How to choose the right caravan mover with Powrwheel

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by Joe Jeffrey

Choosing the right caravan mover for your caravan isn’t as easy as it seems, as CaravanTimes found out when we spoke to Powrwheel. Find out why in our latest video here

The number of caravan movers on the market today is certainly a positive step in the right direction when it comes to making caravanning that much easier when hitting the road, but choosing the right one with such an abundance of choice can be pretty problematic.

Making clear from the start what benefits you want to get from your caravan mover is the first integral step in choosing the right caravan mover for you, but many other factors come into play including whether your caravan is single-axle or double-axle, as well as weight, all the while concentrating on the amount of money you want to spend. It’s not just simply a choice of picking one off the shelf and expecting it to work to its full capability.

With the amount of confusion choosing the right caravan mover can present, CaravanTimes met up with caravan mover experts, Powrwheel, to find out more about how to select the right one for your caravan. And with a generous seven caravan movers to choose from, all offering something completely different, Powrwheel certainly seem to know what they’re talking about.

Check out our video above to find out more.

Compass Corona 554 unveiled in all its glory in new video

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by Joe Jeffrey

New Compass video shows Corona 554 in full detail

Following the reintroduction of Compass three years ago, the popular brand has bounded back into the spotlight to offer a number of exciting caravans, ideal for couples and families alike. For 2016, the Compass Corona 554 is one such offering that is set to be added to that list.

The four-berth, lightweight single-axle 554 comes with a popular retractable transverse bed towards the rear allowing for more space, large living area which also transforms into a bedroom with comfortable double bed, and LED lighting throughout.

Additional features include dual-fuel hob, domestic style fridge, and stainless steel microwave in the kitchen, fully heated towel rail, fully-lined shower cubicle with domestic style shower screen in the bathroom, as well as craftsman-built cabinetry throughout.

For 2016, the Corona 554 has the additional benefit of Alde central heating, truly making it a caravan for all seasons and is guaranteed to provide ample light thanks to its all-new Stargazer rooflight, which also allows for you to sleep under the stars.

Take a look at the Compass Corona 554 in the video above and let us know what you think.

Taking a look at the brand new Sprite Freedom range from Swift

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by Joe Jeffrey

The new Sprite Freedom was unveiled earlier this summer and looks set to appeal to families and more

It’s true to say that Swift are certainly raising the bar for 2016, with the introduction of not only updated and enhanced ranges and models, but also an entire new range – the Swift Freedom.

Unveiled for the first time at Swift’s 2016 launch earlier on this summer, the new Sprite Freedom range will offer three well thought out six berth family-based models with everything you need to hit the road – ideal for first time buyers or those looking to buy their first new caravan alike.

Inside the Sprite Freedom, a number of exceptional features have been added, including a Mali Acacia wood grain and French oak effect, as well as high impact scratch-resistant vinyl throughout. In the kitchen area, a granite effect sink, Thetford 112lt electronic refrigerator and a Thetford 3 burner hob and grill come as standard, along with chrome effect kitchen tap, all of which provide for a stunning, high quality appearance. Meanwhile, LED lighting is featured throughout, including adjustable spotlights in the lounge/sleeping area, kitchen locker header and ceiling and washroom lighting.

CaravanTimes caught up with Swift to find out more about the new Freedom Range, so watch our video to find out more. We think you’ll be pleasantly impressed.

TyreSafe offering a chance to win £300 tyres every week

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by Daniella Almeida

TyreSafe is offering a chance for people to win tyres worth £300 every week during Tyre Safety Month

Tyre Safety Month kicked off yesterday with TyreSafe begging the question to drivers throughout Britain: When did you last do it? referencing when motorists last checked their tyres. If motorists can prove they’ve checked their tyres properly, they’ll be in with a chance of winning a set of tyres worth up to £300.

The ideal response to the question posed by TyreSafe would be that motorists have checked their tyres at least once a month before long journeys. A complete check would include reviewing air pressure, condition, and tread depth of the tyres.

This question, ‘When did you last do it?’, is a major part of October’s Tyre Safety Month as more and more accidents are being caused because of faulty tyres, as previously covered here by CaravanTimes.

TyreSafe chairman, Stuart Jackson, said: “This Tyre Safety Month, we are hoping our tongue-in-cheek campaign will encourage local people to tell us when they last did it and where, and to think about how often they check their tyres.

“Research shows there is still much to be done in changing motorists’ attitudes to tyre safety- with one in five drivers having never checked their tyres and nearly 10 million dangerous and illegal tyres likely to be driven on Britain’s roads this year.

