NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show set for Zulu invasion

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by Jack Beresford

Caravan enthusiasts heading to the annual Motorhome & Caravan Show at the NEC in Birmingham will be able to enjoy a tribal treat, with a special Zulu Warrior dance performance planned.

Scheduled to run from October 16th to October 21st, the NCC event will showcase some of the finest new models of tourer on the market today.

However those in attendance could be in for a different kind of caravan-themed experience with a performance from the Mighty Zulu Warrior Nation Theatre Company scheduled.

The unique entertainment event will see a series of dance performances taking place from 9am on Wednesday October 17th.

This striking spectacle has been organised to promote the Camping and Caravanning Club’s Worldwide Travel stand and the South Africa tour offered to globe-trotting tourers and their owners.

The 2013 Worldwide Motorhome Touring brochure will be launched as part of the plans, with ten escorted tours to countries like New Zealand, Botswana and the USA among others.

Nottinghamshire caravan parks hit by spate of battery thefts

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by Jack Beresford

Nottinghamshire is currently in the grip of a different kind of caravan-related thievery which is likely to generate plenty of charges but nothing in the way of a conviction as yet.

As the Worksop Guardian reports, campers at sites in Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood have reported the theft of tourer battery packs at various intervals in the last six months.

Since April, there have been 22 reported cases of theft from caravan owners, with the removal of these important components causing many trips to be completely ruined or end up more costly than previously anticipated.

The increase in battery-related crime has seen police up their presence at the various hotspots across the region.

In the meantime, law enforcement officials are calling for caravan owners to increase the security surrounding their tourers in a bid to prevent further incidents.

Crime remains a serious concern for campers up and down the UK. Last month, a Norfolk couple had their vehicle stolen after stopping off at a pub while en route to a caravanning holiday.

VIDEO: Introducing the 2013 Swift Challenger SE and Sterling Eccles SE

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by Chris Jefferies
This summer Swift promised something special and they certainly delivered with the lightweight Swift Challenger SE – an all-new caravan that is packed with extra features, despite weighing much less than its predecessor.
Along with the sister range the ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="/sterling/sterling-eccles-se/">Sterling Eccles SE, this collection promises to be very popular among caravanners looking for a balance between luxury and lower weights.

For full details on costs, layout options, weights and dimensions, all of the technical details can be seen here.




In this video, we take a first look inside these smart new tourers, which retain the stylish curved front end and panoramic sunroof from the Swift Challenger Sport.
We also talk to Nick Page from Swift Group, who explains how this new range will fit into the existing Swift and Sterling offering, and tells us what SE actually stands for.

Christmas cancelled at Lake District caravan park after council opposition

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by Jack Beresford

Festive cheer could be in short supply at the Park Cliffe Caravan Site, near Windermere, this December, after local officials blocked plans to allow the park to open over Christmas.

The proprietors of the Lake District resort had hoped to be able to stay open during the chilly months, with the region often popular among campers at this time of year due to the stunning natural scenery on offer.

However, as the North West Evening Mail reports, planners at the Lake District National Park Authority have moved to deny the proposals, leaving the caravan park owners with the prospect of a bleak winter ahead.

As the news provider reports, development control committee member Professor Jeremy Rowan-Robinson, told a meeting of planners in Murley Moss that there was little reason to back the plans.

“I know this site and have walked in this area and it’s a landscape detractor. This proposal would make it worse,” he said.

The decision is a blow to the park owners, who have faced difficult weather conditions in recent months, with many caravan parks forced to close following heavy rain.

As the Yorkshire Post reported, sites in Catterick and Knaresborough were forced to close amid fears over rising water levels.

Cambridgeshire golf course caravan park plans meet local opposition

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by Jack Beresford

The owners of the Lakeside Lodge golf club at Pidley have had their proposed plans for the development of a new area for campers and caravans at the Hemingford Grey leisure site blocked by locals.

According to Hunts Post 24, the proprietors of the 17-hectare area, which already offers water skiing as well as golf, have applied to allow pitches for 30 caravans and 15 tents, along with a new boat house that will offer wash facilities to visiting holidaymakers.

In addition to the tourer-based proposals, the owners are also looking to build two holiday chalets and a new zip-wire activity area.

