Camping and Caravanning Club launches Great Family Treasure Hunt Challenge

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Team collaboration sees family tour UK for a year

The Camping and Caravanning Club has joined forces with The Explorer Group, manufacturer of Compass caravans, and leading family adventure website Get Out with the Kids, to launch a year-long campaign aimed at encouraging families to spend time together exploring the UK.

The campaign begins with the Club and The Explorer Group handing a brand new six berth Compass Casita caravan to the team behind Get Out with the Kids, Gav Grayston, his wife Shell and their three young children, Lucy, Amy and Tom.
Tow car partner Peugeot has made available a new 508 SW tow car for the duration of the campaign, making for a fabulous, family-friendly touring outfit.

Over the next 12 months, the Graystons will tour the UK, pitching up at Camping and Caravanning Club and Camping in the Forest Sites, and will visit 20 great Treasure Houses and gardens, in the year of the English Garden.

The Treasure Houses of England is a network of fine palaces, castles and houses, and the Club is the official camping accommodation partner.

At each house and garden, the Graystons will undertake a treasure hunt with a twist: to complete a task at each destination, and compile an online family scrapbook of treasured family experiences together.

They’ll also supply blog and video content on Get Out with the Kids and the Club’s own website and YouTube channel to chart each step of their unforgettable family adventure.

Gav Grayston, Founder of Get Out with the Kids, said: “We can’t wait to get started on this exciting adventure. We love tent camping, but after trying our hand at the Club’s Towing Initiative earlier this year felt it was the perfect time to see if caravanning really could be the passport to unforgettable family memories.”

Rob Quine, Managing Director at The Explorer Group, manufacturer of Compass Caravans, said: “We’re delighted to support this fantastic initiative. The Casita is the ultimate family-friendly and affordable six berth caravan, and I’m confident it will be the perfect base for their tours. I hope the Compass helps the Graystons successfully negotiate this fun challenge.”

Robert Louden MBE, director general of The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “The Club is committed to getting kids camping and caravanning. We know from research in recent years that it helps make children happier, healthier and smarter, and is good for their mental and physical health. We hope this partnership will help spread this message far and wide.”

To follow the Graystons on their family adventures on Club Sites in the Compass Casita and Peugeot 508 SW, visit the Club’s website here.

Parkdean Resorts acquires Great Yarmouth holiday park

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

New acquisition marks first takeover since Park Resorts and Parkdean merger last year

Parkdean Resorts has acquired Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth for an undisclosed sum – its first acquisition since Parkdean and Park Resorts merged in November 2015.

Vauxhall Holiday Park, a single park operation located in walking distance from Great Yarmouth, has been owned and developed by the Biss family since 1964 and provides holidays and short breaks for in excess of 80,000 holidaymakers each year. The park is a pure holiday hire business (with no holiday home owners), with substantial associated on park retail and leisure facilities and is the only five star park in Great Yarmouth. Together with providing great family holidays, it is uniquely renowned for its weekender music festivals and special events including the “Caister Soul Weekender” and “Skamouth” amongst others.

The freehold park comprises 180 touring and camping pitches, 390 caravans and lodges, and 48 apartments across 41 acres and features a substantial range of high quality retail facilities including the 2,100 capacity V-Arena, 350 seat V-lounge, a carvery restaurant, a sports bar, coffee shop, five other separate food outlets and an amusement arcade. Leisure facilities include the Tropical Water World with indoor main pool, water slides and fun pool, splash zone and paddling pool, a fitness suite and multi-sport area.

John Waterworth, chief executive of Parkdean Resorts said: “This continues our long term buy and build strategy which has been successful in developing Parkdean Resorts into the sector leading business it is today. Vauxhall is a thriving and well-managed park that will fit perfectly into the Parkdean Resorts portfolio offering customers even broader choice in Norfolk alongside our other parks East Anglia. We intend to build on the success of the special events and expand the business via capital investment in new accommodation and by extension of the holiday season.

“Parkdean Resorts is confident of another successful year of growth, with holiday sales for the year 9% ahead of 2015. The group has been acquisitive since its formation and we see further opportunities in this highly fragmented sector via both single parks and multi-site portfolios.”

