Post 1997 Towing Law Could Lead To £1000 Fines

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By William Coleman

There is no denying the rise in popularity of the touring holiday, or the ‘staycation’ as it is now being referred to. As the demand grows so does the amount of people who are new to towing who may not be fully aware of the laws that regulate towing and other various licence restrictions.

For those that may not be aware the DVLA laws on towing changed on January 1st 1997. Prior to the new law anyone could tow a vehicle and trailer with weight up 8,250KG, which now looking back seems like a massive amount. Post 1997 the weight was limited to a maximum of 3,500KG.

So how do you make sure that you comply with the new laws and avoid a hefty fine with points on your licence? There are several ways that come to mind but the most obvious it make sure that you have the right combination of vehicle and caravan to come under the 3,500KG.

Once you have chosen the right set up be sure to not overload the caravan and towing vehicle, Trust me it does not take a lot to go over the limits. Always drive with little to no water on board as that takes up far too much weight.

The second option I would suggest is to take a B+E course to upgrade your licence. This way you will have the correct licence and avoid any issues with the law. The Caravan and Motorhome Club run a fantastic range of training courses that can help with training prior to taking the B+E test, Click Here.

So just to be totally clear, for those who may not be in the know, the DVLA states that anyone with a regular Category B licence post 01/01/1997 can tow a trailer that weighs up to 750KG, as long as the vehicle they tow with has a maximum combined weight of no more that 3,500KG.

For anyone who was unaware or may be new to the touring world do make sure that you take this into consideration when buying, loading your vehicles of choice. I could not think of anything worse that being strapped up with a £1000 fine as well as points that stick to your licence for 4 years.

The National Camping And Caravanning Week

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By William Coleman

With the National Camping and Caravanning Week almost upon us we have some news and info on what is coming your way. Running from Monday the 28th of May to June 3rd the Camping and Caravanning Club have joined forces with the British Mountaineering Council (MBC) to help get the nation more active and embrace outdoors through walking and camping.

This year the event is taking place at the end of May to coincide with the late May Bank Holiday. For those who may not know, the annual event in the Camping and Caravanning Club’s celebration of all this outdoors and camping.

When you are on your holiday, camping or touring, you are always walking around finding new things to see and do. So it is no surprise that walking is considered the number one activity for campers and caravaners. By teaming up with the BMC, the Club wants to highlight vital footpath repair work needed in the UK’s 15 National Parks. The BMC’s Mend Our Mountains campaign aims to raise £1 Million for repairs.

Julia Bradbury, TV presenter and President of The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “National Camping and Caravanning Week is a week-long celebration of the great outdoors through camping in all its forms. I’m really excited to be involved in this year’s event, especially given its walking theme – camping is a fabulous way to enjoy a gentle countryside stroll or a big mountain hike – and everything else in between. It’s time to get the tent out of the garage, lace up your walking boots and go camping. I hope the nation joins us – even if it’s for the first time.”

As part of the efforts to raise awareness of both National Camping and Caravanning Week and the BMC’s Mend Our Mountains campaign, plans are also underway to illuminate the Great Ridge in the Peak District at night in May, with Julia Bradbury at the forefront. The spectacular ‘Great Ridge Light Night’ is being led by the BMC and will involve hundreds of volunteers illuminating the landmark by torchlight, which includes headtorches sponsored by outdoor brands Robens and Vango.

This annual event is always something to look forward to. What I enjoy about it the most is that the event brings so much attention to our industry along with a lot more people. The more people that buy into touring holidays is exactly what we all need. Over the past 2 years we have seen a huge influx of newcomers to our community, so the more the merrier.

Travelworld To Represent Dethleffs

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By William Coleman

Travelworld, who have been providing the UK with motorhomes for over 40 years, have recently announced that they have agreed terms with Dethleffs to become their new dealership in the Midlands for the 2019 model season.

Travelworld Motorhomes who are represent Carado, HYMER + Niesmann + Bischoff became an exclusive Erwin Hymer Group dealership in 2015.

Since then the company and grown in leaps and bounds. The company pride themselves on their commitment to the group by taking on other franchises such as Goldschmitt, the chassis accessory brand. The group also acquired Rent Easy, a platform for renting high end motorhomes for those who want to dip their toe before purchasing.

