The Club responds to Lockdown 2.0 and looks to future bookings

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By William Coleman

Following the new lockdown measures for November, the Caravan and Motorhome Club has issued a statement on how it will react to the ruling and is looking to the future with some great booking offers for when the restrictions come to an end.

Below is the official statement from the Club regarding the closure of sites across its network;

Following the UK government announcement which will place the whole of England into a countrywide lockdown, it is likely that the Club will have to temporarily close its network of campsites in England from 6pm on Wednesday November 4th until the government advises that we are able to reopen them (currently forecast for the beginning of December). The temporary closure also applies to our Certificated Locations and Affiliated Sites.

While the restrictions are subject to final confirmation from the UK Parliament on Wednesday November 4th, we have taken the decision to cancel all member bookings on campsites in England from Thursday November 5th to Wednesday December 2nd 2020. We would very much appreciate your help and support and would be grateful if you could cancel your individual bookings online through our website or app.

Members currently on the site network in England

Members currently on Club campsites in England with a booking that stretches beyond Wednesday, November 4th will be asked to curtail their stay and return home.

Storage sites and seasonal pitches in England

Members will be contacted individually to inform them of the current situation. The safety and wellbeing of members, guests, staff and the communities in which Club sites operate, has always been of paramount importance to them.

Looking to the future

The Club may be closing sites until December due to the new lockdown, but it is still planning on providing holidays once the network can reopen.

As of right now, you are unable to book sites for the duration of the lockdown, but holidays bookings for 2021 are very much an option.

To give members peace of mind the Club will issue 2021 bookings with zero deposits and free cancellations and amendments.

It is safe to say that the Caravan and Motorhome Club are remaining optimistic and wants to have people back on site as soon as it is safe, but they are aware that the situation may continue into the future. Due to these uncertain times, the organisation is doing all it can to give members flexibility with bookings.

The smartphone may be keeping our roads safer

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By William Coleman

With so many phones having instant internet access it seems they may be a great tool to help maintain road quality by sending ‘crowdsourced’ data instantly when driving. A recent new study has shown this could well be the future of road maintenance services.

Driving and mobiles phones are not a very good combination, aside from connecting your phone to your car stereo. But what if your phone can send an instant safety update to get road surfaces fixed quicker?

When towing you can really feel it when the road quality is poor and it can be an uncomfortable, and hazardous, journey. Having a good quality road surface can make all the difference to your journey, so it is important road maintenance companies keep on top of things. Some agencies simply do not have the resources to keep every inch of road monitored, which leads to some roads falling into a bad state.

Any modern smartphone will have high-resolution three-axis accelerometers, a sensor and data calculator, and GPS tracking already built into it. When combined with a new app, it can record how a vehicle moves vertically in relation to the carriageway, which can provide a useful measure of road roughness for civil engineers.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have studied the feasibility of using smartphones in this way, publishing their findings in the Journal of Infrastructure Systems.

On most road networks, road roughness is usually used as the measure of the functional condition because it can be related readily to road use costs and measurement can be automated.

Co-author Dr Michael Burrow, senior lecturer at the University of Birmingham, commented:
“The most accurate automated methods of assessing road roughness use vehicles fitted with lasers, but even assessing the roughness of a reasonably-sized network can be costly.

“An attractive solution is to use acceleration sensors built into most smartphones – because smartphone ownership and use are widespread, we can foresee an approach where the condition of road networks is assessed using crowdsourced data from these mobile devices.”

If the roads are kept to an appropriate standard it encourages development and vastly reduces road use costs. On top of that, it improves travel time, fuel consumption and wear and tear on your tow car and leisure vehicle.

Due to a lack of resource and manpower, road agencies try to make the most of what assets they do have and prioritise certain areas and roads, leaving many others last in line for some much-needed repair.

The International Roughness Index (IRI) is the most commonly used measure of road roughness, but even assessing the roughness of a reasonably-sized road network can be costly using ‘traditional’ technology.

For example, the cost of collecting road roughness data in the United States is between $1.4 and $6.2 per kilometre, depending on the state – in Illinois, which has 224,719 km of roads, the annual cost of data collection is $1.4 million.

