Top ten things to see and do at the 2013 Spring Caravan & Camping Show

by Ben Wilby and Emmy Griffiths
The Spring Caravan and Camping show has been running all week (19 to 24 February) and will be steaming ahead this weekend, with a variety of newly unveiled caravans, celebrities and plenty of activities including cooking, aqua-zorbing and rock climbing.
We’ve scoured all four halls of the show to bring you the best things you should seek out if you’re planning to head along.
Get futuristic with the Swift Colour Concept
After it was announced last week, we at CaravanTimes were looking forward to seeing the Swift Colour Concept (pictured below right), and it did not disappoint.
Stylish and appealing, complete with LED lighting and modern kitchen fittings, the light and luxurious caravan seemed a hit with spectators flocking to the Swift stand in Hall One.
The wooden flooring was particularly nice, as was the soft furnishings, which completed a lovely living room area, along with a deep shag-pile rug. Is this the future of caravans? Take a look and decide for yourself…

Take the plunge and go hydro-zorbing
Maybe one for younger attendees at the show, hydro-zorbing (which entails going inside a large bubble like structure and ‘walking’ on water) is certainly something unique to try at the show.
As with all the other activities at the show, this is free and provided something a memorable activity to top off your day.
With the huge amount of water sloshing around in Hall One, it is definitely advisable to bring a towel in case things don’t go exactly to plan…
See the new Lunar Vacanza
The Lunar Vacanza was announced recently leading many motorhome fans to wonder about what the new vehicle would look like.
After five years without releasing a motorhome, anticipation for a new vehicle was high and Lunar didn’t disappoint as they showed off the new Vacanza which they describe as a ‘camper-car.’
It has this name due to being a similar size to a family car, and so it is manoeuvrable while also offering the expected living space and the usual utilities.
The Spring Caravan and Camping Show represented the first chance to have a good look at their new vehicle which is based on the Nissan NV200 Combi, and it seemed to be a big hit, with many visitors crowding around to see it in Hall One.
Go celebrity spotting
The show is packed with famous faces Kim Woodburn chatted to us about the tip top hygiene standards at The Camping and Caravanning Club, while Andy Torbet has been sharing anecdotes on how he began climbing, BBC’s popular Operation Iceberg (available on BBC iPlayer) and his other extreme sport interests.
As well as this, Vincent and Flavia from Strictly Come Dancing (pictured below) made a tangoing appearance, and a different celeb is expected on every day of the show, including Springwatch’s very own Kate Humble and The Really Wild Show’s Nick Baker.

Scale the rock climbing wall
As tempting as it was to barge to the front of the queue for the huge rock climbing wall surrounded with a crowd of kids waiting, it became clear very quickly that this is an activity aimed at the younger show visitors.
In addition to a challenging climb in Hall Four, there is also a ‘free fall’ option when the bravest kids jumped from a ledge and were lowered down on an abseil cord. It was a great idea and one of the most popular parts of the show.
A chance to see the Bailey Pegasus GT65 – and the new Turin layout
So you’ve read all of the details of the new Bailey Pegasus GT65 and were pretty excited at what you read – now is your chance to see it.
If you missed it at the Manchester Caravan and Motorhome show, this should be one of the main reasons to visit the Bailey stand in Hall Two – where every layout is on display and free to be explored at your leisure.
The other big draw of the show is a chance to see thebrand new Turin layout, which is on display for the first time at the show.

See a collection of the strangest caravans
One thing we noticed at the show was the number of different caravans that were a little different from the norm.
From the bright red Calor Gas Calorvan to Zone Caravans’ unique teardrop tourers, there were plenty of tourers that were very different from the norm.
Learn the art of campsite cooking
Hungry visitors can learn about cooking with the resident show chef Andrew Dickens as he holds three demonstrations a day on the delicious and ingenious food you can cook during your holidays.
Wander over to the wildlife corner
In a bright green area in Hall Four surrounded by little picnic benches, spectators had the chance to sit down and see an assortment of animals including a barn owl, a common buzzard, giant rabbits, rats and otters.
This is the perfect activity to do with the kids, especially as they have face painting in between the shows.
We learnt plenty of fun facts, for example – did you know that the common buzzard is nicknamed the telegraph pole hawk for the long periods of time that they sit on them?

Get some towing practice
It isn’t just kids who get to play with things – outside the NEC there is an area set aside to allow anyone with a full driving licence to practice towing a caravan with a licensed instructor.
The event has to be booked in advance, but it is a good demonstration of the more comprehensive courses that are run throughout the year at sites across the UK.
Whether you have plenty of experience or have never towed before, this is a good chance to get out and try your hand at an essential part of caravanning.

Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes
What did we miss? Tell us your show highlights in the comments box below