Park Holidays aims to boost Christmas food banks

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By William Coleman

The team at Park Holidays are getting the festive cheer started to support those most in need. Ahead of some potentially tough times, the company is aiming to top up food banks on the run-up to the big day in December.

It will be Christmas before you know it and there’s a large number of people out there who are teetering on the poverty line and a shocking amount who are actually under it. With more jobs potentially on the line, Park Holidays UK are urging members and staff to donate to food banks to try and take the pressure off those who are facing harsh times this winter.

Instead of a traditional advent calendar that dispenses a daily treat, the Bexhill-based company has created a “reverse advent calendar”. Each day, the advent calendar will reveal a suggested item you can donate to a local food bank.

This festive calendar features 30 advent windows and, by the 30th day, Park Holidays UK hope to have gathered a generous amount of essentials, ranging from instant coffee to biscuits, fruit and seasonal snacks like the classic mince pie.

Once all the donations are collected, they will be taken to the food bank in time for local volunteers to hand out just in time for Christmas.

Ensuring that they reach as many potential good samaritans as possible, Park Holidays UK has made this calendar available to its 1,000-plus employees, and as a download to the tens of thousands of annual visitors to its 31 holiday parks

“This has been a challenging year for everyone, but especially so for those who are struggling to feed themselves and their families during these difficult times,” said group director Tony Clish.

“That’s why we decided to turn the concept of the advent calendar on its head and to make it all about giving rather than receiving.

“Whether you gift an item hiding at the back of your cupboard, or add a product to your shopping basket at the local supermarket, no donation is too little,” added Mr Clish.

The calendar, featuring the park group’s cheeky mascots, also comes with details about The Trussell Trust, which supports a nationwide network of 1,200 food banks.

Families taking part in the calendar countdown challenge can go online to the trust to find the location of their nearest food bank, where the donations can be taken.

The Trussell Trust’s latest research suggests there will be a 61% increase in food parcels needed across its food banks this winter, compared with last year.

More information and a link to the downloadable calendar is available on Park Holidays UK’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/parkholidaysuk?. ?

Holiday review: Glamping at Love2Stay

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By William Coleman

Natural hot springs, glamping, wood fire pizzas, pools, jacuzzis, gyms, water activities, oh and then there is an award-winning campsite and dealership there too. Love2Stay is not a caravan site, it’s an all in one-holiday retreat.

The CaravanTimes team are usually found onboard a motorhome or towing a caravan, so it is safe to say that a luxury glamping lodge with a personal fire pit and hot tub is a far cry from the norm.

As the cold sets in and sites begin to close for winter, we decided to see what all the glamping fuss is about. Is it fun? Comparable to a caravan stay? Worth the cost? We would answer yes to all three of those questions.

Let’s start by saying that this review is very much about the glamping side of the amazing Love2Stay site, but we will touch on the overall site later on. So, where do we start when there is so much to cover?

Staff and hospitality

This resort has a lot going for it when it comes to design, layout and overall luxury. Where this site shines is in its staff members.

Upon arrival, the staff had their hands full with an extremely busy site and packed cafe/restaurant, all with social distancing measures being followed strictly. No matter what was asked of them, they were extremely polite, helpful and always smiling. They were genuinely happy to see you and help out however they could.

Shortly after arrival, we ventured into the main area, where the check-in desk is, to ask how far the local town is and what restaurants are open – lockdown rules are different across the UK, so we felt it was worth the ask. We were given all the local hot spots, where would be busy, where to avoid and then the front desk staff made our reservations and ordered our cab. This little bit of effort by them made a great impact on our night, as all we had to do was arrive for the cab, the rest was taken care of for us.

Every suggestion made by the team was perfect, especially the American smokehouse where we had dinner. All the site staff know, by name, the staff at the different bars and eateries they book for you. It is safe to say the local town very much knows and appreciates the Love2Stay site and business they provide. This team goes above and beyond to ensure you have as much fun both on and off-site.

Activities

The local town of Shrewsbury has a lot to see and do, but so does this holiday park. There is a huge range of activities for families to take part in, children of all ages will be able to take part in one activity or another.

If you want to hop in a canoe or try your balancing skills on a paddling board, you’ll be very happy here.

There is also an army assault course, archery, fishing, swimming and yoga available for those who want to stay active while staying. You can try your hand at den building and make your own woodland hideout.

