Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Practical Motorhome

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 the Aires France (North and South); All the Aires Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; Go Motorhoming and Campervanning; Sea View Camping Wales; Road Trip Europe – The Great War and More; and Road Trip Europe – Go Dutch. All are from Vicarious Books, www.vicarious-shop.co.uk, 0131 208 3333.…

Campsites, much like the people (and ’vans) populating them, come in all shapes and sizes, to suit all tastes. There are large sites with more creature comforts and facilities than you can shake a kebab stick at, and tiny places that amount to little more than a small patch of grass and a composting toilet. There are campsites close to attractions, and others in the middle of nowhere. Some have rules you need to follow, others let you pitch up and get on with it. With such a huge variety, choosing the right site can be a bit daunting A good place to start is deciding where you’d like to go and what you wish to do while there. Do you want to be close to historic sites, or somewhere…

Deep water, Highland cattle and the possibility of a close encounter with the elusive Nessie are just some of the many things that draw people to this uniquely alluring reach of fresh water south of Inverness, stretching some 23 miles. The Loch Ness monster is, of course, the most evocative image associated with the area, but visitors here will find plenty of other things to entertain them in this fascinating region. Walking trails For a start, the loch contains more water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined, and reaches to a depth of 230m at its deepest point. It is also incredibly beautiful, providing fantastic walking and cycling trails, and the opportunity for enthusiasts to enjoy an extensive choice of watersports and fishing. You’ll also be able…

End washrooms are increasingly popular, or so it seems. They have featured in new models from a range of manufacturers, including the Mobilvetta Tekno Line K.Yacht 59 that we recently reviewed (issue 257). With that in mind, we decided to view a vehicle with a similar layout which, while not a brand new model for 2022, has been gaining attention. Like the Mobilvetta, Benimar’s Tessoro 483 is sold exclusively by Marquis Leisure. We went to the Northampton branch to see it. Tessoros are mainly distinguished from their Mileo cousins by their base vehicle. In this case, it’s a Ford Transit, rather than a Fiat. But as with many Marquis ’vans, the more powerful 170bhp engine is standard. There are two big plus points on the outside. The first is the…

1 Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and The Waterside Inn, Bray Heston Blumenthal opened The Fat Duck 25 years ago to promote immersive fine dining and molecular gastronomy. This year, the restaurant is celebrating with a four-volume menu, charting his journey through experimental cooking and some of his most renowned dishes. Housed in a 16th-century building in the riverside town of Bray, the restaurant received its third Michelin star in 2017. ■ thefatduck.co.uk ■ waterside-inn.co.uk Where to stay Henley Four Oaks Club Campsite is a 20-minute drive away, on the edge of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ■ caravanclub.co.uk 2 Ludlow Farm Shop, South Shropshire Ludlow Farm Shop is an award-winning food hall in South Shropshire which is surrounded by the farmland that supplies it. Some 80%…

FRUIT ■ Keep your fruit in the low-humidity drawer. Fruit keeps best when it’s not exposed to too much moisture and should not be stored in tight sealed bags. Some fridges provide a low-humidity or crisper drawer, for grapes and apples. ■ Apples will stay crisper longer (for up to two weeks) if stored at 4°C. ■ Oranges should be kept in the fridge. A ripe orange loses its vitamin C more slowly if chilled. ■ Berries and melons should be kept out of the fridge until ripe. They can then be chilled for a short period, but will go mouldy quickly. ■ Ripen bananas outside the fridge, then maintain their freshness for up to two weeks by chilling them. ■ Ideally, tomatoes should not be chilled, because it adversely…

SWIFT KON-TIKI 1985-PRESENT Swift built its first touring caravan in 1964 at the firm’s original Heddon Road premises in Hull. Legend has it that the proprietors decided to try building motorhomes after seeing how popular the Auto-Sleeper stand was at an Earl’s Court Show. Swift didn’t just graft one of their touring caravans onto the back of any old chassis-cab, but started with the proverbial clean sheet of paper, designing a contemporary body and mounting it on the (then cutting-edge) independently sprung Al-Ko chassis extensions behind the ground-breaking front-wheel-drive Talbot Express cab. The road-hugging result just begged to be taken on long-haul adventures, which is why it was named after the raft on which explorer Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific in 1947. Kon-Tiki became an instant design icon and remains…

