Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Practical Caravan

self-heating lunchbox Enjoy hot food on the go with this clever device, which steam-heats your food, wherever you are. It's rechargeable, 99.9% leakproof and app-controlled. Price £225 Web steam-box.com Natural firelighters Crafted from wood wool dipped in wax, these British-made bundles are a lightweight, natural alternative to traditional firelighters. Price £4.99 Web certainlywood.co.uk Folding trolley With a steel frame, hardwearing liner and deep-tread wheels, this capacious collapsible trolley can be loaded up for a beach day, picnic or festival. Price £89.99 Web trailoutdoorleisure.co.uk Beach powder No more sandy sandwiches and gritty picnic blankets! This gentle powder instantly removes sand from skin and is certified safe for babies and children. Price £10.99 Web beachpowder.co.uk Down camping blanket Perfect for campfire nights or as an extra layer in bed, this cosy 137…

FIRST LOOK SHOWROOM Price £18,220 (as tested) Berths 4 MiRO 935kg MTPLM 1200kg AROUND TEN YEARS ago, Elddis launched an all-electric caravan. Bailey also did the same in its Orion range. In fact – and going all the way back to 1965 – automotive electricals manufacturer Lucas also launched an all-electric model, which used various forms of battery power. It was a bit too far ahead of its time, however. All of these models were at the budget end of the market, as is the Weinsberg CaraCito 450 FU, which comes in an all-electric version. So are buyers now ready for all-electric? Pitch and set-up Its simple looks do remind you that this is an entry-level tourer. It feels solid and well put together, but it has stucco side panels, which…

QUICK TEST What's new? Nissan has introduced a new generation of the popular X-Trail SUV. The version we're testing here is a 4x4 hybrid. The electric motors driving the wheels get power from the 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, so it's self-contained and never needs to be plugged in. What are we looking for? As it uses the clever hybrid system, we're not only looking for a large, practical SUV with good road manners whether solo or towing, but also for a vehicle that's practical and economical to use on a day-to-day basis. Towing ability The advantage of a self-charging hybrid is that it can be used in the same way you would an internal-combustion car, so there is no waiting about for charging points to do their thing: you just…

ONE OF THE many advantages of owning a caravan is having your own facilities on board, which makes keeping your toilet fresh and clean really important. There's a wealth of toilet chemicals out there, however, so what's the difference between them, and which should you choose? Here's our guide to the different types available, and what they do. Waste-tank chemicals The typical caravan toilet includes a holding tank below the bowl – once this is full, you just remove the cassette, before emptying it into a dedicated waste disposal point (and never anywhere else). It's crucial to use some form of toilet chemical or additive in the tank to help break down waste and paper, and keep things smelling fresh. When purchasing, look for bottles that have the words ‘toilet…

1 Nitrocellulose adhesive (clear glue) This is probably the most prolific of the adhesives available. It is very versatile and can be used to bond many different materials. It is a ‘drying’ adhesive that is, once applied, it relies on its inherent solvent to dissipate, then it hardens and forms the bond. It is moderately strong, but not flexible, and will adhere to most surfaces. Usually in tube form, it is easy to apply. 2 Contact adhesive This type of glue also has many uses. It is once again a‘drying'adhesive, in that it is solvent based. Usually, both surfaces to be stuck together are coated with adhesive before being left to dry for a while. Once a certain level of ‘tackiness’ has been reached, both parts are pressed together to form…

Featuring models on UK sale for 2023! FIND THE PERFECT FLOORPLAN FOR YOUR NEEDS Please check model details with the manufacturer or dealer before travelling to view or buy There are a wide range of caravan layouts to choose from (pictured below), all with their own pros and cons. When you're trying to settle on the arrangement that will suit you, there are some points to think about that can help you decide. Here, we take a look at a few of the most popular floorplans out there, and what they can offer you. B TRANSVERSE ISLAND BED, REAR WASHROOM Island beds are a surprisingly recent addition to caravans, and were really introduced from the world of motorhomes. Caravans are usually a bit wider than motorhomes, though, so it is…

THE BIG SHOT MOROCCO Where are we? Chefchaouen, Morocco Why tour here? Bailey's Sahara Challenge recently saw a fleet of caravans and motorhomes crossing Europe and reaching North Africa (p48). In the mountainside city of Chefchaouen, the Sahara Challenge team were able to enjoy spectacular views of the city's famous blue-rinsed houses, set against the dramatic background of the mighty Rif mountains. Don't miss… The winding alleys of the Medina (without a caravan in tow!), where you can buy spices and enjoy a tasty tagine. Photograph Courtesy of Alan Bond/Bailey ‘We made our way to B using minor roads, but these were equal to, or better than, many of our B-roads’ (p48)…