“We are asking local people to do their bit to raise awareness of the dangers of defective tyres. Whether they Facebook or tweet us, the campaign is a bit of fun but it is raising awareness of a very serious issue facing us on all roads,” he concluded.

This month sees a series of events to raise awareness of the importance of tyre safety to road users both locally and nationwide. It is supported by the fire and police services, Highways England, road safety organisations, and retailers.

This campaign also offers motorists with a range of free resources which includes leaflets, posters, and digital campaign materials.

For a chance to win the tyres, motorists are being encouraged to post a photo of where they last did it on TyreSafe’s FaceBook channel along with a caption.

Motorists can also tweet their photo via Twitter using the hashtag #SafeTyreChecks. The prize will be awarded in each of the full four weeks of Tyre Safety Month throughout October.

For more information on the campaign and for a chance to register to support, visit TyreSafe’s website here or call 01787 226995.

Swift group deputy MD Amy Archer wins ‘Rising Star of the Year’ Women in Business Award

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by Joe Jeffrey

Deputy MD, Archer, to head to finals in November

Outstanding business women in Yorkshire and the North East have been recognised at the prestigious Forward Ladies Women in Business Awards (WIBA).

Amy Archer, Swift Group‘s deputy MD, has received the accolade of ‘Rising Star’ of the Year at the glittering awards for the Yorkshire and North-East heat hosted by ITV news presenter Charlene White in Newcastle earlier this week. 77 entrepreneurial female business leaders from across the region competed in 11 categories to be crowned the winner.

Winners will now compete in the National Final taking place on 20 November in Leeds at the Queens Hotel. But first each of the winners will be put through their paces at a live session with the judges on November 4, held at headline sponsor of the awards HSBC’s offices in Leeds.

The WIBAs, now in its sixth year, has become one of the most high profile and respected accolades for women recognising their enormous contribution to the economy and acknowledges start-ups to multi-million pound companies.

Griselda Togobo, managing director at Forward Ladies said: “This year we received a number of outstanding entries from right across Yorkshire and the North East and the awards really did showcase some of the best talent and businesses from across the region.

“The awards have attracted women from all ages, all professions and all walks of life and we are delighted to welcome the winners to the eagerly anticipated National finals in Leeds in November.”

Amy Archer commented “I am absolutely delighted to have won the ‘Rising Star’ of the year at these highly respected awards. For my work to be recognised in this way is proof that women who aspire to succeed in business can achieve their goals through commitment and hard work.”

Discover everything you need all under one roof at the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015

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by Joe Jeffrey

Take a look at all the new caravans, motorhomes and much more at the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015

The biggest leisure vehicle show for 2015 is just under two weeks away and, if you’re anything like us here at CaravanTimes, you’ll certainly be counting down the days until the Motorhome & Caravan Show opens its doors at the Birmingham NEC.

The show, which takes place between 13 – 18 October, promises to be the best yet, featuring all of the 2016 season’s products under one roof, including all the latest caravans, motorhomes, static caravans, holiday homes, trailers and so much more, including a sea of accessories to boot.

That’s not all though. A whole host of household names will be on hand to join in with the festivities, including I’m a Celebrity’s King of the Jungle and avid caravanner, Carl Fogarty who will be opening the show, television’s Matt Baker, Julia Bradbury and many more, all of whom will be on hand to discuss their passion for all things outdoors.

So what are you waiting for? To book your tickets, head on over to the official Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015 website now, or if you’re feeling lucky enter our competition to win tickets to the show here.

The Caravan Club extends its thanks to Bailey for participation in Towcar of the Year Awards 2016

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by Joe Jeffrey

Bailey provides caravans for 18th consecutive year in row for Towcar of the Year testing

The Caravan Club has thanked Bailey of Bristol for providing a selection of ten Bailey Pursuit, Pegasus GT65 and Unicorn caravans as part of the testing process for the Club’s annual Towcar of the Year Awards 2016.

Testing for the 33rd Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Competition took place during August at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, where a wide cross section of vehicles from leading car manufacturers were put rigorously through their paces by an independent panel of driving judges over a four-day period.

All of Bailey’s caravans chosen for the testing process provided each of the 43 competition entrants with a suitable tow match, whilst each caravan was ballasted to 85 per cent of the towcar’s kerb weight, or its maximum towing limit, if lower, and had any stability aids disabled to ensure each car’s reactions to the demanding series of tests could be fully assessed.

Whilst the purpose of the testing is to assess the performance of the individual tow vehicles, this competition also provides a thorough examination of the participating caravans in terms of product durability and stability.

During the evaluation period, it wasn’t just the towcars which were put through their paces, though, as each Bailey caravan used was subjected to over 200 circuits of the Millbrook track, featuring a lap of the high speed circular track and a demanding hill route (equating to over 1,100 test miles) and each one of the tests were successfully completed by the test units without incident.

