Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show 2020
Dipping your toe into the great outdoors? Need some new kit for a family adventure? Time to upgrade? Or maybe you need some ideas on where to go for your next adventure? The Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show has everything you need for your next adventure with over 400 exhibitor stands showcasing their greatest products. Not only will you be able to see all new-for-2020 leisure vehicles and caravan holiday homes, you’ll also be able to browse tents of all shapes and sizes all pitched under one roof. Plus, all the accessories and gadgets for the great outdoors that you could ever need. Whether you’re looking to get into the leisure vehicle or already enjoy it, your holiday, short break or outdoor pursuit starts here! The show runs from Tuesday 18th – Sunday 23rd February Reasons to attend The Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show: The biggest showcase of caravans, motorhomes, campervans in the UK Leading UK and European manufacturers and dealers under one roof Exclusive offers on 1000s of vehicles and accessories Expert advice from leading industry specialists FREE show guide Kids go FREE* Parking included on the ticket price Plus, enjoy FREE tuition FREE Towing Experience FREE Motorhome Manoeuvring FREE Campervan Test Drive Activities at the Show NEW FOR 2020 Electric in Motion NEW FOR 2020 Best of British Adventure Gold Top Dog Arena Climbing Wall Bushcraft Workshops Holiday Park Experience Glamping Village Camping Zone Freedom to Go Theatre Book your tickets today!
Product launch: SCH HBU1200ATE waterer
The HBU1200ATE is the newest edition to the SCH waterer range. As the name suggests, this waterer features a 1200 litre capacity polyethylene tank, which is internally baffled to safely minimise surge when braking and turning corners. The trailers single-axle road-legal steel chassis is fully galvanised, with over-run brakes, lights and a jockey wheel. Two trailer supports are fitted to the rear, to stabilise the trailer when it is unhitched from the towing vehicle. The standard model features a choice between a petrol and an electric powered pump. The 12V DC electric pump has a flow rate of 18 litres per minute, and is powered by the towing vehicles power supply. The petrol option features a reliable 2” centrifugal Honda pump, with an adjustable flow rate up to an impressive 450 litres per minute. This waterer features a short lance for tubs and beds, and a telescopic lance which can reach up to 6 meters. The telescopic lance is ideal for watering hanging baskets at a height. 6 meters of hose is supplied, and two steel stands are mounted to the side of the trailer, which can be used to transport a significant length of additional hose, if required. The main pump is offset to the side of the trailer, this leaves room for a pressure washing pump to be mounted alongside. This dual engine setup is ideal for pressure washing caravans between seasons. SCH offer a large variety of pumps, tank sizes and chassis types. Contact SCH on 01473 328272, email sales@schsupplies.co.uk, or visit their website to find out more www.schsupplies.co.uk
Gigaclear Unveils Best WiFi Solution for Rural Properties
A new partnership to deliver ultrafast broadband speeds to every corner of rural properties has been unveiled by Gigaclear, the full fibre, ultrafast rural broadband provider. In collaboration with Linksys, a leader in wireless connectivity, Gigaclear now offers an in-home Smart WiFi ‘mesh solution’ for its customers, delivering the highest quality WiFi performance at all times, from anywhere in their home. The Gigaclear powered by Linksys Velop router ensures that Gigaclear’s ultrafast broadband speeds are reflected in its WiFi performance, delivering customers with a Smart WiFi package a fast, reliable internet connection. Ultrafast fibre-to-the-property is transforming the way people living in rural communities are operating, enabling people to work from home, diversify their businesses, and stream on demand content in ultra-high definition. Up until now, WiFi performance in rural properties has been a challenge, as the material used to build a property can have a huge impact on WiFi performance. Metal, mirrors, concrete, impenetrable stone walls, large rooms and unusual property layouts are all commonplace in country homes, all of which can severely interfere with WiFi signal. Gigaclear’s Smart WiFi ‘mesh WiFi’ solution, works by