Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Practical Caravan

‘It was the view from the back of the house, across the bridge to the Victory Column, that was etched on my memory’Claudia Dowell Where are we? Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire What’s going on? The Blenheim Palace Estate is among Capability Brown’s most stunning parklands, and is just one of the many magnificent properties worked on by Brown that celebrated his lasting legacy on the English landscape during the tricentenary of his birth Which outfit? We towed the Adria Altea 362LH Forth with our long-term Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer Elite Nav 1.6CDTi 160PS Biturbo…

WRITE TO Letters, Practical Caravan, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP EMAIL US AT letters@practicalcaravan.com JOIN OUR COMMUNITY AT practicalcaravan.com/forum The contributors of our Star Letter and Star Photo each win a pair of Milenco Grand Aero towing mirrors, worth £50. They’re designed to fit all wing mirrors and offer an outstanding view. If you have a top tip, send it in for a chance to win four Milenco Stacka corner feet, worth £14. For further details and a list of retailers, visit www.milenco.com facebook.com/  practicalcaravan twitter.com/  pcaravan instagram.com/  practicalcaravan…

1 Hold the speakers The International Mime Festival has everything from circus-theatre to puppetry and live art. Held at various venues across London, it is well worth the trip into the city. Date 9 January-4 February Web www.mime london.com Stay at Crystal Palace Caravan Club Site Web www.caravan club.co.uk 2 An evening with Cinders You don’t have to head for London to enjoy a panto. The classic Cinderella: A Fairytale at Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bristol has won plenty of awards. Date 2 December-22 January Web www.tobacco factorytheatres.com Stay at Baltic Wharf Caravan Club Site Web www.caravan club.co.uk 3 Master storyteller Step into the Indonesian jungle when Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning Running Wild returns to Chichester Festival Theatre, complete with great puppetry (pictured). Date 10-18 February Web…

‘If there are canopies to erect… piece of cake. I’ve put up an awning in a howling gale’ MAGAZINE PUBLISHING WORKS in strange and wonderful ways. You may not realise it, but I am writing this about two months before you read it. It’s all down to those pesky layout and print people who need time to play with their Etch-a-Sketches and potato cut-outs to bring you the beautiful and scintillating journal that you are currently leafing through. Under normal circumstances, that two-month lag wouldn’t be an issue. However, there’s just one teeny-weeny concern this month, in that during that two-month period, I’ll be flung into the Australian rainforest as one of the participants on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! By now, you’ll know how I got on.…

It’s a Kampa porch awning for us. We’ve found that an air awning copes better with strong winds. Steve Harcus Bradcot Modus. Best awning we’ve ever owned. Matthew Peasey We use our porch awning at weekends, but our full awning for longer periods. I would love an air one, though! Jolene Hamilton We have a Ventura Marlin, which meets our needs. Paul Turner Kampa Ace Air 300 – it’s a fab awning with the option of an annexe if needed. Sam Hayward So far the Outdoor Revolution Compactalite Pro Carbon has definitely been the best. Jack Robinson-Wing Kampa Rally 390. It’s light enough to put up by yourself in minutes. Craig Peacock…

WAY TO GO The site is easily accessible from the main A5 trunk road between Oswestry and Llangollen, just to the north of the village of Chirk. Turn onto the B5070 into Chirk itself, then a right turn at the war memorial will lead you up to the gates of Chirk Castle, where you turn left into the campsite. WHEN TO GO The site is open all year. During the winter months the site only uses the hardstandings, and when we visited late in the season the park was fairly full, with a good mixture of caravans and motorhomes. Local attractions are less crowded, but, as we found out, some do not operate in the low season or are open only at weekends, so check before you go. FOOD AND…

How much? £13,900-£44,000 Early versions of the second-generation Touareg are six years old now, but still suffer quite heavy depreciation. Prices for the earliest 3.0 V6 TDI models start from around £13,900, for which you’ll get a well-used example with a mileage figure homing in on six figures. If you have a budget of around £20,000 you’ll get a pre-facelift example with around 55,000 miles. Add £4k to the coffers and you’ll be into seriously low-mileage territory, while post-facelift models with the high-powered diesel start from around the £26k mark. What will it tow? Kerbweight .......................... 2185kg 85% match............................1857kg Towing limit........................3500kg Towball limit.......................... 140kg (figures for 3.0 V6 TDI 262) How much is a towball? Witter flange towbar ...... £132.48 Witter detachable towbar .................................£210.24 Fitting extra (prices supplied by www.pfjones.co.uk)…