DIFFICULTIES BY DESIGN When will some motorhome designers learn to consider maintenance when they are drawing up the blueprints for their next masterpiece? Not any time soon, would be my guess. I often come across designs where the installation of necessary equipment seems to be something of an afterthought, such as Truma Combis hidden away in the back of a kitchen unit, meaning that half the kitchen needs to be dismantled every time you need to get the heater out. Another example is leisure batteries hidden under cab seats, or placed so deep inside a locker that you need a miner’s headlight and potholing gear to reach them! I recently serviced a mid-2000s A-class which gave me precisely this kind of problem. The air filter on this ’van was a…

It might be a bit of a cliché, but prevention is definitely much better than cure. That’s certainly the case where motorhomes are concerned, and spending an hour here and there on maintenance can save you a lot of time trying to rectify a problem further down the line – and in some cases, a lot of expense, too. Admittedly, some of these tasks aren’t very glamorous, but they might stop a not-so-pretty job turning into a nightmare. Two things that come to mind here are jammed windows, external locker doors and toilet blades. Having a window that won’t open is bad enough, but let’s not even try to imagine the scenario if you need to use the toilet, and you can’t open the blade to the cassette… A bit…

Coordinates 45.0812° N, 13.6387° E Why tour here? With a history that reaches all the way back to prehistoric times, this exquisite Croatian town in Istria is famous for its delightful cobbled streets and the impressive tower at the Church of St Euphemia, which is 61m high. The attractive combination of bustling harbour, beautiful architecture and lively cafés makes it a popular day out for visitors. A walk around the Old Town will also give a sense of what this thriving place must have been like when it was an island. The channel between Rovinj and the mainland was filled in 1763, to allow the settlement to expand. Find out more about touring Croatia on p20. Don’t miss… Climb the bell tower at St Euphemia for amazing views over the…

Folding drainer This handy drying rack folds flat in seconds and comes with a spouted draining tray to catch excess water. Perfect for use inside and out, it’s easy to clean and has plenty of space. Price £12.49 Web homesteadcaravans.co.uk Quishion cushion/blanket Short on space and can’t choose between an extra blanket or a cushion? Take both! This 45 x 45cm Quishion unzips into a stylish quilt. Price £24.99 Web ibeani.co.uk Hanging toiletries bag Keep all your bits and bobs organised with this Carttiya toiletries bag. It’s durable, portable and has a range of pockets for essentials. Price £17.99 Web amazon.co.uk Sleeping mask This blackout eye mask is fully adjustable and thoughtfully made to ensure optimal comfort, so you’re certain to get a good night’s sleep. Price £17.99 Web echor.co…

When modern car-towed caravanning began back in 1919, there were no official campsites. Then, caravanners – who were few and far between – would stop off at small wayside spots or simply ask a landowner if they could pitch up for a few nights. By the late 1920s and 1930s, small campsites began to emerge. In truth, these were basically just a plot of land, usually a farmer’s field, with a couple of leisure vehicles placed in no particular order. But as the two national Clubs were founded, sites became more formal and recognised, as caravanning reached the middle classes by the mid- to late 1930s. It was also during this period that councils began to look at rules on numbers of people camping, and other important practical matters, such…

Bailey sees near 50% rise in turnover Bailey saw its turnover increasing by 45.9% last year to £97.2m, despite the impact of the ‘pingdemic’ on staffing. The rise in turnover helped the firm’s operating profit to climb back into the black at just under £50,000, compared with 2020’s loss of £1.2m. Once losses on discontinued operations, including its now closed Australian subsidiary, are taken into account, the company made an overall pre-tax loss of just under £500,000, down from just over £1.5m in 2020. In a statement accompanying the annual figures, the firm said business was particularly impacted by staff absence in July last year, when 20% of its workforce – around 70 people – had to self-isolate. It was also affected by well-publicised supply chain issues. However, it believes…

Meringue makes everything look and taste rather special – even low-fat yogurt! ■ Serves one ■ Ready in five minutes Ingredients 2 mini meringue nests50g/1.7oz frozen raspberries, crushed100g/3.5oz fat-free natural yogurt1 tbsp lemon curd Method Lightly crush the meringues and frozen raspberries. Mix them with the yogurt, reserving a few raspberries. Now, gently fold in the lemon curd, then spoon into a serving dish and serve immediately, garnished with the reserved raspberries. ■ Per serving Cals 150 Fat 1.2g Sat fat 0.2g Carbs 27g ‘Meringue makes everything look and taste rather special’ TOP TIP As an alternative, crush 75g strawberries with 2 tsp icing sugar, fold into 100g fat-free fromage frais and the meringues and serve (133 cals)…

