Caravan Club fast-forwards £1.25m investment in Scottish park

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by Tom Lowenstein

Builders have begun work at the Lochside Caravan Park in Forfar, Scotland, after The Caravan Club decided to bring forward planned upgrades to the site by three years.

Now, the £1.25 million investment programme is set to take place this winter in a bid to minimise disruption to caravans by carrying out the work in the off-season, the Forfar Dispatch reported.

While minor improvements to the park were made last year, The Caravan Club decided to bring forward the refurbishment plans as its bids to bring Lochside up to meet its high standards.

Work is taking place to significantly improve the park’s pitches and services while the reception and amenities area, which is housed in a single building, will undergo major renovation.

The Caravan Club expects to reach the 25,000 visitors per year milestone for 2011 at the site which is leased from Angus Council.

It is estimated that these visitors provide a £2.5 million boost per year to the local economy, the local newspaper added.

The Lochside Caravan Park will re-open to caravanners on April 6th next year.

Is this 1954 Airstream Flying Cloud the world’s most beautiful caravan?

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by Chris Jefferies
For more than half a century, Airstream Caravans has been the make to aspire to for many caravanners worldwide, and this fantastically restored gem from the 1950s wonderfully captures why the brand remains so desirable.
The Orvis Timeless Airstream, as it has been renamed, is a renovated Flying Cloud trailer from the 1950s, which retains much of the vintage charm but also includes several modern luxuries.
Restoration experts Timeless Travel Trailers have done a fantastic job of creating a design that is at once classic and modern – a truly fitting testament to this fine old Airstream.
On the exterior, the polished aluminium bodyshell is immediately striking but the interior design is, if anything, even more impressive.

A fine history
Originally built in 1954, this particular Flying Cloud was one of only 150 to be made that year at the Airstream factory in Los Angeles, California.
Over the past 57 years, it has been in almost constant use, including a spell as a hunting lodge near Goose Lake, Oregon.
Despite a thorough restoration job, the renovators have decided to leave some of the minor scratches, bumps and imperfections on the surface to retain some of its unique character.
What’s more, copper panelling on the interior and distressed oak flooring bring both warmth and retro style to the nose end of this distinctive tourer. As a result, we are told that this caravan is in “better-than-new” condition.
Marvellous modern touches
Despite the vintage feel, there was no holding back when it came to fitting the finest modern conveniences and technological wizardry on board.
A 19-inch Jensen flatscreen HDTV has been flush-fitted into the wall opposite the living room area, while a Blu Ray player has been hooked up as well. Electrics are provided by a 12V system, while LED lighting helps keep your overall battery consumption levels down.
The plush front-end sofa is finished in leather and complimented by a solid wood central table, and the interior doors are made out of solid hickory wood.
In terms of appliances, there is a Wedgewood hob, a Thetford toilet, a Norcold fridge/freezer, as well as Atwood water and central heating.
As you might expect, all this luxury adds quite a bit to the total weight, so something along the lines of an American-style pick-up truck will be needed to tow this 2,700kg tourer.
The online auction for this highly-desirable caravan will close on Sunday 11th December, and the highest bid currently stands at $88,000 (a little over 56 grand in British monies). But potential bidders should be aware that shipping it back to the UK from its current home in Colorado will be your own problem.
Have you ever seen a more beautiful caravan that this? What would your ideal tourer look like? Share your thoughts in our community forum

Vital Stats:

  • Price: from £56,052 (reserve not yet met)
  • MTPLM: 2,722kg
  • Internal Width: 7’0″
  • External Length: 22’3″
  • Berth: 4
  • Axle: Single

Update: This auction has now closed, with the winning bidder paying a staggering $157,000



Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes

Friendly Club predicts strong 2012 as membership continues to grow

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by Tom Lowenstein

The popularity of caravanning shows no sign of fading, with more and more people getting involved in the quintessential British pastime.

With the economy squeezing people’s pockets this is hardly surprising, and many people are now realising the hidden delights that exploring Britain in a caravan can reveal.

This is certainly the case at the Camping and Caravanning Club, where membership continues to grow year-on-year.

“Our membership base is continuously expanding and if the last three years are anything to go by, we don’t expect this positive trend to slow anytime soon,” Jon Dale, public relations manager at the Club, revealed.

As the economy continues to pinch from our pockets and people look for new, fun and cost-effective ways of getting away from it all, Jon let slip some of the Club’s most popular destinations.

The Lake District and the Peak District feature some of the most visited Camping and Caravanning Club sites are, he said, while the South West always proves popular during the school holidays.

Meanwhile, for those looking to hitch up and head overseas with their tourer, France is the number one European destination for caravanners looking for warmer climes, thanks to its many camping and caravan parks, Jon added.

Abbey Vogue caravan stolen from outside childrens’ activity centre

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by Tom Lowenstein

A Peterborough woman has been left devastated after “heartless” thieves stole her caravan from outside of her work.

