Innehållsförteckning för November 2023 från Practical Caravan

We asked what you were up to on the August Bank Holiday… Star photo Our winning entry receives one of these beautifully illustrated maps from Awesome Maps – check out the amazing range at www.awesome-maps.com WIN ME! STAR PHOTO TAG US #PRACTICAL CARAVAN OR EMAIL LETTERS@PRACTICAL CARAVAN.COM NEXT MONTH’S THEME… BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY! Send us your best touring shots for a chance to win an Awesome Map…

WE FANCIED A long weekend away to take advantage of a good weather forecast, so we headed for the Yorkshire Dales. Our chosen destination was Pateley Bridge, in Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It really is beautiful, so when you visit, prepare to enjoy the splendid views! We based ourselves at Riverside Caravan Park, a short walk from the town. The site offers a mixture of hardstanding and grass pitches, all with 10A power supply and a few fully serviced. Riverside is beautifully kept, with a good amenities block and reception. Adjacent to the touring pitches is a large area housing static caravans, but these were mostly unoccupied when we visited, so the place was especially quiet and peaceful. Heritage walking trails We’ve visited Pateley Bridge before, but don’t…

FIRST LOOK SHOWROOM Price £11,699 Berths 2 MiRO 615kg MTPLM 750kg UNTIL FAIRLY RECENTLY, Camperlands, based just inside the M60 in Manchester, was a well-known supplier of camping accessories, awnings and trailer tents. Then, just before the pandemic, it started venturing into caravans as well, or rather units with proper fixed roofs. First came a tiny micro-caravan, and then the teardrop it still sells today, the Campmaster King. This year, it has gone one stage further, with the Campmaster Duo, the company’s first-ever model with a kitchen inside. Pitch and set-up There is nothing unusual about the body of the Duo, which is manufactured in Poland. It consists of a GRP outer and inner shell with 30mm of Styrofoam in between. It does, however, rest on a Knott chassis, rather than…

SHOWROOM SPECIAL SHOWROOM HARROGATE ROUND-UP THERE ARE A large number of caravan shows around the UK, but here at Practical Caravan, we were particularly excited to see the return of a late-summer event in the north-east of England, following in the footsteps of the former Lawns show held in Hull. The all-new Great Holiday Home Show, at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate from 8-10 September 2023, represented the first time that the public could see many of the UK’s hottest new 2024 touring caravans in the metal. In addition, a range of accessories was available, as well as entertainment, food stands, celebrity speakers and much more. Practical Caravan paid a visit to the show here’s what we caught our eye! Coachman shows off Lasers Among the numerous tourers on display…

USED TOW CAR SHOWROOM HE PROBABLY wasn’t intending to, but Rag’n’Bone Man very aptly described the third-generation Škoda Superb in the song ‘All You Ever Wanted’. If you are a tow car fan, the song title perfectly sums up the car from Czechia, because it will do pretty much whatever you need, and do it well. What's it like inside? The Škoda Superb Mk3 is marketed as an affordable executive car, and that’s exactly how it feels inside. Everything is beautifully put together and the materials themselves are luxurious. Entry-level S models come with air conditioning, a DAB radio and a 6.5-inch touchscreen, while SE trim adds dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control and rear parking sensors. SE Technology comes with front parking sensors and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat. There…

Next issue: new 2024 Buyer’s Guide! FIND THE PERFECT FLOORPLAN FOR YOUR NEEDS Please check model details with the manufacturer or dealer before travelling to view or buy Choose your favourite layout - the letters above each are referenced in our guide There are a wide range of caravan layouts to choose from (pictured below), all with their own pros and cons. When you’re trying to settle on the arrangement that will suit you, there are some points to think about that can help you decide. Here, we take a look at a few of the most popular floorplans out there, and what they can offer you. B TRANSVERSE ISLAND BED, REAR WASHROOM Island beds are a surprisingly recent addition to caravans, and were really introduced from the world of…

GREAT ESCAPE TRAVEL Is it possible to combine a relaxing coastal break with the bustle of slot machines and funfairs, and throw in some pleasant English countryside? The answer, of course, is yes – and I found the perfect combination of all three recently at Brightlingsea, on the Essex Sunshine Coast. This is an area of family-orientated, sandy beaches – many of which hold awards for cleanliness – as well as being the name of a branch of the Eastern Mainline railway connecting Colchester with Clacton and beyond. We were spending a few days at Lakeside Caravan Park, a fairly small site with shower and washing-up blocks but no shop, bar or children’s play area. This means the site is a little cheaper than some of the larger, ‘all singing, all…