Decision-making using roughness data collected using a smartphone system could allow road agencies to:

  • Produce a regular low-cost summary of the entire road network’s condition
  • Use network-level models to evaluate and compare maintenance policies, as well as assessing road use and road agency costs
  • Screen roads to identify and prioritise road sections requiring maintenance

    • .

“Routine inspection of the condition of a road network could be achieved using low-cost data collection systems on smartphones with similar characteristics inside a fleet of vehicles of similar types, travelling at normal traffic speeds,” noted Dr Burrow.

“Vertical acceleration data from smartphones could be analysed using machine learning algorithms to enable IRI to be predicted to a similar accuracy as would be expected from a visual inspection, but with improved repeatability and reproducibility.

A particularly useful application could be the assessment of the condition of low-volume rural road networks in developing countries where the majority of rural roads are constructed from either gravel or earth and where smartphone ownership is surprisingly high.”

We’ve driven and towed across the Australian outback, the arctic and all across continental Europe, so it is safe to say we’ve come across some very questionable road surfaces and types. At times, the fear of potentially damaging our vehicles was very real and we did incur some damage that was no fault of our own.

Someone, we won’t mention names, lost a great waste pipe going through bear country in Romania due to some extreme potholes.

It is safe to say that a lot of safe tow car drivers out there have been adversely affected by poor road conditions. An app like this, that would help speed up road maintenance, gets a thumbs up from us.

Four great ways to use your van during the winter lockdown

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By William Coleman

On October 31st, it was announced that there will be another nationwide lockdown in England that will start on November 5th and, hopefully, end on December 2nd. But this doesn’t mean the caravan and camping fun has to stop.

Sites will be closing in the next couple of days until December, at the earliest, and this will likely put an end to some upcoming trips and adventures. Despite these new measures we can still use our leisure vehicle to make being at home feel more like a mini-getaway than being in lockdown.

No matter what type of touring home, or tent, you have you will be able to turn it into anything you want. All you need is a little imagination and some advice from the CaravanTimes team.

Winter office

We are being asked to work from home, if you can, to try and stem the flow of the pandemic. During the summer months the caravan or motorhome doubled up as an office, but now it’s winter you’ll have to do things a tad differently.

You’ll need to ensure the van’s heating is working properly, so check that before you start to stock the fridge with milk and snacks. Once the van is sufficiently heated you can get set up and get to work. We would also advise loading up on teabags to save those tea break trips to the kitchen and back.

Having your own working space can help with how productive you are and provides a slight change to the environment which will do wonders for your mental health.

In spring and summer, we had amazing weather which meant all you had to do was air the van out or turn the air conditioning on. Come winter you need to keep it warm and comfortable to ensure a nice working environment. Make sure you do all the checks before moving in as you may end up with a cold surprise.

Kids’ secret hideaway

It was hard enough keeping the little ones off school and isolated this year, so to go into it again may upset and confuse them a bit. Why not make the weekends and evenings at home more adventurous by making the caravan a winter wonderland?

With a handful of decorations, you can turn a stored motorhome or caravan into an incredible playroom. Add some fairy lights, some different colour lamps and you have yourself a great little winter hideaway. You can have movie nights and weekend games onboard to make the most of the van during these restricted times.

One more fantastic idea is to turn the van into a Christmas grotto. We know Christmas is a way off but why not start the fun now, seeing as Christmas still has a bit of a question mark over it? If you can’t take the small ones to see Santa, bring Santa to them.

Surprise dinner

All good leisure vehicles have everything you need to cook a top-quality meal for you and your loved one. So why not use the kitchen to cook up a surprise for the better half?

In the van you will have the microwave, oven, grill and hob to prep and cook, and you can use the fridge to chill a nice bottle of wine or bubbly. All this can happen without the other half getting a whiff of what’s coming their way. You will be in the good books until the new year.

You can use your kitchen indoors to make a meal but you run the risk of ruining the surprise. Having your own private kitchen means you can cook in peace and keep the surprise until you serve.

Winter camping, in the garden

For now, schools will remain open during the week but come weekends you have to stay indoors and make being confined to your home fun for the family.

When Friday night comes mums and dads need to become super parents to keep the children from climbing up the walls from boredom.

Turn the garden into your own personal campsite with all the camping equipment you would usually take on your touring trip. Being a site warden for a weekend may be quite fun.