Simon Howard, marketing director of Bailey of Bristol attended the judging and said: “It is really incredible to see how arduous and thorough the testing is for this important competition, and we are really proud to have been invited to supply caravans for 18 years running.”

Nikki Nichol, external communications and sponsorship manager at The Caravan Club added: “This is an incredibly important competition to help our members choose the best cars to tow with, and be as safe as possible, so we are hugely grateful to Bailey of Bristol for supporting it for so long.”

The full results of the competition were announced at The RAC Club in London on 24th September, details of which can be found here.

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Truma releases video explaining how to exchange filter cup following Truma gas issue

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by Joe Jeffrey

Watch on to see how to exchange your faulty Truma filter cup

Truma has released a video showing how to exchange the filter cup on your gas filter following an important safety announcement pertaining to a material fault in windows of filter cups as reported earlier this week.

The issue, which could allow gas to escape freely into the atmosphere via the cylinder box, a result of which could cause gas deflagration and injury, is said to affect all filter cups produced since January 2012, and led Truma to issue the following safety advice to those who have a Truma gas filter fitted in their vehicle:

1) Shut down the gas system immediately
2) Contact your dealer or Truma and order new filter cups free-of-charge
3) Old filter cups are to be replaced with new ones

Customers affected have also been advised to contact Truma online or at their nearest dealership or Truma service partner in order to replace affected cups free-of-charge.

To request a replacement filter cup online, click here.

To find your nearest dealer or service provider, click here.

If this issue affects you, watch the video below to see how to exchange your filter cup.

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Dramatic footage of caravans and cars swallowed by caravan park sinkhole released

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by Joe Jeffrey

Underwater footage reveals devastation left in wake of ‘sinkhole’

Extraordinary underwater footage showing the inside of a sinkhole which swallowed cars and caravans on the Queensland coast has been released.

The sinkhole, which occurred late Saturday night at MV Beagle Campground at Inskip Point, as reported on CaravanTimes, saw around 150 caravanners evacuated from the site.

Following the incident, a team from Wolf Rock Dive has entered the depths of the sinkhole to record the devastation the natural disaster left in its wake, revealing the debris taken with it, including caravans, cars and intertwined trees which were ripped up and forced underwater by the force of nature.

A spokesperson for Wolf Rock Dive described the underwater scene as “an absolute maze of trees” explaining conditions as “very fluid, it’s real loose soupy sandy fluid, you can stick your whole arm into it and pull it back out.”

Queensland authorities have since warned local residents and visitors to remain vigilant should the hole decide to slowly expand in coming weeks.

Check out footage of the video below and watch on in awe.

Speeding remains largest motoring-related offence

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by Daniella Almeida

Figures obtained by IAM reveal that speeding has remained the biggest offence committed over the years

In figures obtained by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) from the Ministry of Justice, it has been revealed that, over the last decade, speeding is still the biggest motoring-related offence where the defendant is found guilty in court, with the numbers of those found guilty rising continuing to rise.

Those found guilty have risen from 115,935 to 148,426 (a 28 per cent increase) over the last 12 months. This has proven to be the highest number since 2005 with the sharpest increase within the last year. The figures obtained in 2014 were two per cent greater than those from 2004.

Following behind speeding as the next highest offence was vehicle insurance-related crimes. The difference can be seen with the numbers for this offence having actually fallen significantly since 2004.

The number found guilty in court for vehicle insurance-related crimes were only 118,254. Although this is a seven per cent increase from 2013, it is an overall 84 per cent decrease from the numbers received in 2014 (218,142 found guilty).

Also falling in massive numbers over the last decade are offences related to vehicle registration and excise duty as well as driving with alcohol in the blood above the legal limit.

Following is the top five list of offences where offenders are found guilty in court listed as offence/ 2004 numbers/ 2013/ 2014/ per cent change within one year/ per cent change within 10 years:

Speed limit offences / 146,161/ 115,935/ 148,426/ 28 per cent/ two per cent
Vehicle insurance offences/ 218,142/ 110,843/ 118,254/ seven per cent/ down 84 per cent
Failing to supply information as to identity of driver when required/ not applicable/ 50,687/ 54,372/ seven per cent/ not applicable
Vehicle registration and excise license offences/ 192,959/ 55,182/ 46,636/ down 15 per cent/ down 314 per cent
Driving with alcohol in the blood above the prescribed limit/ 74,055/ 40,683/ 37,853/ down seven per cent/ down 96 per cent

Some other offences with a large number of guilty verdicts include neglecting road regulations (16,951), using or causing others to use a mobile phone whilst driving (16,025), and driving licence-related offences (15,982).

