VW Beetle shows off versatility of innovative 1970s fifth-wheeler

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by Joe Jeffrey

Would you tow a fifth wheeler using your car’s roof? This guy did and the results are pretty impressive

It always pleases us when we unearth videos of unique leisure vehicles in action, but this video of a fifth wheeler from the 1970s is definitely one of our favourites.

We’re yet to verify if this prototype seen in action in the video footage form 1974 ever made it onto the mass production line, but we doubt it owing to the fact that it was required to be towed courtesy of a car’s roof. Yes, roof. We’ve obviously seen larger fifth-wheelers towed by pick-ups, but to introduce one which has the ability to be towed by a standard car is pretty amazing.

We here at CaravanTimes certainly wouldn’t condone hooking a fifth wheeler up to your car anytime soon. However, if, after watching this, you’ve convinced yourself that it’s the right thing to do you might want to wait until the weather warms up a bit, just incase you unwittingly transform your car into a homemade convertible.

Let us know what you think by watching the video below. Oh, and watch out for the Anchor Man-esque commentator, Bud Lindemann, at the beginning with the polka dot collars. We need to see more of this guy.

Would you trust towing your vehicle by the roof of your car rather than pulling it along with the help of your chassis for support?

Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show: hints, tips and advice galore

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by Joe Jeffrey

Whatever advice you’re looking for, you’ll find it all at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show 2015

There are just ten sleeps to go before the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show kicks off at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.

The show, which will feature over 350 exhibitors from the caravan, camping and motorhome industries will be on hand to bring you all the latest caravans, motorhomes, camping gear and accessories and, with so much more stuff to see and do, it’s set to provide lots of fun for all the family.

From special guest stars and expert advice in the Experts Theatre, to fun activities for the kids as well as dog agility sessions, there seriously will be something for everyone – even the four-legged members of your household.

It’s not all about fun and games though, and the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show, taking place between 17 – 22 February, will also enable you to gain advice on absolutely anything to do with caravanning, camping and motorhoming.

So whether you’re terrified of towing, miserable about manoeuvering or simply looking for places to visit all year round, experts will be on hand to help.

To make sure you don’t miss out, book your tickets to the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show by visiting the official ticket site now. Alternatively, enter our competition here to win a pair of tickets here. Winners will be announced next week so good luck!

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New caravan sales and motorhome registrations increase reported for 2014

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by Alice Scarsi

Good news coming from the leisure vehicle market, which shows a double-digit increase in sales

Figures released today by the National Caravan Council (NCC) reveal a double-digit increase in the sales of new touring caravan and in motorhome registrations in 2014 and illustrate that more young buyers are entering the market.

The findings are extremely encouraging, with new motorhome registrations increasing by 18 per cent year-on-year while sales of new touring caravans almost reached double-digits, with an increase of 9.2 per cent year-on-year.

For both type of leisure vehicles, October 2014 proved to be the busiest month, with sales of touring caravans raising by 22 per cent whilst registrations of new motorhomes shot up by 18 per cent compared with October 2013. NCC data indicates that during 2014 a total of 21,379 new touring caravans and 8,733 motorhomes were sold and registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

In an interesting twist, the number of young families and groups of young friends buying new caravans and motorhomes is also on the increase. The findings follow the NCC’s recent collaboration with The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club to launch a new promotional campaign called Freedom to go, more information of which can be found here.

Confirming the trend in younger people stepping into the outdoor leisure market, Mark Bebb, managing director of award winning Shrewsbury based dealer Salop Leisure, said: “We’ve noticed that the average caravan user is younger than they were just a few years ago. There is a rising group of young consumers in their twenties and thirties – we’ve seen a 30 per cent increase from this group over the last three years – who’ve realised that the industry has moved forward and they’re embracing the reality provided by this leisure option, which is all about fun, freedom and adventure.”

Jenny Summers, NCC group marketing director, added: “It is incredibly positive to see that sales of touring caravans and motorhome registrations increased so much in 2014 as it demonstrates that more people are discovering the benefits that touring in a caravan or motorhome brings. It also shows that consumer confidence is returning to the market, many exhibitors at our Motorhome & Caravan Show 2014 reported record sales, and we hope for this trend to continue at our Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show in February this year.”

