Caravan Cruise

Maiden Voyage: Setting out in the Ford Transit Dethleff Fortero

www.caravancruise.ie

IRELAND’S NEW MOBILE LEISURE & HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

INSIDE:

Volume 2. Number 1. Spring 2011

• FOCUS ON FERRIES • CLUB SCENE • SHOW REVIEWS • MOBILE DINER • ADVICE

• READING MATTERS • AWARDS • ATTRACTIONS • LAUNCH PAD • DIRECTORY OF SERVICES

€4.00 inc.V.A.T.

STG £3.20

Shows & Exhibitions 2011 • Win Family Tickets to Fota Wildlife Park

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Contents Spring 2011

42 Preview Boat & Caravan Show – NEC Birmingham

4 Editorial Welcome from Jarlath Sweeney, Managing Editor

P8

44 Campervanning 1 First outing in a Ford Transit Dethleff

6 News • Caravanning is eco-friendly! • Cara Motorhomes UK sets-up • AA Caravan & Camping Guide 2011 • Frankia franchise for Pat Horan Motors • Events Diary 2011 • Westfalia Columbus concept • Renault gets serious about the business • Head to Letterkenny for Donaghey’s Open Weekend

46 Campervanning 2 Trailing the Hymer EXSIS-i 562 48 Sleepovers Suggested stays 49 Awards 1 Presentations to winners of the annual Irish Caravan & Camping Council Awards

10 Club Scene Feature on the Irish Camping & Caravan Club

50 Mobile Homing Feel that freedom!

12 Review 1 Holiday World Show – Belfast – King’s Hall

52 Launch Pad 1 Introducing the Bentley brand into Ireland

16 Feature Thompson Leisure

P 48

P 66

www.caravancruise.ie

17 Mobile Diner Salad times are ahead!

54 Attractions These destinations are a must when on tour this season

23 Review 2 Holiday World Show – Dublin – RDS Simmonscourt

58 Waterways 1 Developments by Waterways Ireland

28 Advice 1 How to generate and store power

60 Waterways 2 Interview with Sarah Singleton, Emerald Star/ Le Boat

30 Advice 2 Buying Used

62 Awards 2 Caravan Club’s Top Tow Car Award Winners

31 Advice 3 Taking care of your vehicle

64 Launch Pad 2 On board the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo in Hamburg

Caravan Cruise Ireland, Fleet Publications, D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, Ireland.

Tel: +353 (0)94 9372826/ 9372827 Fax: +353 (0)94 9373571 Email: info@caravancruise.ie

32 Reading Matters Little Book of Camper Vans & Roads with a View

Managing Editor: Jarlath Sweeney - jarlath@fleet.ie

40 EU Escapade On tour in France and Spain

66 Launch Pad 3 New products from Bailey, EzyBoat and Aertec

34 Sea Crossings All aboard this focus on Ferries

70 Open View Comment & Opinion

Editor: Cathal Doyle - cathal@fleet.ie Contributors: Cathal Doyle, Marita McGeady, Martina Cribben, Gerry Murphy, John Stanley, Rob Van Dieten, Howard Knott, Bryan O'Donnell, Kieran Downey Photography: Jarlath Sweeney, Cathal Doyle, Newspress, Gerry Murphy, Bryan O'Donnell, Tracy Cripps, Niamh Darcy Administration: Orla Sweeney, Denise Vahey, Helen Maguire.

Advertising: Gerry Lane, Orla Sweeney info@caravancruise.ie Design: Eamon Wynne Caravan Cruise Ireland is published by JJDS Publications Ltd. Registered Office: D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo.

Co. Reg. 368767 Directors: Jarlath Sweeney, Sean Murtagh.

CHECK THE LATEST FROM THE MOBILE LEISURE AND HOLIDAY SECTOR ON WWW.CARAVANCRUISE.IE

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Rates: Ireland €6 (includes post/packaging) UK/EU €8 (includes post/packaging) US/Asia €12 (includes post/packaging) Send completed form to Caravan Cruise Ireland, c/o Fleet Publications, D’Alton Street, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, Ireland. Fax: +353 94 9373571 CCI03.11 Disclaimer: Caravan Cruise Ireland management can accept no responsibility for the accuracy of contributed articles or statements appearing in this magazine and any views or opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Caravan Cruise Ireland management, save where otherwise indicated. No responsibility for loss or distress occasioned to any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the authors, contributors, Editors or publishers.

The Editorial team reserves the right to make publishing decisions on any advertisements or editorial article submitted to the magazine and to refuse publication or to edit any editorial material as seems appropriate to him. Professional legal advice should always be sought in relation to any specific matter.

CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

3

Editorial

Fáilte!

A

s we prepare for the new season, I hope your caravan or campervan/motorhome overcame the harsh weather during its hibernation. Let’s hope too that the Caravan Parks continue to generate increased levels of business as per last year. In reply to a survey conducted by Tourism Ireland on how to attract more UK based holidaymakers to these shores we suggested to tap into the many Caravan Clubs that enjoy growing membership numbers year-on-year. So much so, that the Parks across the UK are finding it difficult to facilitate them and long waiting lists and times ensue. “Get the ferry companies and service providers to offer better and more flexible rates,” we say.

There are tens of thousands of campervan and caravan owners waiting to be enticed over here, so get on the case now!

An air of discontent is felt all around the dealer sector of the industry following the Government’s implementation of the 13.3% Vehicle Registration Tax across the full weight band of motorhomes or campervans. Sales will drop to practically nothing during 2011, which in turn neutralises any chances of the Government coffers gaining any income from this ill-thought move. A simple suggestion would be to increase the Motor Tax from €80 to let’s say €200 which would return

4 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

something in the region of €1.5 million among the 12,000 registered motorhome owners in this country (2009 figures). Few if any current owners would disagree with this additional annual charge, compared to the average €10,000 slapped onto the price of a new vehicle and pro-rata on the cost of a used camper. It’s not too late to lobby for a retraction of this punitive tax, as the extra charge will keep newcomers away.

Mentioning ferries earlier on, as many of you may venture across the seas this summer, we feature the main providers and services rendered in this edition. In addition, we like to once again provide you with a broad insight into the sector with a mix of colour, stories and advice.

Before I let you delve into this edition, sincere thanks to the many letter writers who took the time to compliment our issues published to date. It makes all the work in putting it together very worthwhile. Again, if you have any suggestions on making it better, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you and happy, safe motoring during 2011.

Yours sincerely Jarlath Sweeney – jarlath@fleet.ie, Managing Editor Caravan Cruise Ireland www.caravancruise.ie

Kilbeggan Distillery Experience Email: info@lockesdistillerymuseum.ie www.lockesdistillerymuseum.ie The Kilbeggan Distillery is the oldest distillery in the world dating back to 1757 and the home of Kilbeggan Irish whiskey. The Kilbeggan Distillery Experience offers a unique opportunity to see a fully operational traditional Irish pot still whiskey distillery, while enjoying a historical tour of the old distillery which includes the waterwheel and original distilling machinery. The old distillery has been maintained as a museum just as it was during John Lockes ownership in the 19th century. With guided tours or the opportunity to explore at your own leisure, each tour ends with a complimentary sample of the award winning Kilbeggan Irish whiskey. Open year around and weekends with a whiskey bar, gift shop, free car and coach parking and restaurant. A visit to Kilbeggan Distillery is a unique experience not to be missed!

Group rates available. For more information, please contact us directly.

News 1 Caravanning is an 'Especially Environmentally Friendly Holiday'

C

aravanning is an especially environmentally friendly holiday according to a study conducted by the Öko Institute in Freiburg, Germany that analysed the climatic effects of caravan trips. Greenhouse gas emissions from Recreational Vehicle (RV) trips were calculated and compared with other forms of travel such as automobile and airline travel with overnight stays at a hotel.

The results showed that caravanning is one of the most environmentally friendly holiday possibilities. On average, RV trips generate approximately one third fewer greenhouse gas emissions than any other

method of travel. Even considering the fact that caravanners travel more per year than other holidaymakers, they generate one sixth fewer travel-induced emissions than the others.

Caravanning holidays on cer tif ied eco - camping campsites are especially environmentally friendly.

The Ecocamping Association has taken up the cause of environmental protection and nature preservation, safety and quality management at campsites, and consults and certifies campsites wishing to implement a quality management system. To date 224 European campsites have been awarded the Ecocamping Environmental Management Certificate.

Cara Motorhomes establish UK outlet

C

ara Motorhomes, which celebrates over 22 years in business, has opened its first UK centre at Grove Road, Fenton, Staffordshire, Stoke-onTrent, ST44 LN. Cara Motorhomes UK will now offer the British motorhome enthusiast the same excellent level of service that is currently enjoyed by its customers at its Rathkeale, County Limerick headquarters.

quality motorhomes plus a full range of services including bodywork repairs, leakage repairs, towbar fitting, A frames, Scooter frames, in fact whatever you need fitted we can do it. All work guaranteed and fitted to the highest quality,” explains John Lenihan, Managing Director, Cara Motorhomes.

Cara Motorhomes UK can be contacted by email: info@caramotorhomes.co.uk or by telephone: 00441782598887.

“At our new premises we offer a onestop-shop for all motorhome needs, for example supply of new and pre-owned

AA Caravan and Camping Britain & Ireland Guide 2011

T

he AA has just launched the AA Caravan and Camping Britain and Ireland Guide for 2011.

The Guide features over 900 annually inspected and rated sites giving details of location, AA Pennant rating,* contact details, prices, opening times and a description as well as local information.

David Hancock, Editor of the Guide, commented, “The Guide has broadened its appeal as a guidebook, listing local attractions under each location, nearby pubs and restaurants under each site entry, new ‘Best For’ lists to help campers find the best waterside pitches, for example, as well as colourful introductions to key destination counties, detailed and more informative features, and a section containing 20 Walks and Cycle rides. It is so much more than just a directory of camping parks.”

The Guide also carries a selection of interesting and informative features on subjects ranging from Cool Cornish Camping to a Beginners Guide to Caravanning.

The AA has also launched a new AA Camping Card Scheme for 2011. With the AA Camping Card, users will qualify for reduced rates at participating sites.

Card holders will simply need to state that they are using an AA Camping Card when they phone to book a site and show the card on arrival. The types of discounts vary from site to site, details of which will be given when contacting the site. An AA Camping Card is included in every AA Caravan and Camping Britain and Ireland Guide 2011.

The AA Caravan and Camping Britain and Ireland Guide 2011 is available from theAA.com/shop for £9.99.

6 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

* The AA’s Pennant ratings Caravan parks and campsites are inspected and rated using a one to five Pennant rating. This is an assessment of various factors including customer care and hospitality, toilet facilities and park landscaping, based on the inspector’s experienced opinion. The percentage score runs from 50% to 100%, and indicates the relative quality of parks with the same number of pennants. The Pennant ratings increase with the quality and variety of facilities a park offers. The top level is classified as a Five Pennant Premier Park, with a merit score.

News 2 Pat Horan Motors adds Frankia franchise

F

ollowing its appointment as agent for Elddis Autoquest, Pat Horan Motorhomes has now added the Frankia franchise to its growing portfolio. Headquartered at Martschorgast in South East Germany, Frankia is a fully owned subsidiary of the French Pilote Group. All Frankia Motorhomes are produced with its renowned double floor concept for the past 15 years, which makes them better winter proofed than others.

“Pat Horan Motors is our newly appointed official Importer and Dealer in Ireland

develpoment of Frankia Motorhomes in Ireland,” said Nils Wagner, spokesman for Frankia, who attended the Holiday World Show in Dublin.

From its newly designed website – www. pathoranmotorhomes.com Pat Horan’s has new Frankia models in stock such as the A-Class I680 BD 4-berth based on the Fiat Ducato chassis. Why not call to their sales centre at Aglish, Borrisokane, County Tipperary and see this innovative new brand that has just entered the Irish market.

for Frankia Motorhomes. Through the location of Pat Horan Motors in the heart of the Country we look forward to the

Dairy Dates - Shows & Exhibitions 2011 DATES

SHOW

WHERE

WEBSITE

11-13 February

South West Caravan & Motorhome Show

Westpoint, Exeter

www.westpointarena.com

22-27 February

National Boat Caravan & Outdoor Show

NEC, Birmingham

www.boatandcaravan.co.uk

25-27 February

Outdoor Leisure Show

NEC, Birmingham

www.outdoorleisureshow.com

23-27 February

Reise Camping, Essen

Essen Trade Fair Grounds, Germany

www.reise-camping.de

23-27 February

Caravaning & Mobile Freizeit

New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Germany

www.mobilefreizeit.de

4-6 March

Wales Caravan & Motorhome Show

Chepstow Racecourse

www.appletree-exhibitions.co.uk

18-20 March

The Caravan & Motorhome Show

Epsom Racecourse

Cancelled

26-27 March

UK Motorhome & Caravan Fair

Newark Showground

www.ukspringfair.co.uk

8-10 April

South Coast Caravan & Motorhome Show

Broadlands, Romsey

www.appletree-exhibitions.co.uk

14-17 April

The National Motorhome Show

The East of England Showground, Peterborough

www.nationalmotorhomeshow.co.uk

29 April – 1 May

Vantastival

Dunany Estate, County Louth

www.vantastival.com

29 April – 8 May

Liverpool Boat Show

Main Marina in Albert Dock

www.liverpoolboatshow.com

2-3 July

UK Motorhome & Caravan Summer Fair

Shropshire & West Midlands Showground, Shrewsbury

www.uksummerfair.co.uk

19-21 August

Western Motorhome Show

Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire

www.outandaboutlive.co.uk

26 Aug – 4 September

Caravan Salon Dusseldorf

Dusseldorf Exhibition Centre, Germany

www.caravan-salon.de

3-4 September

UK Motorhome & Caravan Autumn Fair

Newark Showgrounds

www.ukautumnfair.co.uk

11-16 October

NCC Motorhome & Caravan Show

NEC Birmingham

www.motorhomeandcaravanshow.co.uk

CHECK THE LATEST FROM THE

MOBILE LEISURE AND HOLIDAY SECTOR ON WWW.CARAVANCRUISE.IE www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

7

News 3 Westfalia on a Columbus Expedition

F

resh from its takeover by French coachbuilder Rapido, Westfalia, the German conversion specialists has created the Columbus concept based on the Fiat Ducato panel van. Its clever engineering includes an ‘integral rear bed’, which means one can take a break without having to move furniture or even make up the bed!