The Caravan and Motorhome Club's aim to offer free Wi-Fi across its campsites is making good progress. The Club has invested around £1.5m into upgrading connectivity across its network, and from April, rolled out a programme of site-wide upgrades that will take around eight months to complete. Ultimately, the idea is to deliver free Wi-Fi to pitches, so that users can check emails, post to social media and search and browse the web. There are also plans to offer a paid-for upgrade option for those sites wishing to enable guests to download files and watch videos. Completion of phase two will see delivery of Wi-Fi across sites in a few months. The Club says it will contact members with a Wi-Fi pass (from Freshwave) regarding any value left on their…

Whether you're on tour or at home, relax with a cup of tea and some brain-teasers to ponder! SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9. No single digit can appear twice in any one row, column or 3x3 box WORDWISE You have 15 minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the grid. Each word must contain four or more letters, one of which must be the central square. No proper nouns, plurals or foreign words are allowed. There is one nine-letter word in the grid, for which the clue is: get together. 10 = average More than 20 = well done HALF & HALF Which Royal Navy captain led an 1839 Antarctic expedition aboard…

Back in 2020, Bailey of Bristol set off on its original Sahara Challenge and managed to get as far as Sagres, in Portugal. With just one day to go before the team were due to make the ferry crossing to Morocco, the trip was cancelled because of Covid-19. I had been planning to fly out to join them, but got a call just in time, telling me we had to cancel. Fast forward to March 2023, and the big adventure was resurrected, now renamed Sahara Challenge 2. A core team from Bailey took two standard production Bailey Phoenix+ 642 caravans, towed by Ford Ranger MS-RT Limited Edition pick-ups, and a Bailey Adamo 75-4T motorhome (with a further support van) from Bristol to Sagres, where the trip would restart. Back on…

BAILEY OF BRISTOL has completed the trek to the outskirts of the Sahara Desert that it was forced to abandon when the pandemic first struck, three years ago. A team from the Bristol manufacturer and other participants took two Bailey Phoenix+ 642 models, towed by Ford Rangers, and a Bailey motorhome, from the ‘World's End’, Sagres in southern Portugal, through Spain and across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco. They then visited Fez, Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aït Benhaddou, and drove through the Dadès Gorge, before reaching the edge of the Sahara Desert and then returning home. Bailey MD Nick Howard, a team member, said, “To bring the caravans and motorhome here on tour and see how they performed in the real world is…

SHOWROOM FINANCE The caravanning lifestyle offers one of the best investment returns around: not necessarily in terms of cash, but you'll definitely profit from more freedom, greater pleasure – and priceless memories. But this is still a major investment, whether you're a first-time caravan buyer or you have a tourer to part-exchange for a newer model. So choosing carefully how to finance your purchase could save you a small fortune. The options include using savings, a personal loan, personal contract purchase (PCP), hire purchase (HP), personal contract hire (PCH), or a dealer/broker finance package. The key to getting the best deal is understanding all of those different ways to pay. For starters, if you have enough cash sitting in the bank to purchase your caravan outright, that will almost certainly…

SWIFT DROPPED the popular Sterling Europa brand for 2012, to streamline its ranges. The Sterling shared the same bodyshell as regular Swift models, but the interiors were different. Modern interiors were a key feature of the Sterling brand, which was originally launched by Caravans International. Swift took on the brand in 1994, positioning it as a good alternative for buyers of its more traditional Charisma. The Europa mirrored the Charisma line-up, with a good spec, robust build and a wide selection of layouts. Model history The Europa provided a good choice of floorplans, and the 550, with a side fixed bed and end washroom, was a popular model. In 2010, a new layout, based on the 550 and named the 545, was launched. This came with a U-shaped dinette instead…

TOW CAR ADVICE CARAVANNING IS A GREAT way for large families to enjoy holidays together. But to tow your family-sized tourer, you'll need a spacious vehicle to match. If you want to accommodate six or seven passengers, you're most likely to be shopping for an SUV or an MPV. These days, SUVs have become more popular than people carriers, but you can still make a strong case for choosing either type of car. Even those of us without a big family can benefit from that extra row of seats. They come in very handy when the grandparents join you on days out, or for ferrying team-mates to and from football practice. When the third row isn't needed, the seats can be folded into the floor for a hugely roomy boot.…

SKILL SCHOOL POWER BANKS PORTABLE POWER BANKS have really taken off recently – for many people who post online, they've become a must-have item that promises to transform your caravanning life. But what exactly are portable power stations – and do you need to buy one? The first point to bear in mind is that over the years, caravan manufacturers have refined their products to the point where the modern tourer is a pretty powerful bit of kit, which can generally offer you at least a weekend's camping on its built-in battery power. If you find yourself in need of more off-grid capability, the cheapest way to achieve this is simply to double or triple your battery bank. However, power banks are still very popular – so what are they…