1 Make sure the van is as described, especially the make and year 2 Contact the clubs to find classics for sale: Historic Caravan Club ( www.historiccaravanclub.co.uk ); Period and Classic Caravan Club ( www.period-classic-caravan-club. co.uk ); Retro Caravan Club UK ( www.retrocaravanclub.co.uk ) 3 Don’t buy blind! Give the van a full going over before parting with cash 4 Ask about the tourer’s history. Ideally, the seller will have a folder full of paperwork 5 Check for any external damage; can it be repaired easily? 6 Look for signs of damp. Vans with bonded construction aren’t as easy to work on as coachbuilt models 7 Check the chassis for rust. Pre-’81 caravans had painted-steel chassis…

Layout finder Y Larger families on tour should want for nothing with this practical layout – it combines the comfort of a large lounge bed with a side dinette and fixed bunk-beds on the nearside, too. The kids can choose to base themselves in the bunks or at the side dinette while the adults relax up front; it’s easy to serve dinner at those side seats, too, because the kitchen is located directly opposite. In the rear corner you’ll find the washroom. Pros Plenty of berths available – usually five or six – and there’s room for everyone to spread out Cons The washroom is often narrow. The front sofas are sometimes quite short A The dinette could be a single berth or bunk-beds B The kitchen might be on…

IT’S ABOUT THIS time of year, as we batten down the hatches against the cold, that thoughts turn to what adventures lie ahead when the winter is behind us. And if you decide that the ‘staycation’ knocks spots off foreign travel – particularly in a time of financial insecurity – then we have some top inspiration for you this month. Features editor Claudia Dowell has been searching out some of the country’s most stunning man-made landscapes in her tribute to legendary gardener Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, and these locations are ideal for tours with the family, too, thanks to the efforts of organisations such as the National Trust, English Heritage and The Treasure Houses of England to make their historic sites more child-friendly with fun activities and trails. So with the…

‘Even after sitting in a garden for 52 years, the van was in surprisingly good condition’ SERIAL VINTAGE AND retro caravan collectors Chris Beresford and Cameron Burns have quite a selection of vans to choose from when they head out touring. On a special occasion such as a Retro Caravan Club rally, you might expect them to bring out the big guns. When I met them in Cornwall, though, they had just finished extensive work on a modest 1963 Sprite Alpine and were keen to show off their perfectly matched outfit. The Sprite was always a very basic, low-budget caravan, so most people who bought them added home comforts and made numerous improvements. However, this caravan managed to make it through over half a century with no alterations, and Chris…

‘We stood on the bridge and watched birds either paddle or fly through the view’ My first visit to Blenheim Palace was as a teenager, too many years ago, and driving through the gates of the Blenheim estate in late summer, I was transported back to that time. It was the view from the back of the house, across the bridge that spans the lakes to the Victory Column, that was etched on my memory, only then the bridge was crowded with cattle and we were unable to cross it. The Blenheim estate at Woodstock is one of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s most stunning landscapes; and in 2016, the tercentenary of his birth, it seemed the perfect opportunity to make a long-overdue return visit. In fact, this 300th anniversary provided…

’Brown was ruthless in achieving his perfect vista, demolishing the village of Tillington’ Petworth House Address Petworth, West Sussex GU28 9LR Tel 01798 342 207 Web http://bit.ly/2fbU7yI Open The grounds, café and shop are open all year; check the website for house times Charges NT members free; adults £13.50, children £6.75, families £33.60, car park £4 There are two big reasons to visit Petworth: one, of course, is its 700 acres of Capability Brown-landscaped parkland; the other is that the house holds the National Trust’s finest collection of paintings. There is a third if you find the ‘downstairs’ life fascinating, and that’s the superb presentation of its kitchens. Fourteen miles of wall enclose that 700-acre park, and you can only guess at the cost of building that alone. Following…

GETTING AROUND... Places to visit 1 Belfast City 2 Titanic Belfast 3 Bushmills Distillery 4 Causeway Coastal Route 5 Lough Neagh 6 Carrickfergus Castle 7 Glenariff, ‘Queen of the Glens’ 8 East Belfast 9 Dunluce Castle 10 Titanic Studios Places to stay 1 Ballyness Caravan Park 2 Hilltop Holiday Park 3 Watertop Farm 4 Six Mile Water Caravan Park 5 Bush Caravan Park 6 Jordanstown Loughshore Park 7 Cushendun Caravan Park 8 Carnfunnock Country Park TOP EVENTS... A Dancing together 5-13 August Join a thriving community festival in the coastal village of Cushendall for a week full of colour, parades and tradition. The Heart of the Glens Festival includes a vintage day, kids activities and the Grand Finale Street Party. Web http://bit.ly/2fn0BdV B Age-old ties 15-16 July The beautiful…