The new sliding carriage system easily enables the back bed to turn into a luggage compartment even for large items such as golf clubs, bicycles, buggies etc.

Thanks to a combination of plastic with feather bridges and cold foam mattresses, a good nights sleep is guaranteed.

Another ‘cool’ idea is the cool-box that has access from inside and out to enhance the

Renault to Master motorhome market offensive!

A

s mentioned in the inaugural edition of Caravan Cruise Ireland, Renault announced its plans to re-enter the lucrative campervan and motorhome sector with the all-new Master van. At the Salon des Véhicules de Loisirs at Le Bourget, near Paris, the first Renault Master Motorhome conversion was presented. Developed entirely in France and manufactured at Renault’s SOVAB plant in Batilly, the motorhome versions of the New Master “profit from the strength of the basic van, including its expressive exterior styling and high standard of quality and safety, as well as running cost savings of almost 40% and a saloon car-feel cab,” says Renault Communications Aurélie Jegou. “Indeed,” she added, “the motorhome versions come with a variety of enhancements with several features specifically suited to the needs of motorhome users, such as swivel seats, a retractable hand-brake, an FM aerial incorporated in the door mirrors and specific motorhome tyres.”

BBQ events. A warm water heater with serial floor heating is also included.

Donaghey’s plan another Open Weekend

D

ue to the phenomenal success of its inaugural Gala Open Weekend last year, Donaghey Motorhomes is looking to emulate this great event again! So Ireland’s largest stockist of new and used motorhomes will once again open its gates to the campervan enthusiast on 15, 16 & 17 April 2011. “All are welcome,” said Michael Donaghey, Managing Director, Donaghey Motorhomes. “It’s one way to give something back to our customers,” he added. Entertainment and refreshments will be provided throughout the weekend and there is plenty of room to park up your campervan at its site at Drumnahoe, Letterkenny.

The New Master motorhome range is available in a choice of four different wheelbases, as well as with raised rear suspension, rear dampers positioned under the floor, an optional wider rear track, a pre-cut roof, type-approved seatbelt anchor points and a complete electrical prewiring package.

Throughout the design of New Master, Renault was in permanent contact with specialist leisure vehicle builders to ensure that its new chassis fully met their needs. As a consequence, a long list of suggested features have been built into Master’s specification to make motorhome conversions as straightforward and inexpensive as possible, while also permitting a very high standard of quality to be built into the finished bodied product.

Donaghey’s has recently been appointed distributor for Omnistar/Thule and has set up a new on-line parts shop at www.partsformotorhomes.com. “If you need accessories or parts don’t hesitate to talk to us,” stated Michael. “We also supply and fit satellites, air-con units, reversing cameras – anything that can go on a motorhome, we do it,” he added.

Further details on Donaghey’s Gala Open Weekend check out www.irishmotorhomes.com.

8 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Ballyness Caravan Park Located on the North Coast just 2 miles from the Giant’s Causeway ½ mile from Old Bushmills Distillery, Ballyness is ideally situated for your family holidays.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Fully serviced hard stand pitches Accessories Shop Modern spotless amenity building Centrally heated building Children’s playpark Family Room with bath Disabled shower room Wifi & Internet Access Wildlife area & ponds Close to shops and restaurants Library & Board games

40 Castlecatt Road, Bushmills, Co Antrim, BT57 8TN

Tel: 028 2073 2393 info@ballynesscaravanpark.com www.ballynesscaravanpark.com

WALLACE MOBILE HOMES

With over 30 years of expertise we’re one of the main providers of new and used mobile homes in Ireland.

As a premier dealer of quality new and used mobile homes in the South East of Ireland we can offer a selection of makes, models, and sizes, so you are bound to find one to suit your taste and budget.

Make sure you check out our special offers, and the other services we provide.

Whether you wish to put your mobile home on a Holiday Park or use it as extra accommodation, offices, storage or while you build a new house, we will give you every assistance in choosing the right mobile home to meet your requirements.

Our showground is located in Duncannon in sunny Wexford, but we deliver throughout Ireland, and distance is not a problem!

For more information please contact us.

Wallace Mobile Homes Duncannon, County Wexford.

Tel: 051 389707 / 389193 www.wallacemobilehomes.com

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm Saturday 10.00am - 5.00pm Sunday 12.00pm - 4.00pm

Club Scene

C

amping and caravanning is so reminiscent of Ireland from an earlier era, a time when everybody was so much more relaxed. This form of holiday-making paints a pretty picture. The hustle and bustle of the city noise has disappeared with only the birds singing in the background.

The gentle waves of the sea breaking the shore and the smell of the salty air entises one to take time out, sit down, relax and enjoy what Ireland really has to offer. Coupled with the current economic climate, attitudes are now changing when it comes to holidaying abroad. More and more people are considering holidaying in Ireland and why not? It’s actually more fun to stay at home and pitch a tent or take out a caravan/motorhome. The craic is mighty and the destinations are endless.

This is what the Irish Camping & Caravan Club (ICCC) has been saying for the past 40 years since its inception in 1971 with the promotion of this often overlooked aspect within the home tourism sector.

So whether you are a seasoned camper or newcomers, why not let the Irish Camping & Caravan Club help you make the most of your experience with money saving member benefits and activities in a 'Fun for All the Family' environment.

The Irish Camping & Caravan Club is a non-

profit making voluntary family orientated organisation that caters for not only the 32 counties of Ireland but also has members from the UK who join us on tour each year for the Summer months. To cater for the increase in membership, which is now in excess of 400 plus families, the Club has set up local Branches around the country to cater for their membership profile, which is currently based around the four major catchment areas for the cities of Dublin, Limerick, Cork and Galway. Increasingly, the Club is gaining membership in Northern Ireland and will cater equally for those needs also. As well as covering all parts of the country, the club has a full cross sectional profile of people from couples to families covering all ages, young and old alike.

The ICCC affords families the chance to camp and caravan at a very reasonable cost while at the same time enjoy a wide range of organised activities. Sites are booked in advance at group rates and discounts passed onto members. Since joining the Club, members have met some wonderful like-minded people and formed many close friendships. Meets are planned every weekend from St. Valentines (14 February) to the October Bank Holiday and are geographically dispersed across the 32 Counties, thereby providing the opportunity to see many parts of Ireland that we would

10 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

not otherwise have contemplated visiting.

It gives security in the knowledge that children are in a controlled environment where they learn to interact and play with others of the same age on site. The emphasis on family orientated activities from group Bar-B-Q’s to social music to light sports for all, to walks to places of interest and other events are what makes the Club so appealing and so strong. The coming together of people of varying interests at these Rallies makes each gathering unique and there is no pressure of feeling to have to get involved if one does not want to.

Club Rallies are organised each and every weekend in a healthy mix of commercial Caravan Parks and green field sites. Every member of the Club is welcome to any meet in any part of the Country where a Club Rally is held. The Club is so strong now that it also holds non-official meets out of season which includes walks, cycles, Christmas parties etc. On a couple of occasions throughout the year, all Branches will meet for National/All-Ireland events. One such event is the upcoming National Rally over the June Bank Holiday, which coincides in celebrating the Clubs 40th anniversary and will take place in the central location of Tullamore, County Offaly. This event is one of the best attended on the Club calendar and promises once again to be memorable.

Club Scene

This gives great opportunity for members to liaise with other like-minded people from other parts of the country, which might not have seen each other for a while.

The Irish Camping & Caravan Club has a website (with a members only area), twitter/ facebook pages, forum etc. and produces a magazine booklet, which is issued to Club members 4 times per year free of charge.

Members are kept up-to-date with the goings on with reports on past meets along with information on up coming meets, useful tips, offers etc. Members have gained from the support of like-minded associates when it comes to learning from their actual experiences, let it be a destination they were in/at, to problems they may have experienced with their caravan/campervan.

Club members are in a position to avail of the many discounts that the advertisers with the Club Magazine have to offer from time to time which include discounts on travel, insurance, accessories, repairs and activities etc. The Club also has its own Member’s-only full-facility site in the beautiful Drumgoff, Glenmalure, County Wicklow. From here one can enjoy the fantastic scenery and walks in the area. The very popular Glenmalure Lodge Hotel is within a short walk of the site. The Club is planning to add additional Member’s-only sites in the future around the Country.

The ICCC is affiliated to the Federation of International Camping & Caravanning (FICC), which is a worldwide organisation that concentrates solely on defending interests of camping and caravanning. The FICC was originally established in 1933 for the mutual benefit of a number of European Camping Clubs. Today it represents 58 Member Clubs and Federations in 34 different countries on four Continents.

One of its main calendar events is the staging of an International camping and

caravanning meet in a different Country every year. This has given ICCC brethren the opportunity to travel abroad with other club Members and meet like-minded campers from other Countries. The Irish Camping & Caravan Club has hosted this International rally on three occasions (1988, 1997 & 2007). All one has to do is mention the words Millstreet, County Cork to any camper and they will fondly reflect on the good time held by all at the event last year hosted by the Club in 2007. Last year the FICC International Rally was held in Croatia and this year it will be hosted by the Czech Republic organisation. Many Irish Camping & Caravan Club members attend these Rallies and avail of the offers provided through Membership. There is also a dedicated Youth Rally every year, which is really growing in popularity and the main objective of an FICC Youth Rally is to further friendship among the next generation of young campers from all around the World.

This multi-cultural and sporting camping event meets this objective. For 2011 the ICCC has a number of its younger members attending in Helsinki, Finland over the Easter weekend. The Club also issues the useful ‘Camping Carnet’ to those heading abroad.

People often ask as to how one can cope with being cooped up in a caravan for days on end with children etc. The rat race of society has sometimes not helped the family environment and it is actually these types of holidays that bring families closer in bringing out imagination in people to do simple life embracing things together. For those contemplating the experience, one does

not have to spend a fortune. A middle of the road tent, caravan or motorhome is fairly well within most people’s budget. Caravans and motorhomes have become luxurious and are fully equipped with electricity, toilets, running hot and cold water etc. Most units now come with awnings etc., which are very easy to erect. The standard of Caravan Parks across Ireland have improved greatly in recent years and the levels of stay and welcome is very promising.

So don’t worry about those exotic destinations that you won’t make this year or next, take an effort to get out with the Irish Camping & Caravan Club. New and existing members are welcome to join at any time and enhance their enjoyment of camping and caravanning at the many locations that are visited throughout the year. It’s more affordable and more fun to stay and holiday at home in this way. For more information on the Irish Camping & Caravan Club, please log onto its website www.iccc.ie. There, you will also find a number of means of contact and also a mobile number so if you need to speak with someone about any particular interest or query etc. please feel free to do so.

Other useful links: www.iccc.ie, www. camping-ireland.ie, www.twitter.com/ICCC, www.ficc.org, www.facebook.com/home and www.ficcyouth.com.

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2010

11

Review 1

Holiday World Show 2011, KING’S HALL – Belfast – 21/23 JANUARY

W

hether you have itchy feet or prefer your ‘stay-cation’ close to home, the Holiday World Belfast had the destinations, choice of accommodation and travel options you needed for your 2011 travel planning with the benefit of expert advice and support. Edmund Hourican on behalf of the organizers said, “The collapse during 2010 of some high profile names in travel and issues such as flight delays because of the volcanic ash cloud have made people rather

more cautious about their travel choices.

Increasingly people want the reassurance of dealing with travel professionals – and that is what Holiday World delivered.”

Holiday World Belfast consisted of three great shows in one, running across Friday 21, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 January at the King’s Hall in Belfast. The Caravan & Motorhome Show showcased best-sellers as well as unveiling some new models to an audience which remains hugely enthusiastic about this style of holiday.

