Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i Practical Motorhome

1 We’ve been lucky enough to borrow the in-laws’ motorhome and went to Wales, the Lakes and Scarborough with our three-year-old daughter, Sienna. She absolutely loves touring in Betty Camperban, as she calls it. Here’s a picture of it set up for the night on our trip to Scarborough. Garth Woods 2 North Devon in February has all the beauty of empty beaches and peaceful parks, like Hidden Valley. Great time of year to get away and enjoy your surroundings! G White 3 We spotted this colourful chap on a trip to Berlin. It was our first tour to the city and we loved it! Julie Bingham Email your pictures and their stories (40 words, plus name, address and contacts) to hotshots@practicalmotorhome.com. The best photo will win these guides: All…

Legend has it that when marauding Vikings invaded Ireland, they stashed their ill-gotten gains underground, leaving some behind when they returned to their homelands. This ‘gold’ was found by the leprechauns, who reburied it in even deeper places, well away from prying eyes – but the hiding places were revealed at the rainbow’s end. The myth might be fanciful, but Ireland does have gold deposits and a golden coast, stretching from Dungarvan to Stradbally on its south-eastern shores in Co Waterford. Ireland’s heritage, though, lies with another metal – copper – the mining of which dates back to the Bronze Age in Co Kerry and Co Cork, and it is the Copper Coast, in Co Waterford, that in the 19th century, became one of the most important mining areas in…

Whether it’s recycling, global warming or discussions about diesel engines, the focus of the world is firmly on how to save our precious planet. That’s why we’ve dedicated this special section to how motorcaravanners can make a difference; from choosing an eco-friendly site, to getting the lowdown on electric vehicles, over the next few pages you’ll be able to find out how, with a few small steps, we can all become that little bit more environmentally friendly.…

For more information on the Bellamy Awards, go to www.bellamyparks.co.uk 1 Highlands End The clifftop location of Highlands End, on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, gives panoramic views. Five-star facilities include a leisure club, pitch and putt, bar and restaurant, and live music and entertainment, but that’s not at the expense of the environment. It has achieved a David Bellamy Gold Award for 19 years! The 1.8-mile nature trail takes in a bee bank, bug hotels, bird boxes and Mower’s Mead Wildlife Lake. Initiatives include electric car charging points, water butts and solar panels. Web wdlh.co.uk/holiday-parks/highlands-end 2 Tyddyn Isaf Caravan & Camping Park Last year’s Top 100 Regional Winner for Wales puts conservation at the heart of absolutely everything it does, earning it Gold Award status. Rabbits, hedgehogs, red squirrels and more…

■ Blue Bio £12.99 (1 litre) Web wessexcaravanstore.co.uk ■ Blue Diamond When Nature Calls £6.99 (2 litres) Web blue-diamond-products.co.uk ■ Dometic Powercare/GreenCare tabs £13/£15 (16 tabs) Web dometic.com/en-gb/uk ■ Elsan Organic £8.95 (2 litres) Web elsan.co.uk ■ Fenwicks Top & Tail £15 (2.5 litres) Web halfords.com ■ Kampa Green £4.99 (2 litres) Web kampa.co.uk ■ OLChem and OLRinse Twin Pack £12 (2 x 2 litres) Web olproshop.com ■ Olpro Bottom & Top £9 (2 litres) Web olproshop.com ■ One Chem Cassette Toilet £11.49 (1 litre, 40 doses) Web onechem.eu ■ Thetford Aqua Kem Blue £12.99 (2 litres) Web thetford-europe.com/gb ■ Thetford Aqua Kem Green £14.99 (2 litres) Web thetford-europe.com/gb…

Can a motorhome with a 190bhp Mercedes-Benz engine be classed as green? Well, yes: Frankia really makes the most of said engine on its Platin models, including the new I 8400 Plus. That engine is connected to a Büttner MT 1700 Si-K/Sinus inverter, which helps to recharge the two (yes, two) 110Ah lithium batteries. There’s also a heat exchange system for the interior. There are no fewer than four 110W Büttner solar panels on the roof to keep the batteries charged. Those batteries are lithium, so they can carry on until they are pretty much depleted. They are less likely to have problems in extreme temperatures, and can be charged and recharged many times. That all means you can spend several days in this ’van without having to take power…

