VIDEO: Top tips for carefree caravan holidays

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by Daniel Mackrell

While caravanning is a great way to enjoy a holiday, there can be various problems that may need fixing while away, but there are often simple solutions that can prevent them from ruining the trip.

In this video Caravan Times speaks to Neil Greentree, General Manager of Greentrees Adventure store, about ways that caravanners can tackle some of the most common problems they can face while on holiday.

Some of the challenges that Neil explains includes bulb and fuse issues, and he gives a basic guide on how to deal with them safely and easily.

He also reassures caravanners about potential problems with hitch-heads, and also explains simple checks that can be made to ensure tyre safety when on the road, such as looking for cracks in the tyres.

In this video you can see how to check your caravan tyres are safe to use, and you can also find out how to sterilise your piping to keep your water system clean and fresh.

Thanks to ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="http://www.greentrees-adventurestore.co.uk/" target="_blank">Greentrees Adventurestore and ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="http://www.towergateinsurance.co.uk/" target="_blank" Rel="NoFollow">Towergate Insurance for their help with this video.

Preview: Dusseldorf set to host Europe’s largest caravan show

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by Damien Sharkov
With 570 international exhibitors representing 120 caravan and mobile home brands, showcasing a total of approximately 1,800 recreational vehicles in all price ranges, this year’s Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf is looking likely to deliver on its hyperbolic billing as ‘The No. 1 Trade Fair for Motorhomes and Caravans’.
The show will open with a press day on 30 August and closes on 8 September, as it hopes to comprehensively house the caravan and motor home industry for a staggering nine days, in Halls 9-17 of the Dusseldorf Exhibition Centre.
It seems impossible to provide an exhaustive list of all the excitement on offer in an event which is likely to provide the UK public with a taste of the future of caravan and motorhome engineering.
Some of the highlights, however, will include a highly anticipated cameo appearance from the futuristic Knaus Tabbert Caravisio.
The show will also see the unveiling of the Peugeot Westfalia van conversion, based on the existing Expert Teepee model.
What’s more, the British Isles will be represented by manufacturing giant Swift for the very first time, with a selection of Sprite Cruzer and Alpine Sport caravans on display.
Director Helmut Winkler promises the continental caravan convention will offer the “largest selection centred on mobile leisure products worldwide”.
With plenty of innovative European designs, renowned for the relentless pursuit of compactness, versatility, aero-dynamic design and safety, the 2013 Caravan Salon could prove to be every bit as exciting as Helmut promises.
For those who combine their camping with more extreme hobbies, the second weekend of the show is organised to coincide with the hiking and trekking fair TourNatur, which will see 275 exhibitors representing a total of approximately 5,000 travel destinations.
Visitors who are newcomers to the world of caravanning will have an opportunity to test drive a motorhome or learn to tow a caravan at the outdoor area in front of Hall 4.
Younger members of the family will also not be neglected in terms of entertainment, with everything from face painting to an Adventure Camp set up in the open spaces of the venue.
CaravanTimes is thrilled to be reporting from Dusseldorf next week, so keep checking back for a full flavour of what has been capturing the imagination of the continent’s caravan manufacturers and perhaps what to expect on the shores of Albion in the not-too distant future.

Adria unveils new Coral, Adora and Astella Glam for 2014 season

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by Chris Jefferies
The 2014 collection of Adria caravans and motorhomes has been unveiled, with the Slovenian manufacturer going for a modern new style, called i-design.
Built and designed specifically for the UK market, these caravans offer a stylish, continental alternative, with many innovative layouts.

The long-running Adria Adora promises a light, airy interior thanks to the new panoramic sky-roof.
A new four-berth layout, called the Adora Isonzo, brings a transverse island bed and a rear washroom to this mid-range collection.
Elsewhere, the ever popular Adria Coral range follows the trend towards more compact motorhomes with a new slim-line body that measures just 2.29m wide and 2.58m tall.
Other improvements include a new V-shaped kitchen, a docking station for tablet computers and more spacious drawers.
A choice of four layouts and three specification levels are available, so it’s easier to pick the right motorhome for you.
But the most radical change comes with the flagship Astella range, which has been given a dramatic makeover for 2014.
The new Glam edition will certainly stand out from the crowd due to its silver exterior. It also boasts an opening sunroof, Alde central heating, and dark wood veneer surfaces.
Two layouts are available, with a choice of two fixed twin singles or a double bed in front of a full-width washroom.
To see these new models for yourself, head along to the NCC Motorhome and Caravan Show, which runs at the Birmingham NEC from 15-20 October this year.


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Airstream and The Caravan Club heading to 2013 Goodwood Revival

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by Daniel Mackrell

Airstream and Co has announced that the iconic caravan range will be on display will be at the 2013 Goodwood Revival next month.

