by Holly Tribe
The sun has got his hat on and for many caravanners this is our favourite season to go exploring. If you visited an outdoor leisure store recently, you’ll be aware of the mind boggling array of accessories currently on the market designed to help caravanners make the most of the good weather.
One of the great things about touring is being able to switch from a cosy environment indoors to enjoying the best of the weather right outside the door of your caravan. And the clear advantage over camping or going on a picnic is that your vehicle affords you storage space for larger items which make your al-fresco dining more comfortable. From folding tables and chairs to a full-sized outdoor barbecue there is a range of caravan-friendly equipment for outdoor lovers.
Here at Caravan Times we’ve picked out our favourite accessories to help make the most of warm sunny days and balmy nights.
Lafuma chair
When the sun comes out, make sure you have somewhere comfortable to sit and watch the world go by. The French company Lafuma manufacture a range of hugely popular caravan chairs and recliners. Built using lightweight materials, even the recliners pack down to just a few inches thick for easy storage. For the ultimate in luxury, the Lafuma RSX sun lounger (pictured) has padded seat fabric and comes in a selection of colours.
Price: £99
Where: www.gardeningmegastore.co.uk
Boxmate
Now you’re sitting comfortably, it’s time to unwind with a sundowner so grab a bottle of plonk and put your feet up. To stop your tipple getting warm, Swedish company PorPac have just introduced a new product onto the market – introducing the Boxmate. It works like a thermos keeping the contents insulated and includes a cooling pack which means you can top up your cold beverage without having to leap up and down to the fridge for refills.
Price: details coming soon
Where: details coming soon
Cadac barbeque
An increasing number of caravans are now being built with external bbq points, making al fresco cooking an increasingly popular dining option. Cadac have an excellent range of good quality, sturdy gas grills and bbqs. Unlike their coal powered equivalents, gas bbqs can be conveniently hooked up to your on-board supply and don’t leave a mess ash and coals to deal with at the end of the day. The Cadac Safari Chef bbq (pictured) is a quick assembly model with foldaway legs and packs down into its own carry bags for easy portability and storage. It includes interchangeable/reversible surfaces so you can barbecue, griddle, fry, stir fry, boil and oven cook and weighs just 4 kg.
Price: £59.97
Where: www.tescodirect.com
Sunnflair Washing up stand
Take advantage of the great weather and move your entire kitchen outside. The Sunnflair washing up stand is portable and foldable with a large bowl, drainer and lower shelf. It frees up workspace in the caravan, leaving you (or the kids) to pack away the clean dry dishes at your leisure.
Price: £22.50
Where: www.gooutdoors.co.uk
Endless Breeze fan
When there’s not a breath of air on a steamy day, things can get a little sticky. To cool things down plug in the Endless Breeze fan from American company Fan-Tastic. It weighs just over 2 kilos and stands at 35cm tall on telescopic legs. Powered by a 12v power source, on full whack it kicks out an impressive 10mph breeze.
Price: £19.99
Where: www.outdoorbits.com
