TyreSafe launches online pressure calculator for caravanners

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by Joe Jeffrey

Check your tyre pressure online with TyreSafe’s brand new tyre pressure calculator

TyreSafe has released an online tyre pressure calculator for caravan owners, providing for a valuable resource to ensure tyres are properly inflated for your journey ahead.

Just in time for spring, and as more than half-a-million caravan owners get ready to take to the road, the unique web form tool developed by the UK’s not-for-profit tyre safety awareness organisation, is not only simple to use, but also requires just three pieces of information to be entered before generating a recommended pressure, namely Maximum Technically Permitted Load Mass (MTPLM), number of road wheels and tyre size an load index.

Readily available on the move, the calculator can be accessed via TyreSafe’s website including on mobile devices, allowing owners to refer to the results while they are adjusting pressures.

TyreSafe has also released an informative animation for caravan owners to guide them through the essential tyre safety checks and maintenance they need to carry out before making their first trip of the season. Ensuring wheel bolts are at the correct tension, every tyre has more than 1.6mm of tread with no lumps, bumps or cuts in them and, of course, that they are at the right pressure, is equally important for the caravan as it is for the vehicle towing them.

Stuart Jackson, TyreSafe chairman, said: “A caravan’s tyres are a fundamental part of its suspension system and they also need to be able to deal with a range of issues relating to loading, making them a crucial element of the vehicle. It is essential to safety when towing a caravan that its tyres are roadworthy, at the correct pressure and have at least the minimum legal tread depth. TyreSafe’s new animation will guide owners through the necessary checks while the pressure calculator provides them with a dependable reference to find the correct inflation levels.” 

“In combination, these two new resources from TyreSafe offer caravan owners across the country the opportunity to improve their safety on the roads and the safety of those around them.”

Behind the TyreSafe Caravan Tyre Pressure Calculator’s neat design lies a database of tyre sizes, types, load indexes and technical data to provide the most accurate pressure recommendation as possible. This information is based on inflation, load and speed rating tables which have been developed jointly by tyre and caravan manufacturers. However, a caravan owner’s first point of reference for tyre pressures should be the owner’s manual where it is available.

To check out the TyreSafe Tyre Pressure Calculator, click here. And while you’re at it, make sure you check out TyreSafe’s informative video below.

The Camping and Caravanning Club announces online discounts for 2016

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by Joe Jeffrey

Discounts announced by Club available online now

The Camping and Caravanning Club is offering a selection of discounts on touring pitches for holidaymakers who book their breaks with the Club online.

The Club has released discount codes, available to members and non-members that help make camping escapes even more affordable this season in some of the UK’s most favoured locations.

There are currently five promotions running throughout the main camping and caravanning season, from 1 April to 30 September, to appeal to those looking to bag a bargain across many parts of the UK.

A ‘Grass Only’ offer gives Club members and non-members discounts of up to 30 per cent off pitch fees at 53 Club Sites from 1 June to 31 August.

Meanwhile, a total of 27 Club Sites are running a ‘Weekend Offer’, which gives campers a 15 per cent discount on pitches across selected weekends. Again, this is open to Club members and non-members.

The weekend deal is joined by a ‘Mid-Week Offer’, which affords campers 15 per cent off the cost of a pitch for bookings of a minimum of four consecutive nights.

Two further member-only offers – 20 per cent off for families and those aged 60 or over – make up the bumper list of exciting discounts.

The news of the Club’s enticing offers comes as recent research among members confirms the staycation is going from strength to strength; it found that 57 per cent take five or more holidays a year in their tent, caravan or motorhome.

The study also showed that 55 per cent of respondents love the freedom that comes with camping and caravanning, with favourite pursuits including walking (51 per cent) – a great passport to health by stealth.

Bob Hill, Club sites director said: “We hope these offers will tempt holidaymakers keen on exploring the Great British outdoors to pitch up and enjoy our Club Sites, and make great use of them as a base for their adventures.