The event will be taking place between 13-15 September in Chichester, and Airstream will be there to display its European collection.

Goodwood is one of the most popular historic motor racing events in the world, and it offers fans the opportunity to watch classic racing on a racetrack that has been “untouched by the modern world”.

The races that will take place over the weekend feature both cars and motorcycles that would have raced on the circuit during its original run between 1948 and 1966.

The event also includes a Bonhams car auction, a period fairground and also racers from the past and present of F1 and MotoGP will be making appearances as well as getting involved in the races.

The Airstream silver bullet trailers will be very fitting to the classic vibe of the Goodwood Revival, with the 1940s, 50s and 60s being the main focus.

It is the only UK event that recreates what many consider to be a golden era of motorsport.

Members of the Airstream team will be available to answer questions about the models that are currently available for sale.

The Caravan Club is also expected to be in attendance at the event, as part of their continued efforts to take caravanning to new and exciting places.

The Lawns caravans show set to draw thousands to East Yorkshire

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by Damien Sharkov
There are two kinds of caravanners – those who have been to Lawns and those who have not. An exaggeration maybe, but anyone in the former group will agree that there is indeed a sense of grandeur about the first major caravan show of the new season, which is coming to Cottingham on 7-8 September.
The event falls after a summer of exciting announcements, as caravan fans have already been treated to the release of the 2014 Elddis Crusader range, the unveiling of brand spanking ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="http://www.caravantimes.co.uk/features/makes/compass/2014-compass-corona-omega-and-rallye-unveiled-at-elddis-launch-$21382929.htm">new Compass Corona, Omega and Rallye models, in July.
This was followed by exciting developments in Swift’s 2014 line-up – including the striking modern interior redesign of the new Sterling Eccles Sport.
It looks like, for many, the Lawns will be the long overdue release of a whole lot of pent-up anticipation.
The show’s focal point, the Caravan Extravaganza, will see all the giants of the UK industry showcase their brand new line-ups, with Lunar and Coachman also displaying their new collections.
The annual show generally features more than 100 new touring caravans and about 130 caravan holiday-homes and park homes from most of the major British manufacturers, so anybody planning to miss it, also better prepare to miss out.
“We have an estimation of 25,000 people attending this year,” cheerfully boasts David Ritchie, the man organising the show on behalf of the manufacturers. “Cottingham is at the centre of the manufacturing of caravans in the UK,” he adds.
Over 50 companies are participating in this year’s show and the line-up is meant to check all the boxes of interest of even the most experienced caravanner, ranging from stalls of manufacturers, looking to flaunt and sell their latest creations to caravan clubs, on the lookout for new members, and insurers and advice councillors.
A massive accessory shop will be set up within The Lawns Centre, where caravan and motorhome enthusiasts can discover new ways to kit out their mobile homes.
There will be a small funfair for children, complete with hamburger and other food stalls, including ice-creams, and plenty of other activities for the whole family.
For those of a younger disposition the show will also feature a bouncy castle, as well as face painting and a chance to catch a few last glimpses of the summer sun.
Parking is free while admission fees are £3 per person and £7 per family. For more information about the Lawns Show and details of how to get there visit their website

VIDEO: Swift goes timberless with new Smart Construction method

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by Chris Jefferies
The biggest story of the year in the world of caravans has come from East Yorkshire, where Swift Group announced an all-new construction method earlier this month.
Smart Construction uses PURe (a type of polyurethane) to replace all the timber in the framework of the caravan.
This radical change is being rolled out across all Swift, Sterling and Sprite caravans for the 2014 season and promises to make them stronger and more resilient to water ingress than ever before.

To hear more about Smart Construction from Swift in a behind-the-scenes video click here.

In this video special, CaravanTimes travels to the company’s Cottingham headquarters to meet the team behind this new system.
Nick Page, Commercial Director at Swift Group, explains what each letter in Smart stands for, before Design Director Chris Millburn explains the testing process that informed the decision to get rid of the wood.
We also get a sneak peek inside the very first caravans to be built using Smart Construction.

Westfalia to unveil Peugeot van conversion at Dusseldorf show

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by Myron Jobson

Motoring giants Peugeot and Westfalia Mobil have teamed up for the first time to develop a small motorhome based on the existing Peugeot Expert Tepee model.

The companies are set to unveil their joint creation at the Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf, Germany, between 31 August and 8 September.

The motorhome is marketed as a recreational vehicle, ideal for young families.

The vehicle boasts a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine, which generates 163bhp, and a six-speed automatic gearbox.

It will be equipped with a pop-top roof sleeping area, a convertible double bed, a kitchenette, complete with a stove, sink and fridge, and a wardrobe.

More notable luxurious features include parking and rain sensors, LED lighting, swivel seats for driver and front passenger seat, and cruise control with speed limiter for more comfortable journeys.