THE CEIRIOG VALLEY lies in the border country, where England meets Wales. This is a uniquely lovely place to explore. Having decided on a short winter break in this scenic and historic part of the world, we based ourselves at Foxtail Holiday Park, near Chirk. The campsite is right on the border, with Foxtail itself lying in England and nearby Chirk in Wales. Crossing the border When you explore this region by road, you can often find yourself crossing the border without even noticing. There is much to discover while you do so. Foxtail Holiday Park itself is a beautifully maintained site, about a 20-minute walk from the village, with routes along the canal or beside the road. It does have some road noise, being fairly close to the busy…

‘Along with sandy stretches of beach and a charming harbour, the town is home to independent shops, restaurants and cafés’ THE SEASIDE TOWN of North Berwick lies on Scotland’s East Lothian coast, overlooked from every angle by Bass Rock, an island supporting the world’s largest gannet population. Along with sandy stretches of beach and a charming harbour with astonishing views, the town is home to independent shops, restaurants and cafés, along with world-famous golf courses. With vibrant seasonal events and a thriving tourist scene, the small resort is a must-see, while Edinburgh is also just 25 miles away. HOUR BY HOUR DAY 1 10am Stroll on the sands What better way to start the day than with a bracing beach walk? North Berwick boasts a beautiful sandy coastline with dramatic…

OUR VANS, OUR MONTH SHOWROOM Tested by Nigel Hutson Price £39,180 RRP Berths 4 MiRO 1579kg Payload 155kg MTPLM 1734kg KAY AND I appreciate the fact that we are very fortunate at times. Last December, we collected our new 2023 Coachman Laser 575 Xtra from Couplands Caravans, at Louth, in Lincolnshire. Before I go any further, full disclosure: the caravan was bought with our own ‘hard earned’, with no financial incentive from Coachman, so what follows is a true and honest reflection of our experiences so far. Glenn Bonnor at Couplands did us very proud with the deal, although I did tell him that I wanted one of his Grandad’s deals, not one of his (we had the privilege of knowing Peter and Fay Coupland, the founders of the company). After…

ROAD TEST *includes wing mirrors What's new? Think ‘Genesis’, and you’re more likely to picture the prog rock band than a luxury car. The motoring Genesis is an upmarket Hyundai spin-off, intended to take on the likes of Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. The GV80 is the company’s large SUV. What are we looking for? Does the Genesis have what it takes to compete with other luxury SUVs? How well does this petrol-powered car tow? Towing ability Peruse the GV80’s spec sheet and you’ll see it has most things you might look for in a tow car. The kerbweight is well over two tonnes, the maximum towing figure is very high, and four-wheel drive promises surefooted towing in all weathers. This is a powerful car, with 304hp and 311lb ft of torque.…

PC’S GUIDE TO… SOLAR POWER SOLAR PANELS have come a long way in recent decades. Once upon a time, they just used to heat your domestic water on a sunny day, but then somebody found a way to make silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells - layers of semiconductors that create an electric current from light - both effective and economical to produce. The PV effect was, in fact, first observed in 1839, but it wasn’t until 1954 that Bell Laboratories demonstrated the first practical silicon cell. Back then, only NASA could afford them, and they powered satellites and lunar landers. These days, you’re just as likely to see a solar panel fitted on a Coachman, Swift or Bailey caravan, and perhaps on that other sort of Lunar, too! PV solar panels…

SOME YEARS AGO, I fitted a fridge fan kit, the CBE MCV-2, in our previous van. Whether it was down to the fridge itself and/or the fans, we still had a working fridge that kept things cold during our holiday in the South of France, where at times, the temperature (in the shade!) was over 4O°C. Basically, caravan fridges rely on good air circulation to work effectively. I have noticed that many vans with the layout that we now have (side island fixed bed, end washroom) have the fridge located on the nearside, just forward of the entrance, which is possibly one of the worst places they could be for good air circulation. On a warn day, you naturally open the door, which then covers the fridge vents and restricts…

Grab a cuppa (or a glass of something stronger) and take some time out with our collection of brain teasers SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each row, column and 3×3 box must contain the numbers 1 to 9. No single digit can appear twice in any one row, column or 3×3 box WORDWISE You have 15 minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the grid. Each word must contain four or more letters, one of which must be the central square. No proper nouns, plurals or foreign words are allowed. There is one nine-letter word in the grid, for which the clue is: Longingly 8 = average More than 16 = well done HALF & HALF What type of bourbon-enriched sponge cake is the official…

