Keeping It In The Family With 3G

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By William Coleman

When you hear the term ‘3G’ you would automatically think of the internet that your phone has, or had as we now on 4 and 5G. In the world of caravan holidays it is being used to describe multi generational based holidays where the whole family go away together.

The five-star Trevornick Holiday Park, near Newquay is a site that is embracing holidaymakers of all ages to have a ‘3G’ holiday. Grandparents can spend quality time with the kids, plus mum and dad can join in with the family as well as take the odd night off whilst their parents take the reins.

As a child I was often taken away on caravan holidays by Nan. She would also bring a hand full of cousins too, very capable of handling all us kids was dear old nan. For me it was the greatest part of my Great British summer time, but it could have been better is mum, dad and aunts and uncles were all there too .

Now I am a little bit older I see the importance of keeping the family together and using every excuse you can to spend more time with your parents, after all they will not be around forever.

Another important aspect is getting Nan and granddad together with the grandkids. This will strengthen the bond between the generations and it will give mum and dad some time to themselves, something that can be a rare commodity in parenthood.

Cornwall is one of the UK’s most popular holiday destinations and is a hotbed for caravan holidays. For those who are thinking about a family get together who have relatives that are quite far away and do not fancy the drive can get a flight to Newquay from various locations throughout the UK, mean getting together in this scenic part of the South West couldn’t be easier for extended families.

As well as the extended family Trevornick welcomes the four legged friends too, so there is no need to try and find separate accommodation for the family pet. The site is very dog friendly and has dog walking fields, ‘Bark and Bathe’ dog wash station, a local doggy day-care service and ‘perfect for pooches’ touring pitches, Eurotents, static caravans and holiday cottages. Trevornick is actually one of the most dog-friendly destinations in Cornwall.

Combining contemporary and beach chic accommodation, the recent additions to the static caravans at Trevornick feature a relaxed atmosphere, outdoor space to enjoy dinner and everything the family needs to make a base before heading out for a day exploring Cornwall.

For grandparents keen to relive the fun of camping under canvas without the stress of having to put the tent up, Trevornick’s Eurotents are the ideal solution. Fully equipped with beds, a kitchen, a picnic bench and even a TV. Sleeping up to six this accommodation is hassle-free fun.

Trevornick offers a wide range of amenities meaning there’s something to entertain every member of the family. For the sport lovers a round of golf on the 18-hole par 3 course overlooking the sea, a peaceful fishing trip at Trevornick’s well stocked ponds or surf lessons down in the breaks on beach will make for a fun bonding experience.

Whilst those looking for a more relaxing break can unwind in the tranquillity spa, float in the heated pool or take part in a yoga class and forget the stresses of daily life for a moment.

Youngsters will love Trevornick with kids clubs and daily entertainment, a forest trail to explore and even mermaid and merman lessons in the pool

To find out more about Trevornick Holiday Park, Holywell Bay you can visit them directly at http://www.trevornick.co.uk/

Experience Freedom- Yurt Glamping

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By William Coleman

The best part about taking your holidays at home here in the UK is the sheer amount you can do with just a short drive from your front door. This past weekend I took advantage of the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Experience Freedom brand and spent the weekend in a yurt.

When I first heard the word “glamping” I did turn my nose up at it as I heard it on a TV that I loath, mostly because of their butchery of the English language. What I did not realise, at the time, was that it would take the touring industry by storm and has become one of the most popular weekend away alternatives.

Over the past 2 years at the NEC the increase in glamping accommodations on display has almost doubled. From the high end 5 bed luxury tents with a private hot tub to the small 2 bed pods, the world of the alt holiday is a strong one.

Not only is glamping accommodation featured heavily at shows but they are quickly making their way to caravan and holiday sites up and down the country.

After going through the options for a “weekend with a difference” me and the other half decided that the ideal accommodation for us is the safari style yurt. The main reason for choosing the yurt was pretty much based on how they look. They just seem so cool and adventurous, with a hint of camping luxury.

The yurt has everything you would need to spend a few days out in the country with the comfort of a caravan with the space of a very large tent, with the only bugbear being you have to walk to and from the wash bock everytime you need the toilet.

The yurts and waterproof and very well insulated, which is good as the heating is provided by a small plug in radiator. During the summer months you really will have no need for the radiator as the heat is maintained so well inside the yurt.

Inside the safari tent you have an extremely comfy king size bed with very soft and fluffy bedding that provided one of the most comfy evenings I think I may have had in a very long time.

You also have 2 more beds inside the yurt should you choose to bring the little ones with you. What looks like a very high sofa is actually beds 2 and 3. If you are just a couple the second bed doubles up as a perfect sofa with a lot space for relaxing or a card game or two.