Was Auto-Trail’s Excel just a little ahead of its time? The line-up of Fiat Ducato-based coachbuilts, some compact (that is, less than 6m long), had cutting-edge looks and prices, as well as being a bit cleverer than most with their designs. That was back in 2008. Today, they’re well worth hunting down as good pre-owned buys. bunk-bedded 600S spotted at broker network Motorhome Depot. The latter also had a larger, 6.44m-long 640G up near Inverness. This 2012 model was priced at £35,999. I tracked down another one, in a slightly unusual place. I’d not heard of 4 Front Motor Group, but it has a 2011 (60) 600D for £32,990 at its base in Haywards Heath, West Sussex. It’s a low-mileage example, with a rear nearside dinette and washroom in the…

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Thanks to a certain pandemic that you might have heard about, it’s boom-time in the motorhome and campervan market. The manufacturers can’t make them fast enough and plenty of new owners have come on board to enjoy the many pleasures of this amazing lifestyle. But after you’ve invested all that cash in a leisure vehicle, which other items are worth adding, to make the most of your new purchase? We’ve shopped around and whittled it down to our top 20 favourite things. Some of these are practical essentials, while others are a bit more left-field and might even surprise you. It’s also worth mentioning that these are our ideas for touring – everyone tends to have a different view of how they want to relax and spend their time on…

WHICH MOTORHOMES CAN I DRIVE? Did you pass your driving test before 1 January 1997? ✔ You can drive a motorhome up to 7500kg on your B+C1 licence. When you reach 70, you must submit a medical form to renew your licence to continue driving a ’van over 3500kg, and do this every three years. Did you pass your driving test after 1 January 1997? ✔ You can drive a motorhome up to 3500kg on your B [car] licence. To drive a motorhome heavier than 3500kg, you must take a C1 test. HOW TO LOAD YOUR MOTORHOME CORRECTLY Heavy items, such as TVs and boxes of wine, should be stowed low down and as close to the floor as possible; medium-weight items, such as clothing, should go below head height.…

letter of the month Your Local Authority article about the Wirral (issue 258) was interesting, but I have a few observations to add. Fraiche restaurant, in Oxton, has a waiting list of up to a year. Wirral Country Park CAMC Site is opposite two ‘light bite’ cafés and if you take a short walk along Station Road, you’ll find Strawberry Moon, which is fantastic for brunch, breakfast and roast dinners. It is licensed and occasionally hosts local musicians. The area offers cuisine from around the world, from Turkish to Thai, Greek to Indian and Polish. The Wirral has an excellent transport museum and further down the road is Hooton Park, the site of WW1 hangars. Birkenhead Priory is worth a visit, being the home of the monks who ran the…

Focus on… NORWAY The pause on international travel caused by the pandemic has given many of us the time to think about where in the world we’d really like to tour in the coming years. You won’t be surprised to find out that beautiful Norway features highly on many a wish list. The western region is particularly scenic in spring and early summer and the team at Fjord Norway have put together seven great reasons why you should be visiting now. ■ Fruit trees in bloom Thousands of trees and millions of flowers will be in bloom. The trees normally blossom during May, a time that is particularly beautiful for explorations of Hardangerfjord and Sognefjord (1). ■ Wonderful waterfalls Many of Norway’s most impressive waterfalls are found in Fjord Norway.…

Inspired by Scotland’s NC500, the South West Coast 700 (SWC700) is a 700-mile route around the south-west coast of England, taking in Somerset, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset by road. It has a website to enable visitors to get the best out of this beautiful part of England’s south-west. The idea and website behind the SWC700 were created by Cornwall-based Andrea Edlin, with web development help from husband Rob. Andrea runs an online marketing company specialising in tourism, creating online ads for holiday cottages and the like. When lockdown brought the business to something of a halt, Andrea took the opportunity to come up with some new ideas, including the SWC700. Andrea and Rob live on the Lizard and are both serial entrepreneurs with an eclectic mix of interests – they…

ROUTE OF THE MONTH ST DAVIDS TO FISHGUARD Distance: 19.3 miles This wonderful out-and-back route (on National Cycle Network Path 4, which eventually reaches London, 433 miles later) takes in the small cathedral city of St Davids and picturesque Fishguard; you’ll also be able to enjoy some pretty countryside and fabulous views of the Pembrokeshire coast along the way. If you don’t fancy tackling the whole route, the village of Trefin makes a fine natural turning point, about halfway between St Davids and Fishguard. STAY HERE St Davids C&CC Site Dwr Cwmwdig Berea, St Davids, Pembrokeshire SA62 6DW Web campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk Just a mile from the Heritage coast is St Davids Camping and Caravanning Club Site, which is a great place to stay if you want to enjoy watching wildlife, go…

