Caravan theft stuns Southminster grandfather

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by Tom Walsh

The theft of a caravan in Southminster has left a grandfather distraught, as it was taken from his home.

Brian Blanks, from Lawlinge Road, Latchingdon, told the Essex County Standard that he felt like he was “living in a dream” when his pride and joy was stolen from his driveway by thieves in the middle of the day.

The semi-retired grandfather was left stunned when he discovered that his Coachman Pastiche, valued at around £8,000, had been taken from his home at 10am on Monday (March 4th).

Mr Blanks explained that he stored hundreds of pounds worth of belongings in the caravan and that it was used to take his grandchildren on holiday during the summer months. It was fitted with a host of mod cons including a Sky TV box and a DVD player.

It comes just days after the Daily Echo reported that a man in Bournemouth returned to his caravan to find a drunk had set fire to a drawer and fire crews had to be called to tackle the blaze.

Coachman Pastiche 520/4 beats the chill in cold chamber test

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by Tom Walsh

Coachman Caravans has been doing its part to prove how well modern caravans are insulated with a recent cold chamber test.

A Coachman Pastiche 520/4 was pushed to the limit in a latest testing scenario designed to assess its performance when in the coldest of temperatures. The mobile home was taken to Truma’s new climate centre in Burton upon Trent to be put through its paces.

The caravan was packed into a huge refrigerator and subjected to temperatures of -15 degrees Celsius and left for ten hours.

Following on from this the doors and windows on the model were all closed and the Trumba Combi heater was turned on, the Pastiche 520/4 managed to return to the ambient temperature of 20 degrees C in just 90 minutes.

To put this into perspective, a Grade I van features no heating while a Grade III caravan can hit 20 degrees C from -15 degrees C in four hours.

The fact that Coachman managed this feature in less than half the required time shows the efficiency of their insulation.

Staffordshire caravan damaged by falling frozen waste

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by Tom Walsh

A restaurant owner from Staffordshire was left stunned when a chunk of frozen waste came crashing through her caravan.

Caroline Gray explained that the brown and yellow ice block falling from a passing overhead plane sounded like an “explosion” when it came smashing through the roof of her static caravan’s bathroom at 7am on Saturday (March 2nd).

She explained that her initial thought was that her home was being burgled but on further investigation she found an 18-inch hole in the roof and another of the same size going through the floor.

Ms Gray told the Daily Mirror: “It’s incredible to think it nearly landed in our toilet when that’s where it came from in a plane above us.”

Ice balls falling from passing jets is not an unusual occurrence and Belper News reported a similar incident happening in Duffield, Derbyshire, when a giant chunk smashed into the front of the home of an old couple.

A spokesman from the Civil Aviation Authority said that the Staffordshire incident was probably due to a leak on the plane and these incidents happen “now and then”.

Stratford-upon-Avon residents sign petition against new caravan entrance

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by Tom Walsh

Residents in Aston Cantlow, near to Stratford-upon-Avon, have lodged their objection against a new entrance for caravans.

The access point is situated just after a bend in the road within the area and local people have stated that it could be dangerous for both passing motorists and those turning into the entrance.

It is located on Bearley Road, which currently has a 60mph speed limit, and 71 residents have signed a petition amid fears over road safety, Stratford-upon-Avon Herald reports.

The people behind the petition believe that drivers will be not be able to see caravans pulling out of the field at Meadow Furlong causing serious hazards for other road users.

Aston Cantlow is a popular destination for those with motorhomes and the Island Meadow Caravan Park is bustling with holidaymakers during the summer months.

Despite the objections to the new entrance, it is set to be given the go-ahead in the build-up to the busier vacation season.

Norfolk ‘panther’ spotted at caravan site

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by Tom Walsh

Police in Norfolk have launched an unusual appeal after a ‘panther’ was spotted at a caravan park in the region.

Staff at Norwich Camping and Caravan Club noticed what appeared to be a large black cat roaming the grounds of the site near Martineau Lane.

