Airstream & Co to host Christmas open weekend in Tebay

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by Tom Walsh

‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="/airstream/">Airstream & Co will be providing a post-Christmas treat for its customers as the company is set to host an open weekend.

The event will take place at the company’s production facility in Tebay, Cumbria, over the weekend of 28-29 December, giving people the opportunity to see the new models for the 2014 market.

Airstream will be showcasing unfinished trailers fresh from the US while the company’s complete ready-for-the-road and pre-owned models will also be on display.

It will also be a chance for budding entrepreneurs to purchase the 2010 Airstream 534 2.5 commercial trailer which can provide the base for a start-up business.

The model features leather seating, a flat-screen TV with integrated DVD player, interlocking floor for awning and portable Honda generator as well as all the mod cons people have come to expect from Airstream.

What’s more, caravan fans can take a look at the latest models from T@B and Eriba. It all kicks off at 10:00am on the Saturday with refreshments available for visitors.

Playmobil to mark 40th anniversary with Family Camper model

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by Ruchi Srivastava

The extremely lovable Playmobil, adored by children and parents alike will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2014.

Launched in the long-begotten years of 1974, Playmobil has since made a special place for itself in the warm hearts of its customers.

In order to commemorate this remarkable achievement, Playmobil has decided to unveil a host of new toys in January (cue: time for kids to rejoice!) and the news coming just around Christmas may start to inspire a few New Year presents already.

Products that the brand plans to focus on for the next year include limited-edition anniversary compact sets of The Fire Brigade Operation, the Knight’s Tournament, the Pony Pasture and Princess Island.

The favourite storybook themes sound perfectly suited for children but there is another toy that we believe stood tall (quite literally) amongst the range of castles and fire brigades.

The toy that the brand is set on promoting helter-skelter in February, and something that we can guarantee will catch your eyes and be thoroughly enjoyed by the tiny-tots, is the Family Caravan toy.

Colourful, cute and far too endearing to give it a miss, the Playmobil Family Camper is perfect as a Christmas gift for any kid and maybe even for some highly enthusiastic parents.

The Family Camper can be bought on eBay for £34.99. There is also a further range of Playmobil Campervan products to pick from to spoil you even further.

So hurry up, wrap yourself in the upcoming festive cheer and let yourself and your loved ones be kids for a day.or maybe even longer!

George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces to take on the Vintage Mobile Cinema

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by Ruchi Srivastava

The next episode of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces on Channel 4 will be very interesting to any avid motorhome fan who likes a bit of history along with their vehicles.

Airing on Thursday, (5 December) at 8pm, the show will be featuring what is probably the most interesting cinema in the UK.

Intrigued yet? So in order to further entice you, let’s just say that George’s show, which is known for pushing the boundaries of innovative vehicles, will be displaying a motorhome that is also a unique and historic cinema.

The Vintage Mobile Cinema offers you the rare chance of experiencing an unforgettable movie session that can only take place within the four walls of this cinema.

Originally built as one of seven units, the Vintage Mobile Cinema was designed for the British government in the late 1960s, as a means of promoting the British industry.

Unfortunately, the six other mobile cinemas appear to have vanished into thin air, rather like something out of a movie, leaving behind this one-of-a-kind travelling vehicle, which symbolises a blend of British culture and motorhome history.

The present-day motorhome is a careful amalgamation of the original design of the Mobile Cinema along with current standards of passenger safety.

Hills Body Works has been instrumental in the present design of the motorhome, as they helped in recreating the exterior.

Appearance and description

The inside of the Mobile Cinema contains a 22-seat theatre that is fully equipped with surround-sound, classy upholstery and climate control.

Situated at the rear of the vehicle, this extraordinary theatre puts the comfort of its audience first.

This is evident from the format of the seating arrangement, which is tiered to allow each viewer to enjoy their movie watching experience.

At the same time, the audience is promised a complete cinematic experience, as films are shown in high definition (HD), ensuring that the audience gets the authentic cinema experience.

The experience is further heightened by the Dolby 7:1 sound-surround system that provides the audience with the clearest audio clarity.

The motorhome is run by two fully trained members of staff to provide complete customer satisfaction, as they take care of technical issues as well as audience management.

Although based in South-West England, the Vintage Mobile cinema is also available for hire and is more than happy to offer advice on how to utilise the motorhome to its maximum potential for different events.

So whether you think it’s odd, weird or wonderful, tune into the Amazing Spaces on Channel 4 on Thursday night to find out more.

