by Chris Jefferies
It’s been three years since North Warwickshire manufacturer Avondale went bust, but you can still find several of their old ‘vans in the classifieds, with some great bargains available for savvy used caravan buyers.
This four-berth tourer from the early 90s is a perfect case in point, offering a popular layout, which is currently being used by ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="/lunar/">Lunar in the Quasar 464, featuring a rear double bunk dinette and a side bathroom.
History
Despite reaching the ripe old age of 21, this particular Perle is still “going strong” and “looks quite good for her age”, the seller claims, with no signs of damp, despite regular use including five holidays this year alone.
The owner is only selling out of a desire to trade down to a trailer tent. The ‘van appears to be in full working order, suitable for a late summer getaway.
What’s more, at just 1,000kg MTPLM, it is lighter than most of the new four-berth tourers currently available on the market.
Small cosmetic issues pointed out in the listing include some dull internal light bulbs that need replacing, while the front shelf needs a new lick of paint. Furthermore, it’s fairly obvious that the hob has seen plenty of use.
Kit and caboodle
The two front settees in this model convert into a double bed that can comfortably sleep a 6-foot plus adult, while the kitchen boasts a three-way fridge and a two-ring cooker and grill.
Also included in the price are an electric heater (as there is no built-in heating), an electric hook-up, and a full-size awning.
The main drawback, where this caravan really shows its age, is in the bathroom, which has a rather unappealing portable toilet, while the shower has been disconnected, so you may be better off using on-site facilities instead.
Furthermore, the parquet flooring looks pretty dated, but anyone with an eye for interior design could bring this cut-price tourer bang up to date without too much hassle.
Northumberland caravanners warned over thieves
by Chris Malone
Criminal activity in Northumberland has led police to warn caravanners and campers to lock their vehicles and secure their tents.
According to the Northumberland Gazette, there have been a number of incidents in holiday parks in Weterheugh and Berwick where items have gone missing, with four reports in the past week.
“It’s holiday season and there are a lot of people coming into the area and we want them to enjoy a pleasant and safe time in Northumberland,” explained Berwick inspector Sharon Wilmore-Greaves.
“The message for visitors to the area, and for residents too, is to think about crime prevention. Don’t make things easy for thieves. Just because you’re on holiday it doesn’t mean that there aren’t thieves looking for easy opportunities.”
Burglars have been gaining access to caravans through unlocked doors and windows or smashing the glazing and owners should ensure they properly secure their caravans at all times, otherwise there could be problems claiming on insurance for items stolen.
Camp Runner Splash: An all-new shape for micro caravans
by Chris Jefferies
As the trend towards lighter and smaller caravans gathers pace, the logical step for many is to opt for a micro caravan – yet until recently the market has been dominated by only one type of exterior design.
Made popular by US company Little Guy Caravans, the teardrop trailer has been around for roughly 80 years, but the shape has always been homogenous: flat aluminium sides and a curved roof, creating the iconic teardrop look.
However, with the launch of the Splash, European manufacturer Camp Runner is offering micro caravan buyers a more sleek, aerodynamic option.
The Slovakian-designed fibreglass exterior and futuristic tinted windows on the Splash create a whole new “space age” look, complete with sharp, modern graphics to compliment the sculpted bodyshell.
As you would expect from a micro caravan, the main advantages are to be found in weight and cost – the Splash boasts a super-low weight of 230kg and costs just £4,250.
Consequently, this trailer can be towed by just about any car, from a Mini upwards, and Camp Runner claims that fuel savings of up to 50 per cent can be had, when compared with a full-size tourer.
Those looking for a premium option can choose the Splash DLX, which is 30kg heavier due to the thicker 1.5mm bodyshell, and features shock absorbers and brakes (which are not a legal requirement on trailers of this size) all for an extra £450.
The compromise is to be found in the size, as this is clearly not able to compete with a full-height caravan. Furthermore, there is no rear kitchenette or side door, as you often find on rival teardrop trailers.
Instead, Camp Runner describes this as a “mobile bedroom”, as there is enough room inside for a double mattress (3’10” x 6’6″) and several handy cubby holes for storing your gear.
What’s included?
Other useful features include an internal reading light (with an LED upgrade on the DLX model), as well as a three-speed in/out electric fan to ensure a comfortable temperature inside the trailer at all times.
Furthermore, the electrics, which run off a 12v leisure battery with a 230v converter, can be hooked up to a fully-serviced pitch when you arrive at your chosen site.
Perhaps the biggest appeal of the Splash is for outdoor enthusiasts who want the freedom to explore the countryside at a moment’s notice and with this in mind Camp Runner offers a number of cost extras.
A bike rack can be added as a £125 option, while a roof rack is available for £210, and with a generous maximum weight allowance of 750kg, you can take plenty of sporting equipment with you on your impulsive weekend getaway.
British customers can order the Camp Runner Splash now and the first models are expected to arrive on our shores in about five weeks time.
Family forced to abandon caravan holiday plans after ‘arson attack’
by Chris Malone
A family has been left devastated after their caravan was destroyed by fire in what is believed to be an arson attack.
