By William Coleman
Back in February I got the opportunity to speak with the Caravan And Motorhome Club about their all new Experience Freedom brand that they were launching at the NEC Show. In a bid to get the public more active and provide outdoor activities for people to enjoy throughout the year The Club has install unique glamping accommodation across selected sites in the UK. This past weekend I ventured down to Brighton to Experience Freedom for myself by staying at The Club site and trying out the iconic American Airstream.
This is actually the second time I have experienced freedom with the help of The Club. The first time was back in May when I went to the National Rally and took park in their CycleFest. Now I will be using one of their static American Airstream caravans, which just goes to show you how varied The Caravan And Motorhome Club are. From bike riding to caravanning all under one banner.
So let me start by saying that the only time I have ever seen any type of Airstream was in films or a brief peak inside of one at the NEC show. So I was not really sure what to expect from a weekend in one. If I had to use just one word I would have to go for ‘spacious’.
Before I go into the details of the Airstream Colorado I want to explain what The Club do to ensure that their Experience Freedom stays are more than just your usual weekend away in a caravan.
We were welcomed by the staff at the Brighton site with smiles and good clear information of what we will be getting with our package as well as normal site rules. Upon entering the Airstream were greeted by a welcome kit as well as some snacks, who does not love a good snack. The welcome back consisted of a very easy to follow instruction book of how to use all aspects of the caravan.
A lot of people may wonder why there would be an instruction manual in a caravan on a caravan site. Well it is quite simple, The Club want people who may not have ever used a caravan before to get into the lifestyle. The more fresh new eyes the industry gets the more we all benefit. So for anyone who may be a tad apprehensive about using a caravan need not worry as this is caravanning made easy.
The caravan came fully furnished with everything you’d need for a relaxing weekend away. Pots, pans, plates, cutlery, knife block, washing up liquid, oven gloves, a kettle and even a full integrated TV. So the try before you buy crowd, or even those who just want to get away, do not have to put together a full kit for their holiday. The onboard kit is better than my own!
Due to the site being in Brighton, a location I have been visiting for pretty much my whole life, we packed light on the food front as we’d be spending most of out time in town, but did actually forget tea, coffee and milk. Thankfully the welcome pack comes with all of that and even 4 sachets of Cadbury Milk Hot Chocolate.
The great thing about being on a Club site are the pitches. I know we have had drought like conditions recently but the site still looked green and very well kept, unlike some locations I have journeyed too over the past month or so.
The site was very busy and actually fully booked, not that you’d notice due to just how well spaced out each pitch is. This is such a great site for so many reasons; cleanliness, on site facilities, stocked shop, info centre, staff and most importantly its very close to Brighton’s seafront and shops.
Now on the the Airstream Colorado. What is not to love about this iconic caravan? Instantly recognisable for its unique chrome colour and bullet shape design.
Being 8 foot wide means that a lot of people in the UK are not super keen on towing them, as well of a bit of a chunky price tag. But what a fantastic caravan to use for a weekend away. There is so much space that it feels more like a hotel room than a leisure vehicle.
The interior is very luxurious and has an almost modern rustic feel to it. The tan leather U-shaped sofa in the living area is very smart and doubles us as a large 2 berth bed. The island bed at the rear of the caravan is also a very good size with space at the end for people to walk round, which saves you climbing over each other in the morning.
With a good size kitchen and double fridge you can see why so many people in the United States actually live in these. This could easily be someone’s full time accommodation as it has so much storage. The design of more like a home than a “touring” home. I absolutely loved it and urge anyone with, or without, a leisure vehicle to give it a go.
So once I got over just how cool the Airstream was it was time to plan our evening meal and entertainment. The site is literally 2.1 miles away from the Brighton pier, and less than a mile from the all new Maria and restaurant quarter. So you really are spoilt for choice if you want to venture out of the van for dinner.
The parking in Brighton can be quite limited and not to mention extortionate. Luckily the reception desk has a direct dial to a local taxi company and within 3 minutes our cab had arrived. It is about a 8-10 minutes drive into the heart of Brighton where you can shop, eat and drink to your heart’s content.
Once we got into town the other half headed directly to the pier in an attempt to win a unicorn toy on the 2p machines. About 2 hours later we had a unicorn, kilo of sweets that the machine kept giving us and a kilo of old 2p coins.
After a bimble around town we had far too much choice for dinner so we opted for a Vietnamese meal, which for what we got was a bargain. 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 drinks all for £35. Then on to a little crawl around the local bars and pubs.
So in regards to location, accommodation, facilities, staff, and experience I can strongly suggest the Experience Freedom features at the Brighton CAMC site. After 2 days a nights in the Airstream and the streets of Brighton I can safely say this is something I will be doing again very soon.
To book your stay at the site or to see other Experience Freedom locations and activities go to the Club’s Experience Freedom website, https://www.experiencefreedom.co.uk/
