Lunar Caravans sales up 40% at Scottish Caravan Show

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by Holly Tribe

Lunar Caravans have had a magnificent start to the year announcing a 40% increase in retail sales at the Scottish Caravan and Outdoor Leisure Show in Glasgow last week.

The companys’ sales and marketing director, Martin Henderson, admitted the record breaking show ‘exceeded our expectations’, and attributed the strong sales figures to the increasing uptake of Lunar’s family friendly layouts.

“Our recent results suggest that [customers] are looking for lightweight caravans combined with a very high specification. This is where we feel our products tick all the boxes,” he said.

Mr Henderson went on to acknowledge the high level of interest in family layouts is indicative of the upward trend in families looking for affordable holiday choices.

“Our family caravans are proving to be increasingly popular, with many enquiries for our new models. This is telling us that families are continuing to choose ‘staycation’ holidays.”

And Lunar’s early success looks set to continue with the launch of two new models at the NEC Boat & Caravan Show at the end of the month.

The firm will release the entry level 4 berth Lunar Quasar 464 and the mid range 5 berth Lunar Lexon 550 on the 22nd February in Birmingham. Check back soon for prices, weights and layouts of these new family friendly models.

Caravanners discover castle ‘gems’ in Ireland

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by Gemma Roskell

Caravanners boarding ferries and taking their tourers to Ireland will find plenty of hidden castle “gems” awaiting them in the country.

Hello magazine points out that there is an historical castle waiting to be explored in practically every Irish county.

It lists several of the most impressive, including the stately castle at Castlewellan in County Down and 15th century Blarney Castle near Cork.

While many of Ireland’s fortresses are in ruins, others are still functional and have been transformed into five-star hotels.

“Ancient grey castles set in stunning verdant countryside are one of the quintessential images of Ireland,” the magazine states.

It described them as “rugged, impregnable edifices that witnessed legendary battles long ago, safe keepers of dreadful or romantic secrets, homes to pirates and ghosts”.

There are numerous options for caravanners in Ireland, with holiday parks and touring sites located across the country, including many close to its impressive castles.

Keith Duffy of Boyzone surprises caravanners in Portugal

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by Gemma Roskell

Boyzone member Keith Duffy took some time out from his busy schedule recently to indulge his love of caravanning in Portugal.

The singer and actor holidayed at the Camping and Caravanning Club’s Albufeira rally site in the Algarve, where he attended the annual Pig Roast celebrations.

Fellow caravanners were treated to a special performance when the 36-year-old, who stars in the ITV soap Coronation Street, sang a duet with his father.

Keith said his passion for caravan holidays began as a child.

“I remember afternoons catching frogs and visiting the funfair,” he recollected. “The adults spent the evenings socialising as we played together.”

The Pig Roast was organised by Bob and Lyn Geary on behalf of the Camping and Caravanning Club’s Carefree Worldwide Travel Service.

“Keith made the weekend very memorable by laughing and joking with the crowd,” the couple said. “He kindly signed photos and spoke to everyone.

“We are extremely grateful to Keith and everyone who contributed to the event.”

Have you ever seen any celebs or famous faces on your travels? Tell us about it in our forum topic here.

Arsonists target caravan in Huddersfield

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by Gemma Roskell

Police are investigating after a caravan was set alight outside its owner’s home in Huddersfield last weekend.

According to the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, the incident occurred on the evening of Saturday January 29th on Rufford Road in Golcar.

Arsonists are believed to have started the blaze, which left the touring caravan completely ruined.

A local photographer managed to take a picture of the burning caravan, which was parked on the owner’s drive at the time.

West Yorkshire Police are now gathering further evidence in an effort to track down those responsible.

“The fire service reported it to us because they suspected deliberate ignition,” a police spokeswoman said. “We’re following up enquiries at this stage.”

The blaze follows a similar incident in West Yorkshire in December, which saw arsonists torch a caravan and two family cars parked outside the owner’s home.

Jaimie and Debbie Dobson from Liversedge near Kirklees had been asleep in the house when the attack took place.

WEATHER WARNING: High winds pose risk for caravanners

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by Gemma Roskell

Caravanners may be advised to take extra care when towing this weekend, as high winds are predicted across the north of the country.

The Met Office has put weather warnings for severe gales in place across the north-west and the north-east of England. Parts of Wales and the Scottish Highlands could also be affected.

The weather has already been causing problems in Lancashire, where strong gusts have wreaked havoc on the roads.

According to the Lancashire Telegraph, the M6 was closed southbound in the early hours of Friday February 4th when a caravan was blown over at junction 30.

Towing can be hazardous in high winds, since caravans are high-sided vehicles.