Some new offences show the changing nature of motor related crimes such as causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

In lieu of the figures, Chief Executive Officer of IAM, Sarah Sillars, said: “We can see from these figures that as the UK comes out of recession traffic levels have risen, speeding appears to be becoming more prevalent and regrettably casualties are rising again.

“The government and police forces cannot afford to take their eye off the ball and more visible policing is, in our view, the key way to ensure that people don’t think they can get away with speeding.

“In addition, local campaigns must remain high-profile to make sure drivers don’t get complacent, or forget that speed can kill,” she finished.

Speeding is “one of the main factors in fatal road accidents,” according to the government’s THINK! campaign. In 2013, 3,064 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes where speed was a factor.

Sillars later added, “On a positive note, the joining up of databases across agencies and the increased use of number plate recognition cameras means some motoring crimes have fallen in big numbers.”

Wanksy-inspired artist highlights state of Surrey’s roads with penis potholes

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by Joe Jeffrey

Phallic imagery appears on pothole-laden roads in Surrey as protest begins

Earlier this year, CaravanTimes reported on a one-man crusade by an artist known only as Wanksy, in an attempt to highlight the issue of a spate of annoying potholes in the Manchester area by spray-painting phallic images of penises around them. And now, it looks like a copycat operation is underway in Surrey.

A road in Fetcham, named Cock Lane, has undergone a makeover by way of penises being spray-painted over a plethora of potholes – almost certainly in a bid to highlight the issue with the local council and get the road repaired.

Local resident, Polly Birkbeck, told local newspaper GetSurrey: “I drive down there every day on the school run and today I said to my daughter ‘hang on a minute, someone’s drawn willies on the road’.

“There are about 15 of them, I stopped the car and counted.

“I guess the council will just scrub them off but I’m surprised they haven’t fixed this bit of road, it’s been like that for years.

“It’s possibly a way to highlight the issue and galvanise someone into action.”

It may be, however, that the unknown artist’s work has been a waste of time, as work to repair the potholes is already underway.

A local council representative said: “The artist of these drawings will be cock-a-hoop to know that the road is due to be resurfaced as part of £100 million Operation Horizon scheme which is overhauling hundreds of miles of roads in Surrey most in need of repair.”

Introducing the customisable Barefoot caravan

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by Joe Jeffrey

New Barefoot caravan launched by Cotwswold company

A Cotswold company, more recognised for manufacturing motorcycles and sidecars has launched a new caravan following four years of development.

Watsonian Squire Ltd, based in the small village of Blockley, has unveiled the Barefoot caravan, the idea of which was conceived by managing director, Cathy Chamberlain and backed by fellow directors, Mike Williams and Ben Matthews.

Everything about the Barefoot is unique, from the curvy fiberglass body in a beautiful array of colours, to the free flowing interior and the specially designed galvanized chassis.

“We have gone to great lengths to make sure that the Barefoot caravan is beautifully styled, inside and out, built to the highest standards and light weight.

“We wanted to create the perfect travel companion that was stylish, luxurious and easy to use. We didn’t realise it would take us so long,” Williams said.

The Barefoot was unveiled at Chipping Campden’s Made in the Cotswolds event recently and the company expects a few orders to come from the launch.

Designed by Tom Buttigeig, Matt Cullis, Lewis Earle and Tom Ogen, from Coventry University who came up with the eye-catching, retro shape, the caravan will be fitted out individually by an experienced team at Auto-Sleepers, of Willersey, while the monocoque fibreglass body has been built by Cheltenham Laminating Ltd.

The overall length of the Barefoot is 5.8 metres – with a body length of 3.780 metres. Its overall width is 1.920 metres and it stands 2.360 metres high.

Inside, a generous seating area which transforms into a 6ft x 6ft bed, a Thetford gas hob and sink, shower with toilet and basin, kitchen area with wall units and solid oak worktops await. A 65 litre Isotherm fridge, Polyvision Eco windows with fly screens and blinds, hot and cold water, a Truma Combi 4e heating and hot water system, wardrobe and storage space and LED ceiling lights, reading lights and floor lighting also come as standard. There are also 12/24v sockets and USB port and 13-inch alloy wheels.

Enabling customers to have their very own bespoke caravan to their exact specification is certainly a major selling point, as well as a major factor in the development of the Barefoot, and allows caravanners to choose from three body colours (duck egg blue, Cotswold cream, or graphite grey) or even a custom colour to match their car, whilst they will also be able to choose their very own fabric for curtains.

The caravan retails at £21,950 on the road. For more information, visit Barefoot’s official website here.

If you could customise your own caravan, what would you do?