Chevrolet Orlando is surprise hit for Best Value Towcar award

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by Chris Jefferies

Caravan owners have been advised to consider buying a Chevrolet Orlando, as it offers the best value for money in the tow car market.

The seven-seater MPV was praised by judges at the annual Towcar Awards for its towing stability, pulling power and all-round practicality.

Having only been launched in February, the Orlando has already drawn many accolades for its great value for money, as prices start at just £16,410 on the road.

Meanwhile, the Mazda CX-7 took the Editor’s Choice award, with the Japanese crossover being described as “one of the best 4×4 tow cars you can buy for sensible money”.

This highly-efficient towcar boasts fuel efficiency of 37.7 mpg, along with pulling power of 400Nm – ideal for towing larger caravans.

Premium features available in the CX-7 Sports model include heated leather seats, integrated sat nav and climate control air conditioning.

Londoner hit with £1,000 fine for abandoned caravan

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by Chris Jefferies

Haringey Council is calling on the owner of an abandoned caravan to come forward and collect his vehicle, after the total fines broke the £1,000 mark.

The London borough council told the Tottenham and Wood Green Journal that the single-axle tourer was blocking the road and is a blight on the landscape.

Residents and councillors alike had complained about the Sprite caravan, which was moved from Clyde Road on May 24th, only to be put back in the same place a few weeks later.

The council has warned the owner that they have until July 8th to claim the vehicle before it is crushed.

However, if they do come forward, they will face fines and storage charges totalling £1,632.

Nilgun Canver, Haringey councillor and cabinet member for the environment, told the local newspaper: “We can’t have abandoned vehicles blocking streets like this. The caravan was causing problems for people living in this area.”

More details of October NCC Motorhome and Caravan Show released

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by Chris Jefferies

Caravan lovers will be flocking to Birmingham’s NEC this October for the UK’s biggest motorhome and caravan show of the year, which has just confirmed several key details.

A total of 350 exhibitors have already been signed up to this year’s event, which will run from October 11th to 16th, and next year’s models from all of the major manufacturers will be going on display.

Furthermore, buyers snapping up a new tourer at the event can be assured that their purchase will be ready and delivered in time for next summer.

As well as caravan models, outdoor enthusiasts can browse through a range of accessories and tourist information to help make their next touring holiday even better.

Visitors of all ages will find something of interest, with free activities, competitions, test-drives, games and cooking demonstrations all being laid on.

Prices start at £7 per person for over 60s and children under 16 can visit for free.

Used Caravan of the Week: 1996 Buccaneer Caribbean

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by Marcus Dubois

Every week here at Caravan Times we pause for a few minutes to scour the online auctions in search of a bargain. And occasionally we come across a tempting and sound example of a classic from a bygone era – a caravan which hits the sweet spot between good used value and generous equipment levels. This week we were drawn to a name which has been in caravan classifieds for around twenty years, but sadly disappeared last year as a new buy. The Buccaneer Caribbean may have been discontinued in 2010, but our fifteen-year old example offers plenty for the money.

Click here to see an image gallery of the 1996 Buccaneer Caribbean

Built in 1996, this caravan was considered a luxury tourer in its time and boasts a well appointed interior. At the front of the Caribbean is a six-seater dinette which folds out to make a double bed, while the other two beds are contained in the dining area. There you’ll find a single dinette which can be easily converted into a single bed, while the fourth berth is a bunk bed placed directly above.

What may catch the eye of potential buyers however is the remarkably well-appointed kitchen which features few compromises despite being in a confined space. A full sized 3 way fridge is accompanied by a generous domestic type oven, while an extractor fan can be found over the cooker. And cookery fans will find four burners are available on the hob, alongside a useful grill.

The heating control is similarly impressive for a fifteen-year old caravan – the buyer considers this “better than most domestic ones” offering six different temperature settings for the daytime, as well as separate weekday/weekend settings available. An internal water tank, carbon monoxide sensor and blinds to all windows complete the “home from home” feel of this Buccaneer.

