Innehållsförteckning för July 2019 från Practical Caravan

EMAIL US AT letters@practicalcaravan.com WRITE TO Letters, Practical Caravan, 1-10 Praed Mews, London W2 1QY 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…

Blackpool will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of its Tower and Grand Theatre, and the 120th of the Tower Ballroom, with a yearlong programme of events and a spectacle-packed summer season. The air show (10-11 August) will feature high-octane action from the French-based aeronautics display outfit, The Breitling Jet Team, as well as displays of military and civilian aircraft. The Winter Gardens will host new events, while the Livewire Festival returns to the Tower Festival Headland. Other events include the World Fireworks Championship and the Nickelodeon Slimefest. See www.visitblackpool.com.…

With the addition of Lucy, our adorable Cavachon puppy, we had become a touring family of four, and the summer holidays were imminent. In just three months, we needed to take delivery of our new Eriba Troll 530 and organise everything for our first trip of the year, as well as ensuring that Lucy was toilet trained – we love a challenge! Having never had a pet before, I was on a steep learning curve. Taking a dog on tour involved a lot of planning. The ‘training weeks’ preceding our holiday saw us passing puppy school with merit, collating vet details, vaccination dates and check-ups, microchip, ID tag details and up-to-date vet records, as well as acquiring a passport for her. Food, treats, medication, bowls, bedding, familiar blanket/towels, toys and…

CAMPSITES HAVE BEEN my holiday destination ever since I was a child in the sixties. You name it, I have camped in it – two-person tents, frame tents, touring caravans, shaky old campervans, glamping pods and static caravans. These days, we have our own caravan and I am eagerly looking forward to this weekend, as it is coming out of storage, ready for our first trip this year. It is just the two of us now when we go off in the caravan, but, for over 20 years, we were a family of four. We have had some marvellous holidays, in the UK and in France. Sometimes it would just be a weekend away, close to home, to blow away the cobwebs and get our girls outdoors. Caravan holidays are…

When Kirstie Allsopp famously smashed her 10-and 12-year-old sons’ tablets in frustration at their continual screen-time rule-breaking, I imagine I was not alone in feeling a sharp pang of envy. What a blessed relief! What an immediate end to all those battles! How freeing-up of family time! Is it possible? Is it allowed? Dare I actually…? I have truly lost count of the number of times I have longed to throw my kids’ screens out of the window, hesitating only when I imagine myself contemplating the replacement cost as I gaze numbly at the smithereens of glass scattered across the pavement. There has to be a better way. We’re all aware of the health challenges facing our children, but the trick is to find effective ways of meeting them. A…

1 Sounds of the Dolomites An imaginatively conceived idea that combines spectacular scenery with internationally renowned musicians; even the journey to the concerts is an experience not to be missed at this high-altitude music event. This year the festival celebrates 25 years, and will feature the first entire opera to be performed at 2000m above sea level. Date 28 June-15 September Web www.isuonidelledolomiti.it/EN/sounds-of-the-dolomites 2 Colours Of Ostrava This is a vibrant cultural event in the Czech Republic that draws some big music names yet is much more than just a music festival. It comes complete with a tailored programme to keep kids entertained. Plus, children under 140cm tall get in free! Date 17-20 July Web www.colours.cz 3 Pete The Monkey The wonderfully named Pete The Monkey Festival, in Normandy, is…

Staffordshire chase man jailed A Walsall man who led police on a 40-mile car chase in a stolen car and caravan has been jailed for 20 months. Steve Beeson (40) was finally stopped at the Hilton Park Services after first being spotted in the stolen Mitsubishi L200 pick-up, which had false number plates, towing a stolen caravan on the A34 northbound at Trentham in June last year. He almost collided with a lorry when he drove onto the M6. Lostock Hall site rejig Campbells Caravans is adapting its Lostock Hall site near Preston to accommodate units being moved from its motorhome-only branch in Blackburn, which is closing. The size of the car park has been reduced, as has its used stock, but the company says it will still have a…

Price £20,355 Berths 6 MIRO 1335kg Payload 164kg MTPLM 1491kg Awning size 1008cm Specification highlights • BBQ point • Spare wheel • Special graphics • Upgrade upholstery/soft furnishings • LED mirror in bathroom • TV aerial • Exterior mains socket • Solar panel • Fridge/freezer • DAB radio • Truma heating • LED lighting • Sunroof • Alarm • Pleated blinds Contact Duncan’s Caravans, 186 Wishaw Road, Wishaw, Lanarkshire ML2 8ES Tel 01698 373224 Web www.duncanscaravans.co.uk Measurements A Interior length 5.83m B Shipping length 7.54m C Overall width 2.25m D Front double bed 2.02 x 1.80m E Front nearside single 1.90 x 0.72m F Front offside single 1.80 x 0.72m G Side nearside single 1.8 x 0.67 H Side nearside bunk 1.76 x 0.59 m I Fixed side bunks 1.83m…

