Indice dei contenuti per May 2025 in Caravan

The film star, Marlon Brando, lived in Los Angeles. But, in 1986, he came to visit his financial advisor at Selling, near Faversham, during a period of intense turmoil in his life. Brando planned to spend a weekend in Kent, but loved the area so much that he stayed on until the press discovered his whereabouts, some six months later. Apparently, he expressed a desire to return just a few weeks before his death in 2004, saying, “If only I could see Faversham and the charming country lanes again.” We’d planned our own weekend away in Kent, and took a short detour on the way to Faversham, along the same lanes where Brando enjoyed peaceful countryside strolls. The hedgerows were only just starting to break into leaf, but yellow clumps…

This amazing, luxurious site is at the foot of the heathland, hills and woodlands of the South Downs National Park. It’s 10 miles from gorgeous West Wittering Beach and six miles from Goodwood. The cathedral city of Chichester, known for its galleries, Roman walls and many restaurants, is 15 minutes’ drive from the site. Half an hour’s drive brings you to Portsmouth. And the Elizabethan manor house, Parham House & Gardens, is just over half an hour away, at Pulborough. So, Concierge Camping is well situated for exploring – but it’s the site itself that will enthral you first. The shower and wash areas are more akin to a boutique hotel than a campsite. Individual shower suites, with complementary shower gels and soaps, granite surfaces and a standard of finish…

It’s many years since you could buy a new family caravan for less than £15,000. With the arrival of the Freedom Wayfarer Quad, once again, you can. This new ultra-lightweight, compact four-berth’s £14,995 price tag puts it in a class of its own. The Freedom Wayfarer is a new venture for the Polish company which makes the glass-fibre-body Freedom range that first came to the UK in 1974. By contrast, Wayfarers are of sandwich construction, with aluminium sides. There are two models in the range: the Duet (a two-berth) and this one, the Quad, with a door at the rear. Both are imported and sold by Freedom Caravans, based in Staffordshire. We caught up with the Quad during its 2025 promotional tour; Freedom Caravans took it to the Glasgow show…

Motor movers quite simple revolutionsed caravanning. They first appeared almost 30 years ago, at first creeping into a market that was largely unaware of the advantages – and of the impact that motor movers would come to have on caravanning. Today, the vast majority of caravan buyers get motor movers fitted at the time of purchase, such is the popularity of this technology that enables you to manoeuvre your caravan using power from the caravan’s 12V leisure battery. They’re fitted by dealers, and there are several types from which to choose. This guide takes you through them. First, though, the reason why they are so popular. Without a motor mover, you only have two ways of manoeuvring your caravan. That’s attached to your car, or pushing it manually. There are…

We had a great time in Harwich. Now, there’s a sentence I never thought that I would write. Like many others, we had passed through Harwich on the way to more exotic destinations but, this time, it is our first stop in Essex as we explore the coastline of this region. It is a sunny Saturday evening. We begin our exploration at Harwich’s Marine Parade, looking out across the water to the enormous container ships moored below the Felixstowe cranes. Dwarfed by these giants, small sailing boats tootle about on the water, catching the breeze. The next day, we explore old Harwich, following the Harwich Maritime Heritage Trail. It quickly becomes apparent to us that the town is fiercely proud of its history and has an active historical society with…

Photos provide useful records of past travels and serve to help plan news ones… If I want to find when Diane and I visited somewhere or attended an event, my first sources of reference are my photographs. We have friends on the Isle of Wight and often take the Lymington– Yarmouth ferry. The New Forest offers an opportunity on an outbound journey to give the dog exercise outside Minstead before the ferry crossing, and between Sway and Brockenhurst on the return journey. My photos show that we had a hotel break in the New Forest back in 2007 before attending a wedding on the island. From that time I have photographs of ponies and also of matters of witchery in Burley – but a longer caravan break in May 2024,…

Stirling, often called the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’, is a historic city best known for Stirling Castle, one of the most significant castles in the country. Perched atop Castle Hill, this impressive fortress played a crucial role in Scotland’s past, serving as the residence of Scottish kings and queens, including Mary, Queen of Scots. The castle offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape and is a must-visit destination. You can wander through Stirling’s charming old town, with its cobbled streets and historic buildings, which offers a glimpse into Scotland’s past, and a selection of shops and restaurants make it a vibrant place to visit. Away from the city, woodland and country parks give the opportunity to relax and enjoy the beauty of the area. Stay Campsie Glen Holiday Park Surrounded…

