New layout and model names for Stealth Caravans

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by Marcus Dubois

It is one of the most talked about caravans on the marketplace today. The designer and managing director himself called it a “Marmite” caravan. Whether you love or dislike it, the radical design and striking looks of the Stealth Caravans from Dunster House never fails to ignite opinion and interest.

This week however the company has announced updates and revisions to the existing range. Buyers will now select from models featuring conventional layouts placing the lounge at the front end, where a window is now found in the nosecone.

We’ve been expecting you, Q

The original versions of the Stealth Caravan were identified by letters and numbers, but the new caravans are now known as “Q-Class” models. In this range there is a choice between the Q58 single axle and the larger Q63 twin axle.

Amongst the caravan community many had voiced an interest in Stealth models with more traditional interior arrangements. As a result the full sized square beds will now be available in a side layout. An end washroom and front lounge complete the new look inside.

Those seated in the lounge area may benefit from the first Stealth model to feature a front window. The original caravans sported a striking opaque nosecone reminiscent of the US fighter planes that inspired the name.

The Q-Series however benefits from new “Overseal” technology where a window can now be integrated into the front section without allowing damp and moisture in. Stealth are so confident of the structural integrity that the 6 year water ingress guarantee will continue across to the new range.

From Valiant to Defiant

In a further simplification of the model line-up, Stealth have created three different trim levels named Valiant, Intrepid and Defiant.

Valiant is the entry level range and features a concealed warm air heating system offering up to 4Kw in heating output. All window and skylights feature flyscreens and sunblinds as standard, while the walls, floor and roof panels are fully bonded.
The AL-KO AKS 3004 stabiliser is present and correct for towing.

Buyers of the Intrepid will find extras such as an 800W Microwave and a four-ring dual fuel hob. An automatic ignition fridge is also featured, as well as drop-in loose fit carpets which we are told are available in two different colours.

The top-of-the range Defiant adds security features to match including secure wheel locks from AL-KO Kober as well as a caravan tracking system. An external gas barbeque point is the other feature for buyers.

Caravan Times will be at the official launch in July, so look out for more pictures and interviews then.

What do you think of the new Stealth caravan? Do you like the new features and layout? Have your say in our forums here.

Parkdean believes Welsh sites ideal for Ryder Cup

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Holidaymakers staying at Parkdean’s Welsh caravan sites over the Fathers’ Day weekend were able to treat their dad to a special sporting spectacle.

The firm noted that the Royal Porthcawl Golf Club was hosting a tournament for some of the best senior golfers in the world.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary, the Ryder Cup Seniors took place from June 18th to 20th.

The event was taking place four months ahead of the Ryder Cup proper, which will also be hosted in Wales.

Ian Woosman and Sam Torrance were among the stars competing for a prize fund of £500,000, with John Bland eventually winning the event.

Parkdean has its Trecco Bay Holiday Park just five minutes from the Royal Porthcawl links course.

It has its own Blue Flag beach and has also benefited from more than £7 million worth of investment in the past two years.

Meanwhile, Parkdean recently noted that Newquay was hosting its Midsummer Night Surf over the weekend to celebrate the longest day of the year.

Time zone changes could boost tourism

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By Holly Tribe

Last March we reported on a campaign to move British Summer Time forward an hour to create Single/Double Summer Time (SDST). And yesterday on the longest day of the year, the debate resurfaced.

SDST would require moving the clocks forward two hours over the summer and one hour during winter, meaning the summer sun wouldn’t set until 11pm across the South of England.

The 10:10 climate change campaign has launched its Lighter Later group, and environmental campaigners also used yesterday’s summer solstice to call for brighter evenings. They argue an extra hour of evening sunlight would noticeably reduce carbon emissions by reducing energy consumption.

Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay is behind the Lighter Later Campaign. He has tabled a Commons motion and called for a three year pilot-scheme. It is thought that extending daylight hours will improve tourism and boost the economy.

Mr Sanders says in his blog: “The idea could generate over £2 billion for the leisure and hospitality industry, reduce health and insurance costs, and reduce carbon emissions by ten per cent.”

The change would bring Britain in line with much of Europe and the coalition government are considering the renewed proposal. Conservative Tourism minster John Penrose said: “The Coalition is committed to study this, and there are some very strong voices in the tourism industry that are making some very big claims about it.”

There has been strong opposition in Scotland, where, if the plans went ahead, it would mean the sun wouldn’t rise until after 9am in the winter. Safety concerns have been raised as the new daylight hours would see children walking to school in the dark, and could potentially increase road accidents at rush hour.

The suggestion of a separate timezone for Scotland has been met with scepticism. Cross border businesses and banks would be thrown into disarray along with public transport timetabling issues.

