Innehållsförteckning för March 2018 från Practical Motorhome

Mick and Elaine Statham would never leave home without maps and a compass when they go off on a tour My first introduction to navigating by map and compass was with the Army Cadet Force in the early 1960s – and I’ve been hooked on maps ever since. Before setting off in our motorhome, Elsa, I have to root through my extensive map collection to see if I have anything relevant. Maps are a mine of information, especially the UK 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey series. We always look for routes to walk and run – green dashes denote footpaths and bridleways. My most battered map is the one with home on it, followed by the Peak District, the mid-Wales coast and the Lake District. A compass and map-measuring wheel are always…

Keep rolling on Price £7 Web www.halfords.co.uk A flat tyre can really put the brakes on your trip and can be very stressful, but Holts Tyreweld could mean a puncture doesn’t have to ruin your tour. Whether you can use this new product depends on the size of your wheels – the 500ml Tyreweld is perfect for tyres of 17” and over. It’s not a permanent fix, but can avoid the difficulty of changing to your spare wheel at the side of the road, because the quick-acting foam seals the puncture long enough for you to get to the nearest garage. Simply attach Tyreweld to the valve on the flat tyre and switch on; the foam will fill the tyre in 90 seconds. You’ll need to drive slowly for a…

The Nightstop Scheme is run by us in conjunction with the Motor Caravanners’ Club (MCC), and the sites are certificated locations (CLs); you don’t need to join any club to use them. Please ring them at the times listed* to check for vacancies. For further information on the MCC, visit www.themotorcaravannersclub.co.uk. ■ BEDFORDSHIRE 1 Airman Hotel, 16 Hitchin Rd, Meppershall SG17 5JF Tel 01462 850 853 (*09:00-22:00) ■ BUCKINGHAMSHIRE 2 The Black Horse Pub, Aylesbury Road, Great Missenden HP16 9AX Tel 01494 862 537 (*11:00-00:00) ■ CAMBRIDGESHIRE 3 The Seven Wives, Ramsey Road, St Ives, Huntingdon PE27 5RF Tel 01480 462 180 (*09:00-23:00) ■ CARDIGANSHIRE (DYFED) 4 The Penrhiwgaled Arms, Cross Inn, Llandysul SA44 6LN Tel 01545 560 238 (*09:00-18:00) ■ CARMARTHENSHIRE 5 Railway Hotel, Station Road, Carmarthen SA32 7LQ…

1 A bay to remember Discover the beauty of Northumberland’s Heritage Coastline around Beadnell Bay, a perfect horseshoe of golden sand just waiting to be explored. The Camping and Caravanning Club’s Beadnell Bay site is perfectly placed for enjoying the golden sand dunes or watching out for the diverse birdlife. The beach is an ideal launch spot for watersports, too, including surfing, windsurfing and sailing. Don’t forget to take a boat tour to the Farne Islands to watch the colonies of seals. Web www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk 2 Beyond the dunes The enormous stretch of Gwithian Beach is just 300 metres from Church Town Farm Caravan & Camping Site, which overlooks St Ives Bay. There are three miles of coastline here from which you can learn to surf at one of several surf…

ALASTAIR CLEMENTS “There are always compromises in a compact camper, but the silly front blinds are at odds with the Merc’s luxury finish. You have to slot the sunvisors in at the top and attach suckers at the bottom – it leaves you yearning for cassette blinds!” SARAH WAKELY “I love the quality of the fixtures and fittings here, as well as the high level of kit, and I think the interior looks absolutely stunning – particularly the wood floor in the accommodation area. The fridge is frustrating to use, though – but I feel the same about the VW California.” PETER BABER “The list of safety kit on the base vehicle is astounding – from sidewind assist to collision avoidance systems, there’s just about everything you could want. The…

Rucksacks are brilliant. Using the full length of your back, they provide huge amounts of storage, leaving your hands free and not adding to your overall width – important whether negotiating narrow stiles in the countryside, or trying to melt into the crowd in a busy train carriage on a city break. But many people are put off rucksacks by bad experiences, such as the pack not staying where it should, or intense backache after a day of carrying even moderate loads. Yet these are down to poor design – usually because the pack is a budget model. Pay a little more and you’ll be amazed how effortlessly you’ll be able to transport even comparatively heavy loads for hours. The secret is in the bag’s shape and strapping system. Well-designed…

