Book your tickets now for an Open Weekend at Elddis

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by Daniella Almeida

The Freedom to Go Campaign joins Elddis in bringing caravan fans and aficionados together for a weekend of fun

What sounds better than spending an entire weekend with your family getting to know other fellow caravaners and learning the ins and outs of caravan construction courtesy of one of the leading UK manufacturers? Now you can, as Freedom to Go, in conjunction with Elddis, looks to bring all caravan and motorhome enthusiasts a weekend full of exciting events.

Guests in attendance will also be in good company, alongside other members and representatives of The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club– so any questions you may have will be answered by the experts themselves!

Visitors to the event will also get the opportunity to take tours of the Elddis factory and watch just how a caravan is built. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, visitors will be given the exclusive opportunity to view all 2016 Caravan and Motorhome ranges from Elddis, Compass, Xplore, and Buccaneer. Should you choose to buy a new model, you will receive a special event package worth up to £1,195.

Guest speakers at the event include Freedom to Go ambassadors, including the Meek family and champion surfer, Melodie King. King, a motorhome enthusiast herself, joined Freedom to Go earlier this year, as previously reported on CaravanTimes.

Book your tickets now here and don’t miss out on this opportunity.

NCC Launches TowCheck

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by Joe Jeffrey

TowCheck scheme launched by NCC to help caravanners and dealers find the perfect combination

It goes without saying that one of the most important things to consider when it comes to towing your vehicle is safety. And now, the NCC (National Caravan Council) has launched TowCheck – a new service to help caravan dealers match a car and touring caravan combination for their customers to ensure safe and legal use on UK and European roads.

TowCheck, which is owned and operated by industry trade body the NCC, costs less for NCC dealer members to use and looks set to revolutionise the way safe and legal car and caravan combinations are identified for customers.

Key highlights of TowCheck include: the use of Vehicle Registrations Marks (VRM’s) so searching a car/caravan combination has no reliance on knowing the exact car make and model; a refined search function to generate lists of suitable caravans for a given car; assistance in providing advice on suitable makes and models when I comes to purchasing a new car; the ability to download personalised reports; as well as the automatic download of car data every quarter.

Touring caravan data for TowCheck is collated from within the industry as well as Central Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS), the National Register for UK caravan keepers. Car data comes from the world’s leading provider of automotive intelligence, JATO Dynamics. These datasets mean TowCheck features more than 1.5 billion car and caravan combinations.

Of the new scheme, David Whitehead, NCC technical director, said: “We’ve put a lot of hard work and time into TowCheck, Beta testing and refining it against feedback to ensure it offers a truly user friendly and useful service.

“We’re confident that TowCheck will help dealers quickly and easily identify the right touring caravan for any given customer, giving consumers peace of mind before they make a purchase.”

For more information, TowCheck’s website can be accessed here. Furthermore, visitors to the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015, taking place between 13 to 18 October, can find out more about TowCheck and carry out free checks on the dedicated pod in Hall 19 during showtime.

Resounding success for Caravan Club Leisure Vehicle Survey

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by David Bates

Huge response to survey conducted by The Caravan Club

The Caravan Club has extended it’s thanks to those who participated in this year’s Leisure Vehicle Survey.

The survey, which examined everything from usability, to quality and reliability, in both brand new and used caravans, was completed by almost 40,000 people which, according to The Caravan Club, makes it the largest survey of leisure vehicles ever conducted.

The Club wanted the survey to be a mutually beneficial interface between customers and manufacturers and the massive response has ensured the best possible chance of a productive industrial response to the user commentary.

Each entrant had the chance to win a share of £1,500 too, and the winners of prizes which included gift cards to the value of £500, £250 and £100 for M&S, Halfords and Sainsbury’s, have all now been notified.

The Caravan Club will release its first article on the survey in their November magazine.

Wales quickly becoming the domestic destination of choice

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by David Bates

Figures show tourism on the rise in Wales

Welsh tourism is in rude health as travellers from both the UK and abroad are heading to the valleys in their droves.

According to figures published by the Welsh assembly, the number of overnight trips to Wales from January to March 2015, has seen an increase of seven per cent when compared to 2014, which itself was a record-breaking year, to 1.62 million.

The ever increasing popularity of staycations following the 2007/2008 economic crash has certainly contributed, however, Wales is gaining ground on traditional domestic favourites including Cornwall and Dorset – and not just as a cheap alternative; those crossing the Severn are spending more than ever.

Whilst caravans remain eternally popular, travellers are increasingly opting for upmarket hotels and glamping sites. Mid-range hotels in central Wales are proving especially popular, providing a comfortable point from which to explore South Wales’ beaches and Snowdonia’s peaks.

