Looking ahead to glamping holiday deals for 2021

Posted by

By William Coleman

Next year is when we really need to make the most of the freedom a touring holiday provides and try new experiences. Why not treat the family with a glamping trip to look forward to?

We all like to wake up on New Year’s Day and say “new year; new me”, but do we have a plan in mind to make the following year the year where we try something different? With your glamping trip, you can tick off a new holiday experience.

As devout tourers, we did not immediately rush to pods and yurts once the craze kicked in a couple of years ago. Now that there are several different glamping holidays available we strongly recommend that everyone gives it a try.

The Airstream gives you an insight into how the Americans tour and the safari tents show just how luxurious a tent can be. With the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Experience Freedom brand, you can try all of these holidays all over the UK.

To help make new holiday memories the Club and Experience Freedom are discounting glamping trips for 2021. You can save up to £20 per night in the Experience Freedom glamping sale from now until January 31st.

Offers and savings for 2021

Use code WINTER20 to save £20 per night on glamping pod stays in January and February, making them £39 per night.

Use code SPRING10 to save £10 per night on stays in a glamping pod, glamping cabin or yurt in March, April and May, meaning stays start from just £49 per night.

Use code SUMMER10 to save £10 per night on Sunday to Thursday night stays in a glamping pod, glamping cabin or yurt in June and July, meaning stays start from just £49 per night.

All of these offers are based on a minimum two-night stay. For the full terms and conditions visit the Experience Freedom website offers page. Happy camping!

British Canoeing partners with Caravan and Motorhome Club

Posted by

By William Coleman

Caravan holidays go hand in hand with outdoor pursuits and keeping active. To help its members try new things and stay healthy, the Caravan and Motorhome Club has announced a new partnership with British Canoeing.

Being a member of the Caravan and Motorhome Club provides access to hundreds of attractions and activities around the world. Following a recent deal, British Canoeing is now an Official Accommodation Partner of the Club and will be introducing deals and offers to all of those with a Club membership.

Brian Morgan, head of events and communications at the Club, said: “We are beyond pleased to be working with British Canoeing. We know that 2020 has seen a huge resurgence of people taking part in activities on the waterways.

“Many of our members enjoy canoeing, kayaking and stand up paddleboarding, so it’s great to be able to offer even more choice of activities with such a renowned organisation as British Canoeing”.

This new partnership is a strategic one for the Club, which is looking to promote outdoor activities in 2021. Club sites will be added to British Canoeing’s PaddlePoints website to help paddlers plan their trips and accommodation.

Meanwhile, Club members will have access to discounts on British Canoeing products and services in the new year. Members will soon be able to head to the organisation’s website to see how to access these benefits.

Mr Morgan added: “The Club offers a choice of some 2,700 beautiful campsite locations, many by waterways, both in the UK and Europe. There’s a perfect destination for everyone wanting to get out, explore and have adventures. This new strategic partnership aligns perfectly with both audiences and will have mutual benefits for members of both organisations.”

Samantha Rankin, head of membership and customer services at British Canoeing, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Caravan and Motorhome Club to the British Canoeing family. This partnership has many mutual benefits to each organisation’s respective members, and will go a long way to linking our outdoor enthusiast paddlesport family with the ability to access some of the best touring sites available in the UK and Europe”.

Are you planning on expanding your outdoor activities list in 2021? We have made it our mission to try at least one new thing next year on our touring adventures. Make the new year one of activity, fitness and health.

The Bailey team continue to supply amid changing lockdown rules

Posted by

By William Coleman

This year has been a challenge on many fronts for companies within the leisure industry. One struggle, which seems like a nice one to have, is being able to supply enough vans for the ever-growing demand. To keep the wheels turning, Bailey of Bristol has been adapting its business to ensure vans are ready for 2021.

During the first lockdown, the headlines reported a surge in toilet roll sales and a shortage of building materials and hand soap. What was not reported was the difficulty manufacturers would face securing spares and parts for leisure vehicle production. Even now, months after production plants have reopened, sourcing all manner of leisure vehicles parts has become challenging.

Due to the three-month break during summer, a lot of caravan and motorhome companies struggled to fulfil build quotas and pre-orders sales. Fast forward to November and the sales numbers for new vans had grown substantially, resulting in lead times for new vans doubling in some cases. This has led to the second-hand market becoming almost as strong as the new van market.

Not wanting to slow production, but realising the severity of the current Covid situation, Bailey of Bristol went to great lengths to keep the production line moving.

As the November lockdown set in, it was decided that closing, or even slowing, the roll-out of new vans would not be an option. Bailey, which fully supports and follows government steps to go into another lockdown, has seen its stock levels drop by 75 per cent, the lowest figure in over a decade. Having such low levels of motorhomes and caravans is not a viable option for Bailey.