Edmund Hourican again, “This is another holiday arena which is growing even in recession, not least because people see that investing in a caravan or motorhome can provide many years of holidays for them and, often, for their extended families as well.”

Caravan Cruise Ireland’s Cathal Doyle and Gerry Lane attended and filed this report.

Abbey Caravans & Leisure Ltd

Camac Valley Caravan & Camping Park

Abbey Caravans of Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim offer a wide selection of new and used caravans, motorhomes and accessories.

Highlights at the show included new 6 berth Adria Caravans and CI Motorhomes above 3.5 tonnes. Representing the family business were Gareth, Jim and Yvonne Duke. www.abbey-caravans.com

Located just off the M7, Camac Valley is ideally located for easy access to Dublin. Representing the Park in Belfast was Brian Begley. www.camacvalley.com

Camping Ireland

Cookstown Caravans

Distributing the 2011 Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Guide on behalf of Camping Ireland was Samuel Harper. The Guide covers all the major touring and holiday home parks on the Island of Ireland. www.campingireland.ie

Agents for a number of brands including Sterling, Sprite, Swift and Lunar, on display were as well as updated Sterlings and Lunar Clubman models. Pictured are Stephen Pickering and Malcolm Sempey. www.cookstowncaravans.com

12 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Review 1

Cyril Johnston

Downshire Caravans

Showing off the new Bentley Motorhome range were Ian Ellis of Cyril Johnston Leisure, Richard Bentley of Bentley Motorhomes, Show visitors Wilfred and Peggy Evans from Richhill, Co. Armagh and Robert Cuppels of Cyril Johnston Leisure. The company also is agent in Ireland for Chausson Motorhomes. www.cyriljohnston. co.uk/motorhomes

As one of Ireland’s largest suppliers of caravans and outdoor equipment, Downshire Caravans from Banbridge Co. Down had a large stand at the Belfast Show, including a selection of the latest Elddis Caravans. www.downshirecaravans.com

Elecsol / Leisure Batteries Ltd

Hagans Motorhomes

Philip Gordon of Leisure Batteries Ltd is the Irish agent for the Elecsol Deep Cycle Leisure Battery range which are capable of up to 1000 cycles - three times more than standard batteries.

For more details see www.leisurebatteriesireland.com.

Hagans Motorhomes from Ballyclare, Co. Antrim are one of the leading providers of motorhomes for sale and rental in Ireland and the UK with brands such Auto-Trail, Auto-Cruise, Swift and Elddis on offer. Samuel Hagan and Andy McFarland were at the show. www.hagansmotorhomes.com

Knock Caravan & Camping Park Brenda Cleary and Pat Lavelle of Knock Caravan & Camping Park are familiar faces at the Belfast Holiday World Show having been coming for over thirty years to promote Knock Shrine and Knock Caravan & Camping Park. www.knock-shrine.ie/ caravan-camping-park

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

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Review 1

Irish Camping and Caravan Club

Leisure Technical Solutions

The ICCC was attending the Belfast Holiday World Show for the first time. On stand were Kieran Downey from Dublin, Johnny Bulger from Meath and Willie Joe O’Regan from Leeside. See elsewhere in this magazine for a feature on the ICCC. www.iccc.ie

As a leading installer and service centre, and agent for a large number of products and systems, Leisure Technical Solutions is the place to go for whatever you need for your camper or caravan. Among the products on display at the show were satellite systems from Oyster. Simon Burke demonstrates. www. leisuretechnicalsolutions.co.uk

LPC

Mad About Leisure

William Shaw of Bangor, Co. Down based LPC Caravans was busy at the show demonstrating the company’s broad selection of new and used caravans, with Sterling, Lunar and Sprite among the brands available. www.lpccaravanandcamping.co.uk

www.madaboutleisure.com is an online shop specializing in leisure products. Oliver Roebuck and Aisling Pickering were on duty at the Belfast show.

Mobile Caravan Engineers Association If you need your caravan or motorhome serviced, then the Mobile Caravan Engineers Association is the people to call.

Working within a ‘Quality Standard Approved Scheme', they will even come to you to carry out the work. Representing the association at the Belfast Holiday World Show were Billy West of West Caravan Services, Cyril Jackson of CIS – Caravan Servicing and Inspection and Nigel McFarlane of Mobile Caravan Services. www.mobilecaravanengineers.co.uk/

14 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Review 1

McWilliam Park Hotel Claremorris

Morriscastle Strand Holiday Park

Located in the heart of Connaught, the McWilliam Park Hotel Claremorris is an ideal location for exploring the West and Midlands of Ireland. General Manager Fergal Ryan and Marketing Manager David Glynn were on hand to meet and greet visitors to the stand. www.mcwilliampark.ie

Located on the beautiful 20km long Morriscastle Strand beach, Morriscastle Strand Holiday Park is an idea location for a family holiday. Niamh Darcy was on hand to promote the Co. Wexford location. www.morriscastlestrand.com

Saville Motorhomes River Valley & Hidden Valley Extolling the virtues of two beautiful camping sites in Co. Wicklow, River Valley Holiday Park and Hidden Valley Holiday Park were Leigh and Ashley Williams. www.rivervalleypark.com & www.irelandholidaypark.com.

Tepee Valley Campsite Fancy a camping experience with a difference? Tepee Valley Campsite located outside Markethill, County Armagh offers customers the opportunity to stay in a traditional Native American Tepee. Alternatively there is the option of staying in a old-style Gypsy Caravan. Linda Gilmore of Tepee Valley shows off the interior of a specially constructed Tepee at the Belfast Show.

Saville Motorhomes from Hillsborough, Co. Down are dealers and agents for a large selection of motorhomes including Swift, Bessacarr, Auto-Trail, Auto-Sleeper, Tribute and Sunlight.

Pictured are Greg Wilson of Saville Motorhomes, Lee Thornton of Auto-Trail and Richard Morgan of Saville Motorhomes. www. savillemotorhomes.com

Westport House With a host of new offerings for 2011 including a new Adventure Activity Centre and special guided tours of the historical house, there are lots to see and do at Westport House Caravan & Camping Park this year. Selling the attractions to the Belfast public were Biddy Hughes, Margaret Sweeney, Nora Herity and Mary McNeela. www.westporthouse.ie

Text & Photos: Cathal Doyle - cathal@fleet.ie & Gerry Lane - glane@fleet.ie

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

15

Thompson Leisure The Place for Premier Quality New and Used Motorhomes

I

f you are looking for a quality motorhome, a visit to Thompson Leisure is likely to meet your requirements. Based in Dromore, County Down, the company has a huge selection of vehicles available from a variety of manufacturers. Whether you want to buy new or used, the chances are Thompson Leisure has a motorhome to suit.

Derek Tinsley, Thompson Leisure

Feature

Founder Sam Thompson has over twenty years experience in the motor industry while Thompson Leisure has been supplying motor-homes to the Irish recreational vehicle sector since 2004. As agents for long established and reputable brands as Rapido, Burstner and Hobby, whether you want a simple starter motorhome or a fully loaded state-of-the-art recreational vehicle, Thompson Leisure will have a vehicle to meet your needs.

where Home is it! you take

It’s not just new motorhomes either; Thompson Leisure has an extensive range of quality used vehicles on offer. And for customers wishing to perhaps try out a motorhome for the first time, or require one for a specific occasion, Thompson Leisure offers a competitive rental service from as little as £75 per day.

Additionally the company can supply and fit any accessories customers may require, from satellite systems, alarms and immobilizers, to reversing cameras and sensors, awnings and bike racks, as well as a whole lot more in between.

Thompson Leisure vehicles are offered with a comprehensive warranty and repair service, and can provide an annual habitation check or full service as required.

IRELAND’S

PREMIER MOTORHOME DEALER NEW & USED MOTORHOMES PART EXCHANGE WELCOMED

SALES & RENTAL

ACCESSORIES • PARTS • SERVICE • REPAIRS DISTRIBUTORS FOR

FINANCE AVAILABLE - (WRITTEN DETAILS ON REQUEST)

ce centre New servi at now open Dromore , e n a L s s Mo

18 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Derek Tinsley - Tel: 077 3618 3536 028 9269 3999 WEB: www.thompsonleisure.com EMAIL: info@thompsonleisure.com 21 ROWANTREE ROAD DROMORE CO DOWN BT25 1NN

Mobile Diner

SMART Salads

A

salad a day is not only SMART COOKING for the caravan, campsite or cruiser but a fresh salad is smart and healthy eating too. Research now tells us that fresh fruit and vegetables make a huge contribution to good health. No matter what the season or where we happen to be we should aim to have the recommended ‘five a day’ fresh fruit and vegetables. Enjoy the preparation time sitting outside in the fresh air with your sharp knife and chopping board.

Salads provide variety of texture and colour to a meal and make a welcome contribution to the menu, especially in the summer months when a wide range of fruit and vegetables are available in their prime and at reasonable prices. Apparently eating a ‘rainbow’ on a plate is what we should be aiming at every day and the brighter the colours the better. Each colour has trace elements that contribute in no small way to our well being. Use red, yellow and orange peppers, tomato, carrot, pineapple, cooked beetroot and red onion.

Fruit and vegetables are packed full of natural enzymes and contain a bunch of essential vitamins and minerals that cannot be found in such abundance in other types of foods. They are a natural source of fibre which is needed to keep bowel movements regular and rid the body of harmful toxins. But more importantly a healthy bowel can help prevent a number of health problems such as cancer, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease in the longerm. Lettuce works wonders in that department when eaten regularly.

Many French people eat a lettuce salad every day for this reason. Try adding some shredded white cabbage, celery, apple, orange and walnuts to your salads for their fibre content.

other products tumbling off the shelves in every small grocery shop. Look in farmers markets for good local ingredients and organically grown produce. Locally grown fruits and vegetables will have the best flavour and will have the smallest carbon footprint. You will no doubt find lettuce, fresh parsley, chives, cucumber and scallions, carrots and celery. Chat with the producer about amenities close by, much interesting information can be gleened while just buying a lettuce. Look for fresh butterhead and crispy cos or red oakleaf lettuce, rocket and baby spinach leaves.

Though nothing compares with a fresh lettuce plucked from the soil, sometimes the happy camper might choose the convenience of a bag of washed mixed leaves in spite of its very high price. But be aware that these leaves are packed in a modified atmosphere, this means that the composition of the gas in the package is different from that of air. Gases such as CO2, O2 and N2 are used to inhibit microbial growth and prolong shelf life. These foods must be refrigerated and should be eaten within 48 hours of opening. The fresh lettuce might indeed be much better value in the long run and have a lot more flavour and nutritional value.

Don’t forget the importance of ‘texture’ when making a rice, pasta, couscous or potato salad. The crunch of fresh food gives much pleasure when eating. To give this extra dimension include ingredients like diced apple, peppers, carrot, celery and nuts. Packets of soup croutons or mixed seeds give great ‘bite’ when scattered on top or tossed into a salad , great for touring and light to carry.

The difference between a winning salad and a loser can be its dressing. A simple dressing is only 5 ingredients shaken together in a small jar or bottle. It is the proportion of each that will make all the difference. Always use fruity olive oil and good quality vinegar and taste as you go.

Too sharp? Add another glug of olive oil and a pinch of sugar or honey. Too bland? add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar.

Taste, taste, taste that is the trick. Another tip is to pop a peeled clove of garlic into the jar in which you are making the dressing and shake well. The garlic helps the ’shake’ while its flavour gently infuses into the dressing. When on the move buy dressing in plastic bottles or sachets for convenience.

Simple to make and with little or no cooking required salads make an ideal and speedy meal for the holiday home.

Nowadays no matter what ‘neck of the woods’ in which you find yourself, you will find a delicious array of leaves, herbs and www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

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Mobile Diner Basic French Dressing Shake the following vigourously in a screw topped jar6 tablespoons olive, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 level teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar.

Taste and adjust the flavour to suit or add variation as follows and shake well again.

Children like easy- to- eat salads made with cooked pasta shapes, rice, bulgar wheat or quinoa. Lots of grated or diced cheese, chicken, ham and diced vegetables can be tossed in together with a light dressing.

Raisins, nuts or toasted sesame seeds look enticing scattered on top.

• •

•

•

•

•

Variations:

A salad can be a main course in itself or served as a starter or an accompaniment to a meat or fish dish. If serving a salad intended as a main course, then plan to use at least one high protein ingredient for example cooked chicken, ham, salami, tuna, salmon mackerel, hard boiled eggs, cheese or beans for vegetarians. Side salads are generally made from leaves, fruits and vegetables and a dressing.

•

Here are some items to pack in your holiday store cupboard –

•

½ clove garlic crushed well with the blade of a knife.

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs 50g roquefort or other blue cheese crumbled

•

• • •

Olive oil - first cold pressed virgin oil is best Vinegar – balsamic, white wine or cider vinegar.

Dijon mustard – a tube is great for touring.

Salt, sugar, pepper.

Cans of broad, cannellini or kidney beans, chickpeas and sweetcorn .

Packets of nuts, croutons, raisins, olives

Buying fresh ingredients for preparing salads• • • • • •

Buy the freshest ingredients possible.

