completely new type of caravan from Bailey’s of Bristol. With a super-large chassis and bodyshell, this nine-metre long ‘leisure home’ is designed specifically for use on seasonal pitches.
In this video feature, CaravanTimes travels to Bristol to meet Simon Howard from Bailey and hear how the company came up with this innovative idea.
Also, we hear from the public at the London caravan show to find out how well this new concept has gone down with caravanners themselves.
Prices in the Bailey Retreat range start at £22,000, including VAT, and the company has arranged a nationwide network of 34 dealers to sell and service these leisure homes.

Morris Leisure plants 750 trees at Ludlow caravan park

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by Tom Lowenstein

A 750-tree wood is being planted by Morris Leisure at its Ludlow Touring Park in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne and to commemorate the momentous occasion, Morris is planting the Jubilee wood at its luxury £3 million caravan and motorhome park.

The trees will form part of the landscaping at the 135-pitch, five-star park which sits on the edge of the historic South Shropshire town and is scheduled to open on May 9th.

Support for the scheme has come from the Woodland Trust, which has provided the caravan park with help and guidance through its MOREwoods programme, and over time it will develop into a diverse woodland area.

Edward Goddard, managing director of Morris Leisure, commented: “We are delighted to be planting 750 native trees to not only enhance the landscaping of our new touring and motorhome park but also to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in such a creative way.”

The need for additional woodland area in the UK is pressing, with just 13 per cent of land covered by woods compared with an average of 44 per cent throughout Europe.

In Shropshire in particular the need is paramount, with only 8.5 per cent of the county covered by woodland.

RBM teams up with Elddis caravans on exclusive motorhome range

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by Tom Lowenstein

Richard Baldwin Motorhomes (RBM) has teamed up with Elddis Caravans on a line of three exclusive motorhomes – the Onesto, Da Amico and Fidato – which are based on the Elddis Autoquest range and have been made exclusively for the Halifax-based company.

RBM is full of optimism for the range after the first of its Da Amico models was purchased by a happy customer, and the initial demand is far beyond the firm’s expectations.

RBM partner Gary Morgan has invested a huge amount of time getting the project off the ground and is delighted with the early response to the range.

Castleford couple Mr and Mrs Murdoch were the first to get their hands on one of the models after buying it at Manchester’s Caravan & Motorhome Show, and following the first sale RBM is expecting many more.

“With the RBM Special Edition range, our customers can easily see at first glance just how many extras they are getting,” said Richard Ackroyd, resident ‘Elddis specialist’ at RBM.

“They can also really grasp the value and significance of our extras, in particular the safety features that are unique to our models.”

The new range includes an Electronic Stabilisation Program to make the motorhome safer, and also includes unique colour schemes and fabrics.

Birmingham caravan show to return next February, NCC confirms

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by Chris Jefferies
The National Caravan Council has announced plans for a new caravan show at the Birmingham NEC, which will take place in February 2013.
The Spring Caravan & Camping Show, as it will be known, will run from February 19th to 24th of next year, just one week after the London Motorhome, Caravan & Camping Show – meaning caravanners will be spoilt for choice.
This effectively means that NCC Events will be filling the gap left following the demise of the Boat and Caravan Show, which was meant to take place in February 2012, but was cancelled back in November of last year due to “a lack of industry support”.
Despite a busy spring caravan season over the past few months, with successful shows in Manchester, Glasgow and London, the prevailing opinion has been that a lack of a large Midlands show was keenly felt by manufacturers, dealers and suppliers alike.
But with the launch of this new Birmingham event, the London caravan show is now likely to be used by NCC Events as more of a regional showcase, rather than a major national event.
According to NCC Events, the new Spring show has the support of the industry’s major manufacturers and dealers as well as the Caravan Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club.
Visitors will also be able to see a comprehensive display of holiday homes and lodges, as well as all the usual leisure accessories, camping gear and new caravan models.
With dates and a venue confirmed, the NCC is hoping to attract more than 55,000 caravanners to Birmingham next year for this six-day extravaganza.

First photos and specs revealed for all-new Ford Kuga towcar

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by Cameron Bird

American carmaker Ford showed off its brand new 2013 Kuga at the Geneva Motor Show this week. Details are a little scarce at this point but the new towcar will feature a more defined look in the front, including a sculpted nose, and will also be slightly longer and more spacious than the already popular 2012 model.