According to the Bolton News, Andrea Sanderson’s three children had used the tourer as a place to play while the family planned their first holiday.
However, the holiday home would never even get its first outing after a blaze ripped through it at Ms Sanderson’s home in Breightmet on Saturday (August 20th).
Fire crews managed to cool down a propane cylinder and prevent the blaze from spreading to the house, but Ms Sanderson could be left out of pocket after it emerged that the vehicle was not insured.
While the cost of the blaze may be tough to take, it was fortunate that no one was inside the caravan at the time. Owners might therefore be wise to fit a smoke alarm in their tourer to protect occupants while it is in use.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident after firefighters suggested that the fire may have been deliberately ignited.
“I am so upset for the children,” Ms Sanderson said.
“They loved it. It had all the children’s toys in it so they could use it and play in it, which they really enjoyed.”
Caravan park offers free entry to top Cornwall attractions
by Chris Malone
A Cornwall caravan site operator is offering adults free tickets to a number of attractions as part of a special deal for those booking an autumn holiday.
Trevella Caravan Park is offering two free adult tickets to either the Eden Project, the Lost Gardens of Heligan or Crealy Adventure Park.
To qualify, caravanners must book a touring holiday lasting five nights between September 10th and October 21st.
Those booking touring and camping trips can have an electric pitch from £86.75 or a premium pitch from £108.25 for five nights based on two adults sharing.
Kids aged three to 14 are charged at £1.50 per night and those aged under three go free.
To obtain the tickets, holidaymakers should mention which attraction they would like to visit when booking before August 26th.
Meanwhile, those enjoying a touring break at the site before August 27th will be able to take one kid free for each full-paying adult.
Elddis Caravans: Setting the trend for faster and smaller heaters
by Chris Jefferies
Of all the improvements unveiled last month at the launch of the new Elddis Caravans range for 2012, one of the most significant to stand out was the brand new water and under-floor heating system from Whale.
The Northern Irish manufacturers have told Caravan Times that Elddis are “one of the first” ‘vanmakers to adopt these smart new systems.
This bold move was hailed by Rob Quine, Managing Director of Elddis Caravans, as being six months ahead of the curve, and he expects all the other major players in the industry to follow suit.
What’s all the fuss about?
There are two main reasons why Elddis are so excited about the new heaters: the first being the space freed up, and the other being the speed at which they can operate.
To put it in practical terms, the new Whale lightweight rapid water heater can warm enough water for two showers from a standing start in under 25 minutes.
Families have also been kept in mind, as the eight-litre hot water tank has a reheat time of just eight minutes, meaning a family of four can shower in the morning in less than one hour.
Furthermore, the whole system has been designed with energy efficiency in mind – the thicker polyplastic insulation means water stays hotter in the tank for longer, while there is a 750W low-energy setting if you’re not in a rush and are keen to conserve your battery.
When it comes to central heating…
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Stolen Bailey Senator caravan used by tobacco smuggling ring
by Chris Malone
Criminals in the North East have been discovered using a stolen Bailey Senator as part of a tobacco smuggling ring, it has been reported.
According to the Northern Echo, the caravan was taken from a driveway in West Yorkshire in May 2008 and found at a storage park in Shotton Colliery in November last year.
Durham Crown Court was told that the tourer had 200kg of suspected contraband tobacco inside and owner Brian Bennett was arrested at the site.
The £19,000 caravan was only two years old when it went missing and Mr Bennett initially claimed he’d bought it for £1,400 and was unaware that it was stolen.
However, he later admitted that he had used it to store contraband cigarettes for others and pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods in reference to the tourer.
Despite this, he has escaped charges from HM Revenue & Customs after it emerged that the accused had been enduring pressure from creditors.
The court did hand him a 12-month community sentence and 12 months’ supervision, as well as 200 hours of unpaid work.
The Senator range was the luxury offering from Bailey until it was replaced in 2010 by the Unicorn range.
More Brits worship vehicles than attend church
by Chris Malone
While Sundays are traditionally the day Christians attended church, it seems many Brits have developed a new Sabbath ritual – maintaining their cars and caravans.
According to new data from Kwik-Fit, 6.2 million people around the country take time out every week to care for their vehicle.
Remarkably, this is more than the 4.9 million who attend church every week and might suggest that Brits are religious about washing and repairing their motors and motorhomes.
This trend is continued when looking at things on a monthly basis, with 21.5 million motorists taking care of their vehicles at least once a month, while 7.6 million Brits attend their place of worship once in every four-week period.
Such behaviour could be a wise move for caravan owners who regularly travel long distances to enjoy a holiday in their tourer or motorhome.
“Keeping faith with regular car maintenance may not be spiritually rewarding but can certainly save money,” explained Kwik-Fit customer services director David White.
However, a separate study by the firm showed that 14 per cent of motorists have put off work needing to be done on their cars over the past six months.
Do you take pride in your caravan? How often do you wash it? Share your thoughts in our community forum.
Mid-Wales caravan parks honoured with five-star ratings
Caravan parks in mid-Wales are proving increasingly attractive to touring holidaymakers, with the millions of pounds invested in them meaning they are now up there with the best in Europe, the local tourist board has said.