Ken Skates, Deputy Tourism Minister, is enthused by this growth, but is not resting on his laurels. He said: “Following a record breaking year in 2014 we are working with the industry to sustain these excellent figures. Tourism is in a strong position.”

British enthusiasm for Wales is obviously contagious, with an increase too in international tourism and more cruise ships than ever docking in Wales.

Asian staycations boosting UK caravan exports

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by David Bates

British caravan trade expanding into Asian market

British caravan manufacturers are experiencing a rise in international demand, with the Asian market set to boom.

Hull-based company Swift has reported an increase in export sales of a third, to £12 million. The consistently popular markets in the Netherlands and Germany remain integral to Swift’s overseas success, but the Yorkshire manufacturer have witnessed a marked boost in Asian customers.

In China, caravanning remains very much a peripheral pastime, however, the government are set to invest heavily in promoting domestic holidays. As a result, Swift is searching for a Chinese industrial partner to exploit the projected surge in caravan popularity.

Nick Page, Swift’s commercial director, explained: “The market is very small, but even getting 0.1 per cent of the Chinese population would explode our business.”

Swift had an annual turnover of £200 million, having made 8,500 touring caravans and 2,500 motorhomes last year, yet the Chinese market offers a potentially huge expansion of their £12 million in exports.

The domestic market is on a reciprocal trajectory, with a 40 per cent rise in those looking to live in British residential caravan parks.

Dean Westmoreland, chief executive of luxury holiday home makers Omar, said: “We see park homes as a solution to the housing shortage in the UK, and it’s becoming popular for people who have retired and looking to downsize”. He is however, aware of the limitations which restrictions on planning permission for caravan sites could impose.

Nevertheless, demand for their homes, which sell for between £75,000 and £500,000 has outgrown their current facilities and their Brandon Headquarters are undergoing a 40,000 square feet expansion.

COMPETITION: Win one of five Kilrock bundles worth £50

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by Joe Jeffrey

Sorry, this competition has now closed. Be on the lookout for more great competitions coming soon!

By now, no doubt, you’ll either be planning your latest summer escape or be in the midst of it. But, all good things must come to an end, and it’s pretty true to say those cold winter months, where many caravans and motorhomes will sit idly just waiting to hit the road again, is just – perhaps quite sadly – months away.

Unfortunately, with many caravanners and motorhomers opting to store their leisure vehicles away for the winter months comes issues pertaining to mould and damp, but that’s where our latest competition may just come in handy – after all, there’s nothing like a bit of forward planning.

CaravanTimes has teamed up with Kilrock to offer you the opportunity to fix those pesky damp and mould problems faced by many, in our latest competition where we’re giving away five monster damp and mould blasting bundles worth £50.

The bundle contains everything you could ever need to keep your precious caravan or motorhome clean, dry and damp free, including:

Damp Clear Moisture Trap – an effective, hassle-free solution for the removal of excessive moisture in your caravan. It uses hydroscopic crystals to trap and absorb moisture and the new high air flow design makes it 45% more effective than other moisture control products. It protects against mould, mildew and damp and improves air quality by combatting must odours. Damp Clear lasts three months and is refillable.

Blast Away Mould – to combat mould and mildew. Available as a spray or gel, professional strength Blast Away Mould is ideal for use on door and window seals, corners of shower units, sinks and WCs. Simply apply, leave for 30minutes then wash off. Blast Away Mould’s bleach based action will do the trick on even the most stubborn of stains leaving your caravan looking spotless and smelling fresh. Try it on plastic furniture too – in fact, anything blighted by mould!

Bar Keepers Friend – a specialist, multi-surface cleaner first launched in America in 1882 that cuts through grease, grime, rust, and stains to give gleaming results every time. Use on steel, ceramics, copper, brass, chrome, glass and more.

Kilrock-K Multi Purpose descaler – a brand leader that totally clears heavily scaled appliances in five minutes. Ideal for tackling limescale desposits in small appliances such as kettles, irons, shower heads, coffee machines and more.

Kil-Block Drain Unblocker – a powerful, fast-acting multi-purpose drain and plughole unblocker. It cuts through water to quickly digest and dissolve almost any blockage.

Winners of each bundle will receive all of the above products, which are also available for sale at many retailers including Robert Dyas, B & Q, Homebase, Lakeland, Waitrose, independent homeware stores or directly from Kilrock here. Each bundle will include:

Damp Clear Moisture Trap x 2
Blast Away Mould x 3
Bar Keepers Friend x 6
Kilrock K x 2
Kil-Block x 2

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning the above bundle, worth £50, is like our Facebook page by clicking here and complete the form below before noon on the closing date of 21 August. Winners will be announced in our newsletter on the same day.

Good luck!