DOLPHIN PLUNGES INTO FIFTH SPRING SHOW South of England dealership Dolphin Motorhomes is hosting its annual Spring Event for the fifth year running, at what has become its natural home, Netley Abbey’s Royal Victoria Country Park, over the weekend of March 27-29. This increasingly popular event sticks to the very successful formula of displaying pre-owned and new motorhomes – with special offer prices on all models shown – along with facilities for test drives, plus refreshments and entertainment, away from the usual setting. And it’s all free. Dolphin’s Nicky Hopper says: “This is the fifth year we have held this event and it is getting bigger each year. The main purpose of the event is to treat our customers to a complimentary weekend away, with plenty of food and drink,…

Swift launched the Select range in 2017, although it had already been building high-top ’vans for some years, under the Autocruise name. Below is a table showing previous Autocruise equivalent models for those unable to afford the (still fairly young) Swift-badged motorhomes. The only significant difference between Autocruise- and Swift-badged examples is the base vehicle. While Autocruise favoured the Peugeot Boxer incarnation of the SEVEL van, Swift preferred the Fiat Ducato derivative. They look similar but had different 2.2/2.3-litre engines, although the rare 3.0-litre version was identical – actually an Iveco unit. Fans of a two-pedal drive should be aware that only Fiat Ducato-based versions offered an (extra-cost) automatic transmission. Selects had the long-wheelbase version, at two different body lengths. Select 122 and 144 were built on the 6.0m version.…

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Step inside a motorhome, new or old, and one of the first things to catch your eye is the upholstery. In a used model, you’ll be checking for any damage, stains or pet hair and assessing the level of comfort. With a new motorhome, the décor might not be to your taste. If you tour with children and pets, the upholstery takes a battering from sticky fingers, muddy paws and sharp claws. But there is a solution. Let’s start with advice on cleaning. Cleaning upholstery We all have accidents. Spilt red wine or coffee, melted chocolate – they all leave marks on the cushions. ■ The golden rule is to deal with the worst of the marks at once (1). ■ Using cleaning products, follow the instructions on the container…

Our expert panel Q CAN WE SOURCE NEW FIXING FOR A HEADLIGHT BRACKET? We have a Rapido A-class in which we need to replace the headlight (Hella 90mm), which is held in a square-shaped bracket bolted to the front bumper. These bolts go into four threaded inserts, held in the bumper, roughly positioned in a cross formation. Three of the bolts came out with no problem, but unfortunately, the last one, holding the headlight unit to the bumper, snapped when we tried to extract it, as a result of corrosion. On inspection, we found that the bumper fastenings into which each bolt threads are what I can only describe as an M4 threaded, size 10mm hex brass insert, positioned in a black plastic housing. This item is glued to the…

Having toured extensively around the Scottish islands in Hilary, our Hymer motorhome, my housemate Pearl and I decided that this trip, we’d visit an island that was a bit closer to home. We had a couple of ferry port options to get to the Isle of Man and opted for Heysham – the new junction off the M6 made it an easy destination to reach from our home in North Wales. After an uneventful crossing, which took about three hours, we booked into Glenlough Campsite in Union Mills, just outside Douglas, which is in an ideal position for exploring the island. Glenlough is not staffed for much of the day, but the owners were there on our arrival to introduce us to the site. We booked a hire car to…

WHERE (AND HOW) TO GO Whether you prefer adventurous activities or a relaxing and tranquil break, there's plenty of choice when you tour in a motorhome! ■ Superb staycations It tends to be a bit easier to be greener in your own country than it is abroad, because you will know where to buy environmentally friendly food, products and souvenirs. You can shop from ethical companies, and you will already be aware of how to recycle things once you’ve finished with them. In addition, a staycation can be much cheaper than a big trip abroad. Think of all the money you’ll save and use it to treat yourself to a great experience instead. Sometimes a staycation can be as simple as chilling out on the site. Read that book, learn…

On 4 February, ahead of the UN’s climate change summit in Glasgow next November, the prime minister announced the Government is bringing forward the date for banning sales of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035. For the first time, hybrid vehicles will be included in the ban. A fortnight later, the government began a consultation process on the proposed ban. Motoring organisations have already voiced their alarm. The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) accused the Government of moving the goalposts. Its chief executive, Mike Hawes, said members were investing in a zeroemissions future, with 60 plug-in hybrids on the market and 34 more due this year. “However, with demand still just a fraction of sales, it’s clear that accelerating a challenging ambition takes more than industry investment.…