Avoid buying anything displayed in the sun.

Check ‘use by’ dates on pre-packed items.

Buy fresh for each day if possible.

Preparing salads Wash you hands before handling salad ingredients.

18 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

•

• •

Wash vegetabels and fruit thoroughly to remove pesticides, dirt, and insects.

Do not steep salad leaves in water as vitamins and minerals will be lost.

Prepare salads just before serving.

Toss diced apples and avacados in dressing immediately they are cut to prevent enzymic browning.

Dice strong flavoured vegetables very finely e.g. onions, chilli, peppers.

Toss salad leaves in dressing at the very last minute as the leaves will go limp and the salad maybe ruined.

Have all cold ingredients prepared and ready before cooking the hot part of a ‘warm’ salad. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately e.g.

Warm chicken salad.

Keep salads chilled if possible.

Do not store leftover salads without a fridge on a camping holiday.

Watch Out! Mayonnaise can cause food poisoning in certain conditions. Always keep opened jars of mayonnaise in a fridge and do not store leftover salad for use later usless you have a good refrigerator. Never leave salads in the sun where they can get warm and be cantaminated by flies.

Mobile Diner

WALDORF SALAD

In a hurry!

Variation

Use 2 tablespoons mayonnaise instead of making the dressing

1 x Waldorf Salad ingredients but omit celery 2 avocados

Serves 4

Method

Ingredients: 3 sticks celery 1 small red eating apple lemon juice 50g chopped walnuts Dressing: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or wine vinegar ½ teaspoon sugar salt and pepper ½ teaspoon mustard 3 tablespoons sunflower oil

Method Gather equipment, collect/weigh ingredients, set table.

1. Put all dressing ingredients into a screw topped jar and shake well.

2. Wash, quarter, core and dice the apple.

Place in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent enzymic browning.

3. Wash and dice celery, chop walnuts into small pieces. Add to apple in bowl.

1. Make dressing 2. Cut avocados in two, remove the stones. Using a tablespoon, remove flesh from each avocado in one piece. Dice flesh, put into bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.

3. Add diced apple and chopped walnuts as above. Stir in the dressing.

Serve in a bowl or fill into the avocado shells and arrange on a plate.

Garnish as above.

4. Add the dressing, mix gently and check the seasoning. Turn into serving bowl.

Garnish with lettuce leaves, sliced tomato and cucumber.

Garnish: Lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber Equipment: Chopping knife, board, lemon squeezer, tablespoon, whisk, 2 bowls, serving bowl

Serve with grilled, baked or roasted meats.

More SMART recipes can be found in Smart Cooking 1 and Smart Cooking 2

by Marita McGeady and Martina Cribben available in all good School Book Shops. www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

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Mobile Diner Salad Nicoise Serves 2 -3 as a main Ingredients 50g French beans 1 small head lettuce 2 medium tomatoes ½ cucumber ½ red or green pepper 2-3 scallions small tin tuna 2 hard boiled eggs 50g tin anchovies – optional 50g black olives basic French dressing (as above) Method 1. Hard boil eggs for 5 minutes, drop into cold water, crack shells gently all over, leave to cool in cold water. When cold, remove shells. Cut into quarters.

2. Cook French beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and halve.

3. Wash and dry lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions and pepper.

4. Quarter tomatoes, dice cucumber. Core, remove seeds and slice pepper. Snip scallions into tiny pieces with scissors.

5. Drain anchovies and tuna. Remove stones from olives.

6. Arrange lettuce in base of serving dish. Lay beans, peppers, tomato and cucumber on top, and sprinkle with scallions.

7. Top with tuna and garnish with eggs

and olives. Criss-cross with the anchovies if using.

8. Sprinkle over the French dressing just before serving.

3. Peel and dice onion very finely. Wash, deseed and dice pepper. Wash, dry and cut the mangetouts diagonally into strips.

Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes, add all the vegetables to the bulgur.

4. Wash, dry and chop the parsley and basil finely, keep a little aside for garnish.

Add the remainder to the bulgur with the thyme leaves.

5. Add French dressing to the bulgur, toss everything together gently using 2 tablespoons. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pile into a serving bowl.

6. Serve immediately or cover and chill before serving.

Variation

Idea Cooked, sliced new potatoes are sometimes added to a Nicoise Salad to make it more substantial. Use waxy potatoes.

Bulgur Wheat and Pulse Salad Serves 3 Ingredients 150g bulgur wheat 150g frozen broad beans or peas salt and pepper 8 cherry tomatoes 1 small red onion 1 small red pepper 25g mangetout – optional 1 dessertspoon parsley 1 dessertspoon basil 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves French dressing as above Method 1. Soak and cook bulgur according to instructions on the packet – this takes about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and put into bowl.

2. Meanwhile cook peas or beans in boiling salted water according to the packet. Drain and add to the bulgur.

20 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Fruit and Nut Bulgur Salad Nuts and fruits are often added to a bulgur salad – nuts for protein and crunch and fruit for sweetness. Add 50g of your favourite nuts, toasted and chopped, and 50g dried chopped apricots, raisins or pale Chilean sultanas.

Mobile Diner Butter Bean Salad Serves 3 Ingredients 1 tin butter beans, drained 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic 1 red chilli or 1 pinch chilli powder 2 dessertspoons semi-sundried tomatoes ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary 50g feta cheese 6 black olives – optional Equipment Chopping knife, board, sieve, bowl, saucepan and lid or kettle, cutlery, serving dish

Method

1. Strain and rinse beans. Pour boiling water over beans to warm.

2. Smash, peel and mash garlic with a little sale using the side of a cook’s knife.

3. Wash and chop chilli very finely if using.

Chop tomatoes and rosemary finely.

Dice cheese.

4. Strain beans, mix all the other ingredients into the warm beans, season to taste.

Allow to cool. Put into serving dish.

Garnish with snipped chives and black olives. Serve with a fresh salad of mixed leaves and cold meats.

Pasta or Rice Salad Serves 4 Ingredients 150g pasta shapes or 160g rice (longgrained) 50g grated cheese 100g mushrooms 2 tablespoons frozen peas 2 scallions 1 red or green pepper Dressing 125ml olive or salad oil 2-3 tablespoons vinegar 1 tablespoon tomato puree 1 teaspoon poppy seeds salt and pepper Fresh basil for pasta salad or fresh coriander for rice salad Method Gather equipment, collect/weigh ingredients, set table.

1. Cook pasta or rice in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes.Drain and allow to cool completely.

2. Wash and slice mushrooms thinly.

Text: Marita McGeady & Martina Cribben

Deseed, wash and dice peppers.

3. Wash, trim and chop scallions. Wash and chop the basil or coriander.

4. Add all vegetables and grated cheese to the pasta or rice.

5. Dressing: Place oil, vinegar, tomato puree, poppy seeds, basil or coriander and seasoning into a large screw-top jar and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined.

6. Pour over the salad mixture, stirring well until all the ingredients are coated with the dressing. Chill before serving.

Garnish with coarsely chopped fresh basil or coriander. Serve with grilled, baked or barbecued foods.

Curried Rice Salad Ingredients 1 x Rice Salad ingredients 1-2 dessertspoons curry paste 1 dessertspoon chutney Method 1. Add 1-2 dessertspoons curry paste or powder to the rice immediately after draining and then stir in 1 dessertspoon chutney.

2. Continue as above, omitting the tomato puree if wished.

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and toasted almonds.

Variation www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

21

FINSURE Bridge House, Baggot Street Bridge, Dublin 4.

Specialist Insurance Providers For: • • • • • •

Caravans Trailer Tents Mobile Homes Thatched properties Standard/ non-standard construction homes Log Homes

For a competitive quotation please contact the Finsure team by: Telephone: 01 660 10 33 Fax: 01 668 79 85 Email: info@finsure.ie Website: www.finsure.ie

Finsure is a trade name of O’Brien Finlay Insurance Associates Limited, which is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered in Ireland Number 39988. Irish Brokers Association Member.

Kenneally's Caravans Ltd are a long established company based in Cork.

We are Willerby & BK agents who supply all parks in the East and south of the Country, selling quality New and used caravans.

Kenneally’s Caravans Ltd Main Bandon Road Bishopstown Cork.

Tel: 021 4542478 www.kenneallysholidayhomes.ie

FREE Y VER I L E D

We are nice people to do business with!

Review 2

Holiday World Show – RDS, Simmonscourt, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 - 28-30 January 2011

Swift Chamonix mobile home interior - distributed by Hayes Caravans

Thompson Leisure

M

inister for Tourism, Culture & Sport, Mary Hanafin, T.D. conducted one of her final pre-Election duties by officially opening the 22nd Holiday World Show at the RDS, Simmonscourt Pavilion, Dublin on 28 January. The Caravan and Motorhome Show held in conjunction with the main event displayed the latest in caravans, campervans, mobile homes and accessories, but the number of exhibitors in this area was somewhat reduced from last year. Exhibitors stated that the 13.3% VRT added to the cost of new and used 3.5 tonne campervans introduced on 1 January has had a detrimental effect on trade. Many dealers registered a number of vehicles in December so that customers could avoid the high levy imposed by the outgoing Government. Collectively, they know that demand for new and used ‘campers’ of that GVW – Gross Vehicle Weight will be very slack indeed.

With the exception of a f few, all the major brands were on display, with most exhibitors offering ‘Special Show Only’ discount deals.

At the event results of an online survey were revealed which will hearten our f flagging tourist trade here. Home holidaying during the 2011 season will again prove most popular according to the poll, with 60% of respondents saying that they plan to stay and holiday in Ireland this year. Self-catering holidays also proved to be a popular option in the survey, with 27% agreeing that this would be their preferred holiday type. One could include caravan, camping and campervan holidaying in that arena also. Caravan Cruise Ireland’s Jarlath Sweeney was there to capture the atmosphere.

Aoife Lenihan (right), her baby Karleigh and Catherine Lenihan.

Carroll & Mc Auley Motorhomes

+

For t

Established in 1989, Carroll & McAuley is Ireland’s original motorhome dealer.

Based at the Cherry Orchard Industrial Estate in West Dublin, www.emca.ie stocks a number of leading brands at all times. For this event, Fort Motors, the main dealers for Chausson shared the stand in order to cut down costs. Derek McAuley is pictured here.

Cookstown Caravans 2011 Sterling, Lunar and Sprite Caravans are now in stock at Cookstown, County Tyrone headquartered Cookstown Caravans. Over four years ago the company acquired Kirkcaldy Caravans in Scotland. In order to make way for more 2011 models, a special discounted price is offered on all remaining 2010 demonstrators, with up to €2,000 off!

Call 048 8676 3936 Downshire Camping & Caravans

Cara Motorhomes It’s good to see an Irish company expanding in these difficult economic times. John Lenihan, Cara Motorhomes, Rathkeale, County Limerick has ventured across the Irish Sea and opened a sales centre in Stoke-on-Trent. Being located in the heart of England will ensure that interested customers in Dethleff and Rapido Motorhomes will flock to the new branch. Pictured on the next page are

One of the services offered by Downshire Camping & Caravans is a Winterisation Programme and judging by the harsh winter we had, it’s a good idea to get your caravan or campervan checked over. Apart from checking all the water pipes, a damp check and lubrication of all parts are carried out. Based in Banbridge, Downshire is agent for Elddis, Hobby and Coachman caravans.

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

23

Review 2

Cara Motorhomes

Carroll & McAuley

Cookstown Caravans

ans Downshire Camping and Caravans

Emerald Star

Explore

Irish Caravan Council

Irish Caravan & Camping Club – (ICCC) L:R John Burns, Noel Fanning (Club Secretary), Margaret McDonnell and Ann Fanning

24 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Review 2

Mobbil ile Homes Hom Kenneally Caravans & Mobile

LPC Caravan & Campingg

Mitsubishi Motors

Pat Horan Motors

Roadmaster Caravanss

Saville Motorhomes

Smyth Leisure

Westport House www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

25

Review 2 Emerald Star Boat rental and river cruising is what Emerald Star specialise in. As Ireland’s number one provider of cruise vessels, it’s fleet can be seen up and down the River Shannon and Erne. As per every year at the Show, a 10% discount was offered to its stand visitors plus the chance to win a one-week cruise during the 2011 season.

This year Emerald Star welcomes the arrival of the 1500 series luxury cruiser to Irish waters and interest is extremely keen to date.

Explore Fancy cycling in the Basque Country, snowshoeing in Lebanon or a budget tour on the Marrakech Express? Then Explore (www.explore.co.uk) is the adventure specialist to talk with. Pictured L/R are Niki Kelly, Miriam O’Hanlon, Denise McAvinan, Stella Brown, Roisin O’Hea and Ciara Murphy.

Hayes Caravans Derek Hayes from Hayes Caravans in Dungannon was keen to promote their new holiday home and cruise site at Crevenish Castle on Lough Erne in Fermanagh.

Details on www.hayescaravans.com.