Adria Altea 472 DS Eden Tested by Claudia Dowell Price £16,985 Berths 5 MiRO 1205kg Payload 165kg MTPLM 1370kg Awning size 925cm IN A NUTSHELL Well-priced van oozes attractive Continental style LAST MONTH I had an easy tow of the Adria up to Melton Mowbray, for our behind-the-scenes feature on Top 100 Sites Guide overall winner Eye Kettleby Lakes (issue 413). From there, Bryony took it on to Cambridge before I had really had a chance to look around it; so this month I popped along to our storage yard in Camberley to rectify that. ‘This is a very attractive little caravan – and, at £16,985, it’s reasonably priced, too’ This is an entry-level van with two dinettes: front and back. The single-pane front window indicates the cheaper range, but…

Price £61,020 What Car? Target Price £61,020 Retained value after three years 49% Kerbweight 2185kg 85% of kerbweight 1857kg Gross vehicle weight 2860kg Max towing limit 3500kg* Gross train weight 6360kg Towball limit 140kg Price of towball and electrics £995 Boot size min/max 650/1870 litres Payload 675kg Test conditions Dry Engine size 2993cc Power (bhp/rpm) 261@4000rpm Torque (lb ft/rpm) 457@2000-2500rpm Official combined economy 45.6mpg (WLTP) Towing economy 23.1mpg CO2 emissions 162/km First year car tax £530 Second year car tax £465 Insurance group 45 Euro NCAP overall protection rating…

1 The reverse polarity tester indicating that all’s well 2 The reverse polarity tester showing ‘reversed polarity’ 3 Old EHU cable to be used in making the adaptor lead 4 The blue ends removed from the EHU cable 5 The parts you will need to make the adaptor lead 6 Begin by dismantling one of the blue ends 7 The ‘terminal’ part of the blue socket 8 Trim cable and wires, then feed through the blue body 9 Fix wires to terminals; reassemble blue end 10 Connection markings are to be reversed on other end 11 Slide on the blue body and any sealing grommets 12 Blue wire to Live, brown to Neutral (so the wrong way around); green/yellow wire to the correct terminal 13 The completed reverse polarity adaptor…

ON HOLIDAY, YOU want to devote your time to rest and relaxation – not worrying about your cash and your kit. And what a disaster it could be, if you were to lose some or all of your portable valuables. It is, of course, best to leave your jewellery at home, but there are some things that you simply can’t do without while you’re away. Lose your passports and you will need to seek out a British embassy and pay £100 each for an emergency travel document. This is only valid for the one trip home – there will be extra costs renewing your passports. If your cash is stolen, it is unlikely to be covered by your travel insurance, while lost credit cards cause a lot of hassle to…

Meet the dealers Tamar Towing Plymouth-based Tamar Towing has only been a dealer in new Swift vans since 2016, but has already won Swift’s Dealer of the Year award twice. Managing director Tim Paige reckons much of this is down to its huge sales floor, which he says is the largest indoor showroom in the south-west, capable of holding 80 vans. “If customers are seeking a factory-fresh caravan, we should be top of the list – ours are delivered from the factory and placed inside to prevent weathering,” he says Tim and Rob Paige took over in 2005 and relocated the following year. Caravan servicing came along in 2011. Tamar relocated again in 2015, just before it took on the Swift franchise. The site also has an accessories shop and…

THE BRITISH TUG O’War Championships, caber tossing, hammer throwing and the Highland Dancing Championships are all kicking off in the Scottish Highlands to the sound of bagpipes this summer. June marks the beginning of the Highland Games season, which runs until mid-September, and if you are touring the area you will very likely find a contest going on somewhere nearby. The origins of these events lie in war games, where clans would pitch against each other. Today, they are displays of strength, skill and musicality, with plenty of fun thrown in. For details, visit the Scottish Highland Games Association: www.shga.co.uk or Visit Scotland: https://ebooks.visitscotland.com.…

