Innehållsförteckning för August 2024 från Caravan

"Animals are a prescription for happiness"James Herriot SOPHIE BROMLEY-RICE CONTENT EDITOR Animals are amazing and so many of us are lucky enough to have pets in our families which bring laughter, love and support. Many of us also take our pets away on holiday with us, to enjoy a break from the usual and to explore new surroundings. We have a rescue poodle cross called Tia who we absolutely adore! She loves to come away with us and she enjoys a run along the beach. So, this month we have a pet-themed issue for you that celebrates all the furry members of the family. Look out for great dog-friendly sites and attractions throughout this August issue. You will also find a review of the Capsule Mini (page 52) where you…

We drove off the tunnel and straight onto the A16. Within minutes the traffic had disappeared, the sky was bluer, and we were looking out upon wide-open rolling golden fields. I immediately fell back in love with France! The stress about paperwork, taking food or not, and pet health certificates… all gone! We were here with 26 nights stretching ahead of us, starting an adventure. So, the big question – to book or not to book campsites? Seasoned caravanners we met kept saying they’d been away for months and never booked a site. We had! Right or wrong: the jury is still out. However, it was easy to turn up at the outskirts of St-Valery-sur-Somme, stop at the intermarché for supplies, and drive up to the campsite for check-in. We…

Full of captivating old streets, a superb harbour and magnificent beaches, St Ives is a wonderful location to enjoy Cornwall. There are four vast sandy beaches to choose from and St Ives is reputed to have one of the UK’s mildest climates. On a sunny day, the golden beaches and azure-blue sea give south coast of France vibes! The town also has charm and character which can be seen as you wander the narrow cobbled streets and take in the picturesque harbour with its fishermen’s cottages. St Ives is often referred to as ‘the dazzling jewel in Cornwall’s crown’, and it is easy to see why. Stay Trevalgan Touring Park An award-winning camping and touring park just two miles from St Ives. Trevalgan is surrounded by open farmland and is…

LONGNOR WOOD HOLIDAY PARK Longnor, Staffordshire SK17 0NG T 01298 83648 W longnorwood.co.uk OPEN 2 February – 3 January Offering a dog-friendly holiday for adults only, Longnor Wood Holiday Park is set in a countryside location surrounded by meadows and rolling fields – in fact, the view from the four-acre dog exercise area is something else! The site is surrounded by the Peak District National Park which is ideal for walking, and if you fancy a wander around some pretty towns, the market town of Bakewell, and the spa town of Buxton with its Georgian and Victorian architecture, are both within 30 minutes’ drive. The site has hardstanding touring pitches – a choice of fully serviced with electric hook-up, grey water drain, and fresh water point, or standard pitches come…

Five-year switch Q A number of years ago, we bought a hand-wheel-style gas hose to make propane bottle changes more straightforward. The hose has the date of manufacture stamped on the side but no expiration date. Searching online, some say that gas hoses should be changed every five years, while others say it’s ten years. What should we do? A Gas hoses should be replaced every five years, but a few exceptions exist. Truma hoses, for example, may have a ten-year lifespan, but if there’s any doubt, contact Truma’s customer service team. They’re a very friendly bunch and will be able to give you a definitive answer. Otherwise, hoses should be changed every five years. Deal or no deal Q We’re looking at a Dover-Calais crossing later in the year,…

It is flaming June. Temperatures are forecast to top 30 degrees and warnings are being issued to keep an eye on the over-65s. What better week to set off on a 100-mile walk up hill and down dale from Settle to Carlisle? My sensible wife, Jen, has had a better offer involving relaxation, shade and wine, but my friend, Martin, is keen to come along. He is younger than me (just) and can keep an eye on me! The Settle-Carlisle railway line passes through some beautiful countryside and is claimed to be the most scenic in England. The plan is to park on the first morning at Ribblehead, catch the 09.48 train down to Settle and walk back to the car. The next day we will drive to Garsdale, catch…

Coachman ❚ W coachman.co.uk ❚ £35,790 Coachman’s VIP is among the longest-running ranges in any manufacturer’s portfolio; it first appeared a staggering 36 years ago. Always a beacon of the quality and luxury for which Coachman is renowned, the VIP has carved out a substantial market for itself, with much repeat business accounting for sales. In fact, the VIP is Coachman’s bestselling range – and the 575 is Coachman’s best-selling caravan. The 575 arrived in 2015, in response to the rising popularity of transverse island bed models. The same year, Coachman introduced Alde heating to the VIP range. Today, in its standard-width, single-axle, Alde-heated sector, the 575 competes with models in all manufactures’ line-ups. From Swift, there’s the Challenger 580 SE; from Elddis, the Affinity 554; there’s the Bailey Unicorn…

