Bailey Announce New Autograph Weights

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By William Coleman

At the beginning of September Bailey of Bristol announced their brand new 2020 Autograph range which they will be showcasing next week at the Motorhome and Caravan Show in Birmingham at the NEC. At the time of the announcement the final weights for the models were not available, but they are now.

The first thing to point out here is that the MPTLM of each model is unchanged from the previous series which has resulted in a significant weight loss reduction. This has directly led to the vehicles having a large increase in user payloads so you can go further for longer.

With the models’ quoted Mass in Running Order, or MRO for short, figure there is an allowance made for ‘essential habitation equipment’ which consists of the following:

  • Vehicle driver = 75kg
  • 90% fuel tank capacity = 81kg
  • One full gas bottle = 14kgs
  • Fluids in ALDE heating system = 10kgs

The MRO for each vehicle has been calculated with the fresh water tank being 100% empty. Bailey strongly recommend that when travelling you have a totally empty fresh water tank as having a partial or full tank will reduce the available payload accordingly.

Model MTPLM MRO Total User Payload Payload +/-
Autograph III 69-2 3,500 kgs 2,993 kgs 507 kgs + 56 kgs
Autograph III 74-2 3,500 kgs 3,014 kgs 486 kgs + 171 kgs
Autograph III 74-4 3,500 kgs 3,055 kgs 445 kgs + 90 kgs
Autograph III 79-4I 3,850 kgs 3,233 kgs 617 kgs + 133 kgs
Autograph III 79-2F 3,850 kgs 3,070 kgs 780 kgs n/a
Autograph III 79-4F 3,850 kgs 3,151 kgs 699 kgs n/a
Autograph III 79-4T 3,850 kgs 3,276 kgs 574 kgs + 116 kgs
Autograph III 81-6 4,250 kgs 3,400 kgs 850 kgs + 57 kgs

This policy is fully compliant with the EWVTA requirements and is very much inline with other market competitors.

One final point to mention is specifically on the new Autograph 81-6 model. Owning to the weight and size of this vehicle it will be sold with a factory fitted restrictor limiting it to speeds of 68 mph (or 110 kph). This not only has positive safety implications but also ensures that the vehicle is again fully compliant with new EWVTA legislation.

You can see Bailey’s full motorhome line up next week at the Motorhome and Caravan Show at the Birmingham NEC.

Would You Use Your Caravan For A Festival Trip?

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By William Coleman

Each year it seems festival seasons gets bigger and bigger. More events, bigger names and a lot more space for campers to rest after a day on their feet. Another aspect that is on the rise is the leisure vehicle’s presence. Would you use your motorhome or caravan for a weekend at a music festival?

When I first heard that a close friend of mine was going to rent a 4 berth motorhome for a 5 day getaway at the Glastonbury I patted him on the back and said, “good luck”. The idea of taking a large vehicle through the huge crowds and traffic jams of that festival used to fill me with dread, until I saw how easy it actually is to do.

My friend had never used a caravan, motorhome, camper or even a tent in his life and yet still had zero issues on his first attempt, at the UK’s largest music festival no less. If a first timer can do it we all can, right?

Reasons To Use The Van

Now that the caravan and motorhome’s popularity is on the rise we are seeing waves of younger people embracing the lifestyle and using the vans for any and every activity they can. On the top of that list is festivals, so much so that organisers are now adding larger specific locations for guests bringing leisure vehicles. It must be a better option than a tent if everyone is doing it.

A Real Home Away From Home

With a festival you do give up a few of the creature comforts. With a caravan you do not have to make this compromise and you still get to have the real festival experience.

Being able to come home after a day walking around, and maybe dancing, it’s a lot better to be able to sit on the sofa and relax while you kettle is on the boil than roll around in a tent trying to get comfy in the cold.

No Shared Facilities

As fun as a festival can be there are still a few aspects that are not really that desirable- mud, communal showers, portaloos..

There are some that feel using a public festival toilet is a bit of a ‘rights of passage’ for the festival goer, whereas others like me will avoid them like the plague. Having your own personal spotless mobile bathroom is the dream when going to a festival.

The shower situation is also not amazing as week long festivals, some actually opt to not shower for some reason. Being able to have a steaming hot shower when you want is worth its weight in gold when the warm water runs out by 9am.

