New Horsley caravan park faces opposition

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by Tom Walsh

Villagers are opposing plans to build a new caravan park near Horsley, Gloucestershire.

Nigel Cooke, whose partner runs nearby Barton End Equestrian Centre, is behind the plans and has already submitted a planning application for a family caravan and camp site in a field off the A46 in Barton End.

The site would include 36 pitches, a toilet and shower block. Mr Cooke explained to Stroud News & Journal that it would be run in tandem with the stables.

Barton End Stables has been in the area since 2000 and the creation of the caravan park is aimed at promoting riding courses for people of all ages.

However, residents have voiced their concerns over the number of cars using the A46 and that it has become a hazard for children.

Christopher Mitford-Slade, of Barton End, told the news provider: “This camp site would quadruple the size of Barton End. Cars and caravans going up and down our lane will have quite an impact on the rural life of our community.”

Family Travel Centre claims Adria Dealer of the Year award

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by Tom Walsh

Family Travel Centre has claimed Adria‘s ‘Customer Service Dealer of the Year’ award for the second year running.

The company was selected from 34 other dealerships across the UK and was commended for going “the extra mile” for its customers.

Matt Hunt, co-founder of Family Travel Centre, said: “The Best Customer Service Award is something we all strive for and for us, is the most coveted award we could win.

“To win this from such a major European manufacturer for two years running is an amazing achievement,” he added.

Adria confirmed Family Travel Centre as the winner of the award during its annual dealership event this week. The firm also took the opportunity to unveil its much-anticipated 2014 motorhome models.

Visitors are being invited to view the new range which are due into dealerships from August. People interested can pre-register with the Family Travel Centre which will inform them of upcoming events.

Auto-Trail V-Line sets new standard of van conversion luxury

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by Chris Jefferies

Lincolnshire-based motorhome manufacturer Auto-Trail has launched an all-new type of Fiat Ducato van conversion this week (29-30 July).

Named the V-Line, this range features a raised GRP roof, which has been built in-house at the company’s Grimsby coachbuilding facility.

This allows for increased interior headroom, a roll-out awning, and a more streamlined exterior, featuring a striking panoramic sunroof.

Auto-Trail is best known for its three luxury coachbuilt ranges, the Tracker, Apache and Frontier, and this DNA has been transferred into a compact leisure vehicle that is less than six metres long.

This means that V-Line owners can benefit from lower ferry fares, as well as better fuel consumption from the Euro-5 compliant 2.3-litre Multijet engine.
Layouts and spec

Available in one layout to start with, but with two more to follow in the coming months, this range is expected to grow as demand builds.

The model CaravanTimes saw at the 2014 launch was the V-Line 600, a front lounge two-berth with a side washroom, concealed kitchen and rear access doors with plenty of clever storage pouches.

Styled in white as standard, this model is also available in a classy Carbon black metallic exterior as part of Auto-Trail’s popular Sportline pack, which adds front, rear and side steel bumpers, as well as Ash upholstery and LED daytime running lights.

Key on-board spec includes 4KW dual fuel blown air heating, 65-litre fridge, 100w solar panel, and 70-litre fresh and waste water tanks.

In the front, drivers will get cab air conditioning, cruise control and a six-speed gearbox. 180bhp and 150bhp engine upgrades are also available if you’re looking for extra power.
On the road, the V-Line pulls away smoothly and corners with minimal bodyroll, while the all-important ‘rattle factor’ is nicely kept in check.

The user payload is an ample 410kgs, while the added insulation means that this van conversion has been awarded the Grade III insulation standard.

Optional extras include 17-inch alloy wheels and the Media Pack, which comprises a 15-inch drop-down TV, sat nav and reversing camera.

Prices start at £47,999, so while the V-Line is certainly not the cheapest van conversion on the market, the Auto-Trail team has worked hard to ensure that it is one of the most highly specified.


Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes

Couple buy Bailey Unicorn caravan fit for The Queen

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by Daniel Mackrell

A Bailey Unicorn Cadiz caravan that was inspected by the Queen last year has been sold to a caravanning couple by White Arches Caravans.

Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh inspected the caravan along with a Bailey Approach SE 760 motorhome when they visited Bailey of Bristol’s South Liberty lane manufacturing plant in November 2013.

The visit sparked a lot of interest in the two vehicles, and they were eventually put up for auction by Bailey.