The new gym is very well stocked too and has everything for beginners and fitness enthusiasts.

Facilities

Aside from all the fitness activities on-site, there are also a lot of things to do if you want to relax and simply put your feet up.

Throughout the day and evening, there is a cinema tent with lots of seating. They mostly show family films, so this is perfect for the kids during the day or the whole family of an evening before bedtime.

If you have packed your swimming costume, you can take full advantage of the freshwater pool and hot tubs that are located just outside the restaurant.

The food served onsite is made fresh and extremely tasty. We indulged on some pizzas and locally-brewed beers, which made an evening in the hot tub even more enjoyable.

During the summer, this poolside area is exactly where you want to be – a few feet from the food, with plenty of space to tan and swim.

Glamping lodge and village

The CaravanTimes team has spent a fair amount of time out in the wild under the canvas of a tent, but none of that compared to the luxury we found glamping at the Love2Stay resort. We’ve never quite been able to fit a range cooker into our four-berth tent before.

Within a few moments of being checked in, you are given a guided tour of your holiday accommodation, a walkthrough of how to operate the heating, where everything is located and how to safely operate the wood-burning heater. The wood burner makes it feel extremely cosy once you’re settled in.

Before entering the tent, not that the word ‘tent’ suits this accommodation, you are greeted by a fire pit and a comfy bench to use while stargazing of an evening. The night sky, and view during the day, is stunning.

As soon as you step inside, you will be blown away by just how home-like these safari tents are. Think more bungalow than a tent. The interior decoration looks like something from a John Lewis catalogue and all appliances are top of the line.

When you walk through the zip-up front, you walk directly into the main area, which is an open plan kitchen/living room and features a large six-seater dining table and a two-seater breakfast bar.

The kitchen is amazing if you enjoy cooking, you’ll have a great time with the six-burner Smeg range oven and the miles of prep space. We cooked several meals in the tent and used the dishwasher to clean up. This saved a lot of time when it came to getting things clean again.

In the living room, there are two large, very comfortable sofas (we had trouble getting off of them, truth be told, especially with all the throws and cushions provided). If you want to relax and put your feet up with a coffee, you will struggle to find a setting more comfortable than this.

Sleeping arrangements are perfect for families or friends and will comfortably sleep six, as long as people do not mind bunk beds. If the kids are coming, they will have plenty of space in the secondary bedroom and playroom.

The main bedroom has a king-size bed, wardrobe and a large chest of draws that will easily hold a week’s worth of clothing.

The one area that wowed us, because you usually do not see this level of detail, was the bathroom. From the heated flooring to the large walk-in monsoon shower, it was luxury and comfortable in equal measure. The large double bath was also great for relaxing in after a long day walking around town. Having soap and cosmetics from The White Company was a nice little touch too.

The glamping villages feel very separate to the rest of the site and look a little bit like the Shire from The Lord of the Rings. It seemed like it’s own isolated little community, which made the atmosphere a lot calmer and peaceful.

Each tent is very well spaced from its neighbour and is separated by a hedge for that extra bit of privacy. You can hear neighbours from time to time, but it’s usually the sound of fun and laughter, something we all need right now.

Of an evening, most neighbours have their fire pit burning and it makes the whole environment smell great, not overpowering or smokey. It is like camping in five-star accommodation with a hotel-spec bathroom 20 feet away.

Once you have had your day out and evening meal, you will very much want to take full advantage of the preheated hot tub. Quite a few hours were spent bubbling away with a beer in hand, while gazing into the night sky. It was a perfect end to a great day in Shrewsbury.

Setting and locality

We went into this trip with little knowledge of what to do outside of the site, so it was great that the staff were so helpful and knowledgeable of the local area. The research we did was based more on walking trails and the river system, rather than eating and drinking.

You could say we intentionally didn’t look too much into the town because we wanted to explore and organically find places to visit.

In town, it was amazing to see so many smaller independent eateries and bars open, as well as your typical Greggs and Starbucks. Food tastes better when it’s made with love and not mass-produced.

The town sits on a beautiful stretch of river, which had overflown due to rain (yes, we went for a paddle), and the autumn colours made the riverside look romantic; you simply won’t want to leave.

As it was one of our birthdays, we stumbled into a little cocktail bar to have some Halloween-themed drinks before heading back to the site. These little hidden gems make the area so fun, as you can spend so much time exploring.