With fireworks night just a few days away you can even light some sparklers, toast some marshmallows over the bonfire and even set off a firework or two.

Caravan review: Adria Altea Avon

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By William Coleman

This month we got our hands on Adria’s new family van, the 662 DK Avon. Can a single-axle, six-berth model hold six and remain comfortable?

For the 2021 season, Adria introduced the second generation of the Avon layout having had success with the 2020 model. Featuring in the Altea range, with four different layouts to choose from, it sits in Adria’s entry-level position. But as an entry-level van with such high specification and berth capacity, it is not something usually seen at the buy-in price range.

Exterior

As far as exterior design goes the Avon is very much a ‘by the numbers’ van. The decals are smart and modern but they are not going to turn heads, which seems to be a new brand feature of Adria. Smart and not overbearing on the eye. The caravan does look smart and practical and holds its own against the premium Adria models.

The two-part entry door is a great feature, especially for a family van. It allows for airflow and light, as well as doubling up as a baby gate – or something to keep the dog in the van, while still getting fresh air.

The AL-KO chassis provides all-year touring and a quality you know you can trust. The body is made from GFK polyester, so it will be able to take those inevitable motorway debris hits without incurring any real damage. Debris size depending of course.

One thing that stood out while reviewing the Avon is the double-glazed tinted windows. They are not full tint, but they do make the van look smart and is a feature you do not see too often on caravans.

Interior

Upon entry, it seemed like there’d been some kind of mix up and we’d been presented with an eight-foot model, not the Avon. Upon closer inspection, it was, in fact, a regular size van we were in; it just looks so much bigger thanks to the new layout, colour scheme and upgraded lighting.

Adria has gone down the contemporary path inside the Avon. Due to the amount of natural light the windows let through, it makes the space feel a lot larger and the minimalist design throughout just adds to the internal sense of space.

Onboard you will find a Truma heating system, along with loudspeakers with a pre-installed Bluetooth amplifier.

The cupboard door handles are hidden, adding to the minimalist feel, which some may not like. Too often you find so many chrome handles sticking out like a sore thumb; there are little to no handles on show here.

Daytime and lounge area

The Avon features a large U-shaped lounge, which also doubles up as a bedroom-come-evening time. Large windows flank each side of the lounge area, which seats six people comfortably for relaxation and dining alike.

Throughout the lounge, you will find directional LED lighting and several plug sockets. Beside each plug socket is a leaning space for phones, books, drinks or anything else you’ll need within reaching distance when relaxing.

For those who take a TV away, there’s a choice of two different locations to fit their setup – as the Avon comes with two aerial/satellite points.

Underseat storage in the lounge has been utilised well and there’s just so much of it, some of which is accessible from the outside.

At the rear of the van is a triple bunk bed, which will make for fun playtime for the kids, and a small two-seater table for lunch.

It is also worth mentioning the huge amount of storage throughout the caravan. Between the rear and middle of the two large, full-size wardrobe lockers there’s plenty of storage for all the family clothing, with ease.

Nighttime

For a van of this size and price, you do get a lot of flexibility when it comes to bedtime. This is a six-berth model with 50% of the beds hidden away during the day.

The triple bunk bed is such a great usage of space and is a major contributor to being able to fit six, comfortably, in this van come the evening.

At the rear is bed number four, as the small two-seater dining area is another make-up single bed. This separates the two nighttime living quarters well. The children sleep in the rear bedroom and the adults rest in the front.

Washroom and cooking

Another fantastic demonstration of how well spaced this family van is the central washroom and kitchen, and the word washroom is very important here.

Often, in vans that hold six people, you will find the washroom suffers slightly and is more like a wet room, not here. The bathroom is spacious and features a large shower and separate lavatory.

You find so much usable space throughout this great touring van, until it comes to the kitchen worktop. Yes, there is enough space to cook with the three-ring gas hob and oven, but the prep space is very limited, which is the only real negative we found inside the van.

Towing details and technical specifications

The Avon is a lighter touring caravan that should appeal to a younger customer base and those with a pre-1997 licence.

When towing, there are little to no issues and even a smaller-size towing vehicle will be able to handle this Adria model with absolute ease.