The plans have been submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council by planning consultants Partners in Planning (PiP) with a decision expected in the next few months.

However, local campaign group One Vocal Group have called for the work to be blocked, amid fears it will damage the environment.

Spokesperson Esther Harrod told the news provider: “Residents are concerned about the impact of noise from the proposed water activities and campsite and the effect on the wildlife on the private lake.

“There are concerns regarding extra traffic through the village.”

A number of new tourer-based developments have faced local opposition in recent months, with plans for one new site in Chepstow, Monmouthshire rejected amid concerns from nearby residents.

Gloucestershire caravan site’s new facilities are a life-saver

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by Jack Beresford

The owner of a caravan park in Gloucestershire has made a surprise addition to the health and safety features at his 120-pitch site with a defibrillator now provided for emergency use.

Holidaymakers heading to the Ranch Caravan Park at Honeybourne near Evesham, will benefit from the new provision, with staff also undertaking training to prepare for an event where they will need to provide the first aid.

Steve Attridge, who runs the facility, purchased the defibrillator in a bid to boost on site safety, Tewkesbury Admag reports.

The device is capable of administering an electric shock to anyone in cardiac arrest, helping them to regain a steady heart rhythm.

This on-site addition could make a major difference, with most campsites located far from any professional medical help, which is required in such serious incidents.

“Having the machine on site, as well as the first aiders trained to use it, gives people extra confidence that we would be able to help if needed,” Mr Attridge told the news provider.

Figures produced by the UK ambulance service show that the average survival rate following cardiac arrests in the south west of England was 18.7 per cent in 2011, highlighting the importance of safety measures like this.

Fifth Wheel Company set to unveil new Inos slide-out caravan

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by Jack Beresford

The prestige surrounding this month’s Motorhome & Caravan Show has been ramped up by the news that Fifth Wheel Company are set to show off their new single-axle Inos caravan at the event.

Scheduled to run from October 16th until October 21st at the NEC in Birmingham, this caravan extravaganza will showcase a variety of new innovations in the industry.

And the new Inos tourer will be one of them, with this newly designed model boasting a range of new features. Chief among these is a four-metre slide-out section, which boosts the living space to an impressive 14 metres square.

Meanwhile, an upgraded Whale water system that includes a triple-insulated water tank on board is also present along with integrated under floor heating.

The caravan has been designed with superior four-element sandwich construction body panels and has two metres of internal headroom, as well as an IDC anti-snaking device and Winterhoff 3,000 kg stabiliser coupling.

Fifth Wheel Company will be hoping that the tourer garners the same level of attention given to the twin-axle Inos at last year’s show, which represented the first production line caravan in Europe to boast a slide-out section.

Set to be presented on October 16th, the unveiling will also provide visitors with a chance to see the new 2013 Dream Seeker model, which has a larger slide-out section and bathroom area alongside new wood finishings and kitchen worktops.

Volkswagen Jetta retains Caravan Club Towcar of the Year award for 2013

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by Jack Beresford

The Volkswagen Jetta Sport 2.0 TDI DSG has taken the top honours at the 30th annual Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Competition in London.

A panel of ten judges awarded the prize to the tourer, praising its design and practicality as a caravanning family car, as well as its excellent performance in a variety of difficult towing situations.

The accolade represents a major coup for Volkswagen, with this popular Jetta model claiming the prize for the second year in succession – becoming the first car in the history of the event to do so.

Caravan Club Chairman, Grenville Chamberlain, described the tourer as “terrific” noting that “it really is a great vehicle and it proved itself time and time again with the judges during testing”.

It was a year of firsts at the Caravan Club awards, with this year’s competition representing the first time in which the categorisation of entrants was decided by Vehicle Excise Duty tax bands, rather than the usual price class system.

This change was implemented by the Club in a bid to provide more relevant information on issues like the environmental footprint of the various towcars being assessed, to its one million members.

All of the models put forward as part of the competition had to undergo a number of stringent tests which were designed to ensure all award winners were truly at the top of their range.

This included acceleration and reversing tests, which were undertaken alongside the traditional assessments like emergency braking, high-speed towing circuits, hill-stop and restart tests, ride and handling evaluations and a mid-range 30-60 mph acceleration examination.

Judges involved in the testing process were joined by a special celebrity guest, with Sir Ranulph Fiennes watching over the various assessments.

