Coachman Caravans reports strong sales from record crowds at NEC Show

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by Chris Jefferies

It seems caravan buyers have reacted well to the radical redesign of the Coachman range, as the Cottingham-based manufacturer has reported a 30 per cent year-on-year increase in sales for last week’s NCC Motorhome & Caravan Show (October 12th-17th).

The company took the bold move of completely redesigning its flagship Pastiche, VIP and Laser ranges this summer, introducing a swooping front end and a panoramic sunroof, and this appears to have paid off.

Coachman Caravans reports that it sold nearly 350 of its tourers last week, with the record attendance at the Birmingham NEC no doubt helping to boost this figure.

The National Caravan Council, which took over the show for the first time this year, has reported that attendance totalled 93,323, up 50 per cent compared with last year’s show.

Lowered ticket prices and free parking will have surely played a part in this, but nonetheless many will argue that this indicates that the caravan and motorhome industry is continuing to cope well with the current economic downturn.

Jim Hibbs, Managing Director at Coachman, said: “We knew this season was going to be tough, and that we needed to produce something really special for 2012 to stand out from the competition. So far, it looks like we have been successful.”

Public appeal from police in hunt for Bailey Ranger caravan stolen from farm

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by Tom Lowenstein

The public have been asked to keep their eye out for an unusual caravan after it was stolen from a farm in Halesowen, the West Midlands.

Police made the appeal for the distinctive Bailey Ranger 620/6, which was taken on the night of September 20th/21st, after thieves forced their way through a gate that was bolted shut at the farm in Lapal, Halesowen News reported.

The prized caravan is decorated on one side with pictures of an American Indian and a dog and on the other with a picture of a horse.

Thieves cut three padlocks from the caravan before making off with it but police say they do not what was used to remove it.

Halesowen Neighbourhood Team’s sergeant Wendy Tyler, told the local newspaper: “This is a very distinctive caravan and I am sure that someone would remember seeing it.”

Anyone who has any information relating to the caravan should call 0345 113 5000.

Bailey Caravans offer warranty arrangements for Discover Leisure customers

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by Marcus Dubois

Following the announcement that dealership Discover Leisure has been placed in administration, Bailey Caravans has confirmed the options available to existing Discover customers.

All customers with future sales and after sales arrangements can benefit from the firm’s Transient Warranty Scheme, where warranty and servicing work on new and existing Bailey caravans can be fulfilled.

Click here to see a list of Bailey dealers authorised to carry out warranty and servicing work

Bailey advises that any ongoing sales or after sales issues should be addressed to the official administrator KPMG, who can be contacted on the following hotline number: 0845 617 1490

The Bristol firm expressed sadness upon hearing of the development, and wishes “the former Discover Leisure staff the best of luck in finding alternative employment”.

Bailey also revealed it “would also like to point out that it does see this development as an isolated incident, particularly in light of the results of the recent Motorhome & Caravan Show which was very successful for Bailey in particular and the industry in general”

As for the future of the caravan industry in 2012, the firm is “optimistic regarding the market prospects looking forward.”

Discover Leisure Depot

Nearest Alternative Outlet
Discover Leisure, Birtley: Tel – 01912 363156 United British Caravans, Newcastle on Tyne: Tel – 0191 236 3156
Ropers Leisure, Catterick: Tel: 01748-818666
Teeside Caravans, Stockton-on-Tees – Tel: 01642-764455
North East Caravans, Ashington – Tel: 01670-764455 (Service Centre Only)
Discover Leisure, Chorley Stewart Longton Motorhomes, Chorley – Tel: 01257-220222
Campbells Caravans, Lostock Hall, Preston – Tel: 01772-627627
JR Leisure – Radcliffe, Manchester
Crossley Coachcraft, Leyland: Tel: 01772-623423 (Service Centre Only)
Read Caravans, Blackburn – Tel: 01254-694313
C&S Caravans, Accrington – Tel: 01254-386284
Discover Leisure, Darlington United British Caravans, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Tel: 01912-363156
Ropers Leisure, Catterick – Tel: 01748-818666
Teeside Caravans, Stockton-on-Tees – Tel: 01642-764455
North East Caravans, Ashington – Tel: 01670-764455 (Service Centre Only)
Discover Leisure, Delemere Flintshire Caravans, Queensferry: Tel: 01244-830438
Leisure Sales, Sandbach – Tel: 01477-535264
Discover Leisure, York Yorkshire Coast Caravans, Driffield – Tel: 01262-488366
Wandahome – South Cave, Hull – Tel: 01430-424342

