Airstream caravan put to the test in sub-zero Arctic temperatures

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Claire Lawson

Airstream 684 towed to Arctic Circle by Range Rover in sheer test of resilience

An Airstream 684 has been towed by a Range Rover Sport Hybrid to the Arctic Circle in a stunt to put both car and caravan to their limits.

Travelling 5,000 miles north of Sweden, the Airstream journeyed through temperatures as low as -25 degrees, managing to take it all in its stride in the process.

Not only did the Airstream prove its ability to survive the coldest of climates, but it also acted as a boutique hotel room on wheels for both Range Rover and Airstream representatives on their mission to travel to Range Rover’s demanding cold-weather facility in Arjeplog, northern Sweden.

Entertainment en route came courtesy of the Airstream’s satellite TV and Bluetooth systems, whilst ensuring both leather upholstery, on board water tanks, darkened windows kept both crew and visiting journalists comfortable on their mission.

It seems as though there is no place cold enough to beat an Airstream. To check out more about Range Rover and Airstream’s mission to the Arctic Circle, check out their blog here for more.

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Burrs Country Park Caravan Club site set for pitch expansion

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by Justine Iorga

Expansion and redevelopment of Burrs Country Park signals good news for caravanners with introduction of more pitches
Plans proposed by Greater Manchester’s Bury council look to change popular Burrs Country Park for the better, including the extension of space available for caravanners and motorhomers to pitch up.
The council has laid out detailed proposals to develop Burrs Country Park over the next 15 years, including the addition of 22 more pitches to its Caravan Club site, expanding its current offering to 107.
Additional plans proposed by Bury council in a 33-page document published this week also highlight the implementation of a new East Lancashire railway station within the park, which would effectively connect the 86-acre green space with current transport links, as well as building a new visitors’ centre, preserving and improving the park’s historic mills and also encourage more wildlife, flora and fauna.
If redevelopment goes ahead, final proposals will also see expansion of the park before 2020 on land south towards Bury town centre, providing sporting facilities, seating areas and additional camping space in the process.
The council report reads: “Burrs has much to offer the visitor, and the council is proud of the work undertaken to develop the park over three decades, from an abandoned derelict and unwelcoming eyesore to the popular Green Flag award-winning visitor attraction it is today.
“However, the site still remains full of further development potential and is in need of a refresh to help modernise and sustain it as a 21st-century community facility.
“These proposals will help to fulfil Burrs’ potential to establish itself as a ‘destination park’ of regional significance and form a direct link with Bury town centre and attractions and businesses along the wider Irwell Valley.”
Burrs Country Park lies on the River Irwell and currently covers an area of 36 hectares of idyllic countryside. At present, it is estimated that the park’s Caravan Club site contributes £5 million towards Bury’s local economy each year.
What are your thoughts on these proposals?

Haven offer a new way to spend your Easter holiday this year

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by Justine Iorga

Spring safari is the latest adventure offered by Haven this spring
Going on a caravan or motorhome holiday with the family is always fun just by itself, but if you want a little more adventure this Easter then this just might be for you.
British holiday experts, Haven, are offering a Spring Safari which is designed to give your family a mini survival experience with a touch of luxury.
The safari is inspired by Bear Grylls Mission Survive show and, with that said, the team at Haven thought it would be a great opportunity to make your holiday a bit more exciting.
Sleeping up to five people, Haven’s Safari Tents come complete with electric sockets, cookers, fridges and proper beds. There are two bedrooms, one double room and one with a single bed and a bunk bed. And, like any good safari lodge, each lodging will come with an open sided awning and a wooden veranda to relax on.

Haven will also be offering a set of ‘Nature Rocks’ activities, with Park Rangers on hand to take you and the family on a whole array of nature activities including bug hunt safaris, shelter building, fire lightings, pond dipping, guided nature trails and more.

The parks at Haven have lots of great facilities including heated indoor and outdoor pools, adventure golf, high ropes courses, climbing walls, archery and fencing – so plenty to keep you occupied come Easter.

Self catering is made easy with on park restaurants, cafe bars, traditional fish and chips, and on park convenience stores to boot.

If you’re like us over here you must be asking “where do I sign up?”

For more information and prices, click here.

Biker in Finland receives 54,000-euro speeding fine

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by Alice Scarsi

Finnish businessman fined in accordance to income

A man in Finland has been fined 54,000-euro for speeding.

According to Finnish newspaper, Iltalehti, businessman Reima Kuisla was caught doing 103km/h (64mph) in 80km/h (50mph) zone.