Tracy Munnelly thought her £12,000 tourer would be safe when she parked it outside the Activity World children’s fun centre on Padholme Road East where she works as the general manager.

But on Saturday night (December 3rd) the uninsured Abbey Vogue was taken by thieves who cut through two metal gates using angle grinders before using a saw to cut off the caravan’s wheel clamps, the Peterborough Evening Telegraph reports.

Now, Ms Munnelly and her partner Malcolm Evans are hoping that police can trace their pride and joy which had just been bought this year following years of saving up for it.

“I left it at Activity World because it’s a massive site and I don’t have much room at my home,” she told the newspaper.

“I never envisaged that anything like this would happen and it’s really hit me for six.”

The Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association recommends that anyone looking for a place to store their caravan chooses a site which has excellent security as it will affect insurance premiums.

REVIEW: Is the Amazon Kindle an ideal caravan gadget?

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by Chris Jefferies
For many, taking a caravan holiday is all about escaping the stresses and hassles that come with modern life, so laptops, televisions and other such technological fripperies are often left behind.
Yet despite this, there are many reasons why it might be worth ditching your bulky book collection and investing in an Amazon Kindle.
The Kindle is an e-reader, which means that you can read several books digitally from one device. Put simply – it is to books what an MP3 player is to CDs.
This month at Caravan Times we have been comparing the two most recent models to see if they could catch on with the hard-nosed caravanning public.
What’s it all about then?
The Amazon Kindle was launched in America four years ago, but only made it to the UK in 2009. Its success has lead to Amazon announcing last year that e-books are now more popular than paperback books.
One of the main reasons that Kindles have become so popular is their low-maintenance style. Unlike power-hungry smartphones, a Kindle only needs to be charged once per month.

This is made possible as the device uses electronic ink instead of a backlit screen, which also means less strain on your eyes and eliminates any glare than can be caused by direct sunlight.
All of these things obviously translate well into the context of a caravan holiday – you don’t need to take a charger with you and as it weighs in at just 247g, it is hardly going to make a dent on your payload limit.
There’s no monthly contract or download limit to have to worry about either, and there’s enough room to store more than 1,000 books on this little tablet.
The main thing we’ve noticed though is how unobtrusive the Kindle is to read. Just pick your novel and flick through the pages with your thumb on the side buttons and it feels just like reading a book.
You can easily forget that you’re using a space-age gadget – it’s just a seamless way of reading lots of books on the move and it feels as natural as anything.

Decisions, decisions
Amazon offers two different versions of the Kindle – the Wi-Fi and the 3G version – which can both serve a useful purpose, depending on what you want to use them for.
We would recommend the cheaper Wi-Fi only version, especially if you regularly stay on larger service camp sites, as it is lighter by a third, and it is small enough and thin enough to fit into your coat pocket.
Prices start at around £90 for the Kindle Wi-Fi, but if you want to get your hands on one for free, then be sure to cast your vote in the Caravan Times 2011 Readers’ Poll.
There are several runners-up prizes to be won as well, and the lucky winner will be announced on Friday 16th December.

AA Poll: Many drivers still not preparing for winter conditions

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by Tom Lowenstein

Winter has well and truly arrived in the UK this week, and with snow and ice incoming, the latest figures released by the AA suggest that caravanners may wish to take extra care if they’re taking their tourer away for a festive break.

The new Populus poll commissioned by the AA shows that more than one-third of drivers could be caught out by heavy snow this year, with 38 per cent having made no preparations for winter driving conditions.

This is an improvement on last year however, when 42 per cent confessed to having taken no action to get ready for winter driving.

The poll found that the number of people who have invested in measures including winter tyres, snow chains, shovels and blankets, has risen across the board, offering a degree of reassurance for caravan owners hitching up and heading out during winter.

Following the Arctic conditions of the last two years, the number of drivers buying snowchains or snow socks has quadrupled, while the number of drivers fitting their vehicles with all-season tyres has almost doubled from four per cent to seven per cent.

Offering drivers reassurance, Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “We know that highway authorities are starting this winter with significantly better grit stocks than the two previous winters and there are also reserve supplies should this winter turn unpleasant.

“Drivers too are doing their bit and have clearly learnt that being prepared is key – not only by putting winter essentials in the car but also making sure their vehicle is in good mechanical order.”

Drivers are also more optimistic about driving conditions this year, the poll revealed, with 39 per cent believing gritting will improve this year and 50 per cent expecting it to remain about the same.

This appears to be in good faith, as the AA revealed that highway authorities are coming into the winter season with far greater stocks of grit than in either of the last two winters.