Did you know that, when driving on a Smart Motorway, you must get out of the lane marked with a Red X as soon as possible? If you continue in the lane after passing the sign you will be fined. The Government’s guidance on the issue states: “It’s illegal to drive in a lane closed by a Red X sign. If you’re caught, you could receive a fixed penalty of up to £100 and three points, and in some cases more severe penalties or a court appearance.” Get clarification and more information at www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-drive-on-a-smart-motorway.…

FIND OUT MORE ■ Delft Tourist Information Kerkstraat 3 (Markplein), 2611 GX Delft Web www.delft.com ■ Salzburger Saalachtal Tourism Lofer 310, 5090 Lofer, Austria Web www.lofer.com ■ Rüdesheim Rheinstrasse 29a, D-65385 Rüdesheim am Rhein Web www.ruedesheim.de/en/services/tourist-information ■ Rheingau Wine Museum Web rheingauer-weinmuseum.de ■ Bike hire in Rheingau Email info@rad-kranz.com ■ Toboggan runs, Zell am See Web zellamsee-kaprun.com/en/activities/cool-family/tobogganing ■ Tauern Spa, Zell am See Web www.tauernspakaprun.com/en/tauern-spa ■ Christmas Village shop 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber   Web www.wohlfahrt.com ■ Erwin Hymer World Hymerring 1, 97877 Wertheim Web www.erwinhymerworld.de…

Baked beans Tinned tomatoes Tinned mixed beans Tinned corned beef Idaho instant potato (in supermarkets, it’s fab!) Tinned chickpeas Tinned coconut milk Tinned spinach Olive oil, spices, herbs, stock cubes, tomato purée, tubes garlic/ginger/ chilli paste, wine vinegar Chorizo sausage Rice, pasta, couscous, tortilla wraps A few tools that I like to make sure I have with me are: A corkscrew A potato ricer (for that creamy mash) A slow cooker Two sharp knives A wok and a good frying pan…

Vodafone showed off a range of caravan-related technology in London in April, with gadgets that could improve the security of your van – and your pet. Although it was displayed on a motorhome, much of it could be included in a caravan. The V-Camera, for example, is a Netgear Arlo Go connected to the Vodafone network via a V-SIM, which lets you keep an eye on your pet when you go out. It’s cord-free and doesn’t need Wi-Fi, and you can use it to keep an eye on the van itself when it’s parked. Vodafone’s model included a high-tech door-locking system from Tegos, so you don’t have to carry around a set of keys or struggle with the lock. You can control it from your smartphone, if you’ve got an…

Price £23,995 Berths 6 MiRO 1499kg Payload 181kg MTPLM 1680kg Awning size 1090cm Specification highlights • Full oven/dual-fuel hob • Sunroof/skylight • Roof vent • TV aerial • CD/radio • Separate fridge/freezer • Truma heating • External mains socket • LED lighting • 5 mains sockets • Twin axle • Grade 3 insulation Contact Lunar Caravans Ltd, Sherdley Road, Lostock Hall, Preston PR5 5JF Tel 01772 337628 Web www.lunar.com Measurements A Shipping length 7.89m B Interior length 6.32m C Overall width 2.44m D Front double bed 2.24 x 1.37m E Front single 1.83 x 0.74m F Rear side bunks 1.88 x 0.66m G Rear side single 1.88 x 0.66 m H Folding bunk 1.88 x 0.66m…

First drive SeatTarraco 2.0 TDI 190PS 4Drive DSG Price From £36,330 Kerbweight 1808kg Towing limit 2250kg 85% match 1537kg THE NEW TARRACO completes Seat’s SUV line-up, offering a big seven-seater to sit alongside the mid-sized Ateca and the compact Arona in the showrooms. Under the skin, it’s a close relative of the Škoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace. Should you choose a Tarraco over either one of those excellent SUVs? Well, it’s certainly good value. The range starts from £28,335, compared with £30,965 for the most affordable Tiguan Allspace. Go for the model we’d recommend for towing – the 2.0 TDI 190PS – and you’ll pay upwards of £36,330. Having tried a number of engine variants, we think it’s worth stretching the budget for the most powerful diesel. The entry-level…

How much? £3500-£25,000 The lowest-priced E-Class Estates are available for around the £3500 mark. But whether you’d really want one at that price is a different matter, because they’ll rarely have stopped moving, and will show the commensurate scars. E-Classes can shrug off big mileages, but still… Best to up the budget to around £10,000, at which point you’ll be able to get a five- or six-year-old car with a five-figure mileage, not a six-figure one. However, if you’re lucky enough to have £20,000 to spend, you’ll net a high-spec, late-model version with less than 40,000 on the clock. What will it tow? Kerbweight..........................2020kg 85% match ..........................1580kg Towing limit ....................... 1900kg Noseweight limit................... 85kg How much is a towball? Witter flange towbar .....£160.47 Witter detachable towbar .......... .................................................£259.10 Fitting extra…

