Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2017 i Practical Motorhome

“You can’t fail to enjoy Durham’s cobbled streets and historic cathedral perched high above the River Wear” It wasn’t looking good for a weekend of treats – rain was forecast just about everywhere and staying at home didn’t appeal. While the forecast for my birthday (also our wedding anniversary) was no better in the North East, we spotted a ray of hope for the days either side. What’s more, we’d never visited the cathedral city of Durham. We decided to look for some overnight stops. With no Nightstops (see p ) available in the area, we consulted our Britstops book for places to stay. On the Friday we overnighted at an Organic Farm Shop near the charming market town of Barnard Castle, feasting on delicious pies and deli goods from…

Treasured memories Price PB. Web www.amazon.co.uk It’s not easy to avoid mixing dates and destinations in your head when you’re on tour. Keeping a travel journal is a great way to not only keep them in order, but to treasure the memories so you can revisit them whenever you’re in need of adventure. The Motorhome, Camper, Caravan and RV Road Trip Journal lets you make note of fantastic restaurants that you stumble across, your favourite campsites and stop-offs, any fantastic wild camping spots and more, with helpful prompts. There’s plenty of space to write down particular stories and incidents. This will be great fodder for recommendations for friends. BS Tech trekkers Price PL. Web www.stmbags.com Accessing all your bits and bobs in a packed rucksack can be tricky,…

I don’t mind the cold: it’s the grey that gets to me, and to many others who abandon our shores during the winter months in search of a colour fix of blue sky, green palms and golden beaches. For full-timers such as regular contributor Donna Garner, grey is not an option: she’s been topping up her colour palette along Spain’s River Ebro (p), and the Spanish colour theme continues with Your Tours on pages K7 and . If you prefer your hues a little sun-bleached, turn to our Grand Tour, on p , where intrepid explorers Gary Blake and Wendy Johnson share their experiences of South Africa. Many of us simply can’t tour without a smartphone or tablet in tow, so a new app should prove a useful tool if…

Way to go We met up with our friends at Black Horse Farm Caravan Club Site near Folkestone and celebrated New Year’s Eve together. Then we used EuroTunnel to Calais and meandered southward in a loose convoy through France, stopping on aires selected from Vicarious Books’ All the Aires. We returned separately, due to differing personal commitments, via Brittany Ferries’ Caen-Portsmouth crossing. Where we stayed • Camping Eden Peñiscola, Costa del Azahar Tel 00 34 964 480 444 Web www.camping-eden.com • Campingjávea Javea, Costa Blanca Tel 00 34 965 79 10 70 Web www.camping-javea.com Food & drink We took turns to cook, producing meals to share and impress. We also enjoyed a variety of restaurants, usually slightly cheaper than in the UK. The exception was incredible value at the legendary…

Imagine what you could do with a motorhome if you didn’t always have to have the front section of it taken up by a driver’s cab (or if you did have a cab, it might be a great deal smaller). This is the impact that driverless technology could have on motorhome design, so it’s good news to hear that Germany’s Erwin Hymer Group (home of Dethleffs, Niesmann+Bischoff, Laika and Bürstner) is pressing ahead with such research over in Canada. Motorhomes with front rather than rear washrooms and kitchens? It’s not beyond the realms of possibility, as I reveal this month. Bailey was set to end 2016 with a price rise across its two motorhome ranges due to the uncertainty caused by the EU referendum result. As Practical Motorhome went to…

This month our long-term Bailey has been trooping around the Surrey Hills in the winter sunshine. When I picked it up from our CaSSOA storage site in Camberley, the previous user had tidily tucked the ceiling light in the cutlery drawer – not quite where I’d expected it. The Bailey did not disappoint, however, as I had a few beautifully crisp, bright days – one of the vital tests of a motorhome’s heating. Despite having only 70p pre-loaded on to my hook-up point, I managed to stay toasty all night (partly with some help from the neighbourly caravan on the pitch next door). The only slight problem was that I couldn’t lower the drop-down bed – I presume this was due to the low-voltage hook-up. Fortunately this wasn’t my only…

Have you ever been startled out of your touring bliss by a car suddenly roaring past, sometimes on a sharp bend, when you hadn’t even realised it was behind you? Motorhomes with rear windows are not necessarily a help here, because they are often too high to give you a proper view. Side mirrors are the same: all too often these Lewis Hamilton-wannabes are so close behind you they are hidden from the mirror’s view. Even some reversing cameras I have tried don’t help much, because they are set either too low or at an odd angle. In contrast, the new camera system fitted to all new Elddis Autoquestbased Musketeer dealer specials from Richard Baldwin Motorhomes this year is perfectly positioned to give you a full view of the road…