Whether fishing, cycling, striding out on walking trails or finding a base near a city for a weekend break, there is a Club Site in this year’s promotion to appeal to everyone.”

Discount codes can be redeemed online only and booking is now open, with offers running from 1 April. Those interested in taking up one or more of the offers are advised that pitches need to be booked a minimum of 21 days prior to arrival date to qualify for each promotion. Only one promotional code can be applied to each individual booking.

To view the full range of discounts and learn more about qualifying Club Sites, click here click here.

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Salop Leisure makes a flying start to 2016

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by Joe Jeffrey

Salop Leisure reports on record sales figures for beginning of 2016

Sales of touring caravans, motorhomes, caravan holiday homes and accessories at Shrewsbury-based dealership Salop Leisure are racing ahead of the same period last year after a successful first two months of 2016.

In January, sales for company, which also has sales centres in Machynlleth and Stourport-on-Severn, were around 18 per cent up on the corresponding month last year and the business growth has continued during February to leave Salop Leisure buoyant for the launch of the new caravanning season, which traditionally begins in March.

The company is also reporting a big increase in sales in the Love Plants specialist plants centre and in Love Coffee restaurant.

“Sales in every part of the business are extremely buoyant,” said company chairman Tony Bywater, who this year clocks up 50 years in the caravan industry. “The indications are that more people will be taking their holidays in the UK this year.

“Low petrol and diesel prices have certainly helped the industry and fear of more terrorist attacks in tourist resorts in certain parts of the world is also impacting on people’s holiday choices.

“There is still a focus on getting value for money with holidays and that’s why many families are investing in a caravan holiday home, which they can share with their children and grandchildren.

“Caravan parks in Mid Wales and the Heart of England are proving more popular than ever because they are within two hours driving distance of people living in the West Midlands and North West England.

“We sell caravans and motorhomes to people of all ages, but we are beginning to see more young families investing in their future holidays, which is very encouraging.

“We are hoping that 2016 will be another record breaking year for the company to mark our 50th birthday.”

Another positive sign was a record number of sales lead at the Camping, Caravanning & Motorhome Show, which attracted thousands of visitors to the NEC in Birmingham last month.

Salop Leisure’s accessory shop manager Andy Harding and salesman Josh Davenport set the standard with more than £100,000 of caravan awning sales at the show.

“It was a very successful show for the company, with sales well up on last year,” added Bywater. “The number of awning sold by Andy and Josh was exceptional and we have lots of sales leads to follow up from the show.”

Camping and Caravanning Club announces changes to site arrival times

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by Joe Jeffrey

Site check-in time changed following service evaluation

The Camping and Caravanning Club has announced changes to arrival times at its club sites with immediate effect,

The earliest arrival time has moved an hour to 1pm, though departure time remains the same at midday, while the latest attended arrival time has changed from 11pm to 8pm.

The above said, and due to the popularity of travelling on Friday evenings after work, club sites will be staffed accordingly to cater for those arriving just after 8pm.

Bob Hill, sites director for The camping and Caravanning Club, said the changes followed the Club’s continued focus on delivering the highest levels of service to members.

He said: “By moving the first arrival time to 1pm while keeping departure at midday, our Holiday Site teams will have more time to ensure pitches are ready for the next campers and therefore offer more choice of pitches.

“There will also be less congestion on approach roads and at the site entrance. We anticipate less night-time disturbance too from late arrivals.”

Hill added: “The changes will enable us to be consistent in the service provided by our Club Site teams across our network.”

It has also been advised that if members are anticipating arriving after 8pm due to traffic delays, for example, they should call the site directly before 8pm in order to be advised of the pitching instructions for late arrivals.

Auto-Trail scoops six wins in Caravan Club Design Awards

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by Joe Jeffrey

13 awards and six wins for Auto-Trail in Caravan Club Design Awards

Auto-Trail has won six categories and walked away with an impressive 13 awards in total at The Caravan Club Motor Caravan Design Awards 2016.