More hardship for British drivers as number of petrol forecourts halves

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by Tom Lowenstein

As if the price of fuel wasn’t bad enough, British caravanners have been given more bad news with the announcement that there are fewer than 9,000 petrol forecourts in the UK, less than half the 21,000 that were in operation twenty years ago.

What’s more, this fall has happened at the same time as the number of cars on the roads has doubled to 31 million, research by retail experts Palmer & Harvey has revealed.

The south of England has been hit the worst, with eight of the country’s ten ‘fuel deserts’ lying in the region’s countryside.

Torridge in Devon has the lowest ratio of cars to forecourts, with Palmer and Harvey reporting there were some 11,300 cars per forecourt in the 380 sq mile rural region.

Chris Etherington, Palmer and Harvey chief executive, told the Daily Telegraph: “These fuel deserts lead to massive inconvenience for the already hard-pressed motorist, and also to the loss of a focal point in communities.”

During the summer, the RMI Independent Petrol Retailers Association said that time was running out for many petrol stations, with supermarkets dropping petrol prices as a ‘loss leader’ effectively forcing them out of business, the newspaper reported.

Couple treated in hospital after caravan fire kills their five pet dogs

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by Tom Lowenstein

A tragic caravan fire in East Lothian has claimed the lives of a couple’s five dogs.

The brave man and woman who are both aged 37 were taken to Edinburgh Royal infirmary in the early hours of yesterday morning (October 19th), having fought against the flames to move gas cylinders away from the caravan.

They were treated for burns and cuts to their hands as well as smoke inhalation following the blaze at Paxton Metals, a metal dealer’s yard, in East Fortune, STV reported.

Unfortunately their five border terriers died in the fire, which broke out just before 1am. Over 20 firefighters were called to battle the fire.

Crews from East Linton, Haddington and Newcraighall fought the flames until around 2.30am but the caravan was destroyed in the fire.

An investigation into how the fire started is now being conducted by Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, a spokesman for the force confirmed.

Introducing… Elemment Palazzo – The world’s most expensive motorhome

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by Chris Jefferies
It only takes one quick glance to realise that this is no ordinary motorhome, but there’s much more to this dramatic creation that just its startling looks.
Named the Elemment Palazzo, this motormansion is made by Austrian company Marchi Mobile and boasts the kind of figures that dwarf even the most luxurious of caravans.
The lavish interior measures 215 sq ft, but a slide-out section doubles this to 430 sq ft, and the internal headroom of 8’2″ is more enough to satisfy even the tallest of guests.
Luxury features on-board include a working fireplace, under-floor heating, a 40-inch satellite TV, and an en-suite bathroom for the (admittedly garish) master bedroom.

There is also a separate bar area and a pop-up roof terrace for enjoying the sunshine, but all this luxury doesn’t come cheap.
King of the road
Weighing in at a hefty 20-tonnes, it takes a 510bhp engine (not to mention an HGV license) to drag this juggernaut up to its top-speed of 93mph and, somewhat predictably, fuel consumption is very low at an eye-watering 13 mpg.
Fortunately Marchi Mobile has gone for a sculpted ‘biomorphic’ front-end, which makes this playboy’s toy around 20 per cent more aerodynamic.
Practicality has been kept in mind, as the Elemment Palazzo features glow-in-the-dark paint so that visibility at night is never an issue.
Prices start at a cool £1.9m, but the optional extras are theoretically endless, with the company even offering to cover the whole thing in diamonds – if that’s your kind of thing.
Protecting such an enormous investment is clearly a highly priority, so it comes fitted with CCTV for added peace of mind.
However, if you’re budget doesn’t quite stretch that far then you might be better off buying a house in the exclusive London neighbourhood of Hampstead. The Daily Mail points out that this would be much cheaper per square foot.