One of they key things that really impressed me about the yurt was the sheer amount of space you find inside. Plenty of room for a family of 4 with luggage, storage and a prep station for food. You also have a fridge with ice box, kettle and toaster.

Around the yurt there are large porthole style windows, you cannot actually open them as they are clear plastic covers but you do have an inner and outer cover to keep the light out of an evening or early morning.

The only real issue I had, which is and always will be a part of camping and outdoor living, is how much natural light the yurt lets in. If you like a total back out in the morning you may want to pull the covers up a little higher.

Outside the yurt you have the ideal setup for a summer evening enjoy the weather and some alfresco dining. The Club provide you a BBQ pit, a table with 4 seats and a parasol for those sunny afternoons. You can bring you own BBQ set up or use the small disposable ones that is provided.

All in all I would strongly recommend a weekend in a yurt. It is ideal for couples and families who want to try the luxury side of camping. All the fun of outdoor living without having to put the tent up and take it back down again.

If you are interested in staying in a yurt, it is a bank holiday coming up after all, then head over to Experience Freedom, but be warned, they book up fast.

Travelworld Add Windscreen Division To Their One Stop Shop

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By William Coleman

Back in February of this year I was invited to visit the grand opening of the brand new Erwin Hymer centre by Travelword. The new state of the art Travelword HQ is a one stop shop for the motorhome lover. Now following their latest addition they really do have everything all under one roof.

Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld has set up a new windscreen repair and replacement division headed by the company’s former customer services manager, Annabel Edwards.

The new division offers customers windscreen installation at the new service centre, as well as many UK addresses. Customers can also opt for a supply-only service and the new windscreen team will even speak to insurers on behalf of customers.

Annabel said: “My 20 years as customer services manager taught me a lot about the very specific needs of customers. They simply don’t want the headache of finding insurance paperwork, dealing with several different parties or travelling long distances to repair a simple crack, chip or leak in their windscreen.

They want ease and one point of contact who they can deal with directly and who will see the process through until it is complete.”

The opening of the new 5.5-acre site in February complete with 20 bay service centre, Class 7 MOT bay and impressive customer showroom and lounge, has been a further driver behind the launch of the new division which further enables the concept of a one-stop-shop for the premium brand motorhome dealership.

Coupled with Annabel’s decades of unrivalled experience encompassing the installation and supply of American RV, Hymer, N+B, Dethleffs and Carado screens and side glass, the new set up is the next intuitive step for the company.

Leading the customer services team is newly appointed Claire Hastings who previously co-ran her own family business franchise. Claire said: “It’s the perfect time to start my new role, everything is fresh and lots of positive plans are in the pipeline, Travelworld is an exciting place to be right now.”

The site really is state of the art, not to mention absolutely gigantic. No matter what you may need for your motorhome this location has it all.

Using Touring To Keep Your Mental Health Healthy

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By William Coleman

Life can be, at times, quite stressful. Whether it be something as simple as getting a tad stressed by something at work or even something more serious like issues with a friend or loved one. No matter how small it is these things can cause a dip in your mental health. So to help raise awareness of mental health, it is Mental Health Awareness Week after all, we want to provide some tips to keep calm and relaxed.

One of the most calming situations for me is being in the van on a rainy day with some comfort food and a big mug of tea while it rains. The pitter patter of the rain drops just fill me with a nice warm calm feeling. A great way to remove stress from your mind and lead to a more enjoyable break.

I have done some research into what things in life are naturally calming and have applied them to the caravan holiday. I hope these help anyone who may need to ideas to keep calm and carry on.

Becoming One With Nature

It does sound a tad cheesy but studies show direct links between getting out into the great outdoors and mental well-being. Fresh hair helps clear the mind and provides a lot more clean oxygen that the body needs to help recovery, sleep and calmness. This sounds like the perfect excuse to get away more.

Another reason getting out more helps with mental health is the exercise aspect. Exercise releases endorphins into the body that helps lift spirits and positivity. Not to mention weight loss which is one of the greatest motivators there is.

The Sound Of Running Water

I would always recommend a site that is located near the sea, river network or some lakes. Water is a calming element and it provides some fantastic views and days out.

If you are by the sea side take your shoes off and go for a paddle and just let all your stress wash away with the water.

This also works with the sound or rain, you can even get apps and CDs with the sound of rain due to its calming impact on stress and other mental well being issues.

Switch Off

I can be very guilty of not actually relaxing enough during my leisure time. At times I just can’t help checking my work emails, looking for news and just generally not switching off and letting myself relax during my “down time”.

This seems to be quite a common occurrence which does have an adverse effect on the mind, body and soul. So when you are on holiday lock away the phone, tablet or laptop and just simply relax. You will thank yourself when you return to work with a clear mind.

The Scent Of Calmness

Your senses can lead your brain directly to being in a good or bad mood so why not surround yourself with positive sensory items.