Multi-network broadband A service that uses a multi-network to offer users the best possible reception, wherever they are, has been launched. Broadband Go’s SIM has access to 90 networks across the UK and Europe. There’s a choice of three packages: Connected (L59 a year for 2GB a month), Casual User (L89 a year for 4GB) and Super User (L199 a year for 10GB a month). Carthago hosts cycling hero Carthago is teaming up again with Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian cyclist received a Carthago c-compactline in May, which will be his base for the season. This year, when he visited for the handover at Carthago’s factory in Slovenia, there was also time for 200 of the firm’s employees to join him on a bike ride.…

AIR CONDITIONING Summertime is great for touring, but in hot weather, motorhomes can feel like ovens, especially if you don’t like leaving the windows open at night. A fan can help, but really, the best solution is an air-conditioning unit, either a full-on roof-mounted system – although these are costly and heavy – or a portable unit that can be moved in and out of the vehicle as needed, and even used in the home. For the first option, check out Truma’s Aventa range, or Dometic’s FreshJet series. Prices start from around £1300. These are best fitted by a professional (unless you like sawing large holes in your motorhome roof), and fitting usually takes about half a day. Alternatively, you could consider portable units, such as those from Cool My…

Eating and travel are very closely intertwined. It is impossible to set out on a trip without food playing a major part, from the meals we eat on the road, to the people and stories associated with all of the delicious local produce that we might discover along the way. I would argue that the ability to sample foods and regional delicacies that would not be easily available to us in everyday life is one of the greatest pleasures of travel, particularly motorcaravanning. I have lost count of the number of times we have been driving through a village or past a little roadside market, and pulled over on seeing purveyors of local produce that we would otherwise have very little opportunity to cook and enjoy. Sampling their goods and…

1 Hampton Court Palace Food Festival This family-friendly event will provide visitors with a huge array of delicious food and drink, while live music and a selection of pop-up bars are sure to create a convivial atmosphere. Of course, you also get to enjoy these culinary feasts while taking in the historic splendour of Hampton Court Palace itself. When 27-29 August Where Hampton Court Palace, Molesey, East Molesey KT8 9AU ■ hrpfestivals.com/hampton-court-palace Where to stay Walton on Thames Camping and Caravanning Club Site is around a 15-minute drive away ■ campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk 2 Essex Festival of Food & Drink There’s bound to be something to tickle your tastebuds at this festival, with wine and beer tasting, a Barbecue Theatre and plant-based workshops all on offer. That’s on top of live music,…

Ah, the humble refrigerator… it will keep on quietly chilling away for years without a whimper. In fact, modern fridges are so good, we get complacent – until they go wrong, that is. Then it’s like being plunged back into the listeria-filled Dark Ages. Here’s some great advice to help your motorhome fridge perform at its best. General overview and maintenance ■ 230V mains electricity gives the best fridge performance. Gas is the second best, while 12V is generally considered to be the least effective. ■ A well-maintained, modern motorhome fridge will chill brilliantly, even in extreme holiday temperatures. I toured in 42°C temperatures in France, a few years back. I was concerned about fridge cooling, but shouldn’t have been. On mains hook-up, the (new) Thetford refrigerator performed well, arguably…

Hymer is perhaps better known for A-class (integral) coachbuilts, but it has always had a strong offer of Luton and low-profile overcab coachbuilts, as well as at least one range of panel van conversions. Hymercamp and Hymercamp-Swing were available on an earlier incarnation of the Ducato and (briefly) on the ultra-short-wheelbase Fiat Talento. The launch of the game-changing X/44 Ducato in 1995 gave Hymer the opportunity to redesign and update both ranges, which were squarely aimed at broadening the appeal of the Hymer brand. All slept at least four and had four travel seats with high backs, head restraints and three-point inertia-reel safety belts. This could be increased to six if requested at the time of ordering. Hymercamp-Swing was the brand’s entry-level line-up, and Hymercamp the mid-range offering. Initially, just…

Featuring all 2022 models! ABOUT THE GUIDE We’ve organised our listings by layout, which is generally the most crucial aspect for buyers. Simply locate the floorplan you like in the guide; then, on the left of it, you’ll find details of every UK model with that layout, of which we had confirmed details as we went to press. All information was correct at the time of going to print. ISLAND BED how to buy… Setting a budget Begin by setting a realistic budget: not just the initial cost, but ongoing maintenance – both the base vehicle and the interior will need regular servicing – fuel consumption, and insurance. The price of a new motorhome can look prohibitive, but offset this against what you would spend on a holiday, and how…