Caravanning continues to remain a British success story, with more than 95 per cent of touring caravans and 60 per cent of motorhomes manufactured within the UK. Tourists spent over £2.4 billion on caravan holidays across Great Britain in 2013 and, according to Visit England, more than 51 million nights are being spent in caravans each year. The industry as a whole contributes more than £6 billion a year to the UK economy.

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Brits fail to agree whether CCTV and speed cameras improve road safety

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by Alice Scarsi

YouGov poll shows that just over half of the population feels safer with CCTV and speed cameras

A YouGov survey has revealed how split the UK is when it comes to CCTV and speed cameras.

The survey, commissioned for ITV‘s two-part documentary, Car Crash Britain: Caught on Camera, starting tonight at 9pm, has shown that almost half of people surveyed think that CCTV and speed cameras have made roads safer.

According to the representative survey which questioned 1,593 adults, it was revealed that 48 per cent of the British population actually felt safer with speed cameras and CCTV on roads, whilst 34 per cent thought they have had no impact at all. Ten per cent of those surveyed believed they have made the roads more dangerous.

Delving further, details of the survey also revealed that more than a half (54 per cent) of people interviewed felt that cameras have either made no difference to driving standards or have worsened them, whilst 33 per cent thought that they had made a good impact.

The study also showed an opinion divide based on both gender and political persuasion, with 40 per cent of men bearing a grudge against CCTV and speed cameras compared to just a quarter of women.

Meanwhile, potential Liberal Democrat supporters seemed more inclined to think that CCTV and speed cameras made roads safer (55 percent) while only 36 per cent of UKIP supporters were on the same page.

More interestingly, the poll found that 55 per cent of younger drivers between 18 – 24 found cameras to bring improvements to road safety – perhaps suggesting the days of speeding boy racers are numbered.

What do you think? Are close circuit television and speed cameras a necessity or just a pain?

Mamma Mia! Two Italians set to travel around the world in a 1982 Volkswagen campervan

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by Alice Scarsi

Two Italians plan to travel around the world in epic 100,000km journey in a campervan affectionately named ‘Vostok’

Sometimes restoring a beaten-up old vehicle is perfect therapy for getting away from it all. For a small few, however, getting away from it all becomes a literal desire, as two Italians who look set to travel 100,000 kilometres around the world in their once clapped out campervan have found out.

In 2012 Lorenzo Scaraggi and Peppino Guardapassi bought an old 1982 LT 28 VW Sven Hedin Volkswagen campervan, the restoration of which soon became a labour of love. Affectionately nicknaming the campervan ‘Vostok’ – to honour the first successful mission in space – both Lorenzo and Peppino developed a desire to set themselves their own personal mission and travel around the world.

Less than a year later, in 2013, the two friends were ready to take Vostok on a test ride. In September they left for their trip, which was self-named ‘Road to Cappadocia’ – a 5,000 kilometre (3,100 miles) journey through Greece and Turkey which would culminate upon their arrival in the heart of Anatolia, Asia Minor.

The flagship excursion wasn’t all plain sailing though, as Lorenzo explains to CaravanTimes.

“In Anatolia we had a problem with the handbrake.

“We went to a mechanic that only dealt with tractors. As we soon found out, he didn’t fix it properly, so after setting off to complete our journey, the problem returned. We were near Nigde (in the heart of Turkey), and we broke down again.”

Surprisingly though, and as fate would have it, Vostok decided to conk out beside a market stall selling soft drinks, which couldn’t have been a better place to break down as Lorenzo continues: “The owner was related to a Volkswagen mechanic that fixed not only the brakes but also our old clutch for only ?100. It’s instances such as this that make us realise that every cloud has a silver lining”.

Following their first expedition and having caught the travel bug, irrespective of brake issues, Lorenzo and Peppino set off once again in 2014 and took Vostok on a journey which saw them traverse through the asperities of the Sahara desert, dubbing their new expedition ‘Appointment in Marrakech’.