It really doesn’t get much greener than solar power. Modern photovoltaic solar panels take natural light and turn it into electricity. The more light, the more power you get, but even cloudy days create some current. Solar panels are ideal for keeping your leisure battery topped up in summer, or providing the power for low-draw devices, such as alarms and trackers, when a ’van’s in storage for months. They’re a boon for off-gridders, too, providing enough current to keep your leisure battery charged when you have no hook-up. So to sum up, solar panels are very effective and relatively cheap, easy to use and eco-friendly. How do they work? Photovoltaic solar panels are covered in a thin layer of silicon. When sunlight strikes the panel, photons are absorbed, which causes…

Is it really more than four decades since Bilbo’s produced its first campervan? Yes, 43 years, in fact. And the independent producer has long had a place at the top table of VW converters in the UK. Apart from a brief dabble with Mercedes and an even briefer dalliance with Fiat, Bilbo’s stuck to its Volkswagen guns. It’s also one of just a handful of UK-based converters that can claim Volkswagen recognition. But what’s this? A campervan with elevating roof (of course) and a proper, flushing toilet? Nexa is Bilbo’s ‘second string’ conversion – an alternative four-seater floorplan compared to the usual side furniture/rear seat-bed that typifies the huge majority of VW-based conversions. The Nexa+ takes this a stage further, with a fully plumbed-in Thetford cassette toilet. And it’s all…

After our little sojourn in Derbyshire last month, it was time to take our other new long-term test ’van, a Bailey Autograph 74-4, out for its first spin. It’s a well-worn truism that one of the major advantages in owning a motorhome is the ability to get up and go whenever you want, even on the spur of the moment on a weekday afternoon. This really does apply to something like the 74-4, which has a fixed French bed – so you can set off relatively late, safe in the knowledge that you won’t have to struggle with putting a bed together when you reach your destination. It also has a large corner washroom, so any qualms that you might have about disturbing the neighbours with late-night visits to the…

Look at new models from major manufacturers and you can see there’s a lack of rear-lounge ’vans, as the fixed-beds format increases in popularity. But I’d have to argue that ’vans with the main seating area at the back are proving as popular as ever in the pre-owned market. Get the right vehicle, and it’s not necessarily a major hardship to be converting seats to beds each night. Such vehicles have always been a particularly British phenomenon – Continental users prefer to live outside their vehicles as much as possible, while our weather dictates that we spend more time indoors, and we do demand comfort. Suffice to say, here in the UK, we like a lounge, even if that means sacrificing additional travel seats further forward. We prefer a better…

We all know the great advantage of a motorhome over a caravan – speed and viewpoint, plus not having to go out in the rain to get a cuppa en-route. But equally, we also know the main disadvantage: no tow car to run about in once pitched up. Pedal cycles are a boon and good for getting some exercise, but electrically assisted bikes are wonderful, too. Here we look at what’s available to extend range, confidence and speed (a little); we’ll start with guidance about the licence you need to ride on the public highway, followed by a round-up of bikes from recent shows, and finally, we’ll look at how to haul them about (1). Which licence do I need? ■ Moped 50cc class Max speed 45km/h. Class AM: 16…

letter of the month We went to the recent NEC motorhome show on the Thursday, and visited the VW stand, where they had a VR system that customers could try. You put on the headset and they selected the model, colours and so on using an iPad. You could walk around, open doors and look inside - very clever. They mentioned this system might soon be in showrooms. Thought you might find it interesting, how dealers’ showrooms might start to change in the future! Here is a photo of our son, Ben, with the VR headset on (1), looking at a California Ocean T6.1 in two-tone colour. The writer of our Letter of the Month wins a pair of Milenco Quattro Levelling Ramps worth £40. They’re twice as high as…

For one reason and another, we were unable to get away to Spain this spring and were much in need of a ‘motorhome fix’. The forecast was good for the next few days, so we were away inside a couple of hours. Lamb Cottage Caravan Park, in Dalesford Lane, Sandiway, is a delightfully quiet adults-only site in the heart of Cheshire. We have been visiting this place for a number of years. The facilities are excellent – there are selfcontained, individual shower rooms – the grass is beautifully manicured and there’s plenty of room on the motorhome-only pitches. We like the easy access to footpaths on all points of the compass, suitable for walking, running or biking. The Plough Inn, about three-quarters of a mile to the right from the…