The main sense that can lead to mental well being is the sense of smell. One thing I invested in during the warmer months was a large lavender plant, and candles, fabric spay and tons of other lavender scented products.

Fresh lavender will make the caravan smell wonderful and helps with deep sleep, which is one of the main things that contribute towards mental stability and calmness.

These are just a few tips to help you with keeping calm and relaxed while away on holiday.

As 1 in 4 people will suffer from some kind of mental health issue I feel it is important to shed more light and raise awareness of the topic.

It has been something that has been somewhat taboo with an attached stigma, especially in men. If you are struggling with mental well being or if you see someone who is just reach out and ask if they are ok. It could change someone’s life.

Air Conditioning The Hidden Benefits

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By William Coleman

There was a time when I had a 1997 Renault Clio, this was in 2006, no electric windows, no power steering, tape deck radio and no air conditioning. Now I am a little bit older and cars are a lot more advanced, and i am not in college, there are certain fittings and fixtures that I couldn’t do without. The main one being air conditioning. Something that is becoming a lot more popular as an aftermarket fitting for caravans and motorhomes for a multitude of reasons.

As popular as on board air con is becoming there are still a lot of people who are not interested in installing it, yet can’t go without in their day to day car. Having spent a fair bit of time with caravan and motorhome air conditioning I have found some hidden benefits that can make it very worthwhile.

Keeping The Pets Comfortable

It is always a pleasure taking your pets on holiday with you and for many leaving your cat or dog at home is just not an option.

When you are making the most of the great British weather and going bike rides, swimming or other non pet safe activities you do sometimes have to leave the animals in the van for a few hours during the day. As we know the caravan can sometimes get rather warm and be extremely uncomfortable for anyone inside.

Having air con means you can set I cool temperature to ensure your animals can relax and put their paws up and enjoy their own little private staycation.

Safety & Insurance Benefits

Off the back of the setting a pet friendly temperature you may also want to consider what you may do without air con to keep the pets cool. Keep a window open, pop open the sky light to keep the air flowing through the van.

These options can lead to quite a few unpleasant situations for the caravan owner. In some cases leaving windows and skylights open can invalidate your insurance in the event of an incident taking place. Not in all cases but it does happen so I strongly suggest checking your insurance paperwork as it is always better to be safe than sorry.

This also presents the perfect opportunity for the would be thief looking to get his hands on your goods. So imagine leaving a window open and then having someone break in to then find you have invalidate your insurance. Doesn’t bare thinking about.

Drying

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the site you’re staying on where you can wash your clothes but not dry them? I have found myself in that situation quite a few times over the years.

This is where air con can save the day and have your clothes dry in no time at all. An air con system will take the moisture out of the air and blow dry air around the van and help speed up the drying process of your clothes.

Pop the clothes up, turn the air on, go out and enjoy yours and then come home to bone dry clothes.

Climate Control

The weather in the UK can be very unpredictable, despite what weather reports might say. One moment is it nice and warm with not a cloud in sight, then moments later your in a full on downpour running for cover.

Once you return to your home you are going to want to get right into a warm van and dry off. If you do not have climate control then you will sit and have to play the waiting game, which is very unpleasant if you are soaking wet.

Climate control acts as a sort of “smart air con” system that allows you to not have to worry about changing any temperature settings.

No matter the outside temperature the climate control will use sensors to ensure the air con output maintains the chosen setting. So if its 32 outside and you want the van at a cool room temperature of 21 the van will maintain the cool temperature throughout the van.

Dealing With Humidity

So back to drying clothes inside the van. Without having a third party plug dehumidifier on one of your counters you may start to experience damp being caused.

A lot of people I know use their vans all year round and do a lot of outdoor activities such as canoeing, mountain biking and other various sports that can get you soaking wet. Bring soaked clothes on board and letting them air dry inside unassisted will, over time, cause some real headaches.

The aircon, as I mentioned before, will take away the humidity in the air and keep everything dry and comfortable. So if you are into your water sports it may just save you a lot of hard work down the road.

Caravan Guard Awards Nod

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By William Coleman

Having vehicle insurance brings with a peace of mind that is well worth the cost, but how do you know that you have the right cover for you and are buying from the right provider? How about looking at a well trusted multi award winning company for your next policy?

Caravan and motorhome insurance specialists, Caravan Guard, have been named as one of the finalists in the 2019 British Insurance Awards for UK Insurance Broker of the Year.

Caravan Guard will be going head to head with some stiff competition from five other UK insurance brokers at the distinguished national awards ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London in July, where the industry’s top performing companies will also be headlining.

The Halifax-based company has also been shortlisted for Broker of the Year at the British Claims Awards, which celebrates the achievements and progress made by companies on behalf of their customer claimants.