We also found out that Shrewsbury is Charles Darwin’s hometown, not sure if that is common knowledge, but it surprised us.

Verdict

During our three-day trip, it was very hard to find anything negative to say about the experience we had in Shrewsbury, so this is going to be a very positive verdict.

Even if you are a keen leisure vehicle user, we would strongly recommend that you give glamping at Love2Stay a try, you will not regret it.

If we had to pick one negative thing, it would be that when the wind is up you can hear the tent section of the safari lodging flap quite a bit.

This is a five-star site because of its location and activities, but we will have to add an extra star for the staff and all their hard work that made this a trip we will be going on again.

Coastal area bans nuisance motorhomes

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By William Coleman

During a time where a UK-based holiday is one of the few options that many people feel comfortable taking, one seaside town has imposed a ban on visiting motorhomes that are seen as a nuisance.

The UK leisure industry has seen a lot of ups and downs this year, with many sites losing trade and dealerships having to adapt to a little to no contact sales approach, so now is not a good time for restrictions, bans or fines for motorhomes.

Following an already tough time, a campaign by some residents who live near The Beach in Walmer, Kent, has been successful in banning motorhome overnight visits.

The petition has seen to it that motorhomes and other touring vehicles will not be able to pitch up between 6 pm to 6 am. Signs have now been put up in the areas where this new ruling is being enforced.

The campaign, which was taken to the Kent County Council’s highway department, was started by former parish councillor Dr Alan Bailey.

Dr Bailey and other residents put together evidence, along with photographs, of camper vans and motorhomes pitched up along The Beach and have stated that they are causing issues all along this particular stretch of road.

Dr Bailey said: “It has been a long battle with several setbacks, but working with other people like district and county councillor Derek Murphy, we managed to carry on.

“Finally after jumping over interminable hurdles we’ve finally got to the finishing post.

“This is the result of a community effort and last Sunday, watching the bloke put the post up was rewarding.”

It seems that these actions have not been a flash in the pan idea, but are the result of a build-up of many issues spanning well over five years.

During this time, residents claim there have been incidents where foul water has been dumped directly into drains, anti-social behaviour, littering and noisy generators.

Fines have been issued for fly-tipping and there have even been fires due to certain visitors. Despite the fines, there are still many who stay overnight, leave a mess and face zero consequence.

With so many touring holidaymakers out there who follow the rules and leave destinations as they found them, it is a shame that a few can have such a negative impact and tarnish tourist hotspots. Now that this petition has made stopping here overnight a fineable act, where will tourists go?

Speaking to Kent Online, motorhome owner Sarah Hope said: “With councils banning overnight parking in their car parks it means people like myself have to find somewhere else to park.

“My suggestion is to ask councils to consider creating an area of some of their car parks for the specific use of motorhomes to park overnight. French call them Aires de Camping car. This would give a safe area for motorhomers to park.

“The majority of us are respectful to residents. There are a number of us that will collect litter, and most of us eat, drink and shop locally to help communities.”

Top tips for winter van hibernation

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By William Coleman

With the cold on the way, and sites all over the UK closed, now is a good time to get the van prepped and ready for winter storage. Whether you are keeping it on the drive or at a storage yard, the prep remains the same.

If you have a caravan, motorhome or campervan, you are going to need to start getting to work to make sure the vehicle stays safe and sound for when the cold arrives.

This isn’t usually the most enjoyable part of the touring lifestyle, but is it an essential one, so you need to make sure you do the right work and avoid any nasty surprises when it comes time to hit the road again.

Engine and battery care

By now, any holiday vehicle owner is well aware of what to do when it comes to taking care of a leisure battery, but a refresher is always worthwhile.

A semi-regular engine turnover for a motorhome or camper should do it a world of good and ensure that the battery does not seize up or run flat.

Plugging your motorhome into mains power once a month, for around 8-10 hours, will help keep coach batteries in good shape. If you’re not planning to use the home after winter, I would advise you simply remove the battery and store it inside the house.

Exterior care

With winter comes wind, rain, sleet and snow, all of which can cause damage to a dormant leisure vehicle. There is one surefire way to safeguard against the elements, a good quality cover. Sometimes, the most simple solution is the most effective.

Adding that extra layer of protection is going to make the van’s storage a breeze. The only downside is having to remove the cover and put it back on when you do your routine checks.