Save A Ton By Using The Kitchen

Festival food always has the added premium attached to it because the promoters know that you have no choice but to eat and drink inside the venue’s grounds. So naturally the price for a burger, chips and beer has to be teetering around the £20 mark.

With your own fridge and freezer on board you are not beholden to the overpriced and frankly poor food on offer. You can eat like a king three times a day and spend £15 a head each day.

Oh, and you can keep the beers chilled too.

Sleep In Luxury

As much as I love laying on the floor or on a slightly deflated air bed with rain, dust and mud you just cannot beat a real bed inside an insulated, heated and air conditioned mobile dwelling.

Having your own bed elevated off of the floor is something I think we take for granted, so having a luxury memory foam bed while “camping”, for me, is absolutely the way forward.

Reasons Why Not To Take A Van

A festival event can attract tens of thousands of visitors, most of which have cars and vans and a lot of them do not care or understand what goes into towing a caravan in and out of a location like this. Due to this your rig can become a bit of a nightmare.

Despite all the great reasons there are a handful or bad reasons that I know will deter a tourer from using this form of accommodation for a festival stay.

Damage Worries

Not all festivals are as alcohol fuelled as the music ones but is it this type of get away that is attracting a lot more caravans and motorhome users. Once the last show has finished you can have hundreds and hundreds of slightly tipsy people marching back to camp ready to hit the hay.

Once the horde starts flowing through the caravans and motorhomes some accidents and damage may occur. This aspect is what I think puts a lot of more seasoned caravaners off of using their vans for this sort of thing.

The Mass Exodus

Despite someone I know having a very easy time getting in and out of the event it is very much not the norm.

I have visited lots of different festivals over the years and leaving in a car is always a nightmare, not to mention towing and needing to manoeuvre with hundreds of other cars all trying to squeeze out through a small funnelled exist.

This reason is why I would never take a caravan, ever. I would take a camper or a reasonable sized motorhome though as a lot of van sized vehicles are in these locations delivering goods and providing food and drink services.

So, Is It A Good Or Bad Idea?

There does seem to be a lot more positive reasons to take a leisure vehicle to a festival but it seems that the few negative ones may actually outweigh the good.

For me I would only take a rental that is covered by the insurance that the rental company provides. This way you remove any fear of third party damage that may occur when you’re away from the van or leaving in the mass rush.

I certainly wouldn’t take or recommend taking anything you have to tow unless you feel 100% comfortable with taking on the task.

Cumbria Tourism’s Park Of The Year Claim To Fame

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By William Coleman

Lakeland’s newly-crowned holiday park of the year in the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2019 can also claim a more historic title, according to recently discovered documents and publications.

They reveal that Castlerigg Hall Caravan and Camping Park in Keswick was possibly the location of Britain’s first ever permanent holiday park.

Park owner David Jackson said he was amazed when he found that the site had been providing holidays to Lake District lovers for at least 110 years.

He already knew that an enterprise called Derwent Holiday Camp had previously existed on land now owned by his park, but only recently learned of its long history.

It came about after he was contacted by a relative of the camp’s original owner, William Pattie, who was tracing his family tree and had unearthed a number of papers and photographs.

They showed that in 1909 the camp was offering stays in canvas bell tents, and provided toilets and a pavilion where guests could enjoy “recreation and dining with a liberal table”.

“This was clearly a permanent site offering holidays with accommodation, amenities and meals, and I know of no evidence that anything similar around or before that time,” said David.

“The camp was clearly very popular, but was forced by the government to close for one summer in 1917 for fear that German Zeppelin bombers would mistake it for an army camp.

“Sometime after its creation, the site went on to build small wooden dormitories in which guests could stay, and it’s been suggested that these were most likely groups of children.

“There was also a railway carriage offered for holidays, so we might also have claim to being the first park in Britain with glamping accommodation!” added David.

The Jacksons originally moved to Castlerigg Hall farm in 1938 when David’s grandfather, William, became its tenant, raising sheep and cattle.

He was succeeded by David’s parents, John and Betty, who purchased the land and began moving away from agriculture in favour of tourism.

In the early 1950s, the couple started to welcome campers, and as the park grew and developed they acquired – at the start of the 1970s – the adjacent Derwent Holiday Camp.

The bells tents were still in operation, and David says he recalls playing among their wooden flooring bases while the tents were being erected for the coming season.

His father went on to build three large wooden dormitories in the mid-1970s which eventually replaced the previous long-serving bell tents.