Officers took to Twitter to see if anybody else in the area had spotted the mysterious beast.

The account @NorwichPolice tweeted: “We had a report of a large cat, possibly a panther prowling around… anyone see anything similar?!”

The unusual request came after the force were unsuccessful in their search for the supposed panther.

There have not been any sightings of the large cat since Wednesday (27 February) but it conjured memories of the famous Essex ‘lion’ which was spotted prowling around the area in August 2012.

However, last year’s feline search was called off when it was deemed to be “probably a big pet cat”.

Police launch investigation into Scarborough caravan fire

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by Tom Walsh

Police in Scarborough have launched an investigation into a caravan fire which is believed to have been started deliberately.

Fire crews were called to Auborough Street in the Old Town area of the seaside resort at 19:48 on 27 February to tackle the flaming vehicle which had been left in the middle of the road.

The caravan suffered 80 per cent damage and fire fighters had to use two hose reel jets and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish the blaze.

North Yorkshire Police are now appealing for anyone with information on how this may have started to contact them on 101, quoting reference 12130032911 or alternatively ringing Crimestoppers.

It follows a tragic incident in Dorset in January where the body of a woman was discovered in the remains of a burnt-out caravan in the Weymouth area of the county.

Serial caravan squatter avoids prison sentence

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by Tom Walsh

A serial caravan squatter has been spared prison following a trial at Exeter Crown Court.

Alan Campbell roamed the country for four months staying in over 80 vacant caravans before eventually giving up because he had run out of places to stay and was also too cold to carry on, the court heard.

However, despite admitting to the crimes, he escaped a 12-month prison sentence after explaining that he had found a permanent place to live.

Judge Phillip Wassall said: “You [Campbell] have made considerable inroads in dealing with your accommodation problems which has been at the back of this offending for which I am sentencing you.”

From July 2012, Campbell broke into caravans all across the region starting in Weymouth, Dorset, before moving on to the likes of Dorchester, Bridport, Budleight Salterton and Exeter.

However, the judge warned that should he commit another crime in the future he would be “sentencing yourself to 12 months in jail”.

Drunk man sets fire to caravan while still inside

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By Tom Walsh

A drunk set fire to a caravan in Bournemouth while he was still inside, according to local reports.

The inebriated man broke into the mobile home in the car park of Ensbury Hotel off Columbia Road on Friday morning (1 March) and set a kitchen drawer alight to keep himself warm, the Daily Echo reports.

However, the blaze grew and the vehicle’s owner, Piotr Kalisz, was notified and hurried to the scene.

Mr Kalisz was staying at the nearby hotel and went to find the homeless man lying on his bed and refused to move despite the owner’s attempts to move him.

He then took the drawer outside and police, fire crews and ambulances were called, but the drunk simply wandered off.

Mr Kalisz told the source: “We can’t really do anything because he is homeless. I wouldn’t be able to get the money for the damage and I was worried about what he might do if I asked the police to take him away.”

The incident comes after a serial caravan “squatter” was given a suspended jail sentence for breaking into a host of mobile homes across the Dorset, Devon and Cornwall region.

VIDEO: Why 2013 is the year of the twin-axles for Swift Challenger SE

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by Emmy Griffiths and Chris Jefferies

Earlier this year, Swift Group announced that it would be expanding the Challenger SE and Sterling Eccles SE ranges by adding three new twin-axle layouts.

In this video, CaravanTimes talks to Gary O’Brien from Swift about their three brand new caravans: the Challenger SE 590/Eccles SE Trekker, the Challenger SE 620/Eccles SE Voyager and the Challenger SE 645/Eccles SE Wayfarer.

We find out about the research involved in designing the new twin-axle caravans – using customer feedback done through Swift Talk and speaking to customers during exhibitions.

Interested in a closer look? Have a look at the 360degree tours of the new Challenger SE layouts here.

We also find out which caravans are the most popular, and the advantages of twin axles in comparison to single in terms of interior space with features such as a large front lounge, a full height fridge freezer.