Always give your caravan or motorhome a good clean before you cover the van. Those who ignore this precaution may find scratches from anything that was still on the van before covering it up.

Keep the damp away

Water ingress is enemy number one for leisure vehicles, especially during storage. One of the main issues with water getting into the van is finding the location where the water is coming in.

With the weather being slightly unpredictable at the moment and unseasonably sunny, condensation can also be a cause of internal dampness. Before you know it, the smell of damp and mildew will spread throughout the van and then you’re looking at mould building up.

Our tip is to regularly air the van and turn the heating on once a fortnight or weekly if you start to see issues. It’s also worth investing in a dehumidifier, these gadgets are worth their weight in gold when it comes to keeping the van dry. For around £100, you’ll be able to find one that does the job. The initial outlay will save a lot down the road.

Caravaning and staycation lockdown rules

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By William Coleman

Today marks the first day of the new lockdown and we thought it would be a good idea to delve into how this will impact the touring community.

Since overseas travel became a bit of a no go, the UK holiday scene has gone from strength to strength and the staycation has become the new king of holidays.

Now we are facing another month of restrictions, what does that mean for caravanning and camping holidays?

The government has decided that all travel is now prohibited, which means towing and campers are a non-option until further notice. And no, you cannot use portable accommodation as a loophole, unfortunately.

According to the government, all overnight stays are no longer an option and have said: “Overnight stays and holidays away from primary residences will not be allowed.

“This includes holidays abroad and in the UK. It also means you cannot stay in a second home, if you own one, or stay with anyone you do not live with or are in a support bubble with.

“There are specific exceptions, for example, if you need to stay away from home (including in a second home) for work purposes, but this means people cannot travel overseas or within the UK unless for work, education or other legally permitted reasons.”

Between now and the December all caravans and camping sites, and park networks will be closing. As of this coming Monday, around 75 percent of the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s sites were set to close for the offseason, with the remaining 25 percent keeping open. Now they will all be forced to close.

The closures will also mean that holiday resorts like Haven Holidays and Center Parcs will also not be open as they usually would at this time of year.

So, as it stands at the moment the UK leisure industry is very much on hold. This may not be the worst timing as a lot of leisure vehicles owners tend to store them away from this point until March anyway.

That being said, the UK caravan season was cut very short this year and most companies, retail and sites, decided to work right the way through winter to make up for it. With these new measures, it seems we are going to miss out once more in 2020.

Cornwall park forced to end Covid hero holidays

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By William Coleman

In September the team at Mother Iyv’s Bay in Padstow vowed to give key workers free holidays as a thank you for all their hard work during the pandemic. Due to ongoing lockdown measures, these holidays are now having to be cancelled.

Patrick Langmaid, the owner of the site, has had to cancel over 130 free holidays and is extremely unhappy about having to do this at a time when NHS staff and key workers need all the help they can get.

“I am so desperately disappointed that we are having to cancel the free holidays that we had planned and were so looking forward to providing,” said Patrick.

“We had hoped to be welcoming staff from the NHS, police, fire service, local foodbanks and care workers for their richly deserved breaks.

“Now, instead of preparing for their arrival, we are contacting them to let them know they can no longer come with their families and spend time with us,” he said.

This month the Mother Ivy’s Bay was set to accommodate 137 key workers from all over the UK, as well as further stays at Martha’s Orchard in Constantine Bay, the Mother Ivy sister site.

Speaking to Stay UK News, Patrick said: “I am hoping that this lockdown ends on 2nd December so that we can still welcome the fantastic key workers who are booked to stay at Martha’s Orchard.

“I have great respect and admiration for those who have kept Britain going during these challenging times, and it’s so sad that they are not going to be able to have the benefit of these holidays.

“Key workers need respite too, and their personal wellbeing seems to have been forgotten during the recent announcements.”

Not being deterred by the new restrictions, Patrick has urged the government to allow key workers to take these much-needed trips while we go through yet another national lockdown.

Key workers have had a tough time since this all started at the beginning of 2020 and the mental and physical strain it has put upon them must be monumental. Due to these hard times Patrick feels that the UK’s key workers deserve a break after six months of hard work.

“Everyone needs a break, and especially those who have been tirelessly working on the frontline for the past six months,” says Patrick.

The Club responds to Lockdown 2.0 and looks to future bookings

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By William Coleman

Following the new lockdown measures for November, the Caravan and Motorhome Club has issued a statement on how it will react to the ruling and is looking to the future with some great booking offers for when the restrictions come to an end.