The two intrepid travellers now feel confident enough to take Vostok on a journey that will see them travel the world, culminating in a 100,000km (roughly 62,000 miles) round trip. As to where the confidence comes from to enable them to take on this mission, the answer is simple: Vostok.

“Vostok is hard to compete with,” Peppino begins. “We’ve since realised you can repair him without much effort thanks to the minimalistic mechanics that allow pretty much anybody to be able to fix him, and he travels for miles with the slowness and patience of an elephant.”

As if travelling around the world wasn’t difficult enough, to make it more fun they have decided against the use of GPS and will rely solely on maps and compass.

“We travel without the modern comforts in order to enjoy the journey more and embrace everything it allows,” continues Peppino. “We drive slowly, because Volstok goes at a ‘cruise speed’ of 80km/h without sweating it. We ultimately have to rely on Vostok to get us where we’re going, so it’s imperative we don’t abuse him and exceed what he’s capable of.”

Lorenzo confessed that what keeps them motivated, irrespective of expenses and difficulties faced along the way, is the same “sacred fire” that drives most adventurous travellers: “We consider ourselves nomads, driven by the necessity of just going. It’s something that’s in you, something that only other travellers and those with a desire for the great outdoors can understand,” he says.

“One can reach the other half of the world in a few hours without really getting in touch with their surroundings and the environment – we don’t want that. We always try to empathise with the places we see and the people we meet, to understand how they live, how they think and how they dream in lands where many will never go because we cut out the main low-cost routes.”

The trio of Lorenzo, Peppino and, of course, Vostok has become pretty famous in their native home of Italy and have garnered quite a following on Facebook, where people can view videos of their previous adventures as well as follow their progress. So far, the page which has attracted more than 4,000 ‘likes’ has also attracted the attention of various Italian mainstream media organisations, including RAI and prestigious newspaper title, Repubblica. A crowd funding campaign is also in the works in order to enable Lorenzo and Peppino to continue their travels and, in return for donations, contributors will receive special tour T-shirts amongst other goodies.

Merley House Lane touring park and campsite risks being turned into holiday lodge park

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by Alice Scarsi

Plans submitted show static holiday homes set to replace touring facilities

A popular caravan and campsite in Poole, Dorset, looks set to be replaced by holiday lodges according to plans submitted to the local council.

The Merley House Lane site, which falls in greenbelt land, has been in used as a touring park since the early 1980s, and provides for a popular choice for many caravanners. Plans for the fully equipped site, which contains a convenience store, entertainment lounge with bar, laundry with washing facilities, sporting facilities, a children’s play area and more, including 160 pitches for camping and caravanning/motorhoming, have been submitted for up to 83 lodges to built, adding to a dozen similar lodges having recently been constructed in the woodlands to the east of the site.

The replacement of such a big recreational space would represent, clearly, an impoverishment of the area, with many businesses looking set to suffer should the plans be approved.

Director of nearby Hitch-N-Pitch, Judith Forsey, whose company supplyies services and equipment to caravanners within the Poole area told the local newspaper, the Daily Echo: “I think it would also be detrimental for the area as a whole. Merley Court is the only touring park in the Borough of Poole.

“By allowing the change of use it will drive away holidaymakers from the town because they have nowhere to go,” Judith continued.

Owners of Merley House Lane, Shorefield Holidays Ltd, subsequently refused to comment on the impact such changes could have to local businesses when contacted by CaravanTimes earlier today, despite acknowledging in their original planning application that the move would reduce the number of visitors to its park.

Consultation over the plan will end 13 February, and the fate of the Merley House Lane site will be decided by early March.

What do you think about the application? Is it worth doing away with touring caravan and camping pitches to replace them with static holiday lodges? Furthermore, would you want to give the new lodges a try?

The new Bailey Approach Advance: safety as standard

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by Joe Jeffrey

CaravanTimes visits Bailey of Bristol to take a look at the new Approach Advance and see what safety elements have been incorporated into the new 2015 Advance models

In 2011, prior to launching their first motorhome, Bailey of Bristol was instrumental in launching a series of groundbreaking simulated crash tests at the Millbrook Proving Ground. Since then, Bailey has gone on to implement a number of unique safety features to all motorhomes and the New Bailey Approach Advance is no exception.