Hayes Caravans hold the Swift agency for caravans, campervans and mobile homes. At the forthcoming Boat & Caravan Show, Swift takes up Hall 5 with its product display. Mike Brown Caravans, Johnstown, Naas, Hayes agent in the Republic, was represented by Gerard Brown at its stand.

Ireland. “We welcome new and existing members to join us and enhance their enjoyment of camping and caravanning at the many locations that we visit throughout the year,” said Club President Johnny Bolger.

See elsewhere in this edition for advice on holiday home ownership by Kenneally Caravans & Mobile Holiday Homes.

Company founder Diarmuid V Kenneally pictured along with Lynn Shepherd, the author of the report was looking forward to another busy show. At the moment the Cork based firm is working on developing a new website in time for the new season.

LPC Caravan & Camping

Smyth Leisure

Situated in Bangor, County Down, LPC Caravans is one of Ireland’s largest retailers of both new and used caravans, accessories, tents and camping gear. It sells Lunar Caravans and Elddis brands.

LPC is the only Platinum dealer for Outwell and Easycamp tents in Ireland. As with the other Ulster exhibitors, both the Belfast and Dublin Shows were covered.

William Shaw is the hard working M.D. at LPC – www.lpccaravans.co.uk

Main agents for ABI & Carnaby Mobile Homes in Ireland, Smyth Leisure has a selection of quality holiday homes at its Wicklow (Newtownmountkennedy) & Cork (Innishannon) sites. Aubrey Smyth and his team will also find the right park for you too. At the Show, he said that business is buoyant at present with many newcomers buying mobile homes. There is no doubt that there are more people staying at home to holiday, plus the factor that holiday homes are a good investment.

Mitsubishi Motors Gavin Flood, Marketing Manager at Mitsubishi Motors Ireland saw the opportunity to display the latest Outlander and Lancer diesel models at the Show. As it turned out, Mitsubishi was the only automobile brand on exhibit.

Pat Horan Motors

Irish Caravan & Camping Club – (ICCC) See pages 10 & 11 for a feature on the ICCC - The Irish Camping & Caravan Club, the home of camping and caravanning in

Saville Motorhomes Another Northern Irish based specialist that took the time and effort to exhibit at the Dublin Show a week after the successful Belfast Holiday World Show held at the King’s Hall. David Shaw, who runs the operation was downbeat regarding trade from Republic of Ireland based customers following the VRT hike.

“The VAT increase recently introduced by the UK Government hasn’t helped either,” he said. Saville’s are to be found in Hillsborough, County Down – www. savillemotorhomes.com

Kenneally Caravans & Mobile Homes

Irish Caravan & Camping Council Niamh Darcy, Executive Committee Member of the Irish Caravan & Camping Council, pictured with her dad Edward (owner/operator of the Morriscastle Strand Holiday Park) was on hand to provide information on sites and facilities on behalf of Council Members. For the 2011 season the Association has launched its new Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Guide, which features Touring & Holiday Home Parks, Equipment Sales & Hire etc.

Its website is www.campingireland.ie

Lodge to compliment the extensive Savannah range. More details on www. roadmaster.ie

This Frankia Holiday Class (A Class) features a variable bathroom to reveal one of the biggest shower/toilet/sink facilities in the campervan business. Pat Horan Motors recently acquired the National distribution agency for the German brand. Pictured with Pat is Nils Wagner from Frankia. Pat Horan Motors also holds the agencies for Adria and Elddis.

Roadmaster Caravans Angela Coogan and Deirdre McCabe representing Roadmaster Caravans Ltd, Johnstown, County Kilkenny are standing beside a prime example of its high quality holiday homes that are manufactured on site. New to the market is the Sylvan

26 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Thompson Leisure Headquartered in Dromore, County Down, Thompson Leisure offers new and used motorhomes for sale as well as a rental service. In stock is a range of French, German and Italian built motorhomes, being authorised dealers for Hobby, Rapido, and Burstner campervans.

Thompson’s was the only exhibitor to display vehicles in the RDS Simmonscourt Car Park, which did put visitors in a holiday mood straight away.

Westport House Adventure activities aplenty at Westport House in County Mayo. The Award Winning Caravan and Camping Park surrounded by history has just added another new and interesting facility making the County Mayo seaside resort the Adventure Capital of the West!

Margaret Sweeney was on hand to explain all to visitors.

Text & Photos:Jarlath Sweeney - jarlath@fleet.ie

1RUH 9DOOH\ &DUDYDQ 3DUN Annamult, Bennettsbridge, Kilkenny.

)XQ IRU DOO WKH IDPLO\ $ KROLGD\ WR UHPHPEHU • Home Baking and Shop • Mini Golf and Giant Chess • Visitor Farm free to patrons • Feeding baby animals morning and evening • Pedal Go-karts and Trailer Rides • Indoor 3D maze with 10 permutations • 2 mile River walk • Mobile Home hire • Mid week special deals

For other deals telephone: 056 7727229 quoting D99 Web: www.norevalleypark.com Email: norevalleypark@eircom.net

Advice 1

More Power to your Campervan!

I

n this edition Leisure Technical Solution's Simon Burke looks at how much electrical power is used in our Motorhomes and how to generate and store that power.

To find out how much power you need you have to know how much power you are likely to use. Don’t worry if you find this a bit complicated, we can help you but it is quite simple to do it yourself if you want to. Using this formula, Watts = Volts x Amps you can calculate your power usage and decide what your needs are.

First you have to estimate how much you use. All the electrical items in your ‘van’ will have their power consumption written on them. Let’s look at a light bulb as an example. If a bulb has 10 watts written on it and we know that the lighting in the van runs on 12 volts then we can calculate as follows, 10 watts = 12 volts x ? amps. The answer is roughly .8 amps which is .8 of an amp for each hour it is used or put another way .8 amp hours. There is no need to be precise when doing this as we are going to have to estimate how long each item is used to arrive at a daily total of the amp hours we need. Consumption varies depending on your lifestyle. If you want to watch a lot of television and maybe run a laptop then you will use quite a lot of power. The table below gives approximate power consumption for appliances.

It is worth noting the benefits of LED lighting (assumed in the table below).

Standard lighting could add 16ah per

day bringing the total to 66.5ah. The above figures are of course dependent upon the weather, the time of year, the efficiency of your appliances and of course your lifestyle.

If you are only running a few lights and the water pump from time to time then your consumption will not be large. Generally we estimate that people use somewhere between 40 and 80 amp hours each day.

There is not much point investing in a system which will give you 40 amp hours daily if you actually use 80. You would soon run out of power.

Elecsol Leisure Batteries: Extra leisure battery capacity can significantly increase the length of time you can manage without a hook-up or recharging. Today's top specification leisure vehicles are brimmed full of high tech on-board equipment designed to ensure you have all the comforts and controls needed - all of this requires power. When sizing your leisure battery try to keep to the 50% rule – ie only discharging the battery to 50% of it’s capacity. Doing so will dramatically increase it’s life expectancy. Using the table below as a guide, if you consume 55ah of energy per day then it’s best to fit a 110ah battery or higher. If you use 80ah per day then you could consider fitting 2 of the 110ah batteries, boosting capacity to 220ah. Elecsol manufacture a wide range of top quality, high performance batteries - specifically designed for the arduous demands of the leisure environment with product endorsements from Which, Caravan Life, The Caravan Club and Auto Trail Motorhomes.

Appliance

Current (amps) Time per day (hours)

Total amp hour (ah)

TV/ DVD

4

3

12

Satellite

0.5

3

1.5

Lighting (LED)

1

5

5

Fridge

0.3

24

8

Heater fan

5

5

25

Water pump

4

1

4

Total per day

55.5

28 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Patented carbon fibre technology and other advanced design features enable the company to provide a class leading 5 year guarantee on their leisure battery range which is available in sizes from 100ah to 270ah. Elecsol leisure batteries are designed to withstand continued deep discharges and provide around 3 times more cycles (1000) than a standard battery.

Continued research and development by the company has enabled them to launch a new AGM range with a full 7 year guarantee and capable of up to 6000 cycles. The latest AGM range is available in sizes ranging from 105ah to 250ah and can provide up to 50ah more capacity combined with a 20% weight saving when compared to similar gel type batteries.

When buying a leisure battery, investing in a trusted brand such as Elecsol will help to ensure you have the power to enjoy your leisure time to the full.

Kyocera Solar Panels: The idea of free battery charging from the sun is very appealing. Solar Panels are a fit and forget item. They are very reliable and most manufacturers provide output guarantees lasting up to 25 years - all you need to do is clean them now and again. Kyocera have been developing modules since the 70’s, and have continued to develop their advanced cell processing technology and automated production facilites to provide high quality products with high efficiencies. Having installed these panels to many vehicles, the results are fantastic, and the best bit, the customers cannot believe the extra power and condition of their batteries. We recommend Kyocera and are also introducing a range of Mono-crystalline cell panels from ET Solar. The panels we fit, are high quality cell formation and construction, and they are better than other cheaper panels.

When we fit a panel we like to know that the panel will last and create efficiency storing your power.

Kyocera range of panels K-135 watt poly (1500x668x46) K- 95 watt poly (1043x660x36) K- 70 watt poly (778x660x36)

Advice 1 ET range of panels ET - 120 watt poly (1482x676x35) ET - 85 watt mono (1205x545x35) ET - 55 watt mono (980x445x35) A sensible size of solar panel is around 85 watts to 135. Smaller panels will suit people who use very little power or those who will be using another method of generation in combination with their solar panels. If a Solar Panel is rated at 100 watts for example, to keep the figures simple and understandable, that is the maximum output in ideal conditions.

The reality is that you are not likely to see maximum power very often, performance varies depending on sunlight. Under ideal conditions a 100w Solar Panel may give 8 amps, so in 8 hours of good sun it might add around 64 amp hours of charge to your batteries. The cell construction of panels can differ, a mono crystalline structure will work better under low light conditions than a poly crystalline.

A solar panel controller will manage the charge so that your batteries are fully and safely charged at all times. These come from simple LED display regulators or LCD regulators with lots of information on your battery like, state of charge, current input from solar panel.

Battery to Battery Chargers: Increase the charge going to your leisure batteries and greatly reduce charging times while driving. Typically your leisure batteries can be charged up to three or four times faster if a Battery to Battery Charger is fitted.

and efficient method of battery charging and is ideal for those who use their ‘vans’ to tour, a few hours driving each day or two can keep your batteries fully charged.

A Battery to Battery charger can give a charge rate of up to 50 amps while just relying on the vehicle alternator (without a B2B charger) you may only get 8 or 10 amps going to your leisure batteries. You can see that if you required a 50 amp top up it could take 5 hours of driving without a B2B charger or 1 hour of driving with one.

Efoy Fuel Cells: Fuel cell developments have brought these small units to the leisure market. They provide charging for 12 volt batteries which is truly silent.

This is space age technology. Efoy Fuel Cells are now standard equipment on many ‘vans’ from top manufacturers.

We have retrofitted many of these units.

One extra advantage is that the Efoy Fuel Cell produces some warmth in operation.

Efoy Fuel cells are expensive but the convenience of being able to produce power silently whenever you need it has proved very popular with those who find generators too noisy. An Efoy Fuel Cell combined with solar panels will mean you need never run short of power.

The Self-Energy EG-20: This is an automatic battery charger that enables

your leisure battery to remain ‘topped up’ no matter where you are!

It uses a small, very neat 2 stroke gas engine/generator set powered by the on-board motor-home LPG supply ensuring that your battery never falls below operational level (11.9 Volts). The unit is extremely quiet for use in built up areas, or by fellow campers. This unit can produce a high 20 amp output.

“Perfect craftmanship accompanied by superior performance and easy operation” - Dometic generators power your tools or vehicle accessories when you are away from a mains hook-up. You can even run several appliances at the same time, on the road as well as on the campsite.

They will supply your microwave, toaster, power tools, emergency and office equipment.

Petrol, diesel and gas powered sets available? Of course, all of these power options come at a price but the good news is that all of them can be moved to a new van if you decide to change.

For further enquiries contact Leisure Technical Solutions www.leisuretechnicalsolutions.co.uk Email: power@ leisuretechnicalsolutions. co.uk Tel: Northern Ireland 028 9269 8192 Southern Ireland 048 9269 8192 or 07739 797955 / 0044 7739 797955

The Battery to Battery charger uses advanced technology to fool the alternator into giving maximum output – the surplus power is then used in an advanced 4 stage charging process, which ensures the leisure battery is quickly charged to its full capacity. Currently the output voltage from engine alternators varies from manufacturer to manufacturer but it is an important factor in the power available from your leisure battery. As an indicator, an increase in alternator output voltage from 13.2 volts to 14.4 volts would provide 30 ah more battery capacity.

Adding a Battery to Battery Charger ensures you get the extra capacity every time. It also ensures that the vehicle battery is kept topped up. This is a fast www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

29

Advice 2

What To Look For When Buying Used sorts of corrosion and rotting problems.