Below is the official statement from the Club regarding the closure of sites across its network;

Following the UK government announcement which will place the whole of England into a countrywide lockdown, it is likely that the Club will have to temporarily close its network of campsites in England from 6pm on Wednesday November 4th until the government advises that we are able to reopen them (currently forecast for the beginning of December). The temporary closure also applies to our Certificated Locations and Affiliated Sites.

While the restrictions are subject to final confirmation from the UK Parliament on Wednesday November 4th, we have taken the decision to cancel all member bookings on campsites in England from Thursday November 5th to Wednesday December 2nd 2020. We would very much appreciate your help and support and would be grateful if you could cancel your individual bookings online through our website or app.

Members currently on the site network in England

Members currently on Club campsites in England with a booking that stretches beyond Wednesday, November 4th will be asked to curtail their stay and return home.

Storage sites and seasonal pitches in England

Members will be contacted individually to inform them of the current situation. The safety and wellbeing of members, guests, staff and the communities in which Club sites operate, has always been of paramount importance to them.

Looking to the future

The Club may be closing sites until December due to the new lockdown, but it is still planning on providing holidays once the network can reopen.

As of right now, you are unable to book sites for the duration of the lockdown, but holidays bookings for 2021 are very much an option.

To give members peace of mind the Club will issue 2021 bookings with zero deposits and free cancellations and amendments.

It is safe to say that the Caravan and Motorhome Club are remaining optimistic and wants to have people back on site as soon as it is safe, but they are aware that the situation may continue into the future. Due to these uncertain times, the organisation is doing all it can to give members flexibility with bookings.

The smartphone may be keeping our roads safer

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By William Coleman

With so many phones having instant internet access it seems they may be a great tool to help maintain road quality by sending ‘crowdsourced’ data instantly when driving. A recent new study has shown this could well be the future of road maintenance services.

Driving and mobiles phones are not a very good combination, aside from connecting your phone to your car stereo. But what if your phone can send an instant safety update to get road surfaces fixed quicker?

When towing you can really feel it when the road quality is poor and it can be an uncomfortable, and hazardous, journey. Having a good quality road surface can make all the difference to your journey, so it is important road maintenance companies keep on top of things. Some agencies simply do not have the resources to keep every inch of road monitored, which leads to some roads falling into a bad state.

Any modern smartphone will have high-resolution three-axis accelerometers, a sensor and data calculator, and GPS tracking already built into it. When combined with a new app, it can record how a vehicle moves vertically in relation to the carriageway, which can provide a useful measure of road roughness for civil engineers.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have studied the feasibility of using smartphones in this way, publishing their findings in the Journal of Infrastructure Systems.

On most road networks, road roughness is usually used as the measure of the functional condition because it can be related readily to road use costs and measurement can be automated.

Co-author Dr Michael Burrow, senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, commented:
“The most accurate automated methods of assessing road roughness use vehicles fitted with lasers, but even assessing the roughness of a reasonably-sized network can be costly.

“An attractive solution is to use acceleration sensors built into most smartphones – because smartphone ownership and use are widespread, we can foresee an approach where the condition of road networks is assessed using crowdsourced data from these mobile devices.”

If the roads are kept to an appropriate standard it encourages development and vastly reduces road use costs. On top of that, it improves travel time, fuel consumption and wear and tear on your tow car and leisure vehicle.

Due to a lack of resource and manpower, road agencies try to make the most of what assets they do have and prioritise certain areas and roads, leaving many others last in line for some much-needed repair.

The International Roughness Index (IRI) is the most commonly used measure of road roughness, but even assessing the roughness of a reasonably-sized road network can be costly using ‘traditional’ technology.

For example, the cost of collecting road roughness data in the United States is between $1.4 and $6.2 per kilometre, depending on the state – in Illinois, which has 224,719 km of roads, the annual cost of data collection is $1.4 million.

Decision-making using roughness data collected using a smartphone system could allow road agencies to:

  • Produce a regular low-cost summary of the entire road network’s condition
  • Use network-level models to evaluate and compare maintenance policies, as well as assessing road use and road agency costs
  • Screen roads to identify and prioritise road sections requiring maintenance

    • .