As with all of Bailey’s offerings, the Approach Advance is built with the company’s patented Alu-Tech bodyshell construction system, ensuring each vehicle made is not only more durable, but also robust – providing both driver and passengers with greater protection when onboard. Add to this various other design elements inside which make for a safer ride, and it’s pretty obvious, as you’ll see, that Bailey have got all bases covered.

In our latest video, we speak to Bailey’s Simon Howard to discuss how fundamental the element of safety was when it came to designing and building the new Approach Advance, as well as how Bailey went about implementing the features that ensure the Advance is one of the safest motorhomes to date.

Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Morris Leisure bringing £1m five star caravan park to Snowdonia

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by Joe Jeffrey

Morris Leisure’s latest venture will bring jobs and financial boost to the region

Work to create a £1 million five star touring caravan park in the village of Llanberis in Snowdonia is underway following approval granted by Gwynedd Council.

Shrewsbury-based Morris Leisure, which already owns the successful Riverside Touring Park in Betws-y-Coed as well as four additional parks, hopes to complete work on the 54-pitch caravan park on eight acres of land at Glyn Rhonwy, Llanberis by late summer.

The brown field site, previously part of a slate mining operation, will now be transformed to a high quality park for touring caravans and motorhomes in an area of Snowdonia – a region that continues to remain very popular with tourists.

Managing director, Edward Goddard, said of the ongoing works: “Following our £4 million investment in Riverside Touring Park, we have been looking to expand our park portfolio in Snowdonia and detailed market research identified Llanberis as an ideal location.

Work on the new park is estimated to be completed by late summer and the park looks set to boost the local economy by creating jobs within the Snowdonia region, whilst simultaneously growing local tourism and proving financially rewarding as Goodard went on: “Based on figures issued by the British Holiday and Home Parks Association, the touring park would generate in excess of £200,000 a year for the local economy, which has got to be positive for Llanberi.

“As with our five existing parks, we are keen to work closely with the local community. We have had great support from Gwynedd Council and the local community throughout the planning process and look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the future,” Goodard continued.

Introducing the new Elddis Affinity for 2015

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by Joe Jeffrey

The Elddis Affinity has been updated for 2015. CaravanTimes went along to Elddis to find out how

The multi-award-winning Affinity range from Elddis has been revamped for 2015, so when CaravanTimes was invited along to Elddis’ HQ, we jumped at the chance to see for ourselves what changes have been made.

With six layouts to choose from for 2015, the Elddis Affinity looks like it ticks all the right boxes when it comes to being spoilt for choice, including the Affinity 554, with its comfortable transverse island bed providing more space in the near-end bedroom, irrespective of what side of the bed you get out of.

Speaking of comfort, the Ozio mattresses and seats should allow you to experience a great deal of it. Tested to assure ten years of use, the Ozio technology – similar to memory foam – has been found to perform much better than sprung mattresses as well as providing additional support where it’s needed most, whilst remaining cool in the summer and warm in winter.

Borrowing from Elddis’ Crusader range, a new extra large skyscape design has also been introduced at the front, which helps creates a light and airy feel to the Affinity whilst complementing the amount of space available inside.

Meanwhile, further changes have been made to the bathroom and beyond, as well as to the exterior.

To find out more about changes made, make sure you check out our video above and let us know what you think.

Drug gang who set up cannabis factory underneath abandoned caravans ordered to pay back proceeds

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by Alice Scarsi

Duo caught last year growing cannabis in underground caravan factory ordered to cough up of serve more hard time

We’ve heard some great stories in the past about how people utilise recycled caravans, but this one takes the biscuit. In fact, it would probably take the whole pack.

Last year a drug gang in Somerset were found to be putting two old recycled caravans to illegal use, by setting up a cannabis farm directly underneath them in a series of tunnels accessed by a trapdoor.

Following a tipoff, authorities discovered Adam Williams, 42, and David Bradbury, 51, had done their best poor-man’s take on Breaking Bad and set up a fully equipped underground cannabis factory, housed within a series of containers buried deep underground, accessed by a ladder leading down from a trapdoor cut into one of the caravans.