BASE VEHICLE WHY IS IT CHEAPER TO HAVE A FORD CHASSIS? Why do motorhomes based on a Ford chassis sometimes cost less than a similar ’van on a Fiat or Peugeot chassis? I’ve been looking at UK and Continental ’vans, and the difference in price seems to be up to about €6000. Is it because servicing is more costly or is the Ford less reliable? I have read about dual mass flywheels failing, but isn’t this common to many base vehicles? Pjonesf1 ( PM forum) Diamond Dave replies… The difference in cost can be for a variety of reasons. First, manufacturers will probably charge a different price for their particular ’van, and the spec may well not be identical Pretty much all manufacturers offerings are generally more…

There have been any number of occasions when I’ve arrived at a pitch, only to be confronted with awning pegs still in the ground, left there by the previous occupants. Having hammered in their pegs, they find that they can’t get them out when they are ready to depart, so they just leave them behind. The pegs are invariably in the way for the next occupants of the pitch, and the main option has been to hammer them right into the ground until they are flush. However, I too have been forced to abandon pegs that have locked themselves solid in the ground and won’t come out for love nor money. So, what to do? The main culprits are the widely used (because they are good and work well) 25cm…

Motorhomes are often described as design-led, but few actually are. Sure, the designers have their say over a few twiddly bits or signature swirls, but their concept is often so watered down, production models lack the impact and purity of the original design. The Kreos is a notable exception. It really was design-led, and production models mirrored the concept very closely; original sketches have been reproduced here, next to a photograph of a production model, as clear evidence m’lud. A quote at the time from a company designer confirms this: “The personality of (our) Kreos leapt off the CAD drawing board straight onto the production line.” The extensive use of yacht-grade moulded GRP facilitated the curvaceous exterior, and other high-end contemporary materials used in the cabinetwork continued the theme. Take…

1 MERC ON TEST We’re big fans of small campervans, so it was hard to get hold of the keys to the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo that we’ve had on test this month. Find out our full verdict on p58. 2 OR TRY A LAIKA? Speaking of Mercedes – fancy a Merc-based Laika Kreos from 1999-2004? Don’t miss our buying guide on p106. 3 GORGEOUS CORSICA We’ve been reading the story of Don and Sylvia Guy’s tour to Corsica with envy – you’ll find it on p40. 4 PULL OUT THAT PEG Ever lost an awning peg? We’d wager most people will at some point – fortunately, Sam Coles has a handy solution on p92. 5 RESULTS ARE IN PM HQ has been busier than ever this month, as we prepare…

In the early 1900s, motorised homes were beginning to be used by the armed forces of many different countries – especially in Europe. Some offered little more than a space to crawl into, between the loads (usually sacks of food supplies), to get out of the rain. Before the end of World War I several countries’ armed forces had converted lorries into residential ‘field homes’ and mobile HQ/command posts. These boasted a full standing-height canvas tilt cover, with windows and a double-thickness roof, camp beds, paraffin stoves, heating and lighting. One twin-rear-wheel model was pictured in France (1); this is a genuine colour photograph (not a later retouch) taken some time between spring 1916 and the end of World War I. It offers comparative luxury for some officers, while the…

This time of year is always fun for motorhome geeks such as me, because there are several shows in succession, culminating in the annual NEC February show. This means you get a few bites of the cherry in short order – and yes, you can justify another visit to the NEC to your nearest and dearest, because the February show usually has a surfeit of accessories. This year I am particularly keen to see Geist return to the UK, because it’s a brand I have often admired at the Düsseldorf show and thought “If only…”. But whichever brand you’re checking out, there is always plenty to get excited about. Old name returns One of the original designers behind the WildAx range of van conversions is hoping to make a return…

Price From £73,995 (130bhp) and from £76,490 (180bhp) OTR Sleeps 2 Belts 2 Base vehicle Fiat Ducato XL high-top Engine 2.3-litre 180bhp turbodiesel L/W/H 6.36/2.05/2.62m (20’10”/6’9”/8’7”) MTPLM 3500kg Payload Dependent on spec Water (fresh/waste)67/60 litres Leisure battery 140Ah Gas 25-litre underslung tank Knottingley-based IH Motorhomes is a well-established, highly regarded designer and converter of quality motorhomes based on SEVEL panel vans. In the past, it has converted Mercedes and Renault vans, and produced coachbuilts on VW and Mercedes chassis-cabs. But recently, it has concentrated on its core business – and one of the benefits has been this new rear-lounge N-Class, with motorised slide-out. UK volume manufacturers and converters seem to shy away from slide-outs, even though they are a solution to the ‘big on site, small on the road’ conundrum.…