Road users urged not to play Pokémon GO when driving

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

From Pokémon GO to Pokémon NO as IAM RoadSmart highlights dangers of Augmented reality game

With millions of people across the country currently gripped on latest smartphone craze, Pokémon GO, UK road safety charity IAM RoadSmart is urging motorists not to go on the hunt for virtual monsters from behind the wheel of their cars.

The game, which allows users to seek out Pokémon characters in real life settings via the augmented reality function on smartphones, has been the subject of criticism following its launch in the UK last month owing to a number of people taking to their vehicles to collect the pixelated creatures instead of doing it on foot, posing a threat to other road users and pedestrians as a result.

Samson Ruwangu, IAM RoadSmart digital content executive, 23, said: “Kids and adults alike are going crazy for this game. But the risk is that some people are going to be playing it at the wrong time – and driving a car is the last place you should be looking for Pidgey, Rattata or the others.

“I nearly tripped over playing this game. Pokemon GO makes you concentrate on catching characters and it takes both hand and eye coordination.”

Research conducted last year by IAM RoadSmart showed the extent to which smartphone use had become an addiction to some.

Eight per cent of drivers admitted to driving while using a video-calling application such as FaceTime and Skype to make and receive video calls, rising to 16 per cent among 18 to 24 year olds.

It found nine per cent of drivers admitted to taking a selfie while driving within ‘the last month’. This increases to 15 per cent of young drivers aged 18-24 and 19 per cent of 25-35 year olds. Women are less selfie obsessed than men, with just five per cent of women citing they have taken a selfie while driving compared to 12 per cent of men (reference 1).

Samson added: “While looking out for Eevee, Weedle and the rest is great fun, it is important to keep concentration on what matters – and that’s keeping your eyes on the road. Psyduck can wait for later.”

What is Pokémon GO?

Pokémon Go is a free-to-play, location-based augmented reality game released across the world in July 2016, in which players use a mobile device’s GPS capability to locate, capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on the screen as if they were in the same real-world location as the player. Pokémon Go quickly became an overnight global phenomenon and one of the most used mobile apps, reportedly having been downloaded by more than 75 million people worldwide. It was credited with popularising location-based and augmented reality gaming, as well as for promoting physical activity.

Adria unveil new Sonic motorhome range for 2017

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Sonic range redesigned for new season

Adria have unveiled their premium integrated motorhome range for 2017, the Sonic. Completely redesigned for the new season, the Sonic range will be available in three layouts, each of which has been designed, Adria say, with a “purity of line, form and function.”

Taking a new approach with the exterior profile when compared to previous Sonics, Adria’s latest motorhome offering features sweeping curves and a dynamic rear wall courtesy of sharper styling and new detailing including LED lights and new front mask which seems to have given the Sonic a new facelift for 2017.

Inside, Adria has certainly gone for a luxurious take on touring, with space, comfort and ergonomics truly planned out while remaining uncluttered.

Built using Fiat Ducato cabin and chassis. as well as Euro6 engine and Adria ‘Comprex’ body construction, premium heating solutions include a convenient air-flow management system along with climate control, which come backed by a two year general warranty, ten year water ingress warranty and on the road aftercare.

When it comes to choice, Adria don’t seem to have held back here either, with a number of choice available across the range for both interior and exterior. The Sonic Plus comes with Adria’s ‘Tempo’ interior style and more equipment, both with a choice of layouts, as well as Truma heating, and the Sonic Supreme is laden with ‘Symphony’ interior design as standard, with tAL-KO chassis and fully integrated Alde heating and Smart Control.

Key features across the new Sonic range include:

– Fiat Ducato with choice of engine
– New front profile, with exclusive front mask and chrome details
– Injection-moulded grill with automotive style detailing
– Improved visibility windows and coach-style mirrors
– Panoramic window
– LED channel lights harmonized into the front mask
– Front direction light in LED techinque and fog lights, with option for LEDs
– Silver metallic Alu sidewalls
– Adria ‘Comprex’ construction on AL-KO high profile chassis
– Dynamic rear wall with horizontal lights
– Open-plan living space with large comfortable L-dinette
– Ambient lighting in three ‘stripes’
– Concave overhead cupboards with more space for storing and living
– Comfortable seating with extra padding and bolster roll pillow
– New media wall with integrated TV holder

