February 2012 issue
HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our readers. After a busy festive season, what could be better than picking up a copy of Britain’s best-selling caravan magazine? Santa may have emptied his sack for another year but we’ve got plenty of presents left for caravanners.
It’s our Islands issue and we’ve got some great ideas for those looking for touring ideas off the mainland. Some are close to home – Jersey and the Isle of Wight – while another, Sardinia, is further afield. We also round up nine of the best island destinations in UK waters, including Skye, Orkney, Mersea and Anglesey, and recommend a suitable campsite to stay on in most cases.
Away from holidays, we’ve been busy testing new tourers, towcars and awnings. This issue’s Twin test pits the Bailey Unicorn Valencia against the Lunar Clubman SE in a clash of upmarket fixed-bed single-axles. Not to be outdone, two premium 4x4s are tested, too: the BMW X3 and Volvo XC60. Towcar editor David Motton also gives us his first drive verdicts on the Audi Q3 and Peugeot Partner Tepee Outdoor, while Doug King assesses the competitively priced Outdoor Revolution New England full awning.
This issue, our Caravan Genius section offers 37 pages of advice, insights, hints, tips and reviews. Doug “Fix-it” King is on hand to offer help and advice with your technical queries, and he also reveals the steps behind his makeover of the gas locker of our Elddis GT Whirlwind Project van. Being that time of year, we’ve got 19 tips for winter caravanning for those of you into four-season touring, while Caravan College returns with a lesson about water systems.
One question we get asked occasionally is whether caravanners need a tacograph in their towing vehicle. John Parsons has all the answers as he untangles the law on speed-and-distance recorders and who should use them. More expert and in-depth advice is provided in Steve Trossell’s round-up of caravan heaters. If you’re keen to discover the pros and cons of particular heating systems, then this is a must-read.
Elsewhere in Caravan Genius, there’s our comprehensive seven-page Buyer’s Guide, news from dealer forecourts in Talking Tourers, Andy Jenkinson’s Scrapbook and Second-hand Shoot-out, which looks at end-washroom two-berths costing around £10,000. And talking of buying used, we weigh up the Compass Omega range from 2003-2007 and run a rule over the 1996-2006 Mitsubishi L200 pick-up. Enjoy the issue.
February issue contents in full
Noticeboard
Stop here first for touring tips, deals, news and views, plus our crossword puzzle
Letters
Your news and views from the sites, as well as posts from our Forum
Caravan bore
Bore gets asked whether smartphones and caravans are compatible
GREAT ESCAPES
Offshore adventures
Cross the water to reach these nine enchanting islands, some with places to pitch up
Jersey
Peter and Ann Frost find plenty on this tiny Channel Island for a family holiday
Isle of Wight
Lee Davey and his family get a lift out of their break across the Solent
Sardinia
Les and Mal Roberts explore Europe en route to this Mediterranean isle
Your postcards
Our readers write to us about trips to York and the Medway, Kent
Independent site reviews
Your views on great touring sites in the UK and France
SHOWROOM
Twin test
Bailey and Lunar stack up the luxury in this contest between upmarket fixed-bed tourers
First drives
Towcars by Audi and Peugeot set out to prove that small is beautiful
Towcar test
Premium 4x4s from Volvo and BMW hit the road and track to decide which is the better tug
Awning review
A bargain awning from Outdoor Revolution aims high
Running reports
The latest from the Practical Caravan fleet – where we’ve been and how we got there
CARAVAN GENIUS
Genius ideas
Internet access on site gets a boost from a new mobile modem
Doug’ll fix it
Have caravan queries or quandaries? Ask Doug “Fix-it” King
Project van
Doug King repairs the gas locker of our old Elddis GT Whirlwind
Winter touring tips
Enjoy the cold by following these clever van-warming suggestions
Caravan College
We explain the kinds of caravan water systems – and how to use them
Tech advice – tachographs
Some caravanners must have ‘a spy’ in the car. Here are the ‘ifs’, ‘ands’ and ‘buts’
Tech advice – heaters
Choose the right heater to suit your caravan and the way you tour
Used caravan buyer
Compass Omega is known for its generous kit levels and traditional interiors
Subscription offer
Save 15% of the cover price and get a Milenco Aero towing mirror worth £20, FREE
Second-hand shoot-out
We compare end-washroom two-berths costing around the £10,000 mark
Talking towcars
From matches to motors, send your tough tug questions to David Motton
Used towcar buyer
Mitsubishi’s L200 pick-up makes a great second-hand towcar
New kit
A trusted name in power tools launches a compact generator
Caravan basics
Essential touring knowledge for beginners and experts alike
Caravan scrapbook
More unusual and unlikely caravans from yesteryear, courtesy of Andrew Jenkinson
BUYER’S GUIDE
New caravans
Updated and revamped with prices and data for all new UK tourers
Top 25 new towcars
Here’s our choice of the 25 best used tugs on the market
50 top accessories
Take a look at our pick of touring accessories