The Carri Chef 40 is the latest addition to the Cadac range. A high-performance bbq with added modularity, it allows for outdoor cooking, anywhere, any time. With automatic piezo ignition and adjustable temperature control, the Carri Chef 40 is perfect for anyone with a taste for barbecuing but short on space. The complete unit packs down into a durable carry bag, and a separate legs bag is also included for even easier storage. This easy-to-use-and-assemble unit comes complete with an adjustable foot on one leg, allowing you to obtain stability on uneven ground, ideal for use on campsites. The dome lid, with stay-cool handle and thermometer, hooks onto the back of the bbq to act as a windshield and splashback protector while you tend to food on the grill. The…

Milenco Aero Platinum Towing Mirrors These towing mirrors are simple to fit once you have set them up for your vehicle. We were using a new Ford Ranger pick-up and were initially concerned there may be an issue with the slightly larger mirrors pick-ups are generally fitted with. But, as these Milenco towing mirrors fasten to the top frame rather than around the entire mirror, the size of the towcar’s mirrors is irrelevant. And they fit securely to the tapered mirror bezels, which are now found on many new vehicles, thanks to their new design, which includes new flexible, rubber-faced, stainless-steel, sprung-loaded gripper plates that are over 50% larger than the standard Aero 4 mirror pads. Once you have them out of the box – they come with a soft…

sudoku If you are looking for a way to exercise your mind, sudoku is great and will certainly get the cogs turning! just for fun Find the 21 dog-related words crossword ACROSS 1 The art of loading a caravan before a holiday (7) 5 Celestial bodies (5) 8 Get better (7) 9 Protective cloth when cooking (5) 10 Not be frugal (5) 11 Lack (7) 12 Pressure (6) 14 Entry (6) 17 Fun (7) 19 One of the senses (5) 22 Departures (5) 23 Tales (7) 24 Borders (5) 25 Gas or water elements of a caravan, for example (7) DOWN 1 Where ships call (5) 2 Repetitive pattern (5) 3 Encroaches upon (7) 4 The language of the country where Hymer is based (6) 5 Closes up an envelope…

The last time we visited the Cotswolds village of Kingham, the sun was smiling down on us, the village’s three pubs’ gardens were full with people eating, drinking and basking in an English summer, and our weekend in this corner of the Cotswolds was spent walking its many footpaths and admiring blue skies and green fields. Our latest weekend return wasn’t quite the same – gone were the glorious views, replaced by moody skies and muddy fields, but the marvellous thing about the Cotswolds is that doesn’t matter too much. The location means that, unlike some weekend break destinations, when the weather gods don’t smile on you in the Cotswolds, all is not lost. Instead, we swapped terraces and al fresco lunches for cosy corners and log fires, with the…

Getting to spend lots of quality time on holiday with your dog is not only a brilliant bonding experience, but a great way of discovering and exploring new areas you might not otherwise have considered visiting. This could be the perfect opportunity to tackle one of those long-distance walks you’ve always promised yourself… or perhaps you’d rather take things more slowly, relaxing and exploring new walks and attractions. Whatever you choose, just make sure it is something you will both enjoy! WHAT YOU SHOULD ASK BEFORE BOOKING Some places advertised as being ‘dog-friendly’ are more ‘dog tolerant’ rather than openly welcoming dogs, so do your research before booking. Ask if there are any restrictions on the size or breed of dog you can take – or if you have more…

Highfield Farm Touring Park is a peaceful family-run campsite in the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside, just five miles from Cambridge itself. It is surrounded by conifer hedges and trees carefully divided into sections to provide all your touring needs, whether it be caravanners seeking peace and quiet, families or campers with small tents. The 100 pitches made up of hardstanding and grass are sited around the perimeter, providing a feeling of spaciousness. The site is owned and run by Beverley, husband Kevin, and daughter Hollie. Q How long have you been running your campsite? A As a family, we have been running the site for 54 years. Q Tell us a little about your site and how it first began A It was my grandfather’s farm until my father changed it…

Exploring the great outdoors is what caravanning is all about, which is why cycling is so engrained in the ’van lifestyle – it’s our preferred version of park and ride. To get involved, it’s not just a trusty steed that you’ll need to invest in, though. Bike racks built specifically for caravans come in many shapes and sizes, which is why we’ve created this guide to picking the right option for your ’van. A-FRAME BIKE RACK A caravan A-frame bike rack is a clever solution, although the caravan does need a relatively long A-frame to accommodate bikes and a bike carrier. Longer A-frames are more prevalent on continental caravans than UK models, although Bailey adopted this principle on its Discovery range. The make and model of your caravan will allow…