Innehållsförteckning för July 2018 från Practical Caravan

TOW CAR AWARDS 2018 After 44 cars battled it out to become Britain’s best tug, we reveal the class winners to suit every tourer and every budget TRAVEL Reader tours of Languedoc-Roussillon in France, and Northumberland. Plus, County Counsel heads to Aberdeenshire TOURERS First look at the Fifth Wheel Inos, and a live-in test of our Coachman VIP 570 long-termer TECH All you need to know about caravan steps, and we continue our series on caravanning basics DIGITAL MAG bit.ly/pcaravan  & bit.ly/practicalcaravanapp TV Sky 212 and Freesat 161 ON DEMAND youtube.com/practicalcaravan *Contents subject to change…

Walk the Lakes with a guide IT MIGHT BE one of the wettest places in Britain, but that doesn’t stop the throng of hardy visitors walking the Lake District’s exceptionally beautiful hills and valleys. This is a large area, and it can be easy to get lost, but you don’t have to scratch your head over an OS map. You can join one of 200 expertly guided walks and spend time enjoying the gorgeous scenery, rather than worrying if you have climbed over the wrong stile. The walks cover five grades, from easy to very hard. Check https://bit.ly/2q2rfhk for details and booking; walks take place until October. For those children who find walking ‘boring’, a new free adventure playground, designed to appeal to tots and teens, has opened at Brockhole…

Manorafon Farm Touring and Camping Nestled within the impressive walls of Gwyrch Castle (you can even drive through the castle gates if you dare), but still within walking distance of Abergele, Manorafon is a small and family-focused caravan park. It has its own petting farm, with rabbits, pigs, chickens and rheas, a go-karting track, and a wigwam to hire for parties. There are 24 hardstanding pitches with hook-ups, and most pitches are hedged off. There is also a snack bar and laundry. Address Manorafon, Llanddulas Road, Abergele, Conwy LL22 8ET Tel 01745 833 237 Web www.manorafon.co.uk Open 1 March–30 September Pitches 64 Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) £18.75-£26.75 Lady Margaret Caravan and Motorhome Club Site If you plan to visit Chirk Castle, you couldn’t stay much closer. It’s also convenient for Llangollen…

1 Views to inspire Dylan Thomas’s boathouse has spectacular views across the Laugharne estuary, and if you visit the castle, you can see another of his favourite writing spots in the summerhouse. Stay at Broadway Farm Caravan Park Tel 01994 427 272 2 Village life Visit Jane Austen’s modest home in the beautiful village of Chawton, where you can also visit the rather more grand Chawton House that celebrates authoresses. Stay at Beverley Farm Certificated Site Web beverleyfarm.co.uk 3 Queen of crime Agatha Christie was a prolific crime writer, yet quiet Greenway, her home, couldn’t be further from scandal on its hill above the River Dart in sunny Devon. Stay at Galmpton Touring Park Web www.galmpton 4 Traditional Yorkshire The family home of the Brontë sisters is a…

Deer Park Campsite at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire. Very limited facilities, but a fantastic place. Can get busy but can also be very quiet. Probably one of my favourite places. Just grass, grey waste dump and fresh water tap, but stunning countryside, great walks, no restrictions on exit/entry times and 50% off the castle tickets. All for £8.50 per night. Chris Walters (Facebook) Site essentials This site is set in the idyllic parkland surrounding Eastnor Castle, an impressive Georgian building that looks like it is from a fairytale. Stay in the informal campsite and you’ll wake up to stunning views of the estate. The informality also means that you can pitch where you like. There’s not much in the way of facilities; just fresh water points and waste disposal. There’s no…

Lowdhams event is now for caravans, too Caravan and motorhome dealer Lowdhams is widening its popular Novemberfest event to include caravans for the first time. The event, which includes an unveiling of the new season’s models, is open to anyone who has a My Lowdhams loyalty card, which you can apply for if you have ever bought a new or pre-owned caravan from either of Lowdhams’ two branches. Some 2690 customers have already acquired the card, which also gets you exclusive service plans, discounts on accessories and awnings, free hot drinks and cakes at the on-site Millie’s café, and discounted insurance from Caravan Guard. Outwell sells direct Accessory and awning supplier Outwell, known for its collapsible cookware (pictured below), is now selling direct to the public. Along with an online…

