Innehållsförteckning för June 2018 från Practical Caravan

When to go Any time of year – there’s so much to see and do that is not weather dependent, particularly in Colchester Way to go Essex is easy to access from the north and south, thanks to the A12, which runs from Chelmsford, past Colchester and up to Ipswich and beyond. Be warned that the A12 can get very busy. Mersea Island should be on your list of must-see attractions, but you’ll need to be sure of the tide times Food and drink ■ Naze Tower Café Tel 01255 852 519 Address The Naze, Old Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze CO14 8LE On the first and second floor of the tower, it serves hot and cold lunches, cakes, and a takeaway service Find out more ■ Visit Essex www.visitessex.com ■ Visit…

‘Ossiach is a lovely, peaceful spot where you can sit for ages and just drink in the comings and goings’ THE WEATHER FORECAST wasn’t good. In fact it was for rain, rain and more rain. So we were surprised – and relieved – to see campers sunbathing under a hot sun as we turned into Camping Kölbl on the shores of Ossiacher See. We chose a lakeside pitch and set about putting up the awning, looking forward to relaxing with a refreshing drink in the sunshine afterwards. Then the weather changed and campers scurried for shelter as a cracking ( literally) thunderstorm broke over the campsite. After 15 minutes the air cleared and the sun came out again – this was to be the pattern for our stay. Ossiacher See…

’The peaceful setting has gorgeous views across the lough’ AS CARAVANNERS WELL know, first impressions can make or break a holiday as you pull into a campsite. It is, if you like, your new neighbourhood, albeit temporary, and just as if you were moving house, you want that neighbourhood to be friendly, peaceful and with some local interest. As you pull up to the farmhouse that serves as reception for Rushin House, the Top 100 Sites Guide 2018 Regional Winner for Northern Ireland, you will breathe a deep sigh of satisfaction at this neat-as-a-pin terraced site’s stunning, loughside location. And when you meet the very friendly owners, Cathal and Brenda O’Dolan, you know you are in for a wonderful stay. Peaceful setting The site’s peaceful setting on the shores of…

Sussex Caravan Centre relaunches Sussex Caravan Centre is launching its own Swift-based dealer special as it bounces back from two fires at its East Sussex branch. The dealership launched its new Sussex Expression range, based on Sprite, at its spring show at the end of March, where it also had the chance to show off its rebuilt premises. The Expression range includes Al-Ko ATC, a sunroof and heavy-duty corner steadies as standard. It also comes with an outside barbecue point and mains socket, and Swift’s Diamond Pack, which gets you a stereo and microwave, among other features. It is the first time the dealership has sold Swift caravans, although it already offers special editions based on Coachman, Lunar and Elddis. Police are still investigating the two fires last year, which…

GIVEN Coachman’s relatively smaller size when compared to the likes of Swift Group and Erwin Hymer Group UK, it is clearly a popular choice for dealer special editions – there are no fewer than 11 dealer special ranges based on Coachman caravans. All bar two of these are based on a Vision, the most affordable of Coachman’s three line-ups. But the other two Coachman dealerships – Spinney Caravans in Cheshire and Sussex Caravan Centre – have bypassed the mid-market Pastiche (which really just adds Alde heating to Vision) to base its line-up on the top-of-the-range VIP (see page 64). Basic specification Coachman Vision vans ride on Al-Ko galvanised steel chassis, fitted out with alloy wheels, shock absorbers and a steel spare wheel on a carrier. Bodyshells utilise bonded construction, with…

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 112 to see the layout diagrams), and the price for each model. Bailey and Swift Group specials appeared in our May issue. Key ■ Base model specification ◆ Upgrade from exsisting spec by dealer ● Dealer-added features…

WE’RE BIG FANS of the latest Sprite revamp – so much so that we made the six-berth, family-friendly Major 6 our Tourer of the Year for 2018. We reckoned that, a few detail tweaks aside, it would be tough to better, but the Swift Group clearly likes a challenge. The result is this, the Sprite Super Quattro DB – in essence a longer, wider, twin-axle version of the Major 6. It’s one of two new ‘Super’ models to follow Elddis’ lead in offering 8ft-wide vans at a more affordable price point. In fact, we reckon it’s the cheapest eight-footer on the UK market – at least it is before you add the obligatory front panoramic window (£365) and the Diamond Pack (£595), which brings essentials such as a microwave, door…