Sonic Plus

– Fiat Ducato with choice of engine
– New front profile, with exclusive front mask and black details
– Injection-moulded grill with automotive style detailing
– Improved visibility windows and mirrors
– Panoramic window
– LED channel lights harmonized into the front mask
– Front direction light in LED techinque and fog lights, with option for LEDs
– Adria ‘Comprex’ construction on Fiat high profile chassis
– Dynamic rear wall with horizontal lights
– Open-plan living space with large comfortable L-dinette (optional)
– Ambient lighting in two ‘stripes’
– Concave overhead cupboards with more space for storing and living
– Comfortable seating and bolster roll pillow
– New media wall with integrated TV holder

AA survey reveals over one third of call outs involve illegal or dangerous tyres

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

AA warns road users to check their tyres before they wreck their tyres

Thousands of motorists in the UK are potentially putting themselves, their passengers and other road users at risk by driving with dangerously low tyre treads, according to the latest data from the AA.

More than a third (37.2 per cent) of drivers who called out the AA to fit new tyres were either driving with tread depths below the 1.6mm legal minimum (9.6 per cent) – or were on the limit (27.6 per cent).

The AA analysed thousands of call outs in 2016 to its team of specialist tyre fitters – providing a snapshot of the state of tyres on Britain’s roads.

The findings support new data from TyreSafe and Highways England showing that of 340,000 tyres measured across the industry, 66 per cent were below 2mm while 27 per cent were illegal suggesting that up to one in four cars on Britain’s roads have at least one tyre that is illegal or barely legal.

Driving a vehicle with an illegal or defective tyre could lead to a police officer issuing a fixed penalty notice (£100 and three penalty points). In serious cases an officer may report the case for prosecution.

A court can impose a fine of up to £2,500 plus three penalty points for each defective tyre – so in an extreme case a driver could be facing a £10,000 fine with 12 points which may lead to disqualification.

The law says that vehicle tyres must have at least 1.6mm of tread throughout a continuous band in the centre three quarters of the tyre and around the entire circumference.

The AA and TyreSafe advise that new tyres should be replaced when tread depth reaches 2mm (3mm in winter). Tyre pressures should be checked at least fortnightly, as well the general condition of the tyres, looking for cuts or bulges.

Mark Shankland, co-founder of the AA’s mobile tyre fitting service, AA Tyres said: “Our findings point to an alarming lack of concern about tyres by British drivers.

“With summer upon us, now is a good time to should check your tyres before heading off on a long trip and replace them if there is 2mm of tread or less remaining.

“Take a look at your car’s handbook – or look for a label in the door shut or perhaps under the fuel filler flap or in the glovebox – which will tell you what your tyre pressures should be. If you are taking all the family and luggage too, you may need to inflate your tyres to a higher pressure.

“Remember that you have just four small patches of rubber that separate your car from the road.

“If your tyres are worn or damaged, you’re putting your family at risk,” Shankland conintued. “That’s quite apart from the risk of getting caught and facing a hefty fine.

“The dangers of driving on bald or balding tyres are clear. Not only is the risk of a blow-out greater but stopping distances are significantly increased too, especially on a wet road. If there’s a sudden summer downpour there’s a high chance of aquaplaning on worn tyres which means you lose control of your car with perhaps unthinkable consequences.”

Win a trip to New Zealand with The Caravan Club

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Read on to find out how you can win a 38-day trip for two to discover all New Zealand has to offer

The Caravan Club is offering one lucky couple the chance to win a holiday of a lifetime to New Zealand in a competition to mark the first year of the Club’s successful new worldwide tours programme.

Following on from a two night stay in Singapore, the 38-day New Zealand Explorer escorted motorhome tour, which departs on 9 October 2016, will take in a number of spectacular highlights of both north and south island, including visits to Auckland, Wellington, Milford Sound and Mt Cook National Park, as well as a tour of wonderful natural wonders including the hot springs of Rotorua, the White Island Volcano and the Franz Josef Glaciers.

To celebrate a successful first year of our new worldwide tours programme, we’re offering one lucky member and their spouse or a friend, the chance to join our New Zealand Explorer escorted motorhome tour which departs on 9 October 2016.