Way to go From Buckinghamshire, we took the M25 and M11 to the A12 through Essex, before dropping down to the coast at Colchester on the B1027 and the B1029. Once we were at Brightlingsea, the site was easy to find, just before the Lido and beach. Food and drink No. 1 Harbour Square ˃ no1harboursquare.co.uk The Railway Tavern ˃ alesattherails.co.uk Find out more Visit Brightlingsea ˃ visitbrightlingsea.co.uk This is a good starting point for information on the town itself, and has links to guides on walking, birdwatching and more in the area. Visit Essex ˃ visitessex.com/explore/coastal-destinations/ clacton-on-sea Flatford and Dedham Vale ˃ flatfordandconstable.org.uk/home-page Parking There is a decent choice of car parks around Clacton. A good starting point to find them is the local section of the Parkopedia website.…

FIRST LOOK SHOWROOM Price £33,795 Berths 4 MiRO 1456kg MTPLM 1631kg SWIFT’S EXCLUSIVE RANGE lives up to its name – it is only available from a select number of dealerships in the UK. The new models incorporate many traits from the now defunct Conqueror, including its elegant profile and graphics. This makes them look incredibly stylish. There is a good choice of nine floorplans, and five are Grande 8ft-wide models. The 580 offers the hugely popular transverse fixed bed, end-washroom layout. Pitch and set-up Built on the Al-Ko chassis, the Challenger Exclusive has instant appeal, with its smart modern profile and a GRP front panel that houses a large gas bottle locker finished in elegant gloss black. The GRP rear panel is another example of superb styling, and it combines with…

SHOWROOM ADVICE SHOWROOM PICTURE THIS. You’re sitting outside your caravan on a warm summer evening after a satisfying day of exploring. The sun is just beginning to set over the snow-capped mountaintops, casting a pink glow across the sky, and the gentle chirp of crickets creates a soothing duet with the nearby glacial stream. A moment of perfection. It would be all too easy to assume that glorious moments like this are out of reach if you have a disability. But they are closer than you might think! Finding the right fit If, like me, you find that the hardest part of travelling is locating accommodation that suits your needs, a caravan might be the answer. At first glance, they may not appear to be, but with a few modifications to…

SWIFT IS THE most popular brand of tourer on the market, and the Challenger, originally launched for 1985, is among the top sellers in its long history. Challengers have appeared in a variety of guises over the years and have become well known as stylish, generously equipped caravans. Always a popular choice for customers buying new, they remain strong buys in the used sector, too. Quality build and good layout choices mean that Challengers will always find a buyer, and there are plenty to browse on the forecourts or for private sale. Swift also made Challengers as dealer specials, which were a popular choice for those wanting extra kit and luxury fittings. The more basic Sports were a perfectly good line-up, but the SE offered extra spec, including Aide heating…

TOW CAR TEST THE MOTORING WORLD is changing very fast. As recently as 2020, the Ford Fiesta was Britain’s best-selling new car. Now it’s no longer being made, a victim of rising costs and the move from fossil fuels to electricity. You may no longer be able to buy a new Fiesta, but the Ford Puma is about as close as you can get. It shares many parts with the Fiesta, and it’s now the smallest new car that Ford sells. Despite its size and low weight, you can tow with one. I spent a week with the Puma to get to know more about this lightweight tow car. TUESDAY The Ford Puma arrives bright and early. It’s a sunny day, so Ford’s delivery driver is happy to return by…

TOW CAR TIPS SUMMER IS NATURALLY the peak of the caravanning season, but for many of us, autumn is actually the best time of year to go touring. Campsites are quieter, the cooler temperatures make for a better night’s sleep, and changing colours in the trees show landscapes at their best. Towing a caravan in the autumn is a different matter, though. The changing season brings its own challenges if you want to enjoy a safe and stress-free tow. Wet weather Fingers crossed, the weather this autumn may put summer to shame. Realistically, there’s a strong chance that you will be towing in the rain. October and November are, on average, two of the three wettest months of the year. Wet roads mean longer stopping distances, so it’s a sensible…

WE ARE ALL familiar with the word ‘Watt’, which we come across on our kettles, light bulbs, vacuum cleaners, hairdryers and much more. But what exactly is a Watt? Well, the dictionary definition goes something like this: ■ Watt (W) The SI unit of power, equivalent to one joule per second, corresponding to the rate of consumption of energy in an electric circuit where the potential difference is one volt (V) and the current one amp (A). Electrical terms That’s quite a lot to get to grips with, so let’s simplify things. First, you will no doubt have noticed that two other familiar electrical terms have crept into the picture, namely ‘Volt’ and ‘Amp’. This is because the three are interrelated. Consider the formula for electrical power and you will…