Today, David and his wife Jill have helped to make Castlerigg Hall one of the Lake District’s most highly regarded parks attracting visitors from across the UK and overseas.

Their achievements have been recognised by a raft of accolades, including the now prestigious 2019 park of the year award from Cumbria Tourism.

The park, with its spectacular Lakeland views, provides luxury holiday caravans for hire as well as pitches for tents, caravans and motorhomes, plus a range of eco-friendly glamping pods.

Its facilities include a first-class amenity building, a large shop with local specialities, the popular Gallery cafe, and plenty for children to enjoy.

More about Castlerigg Hall Caravan and Camping Park can be found at www.castlerigg.co.uk

Start You Winter Prep Before The Big Freeze

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By William Coleman

It is almost that time of year again where we shed a tear as start to empty the caravan in preparation for it’s winter hibernation. Our checklist is ready and our cleaning bucket is full as we went the winter period once more and prepare the vans for winter storage.

If you’re anything like me then you really do despise doing the winter storage clean out of the caravan. One, because it means you won’t be using the van until it warms up again and two, because who wants to add extras cleaning to the schedule.

To help take the pain away from your winter prep follows these tips and then make a cuppa and be glad we did the planning for you.

Preventing Damp

With the rapid change in temperature from warm to cold condensation will soon start to form anywhere it can. Once the condensation drips down the interior windows and dries you will start to see and smell the effects of mould.

Something that has an awful lingering smell and will simply spread if not dealt with swiftly is mildew and mold caused by damp so you are going to want to prevent that at all costs.

Some heating with fresh dry air in and out is one way of dealing with it. Or an easier, but more costly way, is to use a dehumidifier. But to be cost effective means a lot more attention or a regular basis.

On this one I would strongly recommend spending out on the dehumidifier. It may cost more initially but in the long run you will save a lot of time and money.

Interior Preparation

Always remove as many unnecessary items as possible. Clothes, bedding, cushions or anything that might absorb moisture, aids the damp issue too.

Leave all the doors and cupboards open to keep them aired as you do not want a musky odor. This is good practice which will aid you in removing anything that does not need to be stored during winter.

A full clean will also help out a lot, nothing worse than finding old food come spring. Ensure that nothing that that can deteriorate over the winter is left inside. A full clean should include surfaces, floor vacuumed, cold storage empties/cleaned and removal of anything that will lead to damp or rot. Also ensure that you dry any wet areas thoroughly before finally locking up, paying special attention to the shower and general bathroom area.

Exterior Preparation

The weather is the enemy number one when storing your motorhome or caravan over the winter. Despite the typical grey winters we have in the UK we can get extended periods of sun, without the heat.

Although the heat may not be there the UV rays are still doing their job. Sun rays can fade the colour of any vehicle, especially when left idea for several months. So a good cover or even a basic tarp will provide sufficient cover. Just take it off now and then and air the van inside and out and maybe give the outside a once over with a cloth and spray.

When you are detailing the outside give all the locks a good clean and a spray with WD40 or a suitable lubricant oil to prevent them from rusting, seizing up or getting anything stuck in them.

I would recommend giving the caravan or motorhome a good clean with a wax to finish. This will give the home an extra layer of protection from the elements.

When cleaning the exterior check for any cracks or dents that may have occurred without your knowledge. If you do not spot a crack then you run a huge risk of leaks. And the best advice and the most simplest is to invest in a good cover. Keep the home nice and tucked up for winter.

Engine Care/Batteries

A battery can die a death if left unattended for an extended amount of time. So a regular engine turn of a motorhome or camper should do a world of good and ensure that the battery doesn’t seize up on you.

Plugging the home into store power once a month, for around 8-10 hours, will help keep coach batteries in good shape. If you are not planning to use the home after winter I would advise you to simply remove the battery.

You can charge it at home and if the temperature plummets you will not have a frozen battery. A discharged battery will freeze a lot quicker than a full battery.

These are just a select few of the checks that you can do. Most people have their own routine that they like to stick to but it is always good to check the basics listed above.

Once winter is over and you want to start using the leisure vehicle, provided you’re not a winter motorhomer, it is always advisable to get a service done to check everything is in full working order.

The Club Win Two Awards At Insurance Choice Awards

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By William Coleman

The Caravan and Motorhome Club have taken two top awards at the recent Insurance Choice Awards 2019 and again prove that they are a lot more than just a club for the touring folk.