History

Built in 1996, this Buccaneer Caribbean has been “dealer serviced and damp checked annually for the past 10 years” by the present owner. Its most recent service was April 2011, when it was declared to be “sound and dry”. The Caribbean has “not been used during the past 10 years by smokers or pets”.

Kit and Caboodle

As well as the generous appointments mentioned above, this 1996 Caribbean comes with a full wet central heating system, based around a gas and mains Alde boiler that controls heating and hot water. Mains and 12V lights can be found above all the beds, while the awning light features a motion sensor for extra security.

Most notable of all are the plenty of optional extras included in the sale. The Buccaneer comes fitted with a remote controlled motor mover, while a Bradcot awning gives you the option of one or two annexes at each end. If you can’t be bothered with the full awning then a Bradcot porch gives you the scaled-down version, and a Bulldog hitch lock is also thrown in. To complete the sale, the Caribbean comes with a wastepot, aquaroll, two gas cylinders (one full) and a winter cover.

  • Price: £2,950.00 (buy it now price – or bid in auction)
  • MTPLM: Unladen weight 1250kg, max loaded weight 1600kg
  • Width: 7’0″ (2.13 metres)
  • Length: 23′ (7.01 metres)
  • Berth: 4
  • Axle: Single

Click here for purchase information on this 1996 Buccaneer Caribbean



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Ludlow site praised as ‘the Savoy’ of caravan parks

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by Chris Jefferies

Recently approved plans for a 20-acre caravan site in Ludlow have been given a major boost after a local councillor threw his weight behind the project.

The development on Overton Road will be ‘the Savoy of caravan parks’, according to Martin Taylor-Smith, who sits on Shropshire Council.

“It is very good news for Ludlow. This is the ‘Savoy’ of caravan sites and will encourage more people to visit the area,” he said.

Situated between the River Teme and the A49, the new site will use land that was formerly an RAF camp, the Ludlow and Tenbury Wells Advertiser reports.

In total, it is estimated that it will cost £3 million to overhaul the site, with the first visitors expected to be welcomed next year.

Camper vans, touring caravans and tents will all be accommodated on site, the local newspaper adds.

Owner Morris Leisure of Shrewsbury already operates four caravan parks in Shropshire and Snowdonia.

Driver hospitalised after caravan rolls on M4

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by Chris Jefferies

Caravan owners have been warned to be extra cautious when driving in windy conditions, after a woman was injured when her caravan and tow-car rolled over on a motorway.

The incident took place on Sunday morning (June 19th), when a gust of wind flipped over the woman’s Land Rover and the caravan it was towing, Thisisbath.co.uk reports.

Shocked motorists saw the tourer and towcar roll over several times on the M4 westbound, near the entry sliproad at junction 18.

The driver, a woman in her 40s, was later freed from her car by the emergency services and was taken to hospital, where she received treatment for a gash to the head.

Fortunately, local police believe that she will recover fully, and added that she was conscious throughout.

Richard Crocker, a police officer who was at the scene, said: “It was a nasty head injury. However, once she has been stitched up, she should make a full recovery.”

Tow car drivers urged to be safe and belt up

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by Chris Jefferies

One in 20 drivers in the UK still do not wear a seatbelt, according to the latest road safety survey from the AA.

Tow car drivers are being urged to consider their safety, after the study of 40,000 drivers found that nearly five per cent of motorists are failing to take this basic safety measure.

Furthermore, 3.6 per cent of the cars on UK roads have faulty break lights, while nearly ten per cent drive through junctions too quickly.

On the plus side, the message about the dangers of driving with a mobile phone appears to be sinking in, as only 0.23 per cent of drivers were observed committing this particular offence.

Those in the West Midlands were the worst offenders for not wearing a seatbelt, while the North East was found to be the worst region by far for speeding, with more than one in five motorists judged to be approaching junctions too quickly.

Dog rescued from overheated caravan

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by Chris Jefferies

Caravan owners have been reminded of the dangers of leaving a dog trapped in a hot caravan, after an animal was rescued from a ’25-degree death trap’ in Brighton.