effectively throwing a ‘WiFi bubble’ over an area and is easily extendable by adding a series of interconnected nodes to expand WiFi coverage, ensuring the best connection anywhere in the home. In comparison, traditional boosters simply relay the signal, which means that the further away the user is from the router the weaker the signal. James Lowther, Chief Marketing Officer at Gigaclear, comments: “We focus on building to rural areas, which means our customers often suffer from poor WiFi performance due to the stone construction or size of their properties. Our broadband service provides the best speeds in the UK, and we want our customers’ WiFi performance to be able to take full advantage of it. “Linksys have significant know-how in this space and have proven to be the right partner for us, as they understand how to maximise a user’s WiFi experience. We are delighted to be working alongside them to provide our customers with not only the best broadband speeds in the UK, but the best Wi-Fi experience available.” Stephanie Willems, VP Europe at Linksys’ parent company, Belkin International, said; “The foundation of a smart home is robust, future-proofed connectivity. The combination of Gigaclear and Linksys will bring best-in-class connectivity to areas that need it most. We built our products so that people can have strong WiFi signal strength no matter the location within the home. We are incredibly proud of our Velop products and the value adds via software we continue to deliver.” The Linksys Velop routers are easy to install and come with an app which makes setting up easy. It also means that customers can easily troubleshoot any connectivity issues themselves. As an added bonus, Gigaclear installation engineers will set up the initial network for new customers when connecting them to the ultrafast network. For existing customers, Gigaclear will contact them directly regarding upgrading to a Smart WiFi package where they can add additional nodes to expand their WiFi network. To find out more about Gigaclear’s WiFi powered by Linksys, please follow the link.
Event review – HLPD Forum 2019
Developed to meet the needs of the UK leisure and holiday park sector, this new event allowed professionals to share knowledge and extend their network. Last month saw the launch of the inaugural holiday and leisure park development forum (hlpd), developed to showcase new innovations and best practice in this exciting and growing sector. The vibrant, interactive format of the hlpd forum proved the ideal networking environment to discuss trends and to share ideas about creating holiday experiences that delight visitors and encourage them to come back for more. Inspirational speakers The event featured an inspiring speaker programme spanning a wide range of topics from managing sustainable growth, creating destinations that inspire and key trends in the sector. The speaker line up included: • Jamie Christon, chief operating officer of Chester Zoo, who talked about the zoo’s the last six years and how the organisation is planning for its future growth into the next decade. As the UK’s number one zoo, Chester has seen unprecedented development since 2013 and is on course to welcome 2 million visitors in 2019, its highest number ever. • Matt Cartwright, founding director of Twelve Architects, focused on the redevelopment of the Grade II listed Bodmin Jail in Cornwall. Cartwright explained the vision to return this much understated heritage asset of national importance to its former glory, and in so doing make it a leading visitor attraction and hotel. He took the audience through the design, which retains and enhances the unique atmosphere and sense of history that exists in the ruins. He explained how derelict cell blocks will house the hotel accommodation and part of the museum. • Paul Hardingham, UK managing director of Landal GreenParks, presented the current consumer holidaying trends and how to satisfy them through product innovation and the sustainable evolution of UK holidays. • Nathan Goodyear, director of property & Development, The Camping and Caravanning Club, gave an interesting overview of the journey, approach, success and learning following the first five years after the introduction of glamping – the Club operates 48 glamping locations across the UK. • Nicole Lazarus, head of One Planet Living at Bioregional, gave an insightful account of how Leisure destinations and holiday park developers are using One Planet Living to