CAMC have been named Best Caravan Cover Provider and Best Motorhome Insurance Provider at the Insurance Choice Awards 2019.

The Insurance Choice Awards, which are held by the financial services review platform Smart Money People, were set up to help increase trust and transparency in financial services.

The awards were set up in 2016 and have quickly become the largest consumer-voted awards within the sector, with well over 26,000 consumers taking part this year. The awards find the best possible cover and insurance products and providers on the market.

Winning an Insurance Choice Award is a mark of excellence, and the fact that the Club has won again this year demonstrates how its members continue to appreciate both the expertise and service that its hard working teams offer.

Harvey Alexander, Director of Marketing for the Caravan and Motorhome Club, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised again by the Insurance Choice Awards – not only have we been awarded for our excellent Caravan Cover scheme for the second year in a row, but we also won in the Motorhome Insurance category.

We design our cover and insurance products to reflect our members’ ever-changing needs, so it’s really rewarding to receive these awards that were voted for by them.

“Our experience in the industry means that our members can relax knowing they have the cover they need whether their caravan or motorhome is in use or in storage.

Our Caravan Cover is the most popular financial services product taken out by our members and it offers a wide range of features and benefits with more than eight out of ten members choosing to renew their cover with us Our motorhome and campervan insurance is an excellent product that nine out of ten members choose to renew.”

The Caravan and Motorhome Club only offers its caravan cover and insurance products to its own members – annual membership is £52. Non-members can still be given a quote, which they can take up when they join. The Club’s Caravan Cover starts from just £59 per year. For those looking to purchase motorhome or campervan insurance, the Club offers an exclusive Premium Saving Guarantee, meaning it will beat any existing motorhome or campervan insurance renewal from another provider by at least £25.

For more information call the Club or go directly to their website.

Protect Your Caravan Against Extreme Weather

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By William Coleman

The met office has issued a yellow weather warnings and warned of harsh winds with some areas experiencing extreme flooding. Make sure you do not let this incoming weather damage your home away from home both onsite and in storage.

With the winter months approaching the weather will turn wet, windy and cold, thus keeping a lot of caravans off of sites and on driveways. As the winter weather increasingly worsens, and becomes unpredictable, our caravan and motorhomes face a lot more potential damage.

Some people pack things up around the end of August and do not open the van back up until March or April, it is here where the van can face some real trouble. On the other side of the coin you have some people who make the most of their van during winter who also face some winter related damage.

If you are going to use your van and you do face adverse conditions we should be able to give you some tips that will stop you from running into situations that lead to you calling your insurance provider.

Get A Good Cover

Some people have a good amount of storage on their front garden or down the side of the house to store the van, it is here where the van is open to the elements for prolonged amounts of time.

My uncle keeps his van down the side of his house, in a sort of alleyway, and that alleyway created a tunnel where the wind gathers and hurls rubbel down it like a funnel.

After some horrid weather a year or two ago his van was covered in leaves and debris. Once he cleaned off all the muck he realised his front window had been cracked quite badly in several places.

If you are towing or storing your caravan a cover can be worth its weight in gold, who wants to get on site and clear off a thousand bugs..?

So as this wind builds up and the rains become extremely heavy you can really protect your van by covering up. So simple and maybe the most effecting.

Remove Extras

If you have some added extras fitted to the van like satellite dishes or other antenna it is a good idea to remove them when you store the van or if ugly weather is on the way.

Now depending on the fitting you may want to have a look at your paperwork and make sure that you removing the item will not void any warranty or damage it. If you are not sure how to go about removing things always call who fitted it or your local dealer for any assistance and advice.

Find A Storage Provider.

Despite having space at home it can sometimes cost a lot more in the long run by keeping the van there during the off season. You may be saving by not paying for storage but if some nasty weather appears your van can face some seriously expensive damage.

There are a lot of places that specialise in vehicle storage and others that are solely for caravans and motorhomes. If you choose a location that is for caravans, or motorhomes always pick a covered one

The more you caravan is hidden from the elements the less likely you are to face any unwanted weather related damage.

It is also worth doing some research and ask the site you’re thinking of what they do to prevent or minimize weather damage. If they come up short with good answers then move on to the next.

Keep The Van Weighted

The wind is one of the caravan’s arch enemies, especially when towing at speed. One thing that I can suggest is to overload the van when stored out in the open.