Or if you can’t wait that long, take a look at our photo slideshow below:


Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes

Suffolk man left homeless after theft of uninsured Bailey Retreat Willow

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by Ruchi Srivastava

Having been saving up for his new caravan for several years, Adrian Hussey was absolutely distraught when his dream was shattered.

Bought less than two months ago, Adrian’s brand new 30ft Bailey Retreat Willow was stolen, along with his valuable personal possessions inside the caravan.

Unfortunately, the caravan was uninsured, making the loss all the more devastating for Adrian.

The theft took place last month (11 November) at The Oaks Caravan Park, when Adrian was away during the night. He found out about his stolen caravan the next morning.

The loss has been doubly devastating for Adrian because the 51-year-old is now homeless and has been staying with various friends since the Bailey Willow was stolen.

Commenting about the sad state of affairs, Adrian’s son, Shaun Hussey admitted that his father should have insured the caravan immediately.

However, he also feels that it was still extremely unlucky that his father became a victim of theft just before he could arrange for the insurance cover.

A heartbroken Adrian spoke about his loss and said: “I’m a pretty easy going chap but I must say it tests your emotions when something like that happens.”

Online appeal

Hoping to get any useful leads for the case, Shaun has also launched a Facebook appeal for his father that has been shared more than 2,000 times.

It has yielded a lot of supportive message and motivation for Adrian but sadly no further information about the crime has been uncovered.

At the moment, the Suffolk Constabulary have increased their appeals regarding the Bailey Willow caravan.

They have asked for people to come forward if they saw a 7.5 tonne vehicle towing a caravan at The Oaks Caravan Park, during the suspected time of the theft.

Police believe that the most probable time for the theft would have been during the early morning hours of Monday 11 November. Anybody with information should call the police on 101.

Getting the right insurance for your caravan should definitely top your list of important things to do because sometimes leaving the important things for later can prove to be far too costly.

London Grammar release caravan-inspired music video

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by Tom Walsh

London Grammar and caravans are two things that you would not normally put together but mobile homes have become the inspiration for the band’s latest music video.

The British trip-hop trio have incorporated a mobile home into their somewhat surreal video for their latest single ‘Nightcall’ which sees them stranded in an isolated caravan park.

Over the course of the video they are joined by white horses and children stood around a fire pit while the haunting tones of lead singer Hannah Reid wail over the top.

The scenes of the caravan are interspliced with the band playing some form of gig in the middle of deserted wasteland.

It is all very surreal but does not detract from the ambience of the song which is a key pick from the band’s debut album ‘If You Wait’.

London Grammar have already been making waves across the world with the album going Gold and reaching number two in the UK and Australian charts.

To watch the video, click on the player below:

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Redbourn campsite fire claims five caravans

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by Tom Walsh

Five caravans have been destroyed in a fire on a campsite in Redbourn, Hertfordshire.

Firefighters from Redbourn, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans and Harpenden were called to the scene at 5:20pm on Wednesday (27 November) and spent three hours tackling the blaze.

Paramedics were also in attendance at Ver Meadows caravan site to help anyone that had been affected by the fire.

The blaze began in one of the static homes but then quickly spread to the surrounding mobile homes also parked on the site.

Firefighters used five hosereels and three jets along with four breathing apparatus kits to extinguish the fire and the area was marked safe by 8:40pm.

Despite the damage caused to the caravans, the incident has been recorded as accidental.

It once again acts as a warning to caravanners to be extra careful when in their mobile home to help avoid a similar incident.

VIDEO: What makes the Bailey Approach Compact a new type of motorhome

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by Chris Jefferies
One of the biggest themes of 2013 has been motorhomes getting smaller without losing the luxury flourishes we’re used to.
Bailey of Bristol is wise to this trend, as evidenced by the new Approach Compact range, which broke cover in the Birmingham NEC as part of last month’s Motorhome and Caravan Show.
In this video, CaravanTimes catches up with Simon Howard from Bailey to talk about this new Alu-Tech arrival.
We discuss the practical benefits of owning a motorhome that measures less than six metres from nose to tail.
Simon also talks us through the luxury specification that can be found on board these classy tourers and explains the difference between the two layouts that the company has launched with.
Finally, we hear about why the company has chosen to fit the Al-Ko AMC super low-line chassis to both of these models.

