by Chris Jefferies
Last month on Caravan Times, we announced the launch of the new book from Andrew Jenkinson, the Story of Sprite Caravans, with a special reader giveaway.
The deadline passed on Monday and we were overwhelmed by the number of you who wanted to get your hands on this book.
All you had to do to be in with a chance of winning was to tell us who founded Sprite Caravans in 1949.
Most of you got it right, by answering Sam Alper, although one reader thought that Rat Pack legend Sammy Davis Jr. was the man behind the iconic caravan brand!
Anyway, without further ado, we are very pleased to announce that the random number generator has done its job and the lucky winner is… Caravan Times newcomer Sarah Hignett.
We will be in touch with Sarah via e-mail to arrange delivery of her book, along with a £5 gift voucher that the lovely people at Veloce Publishing have also kindly thrown in.
Commiserations to all those who missed out, but be sure to keep checking back regularly as we will be running another reader competition in the near future.
Councils across UK cutting winter road services budgets
Caravanners braving the cold for a trip away this winter are being urged to take extra care when towing, with news that councils are cutting their budgets for winter road services despite the woeful inadequacy of services last winter.
Road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) made the warning that roads will become more hazardous for drivers this winter with cuts affecting services.
Last year saw a 37 per cent increase in the number of cars overturning because of snow and ice.
Yet estimates from the Department for Communities and Local Government reveal a 3.6 per cent fall in the budgets for gritting roads, snowploughing and standby provisions.
Figures show that 67 councils will reduce their winter road services spending, 33 of which have cut 10 per cent on last year.
Twenty-one councils have budgets 30 per cent less than last year.
IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Councils must make contingency plans … This has to include dealing with large numbers of drivers stranded for hours with no access to heat or food.”
Ted Young, site inspector for the Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association commented that it was important to keep caravans insured.
“Choose a specialist insurer because they have got experience in the market,” he advised
Caravan industry booming as two parks unveil expansion plans
Caravanners in east Yorkshire have been buoyed by the news that two holiday parks in the region are set for multi-million pound expansions.
Park Resorts, which runs Withernsea and Sands Holiday Park, has gained approval to add an extra 170 caravan plots to the two sites.
As a result of the investment, the local economy is set to benefit to the tune of £1.25 million each year, the Hull Daily Mail reported.
Alan Castledine, Park Resorts’ operations director, told the newspaper: “This recession will not go on forever, so we want to be ready for the upturn.
“We are also benefiting from staycations, where people holiday in this country rather than abroad.”
Meanwhile, Sand le Mere Holiday Village near Withernsea is also set to undergo a facelift. With £5 million due to be invested, the site is awaiting a new entertainment complex as well as an expansion in caravan plots.
The National Caravan Council’s Louise Wood was delighted with the “positive effect” the news would have on the caravan industry.
Neighbour’s lawnmower blaze destroys £3,000 caravan
A family in Peterborough returned home from a day out to find their neighbour’s faulty lawnmower had started a huge fire, destroying their caravan and a motorbike parked in the drive
After putting his lawnmower back in the shed for last time before winter, a Peterborough man watched in horror as the shed burst into flames.
Chris Underwood, 52, could do nothing to stop the fire as it tore through the wooden shed before destroying next door’s caravan and motorbike and melting the paint on their Vauxhall Zafira.
The Saunders family, who live next to Mr Underwood, returned from a day out to find the devastation that the faulty lawnmower had reaped on their driveway.
The caravan’s owner, 49-year-old Shaun Saunders, said: “We are all in a state of shock, but it was just one of those freak accidents.
“Our neighbour is very apologetic but it’s one of those things, there’s nothing we can do.”
Ted Young, site inspector at the Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association (CaSSOA) said that it is important that caravan owners have adequate insurance all year round to guarantee that they don’t have to foot the bill when accidents like this happen.
The Saunders are expecting to receive an insurance pay-out for everything except their caravan, Newstoday.co.uk reported.
The mystery of the vanishing three-wheeled caravan
A caravan that only had three wheels has mysteriously vanished from a layby near Scarborough.
Its owner was towing the caravan when he noticed it had a puncture, so pulled over and left it parked in the layby while he went to get the rogue tyre repaired.
Returning just 20 minutes later, the man found to his astonishment that the caravan had been stolen, the Scarborough Evening News reported.
The off-white single-axle Ace Jubilee Viceroy tourer has vanished without leaving a trace and has left authorities baffled as to how it could have been towed away with one wheel missing.
Police have appealed for anyone who may have information surrounding its theft to get in touch as they seek to solve the mystery.
Anyone who thinks they may have seen the caravan, which disappeared at around 6.30pm on Tuesday (October 25th), is asked to contact Scarborough Police on 0845 606 0247.