The prestigious awards, organised by The Caravan Club, saw Auto-Trail’s V-line 540 SE scoop top prize in the ‘Van Conversions £40K-45K’ category, whilst the Tribute 680, featuring two single fixed beds, came in a solid third place in the same category.

Meanwhile, In the ‘£40K-50K Coachbuilt’ category, the Auto-Trail 615 was crowned the winner, with the Tribute 620 coming a close second, whilst the new-for-2016 Zefiro 690G came closely behind in third place.

Elsewhere, the Tribute 670 and Frontier Delaware were awarded the top prizes for ‘Van conversions up to £40K’ and ‘Coachbuilt over £60k’ respectively.

Additional Auto-Trail winners at The Caravan Club’s Design Awards saw the Imala 615 take home the gold in the ‘Coachbuilts £40,000 to £45,000’ category, the Imala 730 scoop first prize in the ‘Coachbuilts £45,000 to £50,000’ range, and the Tracker EKS pip all of the others to the post as far as ‘Coachbuilts £50,000 to £60,000’ were concerned. It didn’t stop there though, and the Frontier Delaware came first too, in the ‘Coachbuilts over £60,000’ category.

Russell Hensman, marketing manager for Auto-Trail, said “”There were a massive 123 entries over the fifteen categories in this year’s event and to have been placed in eight categories and win six is a real testament to the drive for perfection exhibited by everyone at Auto-Trail.

“We are again thrilled with the results of Friday’s awards event and the acknowledgement that the design and development of all our vehicles is impressing not only our customers but also the industry representatives. We feel these awards provide us with valuable feedback not only in regards to the innovation and design of our vehicles, but also ensuring they are considered value for money.”  

Auto-Sleepers delighted with continued success at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show

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by Joe Jeffrey

Auto-Sleepers announce sales success following NEC show

Auto-Sleepers are the latest leisure vehicle manufacturer to announce a successful week of sales following the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show 2016, culminating in their best ever sales result since the October industry show relocated from Earls Court in London.

New to the range for spring 2016 and launched at the show, which took place from Birmingham’s NEC between 23 and 28 February, was a brand new range of coachbuilts based on the Peugeot Boxer combined with an AL-KO Chassis. The Corinium range provides a spacious lounge with a fully featured kitchen leading into an impressive rear bedroom, where a choice of three layouts are available, namely a fixed French bed or twin single fixed beds with a full width spacious rear washroom, or a rear island bed model which will be available from mid-June 2016.

The new Corinium range proved to be the star of the show for customers looking to purchase models previously only available on the Mercedes Sprinter chassis. Crucially the Corinium range is available on the driver friendly 3,500kg chassis or with an optional 4,000kg MTPLM for increased user payload.

In addition the Auto-Sleeper stand displayed a wide range of their flagship Peugeot van conversions alongside their sister Peugeot and Mercedes coachbuilt models, all of which recorded positive sales throughout the week.

Dave Williams, sales director for Auto-Sleeper Motorhomes commented: “Building on last year’s success at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show was a tremendous achievement for us and bodes well for the year ahead. This season’s success across all of the shows has been great news and supports dealer feedback that our 2016 range is undoubtedly our finest ever.”

Elddis wins ninth consecutive international safety award

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by Joe Jeffrey

Elddis scoops top health and safety award for ninth year in row

Elddis has once again been recognised for its health and safety performance by winning the prestigious International Safety Award for the ninth consecutive year.

The awards, given by the British Safety Council and supported by the Health and Safety Executive, acknowledge the commitment that companies including Elddis have made to improving corporate health and safety and, so far, just 436 companies across the world have been bestowed the honour. Elddis are the only caravan and motorhome manufacturer to have received the award thus far.