provide their guests with a great experience of a sustainable, climate-crisis-free future. • Peter Gamble, senior partner at Holder Mathias Architects, spoke about how the design of high-quality accommodation, new guest facilities and the imaginative re-modelling of existing assets can contribute to enhancing guest experience and extend the season. • Neil James, project manager of West Midland Safari Park, explained how the safari park’s investment strategy will focuses on upgrading the animal facilities as well as improving the overall guest experience. New facilities will include outdoor pools and enrichment areas for animals and the introduction of eight exclusive, luxury lodges introducing the opportunity for guests to stay overnight, giving them an up-close and personal experience like no other. Superb networking Attended by operators, clients, architects, contractors, project managers, consultants and the suppliers of leisure and holiday park products and services, the hlpd forum offered tailored one-to-one business meetings providing the opportunity to meet with the most innovative suppliers as well as the opportunity to network with fellow professionals. Here’s what a few of them had to say: • The mix of meetings and specialist presentations was just right, the delegates drinks evening before was useful to establish good contacts with peers and the speakers were excellent. Andrew Davis Partnership • A very enjoyable and worthwhile experience. A very new market place for all and the start of something special. S & C Slatter • I wasn’t sure what to expect but really enjoyed it and learnt a lot. Discover Parks • A good opportunity to see new innovative concepts being considered, destination concepts and future developments. Alliance Leisure • I had a really productive two days. During the process I was booking meetings with suppliers I wouldn’t have otherwise known about, and likewise they wouldn’t have had information about our projects. The format works really well and the opportunities to network in a professional environment are plentiful. West Midlands Safari Park With more than 3,000 holiday parks and resorts in the UK, changing holiday patterns and growing numbers looking to take mini-breaks in the UK, it’s an exciting time for the holiday and leisure park sector. Stable Events looks forward to welcoming you to the hlpd forum in 2020.
Big wins at Owner Satisfaction Awards 2020
Winners of the 2020 Owner Satisfaction Awards have been announced at this year’s annual Camping and Caravanning Club industry dinner. This marked the fifth annual Owner Satisfaction Awards and the fourth set of awards the Club has run in partnership with Practical Motorhome and Practical Caravan magazines. In total, 22 awards were given out at the event, where Club President Julia Bradbury was on hand to present trophies to the worthy winners. As previously, results came from thousands of Club members, together with readers of Practical Motorhome and Practical Caravan magazines, who completed the 2020 Owner Satisfaction Survey, which ran from April to October 2019. The 2020 Awning Owner Satisfaction Survey was new for this year and followed feedback from both customers and industry alike who want more insight into the awning ownership experience. Awards were given for the best manufacturer of small porch, full and drive-away awnings, based on findings given by hundreds of owners. This year’s Motorhome Satisfaction Awards features a new category for Best Van Converter (Direct Sales), which counts those businesses which manufacture and sell direct to customers, and also sell pre-owned models direct to customers. The 2020 Caravan Owner Satisfaction Survey was completed by more people this year – the number of responses increased 14.7%, with 67.8% of respondents sharing feedback on new caravans. Findings from the 2020 Tent Owner Satisfaction Survey reveal a high satisfaction score of 8.9 (based on a scale from 1-10), representing a high level of general satisfaction. The score is also consistent with scores from previous surveys. Sabina Voysey, The Camping and Caravanning Club Director General, said: “We’re thrilled to have hosted another successful awards evening and presented the latest set of results. “We continue to share reports on the surveys with manufacturers after the event – this means those responsible for the design and manufacture of new products can have access to real feedback from our members, and their customers, to improve