Once the wind picks up the van become a large canopy that can tip over and cause a shed load of damage.

When doing your winter prep and unloading the van you may want to consider leaving some larger objects, or even create some ballast weights.

When driving you want to take extra special care as you need to ensure the van is weighted correctly to ensure the towing behaviour stays safe, but at the same time avoiding any cross winds.

Check your MTPLM and have a play with the weight to see what feels good. Also add some weight over the axle to make sure you don’t overload the front or back end.

Towing In High Winds

The number one thing to do is just slow down and stay safe. Even when loaded the caravan is relatively light and very susceptible to high winds.

No, your speed will not actually affect the wind speed but you can certainly affect how that wind impacts your set up.

The slower you are towing the more time you will have to react to high winds, less panic means a lot more control. If the wind does hit you while towing at speed you will find it quite hard to stop the caravan from snaking and leading to a serious road incidents.

So as the old tea coster says. “Keep Calm And Carry On”.

Check The Weather

If you are planning a trip with the knowledge that the weather may be a tad poor it would be a good idea to match the campsite to the weather conditions.

If there will be high winds then a bare open space may not be the best choice as your wind will act as a windbreaker that can be blown on its side without much warning.

Remove Awning ASAP

When the wind picks up an awning can cause quite a few issues, none of which have a nice outcome.

The wind can go through an awning and cause a lot of damage no matter how well made it is or how well you put it together, to the wind it is just another big canopy to be blown away.

If the wind rips off of the van you will be down an awning and up on external damages to the caravan. A very costly bit of damage that you really do not want.

Will The Thomas Cook Downfall Impact The Caravan World?

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By William Coleman

Unless you have been off grid in your caravan with no access to current affairs I am sure you’ve heard the sad news that the former holiday giant Thomas Cook are no more. Will the world of caravans, motorhomes and staycations benefit now that the holiday titan is no more?

It is never nice when a large company with thousands of employees goes under, especially one that has been in operation since 1841. Over the last 178 years this UK brand has been jetting people off on their holidays all over the world. Now that this has gone I foresee these lost holiday makers make the jump to caravan and motorhome holidays.

Following this collapse there were 150,000 UK residents stuck abroad without a way of getting and and tens of thousands and customers who now do not have anywhere to go on their holidays, not to mention possibly losing some cash they may struggle to recover. So what do they do now? They turn to an alternative holiday solution that will provide just as much fun with a lot more freedom.

With so many travellers being left out of pocket, and scorned, there will be a group who will sour towards the idea of using a travel agents and airlines for their leisure time. Not to mention the huge price difference between a caravan break and an overseas family trip.

Now that there are tens of thousands of people with holiday time booked and paid for with no destination the caravan world is one step that all these holiday makers can take.

This could potentially introduce a lot of new people to the industry who will see just how much fun you can have by staying home for your holidays. With this comes new leisure vehicles buyers and repeat customers year in year out.

With the influx of all these new UK based tourists the economy of local holidays towns, campsite and other popular getaway locations should see a real boost.

I do not believe that overnight we are going to see thousands of families flock to dealerships and start investing heavily in a new motorhome, caravan or campers. But what I do think will happen slowly is a lot of people renting motorhomes and caravans for a weekend or extended stay.

The price for a 4 person family holiday, without spending money, can cost anywhere from £3-5k for just flights and hotel. Now imagine using a glamping yurt from the Caravan and Motorhome Club or Camplify and you will, without much effort, save a ton on your family trip.

From this I do think that eventually we will see families making the decision to buy a caravan of their own so they can take holidays more than just once or twice a year. With a leisure vehicle of your own every weekend can become a holiday.

We are already seeing the leisure industry is already reacting, charitably, to the news of Thomas Cook’s collapse by offering free stays to those who have been negatively.

One such company offering this is Filey Bay Caravans, whose owner has also been left at a loose end by this recent Thomas Cook closure.

Richard Brown, who owns Filey Bay Caravans, had a family trip to Florida which is now not worth the paper it was printed on.

Knowing how so many other people feel he put his heart on his sleeve and decided to help out those who are in the same boat as him.

Speaking with www.scarsboroughnews.co.uk Richard said: “We’re in the same boat – we were due to fly out to Florida in a week’s time – holiday of a lifetime sort of thing.

“It’s just a sad, sad situation.