Okay, so compact coachbuilts are by no means the sole preserve of first-timers. Plenty of folk, mainly couples, are more than happy with the living arrangements as well as ease of use on the road of such units. But for those looking to make their first venture into motorcaravanning they certainly make plenty of sense. ‘Buy no bigger than you feel comfortable with’ is the relevant adage. So what is a compact coachbuilt? There’s no official definition, but these days an overall length of 6m or less is generally accepted as ‘compact’. All three vehicles I’m looking at this month follow a very popular UK layout, too. They’re two-berths, with a lounge towards the front, where both cab seats can be swivelled to face the settees, which in turn can…

2003 (53) AUTOCRUISE STARQUEST jPrice now £21,995 jPrice new £38,000 jBase Peugeot Boxer jEngine 2.0-litre, 86bhp jFirst registered Oct ’03 jMileage 32,084 jBerths/travel seats 2/2 jLength/width/height 6.09/2.23(excludingmirrors)/2.8m jExtras Reversing camera, Pioneer stereo with MP3 jMTPLM 3500kg jPayload 835kg Plus points Luxury fittings Minus points Heating and hot water are gas only When new, the Starquest was by some way the priciest of this month’s trio – and some of that is reflected in a more opulent interior that’s also a bit wider than its rivals. Like the Sunseeker, this is a three-owner vehicle. Starquests of this era were built by Autocruise when it was an independent manufacturer (the marque is now owned by Swift), where it gained an excellent reputation in a relatively short space of time for the quality…

1 INTREPID TOURING South Africa is certainly off the beaten track, but Walter Olins’ trip to the Canaries really impressed the PM team – his tour starts from p. 2 SECURITY MATTERS Turn to p for Gentleman Jack’s simply indispensable guide to keeping your ’van, and its surroundings, safe on tour. 3 WELCOME THINKING Chausson keeps upping the ante when it comes to motorhome innovation. See our review of its PT[ four-berth, with drop-down twin-single beds, from p . 4 AWNING DAWNING Contributor Nick Harding has been busy testing [GO season awnings. First up: a drive-away model from Outdoor Revolution, p . 5 EYE IN THE SKY Well, not exactly, but one leading dealer has unveiled a º camera system for its U[GO special editions. Peter Baber checks it out,…

“Something just flew overhead. Was it a gigantic flying dolphin, an inverted pregnant pike? Nope. Just a Beluga!” Of the hundreds of campsites we’ve stayed at in recent years, some stand out for particular delights: views of snow-capped mountains (Austria); the tolling of bells from monasteries in the sky (northern Greece); and access by boat to nearby towns or cities (Venice, Koblenz, Stratford-on-Avon). One of the oddest pleasures, though, was on our most recent trip. Setting up at Chester Fairoaks site, a roar from above alerted us to the approach of a low-flying aircraft. And no ordinary aircraft at that. How to describe it? A passenger jet, but with a hugely deformed fuselage? A gigantic flying dolphin? An inverted pregnant pike? As it sank below the western horizon, I decided…

We’ve received several requests from readers asking for more information on keeping safe while motorcaravanning. What follows is an introduction to the subject, rather than a definitive guide. To aid clarity we have identified three types of theft: ■ Theft from a motorhome. ■ Theft from a person while outside their motorhome or when they are away from where the ’van is parked. ■ Theft of the ’van itself. Put it in perspective Everything we do in life carries associated risks: most can be minimised by changing our attitude and/ or spending a few pounds. Pondering on those - and acting accordingly - will reduce risk to an acceptable level for most of us. Plan ahead, be concerned and aware, but don’t let irrational fear take control. For starters, here…

GRAND TOUR South Africa DISTANCE DI E I:O miles BOHO CAMPER Discoverer 6 DURATION d ays The almost out-of-this-world scenery populated by large rare animals and birds No guns?’ said the Kruger National Park ranger looking down at my telephoto lens. He nodded and waved us through the electrified gates into an area the size of Wales, where a three-metre electrified boundary fence contains a high density of wild animals. Just 10 minutes later, and without warning, two giraffes emerged from the bush and walked in front of us on the Tarmac-sealed road. A little further on we stopped again to let three elephants cross the road. By nightfall, on a sunset game drive from our camp in Satara, we had seen lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalos – the…