The inclusion of ABS, traction control and side and curtain airbags ensures a high standard of safety;

Preview: What to look out for at the 2013 NCC Motorhome & Caravan Show

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by Myron Jobson

The biggest caravan show of the year is rapidly approaching so fasten your awnings.

The NCC Motorhome and Caravan Show returns to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham this autumn (15-20 October) for this year’s caravanning extravagnza.

All the big names in the caravanning industry including Bailey, ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="/coachman/">Coachman, Elddis, Lunar, Swift, Eterniti and Airstream, are some of over 400 UK and international brands will be showing off their creations.

This will range from quirky folding caravans to trailer tents, filling eleven huge halls, so let us talk you through the key highlights.

The best caravans to see

Industry leading caravan and motorhome manufacturers will be showcasing their latest 2014 ranges meaning you can compare and contrast specifications, layouts, and designs before deciding whether or not to make a purchase.

While you are there, we suggest checking out the latest instalment of Swift’s 2014 Sterling Eccles Sport for its new modern interior design; and Coachman’s new entry-level range called the Vision.

Elsewhere, the return of Compass is sure to turn heads, with the whole Omega, Corona and Rallye range on show.

Eterniti Caravans will be exhibiting five new layouts across both the Chronicle and the Genesis ranges, while Bailey has something big planned (but we are sworn to secrecy for now).

Best motorhomes to see

The event also caters for those who prefer motorhomes, and Swift’s ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="http://www.caravantimes.co.uk/features/motorhomes/swift/esprit/swift-launches-new-esprit-motorhome-range-with-smart-construction-$21383111.htm">new Esprit motorhome range is definitely worth checking out.

Equally Elddis new ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="http://www.caravantimes.co.uk/news/motorhomes/elddis/accordo/elddis-accordo-new-compact-motorhome-range-with-solid-construction-$21382946.htm">Accordo range deserves a special mention for its clever use of space in a compact, easy-to-drive model.

What’s more, you can take a look inside the latest Alu-Tech motorhome from Bailey in the form of the sleek modern Approach Autograph.

Best of the rest

To add further excitement to proceedings, we will be joined by chef, author, restaurateur and TV regular, Ed Baines, in The Expert Advice and Cookery Theatre (Tuesday – Friday).

Ed will offer some useful tips on cooking delicious meals while on the road using the finest products found in holiday hot-spots around the UK.

Also, outdoor cookery experts from Weber, the show’s official BBQ partner, will entertain and educate visitors with live demonstrations.

Speaking of celebrities, keep an eye out for film crews. Last year’s show featured on BBC’s hit TV series The Apprentice, which saw the candidates attempt to sell caravans and accessories to unsuspecting shoppers.

The Caravan Club will be sharing their expert advice on motorhome manoeuvring, and musical entertainment will be provided by new pop group Club2gethr who will perform live on The Caravan Club stage.

Whatever you’re looking for in a family outing, there is plenty to tempt you in, and better still tickets are available for just £8 adults/£7 seniors if you book in advance.

As always, CaravanTimes will be there and we hope to see as many of you as possible.

Music festival organisers to help motorhome arson victim

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by Myron Jobson

Matthew Hands was in bed at his girlfriend’s house in Bulkington, Warwickshire, last month when they were both awoken by screams.
Immediately, they peered outside to find that flames had consumed his beloved motorhome.

“I don’t know if it has really hit me or not yet. Everything was on there – my clothes, old photos, my child’s clothes and even his bike,” he said at the time.

But this was no accident; arsonists had turned Matthew’s renovated 1974 Leyland motorhome into a fireball.

Upon hearing his tale, bosses of the Off The Tracks music festival have taken it upon themselves to help restore Matthew’s faith in humanity and to help rebuild his life.

They are asking festival attendees to donate clothes and general household items to give to Matthew and girlfriend Sinead Carnie.

One of the festival organisers said: “The response so far has been phenomenal and one of the bands that spent some time on his bus last year have already said they want to make a donation.

“Matty seems really touched by it all and he has had a pretty miserable summer, so if we can cheer him up that would be great,” he told coventrytelegraph.net.

Matthew is said to be delighted and “really thankful” for their efforts. He was a regular at Off The Tracks Festivals, and now has been invited along free of charge.

The twice-yearly independent music festival is held near Castle Donington bordering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
The upcoming event is due to take place this weekend (30 August – 1 September) in and around the courtyard of a farmhouse and offers folk, roots, dance and fusion on two stages.

Organisers will donate any items that are not suitable for the 41-year-old to Oxfam.

2014 Elddis Affinity: Prices and weights revealed for mid-range Solid collection

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by Chris Jefferies

As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and this certainly seems to be the thinking at Elddis with regard to the 2014 Affinity range.

It’s easy to see why, as the inaugural Affinity range won widespread praise when it was unveiled twelve months ago.

