by Joe Jeffrey
No stopping for one couple as they hit the slopes in style
Whereas most couples pack their camping and caravanning gear away after the summer, one couple have done the exact opposite and taken to the slopes in Austria to enjoy another one of their favourite pastimes and to compete in championships across the Alps.
Professional snowboarder Simon Cudlip, 26, and blogger Faye Young, 22, have already spent the last six months in their caravan working on a campsite in the UK while enjoying their favourite summer sport, wakeboarding, and will now be posting regular updates of their winter lifestyle and sub-zero experiences on the new Bailey blog, which can be accessed here. They will also be sharing photos and updates via social media on Bailey’s Twitter handle using the hashtag #BaileySnowSeason.
Being told they ‘must be mad’ to want to live in a caravan through an Alpine winter did not deter this young couple from buying their first caravan – a Bailey Ranger – three years ago, which they subsequently upgraded to a 2008 Bailey Pageant Vendee. Both Simon and Faye prefer to have their own space and save money by not having to pay for expensive rental accommodation every winter sports season and they are still surprised that more British people don’t use their caravans for winter sports holidays.
Simon said: “The campsite we stay at near Innsbruck in Austria is busy all winter with people regularly using their caravans and motorhomes for skiing and snowboarding holidays, but we never used to see any from the UK. However, we’ve managed to introduce the idea to people we know who are also working here for the season, and persuaded several people from the UK to use their caravans for a holiday here, and now they love it,”
“A caravan is perfect for our lifestyle as we love to be able to go off to snowboarding competitions, then come back to our own place with our own things around us. We love caravans, and wish more people our age would consider it,” Fay added.
When not snowboarding, Faye writes her ‘girls snowboarding blog’ about fashion, travel (including caravanning) and reviews of anything snowboarding related, while Simon has a ski and snowboard waxing business which he does in the caravan’s awning. For this season, Simon has an Isabella Universal 420 porch awning which is specifically designed to be used in winter with features such as a sloping roof to help avoid having to clear any build-up of snow.
For the 2015/16 winter, Simon and Faye have swapped their 2008 model for a new, fourth generation Bailey Pegasus Brindisi, making the most of Bailey’s Alu-Tech bodyshell technology featuring thicker body panels and superior insulation.
The Brindisi also has a roomy front lounge offering great views from its unique vertical skylight, a well equipped kitchen in the central area, followed by a rear transverse double bed and an end washroom with a large shower cubicle.
Just like at home, the Truma heating system in the Pegasus is programmable via an easy to use control panel, but Simon and Faye also have the luxury of the new (optional) Truma iNet box so they can use their phones or tablets to control the heating from wherever they are to make sure they always return to a cosy, warm caravan after an active day on the snow.
Nick Howard, Managing Director of Bailey added: “It’s great to see two young people using a caravan as a base for their leisure pursuits in any climate, and we’re delighted that the Bailey Snow Season will demonstrate that the thermal efficiency of the Bailey Alu-Tech bodyshell makes our caravans genuine four-season vehicles.”