Underground, police found a crop of more than 150 plants – a discovery which saw felons, Bradbury and Williams jailed for three and a half and four and a half years respectively in May last year. However, both men reappeared in court last week (Friday 30 January) and ordered to pay back part of the proceeds made from their illegal exploits, said to have made the pair somewhere in the region of £75,000.

Dr Kirstie Cogram, Manager of Avon and Somerset Police’s Financial Investigation Unit, commented: “The public can be assured that we will deprive criminals both of their liberty and assets if they have been making money through illegal activity like this”.

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Trillion Fund votes Sol Cinema number one coolest solar-powered building in the UK

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by Joe Jeffrey

Caravan-Cinema powered entirely by the sun scoops title of UK’s coolest building

A crowd funding platform for renewable energy projects has announced the results of research conducted to find the ‘coolest solar-powered building’ in the UK, with a unique solar powered caravan cinema being named number one.

The Trillion Fund found that the Sol Cinema, based in Swansea, although travelling constantly as most caravans do, was worthy of the top spot, beating off competition from the likes of John Lewis and Northampton Saints Stadium in the process.

The Trillion Fund set out to find the coolest solar powered building to mark the launch of the government’s second part of its solar strategy – a blueprint to roll-out more solar panels across the country in an attempt to drive the solar paneled sector towards grid parity – and the Sol Cinema was certainly a worthy winner.

The world’s smallest cinema, the Sol (translating to ‘sun’ in English and named such owing to it being fully powered by daylight), accommodates up to eight adults comfortably and provides visitors with their very own cinematic experience, complete with red carpet, usherette and even popcorn. An LED video projector shows short videos in the cinema’s plush surroundings.

The full list of the UK’s coolest solar-powered buildings are as follows:

1. Sol-Cinema
2. Northampton Saints Stadium
3. The Solar Home, Leicestershire
4. John Lewis (powering almost 400 stores with renewable and solar energy)
5. Crealy Great Adventure Park, Cornwall

To find out when the Sol Cinema is coming to a town near you, click here.

The Markies: probably the most versatile caravan you will ever see

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by Alice Scarsi

Have you ever dreamed of going caravanning, but feel you’re not ready to renounce the spacious comforts of your home? One Amsterdam designer may have the solution you’re looking for

As you’ve probably established by now, we here at CaravanTimes love innovation. From the Mogo Freedom to the ForFreedom and everything else in-between, whenever we stumble across something like the Markies, we have to stop what we’re doing and write about it. We just can’t believe it’s been around since 1985!

The Markies, which is the Dutch word for ‘awning’ was the brainchild of Dutch designer Eduard Böhtlingk. Combining an innovative double-sided awning and incorporating it to into the side walls of the caravan itself, Böhtlingk looks like he has answered all of our prayers when it comes to ensuring we really do have more than enough room for all our caravanning needs.

When closed, the Markies looks exactly like a regular caravan and can be towed as such, but don’t be fooled – after all, looks can be deceiving. Despite the Markies measuring just 2 x 4.5 metres, the magic really starts to happen when the side walls are opened. The surprisingly foldable walls and floors allow to triplicate the space available, making for enough room to store four beds and provide practical storage solutions on one side and two reclining benches on the other.

Thanks to the structure that, when opened, makes the Markies looks like a giant accordion, all the rest of the space within the original structure of the caravan is designated to a fully equipped kitchen and a spacious living room, providing more than enough room for the whole family, or a group of friends, wishing to pitch up the great outdoors.

Surprisingly, however, the Markies is a one-off and never managed to make it to the production line, despite being awarded the Public Prize at the Rotterdam Design Awards in 1996. But don’t despair: if you feel like staying somewhere different – or in something different – plan a trip to The Urban Campsite which will be settling in a mystery location near Amsterdam later this year and will feature the Markies in all its glory, along with a whole host of other artistic and blatantly crazy caravan concoctions.

Check out pictures of the Markies in our forum after the jump.

What do you think of the Markies? Is this something you’d stay inside?