Mike Robinson, chief executive of the British Safety Council, congratulated Elddis on their success in winning an International Safety Award for 2016, saying: “The British Safety Council commends Elddis on their achievement. The award is in recognition of their commitment and effort to keep their employees and workplaces free of injury and ill health. Our warmest congratulations.  

“The British Safety Council’s vision is that no one should be injured or made ill by work, anywhere in the world. Across all of the winning organisations are examples of dedication and hard work to ensure that the risk of injury and ill health is prevented. We commend the winning organisations and urge them to continue working with us to ensure that our vision becomes a reality.”

Colin Wheatley, Elddis’ health and safety officer, implemented the training and is behind the many safety initiatives key to the company’s safe working environment. He said: “Elddis has based its safety management system on the principles of the Occupational Health and Safety Assessment standard OHSAS 18001.

“Each year we set ourselves safety aims and objectives in order to continually improve our safety performance. In addition, as members of the British Safety Council, Elddis became a registered training provider in 2007 for the BSC Level 1 Certificate in Health & Safety at Work and has since incorporated this into our own new employee induction as the safety standard for all new employees to achieve.

“The benefits to the company are that it leads to a safer working environment for all and at the same time employees are given the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification in health & safety.”

Deputy minister praises £1 million Welsh caravan park for quality and location

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by Joe Jeffrey

New Llanberis holiday park looks set to prove popular for 2016 and beyond

Wales’ deputy minister for culture, sport and tourism Ken Skates has praised the high quality and location of a new £1 million touring caravan park which he officially opened in the heart of Snowdonia earlier this week.

Highlighting 2016 as the year which heralds Wales’ Year of Adventure, Skates spoke on how Llanberis Touring Park is ideally situated for visitors to take advantage of the amazing adventures which North Wales has to offer, telling invited guests gathered for the opening ceremony: “We need high standard facilities in Wales and this park can compete with anywhere in the UK. The tourism industry is on the up in Wales and we are outperforming the rest of the UK.”

Skate added that tourism was particularly important to rural areas of Wales because the industry employed a large number of young people.

Llanberis Touring Park, which has 54-pitches on eight acres of land on the edge of the popular village of Llanberis, has created several jobs within the area and is already fully booked for Easter. The park enjoys stunning mountain views and is set alongside a scenic pond and a network of public footpaths, which lead into nearby Llanberis.

Shrewsbury-based owners Morris Leisure anticipate high demand from touring caravan and motorhome owners because of the park’s prime location in Snowdonia, which attracts more than 10 million visitors a year.

The company’s managing director Edward Goddard thanked local people, Gwynedd Council and everyone who had been involved in building the new park. He said: “We want to be a big part of the community by helping to attract visitors who will spend money in local businesses,” he said.

“Based on figures issued by the British Holiday and Home Parks Association, we expect the park to generate in excess of £400,000 a year for the local economy, which has got to be positive news for Llanberis.”

Community and county leaders warmly welcomed the new development. Councillor Trefor Edwards, chairman of Glyn Rhonwy Working Group, described the park as “fantastic” and said he had been pressing for a development of this type for many years to give Llanberis an economic boost.

Councillor Eric Jones, Gwynedd Council’s vice chairman, said he was very impressed by the high standard of the park, which was conveniently located for walking into Llanberis. He wished the venture every success.

Arfon Assembly member Alun Ffred Jones said: “It is always good to see such high quality tourism developments in Snowdonia and this park is setting the standard. Upgrading services to tourists will bring in visitors who will support other local businesses and strengthen employment.”

One of the first couples to try out the new park was Mark and Amanda Johnston from Macclesfield who said: “It’s an excellent location and the facilities, which have been well planned, are superb. We particularly like the local dog walks and will definitely be back when the leaves are out.”

Another customer, Alan Lewis, who lives near Tregaron and has recently retired as assistant director and head of services at Ceredigion Council with a particular interest in tourism, gave the park a big thumbs up.

“I think the park is excellent and we need more places like this in Wales,” said Mr Lewis, who is touring the nation in his touring caravan, which he purchased just three weeks ago.

