News Archive
JUNE 2009
Escape wins Caravan Club Design/Drive Award
The new Escape, launched by the Swift Group at the February NEC Show, beat off competition from 33 of Europe's best models to win the prestigious Caravan Club Motor Caravan Design and Drive Awards. The winning model from the range was the Escape 686, which has 'the ideal layout for a family looking for their first new motorhome'.
The Swift Group also reigned supreme in the Coachbuilt over £45,000 category, with the Swift Kon-Tiki 679 taking first place.
Special offer for Excel
Auto-Trail have launched the new Excel motorhome - with an introductory price of £39,996 OTR. It comes complete with driver and passenger airbags, cruise control, GRP scratch and damage resistant sidewalls and quality insulation.
The Great Outdoors
The Camping & Caravanning Club has launched a site to help people new to outdoor holidays - visit their website.
Scrapping your car?
New motorhomes are also eligible to benefit from the Government's scrappage scheme as long as they are less than 3.5 tonnes - see the Directgov website for details. Then contact your motorhome dealer for more information.
Remember digital switchover for your motorhome TV
The West Country has already gone 'digital' and Granada and Border regions are also scheduled for this year - motorhomers are reminded they will need to ensure their TVs are usable. Digital UK has published a leaflet designed to help people retune their digital TV equipment so it continues receiving all available digital channels.
Lights off!
A new innovate product for use in caravans and motor homes has recently been launched called Magic Blackout. It allows you to blackout windows - anywhere, in seconds for use with or without blinds.
MAY 2009
Caravan Club 'Discover Touring' campaign
The Caravan Club has launched 'Discover Touring', a new marketing campaign to promote the benefits of touring in caravans and motorhomes. The campaign is supported by TV personality Carol Smillie - see the Discover Touring website.
Travelworld for Auto-Trail
Auto-Trail has welcomed Travelworld RV of Telford as the latest addition to their dealer network. The dealer, previously a specialist in American RVs/ motorhomes, says that widening their range gives the best possible chance to service their customers. Travelworld RV can be contacted on 0845 230 5033. Full contact details of Auto-Trail's dealer network can be found on the Auto-Trail website through the find the dealer link. www.auto-trail.co.uk
Motorhome auctions increase in popularity
A recent specialised caravan sale at British Car Auctions (BCA) Measham attracted nearly 500 registered buyers and lots of interest in older motorhomes as well as two- to three-year old models.
A BCA spokesman commented: "These sales have always been popular, but the step up in interest this year has been exceptional." For full details of forthcoming sales see the BCA website.
Eco-wash
The Camping and Caravanning Club's six acre site at Teversal's in Nottinghamshire has added a luxury environmentally-friendly amenity block. Eco-friendly features of the block include rainwater harvesting, light sensors, and under-floor heating.
Awards for Ballyness Caravan Park
Ballyness Caravan Park, in Bushmills Co Antrim is the first caravan park in Northern Ireland to receive the AA's top rating of five Pennants for its touring pitches and facilities. They also recently voted top regional site, in Northern Ireland, by readers of a leading UK caravan magazine, Practical Caravan.
For further details visit the Ballyness Caravan Park website.
Keep in touch at Camping and Caravanning Club sites
The Camping and Caravanning Club will soon offer wireless broadband (Wi-Fi) at 91 of its UK Club Sites. Powered by Wicoms Ltd, 'Site Wi-Fi' will allow users to connect to the network via devices such as laptops and other wireless enabled devices. Campers will be able to access the wireless 'hotspots' securely for a small fee, or buy a seasonal pass.
Caravan Channel moves to Freesat 402
The Caravan Channel is broadcast on Information TV, Sky 166 and Freesat 402. For more information, or to watch online, visit the Caravan Channel website.
New show to feature motorhomes
The new British Leisure show will be held on the banks of the River Thames, at the Royal Windsor Racecourse, from Friday 19 - Sunday 21 March 2010. It will feature a wide range of outdoor leisure products, including caravans and motorhomes.
APRIL 2009
Motorhoming in Scotland and Northern Ireland
With motorhomers travelling further afield this year, parks in Scotland and Northern Ireland are set for a busy summer. Regional winner of the Practical Caravan Top 100 parks (Northern Ireland) is Ballyness Caravan Park in Bushmills, close to the Giant's Causeway.
For more details of the Practical Caravan Top 100 parks, voted for by readers of the Practical magazines, click here.
Scotland is also growing in popularity - for places to stay and motorhome hire, click here.
Club at Dartmoor
The Camping and Caravanning Club's new Dartmoor, Barley Meadow Club Site officially opened on Thursday, March 12. The site offers 63 pitches and is set towards the east of Dartmoor National Park.
New sites from Camping and Caravanning Club
There are six new Camping and Caravanning Club Sites opening their doors to caravanners in 2009, boosting the Club's network to 109 sites. Adding an additional 170 pitches to the network, the Club will be able to offer almost 17,000 pitches nationwide.
The new sites are:
- Corfe Castle at the foot of the Purbeck Hills in Dorset
-Tavistock in Dartmoor to the west of the famous National Park
- Polstead in Suffolk on the edge of a conservation area
- Dartmoor Barley Meadow
- Ashbourne in Derbyshire, close to the peaks and dales
- Skye at the shore of Lock Greshornish on Skye
Drop in number of illegal drivers in the UK
Drivers will welcome a drop in the number of illegal road users in the UK. The level of unlicensed drivers who are stopped has halved over the past two years, with the level of uninsured motorists also down from 1.9 per cent in 2006 to 1.2 per cent.
East Enders gone West?
The West Country is the second area in the UK to be switched to fully digital TV. Aerial manufacturers Maxview have highlighted that the digital TV switchover mean visiting motorhomers will not be able to get the old analogue TV signal, unless they have made the digital switch with their motor home's TV.
Dog-friendly touring sites
If you enjoy holidaying with your canine companion, there's a new website that has a searchable database of dog-friendly touring parks, pubs and days out, as well as a list of 1,800 dog-friendly beaches.
Contact details for over 4,000 vets and dog wardens across the UK are also included, offering peace of mind for owners in case their pet falls ill or wanders off. Holidaymakers should also ensure that they are fully covered by their caravan insurance before they set off in case a dog damages the vehicle. Visit www.k9directory.co.uk.
Over-65s will prioritise holidays
Consumers will cut back on short breaks and pub and restaurant visits in order to save for their annual holiday, according to a new report. Figures from PricewaterhouseCoopers show that the over-65s are the most determined to prioritise holidays in 2009, with 27% of this age group putting holiday spend first - in contrast to the indebted generation (aged 25-34).
STOP PRESS!
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced his intention to suspend the third phase of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ), which was due to affect vans and motorhomes from 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes from October 2010.
The proposed changes to the scheme will be subject to public consultation and will need to be confirmed by the Mayor once he has reviewed the outcome of the consultation. For more information, click here.
Swift Group's great motorhome Escape
Swift Group has launched a new motorhome designed to offer all the essentials at a starting price of around £30,000. The Escape is aimed at making owning a new motorhome an affordable proposition and will appeal to those who would rather buy new than second hand, the first time buyer and anyone looking for a good value motorhome. The Escape comes with the backing of a major British manufacturer making it a solid choice with a comprehensive aftersales service.
Nick Page, Commercial Director for Swift Group commented: "The Escape completes the Swift Group motorhome line up. It is a well equipped range at an affordable price... ideal for those who want new but thought they couldn't afford it. With more people wanting to holiday at home, the Escape is the ideal entry point to enjoy the freedom that owning a coachbuilt motorhome can bring."
