by Chris Jefferies
Elddis Caravans have revamped their mid-range Avante collection for 2013, with a smart-looking new front end and plenty of additional kit.
In this video, we take an exclusive look inside the very first model to roll off the production line and see what the key differences are.
We also meet Rob Quine, Managing Director of Elddis, who explains that there is much more to this range than meets the eye.
The 2013 Avante is one of the first ranges to feature Solid Construction, an exclusive caravan building method that makes for exceptionally strong, light and dry tourers.
Prices in the Elddis Avante collection start at £14,499 for the two-berth 462 layout, while MTPLM weights range from 1,270kg to 1,639kg
Arson investigation launched after Scottish caravan fire
Two caravans were destroyed in a fire that raged out of control at a park in the sleepy Scottish county of East Lothian earlier this week.
Local fire fighters were called to the scene of the incident at the Aberlady Caravan Site at around 1am on Thursday 11 October, according to the Edinburgh Evening News.
However, by the time the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene, there was little of either tourer left to salvage, while some minor damage had also been incurred to the surrounding area.
Police are now believed to be treating the incident as arson, with a spokesperson calling for witnesses to come forward with information.
“These fires resulted in several thousand pounds worth of damage,” they said.
“Anyone who was in or around the caravan site in the early hours of yesterday morning and remembers seeing anything suspicious is asked to contact police immediately.”
Similar cases of arson were reported in Runcorn last month, when three tourers were destroyed by individuals starting the blazes deliberately.
Ten-year-old boy saves baby sister from Devon caravan blaze
The quick-thinking actions of a ten-year-old boy have been praised after he helped his infant sister to escape a fire that broke out aboard the family’s tourer.
Fire services were called to the scene of the incident at Prixford on Sunday September 30th, which saw two tourers catch fire following a power failure.
Fortunately, when they arrived no one had been seriously harmed by the blaze, which left two adjacent caravans completely gutted.
As the North Devon Journal reports, the incident occurred at around 12.15pm as Jared Brokenshire and his sister Amy played in one of the tourers.
The family were staying in the two caravans just outside their home, while their father Mike Brokenshire completed renovations inside.
Unbeknown to the father-of-two, a fire had broken out aboard one of the vehicles. Fortunately, after large plumes of smoke to began billowing from the tourer, his ten-year-old son reacted quickly.
He said: “I was scared but knew I had to get me and Amy out and get help so I stayed calm because that is what I had learnt at Cubs when they took us to Barnstaple fire station.”
Running into the house with his three-year-old sister in tow, Jared was able to warn his father of the ensuing fire, with Mike subsequently removing the caravan’s gas canisters and thus preventing a large explosion.
Caravanners need to stay aware of the potential dangers of fire onboard their tourers. Back in August, a 30-year-old man was left with serious burns after a blaze broke out aboard his east Surrey-based vehicle.
VIDEO: How to protect against on-site caravan damage
by Chris Jefferies
Minor bumps and scrapes on a caravan site are some of the most common types of accidents that can befall a caravan owner.
Avoiding these isn’t always possible, so it’s important to make sure that you’ve got the correct insurance in place to repair any dings or dents.
In this video, we talk to Edward Cross, insurance expert at Towergate Insurance, to find out what are the key things you should look out for when manoeuvring your way around a caravan site.
He also gives his top tips for improving your skills and making sure that these types of minor accidents don’t happen so often.
VIDEO: Why caravan movers are becoming a woman’s best friend
by Chris Jefferies
Moving your caravan into a tight space is a challenging manoeuvre at the best of times, unless you have a motor mover fitted that is.
In this video, we’ve been catching up with Adrian Bishop at Powrwheel to find out why these gadgets are becoming more and more popular among women in particular.
The stereotypical image is that men do more of the technical and mechanical work on a caravan holiday, while women take care of cooking and cleaning, but Adrian believes that this is no longer the case, partly due to advancements in technology.
We also find out what Powrwheel do to help out if you have a problem with one of their motor movers.
Caravan barbecue competition closed and winners announced
by Chris Jefferies
Our latest competition has received a phenomenal response, but perhaps we should have expected that, given that a recent survey has shown that barbecue food is a caravanner’s favourite meal.
And with this Cadac caravan gas barbecue you can cook up with easy – as it comes with five different cooking surfaces, including a non-stick grill, a ridged griddle pan and even a wok.
One of these gadgets would normally set you back £60, but we have three of them to give away this month, thanks to the generous folk over at Towergate Insurance.
So without further ado, it’s time to announce the lucky winners. They are:
- Elaine Hutcheson
- Lindsay Billsborrow
- and Annalise Cave
Congratulations to the winners – we will be in touch via e-mail to arrange delivery of your prize. If you didn’t win, then keep checking back with CaravanTimes as we will have another exciting competition on the way in the coming weeks.
Camping and Caravanning Club prepares for autumn of gramping
The upcoming October half-term could be one for oldies across the many sites currently operating under the Camping and Caravanning Club banner.