Morris Leisure now owns six high quality caravan parks in Shropshire and Snowdonia. They include Riverside Touring and Holiday Home Park in Betws-y-Coed, Stanmore Hall Touring Park in Bridgnorth, Ludlow Touring Park in Ludlow, Oxon Hall Touring and Holiday Home Park in Shrewsbury and Bow House Country Park near Bishops Castle. Three of the parks are prestigious affiliated sites of The Caravan Club.

Lunar announces impressive sales at Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show 2016

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by Joe Jeffrey

Caravan sales up 20 per cent compared to last year’s show

For the third year running, Lunar has reported a record number of sales at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show, held at the NEC in Birmingham between 23 and 28 February. Caravan sales were up 20 per cent on last year’s record-breaking show, with sales of motorhomes doubling compared to the previous year.

The result follows an upturn in sales at both The Lawns in September (up 75 per cent) and at the Motorhome & Caravan Show in October (up 43 per cent) and demonstrates the increasingly popular appeal of the Lunar brand and in particular the 2016 collection.

All of the caravans retailed well, but the star performer was Lunar‘s family focused Quasar range accounting for nearly 50 per cent of all orders taken. This was followed by the top of the range Clubman and Delta models, which includes the award winning Delta RI – brand new for 2016 and a winner of numerous accolades including ‘Tourer of the Year’ and ‘Best Luxury Tourer’.

The most popular models at the show were the two berth Quasar 462 and all new four berth Quasar 574, demonstrating Lunar’s appeal to younger caravanning couples and families

The new Quasar 574 incorporates specification upgrades made across the Quasar range for 2016, such as the inclusion of a ‘Skyview’ roof light, new ‘Metropole’ soft furnishings scheme, LED lighting, a restyled and well-equipped kitchen and a new ’boutique hotel’ inspired washroom. It also features a popular transverse island bed with an innovative optional mattress extension to make the total bed length 6′ 4″.

Motorhome sales increased by 100 per cent compared to the 2015 show with the special edition Landstar RLS proving extremely popular with customers looking for luxury as well as automotive performance. Lunar also chose the show to unveil it’s brand new range of coachbuilt motorhomes – the six berth Selena 690B with twin bunks, the four berth 695G with twin singles and a large garage and the four berth 740i with an island bed and mid-washroom.  Each of the models were on display for the first time at the show with sales made and new dealers signed up to retail the impressive new range.

Lunar UK sales director, Lee Roberts, said: “We’re overwhelmed by the response from both customer and dealers to the 2016 range and our new motorhome line up.  We’ve beaten all of our previous sales performances, which is a phenomenal achievement and proves our product and brand has never been better or more suited to the requirements of modern caravanners and motorhomers.”

“We’re not one to rest on our laurels however and are committed to only making our products better – in terms of design, specification and value for money,” he added.

Club Care Insurance launches new Camping and Caravanning Club smart device app

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by Joe Jeffrey

Camping and Caravanning insurance provider launches new insurance app for customers

Club Care Insurance, the provider of insurance services for members of The Camping and Caravanning Club, has launched a new app to help customers in the event of an incident and they need to report a claim.

The app, available from the Apple Store and Google Play, effectively creates a ‘passport’ for the caravan. It allows users to store information about their tourer, including interior and exterior photographs.

Users can also record their tourer’s identifying details on the app, such as the caravan’s registration markings or chassis number, and its make and model, all of which help prove who the caravan’s registered keeper is.

What’s more, customers can report a claim on their caravan insurance policy through the app, and send supporting information, which takes away the need to call a member of the claims team directly.

By taking photos of an incident and uploading directly through the app at the time of damage, the location and time is stamped automatically, removing the need to draw diagrams and so helping to speed up the claims process. It will also enable users to find the nearest repairers through the Club Care Find a Repairer function.