Way to go Our route from the UK was through the Channel Tunnel, then via Rouen to Poitiers, St Jean de Luz, Burgos, Salamanca, Seville and Cadiz and on to the ferry to Tenerife. Where we stayed • Camping Municipal Les Marronniers Pont-Authou, nr Rouen: Rue Louis Givon, 27290 Pont-Authou Tel 00 33 232 427 506 Web www.normandie-tourisme.fr • Camping le Futuriste, Poitiers 86130 St George-Les-Baillargeaux, Poitiers Tel 00 33 549 524 752 Web www.camping-le-futuriste.fr • Camping Larrouleta, St Jean de Luz 210 Route de Secoa, 64122 Urrugne Tel 00 33 559 473 784 Web www.larrouleta.com • Camping Fuentes Blancas, Burgos Cartuja Miraflores, 09193 Burgos, Spain Tel 00 34 947 486 016 Web www.campingburgos.com • Camping Regio, Salamanca Ctra Salamanca/Madrid, Km4 Sta Marta de Tormes, 37900 Salamanca Tel 00 34…

YOUR TOUR Rio Ebro, Spain DISTANCE MEm iles HERALD Squire E DURATION 27 days Mixing ancient buildings like Peñíscola Castle with València’s modern architecture The temperature was dropping; the nights were drawing in. No British winter for us, thank you very much – it was time to follow the swallows south. Our objective was the south-east coast of Spain, but how were we to get there? Part one of the plan was easy: a ferry from Plymouth to Santander. The question was, which route should we take through Spain? Phil came up with a suggestion: why not follow the River Ebro across country? It’s one of Spain’s longest rivers, and as its source is a little south of Santander, and it travels in much the same direction as we wanted…

Dealer specials are – depending on how you see them – either a way for a dealer to differentiate from the competition, or a way for them to throw in a selection of extra items, and maybe new decals, and try to claim that they’re offering an all-new ’van. If you are a cynic and take the latter view, you’ll no doubt be aware that dealers have to work closely with the manufacturers as these special-edition models go down the assembly line. So what happens when the original manufacturer makes major changes to its original vehicle? Looking at the Lifestyle The Lifestyle and the Majestic – two dealer-special ranges from Britain’s largest dealer network, Marquis Leisure – are a case in point. The Lifestyle is based on the entry-level Escape…

There are several particularly important areas of a motorhome’s running gear: tyres, brakes, engine, transmission and, of course, suspension. When the base vehicle leaves the factory it will have suspension springs sufficiently strong to support the vehicle in a fully laden condition and give an acceptable ride quality hopefully. Of course, most motorhomes are built on light commercial vehicle chassis, which perhaps aren’t entirely designed to be fully loaded (or close to) for long periods – but that’s pretty much how most motorhomes live out their lives. Vehicle suspension comprises two main parts: the spring and the damper. We often refer to the damper as the shock absorber but that isn’t correct; the spring is the real shock absorber, but if left undamped it would simply bounce uncontrollably and give…

Thanks to Regal Furnishings, Ilkeston. Tel: 0115 932 9988 Web: www.regal  furnishings.co.uk…

2003 (03) AUTO-SLEEPER NUEVO jPrice now £19,995 jPrice new £32,000 jBase Peugeot Boxer jEngine 2.0-litre, 86bhp jFirst registered March ’03 jMileage 79,000 jBerths/travel seats 2/2 jLength/width/height 5.42/2.18(excl mirrors)/2.78m jExtras Nearside exterior-access locker jMTPLM 3300kg jPayload 723kg Plus points Auto-Sleeper pedigree, popular model, generally well made Minus points High miles This is one of four pre-owned Nuevos on the books at West Country at the time of writing, with two versions at this attractively low sub-£20k price point. A highly popular little motorhome with the all-important Auto-Sleeper badge, vehicles such as this rarely disappoint. It’s had one former keeper, but this is a high mileage for a motorhome – although of course there will be a full base vehicle service before it goes to its next owner. Bear in mind, though,…

AT A DEALERSHIP Dealerships are great for seeing a lot of used motorhomes in one place in a short span of time. The prices will be higher than from private sellers, but in return a dealer must tell you about any problems and the cost of rectifying them, and give the ’van a pred elivery inspection (PDI) before you collect it. You’ll also be offered at least a few months’ warranty on used models, which is something you’re unlikely to get from a private vendor. See as many motorhomes as you can before making your decision; you’ll soon start to get a feel for what represents good value for money. If you can, build up a relationship with a local dealer; if problems arise or if it needs maintenance, the…