Tested by Peter Baber Price £48,275 Kerbweight 1826kg 85% match 1552kg Towing limit 110kg There was a time when Volvo was known for producing well-made, ultra-safe cars that were just a little, dare we say, boring. Volvo has gone some way to try to shed that image. The V90 Cross Country that has just arrived at Practical Caravan Towers seems far removed from the boxy estate cars you used to see rolling up at gymkhanas. Its squat profile, with a pointed bonnet, 18in five double-spoke alloy wheels, and twin exhausts moulded into the rear skirting, makes this model look much sportier. Yet it still feels like a Volvo. Not including mirrors, the car is nearly 1.88m wide, and you certainly feel that width when out on the road. Still, that…

I’LL ADMIT THAT this month’s project doesn’t bring you a new toy in the caravan, but it’s a practical solution to a potential problem. Over time, we’ve added several accessories that require 12V power directly from the caravan battery. If you’re just needing one extra power supply, then it’s fine to connect directly to the battery terminals, but when you need several, doing this isn’t ideal. So what’s the answer? Pretty simple, really. It comes in the form of a fuse box and an earthing block. Basically, a single cable feeds the fuse box from the positive (+) terminal on the battery, and a single cable from the earthing block attaches to the negative (-) terminal on the battery. The fuse box we used wasn’t expensive, but has the added…

Connecting the services can be done in any order and experienced caravanners will soon adopt a plan of action that suits their own circumstances. But as a guide, here is what should be done. ■ Electric hook-up To connect your electric hook-up cable, start by completely uncoiling it. Connecting a cable that remains tightly coiled on a drum can be a fire risk. Connect the cable to the caravan, then, allowing the cable to rest on the ground, neatly uncoil it in a loose figure-of-eight behind the van. Once you have done this, take the other end of the cable and connect it to the post or electric outlet, which should be labelled with your pitch number. Bear in mind that some post connections require you to plug in and…

Layout finder BB Centre washrooms – where the facilities cut right across the middle of the van – are all the rage right now, but this remains a popular variant: it features a rear island bed, with a side washroom over the axle. Space is saved by locating the kitchen opposite, meaning that this layout can be fitted onto a van with a shorter footprint. Elsewhere you'll find a lounge up front, with sofas that double as a bed. Pros The island bed is about as close to a domestic example as you can get. The lounge is usually of a good size. Cons Access to the washroom can be tight when someone is cooking. A The side washroom is likely to be on the narrow side B There's additional…

Layout finder B This is a relatively new layout in the caravanning world, but one that’s proved popular: it combines the comfort of a fixed bed with practicality, because that bed can be retracted a short distance during the day. As a result, it’s much easier to access the rear washroom – which stretches across the whole of the rear of the caravan – during the day. The space eaten up by the washroom and fixed bed means that the lounge can be small, so check this if it’s important to you. Pros The fixed bed should be a good size, and comfortable. Plenty of room in the washroom Cons Guests sleeping up front will find it tricky to access the washroom at night A There will be room for…

Layout finder TT This family layout is comparatively rare, but it does crop up in the mainstream entry level segment, for example the six-berth Adria 552 DT Tamar. A midships kitchen sited opposite a dinette creates a sociable space, while at the back of the van you’ll find a pair of fixed bunks on the other side from a long washroom. With all the berths for children on the same side of the van, rather than opposite, they may get to sleep quicker in the evenings. Pros Dinette frees up two seating spaces in the lounge. Wardrobe on rear wall is a handy storage solution for touring families Cons Nighttime access to washroom means walking past bunks A Lounge can be short but converts into a large double bed B…