Caravelair range gets ready for winter The six Caravelair Antarès budget models being brought to the UK by Marquis Leisure have now been awarded Grade III classification for heating and insulation. To pass the test, an Antarès 455 was placed into Truma’s cold chamber in Derby at -15›C. The caravan then had to reach a temperature of +20›C at its centre within four hours of its gas-only Truma heater being turned on. In fact, it achieved its target temperature within an hour and 20 minutes. It also managed to pass the other two hurdles in the test – maintaining that temperature for an hour, and the water system still working at the end. Tyne Valley: more than motorhomes Tyne Valley Motorhomes has now moved into tourers – but only for…

Price £29,990 What Car? Target Price £29,245 Retained value after three years 48% Kerbweight 1589kg 85% of kerbweight 1351kg Gross vehicle weight 2130kg Max towing limit 2100kg Gross train weight 4230kg Towball limit 80kg Boot size min/max 485/1579 litres Payload 541kg 30-60mph 9.2 seconds 50-60mph 3.8 seconds (kickdown) 30-0mph 10 metres Test conditions Dry Engine 1968cc turbodiesel Max power 187bhp @ 3500-4000rpm Max torque 295lb ft @ 1750-3250rpm Official combined economy 53.3mpg Towing economy 27mpg CO 2  emissions 135g/km Insurance group 19 Euro NCAP overall protection rating…

Price £40,675 What Car? Target Price £39,375 Retained value after three years 49% Kerbweight 1845kg 85% of kerbweight 1568kg Gross vehicle weight 2500kg Max towing limit 2500kg Gross train weight 5100kg Towball limit 100kg Boot size 550-1600 litres Payload 655kg 30-60mph 10.1 secs 50-60mph 4.6 secs (kickdown) 30-0mph 11.1m Test conditions Dry (slightly damp for brake test) Engine 2143cc turbodiesel Max power 201bhp @ 3800rpm Max torque 369lb ft @ 1600-1800rpm Official combined economy 56.5mpg T owing economy 26.6mpg CO2 emissions 143g/km Insurance group 40 Euro NCAP overall protection rating…

VW Touareg 3.0 V6 TDI This is my first Touareg after years of owning Land Rover Discos, Mercedes E-Classes and BMW 5 Series, and in my opinion there’s no contest – the VW wins hands down both towing and solo. Comfort and space are also second to none. On average, I achieve 35mpg solo and 23mpg towing. If you want to arrive fresh and relaxed, no matter how long the journey, this is the car for you. Adrian Ansdell VW Touareg 3.0 V6 TDI I’ve just bought a Touareg 3.0 V6 TDI Altitude to tow my Buccaneer Schooner. It’s as if it isn’t on the back, even when it’s fully loaded. It’s an awesome car with class-leading comfort. Economy is good, too: I’ve managed 25mpg+ when towing all over the…

An impressive collection of vintage caravans were on display at the Classic Motor Show from 11-13 November, including a brace of CarCruisers bookending the firm’s 35-year production run. The star on the Period and Classic Caravan Club’s stand was a streamlined 1933 CarCruiser Type 3, from the manufacturer’s first year of production. The rare survivor belongs to club chairman Rob Finney, who also displayed a 1965 Clipper, which was built in the same year that production ceased at the Middlesex factory. “There aren’t many Type 3 survivors beyond those that are in preservation,” said Rob. “Everything is just wood and hardboard, so they simply rot away. This one is still in regular use, though: we tow it with a 1936 Hillman 16 to plenty of shows.” The Type 3 spent…

Layout finder DD Island-bed layouts are, for many caravanners, the height of touring luxury – they offer a domestic-style sleeping area in which you don’t need to make up a bed from cushions each night. Elsewhere the floorplan can vary, but one popular variety is to have the washroom split across the van's central aisle. It usually means that the shower and toilet are separate: handy if there are two of you getting ready at the same time. Pros The island bed is as close to a domestic example as you can get. The lounge usually makes up into a second double Cons Split washroom areas might not be hugely spacious A You'll usually find lots of storage under the island bed B Check that the kitchen is large enough…

Focus on… Knaus Knaus is Germany's most popular touring-caravan brand; it has been building units in southern Bavaria since 1960 (although its parent company, Knaus Tabbert, has had a few ups and downs in that time). For 2017 it has substantially slimmed down the range of caravans it is offering the UK market. But that hasn't stopped it being innovative – in fact, the Sport & Fun and Lifestyle ranges provide some of the most radical designs currently on sale. The former is very much geared towards a younger audience; it features a fixed bed at the front, a large garage for bikes, and a sprawling lounge. The Lifestyle range, meanwhile, manages to fit in a breakfast bar and a window seat, and comes with very modern styling. Knaus…