Total length (including tow bar in mm): 8,288
Total width (mm): 2,299
Total height (mm): 2,580
Mass in running order (MIRO, kg): 1,469

Verdict

At £20,995, you do get a lot of van for your money. Some vans are around £10,000 more that have a similar design and specification as this Altea Avon, so at this price, it is quite the bargain.

The one criticism is the lack of prep area in the kitchen. However, with a fold-out table within reaching distance and a sink cover, you and triple the amount of space you have. Also, if you want to go through the van with a fine-toothed comb, you could say that the bottom of the three bunks is just a mattress on the floor.

For an entry-level six-berth caravan, you really cannot go wrong with the Avon. With tons of storage and living space, this is a fantastic caravan.

Owner of custom jet engine camper inundated with offers to sell

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By Emma Dodd

A former Royal Air Force technician who converted an engine shell from a decommissioned VC10 jet plane into a touring camper has been inundated with offers to sell it.

Steve Jones from Lancashire was featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces earlier this year with the project and has seen attempts to buy the unique trailer flooding in ever since.

The highest bid so far for the camper, which cost him £4,000 to renovate, has been £25,000, reports Insider.

Mr Jones has no intention of selling the trailer at present, but may reconsider further down the line, once his family have had some use out of it.

The VC10 Caravan Pod is 13 feet long, features a mini kitchen complete with twin burners, and a dining area that transforms into sleeping quarters.

It has been so cleverly engineered, there’s enough room for four people to spend a night – two in a double bed and another two in single bunks.

The pod doesn’t feel cramped, however, as Mr Jones has fitted a skylight, so the occupants get plenty of light during the day and a view of the stars at night.

He flattened the bottom of the engine’s distinctive curve so that it would fit comfortably on a chassis and could be towed to whichever location the family wished to camp at.

While it is certainly among the most unusual camper conversions, it’s by no means the only one that has allowed its owner to realise their dream of a quirky home on wheels.

In recent years, we’ve seen everything from Minis and tuk tuks to ambulances and school buses being overhauled for family holidays.

It seems the country’s appetite for unusual campers has only grown throughout lockdown, with even more people deciding to take on their own restoration projects.

Meanwhile, Mr Jones has already moved onto his next conversion. We’re intrigued to know what direction he might be taking this time…

Start the winter caravan cleanout

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By William Coleman

Cleaning out the caravan to get it ready for winter storage is always a sad day, but with these handy tips, it can be an easy task that means getting back on the road will be much more straightforward.

At this time of year, a lot of people decide it’s time to let the van rest up for a few months and take a break from touring, which means winter prep tasks need to be completed.

Preparing the van for winter usually involves a deep clean so nothing is left to fester during the offseason. With these handy tips and hacks, the clean-up will take half the time and be twice as effective.

Fresh lemons not lemon Pledge

The microwave has always been an unpleasant clean. It is small, narrow and seems to have so many dirt traps inside.

Who would have thought that a whole lemon would be the most effective tool in microwave cleanliness? If you loathe this job as much as we do, then this life hack will make the task almost effortless.

Step 1 Get a medium to large size lemon (two small ones will do), as fresh as possible to yield the best results. Firmly roll the lemon on a hard, flat surface, which will make the juices flow a lot easier when the lemon is cut open.

Step 2 Cut the lemon directly in half and place it in a plastic bowl or Tupperware without the lid, flesh side up.

Step 3 Microwave on full power for ten minutes and then very carefully remove the container holding the lemon and any water. Be careful as the water is going to be piping hot.

Step 4 Once you have removed the contents you should see that most, if not all, of the dirt inside has been lemon-steamed off the inner surfaces and will wipe away with minimal effort.

Not only does this totally clean the microwave but if you leave the microwave door open the smell will act as a natural air freshener, creating a lemony fresh aroma for a couple of hours.

Cheap, non-toxic cleaning

The waste tank on a motorhome can sometimes produce some unpleasant smells and when it comes to cleaning you may need a hazmat suit to defend your nostrils.

You can buy expensive branded cleaning products, chemicals and fill up precious storage space with bottle upon bottle of thick bleach.

Or, a simple and cheap solution is to go to a £1 shop and buy a couple of large bottles of undiluted orange squash. Pour it down plug holes and say goodbye to those horrid smells and the lingering stench of bleach.

The acidity of the orange squash will cut through the smells just as well as any household cleaning product.