In addition to your trip, you’ll also get to write an article o your adventures which will be featured in The Caravan Club’s monthly magazine.

Entering is simple, and all The Caravan Club wants you to do is tell them in 500 words or less why you are the right person to go on this trip. Hurry though, the competition ends on 10 August. To find out more and to enter, click here. Good luck!

Campbells Caravans buys Read Caravans in expansion rollout

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Campbells Caravans expands operations in Read Caravans buyout

Campbells Caravans is expanding with the launch of a third dealership following the acquisition of Blackburn based caravan and outdoor leisure business, Read Caravans.

The purchase was completed earlier this month after former owners, Mark and Denise Holden, decided to sell the business to pursue other interests.

Campbells will take over Read’s two-acre site on Whitebirk Industrial Estate in Blackburn, which includes a caravan showroom and forecourt selling new Bailey, Sprite, Sterling, Swift, Lunar and Venus caravans as well as a wide range of high quality used vehicles, and an accessory and awning department.

The successful aftersales centre, based close by on Lower Phillips Road, will also become part of the Campbells offering and includes an NCC approved workshop, service centre and manufacturer approved insurance and damp repair shop.

The move enables the 47-year-old family run Campbells business to serve caravan and motorhome customers right across Lancashire and the surrounding counties from three premises, all of which are easily accessible from the M6, M61 and M65 motorway network.

Director Daniel Campbell will head up the team at the new Blackburn site. Of the acquisitions,Campbell said: “Read is a respected and established family run business that has a loyal customer base and has received awards for customer satisfaction so there is a great deal of synergy with our own offering. We’re very excited to be bringing it under the Campbells brand and to be able to offer customers, both existing and new, an even higher standard of customer service. 

“A particular highlight for us is that all of the Read team have chosen to stay on,” Campbell continued. “Whilst the name above the door will be different, customers can expect to see the same friendly faces and receive a warm welcome,” he adds.

Joining the director at Campbells Blackburn will be Matthew Holmes, who has been promoted to sales manager of the new branch.  Director Mike Barnes will remain at Lostock Hall to head up Campbells’ caravan dealership on Watkin Lane and the new dedicated motorhome showroom, which opened last Autumn on Croston Road.

Taking a look at the all new Corinium RB from Auto-Sleepers

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Auto-Sleepers have unveiled the all new Corinium RB and CaravanTimes went to take a look around

Auto-Sleepers have announced the introduction of the Corinium RB, the third and final model to comprise of the Corinium Trio range, featuring an impressive island bed layout which looks set to complement the Corinium FB and Duo models successfully launched at Birmingham’s NEC in February earlier this year.

The new RB layout, featuring an impressive island bed in its own private bedroom, is a first for Auto-Sleepers and comes following the company listening to both customers and dealers alike. Delivering a true ‘wow’ factor, the island bed enables an abundance of space and comfort, while offering the option of repositioning the bed when not in use in order to provide a reclined backrest for daytime use too. Storage is no problem either, with room under the bed capable of holding two large sunloungers.

Moving towards the front, the Corinium RB, built on an AL-KO chassis, features a spacious lounge capable of accommodating up to six people, while the option for rear travel seats is certain to appeal to couples and families alike. A fully featured kitchen including microwave and integrated storage for the dining table should enable lots of scope for rustling up hearty meals, while the centre washroom opposite completes the innovative floorplan.

Outside, when its time to go ‘off-grid’, two inline 105amp hour batteries with 80amp solar panel should provide for all you need to remain comfortable when exploring pastures new.

To find out more about the new Corinium RB and to take a look inside, check out our latest video above and let us know what you think of it in the comments below.

Flood Defence plans approved at caravan park despite fierce opposition

Posted by

by Jeanned’Arc Sanbar

Caravan Park flood plan approved but met with resistance from enironmentalists
A flood defence scheme proposed for a north-east caravan park has been met with opposition from environmental experts despite gaining approval from local authorities.

Wood Leisure-owned Deeside Holiday Park in Maryculter, Aberdeenshire, which is situated alongside the River Dee requested a defence wall to be built around the park’s perimeter following on from flood devastation caused by Storm Frank in December last year. Permission was granted by Aberdeenshire Council’s Kincardine and Mearns area committee to go ahead with the plans earlier this week.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), however, has ruled against plans approved, stating that the work proposed may have a knock-on effect elsewhere along the Dee, with possible implications including a “loss of floodplain capacity of around 5 per cent”, placing neighbouring properties at “increased risk”.

