May issue contents

HELLO AND WELCOME to Practical Caravan. We’ve gone all green this month – teaming up with the David Bellamy Awards to bring you the Green Sites Guide, which is bagged with the May issue.

The Green Sites Guide is packed with great places to stay if you’re a caravanner with a green agenda. But we’ve been at it too – theming the whole issue along eco-friendly lines.

Nick Harding and family spend a few days at Woodovis Park in Devon, which they use as a base for a whole range of green-minded activities, including going letterboxing on Dartmoor. Meanwhile, Mark Bigault keeps as carbon neutral as possible by going local and staying at a campsite near home. We also report from Castle Drogo near Exeter, which had impeccable green credentials long before they became fashionable. We also have a round-up of 11 British attractions that aim to help the planet.

We also get to test some of the latest caravans to hit the market. The Bailey Orion is the Bristol-based firm’s new entry level offering. We test the Orion 400-2. And at the other end of the market, we check out the AS Caravans Kensington – one of the most luxury tourers money can buy.

If you’re looking for a new towcar, then we can help. We have first drives of the Vauxhall Antara and the Skoda Yeti Greenline, and we put big pick-ups from Mitsubishi and Nissan up against each other in the Towcar test.

In this issue's Caravan Genius, we've got over 40 pages of advice, insights, hints, tips and reviews. It’s essential reading for anyone interested in the practical side of caravanning, and includes step-by-step guides to popular DIY jobs, Doug King’s advice pages, and guides to the latest caravan tech. You’ll also find favourites like Used van buyer, which examines Sprite caravans from 2004 to 2008, and Used towcar buyer, which runs our critical rule over the second-generation Ford Focus. Second-hand Shoot-out this month looks at six-berths for £10,000 – should you go for a 2008 Bailey or a 2004 Swift?

And make sure you don’t miss our new data section, which comprises three great Buyer’s Guides: new caravans, new and used towcars and dealer specials. There’s also accessory reviews, Andy Jenkinson’s Scrapbook and Caravan Bore – a new element that runs an irreverent rule over some of the biggest caravanning issues of the day.

Contents in full

Here's a full list of contents from the May issue:

Noticeboard
Stop here first for touring tips, deals, news and views, plus our crossword puzzle
Planner
Mark your diary and hitch up your caravan for these outstanding events

Devon
Nick Harding hitches up his van for an eco-friendly break in the South-west
Grand day out
There’s plenty to see and do in the charming market town of Tavistock
5 things to do
Try out these exciting outdoor activities around Dartmoor
Culture vulture
Castle Drogo was designed for gracious living – and sustainable energy
Walk the walk
Follow this three-mile route through the Teign Valley – and talk the talk
Where we stayed
Woodovis Park has won awards for its facilities, service and eco-ethos. It’s ideal for exploring Dartmoor, too
Cut out and keep
Save our pocket-friendly guide to the great, the fun and the essential
Reader holiday
Mark Bigault pitches up behind a pub for a fun, low-carbon break
Spotter’s guide
Peter and Ann Frost find 11 attractions that aim to help the planet
Where have you been?
Readers send postcards from the heart of England
Best sites for…
Easter egg hunts are a harbinger of spring. Here are just a few
Independent site reviews
Your views from caravansitefinder.co.uk and the first from our undercover eight-year-old
Reader Rally offer
Keen to try Paris? Well, you can – join us and Eurocamp Independent for our next rally

First look
Bailey’s new Orions aim to shake up the entry-level market. We try the 400-2
Classy Kensington
A stately home in miniature: AS Caravans’ new Kensington
First drives
The environment takes a front seat in revised Vauxhall and Skoda models
Towcar test
We judge big pick-ups from Mitsubishi and Nissan to find the better tug

Genius ideas
Warm your caravan – before you get there – and a radio that makes toast. Win a tenner for your touring tips, too
Doug’ll fix it
Got any caravan queries? Ask Doug King, our own Mr Fix-it
How to…
Get your caravan ready for the touring season with our simple guide
Step by step
Make backing onto pitches easier with a wireless reversing camera
Step by step
Never trip the site’s hook-up again – fit a fuse control panel in your van
Used caravan buyer
Plenty of kit and good build quality make Sprites terrific used buys. We tell you all you need to know
Second-hand shoot-out
Which is the better £10,000 six-berth: a 2008 Bailey or a more luxurious (but older) 2004 Swift?
Talking towcars
From matches to motors, send your tough towcar questions to David Motton, our in-house expert
Used towcar buyer
The second-generation Ford Focus makes a terrific towcar for smaller vans – and it’s great value, too

Buyer’s guide
With all the latest prices, this is the best listing of new caravans in the UK
Our fleet: update
The latest reports on Practical Caravan’s fleet of caravans and towcars
Dealer specials
Our complete guide to dealership upgrades of the most popular caravans you can buy
50 top towcars
The best new and used towcars money can buy
50 top accessories
Need a noseweight gauge or TV for your tourer? Here are the best
New kit
We try two dehumidifiers for your tourer – and one of them is a green option
Caravan basics
Essential touring knowledge for beginners and experts alike
Buying and selling
Save cash with our listings of used caravans, awnings and accessories
Caravan scrapbook
More caravans from yesteryear, courtesy of Andrew Jenkinson
Caravan bore
Preventing the dreaded snake is not magic. We explain the whole thing
Subscription offer
Get a cleaning brush and Autoglym cleaner FREE when you subscribe
Letters
Your news and views from the sites, as well as posts from our Forum