The squeegee

What works for your shower screen indoors also makes for an amazing surface wiper. A lot better than a cloth or sponge in fact.

The blade completely wipes the surface without leaving parts of food or water smears behind. You will cut your cleaning time in half and the end result will be much better.

The best advice would be to use some of the leftover microwave lemon water and pour it on your worktops and then use that as a fresh lemon cleaner. It will smell nice and leave your worktops absolutely spotless.

If you can get yourself a squeegee that has a detachable cleaning pole you will be able to get your floors gleaming and crumb-free. Not only that but you will also save a fortune in dishcloths and sponges.

Longer campervan stays up by 225% this summer

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By Emma Dodd

It’s already been established that demand for campervans has been soaring in the time of coronavirus, but it’s not just the number of trips, it’s the length of those getaways that has increased too.

Online bookings for campervan rentals of four weeks or more were up by 225 per cent between June and August this year, when compared to 2019.

That is according to Indie Campers, a rental company with a 1,250-strong fleet across 14 countries, including the UK.

In response to the demand for longer trips, the company is now offering monthly and annual subscription plans to make hiring a campervan for longer more achievable.

One of the consequences of the pandemic has been moving away from traditional rules surrounding work, with many people finding their working arrangements are now more flexible.

That means heading off in a campervan, perhaps with the family or a partner, is a much more achievable aim for many.

Indie Campers is aiming to take out the hassle and large amounts of investment usually associated with procuring and maintaining a campervan for long-term use.

The number of requests for campervans to be used as workspaces by digital nomads was up by 66 per cent between July and September 2020, in comparison to a year previously.

Pernille Hembre, market representative for Indie Campers in the UK, said: “As the car subscription market is growing in the UK, we are proud to be the first company to exclusively offer tailored campervan subscriptions.

“Thereby allowing people to have the full experience of living in a campervan without the associated costs and responsibilities, whether they want to test the van life or as a more flexible alternative to owning.”

Potential customers can test drive vans at one of Indie Campers’ depots, with locations in the likes of London and Edinburgh, before driving away in one of nine models.

The subscription will then include vehicle insurance, roadside assistance, regular maintenance and customer support.

They can decide whether to hire the van for anything from a month to 11 months, with prices depending on the duration.

Escape to your caravan for a memorable Christmas

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By Emma Dodd

With new coronavirus measures coming into force, it’s not surprising that many of us are thinking about what is likely to be a very different Christmas this year.

Bans on large gatherings mean many families will not be able to meet up and after a tough year, the festive period will represent another challenge for many.

Lisa Williams, marketing manager at Park Leisure, has suggested that turning to your caravan could be the perfect way to have a memorable Christmas under difficult circumstances.

After all, our caravans are happy places with connotations of holidays and time spent enjoying the simple pleasures in life.

Ms Williams told the Yorkshire Post: “I think a lot of people are thinking they are not going to have a big family get together so rather than staring at the same four walls they are going to try and get out.

“They can start the roast and then have a walk down by the beach.”

Many caravan parks are staying open for longer this year in response to increased demand for staycations, as trips abroad have become a logistical nightmare.

Caravan holidays represent a good socially-distanced option, especially as many leisure vehicles are totally self-contained, cutting down the risk of virus transmission.

Spending Christmas in your caravan could be a good way to make this year’s festive period feel significantly different.

If you try and do the same things but without your loved ones and with restrictions on your traditions, it’s more likely to feel strange and unnatural.

The brilliance of a caravan Christmas is the decreased space and more basic cooking facilities lend themselves to simplicity.

You can still have a tree and decorations, as well as a delicious meal, but everything is on a smaller scale, so in turn leads to less stress.

There’s bound to be a great sense of camaraderie at caravan sites this Christmas, so decide whether to stay at home or up sticks and have a totally different festive period for 2020.

10 of the spookiest drives in the UK

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By Emma Dodd

There’s plenty to think about when towing your caravan along an unfamiliar road, but this Halloween drivers are being warned about ghosts. LeaseCar.uk has put together a list of the most haunted highways in the UK, adding an extra spooky element to your half-term getaway.

Blue Bell Hill, Kent

The ghost of a 22-year-old bride-to-be who was killed on her wedding day in 1965 is said to haunt the scene of her road accident on Blue Bell Hill. Of course, she’s still in her distinctive white dress, but if you get out of your vehicle to help, you’ll find she’s vanished.