The Nightstop Scheme is run by us in conjunction with the Motor Caravanners’ Club (MCC), and the sites are certificated locations (CLs); you don’t need to join any club to use them. Please ring them at the times listed* to check for vacancies. BEDFORDSHIRE K Airman Hotel, T^ Hitchin Rd, Meppershall SG JF Tel jTH^b BFj BFa (*::) BUCKINGHAMSHIRE W The Black Horse Pub, Aylesbury Road, Great Missenden HP A X Tel jTHRH B^b Fa\ (*::) CAMBRIDGESHIRE V The Seven Wives, Ramsey Road, St Ives, Huntingdon PE RF Tel jTHBj H^b TBj *: : Y CARDIGANSHIRE (DYFED) @ The Penrhiwgaled Arms, Cross Inn, Llandysul SAHH LN Tel jTFHF F^j baB (*::) CARMARTHENSHIRE ? Railway Hotel, Station Road, Carmarthen SAab L Q Tel jTb^\ bRj bTT (*::) CHESHIRE S Belmont Hall,…

Way to go Gary and Wendy used the Camping and Caravanning Club’s Travel Service for their South Africa trip. The Club runs two escorted tours, or can arrange bespoke travel. Visit www.worldwidemotorhoming holidays.co.uk or call ^B XYBX A]Be. Alternatively, Bobo Campers, which is on the spot, can provide an itinerary and book campsites and excursions for you. Visit www.bobocampers.com. Booking in advance during the high season and working out the logistics to be in campsites before dark is highly recommended. The Government-owned SANParks sites – it runs Kruger National Park – are very efficient. We travelled off-season but it was still hard planning ‘on the hoof’ although we had no problems getting into sites. The main issues were our new South African road map was out of date, as was…

YOUR TOUR Costa Blanca DISTANCE =6@5 miles MURVI Morello DURATION LB days Sharing the delights of the Spanish winter, great food and wine with good friends “We’ll all go down to Spain for a month for winter sunshine, birds and culture,” the seven of us agreed after several glasses of passably good red wine. “Shall we go in a convoy of four motorhomes or is that going to make it too difficult? Well, let’s not be purist about it; when it’s convenient we will, when it’s not… January would be a good month, or at least it’s a bad month at home.” That’s how our journey south started, as a rough plan with only the barest idea of where or when we’d be going. Through the autumn the scheme was…

Way to go Since March 2010, we’ve done the Plymouth-Santander (or Santander-Plymouth) crossing on quite a few occasions, either in March/April or in October. The last sailing from Plymouth is at the end of October. The price has remained fairly consistent, at around £450-£470 for a single trip, with a 2/4 berth outside cabin. For more information, visit www.brittanyferries.com. As can be expected when a road goes from just above sea level to 1011 metres in just 40km, the N623 from Torrelavega to the Embalse del Ebro is very steep in places, especially the 10km or so north of the Embalse. It runs uphill heading south, sometimes as much as 17% (1:6). On stretches of the N232, alongside the Rio Ebro, the road is very twisting and the road surface…

If you were lucky enough to trade in your existing motorhome for a newer/better model for good times ahead in DJ7, I trust you got a good valuation. Early signs are, although there will be lots of pre-owned stock for sale this year, the numbers of such vehicles are lagging some way behind actual demand. I’ve a feeling that will be felt most around the ACJ, JJ price peg – typically, the amount where first-time buyers, especially, can get themselves a cracking bargain. That’s not to say there won’t be such vehicles out there. Do expect a bit of inevitable able ‘ ‘price price creep’ and and maybee be be prepared red to spread ead your shopping ing net a bit bit furtherr.. I’ve been gazing into my crystal ball…

2009 (09) ELDDIS SUNSEEKER 115 jPrice now £25,995 jPrice new £30,000 jBase Peugeot Boxer jEngine 2.2-litre, 100bhp jFirst registered April 2009 jMileage 19,241 jBerths/travel seats 2/2 jLength/width/height 5.7/2.2(excl mirrors)/2.77m jExtras Bike rack, awning jMTPLM 3300kg jPayload 700kg Plus points Special edition upgrades, pristine order Minus points No passenger airbag Sunseeker is West Country’s own special edition brand (a name it’s used since 2004), based on Elddis’ Autoquests. Elddis’s more belt-and-braces approach to making motorhomes is evident, even in comparison to the two other, older, models here. But the extra equipment in a special edition like this does take the edge off things a little. Plus, you only have to look at the ‘new and now’ prices to see how well this has kept its value. The 100bhp engine and five-speed…