Gary also offers some tips on towing a twin-axle and how they differ from a single-axle caravan in terms of stability.

Top Gear converts cars into motorhomes in Africa special

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by Emmy Griffiths

In last night’s episode of Top Gear (3 March), presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May once again modified their cars – this time by converting them into mini motorhomes.

In a special two-part episode, the Top Gear trio travelled to Africa in an attempt to find the true source of the river Nile.

Purchasing three second hand estate cars for no more than £1,500 (a BMW 528i for Clarkson, a Subaru Impreza 4WD turbo for Hammond and an unconventional Volvo 850R for May) they proceeded to transform them into mini motorhomes in funny, silly and slightly ingenious ways.

Hammond took charge of cooking, kitting out the back of his Subaru with a small countertop stove complete with a kettle, pots, pans and even cutlery.

A small leopard print sleeping area took up the passenger seat, while an upstairs sitting area was created by tying an armchair to the roof of the car.

James’ car was not much better – as he transformed the back into a portable work shop for any mechanical problems with a camp bed and a “gentleman explorer’s quarters” at the front, complete with books, a globe and a telescope.

Finally, Clarkson definitely had the most useless offering to aid their trip – with a mini fridge full of beer in the passenger seat, while the back of the car was turned into a Miami Beach themed sleeping area complete with white Egyptian cotton and duck down.

The trio proceeded to venture into the heart of darkness in their unsuitable motorhomes before getting quite literally stuck in the mud.

With help from the Ugandan Army and a length of rope, the three presenters spent the first part of their 600-mile journey battling very difficult driving conditions, with Clarkson stating:

“This has to be one of the toughest days we’ve had on Top Gear. There hasn’t been a moment where one of us wasn’t stuck. No car is built to endure conditions like this.”

Caravan-lovers may be interesting to see how well Hammond’s Subaru Impreza (which he called his “house on wheels”) dealt with towing in thick mud, while May’s Volvo floundered hopelessly due to its low ground clearance.

The first part of the Africa special is available now on BBC iPlayer with the second episode debuting on Sunday 10th March at 8pm on BBC Two.

Caravan Club applies for permission to extend Southport site

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by Arash Hekmat

An application has been tendered to expand a Caravan Club site on fields in Southport, in Merseyside.

The club intends to extend its existing Victoria Park venue and convert a single-storey toilet block, along with new access roads and hard standings, according to the Southport Visitor.

Planners have recommended the proposals for approval, claiming they will help drive tourism in Southport and benefit the town’s local economy.

They also noted that the plans will not have a significant impact on the character of the area or its visual makeup.

Local councillors will discuss the application on 6 March.

According to the news provider, the application document states: “Southport’s economic base is built on tourism and the visitor income from users of the site is valuable to the local economy.”

“The touring van and motorhome users of the site are a key demographic in support of the Classic Resort strategy that has guided Southport’s regeneration in recent years.”

Elddis causing a stir Down Under with New Zealand partnership

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by Arash Hekmat

Elddis has enjoyed a significant amount of success in New Zealand since it arranged a deal with RV Leisure Centre a year ago for the sale of its caravans in the country.

New Zealand’s caravanning market is growing significantly and the County Durham-based manufacturer has been well positioned to take advantage thanks to this partnership.

Barry Avery, of RV Leisure Centre, said that the caravan scene has undergone a significant revival across the country in the past five years.

“As a dealer, we could see this new market developing and decided to investigate our options to share in this new growth to our RV industry,” he said.

According to Mr Avery, the new interest in caravans was driven primarily by UK-sourced models that had been imported, often at attractive second-hand prices.

“These caravans not only offered higher levels of specification, but included features such as showers and toilets, full ovens, permanent double beds etc – UK vans really are a different breed to what the New Zealand market is used to!”

Despite being so feature-rich, the low weight of these caravans has also boosted their popularity, thanks to the fact that families do not need a heavy 4×4 vehicle to tow a UK caravan like they would with a typical model from New Zealand or Australia.