Stockbridge Bypass, Sheffield

Phantom children were apparently seen playing on the construction site of the Stockbridge Bypass as it was built to connect the M1 with the Woodhead Pass and the A1616. They left no footprints and can still be seen on the stretch of road to this day.

M6 Motorway

Formerly the route of a Roman road, motorists have been said to see Roman soldiers marching along the M6. If you don’t see something quite as vivid as that you may still get the spooky feeling that someone is watching you, as sets of eyes are often glimpsed from behind bushes.

The B519 by The Spaniard’s Inn, Hampstead

Look out for the ghost of an 18th-century highwayman at the sharp turn in the B519 just before you get to the Spaniard’s Inn. He is thought to be the son of one of the pub’s owners, looking to hold up carriages on the road.

A666, The Devil’s Highway, Bolton

Seeing as 666 is the number of the beast, it’s not surprising that this road has gained itself the nickname of the Devil’s Highway. Look out for a hunched-over figure that appears and disappears along this stretch of road.

The Old Tay Bridge, Dundee

Listen out for the screams of the passengers who died when their train was involved in an accident on the Old Tay Bridge in 1879. All 75 people on board perished when the bridge collapsed into the icy water below.

Platt Lane, Lancashire

Phantom coal miners have been spotted plodding along this road and sometimes even dragging coal wagons behind them. It’s not surprising when you realise it is close to the site of the 1910 Pretoria Pit tragedy, when 344 miners were killed.

The A636, Wiltshire

Speculation surrounding seven fatal accidents on a stretch of the A636 known as Sally in the Woods had led to many pointing to paranormal activity. A young girl was once killed there when she ran out into the road.

B1249 between Driffield and Staxton Hill, East Riding of Yorkshire

It’s werewolves you want to be wary of in this area of Yorkshire, as packs of wolves called this area home right up to the 15th century. Having been hunted to extinction, it’s no wonder they’ve come back to haunt drivers passing through their ancestral roaming grounds.

A3 near Burpham, Surrey

Local police responded to reports of a car seen swerving off the A3 near Burpham in 2002, but when they found the vehicle, the occupant had died some five months previously. The only possible explanation is that witnesses saw the ghost reenacting the crash that killed him.

Site Review – Brighton Club Site

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By William Coleman

The CaravanTimes team embrace the extended season this year and take a visit to one of England’s most beloved seaside towns.

The streets of Brighton have always been a hot spot for tourism, whether it’s day trips, a weekend away or something longer, so it is no surprise that the Caravan and Motorhome Club has a site just minutes away from the world-famous Brighton pier.

One major selling point about this East Sussex site is just how close it is to the heart and soul of Brighton, yet you’d never know because of how quiet and tranquil it is. The site is perfectly hidden within the lovely South Downs and you can actually see the sea from the hills that flank the park.

Like most Club sites, Brighton welcomes children and pets, so it is perfect for school holidays or those last-minute seaside getaways. There is even a playground for when mum and dad need a five minute sit down.

Site features and facilities

On-site you have everything you need for both short and extended stays and there is no shortage of pitch choices. All in all, there are 155 touring pitches, 25 camping spaces, two glamping pods, two Airstream caravans and several Swift S Pods.

You are also allowed to have barbecues while visiting, provided they are gas, electric or charcoal fuelled.

There are two wash blocks with disabled shower rooms and facilities, a dishwashing area and baby changing spaces.

During our stay, it seemed like the site staff never stopped. The effort they put into keeping the site postcard-perfect is really impressive. They are also extremely friendly and chatty. We felt very welcome by every staff member we came across.

It is also worth noting that the Covid-related efforts are fully in place and had little to no impact on our stay. It felt very much like business as usual. All you need to do is be mindful of others and follow the Club’s Covid Secure measures.

What’s nearby?

There is no shortage of things to do when visiting Brighton. If anything, you may struggle with fitting everything in.

Having spent several days with the Club in Brighton we can recommend quite a few spots to visit and places to eat, but the best advice is to head into Brighton town and just take it all in.

There are so many small independent coffee shops, sandwich bars, pubs and restaurants that you will be spoilt for choice. Just try not to eat too many sticks of rock or potions of fresh fish and chips.