Star letter Loving our Laser In December 2019, we took what we then thought would be our final touring holiday. We'd owned our then-caravan for all of eight months, but a number of very small things had gone wrong in a short period of time, and we felt that Airbnbs were so cheap and easy to find, we could continue our adventures with ease. In March we sold our caravan, and just over two weeks later, the whole country locked down. We were relieved that we had managed to sell the van before then, but as we came out of the first lockdown, we felt we needed an adventure. We started to look at Airbnbs and the like, but the prices had gone through the roof, so our next thought…

We asked on Facebook about your first caravans… and you shared some treasured memories! TAG US #PRACTICAL CARAVAN OR EMAIL LETTERS@PRACTICALCARAVAN.COM…

Chelsea Flower Show 23-27 May 2023 In horticultural terms, Chelsea is the big one, packed with top exhibitors, presentations and, of course, those wonderful show gardens. Among them this year are the Natural Affinity Garden, by Camellia Taylor, the wheelchair-accessible Horatio's Garden, by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg, and Manoj Malde's RHS Chelsea Garden Party. Tickets (non-members of the RHS) start at £48.85. rhs.org.uk/chelsea Stay at Crystal Palace Caravan and Motorhome Club Site caravanclub.co.uk Scone Palace Garden Fair 2-3 June 2023 Visitors to this event near Perth can enjoy a superb line-up of workshops and competitions, and top nurseries selling quality plants. Scone Palace Head Gardener Brian Cunningham and the team from TV show Beechgrove Garden will be on hand to answer horticultural queries. Tickets cost £13.50. scone-palace.co.uk/event/scone-palace-garden-fair-2023 Stay at…

‘Today's visitors will find many of Lincoln's most popular attractions have a historical bent, but it's far from stuck in the past’ THE CITY OF LINCOLN, lying between Nottingham to the south-west and Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the northeast, is sometimes overlooked as a touring destination. That's a shame, because there is much to enjoy in this historic place, which in the 13th century was the third-largest city in England. Its importance as a political and cultural centre in the Middle Ages is reflected by its impressive cathedral, which was the world's tallest structure in 1311 – a record it held for more than two centuries. Today's visitors will find that many of Lincoln's most popular attractions have a historical bent, but it's far from stuck…

FIRST LOOK SHOWROOM Price £19,999 Berths 2 MiRO 887kg MTPLM 998kg WHEN BAILEY LAUNCHED the second generation of its Discovery range this year, there was one new layout, the four-berth D4-4L with a side dinette (reviewed in issue 463). The two-berth D4-2 continued as an end-washroom model. However, there are a couple of things that make this latest version stand out. First, it is now the only Bailey caravan that you can buy new for less than £20,000. (OK, that doesn't include the likely delivery charge of £645 – but it's still impressive.) Second, the Bristol manufacturer has made sure the MTPLM of this second-generation model stays under one metric tonne. (As it happens, only 2kg under, but as with the price, it's worth noting.) So does that still make for…

What is the APR? The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a standardised way of expressing the total cost of a financing deal, so that you can compare all of the options like-for-like. All lenders have to tell you their APR before you sign any credit agreement, and you're guaranteed that an 8.0% APR loan will always be cheaper than a 9.9% APR deal. APR factors in additional costs, such as fixed sign-up or exit fees, but it doesn't allow for flexible costs, such as payment protection or fees for late payment. Pay your deposit with a credit card Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act offers protection to buyers if they pay by credit card for purchases between £100 and £30,000, even if only the deposit is paid on the…

USED TOW CAR MULTIPURPOSE VEHICLE. Think of those words and usually, a large, boxy vehicle with seven folding seats and sliding side doors springs to mind. However, there is an argument that a pick-up truck, such as the Ford Ranger, is actually a more accurate representation of a multipurpose vehicle. That's because the Ranger can double up as a hardworking vehicle during the week, then turn into rugged, family-fun transport at the weekend. What's it like inside? The Ford Ranger is genuinely pleasant to be in. A double cab model will best suit family buyers, in which case there's loads of space up front for two adults, and you'll be able to find an ideal driving position, no matter how large or small your stature. Better still, there's reasonable space…

CARAVAN GENIUS IT IS A fact of life that we rely on adhesives far more than we might realise. To most people, ‘glue’ is simply the thing that we resort to when we have dropped a treasured family heirloom or need to reattach something that has simply ‘come off in your hand’. Invariably we grab a tube of glue from the drawer before hastily applying liberal amounts to the fractured item, in the vain hope that it will all turn out for the best. In many cases, the procedure will end in failure, for a whole host of reasons. But why does that seem to happen so often? First of all, a brief overview of adhesives in general won't go amiss. There are hundreds of different products available. The industrial…