Innehållsförteckning för May 2018 från Practical Caravan

 Where are we? The New Forest, near Godshill in Hampshire ‘The North, South and Kent Downs, the High Weald, the New Forest, Windsor Great Park, the Surrey Hills and Ashdown Forest are great places to stretch your legs’ page 38 What’s going on? This friendly New Forest pony took rather a fancy to our towing mirrors, and seemed happy to pose. The roadside yellow gorse was just beginning to show its face as spring began to warm the heathland. It’s one of those wonderful places for walks and bike rides, for which Britain is celebrated and campsites abound. Read about more of these fabulous places on page 30 and make your choice of a place to stay from the best campsites in our Top 100 Sites Guide Which outfit? 2018…

Shine on and on Price £19.99 Web www.jmldirect.comHaving an ideally located awning light is easier than you think, with the new Ever Brite from JML. It is simple to secure in the ideal spot for you – above the door, as an awning light, or on the other side of the van. Simply remove the plastic backing and stick in place for a long-lasting, stable hold. You don’t have to fix screws into the body of your caravan, although the light does come with screws and wall plugs, just in case. The LED light is motion-activated from 12 feet away, so makes a good security light, and will switch on to greet you when you return to your pitch, lighting your way to unlocking the door. The solar panel…

1 Seahouses This colourful fishing village in Northumberland is your gateway to the Farne Islands, Lindisfarne and Bamburgh Castle. There’s no washblock at adults-only Westfield. Stay at Westfield Paddock Touring Park Web www.westfieldpaddock.co.uk 2 Ilfracombe The descent into Ilfracombe is steep but you’ll be rewarded with a bustling Devon town and colourful harbour. Visit the Blue Flag Tunnels Beach and take a boat trip to Lundy Island. Stay at Newberry Valley Touring and Camping Park Web www.newberryvalleypark.co.uk 3 Laugharne Laugharne in Carmarthenshire was home to Dylan Thomas. Visit his boathouse and Browns Hotel, his favourite drinking haunt, plus Laugharne Castle. Stay at Antshill Caravan Park Web www.antshill.co.uk 4 Lyme Regis Dorset’s pearl sits on the Jurassic coastline and its beaches are famous for fossils. Take guided walks to find fossils…

ORGANISERS NCC Events hailed last month’s Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show a great success, revealing that 90,107 people visited over the six days the show was open. Over 23,100 ticket-holders passed through the NEC turnstiles on the Saturday alone – including families enjoying a day out during the half-term holidays. It’s fair to say that Swift Group grabbed most of the headlines, by introducing two 8ft-wide versions of its popular Sprite tourers. Swift’s designers made use of the extra space in the Sprite Super Quattro DB – with bunk beds in the back – and rear fixed bed Sprite Super Quattro FB, to offer what the company claims is the most spacious front parallel lounge on the market. Both models have an overall width of 2.46m. The central dinette in…

COMPARED with Swift Group’s omnipresence in the dealer special editions market (see pages 70 and 73), Bailey is a relative minnow, with only two dealerships offering enhanced versions of the Bristol-based brand’s entry-level line-up. Pursuit comprises six models for 2018, offering accommodation for couples, and families of up to six. Five Pursuits carry fixed beds, either twin singles, bunks or a French bed. All models ride on Al-Ko chassis, with AKS hitch stabilisers, and all have single axles. Bailey’s proprietary Alu-Tech system brings the benefit of timberless bodyshell frame construction, allied with internal and external GRP skins for robustness. Prices for Bailey Pursuit vans range from £15,099 to £16,999. Basic specification Living quarters have blinds and flyscreens to all windows, drop-in carpets and Ozio sofa bases. LED lighting is fitted…

CONSULT OUR HANDY listings that start on the opposite page for at-a-glance information about specification upgrades made to dealer specials, and to find out which models are offered by the supplying dealership. We’ve also included information about the relevant floorplan, in the third column (turn to page 115 to see the layout diagrams), and the price for each model. Coachman, Elddis and Lunar will follow next month. Key ■ Base model specification ◆ Upgrade from exsisting spec by dealer ● Dealer-added features Layouts See page 115…

BMW X1 xDrive 23d auto Brilliant to drive and has that superb BMW build quality. My X1 can handle towing easily; the acceleration is excellent with a caravan sitting behind, and while the economy suffers in such circumstances, that’s to be expected. The twin-turbo engine gives you plenty of torque when you need it and it has no trouble with hills or motorways. Ted BMW X1 xDrive 20d After purchasing my new X1 I decided to upgrade the caravan to a Bailey Pageant S6 Burgundy. The X1 is brilliant: it tows like a dream and suffers no ill effects from side winds. It’s also excellent at standing starts on hills. A Newman BMW X1 xDrive 18d auto I tow a 2002 Abbey Aventura 320 (1360kg MTPLM) with my X1, so…