Caravan Guard showcased its passion to deliver brilliant service and highlighted excellent customer feedback scores and high levels of customer loyalty, as well as growth when entering the British Insurance Awards.

To reach the finals of the British Claims Awards, positive customer feedback and the ease of making an insurance claim was key.

Caravan Guard’s Managing Director, Ryan Wilby, said he was delighted the family business had once again made the shortlist for two national insurance awards.

“It’s a fantastic accolade to be recognised on the national stage at the Royal Albert Hall, alongside some of the big players in the insurance industry,” he said. “The competition is fierce and having made the finals before, we’re keeping everything crossed that we can bring the trophy home this year.”

The British Insurance Awards is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and aims to put the spotlight on companies that are embracing innovation and positively transforming the world of insurance.

For more information about Caravan Guard’s specialist insurance cover for motorhomes, campervans, caravans and trailer tents visit www.caravanguard.co.uk.

CAMC 100 Years Of Towing Celebration

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By William Coleman

It really is crazy to think that we have been towing for 100 years! As the 100th anniversary of the irst commercial caravan to be towed by car, the Caravan and Motorhome Club is witnessing an eight percent rise in bookings for 2019 with many people venturing out in their caravans this Bank Holiday to mark the start of the summer season.

With site bookings at an all-time high, Harvey Alexander, director of marketing at the Caravan and Motorhome Club said: “The continued political uncertainty, together with last year’s fantastic summer and the warm weather we have seen so far this year, means we have seen a real surge in demand for our UK site network as people choose to explore what is on their doorstep this summer.”

With additional incentives such as kids under five stay free on all UK Club sites and dogs also being able to stay for free, holidaying closer to home becomes even more economical.

With average prices for a family of four (kids between 5 and 17 years old) at £31.20 for one night at peak season and for two adults at just £26.30, it is hardly surprising that given the current currency uncertainties, many holidaymakers are choosing to stay in the UK this summer.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club’s insurance sales are also up by 20 percent for motorhomes and campervans and nearly 90 percent of members have renewed their Caravan Cover so far this year, ensuring members are covered for any and all eventuality.

It’s not just those who own caravans, motorhomes or campervans who are staying in the UK in 2019. The Club’s Experience Freedom brand, open to non-members, offering tent camping as well as the iconic Airstream caravan, yurts, camping and glamping pods on selected sites around the country, is also experiencing a surge in demand.

Celebrating its 2nd birthday this year, Experience Freedom is expanding with ten new glamping pods now available for summer in Brighton.

Experience Freedom prices start from just £39 a night for a camping pod sleeping two and £59 for a glamping pod, sleeping up to two adults and two children.

Tent camping bookings are also up by 12 percent on last year and tent pitches are available on over 50 sites, with an additional six UK sites added for 2019.

Alexander continued: “It certainly looks like this year is set to be a bumper one for UK stays and it’s gratifying to see that demand is well up for all of our UK products. Wherever our members, or Experience Freedom guests, choose to stay they can be guaranteed a high standard of site and accommodation. The excellent customer service we offer will ensure they set off benefiting from our expertise and safe in the knowledge of our support.”

To help celebrate the 2 year birthday of the “Experience Freedom” brand I will actually be spending this coming weekend at the The Club’s Daleacres site in a yurt for the weekend. So stay tuned for some more coverage on that over this coming weekend.

Cumbrian Eco Friendly Park Pulls The Plug

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By William Coleman

As touring holiday makers we are responsible for the effects our leisure time has on the environment, as are the companies that provide us the locations that we love to visit. This Cumbrian holiday park is encouraging guests to take a greener approach to doing the dishes to help reduce impact on water wastage.

It is estimated that 95% of the dishes washed on site are done by men, good going gents, but it would seem they are going to get a bit of a hall pass at the Lake District holiday park Skelwith Fold.

So what has happened here then? Well this dish cleaning reprieve has been put in place by the Ambleside business who are providing its touring guests access, for free, to their automatic dishwasher which takes just five minutes to clean and dry a full load.

This new dishwasher has been designed for the caravan and motorhome user. The all new super fast machine has now become a familiar site across a lot of sites and parks across mainland Europe.

According to the Dutch manufacturers of the “Easy Be” dishwasher Skelwith Fold are the UK’s first park to have the new eco friendly machine.

It means that the party’s official washer-upper can now jettison the J-cloth in favour of a cup of coffee while technology takes over the toil.

But according to Skelwith Fold director Henry Wild, the benefits of the machine are measured not just in terms of pulling the plug on sinks-full of dirty dishes:

“The dishwasher provides a substantial saving in the volume of water used and the energy consumed when compared with doing the job by hand,” he said.

“This is very important to us as a business because we are constantly striving to minimise our impact on the environment in a raft of different ways.