The new Kuga is expected to have a starting price of £22,000 when it goes on sale in early 2013, which is around £400 more than the current version.

For that price, the new model will not only improve on features that already make it a popular towcar for caravan owners, but also add several new features as well.

The most innovative of the new technology is a hands-free automatic tailgate, which can be opened and closed easily by gently kicking your foot under the rear bumper.

The Kuga will also come equipped with Emergency Assistance, which automatically dials 999 and gives GPS coordinates to the emergency services when airbags are released or there is an emergency fuel shut off inside the car.

This SUV will also be easier to handle than previous models, as the AWD system in the car is now able to reassess conditions 20 times faster than it takes to blink an eye, giving caravan owners the safety and stability they need to tow in poor weather.

Another very useful feature for caravan owners is the Blind Spot Information System which indicates if a potential hazard is in your blind spot.

Towing Power

Along with all the new technological gadgets, the Ford Kuga is no slouch in the power department either, . The Kuga will offer two versions of Ford’s popular 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine, one having about 138bhp, and the more powerful model carrying about 161bhp.

Ford will also offer a smaller 1.6-litre EcoBoost petrol engine for the Kuga, which is already available in the Ford Focus and C-MAX, and has a strong torque delivery and high fuel efficiency. The new Torque Vectoring Control system will also add to the stability.

The kerbweight of the new Kuga is expected to check in at around 1,670kgs, which is slightly higher than the 1,613kgs the most recent model carried.

The new Kuga is yet to release its official towing limit but going by the Caravan Club’s 85 per cent rule, it will be able tow a caravan that weighs up to 1,420kgs, making it a good match for the new Elddis Crusader Hurricane.

The Kuga will face competition from other compact crossovers including the Audi Q5, Range Rover Evoque, and the recently launched SsangYong Korando. The innovative technologies Ford has installed on the Kuga, as well as its comparable size to its competition, should make the new Kuga an attractive option for caravan owners when it arrives in early 2013.


Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes

Dunster House Caravans will raise prices next month

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by Tom Lowenstein

Dunster House has announced that the prices of its Concordia caravans will be rising next month.

The Bedford-based manufacturer has said that with the costs of raw materials rising throughout the caravan industry, it has no choice but to pass some of this on to its customers.

However, while some caravan makers have increased their prices twice in the last six months, the Concordia range has stayed the same since it was first launched and, despite the imminent increases, will still be the cheapest of any Alde-heated tourer on the market.

Compared to similar caravans with Alde central heating systems, the on-the-road price for the Concordia range is as much as £1,150 cheaper.

Customers will also save money by not being charged a retailer delivery fee which can be as much as £565 in some cases.

After paying the list price for a Dunster House caravan, customers opt for whichever of the firm’s three sites is more convenient and then pick it up themselves.

As of April 16th 2012, the prices in the Dunster House Concordia range will be as follows:

  • Concordia Harmony – £18,470
  • Concordia Serenity – £19,676
  • Concordia Tranquility – £19,976

Does your caravan insurance cover use by family and friends?

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by Tom Lowenstein

With more and more people embarking on caravan holidays these days many people are loaning their tourers to family or friends, but it would be a disaster if they had an accident and turned out not to be covered by the owner’s insurance.

Well, according to a new study by financial research firm Defaqto, just 12 per cent of caravan insurance policies on the market do not cover the vehicle when it’s borrowed by family, with 57 per cent not covering use by friends.

In a wide-ranging assessment of the caravan insurance market, Defaqto analysed 42 different providers and 66 different policies and found that 73 per cent cover family use as standard.

Less than half that figure (32 per cent) provide cover for use by friends, while a further 15 per cent cover family use through a supplementary add-on. Eleven per cent cover friends in the same way.

Insight analyst for general insurance at Defaqto Mike Powell advises caravan owners to thoroughly check their policy before letting friends or family hitch up and head off on holiday.

“It would be a bitter pill to swallow if you lent your touring caravan to a friend and then found that your insurance wouldn’t pay out for any damage that happened to it,” he said.