My recent visit to the Family Travel Centre (see p98) provided a reminder that there’s still some ‘new’ stock out there that dealers are looking to offload as the next season gets into full swing. Sometimes these will be pre-registered; more often, they are yet to be registered. So, a new ’van for the price of a pre-owned one? That’s about the gist, plus, you get all the benefits of the original warranties. Check these out for yourself at any dealer offering previously unregistered models alongside 2018 examples; suffi ce to say, the chance of saving thousands is very enticing. And if you want to negotiate harder, my advice would be to ask for a couple of extras, rather than haggling about the price alone. There’s some good advice from…

Revolution? Not exactly. However, not that long ago, if you wanted anything beyond a two-berth motorhome it meant a vehicle with a rather ungainly, decidedly fuel-inefficient lump of extra bedroom space over the cab. Things have changed. Sleeker low-profiles didn’t just look better, they’ve been able to overcome the need for proper sleeping berths with drop-down double beds (usually over their lounges). Storage challenges have been overcome, too, thanks to exterior-access ‘garages’. You’ll find an increasing number of such vehicles on the secondhand market. Yet there’s still a prevalence of overcab models available, and it’s always worth comparing and contrasting before deciding which format is best for you. This is where a good specialist motorhome dealer comes in, of course. Now, I’m conscious that most motorhomes out there are used…

HELP US IDENTIFY OUR ’VANS PLEASE! ■ We are just about to buy our first motorhome, and want to know if Suntor is a dealer. I’ve seen the name on different makes of secondhand ’vans. Thomaz Paronn Jack replies Yes and no – it’s actually a range name previously given to dealer specials sold by Brownhills of Newark. They were nicely specced and make a savvy pre-owned purchase. ■ Did Devon ever make a high-top version of the Toyota Sunrise? I’m looking Suntor motorhomes are dealer specials originally sold by Brownhills of Newark. At the top is pictured a Suntor Autostratus EB by Elddis, and beneath it is a Suntor Sundance 500 from the Swift Group at a ‘supposedly’ 2000-year ’van, but there are no graphics. I thought the company…

We all love to see how the other half live, but have you ever wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes to keep Britain’s stately homes pristine for visitors? Twice daily in January and February (except Sundays), Oxford’s World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace, is running a guided Restoration & Conservation tour, to tie in with the palace’s annual deep clean. The tour will look at how the palace sets about restoring its wonderful collection of art and tapestries – and the buildings themselves – to their original condition, as well as preserving, repairing and cleaning its artifacts. It will also show measures taken to keep the palace as both a comfortable family home and an attraction for visitors. The tour will look at which projects are undertaken, when…

With exceptionally warm weather forecast for the Easter weekend, my friend Raphael and I decided on a tour in the Swiss-Normandy (Suisse-Normande) region of northern France, so called because the steeply gorged forested terrain resembles the Swiss Alps. Raphael’s faithful friend Altor would accompany us. Although formerly an excellent walker, Altor – now more than 80 in human years – is ‘retired’. Short morning and evening walks are enough for him now, so he acts as ‘Van Guard’ for the rest of the day. Being a member of the France Passion scheme and, both being cheese lovers, I suggested we have an overnight stop at Livarot where there is a fromagerie that welcomes ‘camping cars’, the French name for motorhomes, and produces several Normandy cheeses. It was an opportunity too…

Price £56,670 OTR (£63,990 as tested) Sleeps 4 Belts 4 Base vehicle Mercedes-Benz V-Class LWB Engine 2.1-litre 187bhp common-rail turbocharged diesel L/W/H (roof down) 5.14/2.25/1.98m (16’10”/7’5”/6’6”) MTPLM 3200kg Payload 760kg Water (fresh/waste) 38/40 litres Battery 95Ah Gas 1 x CampingGaz R907 (2.75kg) The Volkswagen California is an iconic name in motorcaravanning, but early last year it received a new rival in the UK: the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo. They’re both high-end campers with an almost identical layout. There are differences, however: while the VW California is built in-house and sold via the company’s Van Centre network, the Marco Polo’s conversion is subcontracted to well-respected brand Westfalia. It’s also sold through franchised car retailers. The Marco Polo can offer that aspirational three-pointed-star badge on the front, too. The Marco Polo is based…