“We estimate that our touring guests carry out at least 40,000 washing-up sessions every year, so the potential for cutting our electricity and water consumption is enormous.

“In addition, machine washing is shown to be more hygienic – and there’s another bonus in being able to use those five minutes for socialising instead of splashing about in suds!” added Henry.

Anyone who has a dishwasher at home knows that although it may be easier it is by no means quicker or more cost effective. Once you add the water, soap and electricity costs it can be quite a costly way to do the dishes. This new Dutch tech allows your cups, plates, bowls and cutlery to go through a thorough cleaning and dry cycle in a much quicker time than your domestic appliance.

Its dishwashers are even connected to the internet, and able to self-diagnose any issues, find the solution on-line, and alert the park about any attention they need.

Users of Skelwith Fold’s premium pitches are given free tokens for the machine, and others pay just £1.00 to swap the sink for a swifter and less soggy experience.

Skelwith Fold’s commitment to the natural world has for over fifteen successive years earned it the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

The park was also crowned two years ago as Lakeland’s top holiday park in the Cumbria Tourism Awards when it took the overall top spot in the competition.

In addition to 150 pitches for touring caravans and motorhomes, Skelwith Fold provides luxury glamping pods, safari tents, and holiday homes to own.

There is more information about Skelwith Fold on its website at www.skelwith.coml

The Show Stopping Devon Park

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By William Coleman

One of my earliest memories was actually from a holiday park during the evening entertainment. Haven Holiday Park at Sandy Bay watching a live wrestling show with my mum and dad. From then the holiday park evening has been a staple part of the great British holiday. This East Devon park has been given a round of thumbs up following their latest show.

Six sensational entertainment artists gained a unanimous “Yes!” vote from cheering staff at East Devon’s Ladram Bay Holiday Park this spring.

The new entertainment team staged an exclusive special preview of their 2019 show for the park employees at the site’s annual conference as they gear up for the brand new season.

Realising the importance of good quality onsite entertainment, Ladram Bay say that this year’s line up is the strongest they have ever had and will once again be relying almost exclusively on shows produced in-house.

The new scene stealing team are 2 male and 4 female entertainers who are now full time employees during the holiday season. The team put a full line up of entertainment for the little ones during the day as well as the adults.

Staff numbers at Ladram Bay, which reach up to 170 during peak season, previewed the different nightly musical shows which holiday guests will enjoy over the coming months.

The new team performed for staff at the annual get together of employees which also included team building exercises and an inspirational speech to rally the troops by Rob Baxter, director of rugby at Exeter Chiefs professional rugby union club.

Ladram Bay, which last year marked its 75th anniversary under the ownership of the Carter family, says the conference has a valuable role at the start of the holiday year.


Team effort: staff at Ladram Bay enjoyed a sneak preview of the park’s upcoming shows at their conference

“It’s an important occasion because it’s a rare chance for us all to come together just before the park gets into full swing,” said Ladram Bay director and family member Zoe House.

“As well as getting to know each other better, we also have the opportunity to talk about our shared values, and how we can all help to give guests the best experience possible.

“We recruit the majority of our staff from the surrounding areas, and their local knowledge can also be very helpful to families wanting to explore the region.

“I’m also delighted that the training we provide has opened the doors for many of our staff to successful careers in the leisure and hospitality industries,” added Zoe.

Zoe says that the huge investment made by the park in five-star facilities has helped to ensure many repeat visits, and is often praised by guests in reviews.

This year’s offering includes clubs, games and activities for families throughout the day, as well as the professionally staged evening entertainment in the park’s Three Rocks complex.

There is also a swimming pool, a recently opened Splash Zone with interactive water features, and an indoor climbing wall with instruction and a range of different challenges.

More information about the park – and details of the different holiday options and holiday home ownership opportunities at Ladram Bay – is available at www.ladrambay.co.uk

Towcar Review- Volvo XC60

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By William Coleman & Dan Carwright

Last year we were part of the judging panel for the Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar Of The Year Awards. During the testing we were totally blown away by the Volvo XC60 and were delighted that our marks went towards the vote that named this Volvo “The Towcar Of The Year”. Now we get the chance to get our hands on one and give a real lift test.

During the testing we used the XC60 in strict test conditions while towing a Bailey caravan full of weights to represent the kind of load you may have on board when going away on holiday.

One thing that we wanted to do is give the Volvo a real world test and see how it handles as both tow car and day to vehicle, because let’s face it, you’re more than likely to use this towcar a lot more without having a caravan attached.

The model we tested was the XC60 D5 PowerPlus AWB R-Design Pro Auto, and without getting too gushy, we absolutely loved it and found it hard to find fault.

During the week we had it myself and Dan Cartwright took turns putting the Volvo through its paces, we did almost 1300 miles, and we did our best to try and find something we did not like. So let’s start off by highlighting some of the few points I, William, was not overly keen on.