Can the Ford Ranger be used as a towcar on caravan sites?
by Marcus Dubois
Let’s face it; Britain hasn’t taken the pickup truck to its bosom in the same way as our English-speaking counterparts.
While the pickup is synonymous with American life (and affectionately termed “ute” in Australia) outside of commercial life Brits have largely ignored the pickup.
It may well have something to do with fuel costs – notably high on our island shores in comparison to the US and other markets where the pickup is successful. Yet with the newest generation of Ranger, Ford is hoping to change the popular perception of a gas-guzzling giant more suited for wide open roads.
Diesel power
The major gain for UK customers is at the fuel pumps, with the option of a two wheel drive system married to a frugal diesel engine. This has become a recent trend in the 4×4 market, with the aim of increasing economy and reducing emissions.
A 2.2-litre diesel engine in the Ranger produces 375nm of torque and nearly 150bhp, allowing for smooth progress on motorways. In addition the Ranger now offers best-in-class towing ability of 3,350kgs, all while returning an impressive 32 mpg on the combined cycle.
As a result the 2.2 diesel is likely to be the strongest seller in the UK, but those seeking even more power may be interested in the 3.2-litre diesel that accesses an even wider range of torque for towing. There are marginal losses here on fuel economy which drops to around 28 mpg with a full 4×4 system.
Rugged, yet stylish
There’s no doubting that as pick-ups go, the Ford Ranger is a handsome beast. None of the rugged styling has been lost for European markets, with Ford adopting a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
All double-cab Ranger models come with a reasonable amount of standard equipment; the entry level model includes a CD player and remote central locking, while XLT trim offers air conditioning as standard alongside chrome and leather touches.
Is the Ranger a good choice for caravanners?
With a competitive entry price of £15,515 the Ford Ranger offers a huge amount of power for the price. Yet there are some caravanners who will be familiar with the issues that can arise for pickup owners looking to tow a caravan to sites.
A number of caravan sites in the UK prohibit commercial vehicles from pitching up on site, regardless of whether the vehicle is held by a private owner and not used for business purposes.
Other parks state clearly which types of vehicle are allowed, and pickups are often permitted as long as they do not bear signage or advertising.
Often the decision is left to the discretion of the warden, which means those caravanners thinking of owning a Ranger should expect to have to call ahead or check any websites before booking.
But what is clear is that when it comes to performance for the pound, the new Ford Ranger takes some beating.
Do you tow using a pickup truck? Have you ever been turned away from a caravan site for privately owning a “commercial” vehicle? Have your say in our forum topic
Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes
Elemment Palazzo: How can you insure such a luxury tourer?
by Chris Jefferies
When Marchi Mobile launched the Elemment Palazzo last week, it certainly got quite a reaction from motorhome enthusiasts even if, at £1.9 million, only oil barons can actually afford one.
As if the price tag wasn’t prohibitive enough, our readers wondered how you’d go about living with such a mammoth motorhome, from petrol costs to the all-important insurance cover.
The Elemment Palazzo has also caught the eye of the caravan insurance specialists at Towergate, who have explained the process of covering a luxury caravan such as an Airstream, and the important things to consider when choosing top-end cover.
Edward Cross, insurance expert at Towergate, said that there are many things to bear in mind, from storage to security gadgets.
“The best way to protect your caravan against damage or loss is to ensure that it is well secured using a high quality security device, such as a proactive tracking device or a chassis secure wheel lock,” he said.
Mr Cross added that caravan owners should also consider paying for winter storage at a CaSSOA approved centre, while taking a towing course can also help, as you can pick up the skills to help you avoid a crash.
To read more caravan insurance advice from Towergate, see their article: The new Elemment Palazzo and insuring a luxury caravan
Swift Caravans announces £20m worth of sales from NCC Show
Swift’s new touring caravan and motorhome ranges are proving incredibly popular with caravanners, with the company announcing sales way beyond its predictions at the recent Motorhome and Caravan Show.
The leading caravan manufacturer sold a whopping £20 million worth of caravans and motorhomes at the show in Birmingham’s NEC earlier this month.
Swift’s new Sprite Lite range was launched and the show and aims to offer value-for-money for families during the current economic climate.
Visitors to the show also got a chance to see other recently revamped tourers including the Swift Challenger Sport and Eccles Sport models.
Praising the organisers for bringing 90,000 people to this year’s show, Nick Page, Swift’s commercial director, said the show’s success proved that despite the recession caravanning is still as popular as ever.
“Our new price-conscious and fuel-conscious models hit the market just at the right time and are the main reason we outsold the competition and returned some very encouraging results,” he said.
By comparison, Lunar Caravans announced last week that they sold £6.7 million worth of caravans at the same show.
Survey names top ten most reliable 4x4s on the market
If you’re a caravanner looking for a new towcar for your tourer, a new study by Warranty Direct may just offer the pearls of wisdom you need to make your mind up on which model to plum for.