One of the original brands from within the Erwin Hymer Group, Dethleffs, merged in the early 80s and enjoyed a very rich history that predated Hymer’s. Arist Dethleffs built his first leisure vehicle in 1931 to allow his family to join him on long business trips, now Dethleffs is the largest leisure vehicle volume manufacturer within the group.

Ross Edwards Travelworld Managing Director had this to say, “We have actually been in discussions with Dethleffs for several years now about the prospect of offering their products, but it was important to us that the timing was right. Alongside our expansion into our new dealership site we feel this is the perfect timing and it now means that we can offer brands within every segment of the ERWIN HYMER GROUP structure”.

Speaking of the brand new dealership that Travelworld are building here is a little sneak peak they showed me a few months ago, Click here.

Enjoy Yorkshire With The Caravan And Motorhome Club

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By William Coleman

As the 2018 season continues we can look forward to a lot more sunshine, which means more enjoyable leisure time. What better way to enjoy the sun than get outdoors and become more active with The Caravan And Motorhome Club.

This month CAMC are holding their National and CycleFest events in Sledmere, Yorkshire so get those tires pumped and brakes checked. The Club have 15 Sites across the county so wherever you choose to stay you will never be too far away from the fun so you can enjoy #YorkshireYourWay.

The National, 25-29 May

The Club is hosting its largest ever outdoor event during the late May bank holiday, from the 25 to 29. The National will take place at stunning stately home Sledmere House in Driffield, Yorkshire.

The event is open to both Club members and the general public. One of the Club’s key events of the year, the National offers four day of fun and games for everyone and for all ages. Daytime activities include baking, crafting, wine making, team sports and plenty of adventurous pursuits in including hover archery, zip wires and even a ninja assault course!

In the evening, guests will be spoiled for choice as the Adria Entertainment Marquee will feature live performances from Queen, American Divas and Elvis tribute acts, plus the Club Band will be performing a special concert in honour of their silver anniversary.

Day and evening passes are available from just £5.00 per adult (The National will be open to non-residential visitors from 10am to 11pm) while members can choose to stay for the whole long weekend from just £98 per pitch, including electric hook-up. Members are welcome to arrive to set up their pitch form 8am on Friday 25 or Saturday 26 May. The entertainment can be booked with the pitch or bought separately from the Club shop.

National CycleFest, 27 May

As part of The National weekend, Experience Freedom from the Caravan and Motorhome Club is encouraging people to get active and on their bikes with its National CycleFest event on 27 May. Accredited by British Cycling and supported by Raleigh and Maxxis, CycleFest is designed for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy cycling.

There are two rides in the CycleFest, an 8km family route which can be completed on all types of bicycle including electric assisted, recumbent, road bikes and mountain bikes.

The family route is ideal for younger riders and those looking for something less challenging. There are also two sportive routes offering a more demanding option for keener riders with a challenging 89km and less challenging 58km option in the standard sportive. Both the family and sportive rides take in spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.

To enter the family ride costs from just £6.50 for adults over 17 years and £1 for under 16s. The standard sportive costs £25 for adults over 17 and £10 for under 16s and the challenging sportive costs £30 for adults over 17 and £10 for under 16s. On the day entries will be accepted for an additional £5.

As part of the entry fee, riders will also get access to a cycle demo area with some major bike brands, some great family activities including kids’ entertainment, food, drink and trade stalls making the whole day an action-packed family day out.

So if you want to make the most of the summer and embrace the great outdoors these events are perfect. On top of that it is a great way to become more active and, if you are like me, dust off the push bike and see as much as the country as possible.

Design Award Winner- Coachbuilts £45,000 to £55,000

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By William Coleman

Back in February, at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC, the Caravan and Motorhome Club held their annual ‘Motorhome Design Awards’. The awards celebrate the variety of makes and models of the motorhome industry all while choosing the best the market has to offer to ensure the public make the best decision they can when purchasing.

The independent panel of judges picked 97 vehicles for this years awards. Each judge assessed a wide range of essential criteria which included comfort, electrics and safety, air-con, heating to name just a few.

The winner of the Coachbuilts £45,000 to £55,000 are Weinsberg with their CareCompact 600 Pepper.

This award winning 3 berth took home the award at the NEC in february at the Caravan And Motorhome Club’s Motorhome Design Awards. The models comes in 2 variations and is built upon a Peugeot chassis with a 130 BHP.

What stood out to me about this award winner in the interior. Sleek, modern and very smart looking. You can see why this took home the gold.