It is no secret that I am a borderline technophobe and the Volvo has an extreme amount of bells and whistles that can be a tad overwhelming at times. Once I spent a little bit of time getting to know the system it does become clear and actually quite straight forward.

There are a lot of options to play around with and you do need to spend some time getting your head round them. The iPad style display is easy to navigate through but I found that it is best tackled once you have had a good read of the instructions.

This model came with 4 additional packs on board which come with the following extras:

Xenium Pack- £1,800

Power Glass Tilt and Slide Panoramic Sunroof with Sun Curtain
Parking Camera with 360 Surround View
Park Assist Pilot- Automatic Parallel and 90 degree Parking

Intellisafe Pro Pack- £1,500

Pilot Assist (up to 80mph)
Adaptive Cruise Control
Blind Spot Information System
Cross Traffic Alert
Rear Collision Mitigation

Family Pack- £450

2- Stage Integrated Child Seat for Outer Rear Seats
Load Protection Net
Power Child Locks

Convenience Pack- £375

Power Folding Rear Seat Backrests and Headrests
230v / 150w 3 Pin Plug Socket in Centre Console
Front Tunnel Net Pocket

Single Options

Smartphone Integration (includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with 2 USB- £300
Retractable Tow Bar- £1,075
Tempa Spare Wheel and Jack- £150
Metallic Paint- £650

So as you can see there are a lot of optional extras to suit most driving needs, if you want to spend the extra money that is. Being spoilt with all these extras I would find it hard to have this Volvo without quite a few of them. If I’m being honest I could probably do without the Family or Convenience packs but I can see why it would work for a lot of people.

The on board radio is absolutely outstanding and if you like to have music playing or your favourite podcasts the ApplePlay is top notch. The sound quality is fantastic.

The display screen is basically a large touchscreen tablet like an iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab. With a few touches you are presented with a screen full of options and a whole wave of features. At times it can be a little bit of a distraction.

The built in sat nav is very clear and a welcome addition for me as I do not have a built in system. Although there are better ones on the market, if you do not mind attaching one to the window of your vehicle.

Day To Day Driving By William Coleman

Spending this amount of money, £38-£56,535 if you pick the top option, means you are probably going to use this as your day to day car and tow car. So you need to make sure that this vehicle can handle towing and popping to the shops for a pint of milk.

At this price range there is some stiff competition, but the XC60 seems to have blast its rivals out of the water. Over the thousand plus miles we managed to cover inner city driving, motorways, A roads and then your normal high streets and quiet small residential roads.

The XC60 is such a pleasure to drive that you intentionally find a longer route home just so you can spend a little longer behind the wheel.

It is just a shame the weather was not that great during testing as the huge sunroof is such a good extra that I now resent my Ford Focus for its lack of sunroof.

It is a slightly large SUV but you soon get to grips with its size and with the added option of a 360 parking sensor and a bird’s eye view parking assist it makes any situation easy to get out of. You may find yourself relying on it far too much as it really does make life easy.

The steering is extremely light for a vehicle of this size and then add the automatic transmission if feels like you are driving something a lot smaller. A very smooth drive with a silent engine, a bit like a gentle silent giant.

This is the second generation of the XC60 and in comparison is it a lot safer, so much safety tech, a lot nicer to drive also a lot more fuel efficient, but I found it did quite enjoy fuel on shorter stop start journeys.

Technical Specs

Engine Size- 1969 cc
Kerb Weight- 1836kg
85% KW- 1561kg
Towball Limit- 110kg
Maximum Towing Limit- 2400kg
Power- 187.0 bhp
Torque- 295.0 lb ft
Official MPG- 55.4 mpg
CO2- 133 g/km
30-60 MPH- 11 Seconds
30-0mph- 9.4m

The XC60 As A Tow Car By Dan Cartwright

When it comes to towing with a modern “luxury SUV” you may think they can all easily tow and you would be right. They are all capable of towing and they are all powerful and heavy enough to tow a big twin axle caravan of your choosing.

But here the similarities end. The towing characteristics of each brand and model vary markedly, and much more so than the difference when driving these cars un hitched. If you drove the current array of new LSUV’s at there towing capacity you would see very quickly the difference between them when towing.

The reason for this difference is that at the luxury end of the market you are having to think if the majority of these will be used, and that is firmly on the road, on the school run and motorways. This means a manufacturer has to add a whole host of driving features and potentially compromise things like off road or towing capabilities to make there LSUV more appealing to the mass market.

If you’re lucky enough to be looking at this market for your next tow car it’s not the “paper exercise” it was years ago of weight, power and torque, get them right for your caravan and your done..

Unfortunately today it is about how the electronics, dynamic suspension, driver aids, emissions and fuelling all work while towing. This is where the XC60 wins over its competitors, and wins big.