“I was on a bit of a downer after the news broke and I thought if I could offer a few families a holiday it might cheer a few people up.”

Taking a family on a trip like this is not a small endeavour and Richard had spent £8,000 on the planned trip to Florida. This is not a small amount of money and he could be waiting for a very long time to get that back so he felt compelled to help.

So not only is the leisure industry reacting it is actually reaching out to help those in need. Have you or anyone else you know lost a holiday due to this collapse?

Dorset Park Star Studded Summer

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By William Coleman

There was a triple taste of stardom this summer for a Poole holiday park which found itself to be glittering with its guests in three very different ways.

Family-owned South Lytchett Manor began by being showered in stardust by VisitEngland when the national tourist board announced its 2020 awards.

It scooped a maximum five stars as a touring and camping park, plus a special gold award for the exceptional quality of its accommodation and customer service.

VisitEngland also gave the park a top-level grading for the welcome it provides to older and less mobile guests – whilst the AA chipped in with its ultimate platinum award.

The next star shining at South Lytchett Manor was funny-man John Challis who plays Boycie in BBC TV’s much-loved sitcom Only Fools and Horses.

Boycie was at the park to film an advertisement for caravan distributors Automotive Leisure, and proved a big hit among guests during his stay.

The third star this summer at South Lytchett Manor was entirely home-grown after the park’s marketing manager, Emily Freeman, triumphed in the Ironman Triathlon.

Emily’s performance in the tough qualification event has won her a place in the Ironman World Championships which will be taking place this October in Hawaii.

She recorded the second overall best women’s time after completing a 2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bicycle ride, topped off by a 26.2 mile marathon.

Joanne Bridgen, who with her husband David has owned South Lytchett Manor for the past 14 years, said everyone was delighted with the park’s star-studded summer: “Our VisitEngland and AA awards were fantastic news, not least because both put a big emphasis on the high standards of hospitality and welcome given to guests,” she said.

“Delivering this is very much in the hands of our loyal and hardworking staff, so they deserve a big share of the credit for these accolades.

“The icing on the cake was, of course, Emily’s Ironman success – and we’re all very proud of her achievement, and are crossing our fingers for October!” added Joanne.

Emily’s success came despite her relying in the cycling stage on a budget-priced bike – and now she has launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy a model more suited to the national finals.

New Storage Facility Welcomes 400th Customer

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By William Coleman

One of the UK’s most popular caravan, motorhome dealership and accessory shop have recently opened up their very own leisure vehicle storage facility and they have quickly seen swift success.

Finding a good and trustworthy storage facility for your caravan or motorhome can be a bit of a pain, especially if you don’t want to spend a fortune. A company that has a very strong reputation who you can trust is Salop Leisure.

Salop have invested £750,000 to expand the storage facility at its Emstrey headquarters last year because the existing space, which had a capacity of 250 touring caravans and motorhomes, was full

Now customers have filled up more than half of the expanded storage space in 10 months, as strong demand for motorhomes and touring caravans continues.

The 400th customer was Claire James from Stafford who has decided to store their touring caravan in Salop Leisure, Shrewsbury. She and her husband, Stuart, have used it four times this summer by using the Tow On Tow Off scheme run by the adjoining Love2Stay resort ready for their stay.

“The storage facility is so convenient for the family and us to use the caravan,” said Claire. “We wanted somewhere where we could keep our caravan and have it towed to a campsite for us to use. I can’t tow the caravan on my driving licence, so this is a marvellous solution and Love2Stay is a great place to stay.”

Salop Leisure attributes the popularity of the storage facilities to the growth in staycationing, as many British people no longer holiday overseas.

The facilities, which have achieved a gold award from the Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association (CaSSOA), are covered by monitored circuit television, have alarmed fence line security beams and are governed by an electronic entry system.

Salop Leisure offers dedicated pitches and improved services for existing customers, daylight hours access, on-site servicing of touring caravans, power washing facilities including a high level platform, waste disposal point services and, new this season, a tyre pressure station.

“The expanded storage area is helping to cater for strong demand from customers, particularly from the increased numbers who have purchased motorhomes this year,” said Mike Harris, Salop Leisure’s operations director.

“Many people tolerate having a touring caravan on their drive, but motorhomes are bigger and owners often opt to keep them in a clean, secure storage facility which is easily accessible.