The company fully reopened in July and saw that the demand for both caravans and motorhomes had risen significantly. With low stock count and large demand, Bailey had to take action to safeguard the future of the company, as well as the wellbeing of its staff.

Once the leisure industry was able to fully reopen, Bailey saw that customer feedback on new 2021 models (particularly the Phoenix+ and Pegasus Grande SE caravans plus the Adamo motorhome range) had been extremely positive. Due to demand, the Bailey retail forward order book now extends well into the New Year.

Needing to fulfil orders, and above all else, keep staff safe, it was decided that stricter Covid measures would be put in place. During the November lockdown, Bailey was able to keep the manufacturing side of the company open, while maintaining the majority of office-based staff working from home.

In order for the Bailey business to be able to continue operating in this way, it has required the implementation of a series of new working practices. These include hygiene, social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment, which ensured Bailey remains a safe place to work.

Having vans ready to send to dealers is such a vital part of the UK leisure industry. Not only does Bailey need to sell these vans, but dealers also need the retail stock to keep the doors open and the lights on. These delays can have a real knock-on effect that could see some dealers close.

A lot of businesses across the globe have had to make wave after wave of changes to keep to the ever-changing guidelines set out by local governments. The impact these changes have on a business can make or break them, so it’s great to see Bailey keeping its head above water and making sure we get the vans we work so hard to buy and use.

Post-Brexit continental driving

Posted by

By William Coleman

With Brexit just a few weeks away, we Brits will have to make a few adjustments and be on the lookout for driving changes in Europe once the deal, or no deal, is done.

The CaravanTimes crew are no strangers to driving across the European continent and leaving EU countries to then re-enter the EU a few miles down the road. These crossings presented quite a few challenges that we were not ready for. Let’s just say it was lucky we had cash in our pockets and beer in our fridge.

It looks as though we may not have the same freedom of travel we’ve been used to for decades, so we’ll need to make sure we have the right paperwork to cross multiple borders while travelling.

Before Brexit, when travelling through different EU countries you didn’t have to have any additional paperwork for your vehicles, it was only when entering a non-EU country that you needed to have additional green cards and insurances.

Having driven through countries like Albania, Turkey and Bosnia we realised each country requires you to buy a green card and separate insurance to drive legally. This could now be the case for all European destinations on the continent.

To help guide us all through these slightly confusing times, StressFreeCarRental.com has revealed what to look out for when driving in continental Europe in 2021, as life for British motorists will be very different.

A spokesperson for StressFreeCarRental.com said: “With a deal still being negotiated, there is a lot up in the air with Brexit and what changes we may, or may not have to adhere to in 2021.

“If Brits are planning to drive around Europe for work or holidays next year, then they need to be prepared, as Brexit is likely to affect their plans.”

Will you need an International Driving Permit?

From 1st January 2021, we may need what is called an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in some European countries. We purchased them for each team member for the Bailey Bristnabul trip to ensure there were no driving issues.

The UK Government is currently involved in negotiations with the EU about this and has promised more details later this month.

In the meantime, if you have overseas travel booked we’d recommend buying an IDP from a post office for £5.50. Be sure to take a passport photo along with you and check to see if your chosen post office does them; it took us five attempts to find one that did the IDP.

Will your current licence be accepted?

EU and EEA licences will continue to be accepted in the UK for visitors and residents. The EEA is the European Economic Area, which is the EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland

Will you need a green card when driving abroad?

British driver’s UK car insurance is still valid for visiting the EEA during the transition period. But after this period, you may also need a green card. This is a document from your insurer to prove your car is covered if you’re driving in Europe.

The government’s official advice is: “You should plan to carry one for the vehicle you’re driving in the EU and EEA, including in Ireland, from 1 January 2021.”

Please note that separate green cards are needed for trailers and caravans.

Do you need any additional car and motor insurance?

Under the European Union 2009 motor insurance directive, any vehicle legally insured in one EU country can be driven between other European nations on the same policy. So Brits will still be insured under their current providers, but if you drive through Europe without a green card, you might face a fine or have your vehicle seized.

What about a GB sticker on vehicles?

The UK government is recommending that you have a GB sticker on your car, even if there’s already a GB symbol on the number plate.

Anything else I need to know?

British drivers need to remember to carry their V5C logbook with them if they own the car. If it’s a hire car, then you’ll need to get a VE103 form to show you have permission to take it out of the UK.

Motorhome review: Elddis Autoquest 196

Posted by

By William Coleman

As this year comes to a close, we wanted to get one final motorhome review done before Father Christmas pays us a visit (we hope; we’re sure we’re on the nice list!). The Elddis Autoquest 196 seems like the perfect van to review for this time of year, as it’s a van for all the family.

The motorhome has slowly been catching up to the caravan in terms of popularity over the past three or so years and it seems that if the current trend continues, the sales of motorhomes could rival that of caravans.

Elddis motorhomes are always a pleasure to use and with vehicles like this being brought to market it’s easy to see why motorhomes are becoming a top seller.