Volkswagen Tiguan SEL 2.0 TSI 180PS 4MOTION DSG Tested by Niall Hampton Price £33,015 Kerbweight 1645-1862kg Towing limit 2500kg Towball limit 100kg IN A NUTSHELL A pleasant solo drive, but diesel version is the better tug AFTER SIX MONTHS on our long-term test fleet, it’s almost time to say goodbye to our VW Tiguan SEL 2.0 TSI. Regular readers will recall that we sourced this car for the second half of a back-to-back test against our former 190PS Tiguan 2.0 TDI long-termer, in R-Line spec. Given how much petrol engines have improved in recent years, and given the legacy of the ‘dieselgate’ furore, we believed this comparison to be both necessary and timely. We’ve previously reported on the differences between these two cars, noting that the TSI rides better and…

SPOTLIGHT ON AWNINGS THERE’S A REASON you see so many awnings at campsites: they’re a great accessory for a caravan and come in all shapes and sizes. I own no fewer than four different styles of awning and I use all of them throughout the year. So what do you need to take into consideration when choosing one for your van? Full size If you plan to stay away for a week or more, a full-size awning will offer double the floor space of your touring caravan, providing valuable increased living room. This can be a much needed addition for families, offering extra room for dining, bike storage and space to spread out, particularly considering the paraphernalia that tends to accompany families. However, an awning sometimes isn’t enough for larger…

Awnings Porch Kampa Rally Pro 200, complete with Kampa roof lining, rear poles, Kampa easy tread carpet, draught skirt, storm straps, 2 yrs old, excellent condition, £160. Mr White, Gosport. (0788 400 5238) Isabella Magnum, carbon poles, 230 x 340, curtains, wheel arch cover, skirt, spares, pegs etc, good condition, buyer collects, £350 ono. Mrs Cowton, Easingwold, York. (01347 821618) Vango Varkala 360, 2016, airbeam, used 2 seasons, clean, undamaged, excellent condition, all components, collection only. Mr Brown, Northallerton, N Yorks. (0784 582 3229) Apache Windsor, large porch, grey acrylic, recently professional wash and reproof, good condition, alloy poles, good looking awning, £275, buyer collects, can email photos. Mr Hepworth, Stockton on Tees. (0792 738 5037) Thule G2 Safari residence room, 3.5m, fits roll-out awning, excellent condition, little used, £350.…

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…

Backbone of British tourism YOU COULD BE forgiven for thinking that, between them, the National Trust and English Heritage have the domestic heritage industry sewn up. It’s a sector that accounts for more than 60% of domestic holidays and, remarkably, almost half of all inbound international visits to the UK. But there is a third umbrella organisation that represents more than 1650 independently owned houses and gardens. The Historic Houses Association has 50,000 members, but it’s looking to increase that by rebranding to the simpler Historic Houses name and raising its profile. A £50 membership fee will gain you free entry into 320 owner-occupied properties and gardens represented by Historic Houses. They are “living examples of Britain’s past, present and future”, says Ben Cowell, Historic Houses Director General. Among the…

Swift profits up Swift Group’s pre-tax profits for the year to August 2017 jumped by £1.5m to £24m, the company has revealed. Turnover grew by over 8% to a record £273m in the same period. Swift Group has just completed the second stage of a management buyout that has seen the directors increase their majority shareholding, while Peter Smith (son of founder Ken Smith) continues as chairman. Young dealer gains attention A caravan dealership owner in Somerset has won the Federation of Small Businesses Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the South West. Shaunessy Abrahams, aged 21, set up Sedgemoor Caravans 18 months ago. The business has already expanded to include a service centre and hopes to take on a new caravan franchise soon. Hymer mulls float The Hymer…

EXPLORER GROUP and its constituent brands were taken over last year by Erwin Hymer Group of Germany, a country where dealer special editions are rarer than here in the UK. But that hasn’t stopped the County Durham factory rolling out its extensive roster of dealer specials. Most are based on the Elddis Avanté, although Sussex Caravan Centre, basing its Premier range on the Avanté, has the Affinity-based Premier Plus. Dealer specials from Kimberley, in the Midlands, Kirkcaldy, in Scotland, and Cookstown, Northern Ireland, are based on the Compass Casita. This range matches Avanté, omitting one model – the 574. Venture Caravans’ San Remo range, based on budget brand Xplore, goes for bold graphics and extra spec, including an external socket and gas point (turn to page 64). Base specification Elddis…