Two minutes of your time, that’s all it takes. If everyone visiting a beach grabbed a bag and spent two minutes filling it with shoreline rubbish, our oceans would be safer and cleaner places for marine creatures, and plastic would not become part of the food chain. Not to mention that our beaches would be cleaner for all of us to enjoy. Cleaning up our beaches The 2 minute initiative began in 2013, when wild Atlantic storms left loads of litter on north Cornwall’s beaches. Surfer, writer and environmentalist Martin Dorey wanted assistance with the big clean-up. Martin had been organising beach cleans since 2007, but this time, he put out a more far-reaching appeal for help on social media, using the hashtag #2minutebeachclean and posting photos of the debris.…

Emptying the toilet cassette could be one aspect of motorcaravanning that might deter some newcomers. However, those of us who are experienced in running this little errand know it’s no big deal, thanks in part to today’s range of fragrant chemicals. To begin with the basics, loo chems come in three main types: blue, green and pink. Blue and green go into the waste cassette and do their work. Pink goes into the flush reservoir. At a press of the button, it swirls around the toilet bowl, to rinse, disinfect and fragrance. The toilet chemical is our friend, but some are more eco-friendly than others. And as we are all trying to do our bit for the environment, our choice of such products can make a significant difference, especially on…

Mark Williams recently fitted a solar panel to his ’van “My new solar panel has amazed me. We stayed up very late on the first night, with the ’van interior and exterior lights on, phones charging, then washed the crockery, and ourselves, making a fair demand on the 12V system. The battery had discharged to below 11V when we went to bed. “We woke at about 8am, and the leisure battery was fully charged, on less than two hours’ sunlight. Even in winter, the panel is capable of keeping my 110Ah leisure battery fully charged when we are staying off-grid.”…

Industry welcomes tax U-turn The NCC and individual motorhome manufacturers have welcomed the Government’s decision to scrap the changes in vehicle classification that had seen VED on some new models rise by 705% since September. Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in his first Budget that from 12 March, new motorhomes will incur a flat-rate VED of £265 during registration, rising to £270 from the start of the new financial year in April. From the 2021 financial year, VED for motorhomes will be the same as it is for vans, not cars, as new ’vans fitted with the Euro 6d TEMP engine have been classified since 1 September. The change will not be applied retrospectively, however: anyone who bought a new motorhome with a new Euro 6d TEMP engine between 1 September…

A long-established dealership majoring in selling particularly well-presented vehicles, Webbs recently decided to concentrate on pre-owned motorhomes (although it also runs a retail outlet specialising in touring caravans, in nearby Salisbury – worth noting if you’re part-exchanging a tourer for a motorhome). There’s definitely a leaning towards UK-built vehicles in its offerings, with generous stocks from leading makers. They’re mainly van conversions and coachbuilts, with just the occasional A-class. However, a recent move has seen Webbs embracing the campervan sector. There’s a special display of VW-based conversions, while in the main building, one area is dedicated to selling the camper concept. The idea is to display features such as interior colour schemes, alloys and campervan-related accessories, to help customers choose the vehicle they want. It all ties in with a…

Feeling a bit flushed? Pretty much every current motorhome has an on-board water system, which consists of a tank to hold fresh water; a pump to provide water to the boiler; taps and shower; piping to distribute the water; and drains from sinks, basins and shower trays, which take the waste water to a holding tank until it can be safely disposed of. Some motorhomes have the freshwater tank mounted underneath the vehicle, while in others, it is located inside, usually in a seat base. We’re all used to turning on the tap at home and getting an instant supply of fresh, clean water, and we’re pretty much as used to the same facility in our motorhomes – but we do need to consider the differences. First, the water supply…

Considered to be the most luxurious of motorhome types, A-class models offer a tremendous amount of space, facilities and storage – but they’re also fairly pricey. There are currently no UK manufacturers producing A-class models, but you’ll find a good selection of Continental products how to buy… Choosing the number of berths You may feel that this one is easy – you simply have to go for a motorhome that has the same number of sleeping berths as occupants, right? That’s one way of doing it – but taking a look at the bigger picture is a better method, and likely to cause you less frustration in future. If you’re travelling as a couple, opting for a four-berth can be a great way of getting a motorhome that offers just…