Design Award Winner- Coachbuild Over £65,000

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By William Coleman

Back in February, at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC, the Caravan and Motorhome Club held their annual ‘Motorhome Design Awards’. The awards celebrate the variety of makes and models of the motorhome industry all while choosing the best the market has to offer to ensure the public make the best decision they can when purchasing.

The independent panel of judges picked 97 vehicles for this years awards. Each judge assessed a wide range of essential criteria which included comfort, electrics and safety, air-con, heating to name just a few.

The touring world is for everyone, we welcome people of all shapes and sizes. Coachbuild GB are specialist manufacturers of wheelchair accessible motorhomes, caravans and day vehicles.

The company started in 2009 and bring their unique skill base and experience to help mobility issues of their customers. They do both new and pre-owned vehicles that are built to order to meet all your specific needs and requirements.

Their new iCruiser Swift Escape has taken CAMC’s Coachbuild Over £65,000 award at the 2018 Motorhome Design awards.

Top Clacton Site Now Flies Park Holidays Banner

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By William Coleman

Essex’s “sunshine coast” is set to have an even brighter outlook following May’s announcement that Park Holidays UK has expanded its presence in the region.

Long-established Martello Holiday Park in Clacton has now been acquired by the group, and joins the three other parks which it operates in and around the seaside town.

It means that holiday guests and holiday home buyers now have four major park options in the Clacton area, all under the banner of one of Britain’s fastest-growing leisure firms.

Martello Holiday Park adjoins the group’s St Osyth Beach and Seawick holiday parks, both of which have benefitted from substantial investment in guest facilities over recent years.

Park Holidays UK says that Martello, St Osyth’s Beach and Seawick will comprise Clacton’s largest holiday park development under single corporate ownership.

The other holiday park in the area owned by Park Holidays UK, which was founded just over 25 years ago, is Oaklands Holiday Park just north of the other three near the village of St Osyth.

With its direct access to Clacton’s sandy beaches, Martello provides a raft of facilities which include indoor and outdoor pools, day and evening entertainment, and children’s activities.

Group director Tony Clish said that Martello Holiday Park is a natural fit to the group’s existing portfolio of parks in southern England which now comprises 29 coastal sites:

“Like our other parks, Martello has won for itself over the years a loyal following of repeat visitors and holiday home owners,” he said.

“Martello has a very exciting future with Park Holidays UK. We are committed to growing our business on the Essex coast and investing in our parks in the Clacton area.

“This is good news not just for customers, but also for the local economy and the many businesses in the Clacton area which rely on spending by our holiday visitors.

“We’re delighted to welcome Martello and its staff into the Park Holidays UK family, and are greatly looking forward to our first season,” added Tony.

There is more information about Park Holidays UK on its website at www.ParkHolidays.com

Design Award Winner- Coachbuild £55K – £65K

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By William Coleman

Back in February, at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC, the Caravan and Motorhome Club held their annual ‘Motorhome Design Awards’. The awards celebrate the variety of makes and models of the motorhome industry all while choosing the best the market has to offer to ensure the public make the best decision they can when purchasing.

The independent panel of judges picked 97 vehicles for this years awards. Each judge assessed a wide range of essential criteria which included comfort, electrics and safety, air-con, heating to name just a few.

Another win for Auto-Sleeper at the Caravan and Motorhome Club Motorhome Design Awards. Auto-Sleeper took the Coachbuild £55K – £65K award win with their Peugeot Broadway EB. I have used several Auto-Sleeper vehicles over the past few months and I am not surprised they are sweeping up so many awards.

Dave Williams, Auto-Sleeper’s Sales Director, could not have been happier with the award win. The motorhome manufacturer make it their mandate to do as much R&D to ensure they have a broad appeal and bring new customers to the industry.

The award highlights the hard work that goes into creating their products and proves their research pays off.

Design Award Winner- Camper vans Up To £45k and Campers Over £45k

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By William Coleman

Back in February, at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC, the Caravan and Motorhome Club held their annual ‘Motorhome Design Awards’. The awards celebrate the variety of makes and models of the motorhome industry all while choosing the best the market has to offer to ensure the public make the best decision they can when purchasing.

The independent panel of judges picked 97 vehicles for this years awards. Each judge assessed a wide range of essential criteria which included comfort, electrics and safety, air-con, heating to name just a few.

This is a double win for family run Rolling Homes who produce hand crafted bespoke camper vans. Rolling Homes can cater to any and all needs.