The Autoquest 196 is a low-line model with a sic-berth capacity and features six seatbelts, which is something of a rarity for motorhomes of this size. Usually, there are just four seatbelts, which can make the extra two beds a bit redundant so it’s good to see that Elddis has added more belts so larger families can all go away together.

Exterior

Like most of the Elddis motorhome catalogue, the 196’s exterior decals and stylings are by the numbers and not too flashy. It seems the changes to the exterior of Elddis vehicles are more caravan based than its motorhome-orientated.

There has, however, been a change to some of the exterior lighting with the addition of a new large LED awning light. Despite being a low power light, it is extremely bright, but not overpowering like some LEDs can be.

As standard you get the bike rack bars pre-fitted, which will save you some money when shopping for a rack and a lot of hassle when fitting one. We prefer factory fitted racks over adding third party ones due to the amount of human error we’ve seen over the years.

Interior

Once you step aboard this motorhome you can instantly see that Elddis has engineered it toward families. The first thing you notice is the four belted passenger seats that sit on the driver’s side, directly behind the driver’s captain seat. The two bench seats are opposite one another with a table separating them. We can see long trips getting a bit tiresome when all four passengers are sat directly opposite one another, but this is the trade-off you have to make when you want six seatbelts inside a motorhome.

The 196 has a huge selling point when it comes to the space inside the van. By day there is not a bed to be seen, which would make you question where all the beds are. How Elddis has utilised this space is perfect and you get two totally different vans for day and nighttime living. The innovation aboard this mobile home shows that the manufacturers are listening to its consumers. Motorhomes have come a very long way in the past decade.

This motorhome is very well lit using a combination of LED lighting and lots of large windows that provide great amounts of natural light to flow throughout the entirety of the living spaces.

Day and night living

If you liked Transformers when you were young or if the kids love them, you’ll want to see this motorhome in action. The 196 totally transforms from a spacious living area by day to a large bed filled mobile home come nighttime.

During the day there is plenty of space throughout the van for the entire family and each section feels well spaced apart. If you are in the rear lounge you can relax with your feet up while the kids make the most of the three bench seats and table towards the front.

It feels like Elddis missed a trick by not adding two rear doors to this Autoquest model, but it does not take anything away from its day-to-day use. We just feel that it would have made a good addition to an already impressive motorhome.

Six of the four beds need to be made up, which is really not that much hassle as they all use pull out slats. Beds five and six are perhaps the most concealed, and coolest, of the lot. The 196 features an electronic drop-down double bed that sits over the front bench seats.

Driving

Motorhomes of this size tend to carry quite a bit of weight, and the 196 is no exception. With an MTPLM of 3500kgs, you need a fairly strong engine to ensure you have a pleasurable drive.

The Autoquest is a very smooth drive, even on tricker terrain, and has a Peugeot Boxer 2.2 140 bhp HDi turbo diesel engine. The six-speed gearbox and Euro 6.2 engine provide fantastic fuel economy, even with all that extra weight.

It was surprising to see that the cab had not changed much to reflect more modern needs. A lot of 2020 and 2021 motorhomes feature better stereos and media options, such as GPS, LED touch screens and Apple CarPlay features. Although this is not the be-all and end-all it’s still nice to have, especially with a price tag that doesn’t give much change from £50,000. At this cost, you’d expect more from the entertainment side of the van.

Verdict

As more families turn to staycation holidays we foresee vans like the Autoquest 196 becoming extremely popular. The six belts and six beds make this motorhome an absolute winner.

The cab could do with some more modern updates and a bit of a facelift and we’d love to see more doors added for ease of access, as well as making loading and unloading easier.

Being able to take away the kids and their friends all at once without compromising on living space is exactly what the industry has strived to achieve for years, The Autoquest 196 is proof that we are finally there.

The definitive caravan Christmas dinner

Posted by

By William Coleman

The modern caravan kitchenette is well equipped for cooking large meals and it doesn’t get much bigger than Christmas dinner. But you are limited on cold storage and space to keep all your cookware, so what is the ideal variation on the caravan festive feast?

Do you have to have turkey? Are pigs in blankets a sin? It seems that every family has a different adaptation of the Christmas dinner. Let’s look at the best version that can be cooked with the tools and space inside a caravan.

We wanted to make sure that this menu was a collaboration of options from the entire CaravanTimes team, as we all had very different opinions on this topic. To keep things fair and democratic we all voted on each section of the menu, and yes things got a tad heated – it’s not Christmas without some bickering.

The trimmings

In the CaravanTimes kitchen, we use the term trimmings for every item apart from the meat and the vegetables. We do limit the number of dishes here as we do not want to overload the fridge and have too much food to prep and cook. Oh, and we need to keep an eye on the waistline too.