NIGEL HUTSON Lifelong caravanner Nigel toured as a child before buying his first caravan at the age of 22. He served in the Police for 30 years SAMMY FAIRCLOTH grew up in a family of keen caravanners, and tours extensively in the UK and further afield whenever she gets the opportunity TONY BROWN is a retired dental practitioner; he bought his first caravan in 1964, and has enjoyed the pastime ever since Our focus this month is electrics; here, Sammy tells all about hook-ups; on p98, Nigel makes a handy reverse polarity adaptor lead; and on p101, Sam Coles shows how to avoid tripping the EHU…

WHEN CHOOSING WHERE to stay in our caravans, many of us are influenced, at least in part, by whether we can hook up to mains power. We’ve come to expect all the comforts of home in our van – a microwave, electric space heating and a fridge/freezer are just some of the essentials. However, unlike at home, in a caravan we don’t have the same mains supply capacity. During two recent visits to campsites, I was approached by pitch neighbours asking the age-old question: “Has your power gone off?” Sometimes, the site supply has gone down, but more often, they have unwittingly exceeded the current delivery capacity of the hook-up and activated the trip. Normally, it’s just a case of re-engaging the trip switch by the connecting point, but there…

The family firm of Westfield Caravans has been in business for over 30 years, and selling used tourers for about four years. Sales manager Steve Mashiter says: “I have been in charge of making this a touring sales centre, alongside the holiday caravans side. We have new Compass tourers, plus a selection of used tourers for all budgets. Investment has been in our service centre, sales and accessories shop, and awning showroom. Customer service is very much our priority.” Address 60 Chorley Road, Blackpool FY3 7XQ Tel 01253 301 505 Web www.westfieldcaravans.co.uk…

Caravan and Motorhome Club Tel 01342 326 944 Web thecaravanclub.co.uk Camping and Caravanning Club Tel 024 7647 5448 Web thefriendlyclub.co.uk CRiS Tel 020 3282 1000 Web www.cris.co.uk Approved Workshop Scheme Web www.approvedworkshops.co.uk Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association (CaSSOA) Tel 0843 216 5802 Web www.cassoa.co.uk Towsafe Web www.towsafe.co.uk DVLA Tel 0300 790 6801 Web www.dft.gov.uk/dvla Mobile Caravan Engineers Association (MCEA) Tel 01249 651 036 Web www.mobilecaravanengineers.co.uk…

Awnings Porch Isabella Minor porch awning, blue and grey, carbon frame, groundsheet, very good condition, £325 ono. Mr Farmer, Evesham, Worcestershire (07816 254442) Kampa 350 Fiesta Air Pro, very good condition, with Kampa Gale pump, sun canopy, carpet and roof lining, £345, buyer collects. Mr Jones, Suffolk (07813 839061) Vango Kalari 420 II, air awning, brand new, 2018 model, never used, cost £1099, will sell for £500, no offers, buyer collects. Mr Daley, East Sussex (07443 894479) Kampa Rally Air Pro 260 awning, heavy-weight roof lining, side poles, skirt, curtains and pump, £250. Mrs Wilkins, Worcestershire (01562 882231) Isabella Minor porch awning, slate grey, as new condition, carbon frame, curtains and groundsheet, £250, buyer collects. Mr Garwood, Rayleigh, Essex (01268 772986) Kampa Rally 390, used three times, small repair on…

No matter whether there are two of you, or 10, going on tour, it’s family life that can really make your caravan holidays – although it’s not always easy to find activities and locations to keep everyone happy! It was with this in mind that we’ve made this issue a family special – you’ll find our fantastic 36-page section starting on p21. From theme parks, to cooking, to luxury campsites, there really is something here for everyone in your group – plus, we’ve included two great family-friendly travel stories to really inspire you for the year ahead. And, don’t forget to have your say in our Owner Satisfaction Awards survey if you’ve bought a new or used caravan in the past three years. You could also be in with a…