Setting exceptionally high standards, the parks have been celebrated with outstanding grading results for 2011 including an impressive 24 five-star grades by Visit Wales.
Tony Bywater, chairman of Salop Leisure, a leading caravan dealership in the region and supplier to many of the parks, offered his congratulations to the sites’ owners.
Speaking to newswales.co.uk, he said: “Great credit is due to caravan holiday home and touring park owners and managers for continuing to raise their quality standard year after year.”
He went on to add that the industry clearly refuses to rest on its laurels with continued investment paving the way to a successful future.
Some of the sites commended by the Welsh tourism board include Cardigan Bay Holiday Park, Daisy Bank Touring Park, The Old Mill Caravan Park and Pencelli Castle Caravan and Camping Park.
VIDEO: Inside the 2012 Swift Challenger Sport and Sterling Eccles Sport
Swift Caravans has replaced its popular Charisma and Europa ranges with a fresh new design and upgraded interiors. Watch our video tour of the new 2012 Swift Challenger Sport and Sterling Eccles Sport, featuring interviews with the people behind this striking new caravan lineup.
Updating an already popular range such as the Swift Charisma or Sterling Europa was always going to be a hard task. Yet Swift has made light work of pulling it off – by replacing the entire ranges with two brand new futuristic lineups.
In our exclusive video feature Caravan Times editor Marcus Dubois takes a tour of the exterior and interior, and speaks to the team behind the new Swift design.
Stealth Caravans reveals new Concordia range ahead of October launch
With their daring and eye-catching designs, Stealth Caravans have always stood out from the crowd. Yet for 2012 the Bedfordshire-based manufacturer claims to have gone “the extra mile” to provide premium luxury, with the launch of a completely new design.
The new Concordia range has been designed “from the ground up”, resulting in three all-new single-axle models: the two-berth Harmony, the four-berth Serenity, and the Tranquility, which offers enough room for a family of five to tour in comfort. The new body shell and design specifications places the Concordia firmly at the top of the Stealth lineup.
Layout innovations on offer include a solid dividing door in the Tranquility, while the Harmony features spacious 6’3″ front seats, which can convert into a super-king sized bed.
For the outside of these ‘vans, single-piece construction methods have been used to reduce water ingress, with one-piece GRP sides coming in to compliment the single-piece nosecone.
Stealth has previously won awards for its washroom design, and the new Concordia sports a number of innovations including a full Alde convection heating system. The interiors will feature modern tones and sleek styling, with a front living area that is centred around a “domestic sofa”.
Furthermore, the new luxury models are due to be the lightest caravans that Stealth has ever produced, and while prices and weights are yet to be confirmed, these tourers could prove surprisingly popular.
Stealth have promised surprises galore when the range makes its debut at the NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show in October, but until then further details are being strictly kept under lock and key. Keep an eye out next month when we’ll bring you the first pictures of the new Stealth range.
Caravan lovers turn teardrop trailer into touring whisky bar
by Chris Jefferies
American caravanners may differ from their British counterparts in many ways, from their terminology (RV, trailer etc.) to the sheer size of their often gargantuan tourers, but we can all agree that teardrop trailers have a certain retro charm that is hard to resist.
With this in mind, interior designer Brad Ford and expert barman Jim Meehan teamed up earlier this year for a classic American roadtrip with a difference.
The two chaps are currently in the middle of their coast-to-coast tour which takes in several exclusive charity events in New York, Montauk and Beverly Hills, with the aim of selling plenty of drinks to raise money for DIFFA, an Aids foundation.
The star of the show is The Great American Woody, a teardrop trailer that has been lovingly restored in a retro ’30s style by design firm Moore & Giles, complete with wood panelling and touches of leather.
A traditional teardrop trailer has a bed in the centre and a kitchen under the bonnet, but the ‘Woody has been overhauled to work as a fully-functioning cocktail bar, complete with storage space for up to 30 bottles of wine or spirits and a keg of beer with draught tap for a perfectly poured pint.
It doesn’t stop there either, as Brad and Jim have a built-in Sony Blu-Ray Player with Golden Ear speakers to keep them entertained on the road.
The resulting tourer is humbly described as “a watering hole on wheels”, but it also represents a comforting slice of nostalgia for Brad, who is a lifelong camper.
“I grew up in Arkansas and have such fond memories of camping outdoors as well as tailgating at the Razorback football games. Both experiences included a lot of family and friends and were very social,” he explains.
“In designing the Great American Woody, I wanted to revisit those good times, but bring them into the 21st century. [The Woody] combines modern day luxury with the charm of the original tear drop campers built in the ’30s,” Brad continues.
“It’s almost impossible for it not to spark conversation, reminisce about old memories and make new ones, and hopefully bring a smile to the faces of those who get to enjoy it.”
The Woody’s US tour culminates at Sotheby’s auction house in New York City on December 6th, where it will be auctioned off the highest bidder, hopefully resulting in thousands of dollars going to a very good cause.
To find out more about DIFFA and the work they do to support people with Aids, click here.
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