Awnings Porch Outdoor Revolution Elan 280 air porch, brand new awning, never used, still in box, cost £530, £450 ono. Mr Weeks, Melksham, Wiltshire. (01225 949554) Kampa Rally Air 260, with hand pump, carry bag, storm guys, £200. Mr Braxton, Potter Heigham, Norfolk. (01692 670612) Dorema Toronto porch awning, fibreglass frame, used twice, only £95. Mrs Thomas, Llanelli. (01554 751465 or 0791 006 1631) Apache Monte Carlo, alloy frame, burgundy, buyer collects, £200. Mr Davidson, Inkberrow. (01386 792772) Dorema 260 Magnum Air all seasons awning, charcoal/grey, only used 3 times, excellent condition, new in 2017, bargain at £450 ono. Mr Simpson, Nantwich, Cheshire. (01270 624859 or 0780 442 9207) Ventura Cadet, blue, good condition, some extras, £200 ono. Mr McKnight, Ayr. (01292 284751) Isabella Magnum Moonlight porch awning, carbon poles,…

I WAS RECENTLY reminded of one of the main reasons I love caravanning so much. And it came in the most unlikely guise. On the insistence of my increasingly fashion-aware eight- and 11-year-olds, I decided to ditch the beige slacks and polo neck, and head into town to visit the latest trendy clothes shops and ‘get with it’. This turned out to be more traumatic than I could ever have imagined. The first shop – called something like H & N or Superwet or All Popes – enticed me in with pictures of svelte bodies in half-buttoned shirts and droopy jeans. I headed for the changing rooms with arms full of ripped denim and designer patterned shirts, all in my usual sizes. Now having reached ‘middle age’, I admit to…

Soak up the sun Web www.7dayshop.com Price £39.99 Holidays on the hoof can often lead to running out of phone battery, typically just before you’re about to take the most amazing photo or need GPS to find your way back to the campsite. This compact and convenient folding solar panel is a great solution for on-the-go and eco-friendly charging. Simply unfold the panel, plug in your phone – the USB plug has adaptors for Android and iOS – and place in sunlight. Direct sunlight works best, but if the great British summer turns and the rain starts falling, the panel is showerproof. It has eyelets on each corner and a handy carabiner for hanging, which provides a great storage solution. The surface is textured for grip, so you can place…

 “WE’RE INVESTING IN UK tourism,” says Eye Kettleby Lakes manager Craig Oldham, about the £1m development extending the park’s already excellent facilities. ‘This is a great stopover, whether you are heading north or south’ Eye Kettleby Lakes is an open-all-year, adults-only park in the heart of England, easily accessed from the M1 and the A1. It’s a great stopover if you are travelling north or south, and as soon as you head up the long drive and through the rather grand gates, you’ll find it’s no hardship to stay the minimum of two nights. This is pork pie and Stilton country, a 10-minute drive from Melton Mowbray. The park began as an arable farm, with a herd of Friesian cattle. The fishery came about in the early 1990s. Longhorns have…

THERE’S BEEN A bit of a trend for moving washrooms around this season, either to the back, where there is often more space, or to the middle, where they are more accessible. With the 574 model, Erwin Hymer UK (the Explorer Group as was) has done the latter, turning what was a 5.6m-long model with an end washroom and single beds into a central washroom model. The Elddis Avanté 574 was highly commended in the Small Families category in our Tourer of the Year Awards for 2018. But, of course, the Elddis model line-up is largely mirrored in the Compass range. So does the Compass Capiro 574 work as well as its Elddis equivalent, the Affinity? Pitch and set-up Since its reintroduction in its current format, Compass has been designed…

First drive Volvo XC40 D4 AWD BIGGER IS USUALLY better when towing. But for our money, the smallest member of Volvo’s SUV line-up could well be the best. We’re not alone – our colleagues on What Car? have made the new XC40 their Car of the Year. It’s easy to see why. There’s a choice of diesels with 148bhp or 187bhp. We’ve driven the more powerful D4 AWD. It has the makings of a very capable tow car. Despite being the smallest of the XC range (it’s a rival for the Audi Q3 and BMW X1), the XC40 still has a healthy weight, at 1735kg including 75kg for the driver, and a high 2100kg towing limit and 110kg noseweight. With 295lb ft of torque, the engine should be more than…

I HAVE ALWAYS found that the typical ‘Y’ piece which is used to combine two van waste outlets into one pipe to fit into the waste container is unreliable and untidy, tending to come loose very easily. This project describes how simple domestic plumbing waste fittings can greatly improve the system. All of the caravans I’ve owned have had their waste outlets self-tapping screwed to the thin, inadequately supported aluminium skirt which forms the bottom edge of the body. This makes them very floppy when plugging and unplugging and is a problem that can be solved at the same time. Review pipe runs Caravan manufacturers do not seem to have grasped the simple principle that waste water does not run uphill. Have a look behind your waste outlets; mine revealed…