  • Sage and onion stuffing: We suggest this is cooked outside of the bird, should you have turkey or chicken, with some grated parmesan in the mix. The cheese gives the dish a nice tang. Cooking it on its own means you can season it to taste and add a few additional herbs and spices.
  • Pigs in blankets: M&S do the pretty good one if you do not want to make them from scratch. We would suggest finding a local butcher as they make the Elddis of pigs in blankets.
  • Bread sauce: Again from the packet as prep space can be limited.

You may have noticed that the Yorkshire pudding did not make the list. What are your feelings on this? Does it have a place on the plate?

The vegetables

This is where a lot of the internal office debate came into play. It seems each member of the team has a very different opinion on what veg a Christmas dinner should contain. Who knew greens and peas would cause such a kerfuffle?

Oven cooked veggies

  • Roasted parsnips and carrots with brown sugar, cinnamon and garlic cloves: These can be oven cooked from raw but it’s best to steam them for around 15 minutes before baking. You can steam them on the hob, which we’d advise as you won’t have much space for an electric steamer.
  • Goose fat roasted potatoes: A little trick to make your roasties come out amazingly is to season them very well before they go in the oven. Toss them well once boiled, as this will make them fluffy, and add salt, pepper and Jamaican all-purpose seasoning. You will not regret this addition of the seasoning.

Hob cooked veg

  • Steamed sprouts with smoked pancetta and walnuts: Parboil the sprouts before adding them to the bacon and nuts.
  • Pan-fried red cabbage with cinnamon and nutmeg: Slice the cabbage very thinly and fry in a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. You are looking at a cooking time of around 20 minutes. Once the cabbage turns soft, take it off the heat. Cover the cabbage in foil and let it steam itself to remove any crunch.

The meat

This is where some of you may get upset with what the team chose. The turkey was voted out very early on in this discussion. This year it was roast beef and a ham joint that scored the winning vote.

A roasted lamb shoulder almost took the top spot, but it was decided that lamb is just not festive enough for the big day.

You may be wondering the reasons for putting beef at the top of the list? It was the beef juices if you can believe it. The gravy you can make from the juices that run out of a good quality beef joint is second to none.

Let the fats and oils ooze out and add them to a warm pan. Once the meat juices are on the boil add your gravy granules and let it bubble away for around ten minutes. Do not forget to stir every 30 seconds or so.

The ham joint works well for touring as it is pre-cooked and can sit on the fridge for quite a while. All you need to do is slice bits off as and when you need it. Ham for breakfast, lunch and dinner is what Christmas is all about.

Dealership interview: Greentrees Caravan Store

Posted by

By William Coleman

The UK has an abundance of caravan dealers that have been providing vehicles, services and expert knowledge for decades and we want to know more about how they operate. The CaravanTimes team decided it was time to sit down with the Greentrees Caravan Store team and find out just how many different services they provide.

When you visit as many different leisure vehicle dealers as we do you cannot help but notice how each location evolves to match the ever-changing needs of touring holidays.

We took a trip up to Dereham to visit a dealership that focuses on so much more than selling caravans and motorhomes. Greentrees is a one-stop-shop for all things touring. The business covers all touring needs from holiday van hire to awnings and everything in between.

Our initial visit to the site was to review the latest Elddis models, but we could not help but ask questions about all the great things we saw. One of the co-owners, Marc Jordan, was kind enough to talk us through all the exciting things happening at Greentrees.

CaravanTimes: You are more than just a leisure vehicle dealer, right?

Marc: Yes indeed. We sell caravans and motorhomes, carry out services; we have a bespoke coachworks repair centre around the corner specialising in paint and damp repairs; we host in-house towing courses and lessons, as well as hiring caravans and motorhomes. On top of all that we also have a large outdoor living accessory shop.

CaravanTimes: You do new and used vans. What are the benefits of buying used?

Marc: The benefits of buying pre-owned vehicles, of course, is financial savings against new prices. The availability can sometimes be better too. Pre-owned vehicles are in stock and ready to go. For the last three years the lead time on new models has been increasing. You can typically wait an average of five months to receive your order.

New leisure vehicles do have bedding-in periods and often experience niggles and issues within the first year, they tend to be nothing major, but expect several trips to the dealer to have warranty work undertaken.

When buying pre-owned, often these vehicles have settled in and the teething problems have been dealt with, delivering less hassle ownership at a lower price and without the long wait for it to arrive.

If you chose the wrong vehicle, Greentrees offers what we believe is a first in the UK – a 30-day no quibble exchange policy. If for any reason at all you change your mind or see something you prefer arrives in stock, you can exchange within 30 days at zero cost.

CaravanTimes: Have you seen an increase in newcomers buying leisure vehicles this year?

Marc: We have seen a huge increase in “new blood” enter our market sector. Since the crash of 2008, we have not seen large volumes of newcomers to our market and young families have been few and far between.