Swift announces new and updated motorhomes for 2016

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by Joe Jeffrey

Manufacturer announces new motorhome offerings for 2016

Swift has unveiled its latest motorhome ranges and updated models for 2016 – and from what we here at CaravanTimes have seen, you’re in for a treat next season.

Firstly, Swift‘s bestselling range, the Escape will see several updates for 2016, with the most notable, perhaps, being an enhancement to its construction system to the all-new SMART Plus.

Building upon Swift’s already impressive SMART intelligent construction system, SMART Plus will include three key enhancements, including a new sandwich floor construction system with GRP outer skin providing greater durability from the elements, an upgraded hail resistant roof, as well as changes to the front window jig, which will be made fully using GRP and foam construction.

A new low-line 622 – ideal for couples – brings the choice to two low-line and four high-line models for the new season, featuring a Fiat 2.3 litre, 130bhp Euro 5+ turbo diesel engine with a 6-speed gearbox.

Meanwhile, the Bessacarr motorhome range sees a complete restyle, both inside and out, also featuring SMART Plus construction as described above. The range will remain with eight models, five low-line and three with the integrated roofline, including two with electronic drop down beds. A new digital control panel has been added too, in order to control heating and hot water.

The Bessacarr isn’t the only motorhome range seeing a makeover for 2016, though, with the Bolero also seeing changes made, including a new exterior styling featuring a new GRP front pod housing an opening sky view window and a new rear panel with sportier look. A more compact version of the Bessacarr comes courtesy of new model, the 612EK, whilst a new larger model – the 744PR will appeal to those with families looking to ht the great outdoors.

The ‘Black Edition’ Kon-Tiki range will also see further enhancements made for 2016, including the introduction of MSART Plus.

Last but not least, the sporty, compact Rio motorhome range, introduced last year to much fanfare, will see the arrival of two new models, namely the 310, with parallel front lounge, side kitchen and rear washroom with separate shower, and the 325, featuring a travelling dinette with fixed rear transverse bed.

We will be going into Swift’s latest offerings, including their latest caravan range for 2016, in a lot more depth over the coming weeks, so make sure you check back to find out more soon.

Popular Yorkshire holiday destinations ban motorhomes

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by Ellie Pritchard

A variety of popular caravanning destinations have clamped down on motorhomes

Despite the protests of the tourist industry and local hotel managers, a clamp down on motorhomes at Yorkshire Coast holiday parks has been given the go ahead.

A ban that will stop motorhomes from parking up on earmarked roads will be introduced between 11pm and 7am, after North Yorkshire County Council‘s Yorkshire Coast and Moors Area Committee councillors have decided to crack down on the issue in Whitby, Sandsend, Scarborough, Filey and Cayton Bay.

The authority’s director of business services, David Bowe, told the committee: “The most shocking comments concerned the emptying of chemical waste over cliffs, defecating in public areas in the streets, and reports of a resident counting 37 motor caravans parking for significant periods on North Promenade, Whitby.”

Local residents have supported the ban, claiming that motorhomes give the holiday coast a bad image and don’t give enough back to the local economy, as well as producing a lot of litter. However, local residents with motorhomes will be provided with permits.

Many keen motorhomers have objected to the ban in a recent council survey, claiming that it’s discriminatory, and many motorhomers have hot back at the ban, stating that they will no longer choose the Yorkshire coast for a holiday destination.

Bowe added: “It is clear there is strong opposition from the motor-caravanning community.

“The majority of those responding to the survey objected to the principle of discriminating between categories of vehicles, rather than being immediately affected as regular users of the road.”

The ban will be enforced in Whitby’s North Promenade, Love Lane, North Terrace, Church Street and Royal Crescent; the Royal Albert Drive, Foreshore Road, Sandside and Esplanade at Scarborough; The Beach, Crescent Hill and The Crescent at Filey; Sandsend Road and Lythe Bank, Sandsend; and Filey Road, Osgodby Hill, Cayton.

Can you understand the reasoning behind the ban? Or do you think think it’s discriminatory? Leave a comment below or tell us in our CaravanTimes forum.

Emergency evacuation during Welsh caravan park fire

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by David Bates

Welsh campsite fire wakes sleeping caravanners

A fire at a caravan park in Ceredigion, mid Wales, has led to the evacuation of 60 holidaymakers.

The incident, which took place in the small hours of Thursday morning, saw firefighters called to Sea Rivers Caravan Park in Ynyslas, near Borth, at 2:20am. The blaze was shortly brought under control thereafter.

Park owner, Michelle South, played down the fire and praised the firefighters’ efforts at containing the blaze to a machinery storage unit.

Of the incident, she said: “The priority was to get everyone out of their caravans and make sure everyone was calm. We now want to focus on everyone enjoying the rest of their holidays.”