and develop their offering. Ultimately this helps consumers shop smarter and buy better – and it’s of assistance to manufacturers too.” Sarah Wakely, Editor-in-Chief of Practical Caravan and Practical Motorhome at Future Publishing, said: “We’re delighted to team up with The Camping and Caravanning Club once again to deliver this important survey of caravan and motorhome owners – our brands are all about helping people get the most out of their passion for caravan or motorhome travel and to buy the best kit to help them do that. “This survey is an invaluable tool, both for readers keen to get insight from other owners, and for the industry to help them continue to deliver great caravans and motorhomes and the highest levels of service for their customers. Congratulations to all of the award winners; it’s great to see such high standards being met across the industry. “It’s testament to the strength of our brands and their position in the market that this year we received such a large number of responses, and we continue to develop the surveys and our presentation of it to best reflect the changing markets we operate in.” The full results from the surveys, and detailed analysis, will be published in the February issues of Camping & Caravanning and Practical Caravan and the April issue of Practical Motorhome. To view the full list of gold and silver award winners in this year’s awards visit: www.practicalcaravan.com, www.practicalmotorhome.com or www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/owner-satisfaction-awards. The full list of winners (categories and brands): Tent Owner Satisfaction Awards 2020 winners Best Budget Tents under £300: Hi-Gear Best Mainstream Tents £300-£999: Outwell Best Premium Tents over £1000: Karsten Best Backpacker Tents: Quechua Best Family Tents: Zempire and Hi-Gear (two winners) Best Traditional Pole Tents: Quechua Best Inflatable Tents: Karsten Folding Camper Owner Satisfaction Awards 2020 winners Best Folding Campers: Pennine and Opus (two winners) Awning Owner Satisfaction Awards 2020 winners Best Small Porch Awnings: Vango Best Full Awnings: Isabella Best Drive-Away Awnings: Vango Caravan Owner Satisfaction Awards 2020 winners Best Manufacturer New Caravans: Adria Best Manufacturer Pre-Owned Caravans: Coachman Best Supplying Dealer New Caravans: Winchester Caravans Best Supplying Dealer Pre-Owned Caravans: Peter Roberts Caravans and Motorhomes Best Caravan Manufacturer (UK New and Pre-Owned): Coachman Motorhome Owner Satisfaction Awards 2020 winners Best Van Converter (Direct Sales): Murvi Best Manufacturer New Motorhomes: Dethleffs Best Manufacturer Pre-Owned Motorhomes: Bürstner Best Supplying Dealer New Motorhomes: Todds Motorhomes Best Supplying Dealer Pre-Owned Motorhomes: Peter Roberts Caravans and Motorhomes Best Motorhome Manufacturer (UK New and Pre-Owned): Auto-Sleepers
Park or Land to Sell?
Do you have a park or land to sell? Park Home owner, Serenity Parks is enjoying success and is continuing to look to expand its portfolio by acquiring further parks in locations across the UK. Renowned for being a discerning residential park home provider, Serenity’s gated communities offer an exceptional quality of life in rural areas where significant investments have been made to enhance the standard of living for residents with great success. Marie Hanby marketing manager Serenity Parks commented; “We have a genuine desire to elevate the status of park home living as an ever-increasing number of people discover the benefits associated with this type of home. In order to support these communities we are keen to acquire existing parks so that we can continue our vision and business expansion. We are happy to consider purchasing caravan parks, whether they be residential, holiday or touring and are also interested in buying land.” Serenity Parks have adapted a very flexible business model; one where their expertise in land and homes of modular construction can help not only existing park owners but also land owners to deliver their desire to diversify, driving growth and revenue expansion. The acquisition and creation of more parks is focused across the entire country. Plans are in place to double the size of the portfolio year on year over the next three years to support the growing demand in this market. With a finders fee available, if you are looking to sell your park or land, please give the team a call on 0800 644 4499. Further information can be found at serenityparks.co.uk.
How to prevent Legionella in caravan parks across the UK
Legionella can be the bane of any business; especially caravan parks. Often festering in air conditioning and central heating systems, Legionella is the primary bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ Disease; a type of pneumonia. A source of relief is that Legionella isn’t incredibly common, though it never hurts to be prepared. For those conscious of the risk, most of your problems will come from a few specific spots within a caravan or a caravan park that should always be addressed and considered. As experts specialising in energy meters at caravan parks, Energy Controls has seen its fair share of potential spots for Legionella so staff there know just how to prevent Legionella. • Checking the boiler: The boiler should be one of the first spots you check for preventative measures. If guests haven’t used it for some time then drain and flush the system before use, whereas if you don’t anticipate use for a while then simply drain and flush the system until it’s needed. For those using a boiler frequently or at the time of a check, a vital step is to follow the pipes. Ensure that the temperature of the water going from the boiler, all the way to the taps, is generally 60°C. If it’s much lower than this, or comes out cold, you’ll need to deal with the boiler itself by contacting the supplier. • Descale & disinfect showerheads. The aerosol from showers could spread Legionella so the hose, insert and showerhead should be thoroughly cleaned, descaled and disinfected. Legionella can build up within just over a week or so, so if a shower hasn’t been used for this amount of time you should at least wash it out; first by letting it run hot water for a minute, then letting it run cold water for another minute. Removing limescale build-up from water cylinders and calorifiers Limescale can build up in any type of water cylinder or calorifier. The degree and speed of a build-up can vary greatly from place to place, what with different regions possessing different types and qualities of water, but either way this build-up can result in an inefficient water flow and weakened temperature capabilities. These both create a potential setting for Legionella to thrive, and so removing the limescale via chemical cleaning is essential; especially if the water cylinder or califorifier hasn’t been maintained for a while. There is also the bonus of an improved energy efficiency, reducing costs overall. Keeping pools and hot tubs clean: Those enjoying a luxurious stay at caravan parks with the likes of pools and hot tubs may also be concerned about the possibility of Legionella.Hot tubs are often between 30°C and 35°C; serving as the perfect environment for Legionella.The aerosol from the jets in these hot tubs are the areas of concern yet, much like the method of preventing Legionella in showers, the preventative measures in hot tubs include a sensible approach to cleaning and regular maintenance. Regular efforts to drain, disinfect and clean the hot tub should be taken, especially in public areas. A similar approach to cleaning and disinfecting pools is also an essential for preventing Legionella. However, thanks to the lower temperature and the fact that all pools should regularly feature chlorine, it’s unlikely that Legionella will be able to develop within this environment. So long as you keep these essential areas in mind you should have no problem keeping on top of Legionella and Legionnaires’ Disease, allowing guests to enjoy their holidays.
Luxury accommodation – it’s time to bring the bling!
When it comes to the holiday park industry, accommodation is king – if your customers aren’t happy and comfortable in their surroundings, then why would they return? Parks are constantly investing in the best and most advanced accommodation available, from luxury safari tents to huge party palaces – and here editor Victoria Galligan takes a look at what’s going to boost booking numbers in 2020… Over the past two decades, the glamping phenomenon has taken the UK holiday industry to a whole new level. With glampsites competing to offer the most luxurious places to stay – albeit in the middle of a field, as visitors still want to experience that back-to-nature vibe! –a knock-on effect has been seen across the whole holiday industry. While there will always be a demand for budget accommodation, research has shown that the public are willing to pay more for luxury accommodation – coupled with a greater choice in locations, flexible booking options and top-notch on-site facilities. Holidays taken close to home, often for just one or two nights, are becoming increasing popular and have been labelled “bubble breaks”. Earlier this year, the UK Camping and Caravanning Alliance report Pitching the Value identified “attracting younger generation through product offering e.g. glamping and quality accommodation” as one of the main opportunities which the holiday industry could capitalise on. It also stated that the lack of variety available in high-quality accommodation was currently one of the industry’s weaknesses. Capitalising on the “bubble break” is vital for businesses – Sykes Cottages has done its own research on the rise in luxury breaks, reporting: “We’ve seen the popularity of luxury holiday homes go through the roof as Britons look for affordable, but indulgent, holidays closer to home – which is why we offer more than 1,000 properties with hot tubs and swimming pools across the UK. “Britons are seeking opportunities to staycation in weird and wonderful properties across the UK. We’ve got over 400 converted barns, 950 properties situated on a farm, 