Since Covid set in and the travel restrictions were announced we immediately saw an upswing in newcomers and first-timers of all age demographics arriving in the hundreds. We’ve seen around a 60/40 split between the newcomers and 50-65-year-olds who have never toured before.

CaravanTimes: How was 2020 for Greentrees?

Marc: 2020 has been a whirlwind of business, custom and emotions. From going into the first lockdown in March wondering, like most business owners, how our company would look when we were able to return and planning for the worst whilst hoping for the best.

We knew it would not be the same and would go one of two ways: exceptionally quiet or extremely busy. What we didn’t forecast is just m business we’d receive. We increased our working hours by 20-30 per cent per day to keep up, something our team stepped forward and offered to do to help the business.

In all departments, from sales to shop to service and certainly hire, we’ve seen a large increase in demand. In October we smashed sales records, despite missing the largest event of the caravan calendar year, the NEC show. As 2020 comes to a close, we have reported our best year trading performance since we opened our doors over 50 years ago.

Greentrees is a family business and has massive respect and value for the staff. The directors decided to donate a profit share of £10,000 to our team just before Christmas. After receiving another lockdown in November, we wanted our staff to end the year with smiles on their faces. £10,000 was shared amongst our team, which saw staff going home with a £500+ surprise for their families at this, a special time of year.

CaravanTimes: What are your plans for 2021

Marc: We plan to enter 2021 ready for the continuation of high demand for our lifestyle, holding a huge selection of stock of both new and pre-owned vehicles.

The buying of new stock has already started in preparation for spring, something we do not usually do at this time of year. In addition to that, we have added more vehicles to our HireMe leisure fleet. HireMe is our in-house rental business, which caters to people who want a taste of the lifestyle without a large initial buy-in price.

With luck, we will aim to start progress on our latest land purchase directly across the road from here. This site will see a dedicated aftercare/workshop department, allowing our current site to double our retail capacity and extend our display area for vehicles. This new area will hopefully include a new indoor showroom, as well as several commercial units we will rent to local businesses.

CaravanTimes gets hands-on with the Elddis Crusader Borealis

Posted by

By William Coleman

As we head towards the end of the year, we visited GreenTree Caravan Store to get our hands on a luxury caravan from Elddis, but is this four-berth one of the best touring vans for 2021?

Elddis’ leisure vehicles are instantly recognisable for a multitude of reasons, so we wanted to see if this year’s Crusader lives up to the very high expectations the company has set for itself.

The Crusader Borealis is a new model for 2021, which has a ton of new interior design features and an all-new Alde heating system. This new twin-axle is a bit of a show-stealer within the Elddis line up and we may see a lot more of these vans come the new year.

Exterior

Elddis has brought a real head turner to the market with this 2021 model. The exterior colour – matt grey – makes this van stand out from most you’ll come across on site.

Ensuring that you can use this van all year round, Elddis has used Grade III thermal insulation for guaranteed all-weather comfort.

From the outside, this caravan looks extremely smart and we are very much on board with how many new vans are using different coloured exterior shells. It is refreshing to see caravans being made in different colours and I am sure this will appeal to younger buyers too.

Another great feature is the new Kromex badges, which show off the strong branding Elddis incorporates into all of its leisure vehicles.

If you are into your wheels, you’ll be overjoyed with the exclusive ‘Tardis’ Sports alloys with wheel spats. They are modern and trendy without having that boy racer look that some alloys have.

Interior

Inside the Borealis is quite striking and unique when compared to 90 per cent of other vans on the market. Through the entire caravan, you are treated to light wood and lots of bright lighting, which highlights the amount of space provided.

Elddis’ lighting redesign does wonders for the Borealis’ interior, especially the multiple directional LED lights that are found throughout.

A magnificent panoramic Sky-Scape sunroof gives a flood of natural light into the front dinette. This may be the largest skylight we have seen on any Elddis caravan.

The new ‘Ashton’ craftsman built cabinets look amazing and provide a huge amount of storage – a perfect balance of style and function.

As there will be a lot more touring in the colder months, the all-new Alde 24-hr multi-programmable central and water heating system should come in handy for when the temperature plummets. The new system runs on both gas and electricity (up to 3.15KW).

All the cupboards on board are ‘Quiet-Close’, something all manufacturers should be investing in moving forward. To keep the sound down even more, Elddis have added soft close draws throughout.

The interior colour scheme – Elddis calls it Ashton – is one of this van’s best selling points and we are wondering what can be done next season to top this?

Nighttime

Being a twin-axle four-berth model means you have enough space to sleep four and still have around 65 per cent of the van to use.

Boasting a fixed rear island bed and mid washroom gives great separation from day and night time living. Once the lounge bed is made up, the rear bedroom can be completely cut off, ensuring total privacy.

The fixed bed mattress is lightweight, yet super-supportive with soft-touch Argentum+ anti-bacterial and anti-allergy technology.