Drivers should slow down in order to reduce the risks, or avoid travelling until weather conditions have eased if this is an option. Once onsite, corner steadies can be used to help keep the caravan stable.

Winners of the first Caravan Times Readers Poll 2010 announced

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by Holly Tribe

After a month of counting nominations and collecting votes, Caravan Times has revealed the full list of winners of the inaugural Caravan Times Reader’s Poll.

For the staff and readers of Caravan Times, 2010 proved to be a vintage year for caravanning – with a host of product launches and new ranges entering the market.

Bailey and Swift both unveiled radical new designs while Elddis, Lunar and Coachman launched exciting updates to their most popular models. And with newcomers Autosleepers and Stealth, caravanners had more choice than ever in 2010.

Your voice counts

As an independent online magazine with a vibrant community, Caravan Times asked its readers to vote for their favourite caravans, parks, towcars and dealers of 2010.

With thirty-four suggested entrants across six categories, the poll cast a wide net over many areas of the caravanning lifestyle. Readers were asked to vote in the following categories; Caravan of the Year 2010; Best Newcomer; Innovation Award; Best Towcar; Dealer of the Year; and Favourite Caravan Park.

Instead of the traditional judging panels comprised of industry figures and journalists, it was caravanners themselves who were asked to determine the category winners.

The public vote

The Bailey Unicorn picked up two awards: that of Best Newcomer and our Innovation Award. Readers voted Bunree Caravan Club Site as Best Caravan Park of 2010, while Bardsea Leisure took Dealer of the Year 2010. Meanwhile after the closest of contests the Kia Sorento edged out the Range Rover to win Best Towcar.

Our final category was the best overall caravan of 2010, which was a close contest between two outstanding caravans: the Bailey Unicorn and the Swift Conqueror. In the end there could only be one winner, and the Caravan of the Year 2010 was the Swift Conqueror.

Swift Group Commercial Director Nick Page was delighted to receive the award. “Congratulations to this great new online magazine for caravanners – and to win the top award where actual caravanners vote, and not journalists, makes this victory even more important.”

And Caravan Times editor Marcus Dubois spoke of giving real caravanners an opportunity to have their say. “As our first reader’s poll, we received a fantastic level of engagement from caravanners wanting to get involved and vote for their favourites. It’s great to be able to give readers a platform to vote for the caravans and services they use. As the Caravan Times community continues to grow rapidly, we look forward to making this an annual fixture in our editorial calendar.”

The winners in full (as voted for by Caravan Times readers) are as follows:

Caravan of the Year 2010: Swift Conqueror
Best Newcomer: Bailey Unicorn
Innovation Award: Use of the Alde heating system in the Bailey Unicorn
Best Towcar: Kia Sorento
Dealer of the Year: Bardsea Leisure
Favourite Caravan Park: Bunree Caravan Club

Catalytic converters stolen from caravan company

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by Gemma Roskell

A Perthshire caravan business was the target of a burglary this week when thieves broke in and stole £6,000 worth of equipment.

According to STV, three men are believed to have committed the crime, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday February 3rd.

They took six catalytic converters from motorhomes at the Perthshire Caravan Company, which supplies a range of tourers and static caravans.

Police believe they left the scene in a white Ford Transit Connect van.

Officers are urging anyone with information about the burglary to come forward.

It said the three men thought to be responsible are of slim build and were all wearing dark clothing and hooded tops at the time of the incident.

They were also wearing scarves across their faces to conceal their features.

Last month, the West Sussex County Times reported that six catalytic converters had been stolen from Sussex Caravan Centre in Ashington.

The equipment, which also included two spare wheels, was worth around £4,000.

Silverdale Caravan Park celebrates awards success

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by Gemma Roskell

The winner of the AA’s award for best campsite in England has claimed its success is down to its relaxed atmosphere.

Speaking to the Westmorland Gazette, the owners and senior managers of the site said they work hard to create a fun family environment.

The Lancashire park, which is part of the Holgates Holiday Parks group, is celebrating after beating off competition from rivals across the country.

Park manager Mike Turner said the grounds of the site are set in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

“We do a lot to maintain the overall quality here,” he insisted. “What is really distinctive about our service is the quality we uphold. We never overcrowd.”

Manager director Michael Holgate added that he hopes the accolade will encourage more campers and caravanners to visit Silverdale Caravan Park.

The AA also named Linnhe Lochside Holidays in the Scottish Highlands and Wrexham’s Plassey Leisure Park the best campsites in Scotland and Wales respectively.

Top ten caravan and camping apps for iPhone and Android

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by Holly Tribe

Whether you’re techno whizz or an analogue-era purist, it would seem the technological revolution is here to stay, and as all the best defeatists say; if you can’t beat them, join them!