Bear in mind that this can affect newer campervans or caravans just as much as older vehicles. On the outside check all the outside panels carefully. Are there signs of laminating or corosion? Are the panels still fitting tightly, or are there signs of separating? If possible climb up onto the roof and see if there are any signs of where water may have been trapped – this could be an indication that it has seeped down through the bodywork.

T

aking up any new hobby or leisure activity can be daunting.

Often the biggest challenge starting out is knowing what questions to ask. If you get to that stage, you’re already halfway to becoming an expert in your new field.

So it can be for first time motorhomers or caravanners. Many people looking to take their first tentative steps into owning a mobile leisure vehicle are likely to be looking at the pre-owned market – that is unless you are in the fortunate position of being wealthy enough – and committed enough – to invest in a brand new vehicle.

But what are the things to look for when in the market for a used vehicle? What goes wrong, what leaks, what can give problems if not properly serviced?

Assuming you’ve got to the stage that you have identifed a vehicle you are interesting in buying, what next? You obviously don’t want to buy a lemon, but it can be very difficult to know where to start.

A good starting point is if you know somebody who already has a motorhome.

Talk to them, find out what sort of problems they have experienced. Even better if you can find someone who owns a model the same as the one you are thinking of buying. Some problems on motorhomes or caravans tend to be generic, but many others will be specific to a particular model. Someone with first-hand experience of the vehicle you are thinking of purchasing could prove invaluable.

If possible, try to get in touch with the

previous owners. They may be willing to give additional advice on what problems they may have had with the vehicle.

Carefully check all the paperwork that comes with the vehicle. Paperwork is your friend. The more that comes with the vehicle, the better chance it has been carefully maintained and looked after. As well as service documentation on the engine and oily parts, look for paperwork to show that the gas and electrical appliances have been serviced at regular intervals. Also records of any work carried out on the bodywork will indicate where problems may have occured before and the steps taken to remedy them.

Find out when the vehicle was last serviced, both the base vehicle in the case of campervans, and habitation services for the living area. Mechanically are there full service history records? Up to now, it has not been necesary for a campervan to have a DOE Certificate of Roadworthiness so service records will give an indication of how the vehicle has been looked after.

If it is an older model which has been out of production for a long time, how difficult will it be to get spare parts for it?

Inside the vehicle check for signs of dampness. A certain amount of condensation is to be expected, in particular older conversions that may have used fibreglass insulation can be prone to condensation which in turn can lead to rusting problems. Where possible pull out furniture and appliances such as fridges and check for signs of dampness or rust. Feel along all surfaces for water leaks or ‘soft’ (rotting) wood. Carry out a moisture check if possible – if you are buying from a dealer they should be able to do this with you there. Check the floors in the bathroom and kitchen areas – a soft floor could be as the result of leaking water.

Make sure all the appliances are in good working order. Open and close all cupboard doors. Turn on and off everything, and make sure chairs, folding tables, television and all fixtures and fittings work as they are supposed to.

Of course this is just a very broad outline of what to look for. If possible bring along an experienced motorhomer or caravanner with you when checking out your potential purchase – two pairs of eyes are better than one. And Happy hunting for your new vehicle!

On the bodywork structure side, the big thing to check for is leakage which over time can lead to all

30 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Text: Cathal Doyle - cathal@fleet.ie

Advice 3 Some Useful Tips

Taking Care of your Motorhome/ Campervan

1.

t’s not about the insurance cover you want – it’s about the cover you need! – Special Exclusive Cover from Dolmen Insurance Brokers/AXA Insurance Company Ltd.

Did you know that driving with your dipped headlights on during daylight could reduce your chance of an accident by 25% with the chance of head on collision reduced as much as 50%!

2.

The benefits of campervan insurance are designed to give the owner complete peace of mind. One does not just need motor insurance cover as car insurance is not enough when driving a campervan. Ensure that the policy covers the following:-

These are some of the findings following research across Europe. Put another way, if everyone drove with their dipped headlights on by day, around 5,500 lives could be saved on European roads every year.

3.

Some EU countries such as Austria have introduced legislation to make Daytime Running Lights mandatory. But it should not take a change in law to encourage us to take better care of each other on the road. In the flick of a switch your headlamps can be on, with modern cars designed to sound a warning if they are left on by accident.

4.

So, get the habit, get switched on!

5.

All vehicles have dashboard-warning lights that alert the driver to everything from oil pressure to coolant levels. But in most vehicles there is no warning light to tell you that your brake lights are not working.

6.

The absence of brake lights can be very dangerous as other road users have no warning that you are slowing down or stopping and rear end collisions are all too common.

7.

If you are on your own, pull into a Service Station and look at your vehicle’s reflection in the forecourt shop window (you may have to reverse to see both sides). If any bulbs are blown, the chances are the Service Station will even sell replacements.

I

Fully comprehensive insurance including loss, damage or theft of fixed parts and accessories.

Automatic cover to allow travel anywhere in Ireland, the UK or mainland Europe.Breakdown cover that will provide assistance on the spot (from Galway to Greece). And if the campervan can’t be fixed, Dolmen Insurance Brokers will get you and the vehicle to the chosen destination or home (depending on circumstances).

Flexibility is the priority with Dolmen Insurance Broker’s open driving option. This allows anyone aged 25-70 with a full licence to drive the vehicle, (so no more phone calls every time you want to put someone else in the driver’s seat).

Protection when the campervan is going nowhere! Sitting in the driveway, the campervan can be a target for criminals. Dolmen’s don’t reduce the cover just because you hang up your keys for the Winter!

And if there is a claim, Dolmen promises to do everything it can to get the campervan repaired (with a written guarantee) and back on the road as soon as possible. And if it’s a write off, Dolmen will give the market value so a replacement can be bought.

Check List for using your Motor Home in Europe: • • • •

•

Consider a Camping Card International to use with a Passport.

Check the type of gas and regulator used in countries to be visited.

Bring spare spectacles, if used, that includes prescription sunglasses.

In France, a maximum speed limit of 50 kp/h (31 miles per hour) applies when red rectangle shown round village/ town names.

Note in Belgium speed cameras are very well hidden and fines can be up

•

•

to €2,000.

In Spain motorhomes are speed limited to 90 kp/h (56 miles per hour) on Motorways/Dual Carriageways except in built up areas where limit is 80 kp/h (50 miles per hour) unless otherwise indicated. Other roads are 70 kp/h (44 miles per hour).

Note Spanish Police always insist on Warning Signs ie. at rear of the campervan carrying motor cycles or bicycles.

•

•

• •

A Red Triangle must be used after an accident and make sure you bring one with you.

In France, Germany, Italy and Spain carry fluorescent jackets that can be readily accessible in the event of an accident.

First Aid Kit and spare bulb and fuse kits are compulsory in some countries Always carry a Fire Extinguisher

REMEMBER – ALWAYS BE PREPARED

From batteries to brake pads, you can save money on parts and accessories (and lower car ferry costs too!)

T

he trouble with campervans (and all things on four wheels) is that things break, fall off or just won’t do what they used to do! And getting new bits costs money. So how about a 15% discount from Halfords, Ireland’s largest car part and accessory chain?

All you have to do is produce your (Dolmen/AXA) campervan insurance certificate (or the disc in your campervan window) and Halfords will give you a 15% discount. And not only on parts. If you fancy buying some accessories (eg. a bike rack for the rear of your camper) then you get 15% off the price as well.

But as the saying goes, there’s more, much more. Book your next trip to the UK with Stena and you will get a discount on your costs. The amount depends on the time of year and the size of your camper but make sure you mention you are a Dolmen customer insured through AXA to see how much you could save.

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

31

Reading Maters Little Book of Camper Van - Published by G2 Entertainment Ltd ISBN: 978-1-907803-03-1

F

or a book that measures 6” x 6”, it packs in a lot of information on everyone’s favourite campervan – the Volkswagen T Series. Since the early 1950’s, according to The Little Book of Camper Vans, the VW Microbus also called Plattenwagens were converted from panel vans and found favour with many US Servicemen who bought and shipped them from Germany back home. Fellow German specialist Westfalia, became VW’s best known converter over these years although other coachbuilders such as Danbury, Dever, Dormobile and Viking created their own unique styles and designs based on the Transport van.

Interestingly, Volkswagen itself did not go into production with a fully integrated version of the T5 until 2005 and called it the California. Today, the older VW Camper vans have reached iconic status, as they became a cult symbol of the latter decades of the 20th century. What’s their

the legendary T2 versions followed by the T4 Eurovan and Type T5. Then there are separate chapters on the above-mentioned specialist firms.

It concludes with a look at the whole culture surrounding the VW Camper and the numerous Clubs, Shows and Rallies that have established. The West of Ireland gets a mention too as Killary, the location for the mega movie ‘The Field’ on the Mayo/Galway border hosted the Leenane Weekender with the only thing the organisers asking is that those attending are prepared for a weekend of VW, VW and more VW! big appeal? “Maybe, it is in the way it harks back to a more innocent time of life and a simpler age of motoring,” says the writer.

A concise history of Volkswagen leads into chapters on the various editions of

Roads with a View –

‘Roads with a View’ is not just another travel guide as it’s written by a driver for fellow motorists. Specially drawn maps help to provide enough information for the passengers to navigate the driver around the chosen passages.

Veloce Publishing

by David Corfield ISBN: 978-1-845843-50-2

F

eaturing the shortest introduction in any book I have read before – the Forward by the author David Corfield takes only three lines.

Obviously, the objective is to get straight into the action and take to the road.

A quick flick through brought me to The Cotswolds chapter, a region I happen to know pretty well having undertaken many test drives there in the past. Banbury, Bradley, Daventry and Northampton areas all contain off-the-beaten path routes for the scenic tourer.

As with all the other 9 regions/chapters featured in this 144-page hardback, the superb landscape photographs are backed up by historical tit-bits and of course route directions. ‘Secret Views’ for the enthusiastic photographer are also included while the budding ‘clicker’ will appreciate the ‘Tips for Great Travel Pictures’ chapter at the end. From reading this book, the temptation to explore some of England’s finest landscapes such as the Lake District, Northumberland, Devon & Cornwall, Yorkshire and Lancashire cannot

Over the 125 pages, the features are enhanced by beautiful photographs, that highlight these classic VW Campers at their best. Published by G2 Entertainment Ltd, The Little Book of Camper Van is available from Amazon and all good book retailers.

be resisted for too much longer.

Just wonder if we can bring our campervan through these suggested routes as the roads described are often mentioned as ‘narrow’!

Although David recommends places to stay, that may not be required if we bring the 5-berth camper along, but if we do need a change of diet, the places to eat mentioned could indeed be welcome.

32 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

David Cor f ield is a resp e c te d photographer and writer who, for many years, has worked as editor on several well known photography and motoring magazines including Practical Photography, Performance French Cars, Golf+, Modern MINI, VW Motoring, Photography Monthly and Octane.

Let’s hope he finds time to continue this interesting project and make it into a trilogy that includes landmark Scottish and Welsh routes. In the meantime, enjoy the read and take to these roads!

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - jarlath@fleet.ie

SLIGO CARAVAN & CAMPING PARKS Strandhill

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Caravan & Camping Park

Strandhill, County Sligo.

Rosses Point, County Sligo.

Grade

Grade

Open: 15th April - 28th September No. of pitches: 100 Area: 6 Hectares

Open: 20th April - 14th September No. of pitches: 120 Area: 2.5 Hectares

Tel: 071 9168111 Email: strandhillcvp@eircom.net

Tel: 071 9177113 Fax: 071 9160496 Email: rossespointcvp@eircom.net

roadmaster

Introducing the Sylvan Lodge a spacious, modern and luxurious Holiday Home.

• • • • •

All holiday homes are fully customisable. We manufacture to order and so you choose the size, layout, design and decor of your unit.

All holiday homes have a galvanised steel chassis, double glazed windows, sandwich bonded walls and insulation throughout.

We are a Guaranteed Irish company based in Johnstown, County Kilkenny and have been manufacturing holiday homes since 1958.

All holiday homes come with a 10 year structural warranty.

We have a full range of holiday homes on show at our factory in Johnstown and anyone is free to come in and look around - just arrange an appointment or arrive between 9-5 Monday to Friday.

roadmaster caravans ltd johnstown (via thurles) co kilkenny Tel: 056 883 1201 Email: info@roadmaster.ie Web: www.roadmaster.ie

Sea Crossings

Campervans and Ferries to and from Ireland – 2011

T

his is ‘Caravan Cruise Ireland’s’ first annual report on ferry access to and from Ireland for Caravans & Motorhomes and similar vehicles by Howard Knott. It is our intention to help readers on the island of Ireland plan when taking their campervans etc, on holiday in Great Britain or on the Continent and to help potential visitors from abroad to come to Ireland with their leisure vehicles.

Suitable Shipping Services While there are presently five shipping Lines operating between Ireland and Britain, three linking Ireland and France directly and one Line with

operations out of Dublin to both Belgian and Dutch Ports, they all add up to well over 100 sailings a week. However, the number of services and vessels that are well suited for passengers and cars is more limited and those suited to the shipment of campervans is more limited again.