1 An epic tale of England Immerse yourself in history in Durham, on various summer weekends. The Kynren live-action shows depict everything from Roman Britain to WWII. Date 30 June - 15 Sept Web www.kynren.com Stay at Craggwood Leisure Riverside Touring Park Web craggwoodcaravanpark.co.uk 2 Battles and beyond Tewkesbury Medieval Festival recreates a key battle in the Wars of the Roses and celebrates local life with a historic market. Date 13-14 July Web tewkesburymedievalfestival.org Stay at Tewkesbury Abbey Caravan & Motorhome Club Site Web www.caravanclub.co.uk 3 Join the joust Head to Falmouth for Pendennis Castle’s Legendary Joust, where knights will compete in this exhilarating tradition, with shattering lances and courageous horses. Date 30-31 July Web www.english-heritage.co.uk Stay at Menehay Farm Touring Park Web www.menehayfarm.co.uk 4 Royalists versus Covenanters Falkland Palace, near Perth, hosts…

Keswick C&C Club Site. There’s lots to do in the area. We’ve stayed there every year since 2004. Amanda Leetham Camping Le Chaponnet, Brem-sur-Mer, France. In Scotland, it’s Woodlands Caravan Park, Carnoustie. Karen Boyd Bolton Abbey. It’s a nice site with good facilities. Tony Ellis Park Cliffe, Windermere. Friendly staff, super facilities, gorgeous location. Gary Richardson Vakantiepark Koningshof in Holland. Garry Batten Pentewan Sands, Cornwall, for us – 35 years now! Malcolm Oliver This will be our 37th year at Château de Chanteloup near Le Mans. Cynthia McKay The Old Oaks, Somerset. Amazing facilities. Nigel Fox Castleton C&MC Site, great for the Peak District. Gary Booth Got some great tips you’d like to share? Let us know via Facebook (see p9)…

Welcome! Guest editor, Ben Lyon (aged 12) Ben loves touring with his family in their Eriba caravan – you can read all about one of their adventures on p22 I have a smile on my face as I write about camping, looking at mountains in the Lake District from my ever-changing caravan bedroom window! My camping holidays are planned with my family, and it’s all about discovering new locations together, fun outside all day with my dog, Lucy, and finding sticks to whittle. My favourite part of caravanning is the independence it gives me to use my own pocket money at the site shop, and o go off to the park on my scooter or bike and make new friends. I have recently upgraded my walkie-talkie to a phone so…

Camping Berger Uferstrasse 71, 50996 Köln, Germany Web camping-berger-koeln.de Open 5 January - 23 December Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) €26 Campingplatz am Rhein Kastanienallee 4, D-65385 Rüdesheim am Rhein, Germany Web campingplatz-ruedesheim.de Open 18 April - 13 October Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) €28 Lech Camping Seeweg 6, 86444 Affing, Germany Web lech-camping.de Open 18 April - 14 September Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) €28 Campingplatz Tauberromantik Detwang 39, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany Web camping-tauberromantik.de Open 15 March - 4 November Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) €26 Camping Grubhof Grubhof 39, 5092 St Martin bei Lofer, Austria Web grubhof.com Open 26 April - 3 November Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) €26-€39 Sportcamp Woferlgut Kroessenbach 40, A-5671 Bruck/Grossglockner, Austria Web sportcamp.at Open All year Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) €30.80-€42.40 Delftse Hout Korftlaan 5, 2616 LJ Delft Web www.delftsehout.co.uk Open March-November Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) €31.10-€42.10…

WAY TO GO We booked our trip on a P&O ferry via the Caravan and Motorhome Club. On our way to La Tranchesur-Mer, we came off the A28 between Rouen and Bernay, on to the D438 to Brionne, staying at Camping Municipal Les Marronniers for a couple of nights. This site is adjacent to the Voie Verte, one of France’s picturesque cycle trails. WHEN TO GO Seaside towns such as La Tranchesur-Mer only come alive during the summer. It would be fine to tour at other times, but some amenities, particularly on the coast, might not be open. Most of the shows at Puy du Fou take place in the open air, so visiting there off-season depends on how hardy you are! FIND OUT MORE ■ Vendée Guide Web www.vendee-guide.co.uk…

PARLIAMENT IS NOT entirely focused on Brexit, it seems, as a group of MPs has agreed to join a newly formed Trailer and Towing Safety All Party Parliamentary Group. Four MPs – Karin Smyth and Sharon Hodgson for Labour, Alan Brown for the Scottish National Party and Sir David Amess for the Conservatives – have agreed to be elected officers for the group, with the NCC acting as its secretariat. The new group aims to bring together parliamentarians, industry representatives and consumers to discuss towing safety. This includes looking at the Department for Transport’s recent report on trailer safety and the Safety Framework, which the National Towing Working Group, an organisation chaired by Highways England, is producing. In the recent past, the NCC has expressed concerns that some Government moves…