“Routine inspection of the condition of a road network could be achieved using low-cost data collection systems on smartphones with similar characteristics inside a fleet of vehicles of similar types, travelling at normal traffic speeds,” noted Dr Burrow.

“Vertical acceleration data from smartphones could be analysed using machine learning algorithms to enable IRI to be predicted to a similar accuracy as would be expected from a visual inspection, but with improved repeatability and reproducibility.

A particularly useful application could be the assessment of the condition of low-volume rural road networks in developing countries where the majority of rural roads are constructed from either gravel or earth and where smartphone ownership is surprisingly high.”

We’ve driven and towed across the Australian outback, the arctic and all across continental Europe, so it is safe to say we’ve come across some very questionable road surfaces and types. At times, the fear of potentially damaging our vehicles was very real and we did incur some damage that was no fault of our own.

Someone, we won’t mention names, lost a great waste pipe going through bear country in Romania due to some extreme potholes.

It is safe to say that a lot of safe tow car drivers out there have been adversely affected by poor road conditions. An app like this, that would help speed up road maintenance, gets a thumbs up from us.

Four great ways to use your van during the winter lockdown

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By William Coleman

On October 31st, it was announced that there will be another nationwide lockdown in England that will start on November 5th and, hopefully, end on December 2nd. But this doesn’t mean the caravan and camping fun has to stop.

Sites will be closing in the next couple of days until December, at the earliest, and this will likely put an end to some upcoming trips and adventures. Despite these new measures we can still use our leisure vehicle to make being at home feel more like a mini-getaway than being in lockdown.

No matter what type of touring home, or tent, you have you will be able to turn it into anything you want. All you need is a little imagination and some advice from the CaravanTimes team.

Winter office

We are being asked to work from home, if you can, to try and stem the flow of the pandemic. During the summer months the caravan or motorhome doubled up as an office, but now it’s winter you’ll have to do things a tad differently.

You’ll need to ensure the van’s heating is working properly, so check that before you start to stock the fridge with milk and snacks. Once the van is sufficiently heated you can get set up and get to work. We would also advise loading up on teabags to save those tea break trips to the kitchen and back.

Having your own working space can help with how productive you are and provides a slight change to the environment which will do wonders for your mental health.

In spring and summer, we had amazing weather which meant all you had to do was air the van out or turn the air conditioning on. Come winter you need to keep it warm and comfortable to ensure a nice working environment. Make sure you do all the checks before moving in as you may end up with a cold surprise.

Kids’ secret hideaway

It was hard enough keeping the little ones off school and isolated this year, so to go into it again may upset and confuse them a bit. Why not make the weekends and evenings at home more adventurous by making the caravan a winter wonderland?

With a handful of decorations, you can turn a stored motorhome or caravan into an incredible playroom. Add some fairy lights, some different colour lamps and you have yourself a great little winter hideaway. You can have movie nights and weekend games onboard to make the most of the van during these restricted times.

One more fantastic idea is to turn the van into a Christmas grotto. We know Christmas is a way off but why not start the fun now, seeing as Christmas still has a bit of a question mark over it? If you can’t take the small ones to see Santa, bring Santa to them.

Surprise dinner

All good leisure vehicles have everything you need to cook a top-quality meal for you and your loved one. So why not use the kitchen to cook up a surprise for the better half?

In the van you will have the microwave, oven, grill and hob to prep and cook, and you can use the fridge to chill a nice bottle of wine or bubbly. All this can happen without the other half getting a whiff of what’s coming their way. You will be in the good books until the new year.

You can use your kitchen indoors to make a meal but you run the risk of ruining the surprise. Having your own private kitchen means you can cook in peace and keep the surprise until you serve.

Winter camping, in the garden

For now, schools will remain open during the week but come weekends you have to stay indoors and make being confined to your home fun for the family.

When Friday night comes mums and dads need to become super parents to keep the children from climbing up the walls from boredom.

Turn the garden into your own personal campsite with all the camping equipment you would usually take on your touring trip. Being a site warden for a weekend may be quite fun.

With fireworks night just a few days away you can even light some sparklers, toast some marshmallows over the bonfire and even set off a firework or two.

Caravan review: Adria Altea Avon

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By William Coleman

This month we got our hands on Adria’s new family van, the 662 DK Avon. Can a single-axle, six-berth model hold six and remain comfortable?

