March 2012 issue
THE SNOW MAY be threatening to fall, but here at Practical Caravan Towers, we’ve already started thinking about getting set for the new season. Before you know it, it’ll be Easter, so if you haven’t thought long and hard about where you want to tour this summer, allow us to suggest some great places to go.
We’ve also pulled out all the stops and have pleasure in bringing you a fabulous 180-page bumper issue, just to get you in the mood this year’s caravanning adventures. We’ve themed our Great Escapes travel section around ‘Historic Britain’ and suggest there’s no better place to start if you’re looking for a mixture of history, heritage and great days out for all the family.
A Hull lot of fun
Travel editor Claudia Dowell has a look around Hull, a place that has real caravanning credentials thanks to being the home of Coachman and Swift. Claudia discovers much more to the city than she bargained for. Instead of using it as a convenient stop-over on the way to a North Sea ferry, she asks, why not stay and have a proper look around?
Meanwhile, Nick Harding and family visit Ironbridge, the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, and Alison Rye and her brood spend a couple of days in historic Warwick. Staying on the castle theme, we bring you our suggestions of how to spend a day in Windsor. You’ll also find regulars like Reader Postcards and our Independent site reviews.
Best for new caravan and towcars
Touring is one thing, but you need the right kit to do it. If you’re intending to buy a new van this year, then our Showroom section is essential reading. Dunster House, formerly known as Stealth, offered us a Concordia Serenity for a Live-in test and we were happy to oblige.
We also have three First look reviews: a Buccaneer Clipper, an Elddis Avanté and an Adria Axcess, a special edition van for disabled caravanners. Towcars are well represented, as always. We put Britain’s second- and fourth-best selling cars, the Ford Focus and VW Golf, head-to-head in our Towcar test, and there’s a First drive of the Ssangyong Korando.
Caravan Genius is our 35-page section packed with advice, insights, hints, tips and reviews of all things caravan-related. Highlights this issue include Doug “Fix-it” King’s advice pages, Project Van and a step-by-step guide to fitting a caravan alarm.
We’ve got two pages on how to choose the best awning for your needs, and Caravan College returns with a lesson on the waste-water system. Our Buyer’s Guide is a seven-page comprehensive round-up of all the new tourers available on the market and is essential reading for making an informed buying decision.
Pre-owned caravans and towcars rated
The second-hand market is no less important, and this month our resident forecourt sniffer, Andrew Jenkinson, explains how to find a good deal on a second-hand caravan. Our pre-owned twin caravan test, Second-hand Shoot-out, focuses this month on used four-berths for under £7000, while Used towcar buyer assesses the suitability of the Citroën Berlingo Multispace from 1998-2009.
We also have a round-up of the 25 Top towcars, 50 Top accessories and the latest products of interest to caravanners in New Kit. Finally, Jenko takes us back to 1976 in his Caravan Scrapbook. Enjoy the issue.
March issue contents in full
Noticeboard
Stop off here first for tips, news and deals, plus our crossword puzzle
London show
Venus range launches, new Elddis and new Orion Evo
Letters
Your news and views from the sites
Caravan bore
When did you get your licence? Ask the Bore if it lets you tow, too
Van of the future?
Nigel Donnelly gets an exclusive first look at Bailey’s new Retreat
GREAT ESCAPES
Hull
Travel Editor Claudia Dowell finds the city’s rich maritime past is too good to pass up
Culture vulture
Track the haunts of poet Philip Larkin
Five things to see
Hull is rich in places to visit and dine
Where we stayed
With a long lake adorning it, this lovely site is ideal for fishing and watersports
Ironbridge
Nick Harding and family find plenty to enjoy in this World Heritage Site
Warwick
The Rye family makes the most of Warwick Castle’s many medieval attractions
Windsor
Here are eight historical highlights you can visit by following our map guide
Your postcards
Readers travel to Constable country and the Lake District for waterfront views
Independent site reviews
Your views on great touring sites across the UK
SHOWROOM
Live-in test
Dunster House’s Concordia Serenity looked at in depth
First look
Buccaneer’s revised Clipper has plenty of kit — and style to spare
First look
Just how does Elddis’s Avanté 372 pack so much into a small space?
First look
The new Adria Axcess makes wheelchairs and caravans compatible
First drives
Ssangyong’s compact Korando is great value. But is it great?
Towcar test
Ford’s Focus squares up to long-time rival, the VW Golf
Running reports
The latest from the Practical Caravan fleet — where we’ve been and how we got there
CARAVAN GENIUS
Genius ideas
Smartphone apps that let you watch TV, plus tips and Talking Tourers
Doug’ll fix it
Have caravan queries or quandaries? Ask Doug “Fix-it” King
Project van
Doug King uses the space vacated by the old Carver heater
Step by step
Retro fit an alarm system to your tourer
How to…
The right awning for you may be full, porch or lightweight
Caravan College
Waste-water systems in the spotlight
Used caravan buyer
Early spring is the time to find vans from just £2000. Here’s what to look for and where to find them
Subscription offer
Save 15% of the cover price and get an Autoglym caravan care kit worth £27, FREE
Second-hand Shoot-out
We compare side-dinette four-berths for under £7000
Talking towcars
From matches to motors, send your tough tug questions to David Motton
Used towcar buyer
Citroën’s Berlingo Multispace makes a versatile towcar
New kit
A tyre-pressure monitor made especially for caravanners, plus other kit
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 new tugs on the market
50 top accessories
Take a look at our pick of touring accessories