Finnish law states that speeding fines are linked to an individual’s income and, following authorities looking into Kuisla’s 2013 filed tax return, which saw he had earned 6.5m euros (approximately £4.72m) that year, the speeding millionaire was subsequently fined accordingly.

Kuisla has failed to take the fine very well, expressing his disdain on his Facebook page in true capslock fashion and is contemplating leaving Finland for good: “Ten years ago I wouldn’t have believed that I would seriously consider moving abroad,” he wrote.

“Finland is impossible to live in for certain kinds of people who have high incomes and wealth,” the furious Finn continued.

Reima can seek some solace in the fact that his fine hasn’t broken any records; in 2012 an executive at Nokia received a whopping 116,000-euro fine for speeding on his Harley-Davidson.

Do you think the Finnish fine is fine, or in your opinion this is an unfair system that punishes rich people? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Fifth Wheel Company returning to Great Yorkshire Motorhome and Caravan Sale this month

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by Justine Iorga

The Fifth Wheel Company returns following great success at last year’s show

Following on from great success last year, The Fifth Wheel Company will be returning to the spa town of Harrogate for the Great Yorkshire Motorhome and Caravan Sale.

The event will be held the weekend 27-29 March and hosted at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, with promises to be even better than last year’s show.

The Fifth Wheel models on display include the Celtic Rambler and the Dreamseeker.
The Celtic Rambler is the largest of the Fifth Wheels; labelled by customers as a ‘penthouse on wheels.’ The Dreamseeker is compact and is perfect for the more adventurous. Also on display will be the Inos range, which took the industry by storm due to its innovative slide out which eliminates the traditional corridor feel of a conventional caravan.

Adrian Parry-Jones, Managing Director of The Fifth Wheel Company had this to say about the Show: “We are delighted to be back at the Great Yorkshire Caravan & Motorhome Sale this March. After a very successful show last year we are looking forward to opening our season at this Show.”

It’d be in your best interest to attend if you are looking to buy or just an enthusiast looking to see what’s new for the coming year. For more details and tickets, click here.

Police launch Spy from he cab campaign to snoop on drivers using phones

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by Alice Scarsi

Clamp down on using mobile phones while driving risks prosecution as well as higher insurance premiums

Police forces across the UK are set to launch a ‘spy from the cab’ campaign, which will see unmarked heavy goods vehicles hit the roads to spot drivers making calls or texting from handheld phones whilst driving.

The campaign will officially bounce into action this spring, following a successful trial in 2014 and, thanks to the high viewpoint of the lorry cab from where undercover cops observed drivers, caught hundreds of car, caravans and truck drivers committing offences that on a normal, lower police car might have never been noticed.

According to the data gathered by the AA, someone committing a mobile phone offence is four times more likely to be involved in a car crash. It’s no surprise then that most of the insurance companies are receiving the new police initiative positively, and are ready to increase the car insurance premiums and even decline renewing cover for those caught and prosecuted.

While a speeding offence can be overlooked as involuntary, it is unlikely, if not impossible, that a driver using his phone is unaware of the danger he or she is putting themselves or other members of the public to. Therefore, those who are caught can be accused, depending on the circumstances, of careless or even dangerous driving, which risks disqualification and a heavy fine.

Of the new initiative, Janet Connor, managing director of AA Insurance, said: “Drivers using a handheld mobile phone are at four times greater risk of having a crash. And although a CU80 offence for using a hand-held mobile phone commands only the same fixed penalty as an SP30 speeding offence (three points and a £100 fine), it could add another £100 to your annual premium as well.
“While drivers may mistakenly exceed a speed limit, no-one uses a handheld phone by mistake. It’s a deliberate act that diverts attention from driving, significantly heightening the risk of a crash.”

The offenders themselves realise the recklessness of their behaviour. Research conducted by the AA last year found that over 19,000 of its insurance company’s members admitted that they had a near miss or a crash in the past 12 months whilst interacting with their mobile phones and, in another poll, 17 per cent declared that phones were the biggest road safety issue.

Hopefully the new initiative will bring even more awareness concerning the dangers of driving whilst using mobile phones.

Win a trip to Germany with the German National Tourist Board

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by Alice Scarsi

Ever wished to go to Germany? Sign up for this competition, and your dream might become true!

Seeing Germany’s stunning landscapes and peculiar towns with your leisure vehicle in tow at least once in a lifetime should be on every caravanner’s bucket list, and now you could win the opportunity to do just that thanks to the German National Tourist Board‘s latest competition.