Scottish secretary Michael Moore, speaking on BBC Scotland’s Politics Show said: “I do not believe separate time zones would be a sensible or realistic measure, not least as a Borders MP who works right beside England; I think that would be ludicrous.”

This is not the first time a new daylight saving bill has been suggested. A similar trial took place between 1968 and 1971, but was discontinued when road deaths in Scotland increased slightly over the winter. In 2008, Conservative MP Tim Yeo put forward his Energy Saving (Daylight) Bill which was rejected by the House of Commons.

Caravanners in Wales in for a tasty treat

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Caravan enthusiasts taking a break in Wales might enjoy eating at some of the country’s fine restaurants.

It has been claimed that holidaymakers who love their food will take pleasure in the gastronomic delights on offer.

According to Welsh Rarebits, a firm which represents high-end hotels and B&Bs in Wales, the nation’s tasty grub is becoming a popular draw for tourists.

Spokesperson Mike Morgan suggested that Monmouthshire might be worth a visit as it seems to be particularly popular with foodies.

“There are lots of food festivals which draw people in from outside. Abergavenny is a great example. Cardigan Bay seafood festival is fantastic as well,” he added.

Taking place over the weekend of September 18th and 19th, the Abergavenny Food Festival features local food producers, chefs and performances.

A number of spin-off events are also taking place in the area, such as the Recipe For Success workshops in Tithe Barn, Abergavenny.

Now is the right time to book a UK summer caravan holiday

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Families still weighing up whether to head off on a UK caravanning holiday this year have been told that now is the right time to make a booking.

Park Holidays UK has informed potential UK holidaymakers that the peak temperatures witnessed in late June in Gravesend in Kent was greater than the Caribbean location of Bermuda.

Meanwhile, with further hot weather forecast for the remainder of the summer weeks, holidaymakers could take the chance to relax and top up their tans by opting for a caravan holiday.

According to Park Holidays UK, “the weather in the south east also put much of mainland Europe in the shade with Brighton and Bournemouth hotter than resorts in Spain, Italy and Greece”.

“The summer has finally arrived and it’s definitely the right time to book that UK holiday,” the company added.

Haven Holidays has previously indicated that caravan breaks are becoming increasingly popular, partly due to the poor exchange rate.

Caravans damaged during fire at dealership

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by Holly Tribe

A caravan dealership in North East London has been badly damaged by fire with a number of motorhomes and caravans believed to have been destroyed.

Cranham Caravans was engulfed by flames on Monday morning at 8.15 am. It is thought the blaze began in their accessories shop. Fire crews arrived at the scene and spent several hours battling the flames. Extra precautions were taken due to the presence of gas canisters on site, but no casualties were reported.

A spokesman from the London Fire Brigade said: “It’s a significant incident but it’s not near any houses. It could be protracted because of the cylinders involved.”

The dealership, which also operates a servicing centre, has addressed concerns from worried customers with a statement issued on their website: “At first inspection only one customers’ caravan is moderately damaged. The other affected vehicles were our own stock.”

Cranham Caravans have appealed to customers for their patience while they assess and repair damage: “Due to the fire that took place here on Monday June 21st can we kindly request that all customers acknowledge that we will probably be closed for the next few days.”

A spokesman for the fire brigade added that a full investigation into the cause of the blaze will begin shortly.

UPDATE: A further statement from Cranham Caravans followed our original news story. “At first inspection only one customer’s caravan is moderately damaged. The customer has been notified. The other affected vehicles were our own stock.” The dealership additionally stated thaat “it was our accessories shop which is badly damaged, not our workshop.”

New pods added to Camping and Caravanning Club site

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Last year site managers at the Camping and Carvanning Club trialled a new idea, introducing wooden camping pods to their range of accommodation. The marked popularity of these items with families has led to the Club installing a further three pods at their Thetford Forest site for campers to enjoy.

The pods offer a quirky and modern way to enjoy camping and have heating, electrical sockets and lighting. The added comforts have proved hugely popular with guests and the permanent structures take away the hassle of dismantling wet tents.

The units are built by Newfoundland Lodges and are constructed from locally sourced timber and insulated with sheep’s wool. Married couples Rob and Dawn Muggridge and Neil and Julie Purnell are the franchisees of the site, which now carries a total of six pods.

Dawn Muggridge was enthusiastic about the value of the new pods for visitors. “The additional Camping Pods are sure to be a big success as they are a fantastic way to experience camping in a dry, fun and idyllic setting.”

She also introduced a new feature which caters for canine companions. “Dog owners also now have the chance to experience the Camping Pods with our new specific dog-friendly Pod.”

In addition to Thetford Forest the camping pods are available at the Eskdale, Bellingham and Skye sites.