As you’d expect, the L-shaped lounge is where your second bed is located and the new spring-assisted beech slats provide a very comfortable sleep and ease of access to the concealed storage.

Kitchenette

Here you will find one of the nicest kitchenettes of all the 2021 caravans. When it comes to kitchens we love seeing new innovations like this. The extended work space separates this kitchenette from most other caravan kitchens you are likely to see in 2021. There is a ton of prep space, a giant sink (maybe the largest we’ve seen) and under-panel LED lighting.

A lot of caravan kitchens follow a very similar pattern, which seems a bit ‘off the shelf’. Elddis have made a mobile kitchen that any chef would be happy with.

The Dometic grill/oven combo can handle anything from baking cookies to a full Sunday roast. The three gas-ring hob and hot plate sit quite deeply into the hob so any spillage will be contained.

In the kitchen, you have durable ‘taupe grey’ smooth-finish worktops with taupe brushed-effect acrylic edging. We really cannot say enough good things about this kitchen!

Washroom

The Borealis’ washroom area benefits greatly from the separation of the toilet and shower. You have a large shower cubicle that is similar to the size you’d expect to find in a house or flat.

Inside the shower cubicle is an exclusive Eco Camel Orbit water-saving Halo shower head with built-in Aircore Technology.

The spacious restroom has lots of storage and a domestic style towel rail, which may be a tad close to the toilet. This same toilet is an auto-fill system that features an electric flush, so no more pull chains for this caravan.

Verdict

The Borealis is the first Elddis van we got our hands on this year and we have a second review coming up. It was a pleasure to review the Crusader Borealis from start to finish.

We did a double-take when we saw the price tag, because you do not usually get this level of luxury and build for just under £30k.

Both the internal and external design and build quality of this caravan are magnificent. The colour scheme, the LED lighting, large sky-light and brilliant kitchen are just a few of the many features that make this one of the best caravans we have reviewed in 2020.

If you’re interested in seeing this van or finding out more, you can visit the Greentrees Caravan Store or have a browse of the website.

Park finder website gets a big financial boost

Posted by

By William Coleman

The acquisition of Caravan Sitefinder by Michael Paul Holidays is anticipated to see the online portal to the caravan, camping and holiday parks across the UK become ever more popular and accessible than ever.

Each year the website draws around one million visitors and will see a major cash injection to strengthen the services it provides to hundreds of thousands of customers.

CEO of the company, Michael Paul, has said that the biggest enhancement to the site will be the introduction of an online booking facility to create the largest park holiday sales platform in Britain.

Caravan Sitefinder first came online over 25 years ago and has grown to list and describe over 6,000 parks. During its the two and a half decades of operation the site has presented holiday homes to rent and to buy, plus those offering touring pitches.

The site will now operate alongside the holiday property website Michael Paul Holidays, which has been in operation for 12 years. The site was created by chartered surveyor and long-time leisure sector specialist, Michael Paul.

“This acquisition is destined to be a game-changer for parks and consumers, and comes at a point when UK staycations are enjoying a massive renaissance,” he said.

“Park businesses realise that in order to secure their fair share of this booming market, they must achieve as high an exposure as possible to prospective customers.

“Our two platforms, Caravan Sitefinder and Michael Paul Holidays, now make this an economically realistic goal for park enterprises of all types and sizes”, continued Michael.

He added that visitor numbers for both websites had increased vastly over this year, and were continuing to rise this winter in defiance of the traditional seasonal lull.

“All the indications are that 2021 will be a staycation year like no other, and that many more Britons than ever will be shunning foreign travel and committing to a UK holiday,” he added.

“Their expectation will be to go online to research and book their stay in an easy, seamless and professional manner – which is just the experience we will be delivering”.

Advice for first-time caravan buyers

Posted by

By William Coleman

Buying your first leisure vehicle is quite a big decision, with many factors that can influence the final choice. Let us help guide you through this process and remove any looming questions you may have.

The world of caravans, motorhomes and campervans is a large and varied one, which can be quite daunting when you first enter it. There are a lot of choices to make, starting with what type, layout and colour you like. Once you’ve solved that initial mystery you’re then faced with the trickier stuff like weight, MLTPM (maximum technically permitted laden mass) and the question of whether your current car will be able to tow your chosen caravan.

It seems like a heck of a lot of things to try and figure out all at once. With these tips, you should have all the questions ready to ask your dealer and have enough information to do some independent research ahead of opening your wallet.

Questions to ask when buying a caravan for the first time

Can my car tow a caravan?

Depending on your budget, the best advice is to look at your current vehicle and then see what van best suits what you already have. Doing this will save you a lot of time when it comes to what size and weight caravan to look at.

Not all cars are suited for towing so have a good look at what you currently own. Make sure, unless you’re going to buy a new tow car, that your current vehicle is up to the task.