One lucky winner will get to cross the sea with up to four people of their choice with DFSD Seaways by car with their caravan, or by motorhome, from either Newcastle to Amsterdam or Dover to Calais with up to four people and, in addition, the German National Tourist Board will also offer a pitch for ten nights at any German campsite featured by the Caravan Club‘s Continental Caravanning brochure. Not only that, but 12 months free membership to The Caravan Club will also be thrown in for good measure for non-members.

With a journey of only 3½ hours after the ferry crossing, toll-free roads and a large motorway network, Germany is closer than you think. So don’t miss the opportunity to win a fabulous holiday and click here now!

Caravan industry gains backing from MPs

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Claire Lawson

Members of parliament give their support to council after briefing

Following the session at Westminster on 24 February as reported by CaravanTimes , two MPs have given their support to the National Caravan Council (NCC).

MP of Ribble Valley Nigel Evans, and Worcestershire representative, Sir Peter Luff, have given their support as both have invested interests in the NCC.

Nigel Evans is a member of all party groups dealing with tourism and manufacturing, as well as having deep interests in small businesses, some of which the NCC represent in the Ribble Valley area.

He spoke to Clitheroe Today acknowledging the importance of the caravan industry to the UK economy, saying: “The caravan industry makes a huge contribution to the economy, a total of £6 billion a year, and employs around 130,000 people and it is important that we recognise its contribution.”

Sir Peter Luff, who received a knighthood for his public and political services in 2014, is continuing his campaign with NCC as they represent three businesses in the Mid Worcestershire county.

Sir Luff told Worcestershire Times “This was a great opportunity for me to meet with the NCC and learn about the positive work they are currently doing to improve and develop the caravan sector in Mid Worcestershire.

“The caravan industry is an integral part of our local economy and I want to do all I can to support it to ensure it can deliver more jobs and holidays for my constituents,” he continued.

We don’t know about you, but we here at CaravanTimes are pretty pleased an industry that is often overshadowed is getting the recognition it surely deserves.

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Plans to develop a Route 66 in the Scottish Highlands

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Claire Lawson

Scotland has plans to create an iconic road trail for visitors like the famous roads in America and Australia

Scotland is in the running to create an iconic road trail for visitors in the Highlands, similar to America’s Route 66 and Australia’s Great Ocean Road.

The road proposed for development would be known as North Coast 500 (NC500), and take people along the coastlines of the far north, opening a tourist market in Caithness, at the furthest north-eastern part of the UK.

The idea for the road trail comes from the North Highland Initiative (NHI), set up by Prince Charles, targeting car and motorcycle enthusiasts. The route will go from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh on the west coast, going up through the north coast to John O’Groats then heading down the east coast to loop back in Inverness.

The road will be a link for things such as natural heritage, local food and drink, accommodation and attractions of the region to name a few.

NHI chairman, David Whiteford, told the Scotsman that he has high hopes for the NC500: “Across the globe, touring routes have become famous and are often the very reason for visitors making the journey to that country.

“While it may be a coastal route, it is also about the wonderful diversions from it where you will experience the places, the personalities and the craic that make up this extraordinary journey.”

Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, is confident the attraction will generate millions for the economy, adding: “The Highlands is a true touring paradise. There really is nothing quite like the open road. People travel from all over the world for Route 66, and with our scenery, there’s no reason NC500 can’t prove to be just as popular.”

The bid for this new road has already gained interest from American travel journalists and publications, adding more confidence that this venture will be very successful for the Highlands.

Drug driving law enforced in England and Wales from today

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Claire Lawson

New legislation to crack down on drug use in drivers to be enforced across UK

Police officers will be able to test road users for traces of drugs at the roadside with new laws coming into effect from today.

Drivers will no longer have to be impaired in order to be prosecuted, they will simply have to have a trace of an illegal substance in their system, with those in ‘control’ of a vehicle facing prosecution should illegal quantities of drugs be found to have been taken.

The police will use DrugWipe testing kits to detect the drugs cocaine and cannabis at the roadside, while 14 other drugs, including ecstacy, LSD, heroin and ketamine, will be tested at police stations even if drivers pass the roadside checks. The abuse of legal drugs including diazepam, methadone and morphine will also be tested for.

Existing laws mean those prosecuted already face a fine up to £5,000, up to six months in prison and a minimum driving ban of one year.

Research conducted by THINK! has found that over half of drivers have said that they feel safe behind the wheel when under the influence of illegal substances. However, the National Institute on Drug Abuse states that drivers are three to seven times more likely to be responsible for accidents than drivers who had not used drugs or alcohol, with estimates suggesting that around 200 people are killed each year on Britain’s roads due to drug driving.