For the 2021 season, Adria introduced the second generation of the Avon layout having had success with the 2020 model. Featuring in the Altea range, with four different layouts to choose from, it sits in Adria’s entry-level position. But as an entry-level van with such high specification and berth capacity, it is not something usually seen at the buy-in price range.

Exterior

As far as exterior design goes the Avon is very much a ‘by the numbers’ van. The decals are smart and modern but they are not going to turn heads, which seems to be a new brand feature of Adria. Smart and not overbearing on the eye. The caravan does look smart and practical and holds its own against the premium Adria models.

The two-part entry door is a great feature, especially for a family van. It allows for airflow and light, as well as doubling up as a baby gate – or something to keep the dog in the van, while still getting fresh air.

The AL-KO chassis provides all-year touring and a quality you know you can trust. The body is made from GFK polyester, so it will be able to take those inevitable motorway debris hits without incurring any real damage. Debris size depending of course.

One thing that stood out while reviewing the Avon is the double-glazed tinted windows. They are not full tint, but they do make the van look smart and is a feature you do not see too often on caravans.

Interior

Upon entry, it seemed like there’d been some kind of mix up and we’d been presented with an eight-foot model, not the Avon. Upon closer inspection, it was, in fact, a regular size van we were in; it just looks so much bigger thanks to the new layout, colour scheme and upgraded lighting.

Adria has gone down the contemporary path inside the Avon. Due to the amount of natural light the windows let through, it makes the space feel a lot larger and the minimalist design throughout just adds to the internal sense of space.

Onboard you will find a Truma heating system, along with loudspeakers with a pre-installed Bluetooth amplifier.

The cupboard door handles are hidden, adding to the minimalist feel, which some may not like. Too often you find so many chrome handles sticking out like a sore thumb; there are little to no handles on show here.

Daytime and lounge area

The Avon features a large U-shaped lounge, which also doubles up as a bedroom-come-evening time. Large windows flank each side of the lounge area, which seats six people comfortably for relaxation and dining alike.

Throughout the lounge, you will find directional LED lighting and several plug sockets. Beside each plug socket is a leaning space for phones, books, drinks or anything else you’ll need within reaching distance when relaxing.

For those who take a TV away, there’s a choice of two different locations to fit their setup – as the Avon comes with two aerial/satellite points.

Underseat storage in the lounge has been utilised well and there’s just so much of it, some of which is accessible from the outside.

At the rear of the van is a triple bunk bed, which will make for fun playtime for the kids, and a small two-seater table for lunch.

It is also worth mentioning the huge amount of storage throughout the caravan. Between the rear and middle of the two large, full-size wardrobe lockers there’s plenty of storage for all the family clothing, with ease.

Nighttime

For a van of this size and price, you do get a lot of flexibility when it comes to bedtime. This is a six-berth model with 50% of the beds hidden away during the day.

The triple bunk bed is such a great usage of space and is a major contributor to being able to fit six, comfortably, in this van come the evening.

At the rear is bed number four, as the small two-seater dining area is another make-up single bed. This separates the two nighttime living quarters well. The children sleep in the rear bedroom and the adults rest in the front.

Washroom and cooking

Another fantastic demonstration of how well spaced this family van is the central washroom and kitchen, and the word washroom is very important here.

Often, in vans that hold six people, you will find the washroom suffers slightly and is more like a wet room, not here. The bathroom is spacious and features a large shower and separate lavatory.

You find so much usable space throughout this great touring van, until it comes to the kitchen worktop. Yes, there is enough space to cook with the three-ring gas hob and oven, but the prep space is very limited, which is the only real negative we found inside the van.

Towing details and technical specifications

The Avon is a lighter touring caravan that should appeal to a younger customer base and those with a pre-1997 licence.

When towing, there are little to no issues and even a smaller-size towing vehicle will be able to handle this Adria model with absolute ease.

Total length (including tow bar in mm): 8,288
Total width (mm): 2,299
Total height (mm): 2,580
Mass in running order (MIRO, kg): 1,469

Verdict

At £20,995, you do get a lot of van for your money. Some vans are around £10,000 more that have a similar design and specification as this Altea Avon, so at this price, it is quite the bargain.

The one criticism is the lack of prep area in the kitchen. However, with a fold-out table within reaching distance and a sink cover, you and triple the amount of space you have. Also, if you want to go through the van with a fine-toothed comb, you could say that the bottom of the three bunks is just a mattress on the floor.