For the upcoming season, the mid-range Solid Construction collection has been given additional Heki 2 rooflights and an upgraded Alde system, which is now controlled by an easy-to-use touchscreen panel.

Elsewhere Affinity owners will get dovetail joints in all the drawers, and this woodworking technique should make for greater durability in the long run.

On the outside the graphics have been tweaked, but the distinctive silver GRP gas locker remains in place.

Hotspot changes include more reading lights in the front lounge and a larger door-mounted waste bin.

All five single-axle layouts have been carried over, giving both two-berth and four-berth options, priced at £18,249 and £19,299 respectively.

MTPLM weights start at just 1,310kgs and all Affinity models tip the scales at less than 1,500kgs, making them a suitable match for most family cars.

To take a closer look at the new Affinity range, head along to the Elddis Factory Preview event on the weekend 21-22 September.

CCTV catches thieves taking Banbury family’s caravan

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by Tom Walsh

A south Northamptonshire family had their August bank holiday plans devastated after thieves stole their caravan from their driveway in Chacombe.

Banbury Guardian reported that the Gillbanks family were planning on heading to Devon over the extended weekend but were shocked to find that their Elddis Antigua 524 had been taken from outside the home on Wednesday (21 August).

Dan Gillbanks explained that CCTV footage recorded from a neighbour’s home showed the thieves towing away the caravan from the property Thorpe Road at noon using a white transit van.

“We go on regular weekends to the New Forest and south Devon. It’s a real shame for the children. My wife came back from work around 5pm and I got back just after 5pm and found it had gone,” Mr Gillbanks told the news provider.

Northamptonshire Police are investigating the incident and urge anyone with information to come forward and contact officers on 03000 111 222.

Dragons Den star announces caravan project for Festival of Thrift

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by Damien Sharkov

‘We should celebrate the great history we’ve got in fashion, music, art, design, cinema and that is what we are doing’, explains Wayne Hemingway, while a couple of teenagers ride past him, clad head to toe in garb at least twice their age, on a bike looking as though it may have easily toured with The Who’s original line-up of.
They are here for Wayne’s ‘Vintage at Goodwood’ event, organised to celebrate all things retro and thrifty. Wayne and wife Gerardine have overseen the revival of the vintage movement with many similar events. However with the first ever Festival of Thrift, announced to take place in Linfield, Darlington on 21-22 September, it seems they have spread vintage fashion to caravanning too.
As we reported last week the festival will include an assembly of ‘upcycled’ caravan and motorhome restaurants.
Now it seems caravanners in attendance are in for another special treat. Reality star and entrepreneur Max McMurdo has joined the fray, as he has announced he will put his vision for ‘upcycling’ to the test as, he spends two full days building a vintage-style beach hut caravan.
Max has appeared on Dragons’ Den (impressing now business partners Theo Paphitis and Debra Meaden) and Kirstie Allsopp’s Fill Your House For Free and is thrilled to be involved in the festival.
“When I heard about the Festival of Thrift, I knew I just had to go. It’s such a great concept – and I’m really excited by thrift,” he says.
Max concedes, however, his business experience has never seen him work on a caravan before. Regardless he takes it in his stride enthusiastically, saying: “it’s going to be an exciting challenge for me and the team.” It certainly sounds like an entertaining endeavour, if highly ambitious.
Still Max is no stranger to ambitious design, as his career has seen him create home furniture from the likes of wheelbarrows and trolleys, with the final product finding its way onto the shopping lists of Saatchi and Saatchi and in exhibition halls, alongside Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, to name a few.
The project is due to span the length of the festival and is meant to see the transformation of an old trailer into the epitome ‘glamour on wheels’.
Max and his team will build and design both interior and exterior by “reusing pieces that would otherwise be thrown away”.
Upcycling on the rise
This seems to be the essence of the ‘upcycling’ trend and the subsequent crux of the festival’s message. Wayne agrees: “When my mum was her grandchildren’s age you would have been classed as poor to do it” he tells ITN.
Whether it is building a caravan from old and otherwise unusable parts or just sporting a second-hand sweater on a night out, the change of attitude toward this trend is visible.
“Now it’s not classed as a dirty thing, it’s classed as a ‘cool’ thing and thank god, because that was a daft attitude” says Wayne, whose keen eye for haute couture saw his designs find their way to the catwalk for 21 consecutive seasons at London Fashion Week, before he cashed in and sold his label.
Max is one of several big names to partner with the Festival of Thrift, as Wayne’s brainchild gathers momentum.
“He’s a great addition to the line-up, which is already impressive”, smiles Wayne, as he takes another leap toward furthering his vision for vintage thrift fashion in this new festival.
The Festival of Thrift will take place between 21 and 22 September 2013 at Lingfield Point, Darlington.

    To see a full interview of Wayne discussing vintage style click on the video below