Coachman Caravans reveals Dyson business inspiration

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by Ash Hekmat

A caravan manufacturer from Hull has attributed some of its ongoing success to famed British inventor Sir James Dyson.

Coachman Caravans currently holds its largest ever share of the caravan market, with strong demand for its new models across the UK.

Speaking to the Hull Daily Mail, the company’s director Jim Hibbs said that an article by Sir James provided the businesses with direction in what was a difficult time.

“He was speaking in terms of British manufacturing and said that the way to success was to invest in products,” Mr Hibbs told the newspaper. “So that is what we did.”

This advice came in particularly handy in 2010, when Coachman began working on its latest Laser, VIP and Pastiche ranges, which were launched in the second half of last year.

“Since then, we have never looked back,” he said.

Coachman Caravans first set out hand-crafting caravans more than 25 years ago and has now grown to employ 150 people.

Last year’s Coachman relaunch saw the Pastiche, VIP and Laser ranges modernized and streamlined to include a large panoramic sunroof and more spacious interiors.

Bailey Retreat: Pictures, weights and details revealed

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by Chris Jefferies
The wait is almost over as next week the public will finally get to see the most eagerly anticipated new caravan of 2012, the Bailey Retreat.
This project came to light late last year, but it wasn’t until recently that it became clear that Bailey Caravans had taken the bold step of designing a model that isn’t meant to be towed by its owner.
Instead, the Bailey Retreat is the ideal companion for a seasonal pitch, with its spacious interior offering 25% more room for relaxing in.

The dimensions of this caravan are far beyond what you would normally get from a British-made tourer, with the four-berth Willow measuring up at just under 9m from nose to tail and nearly 2.5m wide.
Meanwhile the overall MTPLM weight of 2,163kg is well above what you would normally expect to safely tow with a normal family car.
But as Bailey has explained, the weight is more or less irrelevant, as this twin-axle model is meant to be sited professionally and only moved every year or so.
As a result, the Bristol-based company have been given free rein to ramp up the luxury and make this their most opulent offering yet.
Take a look around
The first thing you notice when you step inside the Retreat is…
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Caravan fire safety tips offered after string of arson attacks

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by Chris Jefferies and Ash Hekmat
Two caravans have been destroyed following an outbreak of fire at an MOT centre in Greater Manchester – and this is believed to be the result of an arson attack.
Police are currently investigating the cause of the blaze, which engulfed two caravans, a camper van and another van, all of which were being stored on the site in Atherton.
According to the Leigh Reporter, more than £80,000 worth of damage was caused by the flames, which broke out at approximately 8.30pm last Sunday (29 January).
Simon Eskins, who owns the site, told the local paper: “Two expensive caravans, a motor home and a van, which I was storing for people have all gone up.
“There was also damage to a fence, a sign and the toilet and other vehicles nearby were affected by smoke damage.”
All too common
This incident occurred just two over weeks after a similar attack in Scotland, which resulted in two caravans going up in flames in Harestanes, Kirkintilloch.
On the night of Wednesday 11 January, a group of vandals struck at a communal car park on Alloway Drive, and after a local resident alerted the emergency services, ten firefighters were deployed to deal with the ensuing blaze.
These sorry scenarios make headlines all too often, so it’s important to be prepared for this kind of situation.
This includes knowing exactly what you should do in the event of a caravan fire, as the insurance experts at Towergate have recently explained.
Towergate insurance expert, Edward Cross, told CaravanTimes: “The first thing to do is to ring the fire brigade and ensure that the situation is brought under control. Once this is done, then you should ring the insurers as soon as possible.
“Insurers are likely to want a loss adjuster to help deal with the claim and they are likely to arrive on the premises within a couple of days. It’s always helpful for people to take photographs and you may need to produce documentation to prove ownership.”
For more tips from Towergate on how to deal with a caravan fire, read their article: Top safety tips – what to do in the case of a caravan fire

Cambridge hotel owner hopes to build caravan park

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by Arash Hekmat

A hotelier is attempting to grow his business by opening up a new caravan site that would be capable of housing approximately 20 caravans.

The Cambs Times reports that Michael Stratton, owner of the Westfields Guest House near Wisbech, intends to push ahead with the plans, despite failing to secure consent for the venture last summer.

According to the newspaper, he has now reapplied for permission and hopes to build facilities for caravanners including a shower block.

The crux of the issue surrounds Biggs Road which is the primary means of accessing the site and this concerns the local planners.

They reportedly said in response to the first application that the road would be “inadequate” for the purposes of his proposed park. A decision is expected by February 23rd.

In the area surrounding Wisbech, there are already several holiday sites for caravanners, including the Parklands Caravan and Camping Park, which is family run and situated on five acres of sheltered grassland, offering special deals for over 55s.