Bailey of Bristol tackles motorhome safety with further crash testing

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by Chris Jefferies
Crash testing is a hot topic in the world of motorhomes and understandably so, as surely every motorhome owner wants to keep their passengers as safe as possible.
With this in mind, Bailey of Bristol has recently completed its latest crash test session at the Millbrook proving ground, where the new Bailey Approach Autograph was put through its paces.
When it was launched back in July 2013, the Autograph won wide plaudits for its modern styling and luxury specification, but does it have the high safety standards to match?
To find out, the motorhome in question was attached to a HyGe sled crash-test machine and subjected to a full-frontal impact at 30mph.
And Bailey is happy to report that the new Alu-Tech model came through the test with flying colours.
The results were particularly encouraging with regard to the new electric drop-down bed that is fitted to the Approach Autograph 765.
To see for yourself, click on the video below:

In related news, the Bailey Approach Autograph has been nominated as Motorhome of the Year in the 2013 CaravanTimes Caravan of the Year poll.
To vote for your favourite, and be in with the chance of winning an Amazon Kindle, click here.

Auto-Trail V-Line compact motorhome range gets two new layouts

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by Chris Jefferies
Auto-Trail has announced the details of two new motorhome layouts for its V-Line van conversion range.
The V-Line 610 and 620 both measure in at less than six metres long, making them just as practical and easy to manoeuvre as the original 600 layout that was launched earlier this year.
In the V-Line 610, motorhome lovers will find a rear lounge, which can be converted into a double bed, as well as an offside washroom and a nearside kitchenette.
Meanwhile, the 620 comes with enough seatbelts to keep a party of four safe on the road, as well as a rear transverse double bed.
These models will share the high specification levels you’d expect from Auto-Trail and the raised roof line of the V-Line 600, making for extra headroom.
Key on-board features include a Euro-5 compliant 2.3-litre Fiat Ducato Multijet engine, cab air conditioning, cruise control and a six-speed gearbox.
Both models will be on display at the Birmingham NEC as part of the NCC Caravan and Camping Show 2014, which runs from 18-23 February.
Full specification levels and prices will be released closer to the show.
In the meantime, you can vote for the Auto-Trail V-Line as your Motorhome of the Year in our 2013 Caravan of the Year poll, in which one lucky voter will win an Amazon Kindle e-reader.

Auto-Trail V-Line 610 layout

Auto-Trail V-Line 620 layout

French Artist Benedetto Bufalino creates sky-high caravan art

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by Jake Polden

Just when you thought modern art couldn’t baffle you any further, Benedetto Bufalino – a French artist known for distorting perception by creating, amongst other things, a cardboard Ferrari and fish tank phone box – has sent a caravan into the skies.

Entitled “la caravane dans le ciel”, the performance art piece involves the caravan rising up on a go-go-gadget jack, slowly elevating to a precarious height way up in the clouds.

Watching over the land below both in the day and at night, the caravan casts a warming glow from its interior lights to illuminate everything in its vicinity.

Quite what this work of art ‘says’ is anyone’s guess, but we’d say that bringing attention to something that may be otherwise overlooked in the most brash way possible, can only be a good thing.

Below you can watch the tentative journey of the caravan ascending into an area previously undiscovered by its kind:

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South-east London blighted by spate of motorhome thefts

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by Tom Walsh

South-east London has seen a spike in motorhome theft over the past two months, according to the latest figures.

Speaking to The Camping and Caravanning Club, Tim Booth of ACVIS Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service said that the area of the capital is being targeted by criminals.

Between ten and 15 models were reported to the Metropolitan Police as being stolen during October and November. The trend has been described as “very unusual” for this time of year.

While motorhome owners in the area are being told to remain calm, it highlights the need to have the right insurance policy in place should the worst happen.

Mr Booth explains that people need to invest in an alarm system and test it on a regular basis to ensure that if someone does try to break in it will alert the owner and the rest of the neighbourhood.

The security expert also advised people to contact the police if their motorhome is either stolen or subject to suspicious activity.

Caravans used as HIV testing station in Sydney

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by Tom Walsh

Sydney has become home to Australia’s first pop-up HIV testing station.

The site is housed in a caravan and it allows people to get results from the simple finger prick test in just 30 minutes.

Health officials believe that the test centre, due to be set up at Taylor Square in Darlinghurst until 1 December, will help to curb to rise in HIV infections in New South Wales.

Dr Kerry Chant, the state’s chief health officer, said: “We want to break down those barriers.

“This way we can encourage early treatment if people are HIV positive, and prevent transmission.”

People who use the testing station have the option to wait around for their results or have a SMS alert telling them to pick them up.

There has been a growing problem of HIV infections in New South Wales with 2012 seeing a 24 per cent rise in cases and an 81 per cent increase in the gay community.