The Unicorn Cadiz model was bought by White Arches Caravans, which is located in Rushden near Northampton, and was then sold to Jim and Jean Harle.

Mr and Mrs Harle have been caravanning for more than twenty years, and plan to break in their new caravan with a tour of Scotland later this summer.

The caravan is a luxury four-berth, and features a fully equipped kitchen, twin fixed single beds, a washroom with shower cubicle and a front lounge which can convert into a double bed.

Simon Howard, Bailey Market Director, said: “It was great to be able to present the keys for this very special caravan to someone who will really appreciate it.”

Survey shows rise in sales at caravan parks as Brits enjoy sun

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by Daniel Mackrell

Sunny weather has encouraged more people to venture outdoors, and has increased sales around the country at caravan parks and camp sites.

Figures released by Barclaycard show that there was an increase of around 40% in sales compared to the same time in July last year.

A 5.5% rise in food and drink sales also makes it likely that many caravanners, along with the rest of Britain, are making the most of the sun with BBQs.

Valerie Soranno Keating, CEO of Barclaycard said: “Consumers took full advantage of the recent warm weather by getting out and about, spending much more than last year on enjoying themselves.

“Sales at camp sites and caravan parks were up just short of 40% and by nearly 20% at UK tourist attractions.”

The figures also showed Brits are using the sun as an opportunity to do some gardening with a 34.9% rise in garden store spending, and an 11.1% rise in DIY stores.

Win a free caravan competition closed and winner announced

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by Daniel Mackrell and Chris Jefferies

Thousands of you have entered our recent competition, which has seen CaravanTimes team up with the Swindon, Oxford and Reading Caravans.

After much anticipation, the winner of the Bailey Pegasus GT65 Verona has been announced.

Thousands of you applied for the chance to win the caravan, but sadly there can be only one winner, and that person is:

Stephen Pomery from Cornwall

The draw was made at a special dealer’s event on Saturday (27 July), and Stephen was chosen as the lucky winner. The caravan, worth £18,000 will be collected by Mr Pomery in August.

Thanks to everyone who entered, and be sure to check back at CaravanTimes for more great competitions, as well as to find out all of the latest caravan news.

Xplore-it-uk adds two new Adria caravans to rental fleet

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by Tom Walsh

The summer holiday season is hotting up and to celebrate Xplore-it-uk has announced that it has added two new caravans to its rental fleet.

Both the six-berth Adria Altea Severn and the four-berth Adria Adora Seine will be available from the Castle Donington company’s website and are ideal for many caravanners.

The mobile homes are fitted with solar panels to keep the leisure batteries charged while also reducing their impact on the environment.

People deciding to hire these tourers for the summer holidays will not have to bring a thing as both the models are kitted out with the daily essentials such as cutlery, crockery, pots and pans.

The company stated that it is aiming to target those visiting events at Donington Park over the coming months.

However, these could be used for people going on longer breaks in different parts of the UK to enjoy the warmer weather while they still can.

Northern Irish caravanners given security advice during holiday season

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by Tom Walsh

The annual holiday season is here once again and people all over the UK will be planning their break for the coming months.

As the nation has been going through somewhat of a heatwave, many caravanners will be setting off for a weekend getaway every now and then.

For those pitching up in Northern Ireland, Paula Crowe, crime prevention office for Armagh and Newry, has offered some advice on how to keep mobile homes safe and secure.

Ms Crowe notes that people should never leave anything valuable on display as this could attract the attention of any would-be burglars.

Keeping the doors and windows locked when they leave the caravan is an absolute and people should also invest in an alarm.

“Caravans may be more vulnerable than houses but that doesn’t mean you can’t make your property secure,” Ms Crowe added.

Despite the warm weather, people need to ensure that they take the right measures to secure the long-term future of their caravan.

Extreme towcar testing on Top Gear caravan special

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by Daniel Mackrell

Caravan lovers could be forgiven for switching the TV off during yesterday’s episode of Top Gear, when presenters James May and Jeremy Clarkson tried to find out what is the best car available for caravanner’s.

Over the 20 series of Top Gear, many caravans have reached a grizzly end, and this episode was no different.

The challenge saw them testing two diesel hatchbacks, which they noted as being increasingly popular with caravanner’s.

