How is your caravanning summer season going? Though it might be a struggle keeping up with the seemingly relentless increase in petrol prices of late, the news headlines continue to shine a light on the more positive side of caravanning.
Let’s take a peek behind some of the latest UK caravan news headlines.
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Coachman keeps its 2023 models at 2022 season prices, until 21 August
The good news for anyone looking to buy a Coachman caravan this year is the company’s announcement – reported by Practical Caravan on the 24th of June – that the manufacturer’s latest models for 2023 can be bought at 2022 prices.
You’d better be quick, though, because that offer is scheduled to end on the 21st of August.
First out of the stable for Coachman’s new range of caravans is the upgraded and updated VIP 675 – a version of the company’s ever-popular VIP575. The Laser Xcel 855 is also new and features a front-end lounge and revised kitchen layout on the nearside.
Layouts for the Laser Xcel850, Laser 665, and the Acadia 545 are also given new treatments.
Newly refurbished Camping and Caravanning Club sites to reopen
After months of anticipation – not to mention the expenditure of an estimated £2.5 million – the Camping and Caravanning Club is now taking bookings for its completely refurbished and newly reopened campsites at Chertsey in Surrey and Bowness on Windermere in the Lake District National Park.
Announcing the long-awaited reopening, the Caravan Times on the 22nd of June noted that the Chertsey site is one of the oldest of the Club’s sites, having first opened in 1927 but now refurbished to a standard that makes the most of its enviable location on the banks of the Thames, just a stone’s throw from central London.
Bowness on Windermere remains the ideal place within the Lake District National Park as a base for all your explorations and adventure – and now with the added benefit of state-of-the-art facilities in a stunning location.
Adria UK’s current production status and vehicle supply update
Currently, under majority ownership by the French manufacturer Trigano, the company issued a notice on the 27th of June seeking to reassure customers about its efforts to maintain production in the face of supply chain difficulties and shortages.
Adria insists that it is doing everything within its powers to reduce delays in fulfilling sold orders – which it promises to give its highest priority. By maintaining close contact with both suppliers and franchised dealers, the company will strive to meet scheduled delivery dates but will inform customers as soon as possible if these need to change.
New trailer training scheme announced
If you feel you could do with a little help and practical instruction for towing your caravan – or indeed any kind of trailer – the revamped training course run by the Camping and Caravanning Club could be for you.
Announcing the new National Trailer Training Accreditation Scheme on the 23rd of June, the Club pointed out that it could prove especially timely for owners of heavier caravans and the more powerful cars they drive. Since changes to the licensing rules in December 2021, drivers who passed their test after the 1st of January 1997 no longer have to take the B+E test for towing a trailer of up to 3,500 kg.
Nevertheless, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) recommends that anyone new to towing a caravan or trailer is best advised to seek a professionally recognised driving instructor.
Eriba produces 100th Touring 820 caravan
The 100th model of the iconic Touring 820 caravan has rolled off the production line to great fanfare, reported Out and About Live on the 24th of June.
The classic caravan is hand-built at Eriba’s factory in Bad Waldsee, near Ravensburg, in Germany, ensuring that every model is unique – though the 100th model to emerge from the factory will probably wear the laurels for some time to come.
The Touring 820 has an impeccable pedigree – based on the company’s original Troll design, the caravan has remained in uninterrupted production for the past 65 years.