Caravan Club breaks records on busiest booking day of the year

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by Chris Jefferies
The Caravan Club has announced record-breaking numbers on their annual bookings day, which has attracted more than 30,000 reservations in the first hour alone.
As we reported last week, the 2012 booking system was opened at 9am this morning (7th December) and despite this sudden surge in popularity, the improved Caravan Club online booking system experienced no technical difficulties.
By 4pm, the Club had taken more than 58,000 bookings, meaning they are on course to easily break last year’s record of 60,000 in a single day.
The deposit-free booking system has attracted much controversy over the years, with some members complaining that it encourages speculative reservations that can be easily dropped at the last minute.
With this in mind, the Caravan Club has introduced a new system for 2012 whereby anyone who fails to turn up three times without giving 72 hours notice of their cancellation will forfeit their ability to book for the next 14 days and lose all their forward bookings as well.
What’s more, anyone leaving early will incur a charge of one night’s extra stay, unless they have given 72 hours notice.
However, this doesn’t seem to have deterred the annual booking frenzy, which is further proof of the burgeoning popularity of caravanning.
Lawrence Bate, the Club’s director of marketing, says “A series of improvements have been made throughout the year to ensure members are able to make their bookings in a timely and user-friendly manner. The signs are showing that 2012 really will be the year of caravanning!”

Elddis Caravans proud to be different with BPW chassis

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by Tom Lowenstein

Most caravan manufacturers in the UK use the Al-Ko chassis for the basis of their tourers, but Elddis Caravans are proud to be different.

The Durham-based ‘vanmakers are the only major brand in the UK to work with German chassis builder BPW instead and have been explaining why they have chosen the alternative technology.

Claiming that their exclusive partnership gives them a superior chassis to every other caravan on the market, Elddis says that the BPW Swing Vtec technology makes hitching and towing both easier and safer.

Offering a cantilever design, the Swing Vtec is said to improve stability and cornering to provide smoother towing as the axle swings towards the road surface when turning to maximise tyre contact with the road.

All Elddis Crusader models and every tourer from the luxury Buccaneer range come with the BPW Intelligent Drive Control (iDC), which is also an optional extra on the Avante and Odyssey ranges.

Acting as an electronic stability programme would in a car, the BPW iDC reduces critical snaking when driving while preventing brakes locking with its Failsafe technology.

Shropshire caravan park gets green light for 18-pitch extension

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by Tom Lowenstein

Caravan park owners in Ellesmere, Shropshire, are celebrating after the local council granted them permission to expand their site.

Having become accustomed to turning caravanners away at the door because they were full to capacity, the Robin Newnes Touring Caravan Park will now be able to nearly double its capacity after it extends from 20 pitches to 38.

Using delegated powers, officers at Shropshire Council gave the park’s owners the go-ahead to begin the work, which will also increase the site’s washroom as well as installing solar panels, the Shropshire Star revealed.

In a report submitted to the council, the applicants said that because the park’s high standards were proving so popular visitors were regularly being denied the opportunity of staying at the site.

“We are confident that the development will not adversely impact upon the rural environment, the amenity of local residents and the local highway conditions,” the statement said.

Northumberland caravan park gets go-ahead after two-year delay

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by Tom Lowenstein

Following more than two years of delays, a new caravan and camping site in the North East finally looks set to be given the green light.

It was back in August 2009 when Northumberland Estates first submitted its planning application to transform a former RAF Boulmer administration site in Longhoughton into a new caravan park, the Northumberland Gazette reports.

Having been postponed because of technical objections from the Environment Agency and Northumbrian relating to sewage capacity at the nearby treatment works, the plans have now been recommended for approval by the Northumberland County Council’s planning committee.

Objections still remain from local residents and Longhoughton Parish Council, relating to the economic viability of the park as well traffic and pedestrian safety.

In its report, the planning officer wrote: “It is considered that the proposal fulfils a gap in the local market for walkers and cyclists travelling along the Northumberland coast together with the high demand for touring caravan pitches.”

Concerns remain over the proximity of the potential 62-pitch tourer park and 50-pitch campsite to the neighbouring sewage treatment plant, but planning officers have concluded that these do not justify refusal of the plans.

Win a cartoon of you and your caravan drawn by the Guardian’s Matt Buck

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by Chris Jefferies
With December underway and snow on the ground in many parts of the UK, the countdown to Christmas Day can finally begin in earnest.
If you’re panicking about finding the perfect present to get the caravan enthusiast in your life, then Towergate Insurance may have the ideal solution.

The brokers have teamed up with former Guardian cartoonist Matt Buck to give away a professional caricature, as drawn by Matt himself.
To get you in the mood, Matt has been drawing a series of caravan cartoons, which have taken on a distinctly festive theme of late.
The latest cartoon includes some slightly unusual visitors to a caravan park, looking a bit bemused at their strange new surroundings (click here for full-size image).
Anyone hoping to win a professional caricature for their loved one this Christmas can enter the competition for free over on the Towergate website, but you’ll need to hurry – as the competition closes on Friday 9th December.