New Elddis Crusader Hurricane: Pictures, prices and weights revealed

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by Chris Jefferies
Elddis Caravans has relaunched the Crusader Hurricane for 2012, giving this luxury two-berth tourer a very appealing update.
Unlike many other two-berth caravans on the market, this layout feels truly spacious, thanks to its groundbreaking J-shaped lounge in the front end, which allows for a variety of flexible sleeping, dining and lounging positions.
What’s more, Elddis claims that the kitchen and end-washroom areas are just as spacious as any you would find in a much larger twin-axle caravan.

Despite all this luxury, the Durham-based caravan makers have managed to keep the weight down to 1,335kg MTPLM, meaning that this model can be safely towed by many mid-sized family cars.
And when you compare that with its direct competition, the Hurricane comes out very favourably, as it weighs nearly 100kg less than the Bailey Unicorn Seville and exactly 125kg less than the Swift Conqueror 480.
This weight saving has been achieved without compromising on luxury, as the Hurricane boasts all the usual specification you would expect from a top-of-the-range Elddis Crusader, so there is Alde central heating, an in-built TV/DVD/Freeview system, and 100% LED lighting in all areas.
Other attractive features include 6’5″ headroom throughout…
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COMPETITION: London caravan show ticket winners announced

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by Chris Jefferies
Things are shaping up rather nicely for the inaugural NCC Motorhome, Camping and Caravan Show at the London Excel Centre (14th-19th February), with several high-profile launches already announced.
Bailey fans will be able to get an exclusive first look at the luxury Bailey Retreat leisure home and the lightweight Orion Evo-4.
Meanwhile, the two-berth Elddis Crusader Hurricane will be unveiled along with the Aspire 265 motorhome.
What’s more 25 lucky CaravanTimes readers will be able to see all this and more for free, thanks to the organisers NCC, who have given us 25 pairs of free tickets to give away.
So without further ado, the winners are as follows…

    Margaret Ross, Wayne Jarvis, Dave Francis, Colin Reynolds, John Blakey, Chris Roberts, Mr R Watts, Paul Clay, Phil Colvill, Andrea Ellis, Sue Alcock, Lynn Woodcock, Jane Brenton, Tim Garner, Stephanie Clarke, Keith Charteris, Tessa Tait, Stephen Banks, Derek Siviour, David Varley, Jill Gray, Gary Turner, Simon Sneath, Diane Ellrich and Robert Harris

Congratulations to you all – we will be in touch via e-mail shortly to arrange delivery of your tickets.
If you haven’t won, please keep checking back with CaravanTimes as we have plenty more exciting competitions coming up over the next few months.
Also, don’t forget that if you buy your tickets to the NCC Motorhome, Caravan and Camping Show online you will get a £2 advance discount, meaning that it will cost just £8 for adults and £7 for Over 60s. Under 16s go for free and there is plenty of free parking at the venue.

Bailey Caravans goes electric with launch of Orion Evo-4

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by Chris Jefferies
Bailey Caravans has teamed up with the University of Bath to create a lighter, more affordable version of the popular Orion 430-4.
Known as the Bailey Orion Evo-4, this new Alu-Tech tourer features a bold blue and silver exterior design, and on the inside it has been redesigned with the habits of modern caravanners in mind.

Following extensive customer research, Bailey has found that only 8.5 per cent of caravanners regularly use their 12v leisure battery as their primary source of power.
For this reason, the Bristol-based company taken the bold step of stripping out the leisure battery and significantly reducing the size of the gas bottle, meaning that this caravan is designed to be used primarily with on-site 240v electric hook-ups.
This has had a noticeable impact on the specification; with the oven and grill being removed in favour of a Daewoo Combi-Microwave, and the Thetford three-burner gas hob being replaced by a two-burner gas hob and a single electric hotplate.
What’s more, the refrigerator and the water and space heaters are now electric-only. The rest of this popular four-berth, fixed double bed layout remains the same.
Lighter and cheaper
As a result of all these changes, the Orion Evo-4 weighs in at around…
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Czech designer dreams up double slide-out concept caravan

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by Chris Jefferies
Slide-out caravans are all the rage at the moment, from the recently launched Eterniti EC1 to the Fifth Wheel Inos, which made a big impression last year.
But now a design student from the Czech Republic has taken things one step further with his double slide-out creation, which is called the Odorico Pordenone.
This futuristic invention slides out on both sides from a hinging nose end, to create a very spacious rear sleeping area.