One pair of caravanners, Sam and Shadina Dolsun, were woken by “loads of bangs” and were able to notify other caravanners of the blaze before it became uncontrollable.

Caravanner, Sam, said: “We were just lucky the wind was blowing the right way so it didn’t catch anyone’s caravan.”

With an increase in caravan park and caravan/motorhome blazes being reported as late, what do you think could be done to avoid such incidents going forward? It would be interesting to know your thoughts.

Caravanners worst nightmare as Clarkson, Hammond and May to return with new programme for Amazon Prime

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by David Bates

Top Gear trio pen deal with Amazon Prime

Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May’s brief broadcast exile is over, following the announcement of a new motoring show scheduled to be broadcast on Amazon Prime.

The former Top Gear trio have agreed a deal for three series’, with the cost of the agreement as yet unconfirmed. Amazon are, however, believed to have invested a significant amount into the British trio, whose deal out-manoeuvres contractual strictures that prevent their making a motoring program in the UK for the next two years, in an attempt to compete with streaming rivals Netflix.

Clarkson, needless to say, couldn’t resist taking a swipe at his former employers, tweeting: ‘”I feel like I’ve climbed out of a bi-plane and into a spaceship.” James May offered a more self-deprecating response, stating: “We have become part of the new age of smart TV. Ironic, isn’t it?”

Unfortunately for fans, the new series will not feature the Stig, however, surely fanatics will be happy to hear Amazon Prime Video EU vice-president Jay Marine say that his approach is “to give programme makers creative freedom to be innovative and make the shows they want to make.” Loosened from any constraints, who knows what madness will ensue?

The trio’s first series with Amazon Prime is expected to be available globally in 2016.

Britain best for holidays, according to King of Caravans

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by David Bates

Self proclaimed ‘King of Caravans’, Don Amott, reaps benefits of Brits holidaying at home

The owner of a series of leisure parks across the UK has insisted Brits are becoming increasingly aware of the UK’s holiday spots.

Self-proclaimed ‘King of Caravans’, Don Amott, 66, who heads 24-acre showground, Don Amott Leisure Park, in Hilton, as well as Don Amott Parks in Lincolnshire and Staffordshire, has spoken out of a surge in caravanning for 2015 – especially with the over 40s – with many opting for staycations across the United Kingdom.

Despite being in business since 1963, Amott refuses to take a back seat or to limit expansion. He told the Derby Telegraph: “We’re ahead of last year. Last year was a decent year but we’re 10 per cent ahead on sales this year and it’s about the same on the profit side”. Recent figures have revealed Don Amott Leisure Park has a current turnover of £15 million, with additional parks raking in £7 million respectively.

The ‘King of Caravans’ acknowledged that the rise in staycations following the 2007/2008 recession was beneficial for the British tourism trade, but as the economy has picked up, he certainly hasn’t slowed down.

Amott considers himself at the forefront of the caravan-leisure industry. He describes a eureka moment on holiday in Palm Springs, Florida, saying: “They had big water features, the grounds were manicured and the trees were lit up.

“Over here, we just had lines of caravans and seeing all that made me think we were doing something wrong. We came back and scrapped every idea we had. We were like the pioneers of what you now get in this country.”

This approach to caravanning is rather more expensive, but Amott told the Derby Telegraph, “what we try to do is give people value for money” by consistently delivering the best possible product. Their profit, he says, is directed into enviable customer service and continual development.

The Camping and Caravanning Club launches competition to send two lucky caravanners to Spain

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by Ellie Pritchard

Two lucky caravanners will get the chance to head off to sunny Spain in association with the Camping and Caravanning Club

Celebrating the release of their new Winter Sun Camping Brochure, the Camping and Caravanning Club has teamed up with Brittany Ferries to offer two lucky competition winners the chance to jet off to Spain for some much missed sun this winter.

Courtesy of Brittany Ferries, the two camping holidays will include return crossings to either Santander or Bilbao, with one standard car plus towed unit or motorhome with a two-berth inside cabin each way – dog friendly cabins will also be offered to the animal lovers amongst you!

The lucky winners will get a choice between camping at Marjal Costa Blanca and Camping Monmar, with both sites offering a 30 night stay, including electricity and the choice of dates ranging from from 1 November this year to 30 April next year.

Camping Monmar is situated on the Costa del Azahar and, although it only has 50 pitches, the beach and the Moncofa resort are just 300 metres away.

The more modern Marjal Costa Blanca, on the other hand, sits between the coast and the countryside with lots of public transport opportunities. The Club holds 179 pitches at this site, many of which have scenic views.

At these sites, the competition winners can expect a host of fun activities, including barbecues, games, bike rides, themed nights, quizzes and coffee mornings.

If you’re feeling lucky, you can enter the competition here.