Towing with the XC is effortless. For a car that has a user manual so big it’s integrated with instructional videos in to the car itself, for a car that can literally drive itself to specifications you set, for a car that dynamically augments reality to give you a top down view when reversing all you have to do is press a button to reveal your towbar, put on your towing mirrors, hitch up your caravan and drive away. If you do this the XC60 will drive very much as it did before you hitched it up.

Talking today about tower and suspension when towing is a bit redundant on this type of vehicle because everything can be changed and normally together. The XC60 does this very well, whilst there are endless menus to change the main driving dynamics there is a single button that blacks out the full display to give you three simple options, Economy, normal and dynamic.

Simply select one of the three options. This is very useful, no longer will you finally set off on your holidays after packing and checking everything to set off and realise your in the wrong setting and limp along until you find somewhere to pull over and search through menus for the right setting for towing.

In tests Normal and Dynamic worked very, very well, especially on a twisty A road. Economy made towing a bit sluggish and noisy on hills and twisty roads, but it’s worth noting that it worked perfectly on the motorway when we got it up to speed and saved a lot of fuel.

Also whatever is done with the suspension in these modes doesn’t affect towing, there is virtually no pitch or roll in corners and we never felt that horrible push from behind the middle of a corner in any setting.

Whilst the hitch and go ability of the Volvo is great there are a lot of driver aids and if you put in a little time to understand how to personalise these you will be able to use them all whilst towing.

In some luxury cars driver aids can almost work against you when towing, from violently braking (and in some cases tightening the seat belt in a bladder splitting crash position) if the caravan moves at all on the rear to cruise control that won’t accelerate or even switches off. Somehow the XC60 doesn’t do this at all meaning you use active cruise/follow control and pilot assist.

The following control is amazing for slow moving traffic or busy motorways particularly when towing, it will simply follow to your maximum speed and distance to the car in front. It will also slow you down if the traffic in front slows. No need to cancel cruise control and reset if traffic fluctuates.

The pilot assist will keep you in a lane even steering for its-self. As mentioned these features work well when towing but a couple of tips – you may want to go in to the setting and increase braking distance to the car in front and move the pilot assist in to the middle of a lane as it is quite far over to the left – especially if you have a 8ft wide caravan.

Are there any issues with the XC60 as a tow car? Well for its ability to tow no, that said I did find the boot a strange and inconvenient shape, whilst the load capacity is good it will struggle with bulky items such as awnings and aqua rolls.

Also control centre and menus take a bit of time to get used to. I got stuck on a 2 hours tailback on the A14 but still couldn’t quite work out if I could change the view of one of the two sat navs… which leaves the only other fault of the volvo is the driver, I actually forgot that I was towing and got the fright of my life when I looked in the mirror to see a giant white box inches from the rear of my car.

The Phonebox Lifeline

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By William Coleman

An iconic red phone box is now home to life-saving medical equipment at a remote rural holiday park in Lancashire, thanks to an initiative by its family owners.

Moss Wood in Cockerham near Lancaster has fully restored a classic K6 phone kiosk which is now installed at the park entrance and houses a state-of-the-art defibrillator.

In the event of an emergency in the local community or on the park, the unit could greatly increase the chances of survival for someone suffering cardiac arrest.

With the park’s hideaway location deep in the countryside, says Moss Wood’s Henry Wild, the defibrillator can save vital minutes in providing treatment to a victim.

The equipment delivers an electric pulse through the victim’s chest to restore normal heart rhythms, and is much more likely to be effective if used immediately after an attack.

Henry says the advanced and fully automatic model installed provides simple audio instructions which allow their use even by those with no medical experience.

The defibrillator has been supplied by the North West Ambulance Service which will be providing training on its use to the park team and selected holiday guests.

Moss Wood has been owned by the Wild family for over 40 years, and provides pitches for touring caravans and motorhomes plus caravan holiday homes to own.

But the peaceful countryside setting, says Henry, doesn’t mean that the park is immune from the risk of medical emergencies arising:

“Having a defibrillator immediately to hand could make a crucial difference, and especially in summer when travelling times are lengthened by extra traffic,” says Henry.

“The equipment is, of course, something which we hope will never be needed – but we are mindful of its life-saving potential, especially in a remote rural area.

“Sudden cardiac arrest is a major killer in Britain, and a close-at-hand defibrillator on the park could dramatically increase a person’s life chances,” he added.

Henry arranged for the top-to-bottom refurbishment of the K6 phone box, including its repainting in the official shade of red, in order to make its presence more prominent.

Built from 1926 onwards, the boxes have been voted as one of Britain’s top 10 design icons along with the Spitfire fighter plane, the London tube map, Concorde and the Routemaster bus.