Another aspect to look at is the combined weight of your tow car and caravan. If you passed your driving test after 1997 and don’t have a B+E grade on your licence, you won’t legally be able to drive a setup over 3500kg. This limits your options quite a bit, so it may be worth looking into additional driving courses once you’ve found your feet with towing.

What weight and berth?

Once you’ve determined whether your car is capable of towing a caravan, you’ll be looking for leisure vehicles under a particular weight. The average weight of a caravan is around 1300kg, but this doesn’t account for any personal belongings when setting off on a holiday. How confident you feel when driving and the size you require will further narrow down your choice.

The construction type and the materials your caravan is made from will also affect the towing weight. The higher the berth, generally the higher the weight, as you get more van to sleep and move around in.

In today’s market, a lot of manufacturers are building larger vans, with a higher berth capacity, at a much lower weight to ensure younger holidaymakers can get better vans at these lower towing weights.

What is the van for, and how often will it be used?

It’s very tempting to go and buy the biggest and best caravan or motorhome you can get your hands on. But, in reality, do you need all that leisure vehicle if it will only be used a handful of times a year? The answer is probably no, so why not spend some time looking at why you want a van and how it will be used?

Being honest with yourself at this stage is going to be extremely beneficial. Is this purchase going to be a family van that will be used on half-terms and bank holidays? Or will the van be taken away twice a year?

Once you have these questions answered you’ll have a much better understanding of what you need, then you can match a van to your needs and look at different price brackets.

New or second-hand?

Do you remember when you were first learning to drive and had your heart set on that brand new car down the road at the local forecourt? Then your mum and dad turn up with a very old, just MOT-able car that saw its best years before you were born. This was a wise lesson as we all trashed our first car.

Should you apply the same life lesson when looking at a new caravan or motorhome? This is a yes and no answer, but we’d say buying second-hand when first touring is the safest bet.

If you go to an approved dealer you can walk away with a fantastic second-hand model that’s just like new. This will save you some money and you can try the lifestyle without spending top dollar on a new van.

There are times when people have been on caravan holidays with friends and family and loved it. They then go and buy a van and realise they much prefer to be a guest on these trips than an active tourer.

You could also try before you buy – another great financial decision. Nowadays there are so many different rental options where you can spend a few hundred pounds on a trial run before making the big purchase.

Final thoughts and advice

Do your research! We cannot stress this enough. Consider all makes, models and sizes to find exactly what suits your needs and budget. The last thing you want to do is put a large deposit on a van and then change your mind.

Forums and other social media channels can be useful for answering common questions. If in doubt, you can discuss your needs with a caravan club or a local dealership. Most dealers are more than happy to help you rather than shove sales tactics down your throat.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club Tow car of the Year 2021

Posted by

By William Coleman

This year the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s tow car testing was a little different from what we were used to. We took part in the virtual judging to bring you the best tow vehicles on the market.

Each year the Club goes to extreme lengths to assemble a crack team of tow car judges to spend a week at the Millbrook test course, where they drive dozens of top-class vehicles and decide which one is the king of towing. 2020 marks the 38th edition of the annual testing and the first-ever virtual version.

We were unable to test at the Millbrook site as the Club felt it was a better option to host virtual judging. Our very own Dan Cartwright was a judge once again this year and found that virtual judging was surprisingly insightful and enabled him to look at each vehicle from a different point of view.

Taking this year’s top spot, in spectacular towing fashion, is the Skoda Superb Estate SE L Executive 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG. This is the second win for Skoda in the past three years, with the world-class Skoda Kodiaq taking the 2018 award. We tested the Kodiaq around Europe for three weeks and it is easy to see why Skoda keeps taking home the gold.

We know just how valuable these awards are and the information passed on by judges gives buyers the details they need to be confident when purchasing their next, or even first, tow car.

On top of that, the feedback is also given to manufacturers who take it away and see how the info can help them cater better to the touring world. Over the past four decades, the feedback from this testing has been taken on board by a lot of manufacturers, and we’ve seen these changes implemented in the following years to the cars submitted.

The 40 entrants were put into caravan weight categories – they are usually listed by price – to make it easier for buyers to know which cars could tow their caravans. Cars were entered into classes using their 85 per cent kerbweight figure or by their towing limit, whichever was the lower. The competition had seven weight classes, as well as Pick-up, Alternatively Fuelled, and two Family Tow car categories.

The entrants were then matched with caravans from Bailey of Bristol’s 2021 range with virtual loads, both in the car and the caravan, ensuring the vehicle’s other weight limits were not exceeded.

Nick Lomas, director general of the Caravan and Motorhome Club said, “Caravan holidays have never been more popular and it’s important to the Club to make sure we provide relevant information to our members – and all those interested in touring and towing. The Club, with its 110-plus years of experience, has worked with respected industry colleagues and journalists, all of whom are themselves caravanners, to bring together this invaluable set of data and information.”