Find more photos like this on CaravanTimes

Lincolnshire holiday park proposes facelift to reverse fortunes

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by Tom Lowenstein

Bosses at a holiday park in Lincolnshire are planning a major site renovation as declining visitor numbers threaten to turn it into another “statistic” of the recession.

Visitor numbers have been steadily falling at Short Ferry Caravan Park near Fiskerton, but its owners have come out fighting with a bid to give the park a face lift and bring holidaymakers back to the once popular destination.

Short Ferry has submitted a planning application to renovate its swimming pool and holiday accommodation while providing improved disabled facilities and landscaping the site, thisislincolnshire.co.uk reported.

Rob Hardman, a partner in the business, told the website: “We need to change things. The facilities have been upgraded over the years but it’s time to have a big go at it.

“We want to make the place special.”

Currently in the second phase of application, the proposals make the case that without upgrading the facilities the site cannot compete with other nearby sites.

West Lindsey District Council is currently conducting a public consultation of the plans.

Caravan set on fire as riot police begin Dale Farm eviction

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by Marcus Dubois

A burning caravan has been used as the centrepiece of a barricade by protestors challenging the eviction of travellers from Dale Farm in Essex.

According to the Press Association, riot police entered the UK’s largest travellers’ site at 0700 after breaking down a fence at the rear of the farm. The move followed earlier discussions at the front with residents, described by supporters as a diversionary tactic by police. Officers used axes to hack through fences and gain entrance, prompting clashes between police and protestors in which bricks and bottles were thrown.

Caravan barricade

The caravan was said to have been set ablaze in order to stall a line of riot police moving forward. One angry protestor stood in front of the burning caravan bearing a cross, and compared Dale Farm to the Gaza settlements in Israel. Speaking to broadcast media, she claimed both groups had faced “persecution and ethnic cleansing”.

The caravan itself belongs to a 72 year old resident Mary Flynn, a severely ill traveller who applied for an injunction in August to stop her eviction from the site.

Reports from the Guardian suggest that a second caravan painted with the words “Lady with difficulty breathing” was also set ablaze around 09.30 this morning.

The Dale Farm eviction

Fifty-one illegal pitches are said to be home to up to 400 people on the Dale Farm site. On Monday residents were denied the right to appeal against a High Court ruling which allowed Basildon Council to evict them.

Leader of Basildon Council Tony Bale was outspoken about the protests. “The pre-meditated and organised scenes of violence that we have already seen with protestors throwing rocks and bricks, threatening police with iron bars and setting fire to a caravan, are shocking”.

Meanwhile the Dale Farm Solidarity Campaign issued a statement earlier this morning explaining the reasoning behind their actions. “Residents and supporters remain inside the site, many locked onto blockades and caravans together in order to resist the eviction. Police breached the perimeter to initiate the eviction”.

At the time of writing, police and bailiffs were engaged in a standoff with protestors, with several being forcibly removed from scaffolding and buildings.

Caravan reversing accidents shoot up by 24 per cent in a year

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by Tom Lowenstein

Caravan owners have been warned to take extra care when reversing with their caravans coupled to the car, as the number of accidents is on the increase.

According to specialist caravan insurance company, Caravan Guard, the numbers of owners making insurance claims following a reversing accident has surged by a staggering 24 per cent in the past year alone.

The cost of repairing the damage can be astronomical too, with some reversing accidents costing well over £5,000 and the average claim coming in at a substantial £1,500.

People accidentally reversing their caravans into walls, fences, gateposts and trees have all made claims this year, with the increase in accidents set to top 30 per cent by the end of the year.

Advising caravan owners to take out appropriate insurance cover, Teresa Eastwood, claims liaison manager at Caravan Guard, warned drivers that “a significant proportion of reversing accidents occur when caravans are being put back into storage.”