Managing partner of Wood Leisure said of those in opposition of the plans: “Obviously we are delighted to have the support of the councillors, it’s fantastic they listened to our case and voted in favour of our right to protect the park.

“But we are fully aware that the Scottish Government could still call it in and we could have another hurdle to overcome.

“It’s vital for safeguarding the future of the park and the customers that are on it, it’s all about making sure that we are able to safely evacuate them if we need to.”

What do you think about those opposed to building a flood defence barrier around Deeside Holiday Park? Let us know in the comments section below.

CaravanTimes takes a trip down memory lane to mark 7th anniversary

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Join us as we take a look at some of our most popular stories over the years in order to commemorate CaravanTimes’ seventh anniversary

Seven wonders of the world, seven deadly sins, seven days of the week. we could go on. It is unequivocal that the number seven is of great significance for a number of reasons, and CaravanTimes has just added yet another one to the list with today marking our seventh official anniversary.

To say the past seven years have been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride is pretty much an understatement. From starting out as a simple blog in order to share our passion of the great outdoors with other likeminded caravanners and motorhomers, to becoming the world’s most popular outdoors leisure website in the short space of seven years, it is true to say that we’ve travelled a long way in more ways than one – and we couldn’t have done it without you, our dedicated readers.

In order to mark CaravanTimes’ seventh anniversary, we’ve pieced together seven of our top stories which have either proven immensely popular over the last seven years or struck a chord with you, our readers. Read on and enjoy.

First time tips

With staycations on the rise year-on-year and many people choosing to take the plunge and invest in their very own caravan, it made sense for CaravanTimes to provide a users guide to caravanning for the first time and, last summer, we did exactly that. From caravan jargon, to pitching up for the first time, our guide for first timers certainly proved popular for some. So to check it out again if you’re new to caravanning, or even if you jut want a little refresher before your summer holiday, click here

Widow banned from caravan park

Perhaps the most controversial and certainly the most read story CaravanTimes ever ran surrounded the banning of a recently widowed lady from Searles Leisure Resort in Hunstanton because she was deemed ‘single’, despite frequenting the site on numerous occasions with her husband when he was alive. The story led to Annette Gration calling for a change in Searles’ rules on single-person-occupancy, and also gained an unprecedented amount of media attention, bringing Searles reputation into question for all the wrong reasons. To read more about what happened in case you missed it the first time around, click here

Near miss

When it comes to sharing the road with other users, it goes without saying that a vast majority of us are thoughtful enough to respect the rules of the road, irrespective of all the stick us caravanners get on the odd occasion. In a rather strange turn of events, however, one cyclist got a lot more than he bargained for after cycling along the A59 at Samlesbury, Lancashire back in 2014 when a lorry driver transporting caravans to a local dealership decided to over overtake him in such close proximity that it raised many questions and subsequently cost the lorry driver his job. To check out the video, click here.

Measuring your nose weight

When it comes to caravanning, it pays to be cautious and it pays to pay close attention to safety measures required to ensure a happy journey wherever you’re heading. That’s why CaravanTimes pieced together a top five check list when it comes to loading up your caravan and measuring your nose weight. So if you’re a new caravanner, or simply need a refresher in why it’s important to load your caravan to within the correct limits, click here. You never nose (sorry) when you might need to refer to it.

World’s most expensive motorhome

We’d be liars if we said we didn’t have our very own dreams and aspirations, and the Elemment Palazzo is certainly one of those. The motormansion on wheels, brought to us by Austrian company Marchi Mobile, certainly struck a chord with our readers for many reasons as our comments section at the end of the story would attest. And measuring in at 215 sq ft, with a slide-out section doubling this to 430 sq ft, as well as an internal headroom of 8’2″ we can see why. Although we’ve placed this on our Christmas wish list since we ran the story in 2011, we’re yet to have received one of these 20 tonne behemoths, which is probably a good thing though as we wouldn’t know where to pitch up with it. To check it out, click here

Caravan levelling

When it comes to caravanning, everyone likes to start off on even ground and, ultimately, pitch up on it. It’s not always that simple though, as we’ve found out on numerous occasions where we’ve suffered sleepless nights, restless woes and everything else in-between owing to this caravan conundrum. Fear not, however, as back in 2013, CaravanTimes headed along to Golden Castle Caravans in order to find out how to pros do it. To find out for yourself, click here.