At the last count there were well over 100,000 applications or ‘apps’ for handheld mobile devices on the market. There’s an app for almost everything from identifying the track title and artist from a short burst of music, to apps that can replicate the glow of a burning candle.

We’ve had a look around the burgeoning app-market to find ten of the best for campers and caravanners.

1. AA Camping & Caravanning Guide

Here’s an app that let’s you search the AA’s recommended caravan and camping sites in England Scotland and Wales. It features over 850 inspected sites with detailed descriptions including site facilities, images, price and location information.
£Free.

2. Dishpointer Augmented Reality

An ingenious app to help you find the nearest television satellite in relation to your touring pitch. It’s great if you’re setting up at a site for the first time and are struggling to find a TV signal. Raise your phone to the sky while the application is running and it will show a real world view of where the satellites are, even if they’re behind tall trees and buildings. $9.99

3. Motorway services UK

Not only can you check to see what on-site shops and services are available at service stations up and down the country – users can also switch to satellite view and zoom in to check for caravan spaces and get an idea of the surrounding roads before arrival.
£0.59.

4. iCampsites

The iCampsites app lets users locate a campsite by name or location, or by using filters such us ‘hardstanding’ and ‘hook ups available’. It currently claims to be the only campsites app with European coverage and is linked to a large database of reviews submitted by users.
£2.39

5. iBBQ

Hunt down your nearest butcher and check the weather forecast for the perfect bbq. This great app also had recipe ideas and gives handy tips on how to cook the perfect steak.
£Free

Click through to the Next Page for the ten best caravan apps 6 – 10…

South Wales region to get a new caravan centre

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by Holly Tribe

The people behind Devon’s foremost caravan and motorhome retail outlet are to open the Stowford Caravan Centre in South Wales this April.

Providing all ‘the very latest in caravan retailing and caravan storage’ the firm hope to replicate the success of Stowford Farm Meadows, in a new five acre site within striking distance of Cardiff, Pontypridd, Bridgend and the Valleys.

Stowford’s Andrew Noall said: “Strategically, this is such a great location, and it is a move we’ve been planning for over a year now. There are already plans in place for top-quality caravan storage and full workshops, and we are contributing with a full caravan retail set-up.”

The centre will open for business on Saturday 9th April, with a special opening weekend on the 16 & 17th April. There will be a wide selection of used and second hand caravans for sale, with plans to expand the business in coming months.

“Under the Stowford name you can expect the same great service and customer care for our caravan sales as well as from our onsite workshop facility and in time we hope to have a full-scale caravan accessory shop. It’s all very exciting,” he added.

The Stowford Caravan Centre (South Wales) can be found on Elwyn Street, Coesdely, Llantrisant CF39 8BL four miles from junction 34 off the M4 motorway. For more information head to www.stowford.co.uk.

Caravanners ‘spoilt for choice’ in London

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by Gemma Roskell

Caravanners pitching up on sites on the outskirts of London will be “spoilt for choice” when heading into the city over the coming months.

Sally Chatterjee, chief executive of Visit London, has noted some of the many events taking place in the capital in the weeks ahead at galleries, museums and elsewhere.

For example, the London Marathon is due to be held on April 17th, attracting runners from around the UK and overseas.

Other sporting events include the Oxford and Cambridge boat race and the National Basketball Association league games at the O2 arena in March.

For culture vultures, there will be an exhibition dedicated to Afghanistan at the British Museum, a watercolour gallery at the Tate Britain and an exhibition of London street photography at the Museum of London.

“London is a constantly evolving city and throughout 2010 hosted a range of events, conferences, exhibitions and sports which attracted visitors,” Ms Chatterjee remarked.

Click here to discover six caravan parks within the M25.

Caravanners urged to ‘get off the beaten track’ in the south-west

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by Gemma Roskell

When spending time in the south-west of England, caravanners should “get off the beaten track” and explore some of the region’s hidden gems.

This is the advice of Lonely Planet writer Oliver Berry, who said there are numerous sights and attractions to discover away from the tourist hotspots.

He pointed out that most travellers flock to places like St Ives, Newquay and Bath when holidaying in the south-west.

However, he recommended fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast or stargazing in the observatory in south Devon.

For those who fancy foraging for their own food, there’s a wild food school in western Cornwall, while sporty types can try their hand at caving and kayaking.

“There’s so much to discover really,” Mr Berry insisted. “I would just recommend getting off the beaten track a bit and don’t get stuck on those well worn tourist trails and try and seek out some of those lesser known places.”

For a list of caravan parks in the South West Click here.