If you like a cocktail and a quieter ambience, we recommend paying a visit to the Lemon Tree cocktail bar just off of the seafront. It’s a small venue and there are Covid rules in place, but that will not take away from the great cocktail menu and atmosphere of this intimate hidden gem.

Of course, there is Brighton pier with its funfairs, arcades and doughnut stands, but Brighton is so much more than just the flagship amusements.

If you go further inland you will find unique bespoke shops that are a world away from your generic high street stores. The music shops are amazing too. Yes, you can stream things via apps nowadays, but nothing beats scrolling through a music collection and finding a new singer or band.

Depending on the nature of your stay we would advise getting a cab into town, which will set you back around £5-7, and spending an evening strolling the streets of Brighton. There are so many funky bars and restaurants that you may want to have a glass or two of wine.

If you are going to drive in, we would recommend staying away from the multi-story car parks, which cost £15 for just over four hours. On-street parking is a lot cheaper.

The site is also well placed for visiting the beautiful Arundel Castle and Gardens in nearby West Sussex, or the historic town of Lewes. With plenty to see and do locally and extensive recreational grounds adjacent to the caravan park, you’re sure to have a holiday here that will be hard to forget.

Experience Freedom

Over the past few years, the Club has expanded its offering to ensure members and non-members can experience the great outdoors and staycation holidays. The Experience Freedom trips are a great way to introduce new people to the touring world or try something different if you want to rest the van up for a while.

The Brighton site has several different accommodation options other than camping and touring pitches. We would highly recommend trying the American Airstreams for a weekend. They are large, comfortable and look very cool.

If you want more of a hotel stay, try the Swift Pods. They are comfortable, self-contained and very luxurious.

Overall this is a great site to stay at. Within minutes you can be in the middle of all the action Brighton can provide, or you can relax on-site and have everything you need at your fingertips.

Add a spooky element to your caravan getaway this Halloween

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By Emma Dodd

It’s 2020 and all the usual rules don’t apply, which means there won’t be Halloween discos, apple bobbing and endless hours of trick or treating. You can still enjoy some spooky goings on at haunted destinations while away in your caravan, however. Here are some of the creepiest places to visit in the UK.

Bodmin Moor

The wild and rugged landscape of Bodmin Moor is the perfect place for your imagination to conjure up threatening creatures. There have been around 60 reported sightings of a large, black cat with bright eyes marauding around these parts and a number of dead livestock to back up the claim. So, why not spend some time hiking around the grassland to see if you can find any evidence of the Beast of Bodmin Moor?

Stay at the Ruthern Valley Caravan Park in secluded woodland for an atmospheric getaway.

Corfe Castle

Perched dramatically on the hillside, overlooking the village of Corfe, the ruins of Corfe Castle are said to be haunted by the Woman in White. This spectre is thought to be the soul of an individual who betrayed the Royalist Bankes family to the Roundheads during the Civil War. Other spooky occurrences among the ruins include bright lights being seen in the dead of night and the cries of a child.

Pitch up at Sandford Holiday Park, which is located just 20 minutes away by car.

Felbrigg Hall

There’s nothing quite like a ghost with unfinished business to incite ghoulish speculation and William Windham III is one such phantom. He is thought to return to the library at Norfolk’s Felbrigg Hall to read all the books he never managed to complete in his lifetime. That’s because he died from injuries sustained when trying to save the volumes when a fire broke out at the hall in 1809.

Base yourself at California Cliffs Holiday Park to explore the best of spooky Norfolk.

Dunnottar Castle

With a very bloody past, the ruins of Dunnottar Castle in Scotland are said to be haunted by everyone from a woman clad entirely in tartan to a fearsome Viking raider. As well as being the site of many battles throughout history, the castle was also known to hold many prisoners. At one time, there were no fewer than 180 people kept inside the Whig’s Vault. If you listen carefully you can hear their screams echoing around the walls.

Stay at Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park Caravan Site, just two miles away from the castle.

Pluckley

Listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most-haunted village in England, Pluckley in Kent is thought to be home to 12 ghosts. There’s the Red Lady, who hangs around the local churchyard with her white dog; a hanging school master; and even a complete horse and carriage that can be heard rattling through the streets late at night.