All of the services are now connected to the caravan, but nothing is switched on or working. This can all be done indoors, along with unpacking, then relaxing! ■ Close the taps Close all taps, including the shower, handbasin and kitchen sink. Close the drain-down tap – usually a yellow tap near the water tanks – and the connection to the water pump. ■ Switch on Make sure the water heater is in the off position and turn on the caravan master switch. Depending on your caravan, you might need to switch on the mains power as well. ■ Bleed the taps Switch on the water pump and allow it to run for about a minute. Taps will be full of air and need priming – open each one individually.…

Layout finder DD Island-bed layouts are, for many caravanners, the height of touring luxury – they offer a domestic-style sleeping area in which you don’t need to make up a bed from cushions each night. Elsewhere the floorplan can vary, but one popular variety is to have the washroom split across the van's central aisle. It usually means that the shower and toilet are separate: handy if there are two of you getting ready at the same time. Pros The island bed is as close to a domestic example as you can get. The lounge usually makes up into a second double Cons Split washroom areas might not be hugely spacious A You'll usually find lots of storage under the island bed B Check that the kitchen is large enough…

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 enough space to work C Central…

1 Boating beauties Head to beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon’s River Festival for two days of free events and activities. These include family fun and games, an artisan craft market and food and drink stalls. Date 30 June-1 July Web www.stratforward.co.uk Stay at Riverside Caravan Park http://po.st/nRqI5o 2 Forest life Celebrate woodland in all its forms, with creative entertainment, craftspeople, scientists and more coming together to be inspired by nature at the new Timber Festival. Date 6-9 July Web www.timberfestival.org.uk Stay at Conkers C&CC Site http://po.st/XqygrX 3 An oar-ing good time Mawddach Paddlefest hosts rowing races, paddle boarding lessons, guided paddles up the estuary and harbourside family fun. Date 30 June-1 July Web www.merionethyachtclub.co.uk/paddlesports Stay at Hendre Mynach TC&C Park http://po.st/9JBVDZ 4 A dose of country life Great food, mass singalongs, quality music and entertainment, talks…

Basecamp wins a Red Dot Swift Group’s ‘crossover’ vehicle, the Basecamp, has won a Red Dot Award in recognition of its design and functionality. Germany’s Red Dot design award scheme has been running since the 1950s and this year attracted more than 6300 entries from 59 countries, with each entry being judged on innovation, functionality, formal quality, ergonomics and durability. The Basecamp was accorded particular praise by the award scheme judges for the “high design quality” of its interior. Swift Group managing director James Turner said, “The Red Dot Award reaffirms our long-held commitment to design innovation – and showcased the talent and creativity of our design teams.” The Basecamp, which has been designed to be towed by lighter tow cars and to appeal in particular to outdoor sports enthusiasts,…

SPOTLIGHT ON SERVICED PITCHES We are an active family and like to tour in all seasons, so the shower cubicle is one of the most important spaces in our caravan – not only to dry wet coats and boots, but also to use the shower to wash after a hard day’s hike. The only problem is, trying to shower our family of four generally means a lot of trips to refill the water tank, not to mention the resulting trips to the waste disposal point. Most importantly, running out of water part-way through your shower is not pleasant at all! With all of this in mind, we decided to push the boat out a bit and upgrade to a serviced pitch on our recent visit to Snowdonia, in north Wales.…

LAST MONTH WE covered 10 key elements that should be observed when packing a caravan for a safe trip. Most of that is just common sense, but what do you do when you arrive on site? This month we will go through the list of tasks that need to be completed to provide you with a happy and stress-free holiday in your caravan. This list is not exhaustive, but will get any van up and running and correctly connected to the services. 1 Check in Once you’ve negotiated the rush hour traffic, followed the sat nav and arrived safe and well, you will need to check in. Most sites will have a special area dedicated to new arrivals. Simply pull in here and make yourself known to the site staff,…