This assertion follows the revelation that there was a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of campers and caravanners aged 55 and over booking pitches on club sites at this time of year.
In many instances, these mature holidaymakers will embark on these tourer-based excursions with their children and, in some instances, their grandchildren.
But in some cases, grandparents may even go out on trips with their grandchildren over the half-term break, which while a holiday for the young and retired, remains a period of work for most mums and dads.
Research conducted by Saga Group further enhances this viewpoint, with two-fifths of the grandparents surveyed by the firm admitting to spending up to £100 on their grandchildren in recent months.
With research from Liverpool John Moore’s University that was collected by the Camping and Caravanning Club also showing that 87 per cent of children “felt happy” after embarking on a camping experience, it seems like this trend is good news for all involved.
Runaway Sterling caravan hits two cars in Derbyshire
Derbyshire Police are continuing to examine the scene of a road accident in Ashbourne, which saw a renegade caravan crash into two cars parked in a lay-by in the region.
As the Ashbourne News reports, the incident is believed to have been the result of a towing mechanism failure, with the authorities now examining the tow hitch and cables of the tourer in question.
The incident occurred on the A515, with a Renault Trafic van towing a twin-axle Sterling Elite Explorer caravan at the time of the incident.
While en route to the nearby village of Sudbury, the tourer became detached and began travelling of its own accord.
The unguided journey soon ended though, with the caravan crashing into two parked, but thankfully empty, cars that were close by.
A similar incident took place in Melton back in late August, when a rogue caravan ended up rolling down a hill of its own accord, following a collision.
With this in mind, you may want to double check your tourer is secure next time you travel!
Caravan Club to offer more overseas holiday options
The Caravan Club will soon be offering its members an expanded array of overseas tour options after completing the purchase of the Mark Hammerston Group last week.
Under the agreement, the organisation will become known as the Alan Rogers Travel Group and will provide the tourer club with a unique platform to develop its global holidaying options.
The newly-acquired firm is famous for providing guides and campsite brochures along with sites and ferry crossings, and has extensive links with holiday operators in France and Holland.
An estimated one million motorhome owners, caravanners and other camping enthusiasts could benefit from the new agreement, which will provide a greater choice of travel products and services.
Nick Lomas, Director General of The Caravan Club, said: “The Caravan Club’s acquisition of The Alan Rogers Travel Group . will further enhance The Club’s Travel Service offering for its members.
“Together the two organisations can build an array of unbeatable travel products and services.”
VIDEO: Race to the finish line with the Bailey Orion
by Chris Jefferies
This year the world of caravans and the world of Mini racing have come together, as Bailey of Bristol is sponsoring top driver Jonathan Lewis in the Mighty Minis racing championship.
In part one of this video series, we saw Jonathan claim an impressive pole position in qualifying, and in part two we saw how he prepares for a race inside his caravan.
In the third and final instalment, Jonathan takes to the historic Silverstone race track to see if he can continue his four-race winning streak.
We follow the race right through to the finish line and get Jonathan’s reaction as he unwinds from a long day’s racing inside his Bailey Orion.
Park Leisure plans for Durham caravan site shelved
No caravans will be heading to the rarefied surroundings of County Durham in the north east of England, after plans for the development of a major new park were scrapped.
Park Leisure had submitted plans for the 301-pitch site to council officials earlier this month, with the proposals projected to create some 43 jobs along with £1.7 million a year in additional tourism revenue.
The new park would have been based at the idyllic Beechburn Quarry site, near Witton Park. But, as the Northern Echo reports, the scheme now appears unlikely to move forward.
A statement from Park Leisure said: “After seven years of developing the scheme and taking it through the planning system, Park Leisure has chosen to withdraw the planning application.”
The firm is now set to step up its efforts in developing parks in other areas of the UK. Locals opposed the plans amid concerns over traffic increase and the dangers of flooding in the region. Some council officials are also believed to have been against the scheme.
The level of opposition is similar to that being witnessed at the Lakeside Lodge at Pidley in Huntingdonshire, where locals are against plans to expand the current site.
Hobby Prestige caravan stolen from Wrexham home
The need to ensure caravans are safely secured was highlighted on Sunday (7 October) following the theft of a much-cherished tourer from a residency in Wales.
Police are calling for help in locating the tourer, which was taken from the home of its owner on Tatham Road in Ruabon at some point between 6pm the previous day and 12 noon, Wrexham.com reports.
The Hobby 690 VIP Prestige is a distinctive model, which features white and blue stripes, with the owner describing the left-hand corner of the chassis as slightly misshapen.
Caravan theft is an increasingly common problem among tourer owners. Fortunately, as Tim Shallcross, head of policy at the Institute of Advanced Motorists explains, there are opportunities to protect against such prowlers.
“We all hate wheel clamps, but caravanners do like them because if you put one on your caravan it makes it very difficult to tow away and of course a burglar alarm inside the caravan is essential,” he said.
“Caravans are not like Fort Knox, but if you have a movement sensor inside and it suddenly emits an ear-piercing screech then people will be deterred.”
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