Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i Caravan

"I love March as it gives me hope that new beginnings are always beautiful"-Anamika Mishra As soon as Christmas is behind us, the industry starts gearing up for the February Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show, working out what stock to take and preparing for launches. And at this show, Bailey of Bristol will be unveiling its new Discovery line-up and I've already seen it! If you'd like a sneaky peek, you'll find our review in this issue, plus a video on our YouTube channel youtube.com/@CaravanTV While you're there, I'd love for you to take a look at all our other reviews and subscribe. If you're new to caravanning, we can help! Our Buying Your Perfect Caravan guide is out now and it’s packed with information about how to get started, including…

When planning our spring trip last year, I had one main aim and that was to find a blooming good bluebell wood adjacent to a campsite. In previous years, the best bluebells I have ever seen were in the Forest of Dean, but we were pitched a few miles from the best spot and this meant upping sticks whenever I wanted to go and take photos. This spring I found a much more convenient location in the Vale of Pewsey, but was it as good? Sarah loves bluebells just as much as I do but I couldn’t drag her halfway across the country without a few other ideas up my sleeve. It didn’t take long to find another site, not too far away, which is on the bank of the…

Dramatic coastline, delicious seafood and plenty of surf make north Cornwall a hotspot for a staycation and, when the weather is on your side, you could think you’re in the Mediterranean. Campsites get booked up early in the season in this area so, if you’re considering a summer break here, book ahead to make sure you don't miss out! Eat The Seafood Restaurant Fresh fish and seafood are always on the menu at Rick and Jill Stein’s famed restaurant in Padstow. It’s been open since 1975 and attracts diners from all over the world. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, it’s perfect. W rickstein.com Stay Trewan Hall Trewan Hall is a firm favourite for getaways during the warmer months and camping like it used to be, but with the essential…

Flaxton Meadows ecocampsite is located in North Yorkshire’s beautiful countryside, renowned for its wildlife and scenery. Touring and campervan pitches are available in hard-standing or grass with natural screening and electric. It’s a peaceful retreat for those wanting to enjoy nature, yet is within easy reach of a wide range of amenities. We caught up with owner, Jon Charters-Reid, to find out more about the site Q How long have you been running your campsite? A Flaxton Meadows welcomed its first guests late in the season in 2020, but, due to two years of pandemic closures, 2022 was our first full year of trading. Q What made you want to own and run a campsite? A I have always been passionate A about camping and love the outdoors. As a…

If you want a new single-axle, standard-width, six-berth caravan, you have only two choices. There’s the Sprite Major 6 TD, and the Adria Altea Avon. All of the others are in the eight-foot width and twin-axle ranges. While comparable to the Sprite Major 6 TD – in that they both have beds for six – the Avon is unique among new caravans on the British market, because it has three bunks. Ten or so years ago, triple-bunk layouts appeared in most major manufacturers’ ranges. But layouts have fashions, and triple bunks fell out of favour. Yet they are ideal for a family with very young children. The Avon, thus, is a very special caravan. And, for 2023, the Altea range has become even more stylish than before, with a grey…

sudoku If you're looking for a way to exercise your mind, sudoku is great and will certainly get the cogs turning! just for fun Find the 23 musical instruments crossword ACROSS 7 Of low value and offensively inferior (5,3,5)8 Aerobic rod-shaped spore producing bacterium (8)9 Elderly (4)10 Distribute; cast to the winds (7)12 Honorific for addressing a mature woman; epithet for a precocious little girl (5)14 Leavened Jewish bread, shaped like a ring (5)16 Confused talk and activity; fuss (7)19 Foreboding; cape of North Carolina (4)20 Aardvark, for example (8)22 Building site hardware (8,5) DOWN 1 In Greek myth, the mother of Helios (4)2 Lasso; cowboy’s rope (6)3 Arched; leapt over (7)4 That is (Latin) (2,3)5 Tropical tree with yellow fruit used in medicine (6)6 Cheapest accommodation on a passenger…