She added that cameras and sensors are available to help make reversing caravans that bit easier.

Lunar Caravans reports £6.7m worth of sales from NEC show

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by Chris Jefferies
In a tough year for the leisure industry it will come as a great relief for many to be reminded that it’s not all doom and gloom in the caravan business.
Lightweight luxury expert Lunar Caravans has reported total sales of £6.7million from the NCC Motorhome & Caravan Show, which finished on Sunday (October 16th).
This highly impressive figure is largely down to the huge popularity of the recently upgraded Lunar Clubman / Delta range, which made up more than half of the company’s overall sales.
New layouts for 2012 include the twin-axle Delta FB, the Lexon 520, the Quasar 494 and the Lexon 420, although the single-axle Clubman SB was the biggest seller overall.
In the revamped range, which was launched just three months ago, there is a range of luxury features, from larger kitchens and showers to LED lighting throughout, while the weights have also been brought down once again.
Martin Henderson, sales and marketing director at Lunar, said: “This event really has exceeded our expectations. There was a great buzz of excitement throughout the whole show, proving that the UK caravanning industry is still standing resilient through these difficult economic times.”
Early reports suggest that the NCC Motorhome and Caravan Show attracted record levels of attendance, with around 100,000 visitors passing through the doors of the Birmingham NEC during the six days of the event.
Looking to the future and Lunar Caravans has already confirmed that its next major exhibition will be at the NCC Motorhome, Caravan and Camping Show, which will take place from 14th to 19th February 2012 at the London ExCel.

Discover Leisure confirms 240 job losses as caravans are withheld

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by Chris Jefferies

Defunct caravan dealership Discover Leisure has announced that 240 of its 260 staff have been laid off, after the company entered administration last week.

Meanwhile, caravan owners are facing a frustrating wait to get their tourers back from Discover’s workshops across the North of England.

Mark Firmin, Northern head of restructuring at administrators KPMG, said: “Discover has faced a difficult market over an extended period of time, with persistently depressed consumer demand for high value discretionary items in particular.”

In response to the number of calls received from worried caravanners, the administrators have set up a dedicated hotline to help settle all outstanding issues. Discover customers are now advised to call 0845 617 1490.

Caravan Times readers have been getting in touch to express their frustration at the experience, with many raising fears that their upcoming holidays may be ruined by this sorry turn of events.

Nick Blakemore from Cheshire said: “My ‘van is at the Delamere site, it went in last Sunday for a warranty quote, the gates are shut and I can’t get it out. I am absolutely disgusted with the treatment!”

Meanwhile, Wayjac Stevens added: “My caravan is stuck at Darlington after having a service and some repairs under warranty and I’m not sure what to do? I’m going to Spain for winter on Sunday.”

Have you been affected by the collapse of Discover Leisure? Have you dealt with them in the past? Share your thoughts in our free community forum

Drayton Manor theme park to get its own Friendly Club caravan site

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by Tom Lowenstein

A new caravan park and campsite that is sure to be a big hit with the kids is set to open in Staffordshire next year.

In partnership with Drayton Manor Theme Park near Tamworth, the Camping and Caravanning Club have announced the opening of a new 90-pitch site from March 29th 2012.

Within easy walking distance of the popular theme park, the full-facility site will be ideal for families looking for activities to keep them entertained during a caravan holiday.

Bound to have the kids bouncing with excitement, Drayton Manor has several thrilling rides and attractions including a Ben 10 rollercoaster, Thomas the Tank Engine Land and a 15-acre zoo.

Announcing the new partnership, Bob Hill, club sites director at the Friendly Club, said: “Drayton Manor Theme Park is one of the UK’s most popular family attractions and I am sure this new site will be a great addition to the network and for tourism within the area.”

The Club Site at Drayton Manor follows the success of two sites next to equally popular theme parks – Gulliver’s Milton Keynes at Gulliver’s and Alton, The Star adjacent to Alton Towers.