‘The front panel now has three separate windows, which is not something you would expect to see in an entry level van’ THE 2018 SEASON will go down as the time when Swift Group brought all its various brands under the same umbrella. From now on, all vehicles rolling off the Cottingham production line would have the Swift name prominently displayed – mostly above the front windows in the case of caravans. With the second phase of its management buyout in progress (see page 55), bigging up the Swift name made sense, and it also apparently means that Swift is now the largest single-brand leisure vehicle manufacturer in Europe. The brand consolidation has led to some Swift-owned names being retired (Sterling caravans, for example), but it is testimony to the…

HAMPSHIRE-based Winchester Caravans, a Bailey and Lunar retailer, topped our poll to become the best supplying dealer of pre-owned caravans. Here, MD James Southwood reveals his successful formula. Congratulations on your win. Were you surprised at the news? I was, yes, excited and surprised. For me, what our customers think of us is very important, so to get that recognition from them is fantastic. Our whole team works hard and every employee is encouraged to take care of our customers, which is important. Winning an award for the supply of used caravans means you must be quite particular what you sell… Yes, we are particular. If we don’t think that a caravan is up to a certain level of quality, then we’ll trade it. There are certain vans we just…

Vital statistics Price £8995 Internal length 5.18m Overall length 7.2m Overall width 2.29m MiRO 1165kg Payload 235kg MTPLM 1400kg Kit list ■ Galvanised chassis ■ AKS hitch stabiliser ■ Toughened sides/roof ■ Alloy wheels ■ Spare wheel ■ Dual-fuel four-burner hob ■ Oven ■ Fridge/freezer ■ Truma blown-air heating ■ Awning light ■ Barbecue point ■ Electric-flush toilet ■ Clock…

TA Twin-axle Practical Caravan top pick Layout finder AA This is a practical layout that allows you to enjoy the comfort of a fixed bed, while retaining a (usually) good-shaped lounge up front. If that lounge is big enough, you’ll often find that it can be made up into another double bed – handy if you have guests staying over. The kitchen can be on the small side, so make sure that it’s big enough for your needs. However, the washroom will almost certainly offer plenty of space for dressing, because it stretches across the full width of the caravan. Pros The fixed bed should be a good size, and comfortable. There’ll be plenty of room in the washroom Cons The fixed bed takes up a relatively large amount of…

BACK IN 2011, Swift Group launched a stripped-down, lightweight tourer range called Sprite Lite. A three-strong line-up debuted at the NEC show and omitted selected items from standard Sprite spec, although many of these were available as cost options. The range was soon dropped, but Sprite Lite (working title: Basecamp) was a well-intentioned attempt to attract new buyers into the market, something Swift has successfully revisited with the present-day Basecamp. Fast forward seven years and there’s a new string to the Sprite bow, one that turns Sprite Lite on its head – the 8ft-wide Sprite Super has been designed to sate demand for extra girth on tour. But is it a ‘me too’ product, or a genuine improvement on an already very impressive caravan range? Turn to page 74 to…

1 Dancing in the streets Join the community at Holmfirth Festival of Folk, where you can hear a variety of live music and free concerts. Date 11-13 May Web holmfirthfestivaloffolk.co.uk Stay at Holme Valley Camping and Caravan Park Web www.holmevalleycamping.com 2 Seaside songs To give it its full name, Cleethorpes Blues, Rhythm and Rock Festival will have you tapping your feet to the impressive line-up. Date 16 June Web cleethorpesbluesfestival.co.uk Stay at Cleethorpes Showground Caravan Park Web www.cleethorpescamping.co.uk 3 One for the kids Elderflower Fields Festival prides itself on creating a stimulating and adventurous experience for the younger ones. Date 25-28 May Web www.elderflowerfields.co.uk Stay at Crowborough Camping and Caravanning Club Site Web campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk 4 Music to our ears There’s an eclectic line-up at the second annual Under The Hill Festival, providing plenty…

Colchester Holiday Park The site, on the outskirts of Colchester, is easily accessed from the A12. It’s a spacious site with a mix of hardstanding and grass pitches and three washblocks. Facilities include a camping and caravan accessories shop, Calor Gas sales, a play park, facilities for the disabled and a dog walk. It’s half a mile to the nearest supermarket and less than two miles to Tollgate retail park. A five-minute walk will get you to the nearest bus stop to take you into Colchester if you don’t fancy driving. Address Cymbeline Way, Colchester, Essex CO3 4AG Tel 01206 545 551 Web http://colchesterholidaypark.com Open All year Pitches 145 (119 with hook-up) Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) £18-£22 Fen Farm Caravan and Camping Site Dog-friendly Fen Farm on Mersea Island has been a regular…