Dr Kim Wolf, from London King’s college, who acted as an advisor for the Government drug drive policy said these are very worrying results. “Illegal drugs seriously impair skills required to drive safely, such as reaction time and decision making.

“In many cases those who take certain illegal drugs believe that they are safe to drive, but are in fact putting themselves and others at risk. Greater awareness of the dangers of drug driving is important as we move forward with this important step towards safer roads,” Dr Wolf continued.

However, it has been suggested that the devices used to test those thought to be under the influence of drugs – known as ‘drugalyzers’ – are only able to detect a small handful of drugs in one’s system.

Do you think this new law will have a big impact on stamping out road users who consider being in control of a vehicle when under the influence of drugs acceptable?

Mobile food service taking Cornwall by storm

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by Justine Iorga

Food service out of renovated caravans is the latest trend in Cornwall
It looks like there is a new way of dining that’s taking over Cornwall and it comes in the shape of mobile food stations, including retro caravans.
True, it’s nothing new, but the recent surge in the formation of new businesses catering from kitchens on wheels is. And, for a few individuals, it seems the reason is simple: they are tired of not being able to get a taste of what they love, so they have decided to take their passions and creativity and turn that into a profit.
They are just ordinary people; some of them are parents, chefs, former social workers, prop designers – you get the drift – and they are taking street food to a whole new level. They travel in anything from Citroën vans; tow converted horse boxes and vintage caravans; making a range of foods that include wood-fired pizza, smokehouse barbecued meats, pancakes, crumpets, pasta dishes and seafood, as well as ‘gourmet’ takes on the staunch favourites of sausages and burgers – not forgetting the tea and coffee sellers.
And now, more than 15 mobile food sellers have brought their businesses to Cornwall since the summer of 2013. This type of employment has brought along with it a new lifestyle that reflects the owners’ interests of the outdoors, meeting new people, and getting a chance to explore their creativity.
Helen Grace, the owner of Truly Crumptious , is a single mum from Falmouth that sells crumpets from a 1967 Cheltenham Waterbuck touring caravan, which took her and friends a year to restore.
She told, local newspaper, West Briton: “My hobbies now are green living, cooking, crafting, festivals and music, so to do what I do now just fits in stunningly with my passions.”
Helen’s not alone. Michelle Northcott and Nicholas Daniel for example, set up Silver Server, a 40-year-old Airstream trailer which assists them in serving up gourmet burgers, the ingredients of which are mainly sourced locally. Michelle stated: “We have an interest in vintage vehicles, love camping and we especially enjoy meeting new and interesting people along the way.
“Although vintage paraphernalia has become extremely popular we did not realise the scale of this until we bought the airstream.”
Of course it’s not always an easy lifestyle and for some it can be hard with unsociable hours, but it seems that the positives highly outweigh any negatives.
For Rosie and Graham Hoppe from the Laid-Back Coffee Company, which trades from a 1969 Morris Minor van known as Bert, stated: “We no longer needed childcare for the holiday season because, when we’re out trading, we can do a tag-team of manning the van and taking it in turns to be with the kids.”
Grace also added: “It’s really wonderful to see new businesses blossom in vintage vehicles, a fabulous way of upcycling and reinventing.
“Cornwall’s producers and restaurants are top notch so mobile catering has to follow, we have a haven of artists and creativity so it makes sense to see a growth of interesting outdoor catering.”
What do you think of this form of dining? Do you think it’d be a fun way to eat out with the family or for a date night? Let us know your thoughts.

Malvern Caravan Show 2015 promises fun for the whole family

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by Alice Scarsi

Head to Malvern this October to enjoy the last weekend of the 2015 season

Even though October seems some time away, it’s pretty surprising how quick the months pass by – we can’t believe it’s March already.

The above said, it’s always good to plan ahead and this year’s Malvern Caravan Show, taking place between 2 – 4 October in Malvern, is no different.

Visitors to the show will have the opportunity to see the latest line-up of motorhomes and caravans for 2016 whilst enjoying entertainment and attractions ideal for the whole family, including events including lawn games and the annual dog show. And, with the option to pitch up for the night, entertainment from the likes of Elton John and Abba tribute acts are certain to get you tapping your feet and singing along.

Furthermore, Warners Exhibitions, the organisers of the Western Motorhome Show, are going to cooperate with the Three Counties Showground in Malvern to assure that the 2015 Malvern Caravan Show will be bigger and better than ever.

Different types of tickets, with both day and night options are available to purchase now, including overnight bundles as mentioned above. To find out more, click here.