Ray Mears

Scandal – you’ve gotta love it. And there was certainly plenty of that following Ray Mears’ appearance on popular BBC One show, Room 101, where the outdoor survivalist labelled caravans as “hideous,” choosing for them to be banished to Room 101 for ever more. ‘Everyone’s entitled to their opinion’ we hear you say; and we’d usually be inclined to agree – but not when Mears was just weeks away from attending the NCC’s Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at Birmingham’s NEC. Mears was left rather red-faced following on from his appearance and duly relinquished of his services at the show. To read the original story, as broken by CaravanTimes and subsequently picked up by national newspapers, radio and television, click here.

So there you have it. Our most popular stories all under one roof for you to enjoy one more time, and we sincerely hope you did. Finally, we’d like to say a massive THANK YOU for making CaravanTimes what it is today. Without you, our readers, none of this would have been possible.

Caravan Club announces system upgrade

Posted by

by Jeanned’Arc Sanbar

Caravan Club system set to undergo important upgrade this weekend

The Caravan Club has announced its computer systems are set to undergo essential maintenance later this week, in a move which will see some of the Club’s site’s functionality down for almost three days.

From 5:30pm on 29 July to midnight on 31 July, the following services will be unavailable:

– Login to ‘My Profile’ and registered website use
– All bookings – UK and overseas sites, ferries, events, training courses
– Online join and membership renewal
– Access to CLs (Certificated Locations)
– Club Together (our online community)
– Insurance quote and/or purchase
– Purchasing Club Shop products
– Outfit matching services

The Club’s booking app and magazine app will also be down for the duration of the scheduled maintenance.

The downtime comes as The Caravan Club looks to update its membership systems. As a result of the scheduled maintenance, those using the Club’s facilities are advised to bring along a Sites Directory and Handbook for directions and site contact information.

A statement released by the Club said: “We appreciate that this will have a significant impact on our members using the website and app, as well as our site staff. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience during this time and will endeavour to resume services on Sunday as smoothly as possible.”

Bailey announce price freeze plans for Unicorn and Pegasus and new Pursuit upgrade

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Exciting times as Bailey announce 2017 plans

Bailey of Bristol has announced a sustained period of sales growth over the past twelve months, seeing the company increase its share of both the touring caravan and motorhome markets while necessitating a 20 per cent increase in overall production volumes.

As far as touring caravans are concerned, the success seen over the past year has largely been driven by the continued popularity of the company’s current Pegasus and Unicorn ranges, both of which have accounted for a total of 80 per cent of Bailey caravan retail sales.

As a result of the popularity of both ranges, accessed here has decided to carry on with the production of both Pegasus and Unicorn in their current guise for the start of the 2017 model year from September 2016 onwards.

Bailey has subsequently decided to upgrade their low-cost light-weight Pursuit range following on from both customer and retailer feedback, with plans for the relaunch well under way; new models from the second generation Pursuit range should be appearing early next year.

Following on from these decisions, Bailey has also announced a price freeze on all of its touring caravan ranges going into the 2017 model year, with all recommended retail prices for these vehicles set to remain unchanged from current levels. It has been stressed by Bailey, however, that In the current post-Brexit economic climate these retail prices cannot be guaranteed indefinitely and the offer will be for a limited period only.

Commenting on the plans for the Bailey caravan portfolio, managing director Nick Howard said “The continued popularity of our existing Pegasus and Unicorn ranges is testimony to the longevity of our products in today’s marketplace. This in turn is a reflection of the amount of effort we put into the development process to ensure our caravans and motorhomes continue to successfully meet the needs of our customers year after year”.

We don’t know about you, but we certainly see a price freeze as great news for the caravan industry. Not only should this encourage more people to step into an ever-growing popular pastime of hitting the great outdoors, but should also provide for great competition coming by way of other manufacturers. What do you think? Let us know below.