Certain services including those operated by Seatruck out of Dublin and Warrenpoint and by DFDS Seaways running to Heysham out of Dublin and out of Belfast are ‘freight only’ services and, in fact, only have accommodation on board for 12 drivers so that the trailers are shipped without cabs and drivers. The two Cobelfret services now operating out of Dublin to Rotterdam and to Zeebrugge use much larger vessels but they, also, are restricted to carrying a maximum of twelve drivers. (DFDS Seaways has just

announced suspension of services from Ireland in July).

P & O Line’s services out of Dublin to Liverpool and the Stena Line services ex-Larne to Fleetwood are both ‘freight only’ but can accommodate a larger number of drivers. The DFDS Seaways services linking Liverpool with Dublin and with Belfast twice each day, both take limited numbers of passengers with cars in addition to freight trucks with drivers. However, as the main focus of these services is on satisfying their freight customers, they are reluctant to take passengers with campervans or other vehicles that cannot be

easily accommodated on their car decks or would not be of average car sized. One specific issue that arose in discussion with this and other Lines was that the limitations of the car decks was not solely a question of length, width and height of the vehicles but also their ability to easily navigate sharp bends and steep inclines ex-route to and from the car decks.

At the other end of the scale are the smaller fast ferries where the car decks are very small and vehicles larger than, say, a Ford Transit could not be accommodated.

These vessels would include the ‘Dublin Swift’ operated by Irish Ferries between Dublin and Holyhead, Stena Line’s ‘Stena Express’ which switched between Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead and Rosslare to Fishguard routes and ‘Manannan’ which operates for the Isle of Man Steampacket

34 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

out of Dublin and Belfast. In this latter case the only way in which a tourist with a campervan or caravan can access the Isle of Man from Ireland would be to take one of the cruise ferry routes to – say – Holyhead, drive to Heysham and onto Douglas aboard the ferry ‘Ben my Chree’.

For the tourist with dimensions greater than – say – a Land Rover Discovery or Ford Transit, the most suitable vessels would be the ‘Cruise Ferries’. These vessels are built to accommodate over 1,000 passengers, several hundred cars and have a number of kilometres of parking lanes for freight vehicles. The largest of those on the Irish Sea is the Irish Ferries owned and operated by ‘Ulysses’ running two round trips daily between Dublin and

Holyhead.

She can accommodate 1,875 passengers, 1,342 cars and her freight decks extend to over four kilometres. Most ‘cruise ferries’ operate with a high standard of passenger facilities with those on the longer routes having sleeping accommodation for most passengers.

Of the three Lines that operate direct routes to the Continent and carry cars and larger passenger vehicles, two operate ‘cruise ferries’, Irish Ferries with the ‘Oscar Wilde’ running out of Rosslare and Brittany Ferries with the ‘Pont-Aven’ linking Cork and Roscoff, Brittany. The third direct Line, Celtic Link Ferries sails out of Rosslare to Cherbourg, three times each week using the ‘Ro-pax’ vessel ‘Norman Voyager’. Passengers and car accommodation is much more limited on such vessels while the passenger

Sea Crossings

services are more simple and, perhaps, less luxurious. However, accommodation on board for larger vehicles can be quite substantial.

How did the services operate in 2010?

The major event in 2010 was the launch in March of the Fastnet Lines overnight cruise ferry service linking Cork and Swansea.

Their cruise ferry ‘Julia’ operates three round trips a week and has capacity for 1,860 passengers and 420 cars. Her freight/ hi-land garage extends to 700 metres.

The Line reported passenger carryings of 80,000 and vehicles of 31,000 in 2010 and has built up a significant business, in particular bringing caravans and campervans from Britain into the Cork/ Kerry region. Fastnet Line is targeting a 50% growth in business for 2011 and its high season schedule includes a fourth weekly round trip.

There was a significant drop in British tourist numbers coming to Ireland in 2010 continuing a negative trend. The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), in it’s end of year report stated, “the virtual collapse of the British market for Ireland is especially worrying as Ireland’s largest source market has declined by a third since 2007, almost 1.3 million fewer visitors.”

Tourist numbers out of Ireland to Britain did not decline to anything like the same extent.

In the face of early predictions of such poor tourist figures, but improving

freight exports, the Lines decided to maintain their services at 2009 levels. The exception was Stena Line which curtailed its Dun Laoghaire – Holyhead, HSS service replacing that vessel for much of the year with the much smaller ‘Stena Express’ fast craft. The Line also increased frequencies on its ‘Stena Nordica’ cruise ferry sailing out of Dublin to Holyhead.

sources believe that the arrival of new vessels into their Britain to Holland route could lead to a re-deployment of vessels to the Irish Sea. The Line will open its new Cairnryan facility later in the year replacing its Scottish base at Stranraer. This will not only provide customer facilities but will significantly reduce the journey times for services from there to Belfast.

In the event, passenger and car business on all ferries showed a solid improvement in 2010. The underlying reason for this may have been the reductions of air services and increases in baggage and other restrictions on those services, but the bouts of bad weather and particularly the volcanic ash cloud brought many people back to the ferries. There has since, been clear evidence of increased efforts on the part of ferry companies and of the Ports through which they operate to further stimulate passenger business by more creative pricing and service improvement.

In the third quarter of 2010 some 1.2 million passengers used ferries through Republic of Ireland Ports, an increase of 5% in 2009 figures. Over the same quarter the ferries carried over 600,000 tourist cars (a figure that would have included campervans and caravans), an increase of 12% over the 2009 figure.

A possible Landbridge ticketing agreement between Brittany Ferries and Fastnet Line has also been spoken about. The journey between Swansea and either Poole or Portsmouth, at 195 miles is significantly shorter than other Landbridge routes.

Likely developments in services in 2011 At the time of writing Stena Line has not yet announced its full programme for 2011.

It is uncertain whether or not the HSS will run out of Dun Laoghaire and industry

When is the best time to travel?

Clearly the best time for you as a customer is to fit in exactly with your holiday plans and for the vast majority of people great ferry deals for travel in the middle of February are likely to be of little interest.

If, however, you can get yourself into the mind of the Shipping Line’s marketing executives who have responsibility to maximise the revenue yield on each service you could begin to see opportunities to reduce costs.

The main business for the vessels running on each of the Irish routes is the carriage of freight. This is a business that runs at quite a consistent rate right through the winter when the passenger business is low and, in the case of the UK routes, only dips slightly in July and August. In the case of the routes to France that summer time dip is much more pronounced. Having

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

35

Sea Crossings

within the last couple of years realised that the campervan/caravan business has the opposite profile and that such vehicles can very profitably fill up freight lanes in the garage down below, the Lines have begun to compete more aggressively for this business.

Having said that the freight business is very steady, it would nevertheless be true that in any week there are freight peaks and troughs.

Manufacturers in Ireland and elsewhere tend to want to ship the largest volumes out on Friday evenings while most importers want product to arrive on Monday morning. Where a particular manufacturer’s goods are shipped and received on a daily basis, then evening sailings are preferred. This is particularly the case where the goods are being shipped between Ireland and Britain where the heaviest demand for services is for those leaving late evening and, thus, cargo arriving at final destination on the following morning.

Speaking with Rory McCall at Celtic Link Ferries, he explained that the ‘Norman Voyager’ will normally be said ex Rosslare, heading for Cherbourg absolutely full of freight on her Saturday evening departure,

the Tuesday evening sailing will be quite busy with freight that is for delivery in France and further afield during that same week, while the Thursday evening sailing nearly always has space to spare.

Thus, if you were planning a trip to France the Thursday evening sailing could be a good option and, particularly, off-peak season be competitively priced. Where there was a group with campervans, cars etc. travelling on anything other than a peak-time sailing, further deals can be made with any of the Lines.

On the services to and from Britain the freight traffic dynamics are similar. There would be very full ships in each direction on Friday and Sunday nights, quite busy on the other night sailings, but, almost always with space for campervans on the morning sailings. Again pricing on these could be keener, particularly if there are a number of vehicles travelling.

How else can I push the cost down and improve my holiday?

In almost every case, the earlier you make your booking with the ferry Company, the better the deal that you will get. Unlike the airlines whose services rely on passengers only, the Ferry Companies will always have their freight business and will not feel the

36 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

need to push out ‘late deals’.

If you are a member of the ‘Caravan Club’ or a similar organisation each of the Shipping Lines will give you a discounted fare. To secure the discount, which is not generally advertised outside the Clubs you must provide a valid membership number when making the booking.

On the direct services to and from France the peak season travel cost using Celtic Link Ferries can be up to 25% less than either Irish Ferries or Brittany Ferries. At other times of the year both ‘cruise ferry’ lines compete on cost and Irish Ferries will continue their long standing offer under which, if you book a summer journey on the Continental service, they will give you a free trip on their UK service. Declan Mescall at Irish Ferries confirms that this offer has been very successful in recent years. He also points out that the supplement now charged for over height vessels on their ‘Oscar Wilde’ vessel has been significantly reduced. Irish Ferries have reduced their booking deposit to €100, while the industry standard is more in the region of 25% of the total ticket cost.

Both Stena Line and Irish Ferries offer the travel option to go out on one route and return on another, thus making the touring holiday more of a Grand Tour. Thus, for

Sea Crossings example, a holidaymaker could start from the UK Midlands, take the Stena Line ferry from Fishguard, arrive in Rosslare and plan his journey to return either via Dublin to Holyhead or Belfast to Stranraer.

Both of these lines together with Brittany Ferries offer the facility of ‘landbridging’ Britain on the way to or from France.

Passengers based in the North of Ireland can make use of the Stena Landbridge to a wide range of Continental destinations and also of the P & O Line/Brittany Ferries offerings to France and Spain.

The withdrawal in Janaury this year of the DFDS Seaways Rosyth to Zeebrugge ‘Ro-pax’ service and its replacement with freight only service does reduce the travel options.

A deluxe cabin on board the Irish Ferries cruise ferry Ulysses

These through Landbridge offers can give considerable flexibility and useful savings.

At present, Fastnet Line does not have any formal Landbridge arrangement in place linking their Cork – Swansea service to others going to the Continent.

A final ‘cost and stress saving’ thought which may be very obvious to those using the short crossings to Britain, but may be less so if you are a Continental service, is to consider the ferry departure and arrival times. A sailing out of an Irish Port at breakfast time will have you ashore in Wales or Scotland by lunchtime giving plenty of time to move on towards final destination. A number of the direct sailings to France arrive later in the day, making useful onward travel difficult.

Text: Howard Knott - howard@fleet.ie

A word to the Wise In talking with representatives of many of the Lines operating services out of Ireland I was told a number of times that

they welcome the opportunity to talk with customers, to discuss what you need, to see what can be done if a number of vehicles are travelling together – and this can even be at peak season.

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

37

Sea Crossings Irish Sea Cruise Ferry Routes and Services.

FROM

TO

LINE

Frequency

Website

Larne

Cairnryan

P & O Ferries

Up to 7 x daily

www.poferries.com

Belfast(1)

Stranraer

Stena Line

Up to 5 x daily

www.stenaline.ie

Dublin(2)

Holyhead

Stena Line

4 x daily

www.stenaline.ie

Dublin(3)

Holyhead

Irish Ferries

4 x daily

www.irishferries.com

Rosslare

Pembroke

Irish Ferries

2 x daily

www.irishferries.com

Rosslare

Fishguard

Stena Line

2 x daily

www.stenaline.ie

Cork

Swansea

Fastnet Line

Up to 4 x weekly

www.fastnetline.com

Ireland /France Ro-Pax and Cruise Ferry Services.

Notes: 1. Campervans are also accommodated on the twice daily HSS sailings on this route.

2. Stena Line operates a seasonal once daily HSS on a Dun Laoghaire / Holyhead route with Campervan accommodation.

3. Irish Ferries operate a twice daily fast Ferry on this route with limited small campervan accommodation.

FROM

TO

LINE

Frequency

Website

Rosslare(1) Rosslare(2) Rosslare Cork(1)

Roscoff Cherbourg Cherbourg Roscoff

Irish Ferries Irish Ferries Celtic Link Ferries Brittany Ferries

Up to 2 x weekly Up to 3 x weekly 3 x weekly 1 x weekly

www.irishferries.com www.irishferries.com www.celticlinkferries.com www.brittanyferries.com

Notes: 1. Both the Irish Ferries and the Brittany ferries services to Roscoff are seasonal running from dates in April to October.

2. During the summer months Irish Ferries service frequency to Cherbourg is reduced.

Celtic Link’s Norman Voyager – Luxury sailing at affordable prices

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eltic Link Ferries is an Irish owned company that was established in 2005, providing a comfortable, regular, reliable ferry service for passengers, cars, campers, caravans, buses and freight between Ireland and France. The company provides a low fares value for money service in a modern luxurious vessel while the crossing takes just 17 hours.

The Norman Voyager was built in Italy in 2008 and is the newest vessel operating in the Channel.

This ultra modern Ferry Ship is operated by Celtic Link Ferries on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route since October 2009.