“It’s one of the UK’s most modern, secure storage facilities for touring caravans and motorhomes and we provide a one stop shop for owners. By storing their touring caravans and motorhomes at Salop Leisure, owners can have them serviced on-site and use the award-winning facilities at our Love2Stay resort.

“Increasingly popular is ‘store and tow’ whereby we are able to tow a touring caravan to the neighbouring Love2Stay resort when the owners wish to stay there overnight.

“Owners can come and go as they wish knowing that their caravan or motorhome is safe and secure when not in use. The storage facility is conveniently located alongside Shrewsbury bypass and there is an accessory shop onsite just in case owners need anything.”

Do you use caravan storage, or do you have the space to leave it at home?

Anyone requiring more information about the secure storage facility should contact Sian Rees at Salop Leisure on Tel: 01743 282400 or sian.rees@salopleisure.co.uk

Caravan Guard And Partner Swoop Award

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By William Coleman

In a recent award show one of the top caravan and motorhome insurance companies and their touring holiday partner have taken home the gold for their customer-focused claims handling service.

The Halifax-based company collected the Claims Team Award at the 2019 UK Broker Awards – the leading platform for national recognition within the insurance broker market.

Judges said Caravan Guard really outlined its high pedigree in its entry this year. Managing Director, Ryan Wilby, said he was delighted the company had been recognised in the industry for delivering an excellent claims handling service to its customers.

“Strong teamwork between our internal and underwriter claims teams has helped to simplify the customer claims journey and lead to quicker settlements,” he said.

“Customers often say that a test of a good insurance company is the way they handle their claim. So to have the work of our Claims Team recognised with this award is fantastic and a testament to our passion to deliver brilliant customer experiences.

Caravan Guard claimants are extremely satisfied, on average rating their overall claim experience nine out of 10, when responding to their customer satisfaction survey.

The Claims Team also has strong links with specialist repairers, manufacturers, dealerships and holiday parks. Their specialist product knowledge allows them to deliver a tailored claims service to customers.

The Caravan Guard team also made the shortlist for the Customer Service Award and Personal Lines Broker of the Year. Whilst they didn’t win in these categories it was a fantastic achievement for their team of positive people to be recognised.

To find out more about Caravan Guard and their great value, highly rated caravan or motorhome insurance visit www.caravanguard.co.uk and for static caravan or holiday lodge insurance visit www.leisuredays.co.uk

Holiday Park Raise Funds For Air Ambulance

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By William Coleman

A family run Teeside holiday park has pulled off an amazing charity windfall to help support the ever important Air Ambulance with the support of local residents.

Did you know that there are only two Air Ambulances for the entire city of London and the surrounding areas, both of which are totally funded by charitable donations. It is mad to think that such a life saving scheme it totally dependant on the good will of the public.

Generous visitors to a fundraising party at Drovers Way Holiday Park in Elton, Stockton-on-Tees, have provided a £2,200 lift for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

Almost 200 guests, including local residents and holiday caravan owners, packed the park for an evening of fun and entertainment which included live music.

The event was the inspiration of park owners Helen and Chris Brown who wanted to celebrate the recent move of the Air Ambulance headquarters to nearby Eaglescliffe.

Drovers Way’s new neighbours now have a sizeable boost to their life-saving work, thanks to donations from party guests and a charity auction on the night.

Top of the lots were a number of impressive statues donated by local wood sculptor Lukas Beben which he creates using a skilfully-wielded chainsaw.

Timber for Lukas’s statues is sourced by Helen and Chris’s son Steven from local sustainable woodlands which also provide fuel for the biomass boiler on the couple’s farm.

The farm has been in Chris Brown’s family since 1952, and the park’s name remembers the original drovers road to Yarm which was the only place farmers could cross the Tees.

Drovers Way provides 68 luxury holiday homes for private owners, and is a long-time winner of the annual David Bellamy Conservation Award for its many wildlife initiatives.

The park and the farm are run by Helen and Chris with the help of Steven and their other son Richard who featured among the musicians performing at the fundraising party.

They were joined by some of the music pupils Helen teaches in her spare time, helping to make the evening a “fantastic success”:

“Holiday home owners at Drovers Way are very much a community, and a lot made special efforts to attend and bring along their friends and family,” said Helen.

“Many enjoy walking in the surrounding countryside, and we are always conscious of that fact that if any got into difficulties, the air-ambulance would be a potential life-saver.

“Our guests also appreciate this, and their support of our evening was magnificent,” added Helen.