Model tested 2.0 TSI 190PS 4Drive FR DSG Price £31,355 What Car? Target Price £28,605 Retained value after three years 49% Kerbweight 1541kg 85% of kerbweight 1310kg Gross vehicle weight 2080kg Max towing limit 1900kg Gross train weight 3980kg Towball limit 80kg Payload 539kg Boot min/max 485/1579 litres Test conditions Dry Engine size 1984cc Power (bhp/rpm) 187@4200-6000rpm Torque (lb ft/rpm) 236@1450-4200rpm Official combined economy 32.5-33.6mpg (WLTP) Towing economy 24.1mpg CO2 emissions 156g/km First year car tax £530 Second year car tax £145 Insurance group 22E Euro NCAP overall protection rating…

ON THE LOOKOUT for a new caravan? If so, we can help! Just like our travel stories, expert reviews and advice, we reckon that our online classifieds are the best in the business – and now we’ve made them even better with a new search page that makes them even easier to use. So now you can read our review of your chosen caravan, watch the video, then find it online, making www.practicalcaravan.com the one-stop shop for all your touring needs. We already know that 50% of you access our website via mobile devices, so our classifieds are fully responsive — they will work just as well on your tablet or smartphone as they do on your desktop or laptop computer. We’ve worked hard to make these classifieds as easy…

WHEN WE SPEAK of reverse polarity in caravan terms, it has nothing to do with the north and south points on a compass. It’s when the Live (brown) and Neutral (blue) wires are connected to a site bollard the wrong way around. This would be most unusual (in fact I’ve never come across it) in the UK, but it’s not that uncommon on Continental campsites. So, what are the implications and how can we deal with it? Current and circuits If wired correctly, the electric current enters the caravan via the Live wire and then passes through the Consumer Unit (with associated circuit breakers) before being distributed to various circuits within the caravan. Many van sockets and light switches these days don’t have their own switch, but if they did,…

OWING TO THEIR similarities in build and design, most caravans and motorhomes share the same window manufacturers. Some of the most well-known brands are Dometic-Seitz, Heki and Fiamma. However, certain older units (like mine) were fitted with windows made by a firm called Birkholz, which has long since ceased manufacturing them. A quick look at online forums highlights the problems this causes when you are trying to source any replacement windows (size incompatibility with current ranges) and spare parts for repairs. Catch operation In the main, Birkholz windows are quite robust and give long service, but those fitted to my van are of the three-point catch variety, using one central lever to operate all three catches simultaneously. To do this, the lever drives a PVC strip in a channel which,…

LAST MONTH WE checked out the latest Elddis Xplore 304 (Practical Caravan issue 413, p80); this time, we have turned our attention to the brand’s 2016 line-up. Will four-year-old examples of this range offer customers a good pre-owned buy? We had a very close look at a 402 on the forecourt at Xplore dealers Robinsons, in Worksop, and really, it wasn’t long before we were wondering why we don’t see more of these models on the market. The Xplore was launched for 2008 and it’s fair to say, the brand took some time to get off the ground. Early days saw this range looking a little basic, although the cabinetwork was decidedly upmarket for its entry-level slot. The Xplore is quite popular for some dealer specials, although not as favoured…

Layout finder AI A central washroom spread across the van with an in-line island bed behind it is a layout that has been very popular in motorhome market, and more recently with caravans. That’s primarily because the washroom usually includes a stylish washbasin in the middle. Its popularity has started to wane recently, with designers going back to a more open washroom; but if you are after real luxury, this is hard to beat. Pros That washroom really does look like something you’d find in a hotel Cons The caravan can feel very divided – and the central area can be dark A The front lounge should still be light and comfy B Make sure the kitchen isn’t restricted by partition doors C These central washrooms frequently have extra storage,…

Join us as we take a look back at vintage issues of Practical Caravan MAY 1967 Caravan Life was the precursor to Practical Caravan, with the May 1967 issue being the last under this guise. The cover depicts the reality of English weather with dreams of sunnier climes The art of towing The issue devoted four pages to rectifying towing problems such as pitching and snaking. The writer concludes that, if stabilisers were used by all when towing, it would see the end of the 40mph speed limit! The Vale of Evesham When visiting the Vale of Evesham, the writer stayed at the Weir caravan and boating site for 7s 6d (around 32p) a night. On the Ranch site, some plots had fences Money was tight In 1967 the amount…