Looking at which 4x4s were the most reliable without costing the earth, Warranty Direct assessed the cars on a range of criteria to give them a reliability rating – exactly what you want from your towcar when you’re driving down the motorway with your caravan behind you.
Coming out on top was the Honda HR-V 98-06 model, while the Range Rover was found to be the least reliable.
Showing that the Japanese clearly know how to build them tough, the Suzuki Grand Vitara came in second place, with the Honda CR-V in third.
Duncan McClure Fisher from Warranty Direct told WhatCar? magazine: “Modern 4x4s are fairly expensive to run, but our study shows that there’s a handful of incredibly reliable examples, which won’t break the bank.”
The survey gave 4x4s a score based on the frequency of failures, repair costs, amount of time off the road and the average age and mileage.
Warranty Direct’s top 10 most reliable 4x4s:
- 1. Honda HR-V (’98-’06)
- 2. Suzuki Grand Vitara (’05-Present)
- 3. Honda CR-V (’07-Present)
- 4. Subaru Forester (’02-’08)
- 5. Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin (’99-’06)
- 6. Kia Sportage (’05-’11)
- 7. Land Rover Freelander (’06-Present)
- 8. Nissan X-Trail (’07-Present)
- 9. Kia Sorento (’03-Present)
- 10. Hyundai Santa Fe (’01-’06)
Caravan shows offer great value, says Friendly Club
Anyone with an interest in caravans is sure to be excited by the number of caravan shows that are on the horizon, with a bumper crop due in 2012, according to the Camping and Caravanning Club.
As well as offering a great day out for the whole family, shows such as the Caravan and Motorhome Show at Manchester EventCity (19th-22nd January 2012) will give you a chance to check out the latest models and ask the experts your burning questions.
Great for anyone thinking about getting into caravanning with leading industry authorities on hand to help out and maybe even sell you a caravan, they also offer the more experienced caravanner the opportunity to brush up on their knowledge while finding out about the latest news in the world of caravans.
Jon Dale, public relations manager at the Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “In terms of what they can offer, they’re obviously great value.
“There is so much information and advice on offer in one place at one time, whatever questions you have got.”
As well as the usual there are also various activities on offer, including towing and manoeuvring lessons, which may be good news given recent figures that show the number of caravanners making insurance claims for accidents while towing is increasing.
In the Field: Do shower blocks make caravan showers redundant?
by Chris Jefferies
Every year the major caravan makers talk about the efforts they have made to save weight in their latest range, after carefully trimming off a few kilos here and there.
But earlier this month, Swift took the massive step of removing the shower from their new Sprite range, resulting in an overall weight saving of more than 130kg for the new Sprite Lite tourers.
With many modern caravan sites offering clean, well-equipped shower blocks, it’s surprising no-one has done it sooner, as showers in caravans are often left unused.
Large families in particular will often rely on using a decent shower block, as the wait to use a tiny shower cubicle in their six-berth caravan can stretch on for hours.
Furthermore, having a shower in your caravan pushes up the gas consumption due to the use of a water heater, means you need to empty your grey waste water tank more regularly and increases the risk of damp.
Creature comforts
This week we stayed on a Caravan Club site that had a spacious, clean and well-designed shower block, with a locking door for privacy, a separate bench for all your items and a shower curtain to stop your clothes from getting wet.
Even in large caravans, the space in the shower is cramped at best, but many caravanners still value the importance of having a washroom, as it means you can travel much more freely across the country without worrying about the state of the facilities at your next stop-off.
This approach is widely popular among more experienced caravanners, who describe the experience as ‘real caravanning’.
However, on a more practical level, many will simply dread having to traipse through the rain to get to the shower block when the notorious British weather turns on them in the morning.
What do you think? Are showers an unnecessary luxury in a caravan? Or are they an integral part of a properly-equipped caravan? Share your thoughts in our community forum.
RAC study suggests caravanners will be dodging potholes this winter
Caravanners planning a winter break this year may have to contend with more potholes in the road, as a recent survey has found that 80 per cent of UK councils have seen their road maintenance budget shrink in real terms.
Some 55 per cent of the 20 UK councils questioned in the RAC study have seen an outright reduction in their funding, the Daily Telegraph reported.
With inflation meaning that costs of the materials used to repair roads as well as the labour used to do the work have increased, even the 25 per cent of councils who said funding had stayed the same have in reality seen their budgets decrease.
One council spokesman told the newspaper: ”The reduction in capital spend has reduced the ability of the county council to continue with the on-going improvement in roads condition.”
It’s not all bad news, however. Despite constraints on their budgets, half of councils said they were still focusing on long-term fixes instead of short-term repairs, a rise of ten per cent from six months ago.
Caravan Times Newsletter
Enter your email below to receive regular updates in our Caravan Times Newsletter.