Category winners

Overall Caravan and Motorhome Club Tow car of the Year 2021: SkodaSuperb Estate SE L Executive 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG

Skoda is a regular in the ‘Tow car Top 3’ and this year’s Superb appears to be no exception. You can’t go wrong with one of these. If you want a large estate, the Superb has to be on your shortlist.

Caravan Weight Under 1100kg: Renault All-New Captur

Caravan Weight 1100-1200kg: SEAT Leon Estate FR 1.5 TSI manual 150

Caravan Weight 1200-1300kg: SkodaOctavia Estate SE L First Edition 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG

Caravan Weight 1300-1400kg: Skoda Superb Estate SE L Executive 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG

Caravan Weight 1400-1500kg: Vauxhall Insignia SRi VX-Line Nav

Large Family Tow car: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Caravelle 6.1 SE Long Wheelbase 2.0 TDI 199PS 7spd DSG

And here are the new category winners

Caravan Weight 1500-1700kg & Alternatively Fuelled: Volvo XC40 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T5 FWD R-Design

Caravan Weight Over 1700kg & Family Towcar: Volvo V60 Recharge Plug-in Hybrid T6 AWD R-Design

Pick-Up: Nissan Navara dCi190 Double Cab N-Guard Automatic

Is 2021 going to be a new age for the caravan holiday?

Posted by

By William Coleman

Every few years the caravan holiday goes through a resurgence and the industry experiences a surge in popularity. With so many global factors in place, is 2021 going to be the boom of all booms for the UK staycation?

Ever since the Brexit vote in 2016, the love for the caravan and camping holiday has grown each year. This could be because of the vote, or just pure coincidence. Whatever the reasons are for the upswing, we’re glad it’s happening.

This year saw another large issue impact the caravan holiday; yes, it’s Covid. Due to travel restrictions, anxiety and a general unease of going abroad, the masses have been flocking to sites, parks and leisure vehicle dealers across the UK.

Now that so many people have experienced just how fun and varied a staycation can be, site bookings for next year are already through the roof.

The question we’re asking is, has the combo of Brexit and Covid put the caravan market in an extremely strong position?

In the UK, the caravanning industry contributes more than £9.3 billion to holiday parks and campsites every year. It currently employs over 130,000 people across the UK and next year’s numbers may be even higher. With so many jobs being lost at the moment, this rise in employment could be just what the doctor ordered.

Has the travel industry priced itself out?

A few decades ago, it was financially unfeasible for a family of four to hop on a plane and spend a week in Spain. Then there was a period when overseas travel became an option for everyone. Fast forward to the present day and it’s once again become extremely expensive to take the kids abroad.

It seems as though the travel industry set a rod for its own back and slowly started to outprice loyal customers. Not to mention how the masses feel about the school holiday price hikes, which is daylight robbery at its finest.

Add to that the uneasy feeling of how Brexit will change the way we travel, sprinkle the events of 2020 on top and you have the perfect recipe to keep us all home for our holidays.

However, this can only be a good thing for all aspects of the UK economy, not to mention the much needed financial boost for sites and parks.

An area with a high-quality caravan park can be an extremely important part of a local financial ecosystem. We know many businesses that get continual repeat custom due to a local caravan park or resort and rely heavily on this holiday trade.

Come 2021, the world will look very different than it did from the same time a year prior. With such high demand for holidays, leisure vehicles and all manner of outdoor living equipment, it’s a safe bet that our staycation tourism industry is going to be strong.

Not only will this pump a lot more money into our own economy, it will also mean holiday abroad spend will now be kept in the UK. It was estimated back in January of this year that £27 billion of abroad spend would be kept in the UK. What will it be next year, with all the changes?

Looking at the trends online

Numbers do not lie and Google has some astonishing data showing just how popular the caravan holiday has become.

Data collected through Google search trends revealed that the topics “caravan” and “camping” have been at their highest this year. Furthermore, in July 2020, the data also showed that interest was 56 per cent higher than it was in the previous year (July 2019).

When we look at this data more closely, we can see that those who were searching online for these terms were also asking questions such as, “when will caravan parks open?” and “how are caravan parks responding to Coronavirus?”.

Alongside this, there was a huge spike in interest for queries such as, “caravan for sale”, “caravan holidays”, and “caravan insurance”.

The Future of caravanning

According to the National Caravan Council, it is estimated there are around 555,000 touring caravans, 365,000 caravan holiday homes and a further 255,000 motorhomes currently in the UK. However, with the pastime becoming a more viable and appealing option to people residing within the UK, it could be suggested this number will gradually begin to rise.

In fact, caravan accessory company, Motor Movers Direct has seen first-hand the rise in demand for the products they sell.

A spokesperson for the company, said: “Over the last few months, we have seen a rising demand for caravan and motorhome accessories, which suggests to us that there has been an even greater demand for the vehicles themselves. Many of these customers have been first-time buyers, just beginning their journey into the world of camping and caravanning.”