WRITE TO Letters, Practical Caravan, 69 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SP EMAIL US AT letters@practicalcaravan.com  JOIN OUR COMMUNITY AT practicalcaravan.com/forum facebook.com/practicalcaravan twitter.com/pcaravan instagram.com/ practicalcaravan 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…

New site guide from ACSI MANY OF YOU will have used CampingCard ACSI to obtain low-season discounts in campsites across Europe. For 2018, the campsite specialist’s new site directory of countries popular with its readers in Britain and Ireland, Campsite Guide to Britain, Ireland, France, Spain & Portugal, lists 2300 fully inspected sites along with a description, map locator, directions, and facilities and tourist information. It costs £19.99 and comes with a CampingCard ACSI for low-season discounts in participating sites. Online it costs £22.50 and comes with the ACSI Campsites Europe app. Eastern Europe is a ‘hot spot’ If you’re looking for a new place to tour this year, you should point your tow car east, according to online travel guide TripAdvisor. Five of its top 10 destinations on the…

A tranquil adults-only site with just 10 touring pitches, Camping La Brouquere is set among traditional vineyards in a really beautiful location. As well as the usual toilet and shower facilities, the site also has private washrooms that you can hire for your exclusive use during your stay. The charges for these are €4.95-€5.95 per day, depending on the season. Wi-Fi is also available at the site, for €2 per day. Address Betbèze, 32330 Gondrin, France Tel 00 33 (0)5 62 29 19 44 Web www.brouquere.com Open 1 May-30 September Price (pitch+2+hook-up) €21.00-€29.25…

Stewart Longton branches out Caravan dealership Stewart Longton’s Carnforth branch has split away from the network to form a separate company. The depot, part of the Stewart Longton network for over three decades, has become Lancaster Motorhomes and Caravans. James Hall, managing director of the new company, says it had been wanting to go in a different direction from the other three depots. In particular, it wanted to explore the introduction of new motorhomes, following a series of successful seasons selling used models. Warranties on used vans sold by the branch when it was known as Stewart Longton will be honoured, as will those from the new firm and Stewart Longton’s remaining branches at Chorley or Standish, which are unaffected by the change. Canada drops in A Canadian company preparing…

SWIFT’S mid-market offering boasts eight models for 2018, comprising fixed- and non-fixed bed layouts to suit couples and families alike. This explains why it is such a popular base for dealer special edition vans. Prices for factory versions of the Swift Challenger range from £19,230 to £22,930. Al-Ko chassis underpin all Challengers, and there are six single-axle caravans, plus two twin-axles, in the range. Swift’s trademark good looks are much in evidence on the exteriors. Bodyshells use Swift’s SMART construction (timberless frames) with single-piece GRP sides. Base specification Moving inside, all Challenger caravans come with Swift Command control panels, which locate the onboard services in one easy-to-access place, and can be controlled remotely via a smartphone or tablet app. Mid-toned cabinetwork and beige work surfaces lend the interiors a pleasing…

It’s nice to drive a tow car that’s not an SUV and is this good-looking! A certain portion of its visual charm comes from those handsome 20-inch alloys. However, the road noise they generate at motorway speeds is tiring on long journeys, which I couldn’t live with long-term. In fact, time in this car did highlight a number of features that I love and a few that were downright annoying. It’s great that there’s no fuel filler cap, you just stick the nozzle in and start refuelling. The heated steering wheel and seats were much appreciated, and the seats have a good range of adjustment. The cabin looks and feels premium, and the manual gear lever is well-shaped so it fits comfortably in your hand and feels good to use.…

First drive Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 2.0 TDI 190PS 4Motion DSG Price £36,155 Kerbweight 1845kg Towing limit 2400kg 85% match 1568kg Towball limit 100kg THE VW TIGUAN makes a very fine tow car. But what if you need seven seats rather than five? Step forward, the new Allspace. This stretched version of the Tiguan has a third row of seats, as well as more luggage room. There’s a choice of capable TSI petrol engines and torquey TDI diesels. Despite the negative publicity on diesel power, VW still expects most buyers to choose an oil-burner. We spent most time in the 190PS (187bhp) 2.0-litre TDI 4Motion DSG auto. While not as hefty as some seven-seat 4x4s, it weighs in at a healthy 1845kg. That gives a usefully high 85% match figure of…

DURING MY FIRST year of caravan ownership I learnt a lot about the damage and mess a harsh British winter can throw at a tourer. There are many deciduous trees near me that love to constantly bombard you with leaves in the autumn months – and what better place for them to land on than the caravan’s roof ? Over the coming winter months, with freezing temperatures, storms and snow, the leaves break down and eventually you end up with leaf rot, moss or algae. Not to mention other irritants such as bird mess. So, having spent hours cleaning all this mess off one year, I decided to invest in a caravan cover. Which type to buy? There are various types of covers out there, ranging from whopping great sheets…