If you need a space to store your motorbike or a special seat belt for your dogs these are your guys. No ask is too big Rolling Homes.

The award wins came as a surprise for the company as this was there first nomination at the awards and to walk away with a two awards is a result they could have never predicted.

Two And A Half Days In Prague And The Skoda Factory

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By William Coleman

My last few days on Bailey’s Bristanbul tour were rather manic, and that is putting it lightly. With a mid afternoon arrival as Camp Sokol and a final day to roam Old Town I made sure that my time spent it Prague was full of sites and experiences. It was my last day on the tour after all.

As we arrived at Camp Sokol I was informed that it was up to me to arrange the evening’s festivities, my Budapest party planning must have left a positive impression. For some insane reason I had mentioned that I knew my way around Prague Old Town, as I was there in October of last year. So all eyes were on me and I was feeling the pressure, as large groups and Prague sometimes do not make for fun times. The town has been known as a bit of a party town and large groups are not as welcome as they once were.

Myself, along with a small handful of others, went into town a couple of hours before the rest of the team arrived so we could do some recon of where to eat. Mostly to avoid lots of wandering around and not knowing what to do or where to go.

Having been there before and eaten far too much food than anyone should do across a long weekend, I knew a few great places that serve amazing food at very low prices. My first pick was the Wolfgang Inn, if you visit Prague you must eat here. The local food is plentiful and so tasty. A litre of local beer costs around £2.70!

As I entered I could already see that there was not table, chair nor bar stool free. I walked up to a member of staff to enquire about a table for 13 and the polite gentleman simply replied, “I cannot believe how busy we are”. I took that as a no and then moved on to another spot down the road that I knew. Thankfully we were able to get a seat for 13 so the food and drink flowed all evening.

On day 2 in Prague we were invited to visit Skoda factory in Mlada Boleslav, a small town which was about 40 minutes drive from central Prague. Seeing as they had sponsored the trip and given us two great vehicles in the Kodiaq and Octavia we excited to see their birth place.

Having seen car manufacturing this close it really did give me a new appreciation for the industry and just how many people are involved in the creation of cars. The factory employs around 35,000 people across its many different departments. In the town of Mlada 1 in 5 people work for Skoda.

Skoda have grown so much that there is now a 6-12 month waiting list for certain models. The factory makes 2,000 cars per working day and it takes roughly 24 hours to complete a car from start to finish. When you have 35,000 people on the payroll you can get a hell of a lot of work done during the working day.

After a fantastic tour of the factory, museum and and brilliant meal at Skoda the team separated into two. Team 1 went back to the site for some much needed R&R and Team 2 went into old town to spend a few hours taking in the sites. Team 2 consisted of myself, Bailey Australia, a cameraman and Dean Ozen from Bailey.

After a very quick drive into town we parked up and started our sightseeing. When in Prague there are a few must see sites. First of all Charles Bridge is outstanding and provides a different experience to Old Town. It also connects the party area of Prague to the older section where it’s more old Prague than Old Town Prague.

Once you have managed to get across the bridge, it can be extremely busy and take a little bit of time to get from one end to the other, you start to make your way up the hill to Prague Castle. Make sure you take your camera, and a bottle of water as the walk up to the castle is quite a long way and steep. The view from the top is one of a kind, you can see the entire city from the castle.

The day was almost done so we all headed back to the site, it took a lot longer than expected as we hit Prague’s rush hour traffic. We had to leave town a little bit earlier because we had the Cadac in our roof box so the team back at camp could not cook our evening baquet.

The evening feast that chef Dean Edwards cooked for us all was spectacular. During the day Dean went to Prague’s food and wine market to get local produce for a homemade goulash. The good thing about having a professional chef on tour is that you can have restaurant quality food direct from your caravan.

The setup we used for the evening meals and prep work could not have worked better. The Bailey Advance motorhome was where all the food was stored. The Bailey Pursuit was where the food was cut and prepped, the hob and oven did an outstanding job feeding 21 of us over 21 days. Once all that prep work was done the Cadac BBQ Grill was where all the finishing touches.

The Cadac really was a key piece of kit on this trip. The large paella dish is large enough to prepare enough food for everyone. While the onboard hobs cooked pasta, potato and other side foods the BBQ grill made the bulk of the foods such as meat, stews and even an experimental porridge one morning. So if you are in the market for a great portable BBQ you should be looking into Cadac. For more info on the model we used search Carri Chef 2.