Furthermore, this is much more than just pie-in-the-sky creative thinking, as the designer, Jacob Novak, claims that it is completely practical and could be put into production if the right investor came along.
The bold interior design may need tempering if it is to succeed on the mass market, as the Pordenone features pastel green panelling for its cabinets and overhead lockers.
Moving to the kitchen and Mr Novak has gone with a four-burner ceramic hob, which adds to the urban apartment feel, while the bedroom boasts a floor-to-ceiling window with tinted privacy glass and metallic shutters.
Another aspect that British caravan designers could be inspired by is the fold-out entrance steps, which are more commonly seen on motorhomes.
Finished in brushed aluminium, this design is certainly visually appealing, and whilst it’s hard to see this space-age style catching on with traditional caravanners, there are plenty of exciting ideas here which could well make it into mass market caravans in the future.


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AA names top camping and caravan sites of the year

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by Ash Hekmat

The AA has recognised some of the best caravan and camping sites in the country for its Campsite of the Year Awards for Britain and Ireland to mark the launch of its new guide for holidaymakers.

All of the sites were rated for the AA Caravan and Camping Britain and Ireland Guide 2012, with the winning locations praised for their high-quality standards and services.

The overall winner was Ross Park in Newton Abbot in Devon, with Skye Camping & Caravaning Club Site in the Isle of Sky, Highlands, winning for Scotland. The top site from Wales was Islawrffordd Caravan Park in Tal-Y-Bont Gwynedd.

Some of the regional winners included South Lytchett Manor Caravan & Camping Park in Dorset, Tanner Farm Touring Caravan & Camping Park in Kent, Two Mills Touring Park in Norfolk and Riverside Caravan Park and St Helen’s Caravan Park, both in North Yorkshire.

David Hancock, editor of the guide, said: “I wish to congratulate all our winners who have been awarded in recognition of exceptional quality and attention to detail across their parks.”

As well as info on the caravan and camping sites, the AA guide also boasts a number of features on different topics, such as A Day in the Life of a Campsite Inspector.

Caravan electrical socket test included in revised MOT

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by Ash Hekmat

Motorists have been advised to ensure they are ready for the new mandatory test items being incorporated into MOTs this year.

One of the new tests highlighted by the AA will focus on the trailer/caravan electrical socket with a basic security and damage check of 7-pin sockets taking place, while a full electrical connectivity check will take place on 13-pin sockets.

This is to ensure that all electrics are properly hooked up so that your trailer or caravan is roadworthy, and the breakdown cover specialist has also warned that failing the check will result in MOT failure.

Other checks added into the MOT will test electronic parking brake controls, electronic stability control, warning lights, power steering fluid levels and tyre pressure monitoring systems fitted to new vehicles.

The Department for Transport has added the new mandatory checks to all MOTs taking place after January 1st, 2012, in order to bring UK testing in line with a revised European directive, aimed at ensuring vehicle tests include rigorous checks of electronic systems.

According to VOSA, which is responsible for MOT testing, failures relating to the new items will count as ‘advisories’ until April 1st, meaning motorists have until their next MOT date to fix problems identified before that date.

High demand reported for Discover Leisure Chorley caravan outlet

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by Ash Hekmat

A number of bidders have been lined up for the site of a collapsed caravan dealer in Chorley, Lancashire.

KPMG, the administrator handling the sale of assets belonging to Discover Leisure, said that there has been “considerable interest” for the site, although it has not yet set a deadline to sell, the Chorley Guardian reports.

Already, more than £1 million of stock belonging to the failed caravan and motor home seller has been sold on.

An online auction involving approximately 60 new and second-hand caravans and motor homes was organised by Sanderson Wetherall and attracted interest from more than 1,200 buyers.

The Yorkshire-based company was forced into administration in October, a move that lead to 240 job losses.

A spokesperson for KPMG was quoted as saying: “The Coppull Discover Leisure site has been marketed for sale, resulting in considerable interest which the administrators are considering.”

Discover Leisure traded from sites across the north of England, including York, Delamere, Chorley, Darlington and Birtley.

Swift Caravans sponsoring Ian Botham charity walk

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by Ash Hekmat

Caravan manufacturer Swift Group has announced that it will be sponsoring a special charity event, together with the Caravan Club.

The two organisations have come together in support of Sir Ian Botham for Beefy’s Great British Walk for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research – a special event to help the charity dedicated to researching these types of blood cancer.

Cricketing legend Sir Ian will be provided with a motorhome from Swift’s Autocruise Alto range for the duration of the week-long walk, during which ‘Beefy’ will travel to ten cities across the UK.

In total, he will be covering 150 miles over ten days, travelling from John O’Groats to Land’s End, the two extremities of the island of Great Britain, during April.

Sir Ian said: “On behalf of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, I would like to thank Swift Group for their continued support, as we enter our twenty eighth year of Beefy’s Great British Walk.

“I will not stop walking until every child with blood cancer survives, and the provision of a support vehicle for the walk, plus The Caravan Club’s dedication and support throughout the year, is very much appreciated.”

This year, more than £22,700 has already been raised for the project, which will see Beefy’s tour take in London, Cambridge, Norwich, Cardiff, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow.