We’ve been massively impressed with the Motorhome, Caravan and Camping show at the Excel in London, run by NCC Events, and also at the sheer number of fantastic new models available. All the major caravan and motorhome manufacturers are in attendance and there really is a lot to see.

Our insurance experts will be on stand S101 giving away Free Prizes until the end of the show on Sunday, but here’s a quick round up of a few caravans and motorhomes we enjoyed taking a look at in case our stand isn’t enough for you!

New Lunar Venus range

Lightweight, well priced tourers which can be towed using a normal family saloon are proving extremely popular and the Venus from Lunar is their contribution to the market. Inside we were surprised by the quality of finishing and the space that has been squeezed out of such a small footprint. If you’re a newcomer to caravanning, or simply want a great value, light weight ‘van, then these should definitely be on your shortlist.

Bentley Motorhomes

Bentley motorhomes are a relative newcomer to the market, but don’t let that put you off, these motorhomes are definitely worth a look if you’re in the market for a stylish, modern ‘van. We particularly liked the oversized front grill which gives these motorhomes a really unique, premium styling.

Inside you’ll find tried and tested layouts and quality touches throughout, making these motorhomes a viable option for all types of motorhomer.

Airstreams of all shapes and sizes

Who can resist having a nosy around these design classics? Effortlessly cool in a retro-yet-modern-way we’re always surprised by the sheer quality of workmanship and decor on the inside of these high end caravans, which look so impressive from the outside. If you’re looking for something truly unique with an interior more akin to a swanky apartment than a tourer, and you’ve got a budget which can stretch, then these are the brand for you.

If you’re attending the show and need some advice on caravan insurance or motorhome insurance then don’t forget you can speak to one of our friendly insurance advisers on stand s101 anytime up until the close of the show on Sunday.

Liz King gives us a sneak peak at the two new models on offer.

It is a leisure vehicle like no other on the market, different from a touring caravan, yet not a caravan holiday-home. In fact Bailey have classified it as a leisure home.  It will suit you if you are tired of touring as it’s designed to be sited on a seasonal pitch for a season, or two, rather than be towed by the owner. It is expected that it will appeal to first time caravanners and to existing caravanners by providing them with a convenient and cost-effective way of acquiring their own place in the country, or by the beach, or by a calm lakeside; just wherever you envisage spending your own leisure days.

Bailey research has shown a significant proportion of UK touring caravan owners don’t tow hence their decision to produce the Retreat. Customer friendly, convenient ownership has been an important part of the thinking behind the design of the new model and the sales agreement includes transport to and locating a customer’s Retreat Leisure Home on a registered caravan site anywhere in mainland UK and provides on-going mobile servicing and warranty support as required under the terms and conditions of the Bailey warranty. This will be done by the supplying retailer. There are now over 30 approved Retreat retailers in the Bailey Dealer Network, with more to follow.

As the weight of the vehicle is no longer a key consideration, it has given Bailey the opportunity to build a larger caravan, with over 25% more interior floor space than a standard twin axle touring caravan; the internal length is 7.29m (23’11″), internal width of 2.32m (7’8″) and internal headroom of 1.96m (6’5″).

Two layouts will be available initially; Willow (four-berth) and Sycamore (six-berth) Look out for more information about them both in forthcoming newsletters.

Willow (four berth) photos

Sycamore (six berth) photos

Key features

• Open plan living and dining areas, including a wrap round sofa in the front lounge with domestic standard “Sherwood” soft furnishings.
• Well appointed kitchens equipped with the latest appliances including a dual fuel hob, gas oven, a stainless steel 700 watt microwave oven and a Dometic 117 litre fridge freezer.
• Washrooms to maximise the space with a large circular shower cubicle and a host of practical items most notably the Thetford C-260 ceramic bowl cassette toilet, heated towel rails and a linen basket.
• Luxury end bedroom suites featuring a pocket sprung mattress double bed with optional co-ordinating bedding set.
• As it stands there are no standard security devices fitted to the Retreat range and owners may need to invest in security devices to meet the requirements of their caravan insurance policy.

Like all Bailey models, Retreats are built using the same high performance and award winning Alu-Tech bodyshell which is insulated to Grade III classification standard, allowing you to holiday all year round with a high level of tried and tested insulation for your extra comfort. Models come with an extended bodyshell integrity guarantee to provide you with long term peace of mind, subject to terms and conditions. A durable GRP impact resistant outer skin, a reinforced floor and a heavy duty AL-KO chassis ensure that a Bailey Retreat has enduring build qualities.

The Bailey Retreat Leisure Home has been introduced to reflect the changing way we are choosing to enjoy our leisure time it provides the permanency of a holiday home whilst at the same time giving you the flexibility of a touring caravan.

Caravan Guard will publish caravan insurance prices for the Bailey Retreat range and discuss the nature of seasonal pitch caravan insurance in more detail at a later date.

Recommended retail prices

Bailey Retreat Willow £22,000

Bailey Retreat sycamore £22,140

For more information

http://www.baileyalu-tech.co.uk/

http://www.bailey-retreats.co.uk/

For more general information on loading read our article on How to correctly load your caravan.

Having the correct noseweight is vital to towing stability. Too light, and the outfit becomes unstable because the caravan will tend to lift the rear of the towcar; too heavy and the load on the towball will cause the front of the vehicle to lift so affecting the steering. This can obviously lead to serious accidents and Caravan Guard have no doubt seen many caravan insurance claims as a result of poor stability over the years.

Finding the correct noseweight

The correct noseweight for the caravan is the lowest of three noseweight figures: that of the caravan chassis manufacturer; that of the tow vehicle manufacturer; and that of the towbar manufacturer. The chassis manufacturer stamps both the maximum noseweight and the maximum load that the coupling is designed to carry on the coupling. These figures are identified by the letters ‘S’ and ‘GA’ respectively. The towcar’s maximum noseweight will be found in the owner’s manual, whilst the maximum noseweight on the towbar will be found on the towbar plate. Whichever is the lowest is the one you have to work to.

In some instances – in the case of older caravans for example – there may be no indication of what the noseweight should be. In such circumstances you should work on the basis of it being between 5 and 7 per cent of the caravan’s MTPLM. For example: caravan MTPLM of 1400kg, the noseweight would be 70kg at 5 per cent or 98kg at 7 per cent. This shows a wide variation from which it is clear that the noseweight for an individual caravan can vary considerably. In such circumstances, you should work to the lowest figure from the three sources mentioned above providing it falls within these two limits.

Checking the caravan noseweight

There are four ways in which you can check the noseweight of the caravan: using a pair of bathroom scales; using a spring loaded noseweight gauge; using an electronic noseweight gauge; or by fitting a jockey wheel which incorporates a noseweight scale.

One word of warning: none of the scales mentioned are subject to the Weights and Measures Act and so they should only be regarded as a guide.

To check the noseweight using a pair of bathroom scales you also will need short length of broom stick around 15in long (38cm) long and a piece of wood which is placed on the scales to spread the load.

Proceed as follows: Load the caravan to its MTPLM in the usual way; park it on a flat firm, level surface – concrete or tarmac, not grass – with the steadies raised. Wind the jockey wheel down to raise the hitch and place the scales in position under it. Fit the broom handle into the hitch head and down onto the wood on the scales. Wind the jockey wheel up until the weight of the hitch is fully on the scales and read off the noseweight.

The procedure when using a proprietary noseweight gauge is basically the same. In the case of an electronic gauge, this is fitted onto the towball on the tow car and the caravan is then hitched to it. The noseweight is displayed on the screen.

Both Al-Ko Kober, the company which supplies 90 per cent of the chassis and couplings to the British caravan industry, and BPW which supplies the remainder, offer jockey wheels as an optional extra incorporating noseweight scales. These obviously mean that you can check the noseweight every time you load the caravan. After the first correct check, you might use a permanent marker to mark the position on the gauge.

Adjusting your caravan’s noseweight

Within the limits set by the chassis, towcar and towbar manufacturers, the heavier the noseweight the better, but if it exceeds the lower of their figures, then you need to adjust the loading of the caravan. It is permissible to move heavy objects slightly to the rear of the axle line – but not more than about 2ft (60cm). If that doesn’t bring the noseweight within the limits then there are two alternatives: move some of the load into the towcar; or leave them behind.

The Elddis Avanté 574 is a new twin bed model seen for the first time at the October caravan show at the NEC in Birmingham.

The first thing you notice are the twin single beds with padded headboards, well-positioned over bed lights and neat bedside shelves, perfect for your morning cuppa or night time cocoa, which make this a practical and user-friendly bedroom. The beds also lift up to allow underbed storage and there are good well-sized overhead lockers too.

The end-shower room has a clear acrylic bi-fold door to the shower cubicle. The semi-recessed basin has a cupboard underneath and there is another cupboard over the Thetford toilet.

The offside kitchen has loads of storage space and all that you’d need to prepare meals, including a microwave, and a fridge. Much as we liked the round sink set in the worktop, we don’t find the shape practical for washing up square or rectangular objects!

Contemporary Ivory cupboard doors with feature letterbox style glazing in the kitchen complement the Noce Prosecco lockers in the living area and the standard upholstery is Estina but there are three other options available. We really liked the Easy Glide bed slats that glide easily in a dedicated track with less risk of derailing; these will make sofa to bed conversion so easy. We think that five mains electric sockets is a practical number and Elddis have installed these in the right places for maximum practicality.

Heating and hot water is provided by Truma Ultraheat dual fuel which does have rapid heat-up facility for hot water.

Shaped windows complemented by the external graphics give a contemporary yet not overstated look.

Verdict

Twin fixed beds are proving to be a popular layout in caravans although they are understandably narrower than standard domestic twin beds. Designed as a four berth model, the layout will suit couples too.

For a caravan approaching £16,000 there is very little in the way of extra security fitted. It would be our advice to fit an alarm system which is offered as an option on this model to lower caravan insurance costs.

Fact File:

Cost to insure: £343*

Recommended Retail Price: £15,949.00
Price is ex-works and includes VAT @ 20% but excludes a recommended retailer delivery charge of £495 including VAT which includes delivery and preparing your caravan for collection by you.

Tech spec:

• Grade III thermal insulation
• 6 years water ingress warranty
• BPW chassis
• Single axle
• Four berths
• Plated MTPLM 1435 kgs (28.19cwt)
• MRO 1262kgs (24.79cwt)
• Shipping length 7441mm (24ft 0ins)
• Interior length 5699mm (18ft 8ins)
• Maximum headroom 1.950 (6ft 5ins)
• Overall width 2236mm (7ft 4ins)
• Awning size 10020mm (32ft 10ins)
• 100% LED interior lighting
• Bed sizes front double 6ft 10ins x 4ft 11ins
• Rear beds (i) 6ft 1ins x 2ft 5ins (ii) 6ft 2ins x 2ft 5ins

Safety and Security:

• High security locks to all external doors
• CRIS identity number
• Security data chip
• Optional alarm system (with wireless PIR)
• Optional tracking system
• Optional Winterhoff Stabiliser
• Optional Robstop security device for use with Winterhoff stabiliser
• Optional iDC Intelligent Drive Control
• Optional BPW Swing Vtec chassis

For more information:

www.elddis.co.uk

* Caravan insurance cost based on Elddis Avante £15,949 Fitted with hitchlock, wheelclamp and optional alarm, and kept on drive at HX4 0BE. Caravanners over 30 years old, claim free for 3 years and a member of a caravanning club. Quote includes 10% online discount and 6% Insurance Premium Tax and is correct as of 14.02.12.

Manufacturer Swift say they are regularly asked for a proper four-berth camper when exhibiting at shows. The Autocruise Quartet is their response to this demand, not that they’re the first in this market. Devon’s Monte Carlo (on Renault Master LWB) has long addressed this issue, while Wildax have been marketing a bunk bed van conversion for some time now.

But it was Auto-Sleepers who brought the idea to the mainstream with their Windrush – clearly, the new Quartet will not have things all its own way. But then neither is the Quartet simply a Windrush reinvented in Autocruise décor.

While the Auto-Sleeper has four individual seats up front and its bunk beds across the width of the vehicle, Quartet goes for a half-dinette seating area (like the Alto and Accent) and lengthways beds for the kids.

One of the key design factors in the Quartet’s layout was the desire to make it possible to load bulky gear through the rear doors. And another useful advantage is the possibility of speccing a (£2995) base vehicle upgrade to Fiat’s new 148bhp engine and Comfort-Matic semi-auto gearbox (the Windrush is manual only).

As standard, the Quartet comes on a silver or blue metallic Peugeot Boxer with the 130bhp 2.2HDi Euro V engine, though our prototype wore Fiat badges. Opt for the £1395 Comfort Pack, though, and you still get a high spec – including cab air-con, cruise control, alarm, reversing sensors (essential as there’s no through vision at all), Bluetooth, iPod connection, front foglights and the new factory-fitted ‘wood’ dash trim. From our point of view it would be well worth investing in an alarm and making sure it’s part of a Thatcham Category 1 approved system; in fact at this motorhome value of over £40,000,  it would be a motorhome insurance security requirement under Caravan Guard’s policy.

Perhaps the most important aspect here, though, is the sleeping arrangements. The top bunk is quite confined but will be fine for smaller children, who are kept safely in their sleeping bag by a substantial ledge.

The lower bunk feels much more spacious – plenty big enough for an average adult, in fact. Surprisingly, there are no curtains for these beds, but they do each have their own light, and an opening window in the rear offside door provides ventilation.

The parental bed up front is quite complex in its make-up from the half-dinette seat, plus a large folded cushion and frame that store under the forward end of the kitchen worktop. Indeed, the unique procedure is shown in a six step illustrated leaflet that comes with the ’van.

Obviously, there are compromises in squeezing four berths into a standard long-wheelbase panel van, but the galley doesn’t appear to be one of them.

The worktop over the storage for the extra bits of bed means that you are certainly not short of preparation space, and while there’s no draining board, you do get a three-burner hob and a combined oven/grill. The compressor-type fridge (opposite the hob) not only has a decent 80-litre capacity, but is mounted above the small wardrobe for ultra-convenient access to your milk and white wine.

There’s a reasonable amount of kitchen cupboard space, too, and cutlery drawer and plate racks are present and correct.

In the washroom you’ll find a swivel cassette toilet and decent space to shower.

Verdict

With its clever design and good value for money, the Quartet is an interesting arrival for family motorhomers wanting to down-size.

In partnership with:

Fact-file

• Price as tested: £43,530
• Cost to insure: £269.50*
• Berths: 4
• Travel seats (inc driver): 4
• Dimensions: 6.00m L, 2.05m W, 2.72m H
• Interior height: 1.89m
• Maximum weight: 3500kg
• Payload: 485kg
• Beds: Forward lounge bed 1.77m x 1.22m (see text), lower bunk 1.83m x 0.61m, upper bunk 1.70m x 0.57m

* Motorhome insurance based on 2012 Autocruise Quartet valued at £43,530. Fitted with Manufacturer’s Immobiliser system and Cat 1 Alarm. Kept on driveway at home at TD9 8ED. Insured & spouse, 57 years old, professionals, with no claims, convictions or health conditions in last 3 years. 5 years transferred protected NCD, 5 years motorhome driving experience. Members of motorhome club doing less than 5000 miles annually. £300 excess applies. European cover £18.00 extra. European Breakdown £43 extra. Premium includes Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) at 6% and is correct as of 14.02.12.

Our visit to Annecy was a trip down memory lane, and we found lots of lanes to explore in this historic town in the French Alps. Historically it was part of Switzerland until it was finally reunited with France in 1860. It hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1992 and is a potential host for the 2018 Winter Games.

It’s a thriving town, with a small historic centre and a booming cosmopolitan tourist centre, a lively student population and markets held on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday throughout the year, set on the beautiful Lac d’ Annecy. There are numerous historic buildings, museums and monuments to see, far too many to see in a day. Since the 12th century the castle has dominated the old town which has kept its arcaded houses, its churches, its narrow bridges and its sluice gates, its canals and its fountains.

We took the ferry, it’s a short and pretty cruise, from Doussard on Lac d’ Annecy to the port of Annecy where we strolled round the Old Town, through the cobbled streets and along the canals, and stopped for a coffee. Lunch was a gastronomic regional speciality, a hefty cheese fondue made with local cheese accompanied by a platter of assorted cold meats and piles of cubed French bread which rendered us almost incapable of further activity so we sat beside the lake in Les Jardins de l’Europe and watched the world go by.

The Lake of Annecy is internationally famous and in summer sailors, board-sport enthusiasts, swimmers and fishermen take advantage of its temperate waters which vary between 22°C and 24°C from June to September. Its fame also depends on its clean water which is considered among the purest in Europe and this is partly due to the attention given to the water quality on a daily basis assisted by the surrounding marshes which help to purify it. Had we felt energetic, we could have cycled along the panoramic lakeside “green tracks” or hired a boat and gone for a sail; you don’t need a permit to hire a craft on the lake. There are nine beaches situated around the lake but they are popular even early in the day.

Aix-les-Bains, a favourite haunt of Queen Victoria, was an interesting spa town, but we decided that the lake is nowhere near as impressive as Annecy.

Annecy is an expensive area, but not as expensive as Switzerland. About one hours drive away from Annecy the village of Yvoire was also recommended to us as being nicer than Geneva, but we didn’t have time to visit it. Will you?

http://www.lac-annecy.com/gb/index.html

Where we stayed

Camping La Ravoire on the west side of the near Doussard is a busy family run site, so we suggest booking in advance. It’s just 800m from the lake and 18 kms from Annecy. It’s ideal for motorhomes as you can cycle or take the ferry to the town. English is spoken.

http://www.camping-la-ravoire.com/index.php/en

If you are travelling to France this year make sure you have European travel included on your motorhome insurance policy.

The body of the Knaus Sky TI 650 mf looks sleek and low, with quite a pleasing rear view, while a lowered floor aft of the rear wheels enables the under-bed storage to be considerably deeper – and to extend below the washroom floor for long items, like windbreaks.

A floor level that requires no external step and an automatic awning light that senses you coming home are further pluses, while the habitation door (with flyscreen) closes with a reassuring feeling of solidity.

Better still, the Knaus truly impresses with not a creak, groan, squeak or rattle, even on some pretty awful British bitumen.

With its flatscreen TV that swung down out of the ceiling, the original Sun TI was bordering on futuristic, certainly flamboyant. But these are more cautious times, so the latest Knaus resists such ostentatious flourishes and goes for proven layouts too, especially in this ‘French bed’ 650 MF guise.

But sometimes taking a proven design and simply making it better is all you need to do to create something special.

As soon as you walk in the door you’ll be impressed. The fit and finish of both the cabinetwork and the upholstery is exemplary – you’d be hard pressed to find another coachbuilt at this sub-£55k price level that feels anything like as well screwed together.

The TV now simply pulls up from a cupboard behind the offside settee, while plentiful LED lighting and a good selection of mains and 12V sockets show that Knaus have thought about the little details too.

There’s a wind-up Heki sunroof above for even more daylight or fresh air and the conversion of the seat back into a half-dinette for two rear passengers to travel is one of the easiest we’ve seen.

A further example of the Knaus punching above its (surprisingly affordable) price tag is the standard fitment of Truma’s more powerful Combi 6 heater (with gas and mains power) – most rivals make do with the lower output Combi 4.

And Knaus are, strangely, one of the very few companies to use a three-burners-in-line hob to free up worktop preparation space.

Moving the (bench cassette) toilet to the back of the area, rather than having a swivel cassette in the middle, is one reason for the feeling of space, while the wide entrance and tambour door help to make the right first impressions.

For the shower, Knaus use a swing-wall design to create a shower cubicle. The basin and mirror all hinge through 90 degrees and are met by a slim shower door opposite.

Here we come to the defining aspect of the ‘MF’ layout – its French bed. There are also garage, single bed and island bed layouts in the six-strong Sky TI layout, but this derivative is not just an appealing sub-7m length but the best all-rounder. And its bed is one of the best too.

Verdict

A best-selling layout refined beyond its competitors with great detailing and style. At a value of over £53,000, potential owners are advised to invest in a Thatcham Category 1 approved alarm system or a good quality proactive tracking device, not just for peace of mind but to qualify for a motorhome insurance discount.

In partnership with:

Fact-file

• Cost to insure: £298.50*
• Price as tested: £53,354
• Berths 4
• Travel seats (inc driver) 4
• Dimensions 6.99m L, 2.34m W, 2.75m H
• Maximum weight: (upgrade to Heavy chassis available)
• Beds: Rear fixed French bed 1.96m x 1.41m/1.24m, front transverse dinette bed 1.96m x 1.10m/1.18m

* Motorhome insurance based on Knaus Sky TI 650 MF valued at £53,354. Fitted with Manufacturer’s Immobiliser system and Approved Tracking Device. Kept on driveway at home at TD9 8ED. Insured & spouse, 57 years old, professionals, with no claims, convictions or health conditions in last 3 years. 5 years transferred protected NCD, 5 years motorhome driving experience. Members of motorhome club doing less than 5000 miles annually. £300 excess applies. European cover £18.00 extra. European Breakdown £43 extra. Premium includes Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) at 6% and is correct as of 14.02.12.

The Summer caravanning season isn’t too far away, and when it comes to this year’s Caravan and Motorhome shows things are definately well underway, with 3 of the year’s shows already behind us and one of the biggest happening in just a few weeks.

The shows are run by a number of different companies so finding a list of all the shows that are happening can be tricky to find in one place, so we’ve done it for you! Here’s our guide to the Caravan shows and Motorhome shows happening in the UK during 2012, as well as info on which ones we will be attending.

If there are any shows worth mentioning that we’ve left off then please feel free to comment below and we’ll look in to it.

January 6-8 The Motorhome Show
Bath & West Showground
Tel: 020 8302 6150

January 19-22 The Caravan & Motorhome Show
Event City, Manchester
www.caravanshows.com (Clarion Events)

January 20-22 The Caravan & Motorhome Show
King’s Hall, Belfast
www.holidayworldshow.com

February 2-5 Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Show
SECC, Exhibition Way, Glasgow, G3 8YW
Tel: 0844 395 4000 (QD Events)

February 14-19 Motorhome, Caravan & Camping Show
Excel, Docklands, London
www.motorhomecaravanandcamping.co.uk (NCC Events)
Caravan Guard Stand Number: S101 Visit us to win a prize!

March 16-18 The Caravan and Motorhome Show
Westpoint, Exeter
www.appletree-exhibitions.co.uk/Vis%20Exeter%20Caravan%202012.html (Appletree Exhibitions)

March 24-25 UK Motorhome & Caravan Spring Fair
Newark Showground, Newark, Nottinghamshire
www.eventdevelopments.co.uk (Event Developments Ltd)

April 7-9 The Spectacular Caravan and Motorhome Show
Broadlands House, Romsey, Hampshire
www.appletree-exhibitions.co.uk/Vis%20Romsey%20Caravan%202012.html (Appletree Exhibitions)

April 13-15 The Motorhome Show
Bath & West Showground
Tel: 020 8302 6150

April 21-22 Wales Caravan & Motorhome Show
Chepstow Racecourse
www.appletree-exhibitions.co.uk/Vis%20Chepstow%20Caravan%202012.html (Appletree Exhibitions)

April 27-29 The National Motorhome Show
East of England Showground, Peterborough, PE2 6XE
www.warners-exhibitions.co.uk or www.outandaboutlive.co.uk (Warners Group)
Caravan Guard Stand Number: TBC

April 27-29 The National Park & Holiday Homes Show
East of England Showground, Peterborough, PE2 6XE
www.warners-exhibitions.co.uk or www.outandaboutlive.co.uk (Warners Group)
(See our Static Caravan and Park Home sister brand www.Leisuredays.co.uk)

May 5-7 The Caravan and Motorhome Show
Blaise Castle, Bristol
www.appletree-exhibitions.co.uk/Vis%20Bristol%20Caravan%202012.html (Appletree Exhibitions)

May 11-13 Carmarthen Caravan & Motorhome Show
Carmarthern, Wales
Email: info@towyevents.co.uk

May 18-20 Park & Holiday Homes Show
Newbury Showground, Chieveley, Berkshire
www.warners-exhibitions.co.uk or www.outandaboutlive.co.uk (Warners Group)

May 18-20 The Southern Motorcaravan Show
Newbury Showground, Chieveley, Berkshire
www.warners-exhibitions.co.uk or www.outandaboutlive.co.uk (Warners Group)

June 8-10 The World of Park & Leisure Homes Show
Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, CV8 2LZ
www.parkhomeandleisure.co.uk

June 15-17 Motorhome & Caravan Show
Kelmarsh Hall, Northampton
www.warners-exhibitions.co.uk or www.outandaboutlive.co.uk (Warners Group)

June 22-24 The Motorhome Show
Racecourse Stratford Upon Avon
Tel: 020 8302 6150

June 30-July 1 UK Motorhome & Caravan Summer Fair
Shropshire & West Midlands Showground, Shrewsbury
www.eventdevelopments.co.uk (Event Developments Ltd)

July 13-15 Northern Motorcaravan Show
Cheshire Showground, Clay House Farm, Flittogate Lane, Tabley, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 0HJ
www.warners-exhibitions.co.uk or www.outandaboutlive.co.uk (Warners Group)
Caravan Guard Stand Number: TBC

August 17-19 The Western Motorhome Show
Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6NW
www.warners-exhibitions.co.uk or www.outandaboutlive.co.uk (Warners Group)

September 1-2 Tha Lawns Caravan Extravaganza
The Lawns, Cottingham, near Hull, HU16 5SQ
www.lawnsandbeaulieushows.com/the-lawns-show
(Attended by our Static Caravan and Park Home sister brand www.Leisuredays.co.uk)

September 3-4 UK Motorhome & Caravan Autumn Fair
Newark Showground, Newark, Nottinghamshire
www.eventdevelopments.co.uk (Event Developments Ltd)

September 7-9 The Motorhome Show
Bath & West Showground
Tel: 020 8302 6150

September 21-23 Holiday Caravan 2012 (Beaulieu)
Beaulieu, Hampshire SO42 7ZN
Tel: 01276 686654

September 21-23 The Motorhome Show, Season Finale
Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln, LN2 2NA
www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/Shows/The-Motorhome-Show-Season-Finale/_sh5 Tel: 01778 391123

September 21-23 New Forest Caravan and Motorhome Show
The New Forest Showground, Brockenhurst, Hampshire
www.appletree-exhibitions.co.uk/HLS%20New%20Forest%202012.html (Appletree Exhibitions)

October 6-7 The Caravan and Motorhome Show
Westpoint Exeter, Devon
www.appletree-exhibitions.co.uk/BIG%20SALE%20PLUS%20EXETER%202012.html (Appletree Exhibitions)

October 16-21 The Motorhome & Caravan Show
NEC, Birmingham
www.motorhomeandcaravanshow.co.uk/
Caravan Guard Stand Number: 19-01

With its new, lower fixed bed and revised internal and external detailing, the facelifted T-725 in the new Tribute range, produced by Auto Trail, looks more impressive than ever.

Has the best just got better? Well, certainly the Sports Pack is good news. As with other entry-level motorhomes, you’d be wearing a jacket with your arms strapped to your back before you’d order a Tribute without this bundle of well-priced options.

And in reality, not one Tribute is ever likely to leave the factory naked of the pack – who would resist an Omnistor awning, rear spoiler moulding on the roof, TV aerial, mains and blown-air additions for the heating, a few minor bits of bling on the fascia, a pair of scatter cushions, heated and electric door mirrors, and removable carpets? Especially when the whole caboodle costs just £999.

The only other option is cab air-conditioning – another £955.

We put the Tribute through its paces on a family weekend trip, four-up (with a teenager and a nearly four-year old) for three nights and well over 300 miles.

Before we’d even started our test trip in the Tribute it scored well with all of us, swallowing every bit of kit we could throw at it.

Of course, here you could argue that the 2012-season T-725 is not quite as good as its forebear as this year the fixed transverse rear bed has been lowered. But in reality, unless you absolutely must store full-sized bikes onboard, this is probably a better compromise.

One of the reasons you’ll buy a T-725 over a broadly similar T-720 (which replaces the garage/bed with a rear lounge) is for the luxury of that big permanent bed. A single fixed step (around the base of which the carpet trim needed re-gluing) replaces the ladder of the old-model T-725, making access easy.

Once in bed, the split, his ’n’ hers, mattresses are excellent and you get individual reading lights and an opening window at the foot end. Similarly, the overcab bed has just an opening window on the nearside and no vent.

That just left the dinette bed to make – from a jigsaw of seven cushions. Its teenage occupant slept well here (waking up a teenager is more of an issue), even when joined by our pooch. Like the other two beds, it’s genuinely an adult double in size.

The size of the Tribute’s kitchen was never an issue – not least because its virtually-triangular appliances leave a really useful area of worktop space between them. You might have had issues with the fridge size before, but the latest (Dometic 8-Series) item now fitted incorporates a removable freezer compartment.

With said shelf and door removed and left at home we had just enough food space left for a quartet of hungry campers. Having three burners on the hob and an oven/grill meant our culinary options weren’t limited (even if they weren’t gourmet!), while the galley also offers plenty of storage throughout.

Verdict

A few very minor niggles aside, this is a fantastic family motorhome – at an equally fantastic price. That parent company Auto-Trail have equipped it with a separate shower is just one example of Tribute giving you more: more than you expect, and more than its rivals.

Price from: £37,649

Cost to insure: £244.50*

Fact-file

• Travel seats (inc driver): 4
• Dimensions 6.96m L, 2.23m W, 2.89m H (excluding TV aerial)
• Interior height: 1.94m
• Maximum weight: 3500kg
• Beds: Over-garage double 2.08m x 1.35m, front lounge transverse bed 1.86m x 1.22m, overcab bed 2.08m x 1.83m

Source:

* Motorhome insurance based on 2012 Tribute T-725 valued at £37,649. Fitted with Manufacturer’s Immobiliser system. Kept on driveway at home at TD9 8ED. Insured & spouse, 57 years old, professionals, with no claims, convictions or health conditions in last 3 years. 5 years transferred protected NCD, 5 years motorhome driving experience. Members of motorhome club doing less than 5000 miles annually. £300 excess applies. European cover £22.00 Extra. European Breakdown £43 extra. Premium includes Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) at 6% and is correct as of 20.01.12.

In 2010 43% of the motorhome claims that Caravan Guard handled were for windscreens, but many of these claims could have been avoided with a quick, simple and free repair to a small chip before it spread in to a crack which meant the windscreen needed replacing.

Caravan Guard have a long working relationship with windscreen repair and replacement specialists Autoglass® and work closely with them to ensure that any windscreens which can be fixed are caught early before they turn in to a crack that means a replacement window is needed.

By getting a chip fixed quickly you not only avoid paying a motorhome insurance excess or losing your no claims bonus, but you also help to keep insurance premiums down in the future by greatly reducing overall claims costs. (Please note: Only if your windscreen replacement claim cost over £1000 would your NCB be affected with Caravan Guard).

We’ve written before about when a motorhome windscreen chip is beyond repair, but now want to share exactly how the guys at Autoglass® do it, and what to expect when your windscreen is having a chip fixed.

The professional repairers at Autoglass® use a 35 point repair plan, but here’s an outline guide to what they do when repairing your motorhome’s windscreen chip:

First they will check the chip is repairable (see our guide on what motorhome windscreen chips are repairable) and that the size and location of the chip are permitted under British Standard for repair (BS AU 242:1998a).

Next they will protect the bonnet of the vehicle to avoid any scuffs during repair (and wear safety glasses and gloves).

The windscreen chip is then prepared for repair (by checking the temperature of the glass and that the chip is open to allow primer and resin to flow into the break) before using a specialist resin injection tool to fill the chip. They will then check the repair is filled, and if necessary repeat the process to ensure the chip is fixed.

Once the chip is successfully filled with the repair resin, a second more viscous, harder wearing “Pitfill” resin is applied on top to give good wear properties.

The resin is then “cured” using an Ultra Violet (UV) Lamp. Once cured, any excess resin is removed and the surface of the repair is polished before the windscreen is cleaned inside and out to remove any rings from the repair apparatus.

If you have a windscreen chip that you think is repairable then get in touch with Autoglass® today before it turns into a more severe crack.

Call Autoglass® on their dedicated Caravan Guard customer line 0800 413 044 from the UK, or 00 44 800 36 36 36 from outside the UK.