Darren Whittington, membership services director at The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “The new app represents a great leap forward in customer service for insurance providers. It’s a valuable tool that will offer a more straightforward experience for our members, putting them in control.”

Nigel Coppen, client director at Club Care insurance, said: “We are very proud to be the first in our market to launch an app. It will not only assist our caravan policyholders at the time of an incident but will hasten the claims process as we will have a record of the damage and a log of exactly when and where the incident occurred. Additionally the app contains lots of useful functionality for policyholders and non-policyholders alike and more products and features will be added in due course.”

The results of a recent analysis conducted by Club Care into the claims received by its customers found that the average cost of a touring caravan insurance claim is 24 times the average cost of a policy. Whilst the main cause of loss was damage to the caravan there has been a notable increase in the number of claims caused by storm and an increasing trend of damage caused by hailstones during June and July.

The app is available today as a free download on both Android and iOS devices. Click here to find out how users can get the most from the app.

Price freeze and lighter models help Coachman earn success at NEC

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by Joe Jeffrey

Coachman’s sales up 30 per cent year-on-year following success of NEC show

In further signs that the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show proved even more successful than previous years, Coachman Caravans has confirmed a 30 per cent increase in sales following exhibiting at this year’s show, held at Birmingham’s NEC between 23 and 28 February.

Continuing to build on the successful start the company has made for the 2016 season, orders taken at the show have contributed to overall retail sales figures which are now 30 per cent up on the same period last year, and an increasing market share for Coachman.

Jim Hibbs, executive chairman for Coachman Caravans, said: “Our success at the NEC proves that Coachman remains a strong brand and that our 2016 range is our finest yet.

“Not only are our new models stylish and comfortable, but they’re also lighter and stronger than any previous Coachman, thanks to our new and unique Advanced Bonded Construction (ABC) techniques.

“The fact that we were able to hold last year’s prices until the end of February has also helped us to get the 2016 season off to a flying start!”

As one of the leading caravan manufacturers in the industry, Coachman Caravans employs 174 members of staff at its base in Hull, East Yorkshire, and produces caravans with an impressive build quality and innovative design features, backed by a dedicated after-sales service.

Coachman’s Vision, Pastiche, VIP and Laser ranges have been designed to offer caravans to suit a range of budgets, from affordable quality with a luxurious undertone and the success the company has reported upon certainly proves the manufacturer is doing something right.

Prince Charles calls for tourists to visit flood-hit parts of UK this spring

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by Joe Jeffrey

Prince weighs in on what we can do to ensure businesses bounce back

HRH Prince Charles has called upon those looking to escape for an Easter break to holiday in regions across the UK that were hit the hardest by this winter’s devastating floods in an open letter in the Daily Telegraph.

Writing in the newspaper, Prince Charles said the best way to help regions devastated the most by treacherous flooding was to visit them in an attempt to keep “vital businesses going” following on from severe storms battering parts of England, Wales and Scotland in December last year, with some particular areas being flooded a total of three times in as many weeks.

Many caravan parks, businesses and attractions in some of the country’s most scenic spots were destroyed during the storms and some will still struggle to ensure they open in time for the 2016 holiday season.

Writing about the winter floods, Prince Charles, who is patron of English Tourism Week, said: “In the same way that gardens and entire landscapes can amaze us with their ability to recover relatively quickly from floods and storms, so too can their people.

“The way that local communities have pulled together to ensure a speedy recovery – even after the devastation and heart-breaking losses we have seen in recent months – has been truly remarkable.”

“I personally believe that we are incredibly lucky to be blessed with such a rich assortment of historic and cultural gems in this country, not to mention the jewel of our national parks and, above all, some of the wonders of our many hidden gardens, which are once again ready to amaze and delight visitors.
“I can only encourage you, therefore, to enjoy the best of what Great Britain has to offer this spring.”

What do you think about Prince Charles’ take on helping communities ravaged by recent floods? Is this something you might consider? Let us know in the comments below.