The cheque for £2,200 was officially handed over to Debbie Gibbs of the Great North Air Ambulance Service at a special ceremony held in the park.

It also coincided with the unveiling of an 8-foot timber statue created by Lukas Beben as a “thank you” to the park for the timber it provides for his work.

The statue depicts a drover who is modelled on a photograph of Chris’s father who originally bought the farm over 60 years ago.

drovesway.com.

Reasons To Carry On Touring Through Autumn

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By William Coleman

You know the time is coming to start the winter prep when the leaves start to turn brown and the sun starts to become a bit shy. As the years go on the numbers of holiday makers who tour all through the colder months keep. It seems that the turn in weather is not deterring holiday makers.

There are so many reasons to never put the caravan away when the winter months approach, and yes avoiding winter storage prep is one of the biggest there is.

As the numbers of winter holiday makers grow the industry are meeting the demand by extending their opening hours to winter and even hosting special events for occasions like Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas and New Years Eve.

If you want to get extended usage out of the van and tour all year round then have a read of these positive excuses as to why you should holiday more.

Autumn Sun Lasts Longer

Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, environmentally speaking, but our summers are lasting longer and are a lot hotter. As of writing this now we face a late September weekend with temperatures set to hit 26 degrees centigrade.

With the weather improving so much during the autumn months you really can get away for that last minute sun. On top of this you get amazing sunsets which are perfect to just sit and watch with a nice mug of tea and a pack of chocolate digestives.

Not sure I would suggest swimming though, unless you have quite a good wetsuit.

The Quiet Season

As popular as it is spending weekends in the van during winter really is not for everyone. This leads to some sites being a tad more quiet coem this time of year.

This will lead as a shorter wait time at the wash block, which we all know can be a nightmare and a much larger choice of pitches on site.

If you favour a particular holidaying hotspot which usually has busy surrounding bars and restaurants then you should be able to walk in without having to make a reservation or being turned away.

Make The Most Out Of Your Investment

Whether you have a caravan, motorhome or campervan, I’m sure you’ve made quite a financial investment. So why not make the most of it and get your monies worth.

I have known quite a few people who will only use the van in absolute peak weather, despite having a grade 3 tested model. It is almost unfair on the van to leave it alone for 75% of the year. Not to mention it does the van no good either, both inside and mechanically.

The Modern Technology Makes It Easier

The modern leisure vehicle manufacturer put their vans through some quite rigorous cold weather testing, most use the cold weather chamber at Truma HQ.

Bailey have so much faith in their weather resistant vans they took two of their Pursuit caravans and an Autograph motorhome to the Arctic on an adventure to test how well they hold up in the extreme temperatures the world can come up with.

It would seem that every single caravan and motorhome is very well equipped to deal with the cold weather we face here in the UK, so make the most of it.

Winter Attractions

Come winter time there are so many things to do and see. I for one love going to a rural area and seeing the autumnal woodlands and just taking a relaxing walk with the camera catching some snaps.

During November and December there are a lot of Christmas markets all over the UK. Some of the best ones are Bath Christmas Market and Winter Wonderland in London. You can also see some great fireworks displays and Halloween events that are hosted on Caravan and Motorhome Club sites as well as many other sites and parks.

The best thing about owning a leisure vehicle is that you do not have to choose between one location or another. You can drive from spot to spot and see them all.

Taking In The Skies

During the autumn and winter months the skies can become extremely clear giving you an amazing view of the stars.

In October last year I went to Loch Lomond for a weekend and can safely say I have never ever seen the stars co clearly, genuinely breathtaking.

So if you into stargazing find yourself a very remote location with no light pollution and just enjoy the view.

I can personally voucher for the Scottish Highlands but also check out Exmoor National Park, Somerset and Devon, Brecon Beacons National Park, south Wales and Snowdonia national park, Gwynedd and Conwy

Cost Effective Touring

A lot of sites reduce their pitch rates and even do deals on week long stays. So when you think of it you can actually save money on taking holidays. Another solid reason to get out more come winter. You can get some down time before the big freeze on a budget.

Seeing A Different Side Of A Location

Once the weather turns the views can change accordingly. There are so many locations across England, Scotland and Wales that look totally different once the leaves have fallen. Same location two different holidays.

If you want some stunning autumn and winter views I would again recommend the Scottish Highlands, Peak District, and the Lake District.