European On Board Diagnostics (EOBD) is a self-diagnostic system in a vehicle’s electronics. It first appeared as OBD in the US, where its purpose was to monitor systems controlling exhaust emissions and highlight faults. The main means of indicating a fault is the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on the dashboard, although a problem causing severe emissions might put the vehicle into ‘limp home’ mode as well. People on forums often ask why a MIL is on, and answers are usually, “Mine did that and it was X, Y or Z” – but that’s meaningless. This month, I’ll look at this important issue. The only way to establish what has caused the MIL to light up is to scan the EOBD system with a scanner, then use the answers to aid…

There are a few reasons to say goodbye to traditional exchange gas bottles and, for us, top of the list is pure convenience. No lugging them around when swapping over: you just need to refill at a normal petrol station with an LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) pump. The second reason is minimising weight and cost (after you have recovered from the initial investment): LPG at the pump is never more (and often less) than half the cost of gas in exchange bottles. The third consideration is the ability to keep an eye on the level of gas in your bottle via a remote display. LPG in the UK is propane, the same as in Calor’s red bottles. On the Continent they tend to blend propane with butane (Calor blue bottles)…

I’m always scouring dealer forecourts for used bargains. The theme for this month’s trio: foreign flair. 1 2011 (11) DETHLEFFS ESPRIT T7090 £45,995 You can find style aplenty in this motorhome from Germany’s Dethleffs. The 7.4m-long low-profile features a spacious French-bed floorplan. It’s an automatic, with upgrades throughout, including the Kenwood stereo system, automatic air conditioning, alloy wheels and more – all with the additional bonus of a recent £2000 reduction in price. You’ll need to have the C1 category on your driving licence, however. DEALER Countrywide Motorhomes: m-d-g.co.uk 2 2011 (61) ADRIA SOLARIS £55,995 Travelworld may only offer Erwin Hymer Group models when it comes to new products, but that doesn’t stop it selling an always-interesting line-up of part-exchanges. Solaris was Adria’s venture into a seriously upmarket Mercedes-based low-profile…

Was it really seven years ago that I first visited a fledgling motorhome dealership that was positively brimming over with enthusiasm, as well as determination to do things a little bit differently? The Family Travel Centre was aptly named, by a trio of directors – and their families – with a shared love of touring who had possibly spent one too many evenings together before deciding that it couldn’t be that difficult to give up their well-paid careers to run a retail outlet. Could it? As with any family, things change. Co-founder Matt Sims has left the company, setting up – among other things – a specialist motorhome-hire company that still works closely with Family Travel Centre. Matt Hunt (pictured below) is one of the founders who remains, with the…

AT A DEALERSHIP Dealerships are great for seeing a lot of used motorhomes in one place in a short span of time. The prices will be higher than from private sellers, but in return, a dealer must tell you about any problems and the cost of rectifying them, and give the ’van a pre-delivery inspection (PDI) before you collect it. You’ll also be offered at least a few months’ warranty on used models, which is something you’re unlikely to get from a private vendor. See as many motorhomes as you can before making your decision; you’ll soon start to get a feel for what represents good value for money. If you can, build up a relationship with a local dealer. If problems arise or if it needs maintenance, the cost…

Half term and the kids were bored. But we had a plan. “We’re going on holiday with Boris,” I announced. My wife, Katie, and I had secretly planned a getaway and packed a few bags. “Who’s Boris?” asked three confused children. Boris is a VW campervan, rented out with his twin, Bertha, by my good friend Matt at Devon Camper Hire. The idea was appealing, although I’d never driven one. But Matt only voiced a single concern. “We’ve never had five people stay in one,” he hinted. “But there are five seats and seatbelts,” I said. “Yes, but will all three kids fit in the pop-top to sleep?” “We will make it work,” I replied. “Don’t turn up with too much stuff,” he advised. Despite having “too much stuff”, we…