21 shepherd’s huts, 30 converted chapels or churches, six yurts and even one converted water tank and one converted railway carriage.” And with both spending figures and domestic trip numbers up, the staycation is proving it’s here to stay. In the first half of the year, Visit Britain reported a rise in domestic trips – up to 56.4million from January to June, a rise of 2% on the same period last year. Creating a luxury destination Away Resorts is one business which is leading the way in providing top-class facilities. It has completed two major refurbishment projects so far this year, at woodland retreat Sandy Balls Holiday Village, in the New Forest, and lakeside retreat Tattershall Lakes Country Park. The operator said the £10 million refurbishment at luxury forest destination Sandy Balls marked “the introduction of the most luxurious holiday lodges ever seen at a UK holiday park”. The range of new accommodation there includes the Knightwood, named after the largest oak tree in the New Forest. Carl Castledine, CEO of Away Resorts, said: “For those who – because of this uncertainty and travel to Europe this year – are looking to stay in the UK, but are used to luxury, we wanted to create an accommodation choice for our New Forest Holiday Village that was beautifully indulgent, and that would rival the most luxurious accommodation in European holiday villages. “So, we came up with the Knightwood – named after the largest and arguably most famous, oak tree in the New Forest. “The exterior to the holiday home features a hot tub, which is yours and yours alone; a heated outdoor seating area, where the evening can carry on long after the sun has dipped; and a dog shower for the family’s furry friend who may have got a little muddy on their walk through the Forest. And don’t forget the bike racks. “The interior is inspired by its forest surroundings with all of the fixtures, fittings and furniture having a wood-like feel; effectively bringing the outside in.” Away Resorts teamed up with holiday home manufacturer Willerby to create the Knightwood. Willerby product manager Phil Parks said: “The Knightwood really takes design and layout to the next level, this offered us the perfect opportunity to be creative and showcase what the Willerby team can do. “It is projects like this that have helped make Willerby synonymous with innovative design, stylish interiors, and above all, exceptional quality standards.” Meanwhile, Tattershall Lakes has seen the completion of a £5.25 million project. A new skyline bar, splash zone, beach and luxury accommodation were added. Paying a premium for luxury accommodation Luxury lodges have stepped up a gear for 2020. No longer content with a mere wooden roof over their heads, glampers want bling – and are willing to pay the premium. I caught up with LTF Pods at the Innovation Diversification event in South Wales in September and was blown away by the standards inside the pods – fitted kitchens and wet rooms are included so guests can avoid the wash-block trips and have the convenience of cooking too. Sofa beds and folding bunks provide solid sleeping arrangements and the décor inside and out makes the pods feel more like tiny cottages. New luxury lodge brand Eco-Signature is raising the bar – by quite a distance! Founder Karen Sheflin says the idea to ramp up the style factor was a no-brainer: “When we saw that demand for luxury holiday homes and lodges has risen by 39% and properties with hot tubs earn 54% more than that (not to mention that those with open fires boosts revenue by a further 14%), it was evident that a niche in the market exists that has yet to be regulated and needs to be developed. “Our vast experience in the hospitality industry led us to develop something that is the first of its kind. A sustainable, eco-luxury lodge with integrated advanced technology that is commercially viable and has been designed with a modern
Energy Efficient, Spa Water Heating At -20 Degrees Celsius
National water leisure manufacturer and supplier Park Leisure Solutions Limited, announce yet another first for the industry with the launch of their revolutionary, energy efficient, Climacube Polar’ Spa, Swimspa and Hot Tub Water Heating System. As the name implies the new Climacube Polar has all the energy saving credentials of the award winning Climacube Water Heating System but is designed to operate even when the ambient air temperature reaches -20 degrees Celsius. Park Leisure Solutions Limited, Managing Director, Stuart Mulchay said, “The new Climacube Polar has been designed and developed as a direct response to enquiries from our Scandinavian customers. Even when temperatures fall below –5, -10 degrees or even less there is still plenty of appetite for customers to use their Spas, Swimspas and Hot Tubs for rest and relaxation. The introduction of the Climacube Polar will now further their enjoyment, with users, safe in the knowledge that our unique thermodynamic technology will heat water quicker, and use over 80% less energy to maintain water heat in their Spas, Swimspas and Hot Tubs than any conventional system, even when the outside temperature reaches -20 degrees below zero. Saving time, energy and reducing their carbon footprint” Backed by a worldwide patent the Climacube Polar Water Heat System can either be supplied from new or retro fitted to any contemporary Hot Tub, Spa or Swimspa with no additional power supply required. In test results against current conventional heating systems Climacube saved on average just under 60% less time to heat up a Hot Tub and a massive 85.7% reduction in energy cost, which is great news for both customers and the environment
