by Holly Tribe
With wholesale change from many of Britain’s biggest caravan manufacturers this year, there’s been a glut of new designs introduced to the UK market. From the new silhouette on the Swift Conqueror, Charisma and Sterling Eccles and Elite ranges, to Bailey Caravans’ new top end Unicorn series, the choice for British caravanners is getting ever broader. But what about our European counterparts?
A change in the law earlier this year resulted in the legal width for British touring caravans towed by vehicles under 3500kg being increased from 2.3m to 2.55m, bringing the UK in line with the rest of Europe. As a result, we take a look at what’s been going on across the Channel with European caravan design.
A favourite with European caravanners, Hymer have been building popular ranges of touring caravans for over fifty years. These German-made tourers are distributed throughout Europe and have a strong reputation for build quality and reliability.
For the 2011 season, Hymer Caravans have overhauled their most popular brand the Hymer Nova. Focussing on practical improvement and furnishing comfort, the range has had three new models added to the line-up.
Hymer Nova 435
With a body length of 5.32 metres, the nose end houses both the fixed bed and washroom. The mid section kitchen faces ample wardrobe storage and to the rear is the corner seating/dinette area.
- Overall Width: 230cm
- MTPLM: 1350kg
Hymer Nova 531
Large U-shaped dinettes in the rear and at the nose end both convert into large sleeping areas separated by a mid-galley kitchen and washroom housing a shower and toilet.
- Overall Width: 230cm
- MTPLM: 1500kg
Hymer Nova 541
The third addition comes in the form of the Nova 541, whose layout mirrors that of the 531 but with an extra 10cm width (2.4metres).
- Overall Width: 240 cm
- MTPLM: 1600 kg
Construction of Hymer caravans is based on the tried and tested PUAL method – fully bonded walls, roof and rear section. A design process borrowed from aircraft construction, it ensures reliable waterproofing and reduces the risk of decay. And all nine models are supported on a fully galvanised lightweight Al-Ko chassis.
Until recently these tourers would have been prohibited on British roads, but we may well be seeing more of these popular German tourers in caravan parks across the country.