Think towcar and it’s likely you’ll picture in your mind’s eye a large, powerful SUV very much like this latest Touareg. Looks aren’t everything, of course, and VW confirms this 2.1-tonne towcar’s muscular credentials by not just powering it with the now familiar and well-proven 3.0-litre, 286PS, V6 diesel engine but also permanently channelling that power to all four wheels. It’s becoming increasingly unusual to have a new car powered only by a diesel or petrol engine. This Touareg is one of them but it does mean there is no hybrid system to call on for extra battery power. Some traditionalists may applaud VW for this but, on test, that lack of additional electric power was noticeable. Pulling away when towing was not as smooth as one would expect from…

Correct tow matching is the single most important decision that you will take in the course of buying a carcaravan outfit, and this is why… If you’re considering changing either your car or your caravan, the first consideration is to ensure the car and caravan are compatible with each other in terms of their weights. A well-matched outfit is the route to safe towing – and, if you are new to caravanning, there is an additional factor in this equation. That’s about weight ratio. For inexperienced towers, it’s generally advised that the caravan’s MTPLM (maximum technically permissible laden mass) should be no more than 85% of the car’s kerbweight. However, both of the main caravanning clubs say experienced towers can consider a caravan with an MTPLM of 100% of the…

On our small group of islands, it’s easy sometimes to fall into the trap of thinking that the UK must be the most densely populated country in the world. And then you go to the Scottish Borders. You can drive for miles without seeing another vehicle and, if you lace up your boots and head out on foot, you can often have the hills all to yourself. This sparsely populated region – once known as the Debatable Lands, from a time when it was effectively controlled by thieving, murderous clans known as Border Reivers – feels like it’s a long way from anywhere. It’s not, though. Galashiels, its largest town, is about an hour from Edinburgh and less than two hours from both Glasgow and Newcastle. Still, on my most…

You know the feeling. The weather is not that great, but then a few days become free, and you think: why not? So, we decided a few nights away, less than two hours from home, would be just the tonic – so Norfolk here we come. Being reasonably new to touring, we’ve not really got to grips with CL and CS sites, so we decided to brave it and book one. What a treat and what a gem of a site – if they are all like this, then we are converted! Our destination selected and CL booked, we planned to start our exploration at a small village, Terrington St John, about five miles west of King’s Lynn and close to the site. What most people know about Norfolk is…

CASTLERIGG HALL LAKE DISTRICT CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4TE T 01768 774499 W castlerigg.co.uk OPEN 12 March – 31 October Castlerigg Hall occupies an elevated position looking out to the Lake District mountains and down to Derwentwater, and surrounded by gorgeous Cumbrian countryside. The site is just over a mile from Castlerigg Stone Circle, the pretty shores of Derwentwater for walks and sailing, and the market town of Keswick, where there are shops, museums, pubs and restaurants. Pitches are hardstanding with electric hookups and some are fully serviced. You can even book pitches with a guaranteed lake view. There are toilets, showers, privacy cubicles and a bathroom, along with a launderette and shop. After time spent exploring the region, you can then explore local artists’ work, plus…

Layout trends make interesting study. The biggest of them all in recent years, of course, has been the rise in the number of eight-foot-wide models. The extra width has brought about greater flexibility in terms of layout that has given rise to configurations that would not have been possible on a standard-width platform; shower rooms alongside double beds are an obvious example. Now, we’re seeing a rise in the number of L-shaped kitchens, with cabinets protruding into the central area of the caravan, creating more storage space and more surface, too. Coachman has L-shaped kitchens in its six Lasers and its three Lussos, Bailey in three of its four Alicanto models, and there is a slight L-shape to the kitchen of the Buccaneer Barracuda. Swift now has 14 L-shaped kitchens.…

Avoid tripping out Q Why does my caravan’s mains system trip when I plug in certain appliances? A Your caravan will have a limited electrical supply, which is dictated by the available amperage from the site’s bollard and the internal RCD board. You might overload the circuit if you use a high-wattage kettle while the heating and/or hot water is switched on. If the switch on the pitch’s bollard trips before your caravan’s electrical system, it is likely that you are trying to draw more power than the site’s supply can handle. Before using high-wattage items, check if other appliances are also in use. Keeping the caravan warm in winter Q Can I use a standard domestic heater in my caravan during the winter months? A Yes, but be mindful…