Festival goers trade in canvas for caravans

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With the festival season now well underway, event managers have reported campers are increasingly trading in their tents for a drier substitute.

In a move towards glamping – glamorous camping – revellers are looking to stay out of the wet this summer in caravans and motorhomes.

Organisers of Glastonbury, the summer festival most synonymous with rain, have reported they are increasing the number of motorhome and caravan pitches to keep up with growing demand on site this year.

Rita Sadler, a manager at caravan insurers Safeguard, said: “Festivals like Glastonbury have been notoriously jinxed with bad weather and campers are gradually wising up to the notion that canvas might not be the best option.”

She added: “The benefits of caravanning over camping at festivals are all too apparent when the bad weather hits.”

Following this trend, Safeguard have warned revellers of the importance of getting adequate personal contents insurance. With valuables such as MP3 players and mobile phones becoming part of the festival kit, security is an important issue.

Sandringham Club site named winner in park awards

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The Sandringham Camping and Caravanning Club site has been crowned champion in the ‘Your Top 101 Sites’ awards for 2010.

The shortlist was decided through votes cast by readers of magazines Caravan and Motor Caravan. Voting took place during International Caravan and Motorhome 2009, held at the NEC last October.

A huge number of votes were cast and the top five sites were visited by anonymous inspectors before a winner was decided.

Verna and Chris Stansfield who visited the Sandringham site said in their report: “It is a natural campsite which has been established in sympathy with its environment and into which it fits unobtrusively.”

Bob Hill, the Club’s site director was delighted at the news. “It is a real honour for The Club to receive this award.’

He added: “The Sandringham site is located in a beautiful area and our Holiday Site Managers, Nigel and Sandra Farnsworth have done a fantastic job of preserving the surrounding environment and creating a delightfully informal, peaceful haven for all campers.”

The Camping and Caravanning Club had a further 20 Club sites in the top 101, including its Keswick site which took third place.

More information about the Sandringham site can be found on the Camping and Caravanning Club website.

Family time on holidays ‘is important’

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Holidays are an important way of spending time with your family and friends, it has been suggested.

Whether caravanning in the UK or jetting off abroad, Brits should value the chance to get away with their partners, children or parents, according to holidaylettings.co.uk.

The firm claimed that quality family time is becoming a rare commodity due to the fast-paced life most people live nowadays.

A large proportion (65 per cent) of Brits believe that a holiday is the most important thing that they spend their disposable income on.

Holidaylettings.co.uk head of communication Kate Stinchcombe-Gillies added that travel websites now help families research and book budget breaks.

“As a reflective of the sensitivity surrounding cash and the economy, most travel sites enable people to refine their holiday search by budget,” she said.

Meanwhile, caravan owners could be tempted to head to the continent after the Post Office Travel Money Monitor reported favourable exchange rates for Brits heading to the eurozone and eastern Europe.

Park Holidays UK suggest how to avoid VAT increase on caravan holidays

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by Chris Malone

The news that January 2011 will bring with it a new VAT level of 20 per cent has led Park Holidays UK to advise caravanners to book up for next year’s vacation now.

According to the firm, sorting out a break in advance of the tax rise could help Brits save a penny or two.

It is also offering those who enjoy a holiday in 2010 and book up for next year a further £40 off a week-long stay or £20 off a short break.

With new chancellor George Osborne’s first budget hitting almost everyone in the pocket, any holiday savings could come in useful.

The Conservative cabinet member has cut public spending, reduced benefits and increased a number of taxes in a bid to reduce the deficit.

“Financially speaking the time to act is now,” Park Holidays UK said.

“You’ll get the same fantastic holiday, accommodation and service but minus that impending extra VAT cost.”

The company recently revealed that Brits buying a caravan can now get up to a 20-year guaranteed licence at its sites.

Caravanners should use doctor for travel health advice

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Many Brits travelling abroad take pointers from friends and colleagues rather than their GP, it has been claimed.

Caravanners planning a trip abroad should seek out professional health advice instead of relying on what their associates tell them, TV doctor Pixie McKenna stated.

The expert is backing the 8 Weeks To Go campaign, which encourages holidaymakers to visit their GP prior to departure to get reliable advice.

Dr McKenna revealed that one in two Brits will experience some sort of holiday injury or illness in their lifetime.

She noted that many people are taken in by myths that circulate among friends and colleagues, such as the belief that gin and tonic can help ward off malaria.

Another common misconception is that rabid dogs are never friendly – which could be costly to unsuspecting caravanners who are bitten by one.

“People are misinformed about many things and if you hear something from a friend or a colleague you are probably going to think that it is the correct information instead of trying to verify it yourself with a healthcare professional,” Dr McKenna explained.