I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before; I’d hoped to visit the famous Eric Young Orchid Foundation in Jersey for many a year and automatically thought we would fly to Jersey someday. Why I had never thought of taking our ’van I do not know, but, eventually, my mind worked that out and off we went… We arrived in Jersey in the early afternoon after catching the fast ferry from Poole at 9am. The island is approximately nine miles by five miles, so it was a short trip (just under six miles) northeast to our base for the entire two weeks – Rozel Camping Park, in the parish of St Martin. We had a field to ourselves, with a small hedge behind separating us from another field…

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Last month, I told you about the first half of our holiday at Fornella Camping & Wellness Resort on Lake Garda. The second half was even more glorious! Located near San Felice del Benaco, this site is a perfect base to visit many places around Lake Garda and further afield. Here are some of our favourites. SAN FELICE DEL BENACO I always suggest browsing local shops where you are staying. There’s one very long main road between Fornella and Desenzano Del Garda with some fascinating shops along the route. This included one which sells garden ‘creatures’ from dinosaurs, to elephants to monsters, to a life size Spiderman (try fitting those into your caravan). Also, there’s amazing outlet stores close by. I may have purchased some beautiful Italian shoes at bargain…

The humble leisure battery, or caravan battery, works tirelessly behind the scenes, supplying 12V power to your caravan’s essential systems. But did you know that a few quick and easy checks can extend the lifespan of your leisure battery? Or, should you be looking to replace your existing leisure battery, we’ll discuss the different battery types, such as lead acid, gel, absorbed glass mat (AGM), and lithium leisure batteries. DIFFERENT LEISURE BATTERY TYPES To date, my experience has been limited to lead acid, although that is due to change shortly. I’m often asked about the pros and cons of lithium leisure vehicle batteries, so I’m testing one this year supplied by BBL Batteries – in all temperatures and conditions – to evaluate a lithium leisure battery in real-world conditions. After…

1 FEN FARM CARAVAN SITE Moore Lane, East Mersea, Mersea Island, Essex CO5 8FE T 01206 383275 W fenfarm.co.uk OPEN 17 March – 30 October Fen Farm is situated in East Mersea, on Mersea Island, with a path to the beach direct from site. It’s just a short walk to the dog-friendly sand and shingle beach and in the opposite direction there’s a pub and bus service less than half a mile away. Adjacent to the site is Cudmore Grove Country Park, which you can drive to in under five minutes or you could walk along the beach there instead. There is a play area here and lots of open space, leading onto the East Mersea Flats Nature Reserve, too. The larger town of West Mersea is only a 10-minute…

I love mountains. I particularly love spending lots of time in Scottish mountains – hiking up them, walking through them and camping beneath their shadow wherever it’s possible. I’m not one of those Munro-bagging obsessives and I don’t have to tick off everything in sight. I’m just as happy to appreciate their magnificence from ground level. But I do admire those more adventurous types who have better stamina than me; who can complete a 30-mile hike through mountain terrain while lugging an 80-litre rucksack on their back and aren’t afraid of spending a couple of nights out in the wilderness with their little gas stoves and packets of dried food. I would love to camp out like that, but I travel alone and I’m not brave enough. One particular excursion I’d…

We’ve been caravanning as a family for around nine years and, for us, it’s not the same without Chops, our chocolate Labrador. Chops was welcomed into our family just three months before we bought our first caravan and our first trip away taught us many lessons on how to caravan with a canine. Our very first trip was to the Cotswolds – we stayed at the Caravan and Motorhome Club Cirencester Park, which isn’t very far from our home. It was our inaugural holiday to test everything in the caravan and, as it wasn’t far form Bourton-on-the-Water, we decided to have a grand day out. My wife and daughter visited the perfumery, my son and I visited the car museum and we all had an afternoon tea with around 15,000…

Recent years have seen caravans getting smaller, lighter and easier to tow, opening up the hobby to millions more people than ever before. Couple that with the easing of towing restrictions and you’ll start to see why compact caravans – sometimes referred to as crossover vehicles – are more prevalent now. Bailey of Bristol introduced its Discovery line-up a few years ago and it’s quite a departure from the manufacturer’s traditional offering. With its sporty looks and rugged appeal, you could quite imagine this being pitched up off-grid with the backdrop of snowy mountain peaks. And that’s entirely the point. These vehicles are designed for those who live an active lifestyle but, while some other caravans in this class tend to be aimed at couples alone, Bailey have created models…