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…

LUNAR’S involvement in dealer specials is more extensive than Bailey’s (see May issue, p69), but only marginally so. Just five dealers have adapted caravans off Lunar’s Preston production line, and this season only one – Robinson’s Caravans – has based any of its dealer specials on something other than Lunar’s Ariva/Quasar (Robinson’s also offers the Stellar/Lexon-based Ultima – see p64). For 2018, Quasars boast new ‘Vibe’ soft furnishings that are partly the result of Lunar’s tie-up with homewear company Joules. Some dealers featured here have eschewed introducing their own upholstery schemes to stay with the pleasing Joules-inspired look and feel. Base specification Lunar Quasars are based on Al-Ko galvanised chassis with a hitch stabiliser, shock absorbers and alloy wheels. Except for the Ariva, a spare steel wheel with carrier is…

First drive Subaru XV 2.0i SE Premium Lineartronic SUBARU has a loyal following among caravanners – the brand’s all-wheel-drive technology and low-slung Boxer engines make for fine tow cars, writes Niall Hampton. At the opposite end of the market from the popular Outback, the XV compact crossover has just been given a makeover, as Subaru makes a fresh pitch for buyers looking for something equally at home on the school run or off-road. Subaru’s press team was keen to explain the XV is an out-and-out all-wheel-drive car – not a two-wheel-drive with optional AWD. Two petrol engines, a 1.6 and a 2.0, are available, and there’s a choice of SE or SE Premium trims. We got to drive a 2.0 SE Premium with Lineartronic transmission at the launch – although…

MANY CARAVAN SITES now provide a TV aerial point on their mains connection pillars adjacent to each pitch. This is particularly useful where the television signal is weak or the number of channels that can be received via the caravan roof aerial is limited. Ideally, 25 metres of coaxial cable is required and this should reach any aerial point. More flexible versions of coaxial cable are available than that normally used for the TV at home and this might be worth researching, because the cable will be easier to manage when regularly used and then stored. Coaxial cable does not take kindly to being twisted and bent, so providing a storage drum will keep it in the best possible condition and save a lot of time and effort when laying…

Vital statistics Price £11,995 Internal length 5.5m Overall length 7.19m Overall width 2.23m MiRO 1317kg Payload 183kg MTPLM 1500kg Kit list ■ Galvanised chassis ■ AKS hitch stabiliser ■ Alloy wheels ■ Spare wheel ■ Paintseal finish to exterior ■ Dual-fuel hob ■ Oven ■ Microwave ■ Fridge ■ Truma blown-air heating ■ Status TV aerial ■ Awning light ■ Electric-flush toilet…

TA Twin-axle Practical Caravan top pick Layout finder AH When fixed single beds first started appearing in caravans, there was usually an end washroom at the rear of the caravan. This season, however, some manufacturers have been producing new layouts that bring the washroom forward, and spread it across the centre of the caravan, near the axle. In such a position it is more easily accessible to everyone at nighttime. Pros Central washrooms are usually much larger than end washrooms, and more luxurious Cons If not designed well, they can end up making the centre of the van feel dark and narrow A Make sure that fixed beds and a large washroom don’t make the front lounge too small B The kitchen shouldn’t be forgotten either. Make sure there is…

TA Twin-axle *Next to layout code denotes floor plan not mirrored for the UK 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…

FOLLOWING ON FROM my New Year’s wish list of desirable caravan enhancements and accessories (March 2018 issue), I’m contemplating a few more: ■ A roll-away garden that engulfs your caravan like a baby’s bib: a patch of lawn, a shrub or two and perhaps a water feature. ■ A huge van-topped funnel that collects rainwater and allows a ‘natural’ shower powered by nature. Then if it rains, there’s always a positive spin: “Never mind, dear, you can break out a new packet of iguana skin and cow parsley soap-on-a-rope and take yourself and the natural sponge loofah off to the power shower.” ■ The clothes drying equivalent of a microwave that turns soggy items into freshly laundered clothes in a few ‘pings’. ■ A remote control welly boot rack that…