The pretty market town of Devizes, in Wiltshire, isn’t a huge tourist draw, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting. Our Bryony Symes often visits friends in the area and can recommend some of the town’s hidden gems 1 Stay here Devizes Camping and Caravanning Club Site backs on to the Avon and Kennet Canal, and you can walk or cycle past the Caen locks into Devizes. There are also local bus services to Devizes, Melksham, Bath and Bristol from the stop, just a five-minute walk from the site. It’s child-, dog- and angler-friendly – it is possible to fish on the canal, too. 2 Eat here The historic market place is home to many of Devizes’ best shops, cafés and restaurants. A local favourite is The Peppermill, a…

Let there be light Price £39.99 Web www.coleman.eu/uk What do you love about caravanning? Is it being able to gaze out while the bats swoop and the owls hoot? If so, the Coleman Pack Away LED Lantern could be a great addition to your essentials. When stowed it is compact, but lift it up until it clicks and you have a full-sized, high-powered lantern. It is robust so feels reassuringly durable, and the carabiner handle on the top is ideal for hanging it from a nearby tree. There are four light modes (high, medium, low and flashing), too. You will have to buy four D-category batteries, but the Battery Lock allows you to disengage them when the lantern is turned off, so they will last much longer – one…

Choose a CL this winter THE WINNERS OF The Caravan Club’s 2016 CL (Certificated Location) of the Year and Sites in Bloom awards have now been named, making it even easier to choose somewhere great to tour during the colder months. Woody Kiln Farm in Pembrokeshire was given the CL of the Year award at The Caravan Club’s Autumn Parliamentary Reception; owners Sharon and Dean Philpin have been running the site for just a year. The 2016 Sites in Bloom awards, originally introduced by the late Alan Payne OBE, were also presented. They celebrate the hard work that goes into the colourful and welcoming displays at caravan parks across the country. There are two categories in these awards: multi-couple and single-couple (the pairs of people who care for the grounds).…

‘Mum and dad liked nothing better than to hitch up the van behind their Austin 1300GT’ BACK IN THE 1970s, my mum and dad liked nothing better than to hitch up their small van behind their trendy Austin 1300GT and head to North Wales from their home in northwest Norfolk. Their favourite place to pitch up was Lady Margaret’s Caravan Club Site in Chirk. Forty years on, Elaine and I decided to book the site for a week to explore the area and visit a few of the places that they loved telling us about. Our journey north from south Wales took us around four hours of comfortable towing and we enjoyed the scenic route through the Welsh Marches, past Hereford and Leominster, on to Shrewsbury and then up to…

First drive Škoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 190PS 4x4 DSG THE NEW ŠKODA Kodiaq has to be one of the most eagerly awaited new tow cars of 2017. We’ll need to wait until the spring before we have the chance to tow with one, but we have spent a day driving the car solo – and the signs are good. Prices start from £21,495 for the least-powerful petrol, but the most-powerful diesel is the car with the best on-paper credentials for towing. The 190PS (187bhp) diesel is available only in the top two spec levels (SE L and Edition), so prices for this version start from £32,795. With 295lb ft of torque, there’s plenty of pulling power to handle any sensibly matched tourer. Our test drive took place on mountain roads…

THE CLASSIC CARAVAN movement began in the early 1970s, when a historic caravan register was established. Back then, tourers from the ’30s and even the ’20s were still readily available. A small club grew and by the early ’80s the Period and Classic Caravan Club had sprung up. Since then, the movement has grown, with classic car fans also getting into the classic caravanning scene. Here, we’re focusing on caravans from the 1960s to the early 1980s, because they’re the easiest to source, and online auction sites and some classic car magazines are the best places to find them. The problem is that, even if you’re a keen restorer, carrying out a caravan restoration requires a large undercover area and you’ll need to find out if parts are still available.…

Layout finder S With a nearside-rear dinette as well as rear corner bunks, this layout has lots of space for the kids, while mum and dad relax in the lounge. The amidships kitchen is often short on work surface, but the side dinette provides extra room. The washroom, opposite the kitchen, is useful for nighttime visits, but there is not as much elbow room in the shower. Pros Children can take over the rear while their parents relax up front. The rear dinette offers a separate play space, and can usually be shut off from the rest of the van Cons The washroom has limited space, and the kitchen is squeezed between the lounge and the main door A This area may house a wardrobe or dresser unit B Fixed…