Local animal experts from Brighton and Hove City Council made this damning assessment of a caravan parked in Stanmer Park, the Brighton Argus reports.

A border collie named Robbie was rescued from the overheated caravan, where he did not have any water to drink, and now the Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare is searching for a new home for him.

The negligent owner was even threatened with prosecution if he did not give up the canine to the authorities.

Nigel Mason, chief executive of the Raystede centre, said: “With the summer here, we would like to remind all dog owners not to leave their animals in cars. Even with the windows open, it can still get very hot, very quickly, which can prove fatal.”

Five-star Shropshire caravan park gets approval

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by Chris Jefferies

Plans to create a five-star caravan park near Ludlow in Shropshire have been approved by the local council, it has been reported.

The new 20-acre site will contain pitches for 135 touring caravans between the River Teme and the A49, Shropshire Live reports.

Developers Morris Leisure hope to start work as soon as possible on the park, which has an estimated value of £3 million, with a view to completion in time for next summer’s caravan rush.

Edward Goddard, managing director of the leisure company, said: “We are delighted that council has approved our plans for this five-star park, which we believe will generate around £1 million a year for Ludlow and enhance local tourism.”

Morris Leisure already owns four caravan parks in Shropshire and Snowdonia – Stanmore Hall Touring Park in Bridgnorth, Riverside Touring Park in Betws-y-Coed, Oxon Hall Touring and Holiday Home Park in Shrewsbury and Bow House Country Park in Bishops Castle.

Caravan owners to benefit from bumper butterfly season

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by Chris Jefferies

Wildlife enthusiasts have been given yet another reason to fire up their tow car and take the caravan out over the coming months, as the National Trust claims that this will be the best summer in more than 30 years for spotting butterflies.

June is halfway through the butterfly season, the wildlife organisation says, and these beautiful insects have seen their numbers increase strongly in the UK.

The warm spring period has resulted in the earliest sighting of a White Admiral on Bookham Common in Surrey for nearly 120 years.

Matthew Oates, wildlife adviser and butterfly expert at the National Trust, said: “The populations of spring butterflies are as good as they can be. It’s all gearing up to what could be the best butterfly summer for a generation.”

This blockbuster butterfly summer is expected to culminate in August, when around 40 species should be in flight across the UK.

To co-incide with this, the National Trust will be running its first annual Love Butterflies weekend from August 6th to 7th.

Scottish man has lucky escape after caravan fire

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by Chris Jefferies

Emergency services in Scotland have said that a man who escaped after a caravan fire was very lucky, as he was saved by a passing ambulance.

In the early hours of Saturday morning (June 11th) a caravan, parked near the man’s home in Prestonfield, caught fire and the flames spread to the adjacent building, the Scotsman reports.

The unnamed man was reportedly asleep when the fire started and was only alerted to the blaze by paramedics, who happened to be passing in an ambulance.

A spokeswoman for the Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said that there were gas cylinders inside the caravan, which could have helped the fire to spread quickly.

“The man was lucky he was taken out of the house when he was,” she added.

Two dogs were also saved from the building, although the roof collapsed and the house was later deemed to be unsafe by the local authorities

Caravan park proposed again for Derbyshire

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by Chris Jefferies

Caravan owners looking to explore the Peak District may be given another option before long, as plans for an 11-acre site in the village of Riddings have been submitted to the local council.

The new site on Bullock Lane would be able to hold up to 75 caravans as well as several tents and a shower block, Ripley and Heanor News reports.

However, success is by no means guaranteed, as the owners of the land have previously been denied planning permission by Amber Valley Borough Council, due to a green belt land related dispute.

The first such application, which included plans to house 150 static and touring caravans, met with 117 formal objections from local residents last year, the newspaper added.

Holidaymakers can choose to stay at several nearby Derbyshire touring sites certified by the Caravan Club instead, including Blackwall Plantation and The Firs caravan sites.