Vital statistics Price £15,995 Internal length 4.93m Overall length 6.48m Overall width 2.29m MiRO 1242kg Payload 127kg MTPLM 1369kg Kit list ■ Galvanised chassis/AKS hitch/ATC ■ GRP sides ■ Alloy wheels/Spare wheel ■ Heavy-duty corner steadies at rear ■ Oven/Microwave/Dual-fuel hob ■ Slimline fridge-freezer ■ Alde heating ■ Status TV aerial ■ Awning light ■ Exterior mains socket ■ Barbecue point ■ Solar panel ■ Alarm ■ Electric-flush toilet…

TA Twin-axle Practical Caravan top pick Layout finder K Featuring a full-width rear washroom and a pair of twin sofas that make up into a double bed up front, this layout is ideal for couples on tour. The washroom is usually spacious enough to also serve as a dressing room, while the kitchen is very often a really good size – ideal if you enjoy cooking up a storm while you’re away. You might get the option of additional seating in lieu of a chest of drawers between the lounge sofas. Pros This layout allows for a roomy washroom and kitchen even in more compact vans Cons Occupants need to make up the bed each night, leaving nowhere for anyone still up to lounge A Storage is limited, but you…

‘Snow is still falling, they’ve declared a state of emergency and I for one can’t wait for summer’ IT’S A FEW days in to spring and we are so snowbound, the RAF are dropping emergency food rations by parachute to the Somerset village where I live. A state of emergency has been declared in our nearest city, a half-marathon cancelled, and more than 1000 people have taken up unexpected residence on a nearby stretch of the M5. Yet last week, the garden was bursting into life. The daffodils were doing their thing and I’d unpacked my shorts. You’ve got to love the British weather. You’ll remember that last summer, my marital status took a turn for the divorce courts as a result of the August monsoon that coincided with our…

COLIN FIRTH’S new film, The Mercy, tells the story of Donald Crowhurst’s (not so) round-the-world voyage in a trimaran in 1968-69. Amateur sailor Crowhurst’s main sponsor was Taunton caravan dealer Stanley Best, who was apparently flattered into backing the ill-fated enterprise by Crowhurst likening a trimaran to “a caravan of the sea”. Best is depicted in his petrol station cum dealership in the film, and contributes one memorable line. “Caravans,” he says, and I’m paraphrasing a little, “allow you to visit faraway places and have a proper bed when you get there.” Crowhurst’s boat was found abandoned in the Atlantic 240 days after he left Teignmouth, becoming one of the causes célèbres of the day. Much has changed since 1969, but one thing has certainly endured: the appeal of caravanning.…

1 Commemorate the war years Step back in time for the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway 1940s weekend, which will feature passenger services up and down the line, plus costumed visitors and fun events. Date 19-20 May Web www.kwvr.co.uk Stay at Upwood Holiday Park Web upwoodpark.co.uk 2 Roots in the railway Find out all about Craigellachie’s former railway, including the iconic 204-year-old bridge built by Thomas Telford, at the Craigellachie Heritage Weekend. Date 4-6 May Web craigellachie.org.uk Stay at Speyside Gardens Caravan Park Web www.speysidegardens.com 3 Characters on the line Join Wallace and Gromit at Avon Valley Railway’s special weekend, for activities including face painting, balloon modelling, crafts and rocket launches. Date 12-13 May Web www.avonvalleyrailway.org Stay at Bath Marina and Caravan Park Web www.bwml.co.uk 4 Wells and waterways At Droitwich’s St Richard’s…

How do you book your pitch? Online – I work during the day and find a lot of sites don’t answer in the evening. Online gives you all the options and ease when it comes to paying. Andrew Brand Mostly online, occasionally over the phone if we want a specific pitch. Sarah Triolaire Very rarely book any sites, just turn up, but for August will contact by email. Cath Wall Both. Found that by phoning you can get a pitch even though the website says there are none available. Robert Meldrum Mainly online, but my last one has been a mixture of email and phone. Susan Margaret My wife prefers to phone in most cases, to get a feel for the attitude at reception – so far, so good. Ian…

AS A CHILD, I went to Grange-over-Sands regularly with my parents and a few family members. I have fond memories of the town – but not the lido where the water always seemed to be just above freezing! Joe also has wonderful memories of Grange. He used to stay in a static caravan with his late wife, Maureen, and their four children. They still talk about their great holidays there – so it was time to reminisce but also to see what Grange offers now. The Edwardian town lies between Kendal in the east and Barrow-in-Furness to the west. It’s well positioned for visits to the south Lakes, too. Our base, Meathop Fell Caravan and Motorhome Club site, lies a little outside Grange-over-Sands. From some pitches there are stunning views…