There is more information about Moss Wood on its website at http://www.mosswood.co.uk/

The Survival Van- Could You Survive The Zombies?

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By William Coleman

Who hasn’t had the old “could you survive” convo over a pint or while playing out and about when you were a kid? Following a conversation on just how stupid characters are in survival/horror/zombie films, the debate of who could last the longest in their caravan popped up. What follows is how we think we would survive in an apocalyptic event with a motorhome or caravan.

So you wake up on a Monday morning, the sun is beaming but as it would happen the world has been plunged into a zombie wasteland. What do you do? You hitch up and hit the road to find somewhere safe and wait for the whole thing to blow over, yes I just quoted Shaun Of The Dead.

So here are our top tips for surviving a rather non existent and impossible situation with your caravan or motorhome. This will also apply to “off grid” camping in the event that this totally unrealistic situation ever arises.

Plenty Of Fuel

Getting out of dodge and hitting the road will require a vehicle that gets really good mileage from a full tank, especially when towing.

A diesel tow car is always going to get you a lot more miles and any larger vehicle you may come across is likely to be diesel so you should be able to get your hands of a fair bit of extra fuel.

Fill up as many containers as you can and pack the car and van up with as much extra fuel as you can. You may have to remove a fair amount of weight from the caravan to make sure you are able to tow safely with the extra liquid weight aboard.

Pack Light

When towing you really need to focus on what kind of weight the caravan is loaded to. It comes down to what you are willing to remove. Can you get away with removing cupboards and fixtures to free up some weight for food, water and other essential supplies?

I feel that the temptation to over pack and take a lot of things that are pretty much pointless when it comes to survival will be pretty strong. It is here where you have to make the sacrifice of sentiment to ensure you can get away quicker when it hits the fan.

The more you can do without the more stable the towing will be and the more survival kit you can take with you.

Some Panel Reinforcement

If you have seen any survival film that is set in an urban landscape you’ll know what the best offence is a good defence.

Putting a layer or armour between you and some undesirables gives you extra defence and can massively reduce the risk the van’s chassis taking the impact and possible irreparable damage.

Not only will it protect the chassis but it will also make the vehicle looked a bit shabby in use, hiding in plain site.

Big Roof Box

If you do not want to over pack the caravan and potentially cause bad towing behaviour then a roof top box is ideal. The only real drawback of the roof box is the drag it can reduce a car’s mpg by up to 20 per cent, size and weight dependant, because the engine has to work harder to haul it around.

Depending on the additional life saving cargo the loss of the miles per gallon can be well worth it.

Also in the event that the caravan become detached, highly unlikely but we are talking about potential zombies here, then at least you have supplies in the roof box.

It would also be a good idea to look at what provisions you put whereas in the event of an accident or mishap you do not want to lose a bulk of your kit.

Specific Sat Sat

Satellite navigation systems are a godsend, hard to think how we did so well before we got them. In an event where you are escaping to the less populated countryside a normal bog standard sat-nav may not cut it due to the size of what you are hauling.

Invest in TomTom’s Go Camper, it may just save your life. This sat-nav has been created specifically for motorhomes and caravans. They take into account road width, tolls as well as caravan friendly routes.

The last thing you are going to want is to get stuck down a narrow country road and have to ask someone to hop out and see you back. It could make a nightmare journey a lot more pleasant.

Spare Tyres

A bit of an obvious one but spare tyres can make all the difference on an exodus out of danger. Come to think about it, I have seen plenty of people in real life not have spares and end up in a right mess on the side of the road.

In a world where tyres shops are going to be non existent pretty quickly you may want to pack heavy with some spares for both the caravan and towcar or motorhomes.

Also invest in puncture repair kit, just do not spend too long in the open sorting out the damage.

Solar Power & Batteries

I once had a power cut that started on a Friday morning and didn’t come back on until well into the evening. Being without power for around 12 hours really does prove just how utterly dependent we are on electricity.

In the event of a real world situation like this experts have said that running water and electricity are going to be one of the first things to go. Make sure that you have enough batteries and try to get your hands on solar panels.

Having solar energy will be the most important commodity you can get your hands on, apart from water purification equipment. A lot of modern vans do actually comes with solar panels already installed. If you are lucky enough to have them you are one step ahead of the rest.

Change Colour

Out of sight and out of mind is what you want to aim for when you need to stop for a break or an overnight stay. Do not be tempted to try and cover your set up with a tarp or some sort of cover as this is big bright sign showing something is being hidden.

An idea that was chucked around and seemed to be a popular one was painting the van. The two colour schemes were black, so it could be a bit stealthy at night, or a moss green to make it appear ruined and abandoned, or dare we say camouflaged. Both fairly good ideas in this pretend scenario.

So there you have it, a rather tongue in cheek article that was discussed heavily last Friday. What would you do in the event that where you live needed to be evacuated?