The last day in Prague is where the CaravanTimes team parted ways with the Bristanbul team. After 18 days on the road it was a tough goodbye but the fun has to end at some point.

Everyone chipped in to pack up camp so the team could complete their 360 mile drive to Germany, which translates into a 9+ hour drive. With everything ready the guys kindly dropped us off in Prague Old Town, but not after being caught in bad morning rush hour traffic. No good deed goes unpunished.

After a long day in Old Town, arrived at 9:30am and got a cab to the airport at 7:30pm, the team were very much ready to get home. 10 hours in Prague can go a very long way when you know you have to been on a flight that evening. Once it was all said and done, with a few local beers finished, we finally headed back to London to get back to the reality of life.

Triple Award Win For Dumfries Park

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By William Coleman

Staff and the family owners of Mouswald Lodge Park near Dumfries are celebrating as they start the new holiday season with a hat-trick of top tourism awards. The tranquil ten-acre park’s first honour was received as a result of votes cast by customers of major UK holiday bookings agency Hoseasons.

Guests’ consistently high scoring of Mouswald Lodge Park led to it receiving the overall diamond accolade in the “best small rural retreat” category. The announcement by judges of the park’s success was made at Hoseasons’ glittering annual awards ceremony, regarded as the Oscars of the holiday parks industry.

But this was only Mouswald’s first appearance under the spotlight that day, for it also took first place as Scotland’s best performer in the category of “boutique parks”. Based just a few miles from Dumfries near the village of Mouswald, the park provides countryside escapes which include luxury timber lodges with private hot tubs.

Delighted comments from Hoseasons’ guests were also reflected in Mouswald’s third award: a Certificate of Excellence from the review website TripAdvisor.

TripAdvisor’s “excellence” accolades are handed out only to firms which attract an exceptional number of glowing reviews and maximum satisfaction scores.

Brian Wetherley, whose long-established family business owns Mouswald Lodge Park, said the three accolades provided a fantastic boost at the lift-off of the 2018 holiday season:

“These awards are especially important to us because they are based on the verdicts of people who have experienced the park first-hand,” said Brian.

“Obviously our quality standards play a big part in creating the impressions which people take away, but in our experience it’s often a lot more than that.

“Many of the reviews left by guests mention the hospitality and friendly atmosphere at Mouswald, and credit for this must go to our hardworking and dedicated staff team.

“We’re all delighted with these awards, and I hope they will also benefit other tourism businesses in the area by highlighting what a great place Dumfriesshire is to take a holiday,” added Brian.

Over the past 12 months, he said, the company had invested over £1.5 million at Mouswald in new accommodation facilities, landscaping and environmental projects. In addition to holiday stays, the park also provides holiday home ownership opportunities and attracts buyers from both sides of the Scottish border.

There is more information about the park on its website at www.mouswaldpark.co.uk

Back To Normality Post Bristanbul

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By William Coleman

On the 9th of April 2018 I set off on a tour of a lifetime with the Bailey of Bristol team. As I am sure you are aware the tour was an epic adventure. At the time I did not realise just how amazing the experience would be. You could go as far to say I was borderline apprehensive prior to leaving, for multiple silly reasons. Once I got behind the wheel and got some miles under my belt, along with some valuable lessons from the team, all the fears I had went away which lead me to having an experience of a lifetime.

Today is my first back to normality after 3 weeks touring around Europe and Asia on the Bristanbul tour and I can safely say I have been bitten by the travel bug once more. The freedom that a touring home gives you really does open up the world and shows just how easy touring abroad can be.

So let me start off by saying thank you to the guys at Bailey for selecting me for this tour. Not only was it one of the best experiences I have ever had but it also gave me the chance to make new friends and be part of a team that instantly came together and got stronger as the tour went on.

One of the highlights for me was the team and how it worked. From a normal leisure journalist, yes that is me, all the way to the Bailey Marketing Director Simon Howard there was no task too big or small. We all chipped in to cook, clean, drive, tow and most of all teach.

I was very unsure about towing abroad, especially in a right hand drive car on the other side of the road. Throughout the tour if anyone was unsure of anything there was always someone on hand to help out and make sure that all aspects of the trip were not too tasking and more importantly, enjoyable.

Throughout the next three Fridays I will be writing up a feature for the 3 legs of the tour that I completed, hence the brief overview of the trip in this article. So check in every Friday for my in depth break down of each leg of the might Bristanbul tour.