The Volkswagen Tiguan and Mazda CX-5 were driven round the test track by the Stig, but with the addition of an Elddis caravan attached to the back.

Predictably this lead to disaster when its wheel fell off the caravan, making the first test drive end with a trail of sparks.

The second test drive didn’t complete the lap, with the caravan tipping onto it’s side halfway through.

The duo then imagined what it would be like to be a caravanner and came to the conclusion that it involves going to a garden centre, washing their car, and endless visits to a tip.

Richard Hammond wasn’t involved in the show’s latest caravan testing, which makes you wonder whether his caravan wrecking days are behind him after discovering the joys of a caravan holiday.

It was then decided that, in typical Top Gear fashion, Clarkson and May would race to a New Forest camp-site, with Clarkson driving the Mazda and May driving the Volkswagen.

They both decided to take an off-road route, which meant fast speeds across muddy fields, and ended with Jeremy Clarkson’s caravan completely destroyed, and James May’s caravan barely standing.

Top Gear came to some helpful conclusions, removing potential car choices by looking at their insurance, CO2 emissions, price, and the amount of weight it can tow.

It would be fair to say that they gave some reasonable advice to caravanner’s when it comes to what car is best for towing, albeit at the expense of some very unfortunate caravans.

To watch the full show on BBC Iplayer click here.

Bailey Unicorn Vigo and Cordoba prices and photos revealed

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by Chris Jefferies
Bailey of Bristol has announced the prices of its two newest caravans, along with a couple of tantalising interior photos (see below).
The Bailey Unicorn II Cordoba and Vigo were announced back in May, and the first few models arrived in dealerships last month.
And now it has been announced that the Unicorn Vigo will cost £20,595, while the Cordoba will cost £22,245. All prices include 20% VAT, but exclude a delivery charge of £565.
This makes the Cordoba the same price as the twin-axle Bailey Unicorn Barcelona, while the Unicorn Vigo costs £600 more than the other fixed double-bed layout in the range, the Valencia.
Bailey of Bristol explained this discrepancy by pointing out that the Vigo is unique in featuring a larger Dometic 190-litre fridge freezer on a single-axle Al-Ko chassis.
Both of the new models are based on popular Unicorn layouts, with the Vigo transporting the Cordoba’s transverse island bed onto a more lightweight single-axle chassis.
Meanwhile, the Cordoba is a twin-axle version of the increasingly popular fixed twin single bed layout, which can be found in the Bailey Unicorn II Cadiz.
This announcement comes a few days after Bailey confirmed that prices will be frozen on all its other touring caravan models for the start of the 2014 season.
See below for interior photos of the Bailey Unicorn II Vigo (top) and Cordoba (bottom).

VIDEO: Introducing the Bailey Approach Autograph motorhome

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by Suzette Rabout

With the launch of its first motorhome range, the Approach SE, in 2011, Bailey broke into the market with great success. Since its launch there have been over 1,000 models built and widespread praise.

So it’s no wonder Bailey has launched a new range to add to its fleet, with hopes of it being just as popular if not more so.

In this video CaravanTimes meets with Ian Rawlings at Bailey to explore the new range and all of its features.

As well as a sleek new exterior design, buyers can benefit from a new sleek design following feedback from customers, a new Al-Ko AMC chassis, and Alde central heating.

But this isn’t all, with two new layouts, one being the Apporach Autograph 765, with drop-down side-mounted electronic bed.

With a stunning interior, the Bailey Approach Autograph is sure to impress.

Watch the video to see the new motorhome in its entirety.

Honda tops the bill in What Car? reliability survey

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by Suzette Rabout

For caravan owners with Honda towcars, there is good news, in the annual What Car? and Warranty Direct Reliability Survey, as the Japanese manufacturer has come out on top for an eighth consecutive year.

Those towing with a Honda can rest assured they made the right choice with the HR-V being named as the most reliable compact SUV.

The reliability of cars was measured by a mixture of average yearly repair costs, common issues in models, and the important opinion of owners overall reliability score.

Particular praise was given to the Honda Civic, Accord and the British-built Honda Jazz which also took top spot in its respective category.

The accolade is partiuclarly impressive as opinions are drawn from some 50,000 car owners.

Honda commented saying: “We are incredibly proud to be the most reliable manufacturer in the industry – yet again!”

So, if you happen to be looking for a new tow vehicle, it seems like Honda is a solid choice.