For an entry-level six-berth caravan, you really cannot go wrong with the Avon. With tons of storage and living space, this is a fantastic caravan.

Owner of custom jet engine camper inundated with offers to sell

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By Emma Dodd

A former Royal Air Force technician who converted an engine shell from a decommissioned VC10 jet plane into a touring camper has been inundated with offers to sell it.

Steve Jones from Lancashire was featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces earlier this year with the project and has seen attempts to buy the unique trailer flooding in ever since.

The highest bid so far for the camper, which cost him £4,000 to renovate, has been £25,000, reports Insider.

Mr Jones has no intention of selling the trailer at present, but may reconsider further down the line, once his family have had some use out of it.

The VC10 Caravan Pod is 13 feet long, features a mini kitchen complete with twin burners, and a dining area that transforms into sleeping quarters.

It has been so cleverly engineered, there’s enough room for four people to spend a night – two in a double bed and another two in single bunks.

The pod doesn’t feel cramped, however, as Mr Jones has fitted a skylight, so the occupants get plenty of light during the day and a view of the stars at night.

He flattened the bottom of the engine’s distinctive curve so that it would fit comfortably on a chassis and could be towed to whichever location the family wished to camp at.

While it is certainly among the most unusual camper conversions, it’s by no means the only one that has allowed its owner to realise their dream of a quirky home on wheels.

In recent years, we’ve seen everything from Minis and tuk tuks to ambulances and school buses being overhauled for family holidays.

It seems the country’s appetite for unusual campers has only grown throughout lockdown, with even more people deciding to take on their own restoration projects.

Meanwhile, Mr Jones has already moved onto his next conversion. We’re intrigued to know what direction he might be taking this time…

Start the winter caravan cleanout

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By William Coleman

Cleaning out the caravan to get it ready for winter storage is always a sad day, but with these handy tips, it can be an easy task that means getting back on the road will be much more straightforward.

At this time of year, a lot of people decide it’s time to let the van rest up for a few months and take a break from touring, which means winter prep tasks need to be completed.

Preparing the van for winter usually involves a deep clean so nothing is left to fester during the offseason. With these handy tips and hacks, the clean-up will take half the time and be twice as effective.

Fresh lemons not lemon Pledge

The microwave has always been an unpleasant clean. It is small, narrow and seems to have so many dirt traps inside.

Who would have thought that a whole lemon would be the most effective tool in microwave cleanliness? If you loathe this job as much as we do, then this life hack will make the task almost effortless.

Step 1 Get a medium to large size lemon (two small ones will do), as fresh as possible to yield the best results. Firmly roll the lemon on a hard, flat surface, which will make the juices flow a lot easier when the lemon is cut open.

Step 2 Cut the lemon directly in half and place it in a plastic bowl or Tupperware without the lid, flesh side up.

Step 3 Microwave on full power for ten minutes and then very carefully remove the container holding the lemon and any water. Be careful as the water is going to be piping hot.

Step 4 Once you have removed the contents you should see that most, if not all, of the dirt inside has been lemon-steamed off the inner surfaces and will wipe away with minimal effort.

Not only does this totally clean the microwave but if you leave the microwave door open the smell will act as a natural air freshener, creating a lemony fresh aroma for a couple of hours.

Cheap, non-toxic cleaning

The waste tank on a motorhome can sometimes produce some unpleasant smells and when it comes to cleaning you may need a hazmat suit to defend your nostrils.

You can buy expensive branded cleaning products, chemicals and fill up precious storage space with bottle upon bottle of thick bleach.

Or, a simple and cheap solution is to go to a £1 shop and buy a couple of large bottles of undiluted orange squash. Pour it down plug holes and say goodbye to those horrid smells and the lingering stench of bleach.

The acidity of the orange squash will cut through the smells just as well as any household cleaning product.

The squeegee

What works for your shower screen indoors also makes for an amazing surface wiper. A lot better than a cloth or sponge in fact.

The blade completely wipes the surface without leaving parts of food or water smears behind. You will cut your cleaning time in half and the end result will be much better.

The best advice would be to use some of the leftover microwave lemon water and pour it on your worktops and then use that as a fresh lemon cleaner. It will smell nice and leave your worktops absolutely spotless.

If you can get yourself a squeegee that has a detachable cleaning pole you will be able to get your floors gleaming and crumb-free. Not only that but you will also save a fortune in dishcloths and sponges.