NORTHERN IRELAND It would have been difficult to credit 20 years ago, but Belfast and the Causeway Coast have topped Lonely Planet’s 2018 list of places to visit. This follows the gargantuan visitor attraction Titanic Belfast topping the world’s best attractions in 2016. Clearly, Northern Ireland should be high on your bucket list of tours. Its capital has plenty to offer the visitor. In the Titanic Quarter, you’ll find HMS Caroline, the last surviving ship from the Battle of Jutland and now a terrific family visitor attraction. And don’t miss ‘The Big Fish’ (aka ‘The Salmon of Knowledge’) sculpture on Donegall Quay – each of the fish’s scales tells a story of Belfast. Bars and buildings Among the myriad bars and restaurants is the National Trust’s Crown Liquor Saloon on…

WOULDN’T IT BE great if you could buy a ‘super-plus’ version of a desirable caravan, one that’s been made even more appealing with the addition of extra goodies for an affordable all-in price? Well, you can, thanks to the widespread availability of dealer special edition vans. These are special ranges produced by dealers around the country, in collaboration with the UK’s leading manufacturers. A dealer special will be based on a best-selling entry level or mid-market range, and feature a selection of factory- and dealer-fitted options to boost the spec. You’ll see differences inside and out, and the range will have its own distinctive name – so if you’re the kind of person who cares about what you pitch up on site, you won’t be rocking the same look as…

SPRITE is Britain’s biggest-selling caravan range, and its 10 models cover a variety of popular floor plans catering for couples right up to large families, offering a choice of fixed and non-fixed beds. Prices range from £15,530 to £19,390. Sprite tourers ride on Al-Ko chassis, and six are single-axle vans. The bodyshell profile was updated for 2018, so the line-up shares the sharp looks of more expensive relations in Swift Group’s portfolio. Timberless bodyshell frames courtesy of Swift’s SMART construction are fitted with single-piece GRP-faced sides, plus GRP-faced roofs and floors, for added durability on tour. Base specification All Sprites have Swift Command integrated control panels, which can also be controlled remotely via a smartphone or tablet app. Cabinetwork and soft furnishings are taken from Swift’s Escape motorhomes and look…

How much? £5000-£19,000 The earliest X1s are now available for around £5000. They’ll have a six-figure mileage, so pay for a thorough mechanical inspection to be carried out before you buy. Up the budget to about £10,000 and your options improve markedly. You should easily be able to source a mid-spec xDrive 20d with around 70k miles, or an xDrive 23d with a slightly higher mileage. If you’re willing to shell out £18,000 you’ll be in line for a BMW Approved example with fewer than 35,000 miles on the clock, plus bells and whistles. What will it tow? Kerbweight ......................... 1825kg Towing limit ...................... 2000kg Noseweight limit ..................80kg 85% match...........................1460kg How much is a towball? Witter flange towbar......£176.40 Witter detachable towbar........... .................................................£269.10 Fitting extra (From www.pfjones.co.uk) What about servicing? Interim…

SINCE BEING BOUGHT a Floë drain-down kit from APT Innovations as a gift, I am a great believer in its worth. It gets rid of all residual water in the pipes, avoiding the risk of freezing in winter and minimising the chance of bacteria forming. The company has recently launched the Induratec 636 all-in-one kit that integrates a compressor into the caravan water system. Once fitted, it’s simply a case of draining the water out of the system as normal, and then flicking a switch I recently fitted one to our caravan, and not only does the box include everything that’s needed, plus a very informative DVD, but it is also a simple job, with only basic tools required: ■ Pipe cutter/secateurs/ Stanley knife ■ Philips screwdriver ■ Wire strippers/cutters…

Vital statistics Price £17,595 Internal length 4.62m Overall length 6.2m Overall width 2.26m MiRO 1327kg Payload 123kg MTPLM 1450kg Kit list ■ Galvanised chassis/AKS hitch/ATC ■ GRP sides ■ Alloy wheels/Spare wheel ■ Heavy-duty corner steadies ■ Oven/Microwave/Dual-fuel hob ■ Fridge ■ Alde heating ■ Awning light. Status TV aerial ■ Exterior mains socket ■ Barbecue point ■ Solar panel ■ Alarm ■ Electric-flush toilet…

TA Twin-axle Practical Caravan top pick Layout finder G In this layout, fixed twin beds towards the rear of the van are accompanied by a central kitchen and an end washroom, plus a lounge up front. This floorplan is great for couples who want to relax in the lounge without having to disassemble a bed every morning. You’ll usually find a curtain or screen separating the rear beds from the lounge. Pros The pair of single beds means that you both have access to the washroom at night. The washroom is often quite spacious Cons The side kitchen may not have much space for preparing meals. The fixed single beds cannot be made up into a double A Square showers are more roomy than circular versions B There’s often an…