The legendary explorer was also on hand to give at the awards at the subsequent ceremony in London and the five class winners were the Volkswagen CC, the Chevrolet Captiva, the Mercedes-Benz ML350, and the Skoda Yeti.

VIDEO: What to do if your caravan pitch gets flooded

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by Chris Jefferies

It’s always heartbreaking to hear news of caravan sites being flooded, with holidays ruined and tourers often written off, and this year in particular it seems to have happened far too often.

In times like these it’s reassuring to know that your insurers are going to pick up the bill, and with that in mind, we’ve been to Cheltenham to meet Towergate Insurance‘s Ed Cross.

In this video, he explains how severe the damage from flood water can be and the need to ensure that your insurance policy will cover any eventuality.

We also discuss how siting your caravan on a seasonal pitch near a flood plain can affect the cost of your annual insurance premium.

NCC show tickets competition closed and winners announced

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by Chris Jefferies

The NCC Motorhome and Caravan Show is without a doubt the biggest event in the caravan calendar, and this year’s show promises to be bigger than ever.

With all the major caravan manufacturers due to attend as well as several celebrity appearances, there is plenty to look forward to.

So with that in mind, this month’s CaravanTimes reader give-away has included 25 pairs of tickets to this massive show.

The deadline for entries has now passed and it’s time to announce the lucky winners. So without further ado, they are:

Margaret Bunn, Helen Lodge, Lucy Mcgill, Nick White, Tony Fox, Janice Williams, Bill Piper, Paul Crawford, John Halliday, Christopher Llewellyn, Barry Doran, Lindsay Carter, Barbara Pattinson, Emma Wheeler-Jones, Jon Freeman, Jan Clift, Michael Ellery, John Riley, Gillian Hargrave, Stephen Banks, Jay Punshon, Richard Fairchild, Jim Jeffers, Theresa Clarke, & Andrea Ellis.

Congratulations to all the winners, we will be in touch via e-mail to arrange the delivery of your tickets. If you didn’t win, then why not enter our other competition this month and you could win a Cadac caravan barbecue.

Elddis Affinity 482 added to 2013 Solid Construction collection

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by Chris Jefferies
Elddis Caravans has announced details of a new two-berth layout for its recently launched Elddis Affinity collection of mid-range caravans.
Due to be launched at the Birmingham NEC later this month, the Elddis Affinity 482 is a single-axle layout, which features a large front lounge that converts into a double bed.
A full-width rear washroom and well-stocked offside kitchenette complete this layout, which is sure to prove popular among touring couples.
This is the first two-berth layout to be added to the Elddis Affinity range, which was unveiled back in August to widespread appeal.
Many have commented on the company’s bold move to switch their production line over to the exclusive Solid Construction technique, which replaces more than 90% of the screws and bolts with industrial-grade adhesive.
Those hoping to get a close-up look at the Elddis Affinity 482, and indeed all of the 2013 Elddis range, can head along to the NCC Motorhome and Caravan Show, which runs at the Birmingham NEC from 16 to 21 October.
Tickets are on sale now, or if you want to a chance to go for free then make sure to enter this month’s CaravanTimes prizedraw, as we have 25 pairs to give away.

Whale gets second factory to develop new caravan technology

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by Jack Beresford

Whale’s work in the developing new technology in the field of caravans and motorhome construction has received a shot in the arm after it was revealed that the company would be opening a new facility.

The plans will see Munster Simms Engineering Ltd open a special Technology and Polymer Centre at the firm’s Bangor address in Northern Ireland later this month.

This additional space will give Whale some 87,000 square feet to develop its testing laboratory and plastic injection mould shop.

It will also allow the firm to expand its provision of testing technology to include facilities for experimentation with cold and wind elements.

Other features include a life product and concept testing facility along with a design engineering section and software design development department.

Managing director Patrick Hurst noted that the expansion had come following a year of success for the firm, which he was keen to attribute to the efforts of those behind-the-scenes.

“Much of the company’s recent success is down to the excellent workforce. The team at Whale, their spirit and support of the business is its main strength.”

The new site will facilitate more Rapid Prototyping Machines (also known as 3D printers), which use initial CAD models to create parts at speed and is set to become an increasingly prominent tool in the next 12 months.