Park your caravan at the Weald View Site, right in the heart of the village, for the best chance of encountering a ghost.

Industry interview – the Adria NEC replacement

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By William Coleman

This year’s caravan shows, dealer exhibitions and manufacturer displays have all had to be scaled back or cancelled altogether. With such a high demand for caravans and motorhome, Adria decided to take the show on the road.

At this time of year, the CaravanTimes team would ordinarily be at the NEC Caravan and Motorhome Show covering all the news and info for the 2021 season. Due to the events of this year, both the October and February shows have been cancelled, but the industry rolls on.

Dealers are open, manufacturers are building vans and touring folk are going away on holiday. So the show must go on and Adria is an example of how to bring the newest offerings to the public.

A couple of weeks ago we reported on the Adria dealer roadshow and wanted to know more about where the idea came from and what Adria hoped to achieve.

This week we caught up with Kirstie Howe, part of Adria’s UK marketing team, about the roadshow and what the future may look like when it comes to showing off stock to the masses.

CT – This year yourself and the Adria team had quite a unique idea to counteract there being no NEC show, can you tell me a little bit about it?

Kirstie – We feel the October NEC Show is such a fundamental part of the launch of the new season products, it seemed such a shame that our existing and prospective customers would miss this chance.

With our demo fleet of caravans and motorhomes already produced and following the success of our Trade Launch in July, we felt the perfect alternative would be for us to bring our products to the customer instead and ensure that a large range of models could be viewed in one place at one time.

CT- Where did the idea come from?

Kirstie – Season 2021 saw the launch of many new products for us including our NEW Generation Coral, Matrix and Adora ranges. These are our bread and butter ranges and following years of development to create such innovative products, we naturally wanted everyone to see them and generate the same excitement as we would do for people willing to travel to Birmingham to view them as they usually would.

Dealer roadshows are something we have been considering for some time and many of our dealers host open events throughout the year but we wanted to try out an Adria exclusive open event where the main focus was on the Adria brand and at the beginning of the new season. To provide our dealers with a demo fleet of vehicles for customers to view at the earliest opportunity, even prior to dealerships receiving their own stock. We also heavily promoted these events through our own channels to generate interest and footfall to the dealerships.

CT – What are the benefits for both Adria and the dealerships taking part in the roadshow?

Kirstie – Our main goal is for the customer to benefit from our idea and be able to have a similar experience to visiting the Adria stand during the NEC, a wide range of products on display and one-on-one time with a salesperson, but at their convenience. However, both Adria and our dealerships see a huge benefit to hosting an event like this to increase brand exposure and generate a large number of sales as they would usually during the NEC Show. We managed to get 16 events booked across the UK through our dealer network, which is a fantastic result.

CT – From what I can tell, Adria is the first to do something like this. Can you see other manufacturers adopting a similar idea?

Kirstie- Whilst the circumstances are what they are, we simply wanted to make the best out of the current times. After seeing the success of this type of event so far and the fact the dealerships are still entering the new season with as much enthusiasm as they usually would it means this may become a more regular thing and other manufacturers may be keen to do something similar. With the confirmed absence of the NEC Show in February 2021, dealerships are already discussing potentially hosting another spring event to compensate for this which would be a positive step into the new year.

CT – How has it been so far?

Kirstie – We have genuinely been blown away by the numbers of attendees and the sales figures during these events. We think the customers quite enjoy the more personal experience and some have booked appointments to ensure they have more time with the salesperson to complete their sale. The response to our new model ranges has been great and people have travelled 100 miles plus to ensure they see them at the earliest opportunity.
This response really does cement the fact we have launched the right products and the dealer roadshows have achieved exactly what we hoped they would.

CT – The roadshow is almost over, how many more destinations are there left?

Kirstie – With a total of 16 booked which started from the beginning of September and move into mid-November, we now have ten events remaining. All of which can be found here, Adria events.

CT – Will you do something like this again?

Kirstie – With the absence of the shows this season, the idea to replace them with these events was intended to be a temporary solution. However, due to their success, this is definitely something we may consider again in season 2022. Bringing the vehicles to the customer has been a different yet incredibly positive experience for them, our dealerships and for Adria and ensured that we all entered season 2021 with the same drive and determination in which we always do.