The vessel provides three crossings per week departing from Rosslare every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while returning from Cherbourg every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. It has capacity for up to 600 passengers, 200 cars and 120 trucks and there are 110 passenger cabins with a choice of 2 and 4 berth rooms. All cabins are modern, bright and cheerful with en-suite facilities and all are wheelchair accessible.

There is also a lounge area with comfortable recliners where passengers may choose to relax during the journey.

My overall experience on The Norman Voyager was excellent and I would highly recommend Celtic Link Ferries to anybody travelling on this route.

Staff were friendly and helpful, the crossing to and from France was punctual and very comfortable, while the on-board facilities were top class.

Le Bistro Du Norman Restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner offers an excellent choice of food at a reasonable price, while also on offer are the state-ofthe-art facilities including The Shamrock Bar on Deck 5 and a cinema showing all the latest blockbuster movies.

The Seaside Lounge has comfortable leather reclining seats and large screen televisions.

Then there is the On-Waves Boutique and Gift Shop, situated opposite the reception area.

It’s heartening to see an Irish owned company offering such an excellent service and at very affordable prices, so well done to Celtic Link Ferries.

Celtic Link Ferries located in Rosslare Harbour is pleased to announce that you can now book for the 2011 season on the newest and fastest vessel travelling between Rosslare and Cherbourg, ‘The Norman Voyager’.

Tel: 00353 (0) 53 9162688 www.celticlinkferries.com

Other facilities on board the vessel include a Wi-Fi service and Game Zone.

36 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Text: Gerry Lane - glane@fleet.ie

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For more information Telephone 087 9141223 or 063 89910 Visit our website – www.campermakeovers.ie

EU Escapade

The Experience: Freewheelin’ in France & Siestas in Spain!

Overlooking Camping Los Mad

B

ryan and Rachella O’Donnell from Gorey, County Wexford have always harboured a desire to venture abroad in their campervan. Over three months last year the retired couple toured France and Spain covering 3,000 kilometres.

Despite a couple of hiccups, it proved to be a memorable experience. Here’s Bryan’s account of their travels.

“We always said we would travel in the Winter when we retired. That chance came last January when we made a trip to France and Spain in our 2002 Hymer, which we bought in 2007. We intended to use many of the ‘Aires de Service’ that are plentiful throughout France.

Temperatures were in the minus figures here at home and the ground was covered in snow. It was with some trepidation that we set off not knowing if we would make the ferry at Rosslare especially with all the ice and snow around. Thankfully we eventually got on board the Celtic Link ferry, Norman Voyager and set sail on 7 January.

the vehicle to see if we were over our permissible weight. We assured them that we were not, and they let us on our way.

At sunset we arrived at the Aire that we had chosen for the night at St. Brice en Coglais. We were sparing our gas as we were not able to refill on the Continent and didn’t know how much we might need for the trip. So, we took electricity at €2 an hour.

Waking at 7a.m. we decided to drive south past Nantes, Niort and Bordeaux all by motorway. Our Sat-Nav brought us to an Aire at Fourques Sur Garonne east of Bordeaux where we walked around the small village and the river-bank path beside a line of beautiful poplars.

Next day found us in Spain past snowcapped Pyrenees where we stayed in La

After a lovely cruise, which docked at Cherbourg some 18 hours later, we drove south towards Saint-Lo with snow covered fields on either side. My wife kept an eye on the thermometer in case it would drop below freezing. The snow disappeared after an hour. At the village of SaintJean-de-Daye, north of Saint-Lo, we were stopped by the Police. They examined 40 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Masia Campsite in Blanes on the coast, a very well run site. In the morning, our water would not stay in the hot water tank for some strange reason. We emptied and refilled it but it made no difference. We used an Internet Café to get information on Hymer main dealers and spoke to a lady in the City of Vic, some 40 miles inland. Although she said they could not look at our water problem as they were moving premises we persuaded her to have someone look at it at 9a.m. the following morning. After driving through fog, sunshine and twisted roads climbing to Vic, the mechanic diagnosed a faulty return valve on the line to the pump, replacing it within minutes. It cost €17.

Motoring south of Valencia we found Camping Monmar at Moncofa with a swimming pool and were lucky enough to meet some people from Wales who advised us of the ACSI Discount Card. The card, which comes with a book and map, enables you to stay for about €15 per night on their sites. We picked up the last book in the office campsite for €12 and stayed there for three nights.

On 23 January we found Camping Los Madriles, south of Cartagena. It had very good facilities including heated indoor and outdoor saltwater pools. Our nextdoor neighbour was from Australia and we met up with him later on a campsite near Malaga and again on another trip to Paris.

This makes our Continent seem small. We also discovered the local village, Isla Plana, with its friendly people and its church on an island and settled there for eight days.

El Pino Campsite

EU Escapade

The following day we arrived at Haro, south of Bilbao. The receptionist advised us to stay put as a storm was coming.

On taking their advice we explored the scenic old town renowned for its wines and architecture.

Next morning we left Haro and travelled down a steep gradient towards San Sebastian. We appreciated how accurate the advice was when we met up with an Irish couple from County Clare. They'd Text & Photos: Bryan O'Donnell

Torrox Street

had to tie their camper to a guardrail and still experienced it being lifted off the road by the wind during the night. The Police had also stopped the large trucks from driving that stretch of the N1 for safety reasons. That night we stayed in a beautifully landscaped campsite near Bayonne Du Lac. The next evening we parked at the Aire St Caprais de Blaye parking beside a small bollard as it was the only level part. As we moved out of our parking space in the morning we made a mess of the bumper after hitting the forgotten bollard. We repaired it temporarily with duct tape and went on our way. We had the bumper fixed properly in Ireland and the insurers covered the cost except for the excess.

Our next pleasant stop was at a farm Aire at Maisdon-sur-Sevre, at €4 a night. It was 14 miles south east of Nantes and we

Plaza de la Paz - Haro

Next day we drove further than planned beyond Burgos, which would give us an extra day along the route. We encountered a bumpy surface on the Auto Via from 150k south of Aranjuez which made the journey quite uncomfortable. The Auto Via is usually quite good and takes the place of the motorway in Spain in many areas.

We drove through the attractive old city of Aranjuez and under the archway in the city walls to the campsite near the river called Camping Internacional Aranjuez. It was quite wet from recent rains and they advised us to park on the tarmac.

The forgott en bollard at St Caprias

Sadly our time was up and we made our return journey through central Spain. We climbed into the Sierra Nevada, and stayed overnight at Santa Elena near Jaen, a wooded secluded site, where we observed the disused Bullring and chatted to a local Innkeeper. He was fed up with the rain, which we had experienced sporadically.

Later, we discovered that we had missed severe flooding 100km to the west of us in Cordoba.

Night View at Isla Plana campsite

Farm aire at Maisdon-sur-Sevre

Our most southerly point of our journey was at Camping El Pino in Torrox Costa, which is 40km north east of Malaga along the coast. Included on this facility were Internet and electricity connections and the beach was only 20 minutes walk away.

Stands to reason why we stayed for three and a half weeks! The terraced site was however difficult to navigate because of trees. One day, while emptying our grey water, we ripped the end off the awning.

It could have been worse; we could have breached the skin of the camper causing water ingress. The large urban centre of Torrox Costa was visited often with its many seafront restaurants and getting the bus to Malaga for €3.40 return gave us the chance to explore the shops. Torrox Pueblo, a quaint village perched on a high hill with its old square, church and magnificent views of sea and mountains was one of our favourite spots. Most nights the temperature averaged 12oC.

walked the vineyards and purchased their local Muscadet from the farm. Then we stocked up with wine for ourselves and relations at the Auchan supermarket in Cherbourg.

We reviewed the trip noting that we were out for seven weeks and covered 3,000 miles. Tolls, campsites, diesel and ferries cost €1,500 in total. We did not cost our food but it was cheaper in Spain than in Ireland. On average we ate out once a week, but between times we had lots of fresh fish, fruit and vegetables; a very healthy diet. Ironically enough we came back with a tank of gas as we mostly hooked up to electricity. Next time, we will be using our own gas heating while travelling abroad. All in all it was a very rewarding and informative trip encouraging us to try something similar next Winter.

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

41

Preview

Prepare for your perfect Summer holiday at The Boat &

N

othing beats a happy, memorable holiday. Imagine a warm evening, the sun is setting and you are sitting in a deckchair outside your caravan with a chilled glass of something. The children are playing and laughing in the fresh air, the birds are singing and the smell of freshly mown grass helps you to relax. The barbecue is lit and the smell of cooking gently teases your nostrils with the thought of food pleasures to come: is there a more heart warming testament to the “Great Outdoors Holiday”?

Over two thousand Caravan Club members and their families were surveyed this winter and asked to recollect their favourite sensory holiday experiences. The results show without a doubt, that the great outdoors and the freedom of the caravan/campervan holiday is a treat for all the senses.

SURVEY RESULTS: Top Sights: 1. Sunsets 2. Great Countryside views 3. Sea Views 4. Cows and sheep grazing in green fields 5. Groups of caravanners enjoying an evening drink Favourite Sounds: 1. Birdsong 2. Sizzling rashers at breakfast time 3. Laughter and children playing 4. Kettle boiling for that first cup of tea 5. Corks popping in the evening Evocative Smells: 1. Rashers and sausages cooking 2. Barbecues in the evening 3. Freshly mown grass and hay 4. Fresh, clean air 5. Salty sea air Classic Tastes: 1. Food cooked on the barbecue 2. A great cup of tea 3. Ice Cream 4. Fish and Chips 5. Locally brewed beer

TV personality and long standing member of The Caravan Club, Rowland Rivron, agrees that it is these sensuous experiences that really make a memorable holiday; “As a family we have enjoyed many great holiday breaks. For me, the sights, smells, sounds and tastes I experience on holiday stay with me and evoke memories of enjoying the great outdoors and the adventure of caravanning whenever I re-experience them!"

He added, "There is nothing better than a cold beer, while a steak sizzles on the barbecue and the children are playing in the fields on a balmy evening – total bliss!”

Caravanning holidays look set to continue to grow in popularity in 2011 after record numbers of bookings were taken by The Caravan Club when the lines opened for the new season.

These new survey results show that simple pleasures are the secret to a great holiday, and best of all, they don’t break the bank.

•

Call to the Caravan Club's stand at the Boat & Caravan Show at the NEC, Birmingham.

Stiffen Up Your Blooms With Vodka… And Viagra!

T

V gardener David Domoney tells all at the Boat & Caravan Show

Did you know that a tab of Viagra or a soluble aspirin in some wilting cut flowers will stiffen up blooms a treat? Or, that plants can benefit from being fed bananas, beer, vodka or even brillo pads?

42 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Expert TV gardener David Domoney tells all at the Gardening Showcase at this year’s Boat & Caravan Show at the NEC. Whether holidaying on a boat, caravan, motorhome or park home, David will be demonstrating how to care for your plants and flowers with unusual ‘feed’ as well as giving recycling and money saving hints and tips.

Preview

Caravan Show, 22-27 February 2011, NEC, Birmingham Top Car Manufacturers to Showcase @ Boat & Caravan Show 2011 • Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Volvo, Isuzu, Ŝkoda and Subaru on exhibit ‘One of the most successful events with consistently good lead results’ Mitsubishi

T

he UK’s biggest outdoor leisure event – The Boat & Caravan Show – taking place at the NEC, 22 – 27 February 2011, has attracted some of the world’s leading car manufacturers that will be showcasing their newest 2011 models.

Big names include Land Rover (Discovery and Freelander): Mitsubishi (Lancer, Pajero, Grandis, Outlander and Colt); Volvo (XC60 and XC90 SUV’s, XC70 and the sporty C30 SportsCoupe); Nissan (QASHQAI, Murano, X-Trail, Pathfinder); Ŝkoda (Superb Estate and Yeti); Isuzu (D-Max) and Subaru (Legacy and Forester Diesel).

CO2 emissions.

Recently voted the What Car? Best Manufacturer for 2010, Skoda UK will premiere the Ŝkoda Superb Estate – named Towcar of the Year 2011 by the Caravan Club. Visitors at the Boat & Caravan Show can also take a close look at the award winning Ŝkoda Yeti, voted Auto Express’ Car of the Year 2010 and Best Crossover Car of the Year 2010, and Top Gear’s Family Car of the Year 2009.

Volvo is debuting a selection of towing cars from the capable Volvo XC60 and XC90 SUV’s, XC70 All Wheel Drive Estate, all wheel drive estate, all-new V60 R-Design

and the economic V50 DRIVe which delivers just 99g CO2/kg. A Volvo expert will be on hand every day to answer any questions, give advice and provide practical towing information to visitors. Also, to help those less experienced or new to towing, a handy free pocket guide with all the basic towing information for each model and engine derivative will be available.

Nissan’s extensive range of 4x4 vehicles will be on display at the NEC entrance during the Boat & Caravan Show, including the X-TRAIL, Pathfinder and Navara. The New Nissan ‘crossover vehicle’ the QASHQAI + 2 will also be on display.

As one of the largest outdoor leisure events, the Boat & Caravan Show gives visitors the opportunity to see the latest in boats, tents, caravans, motorhomes, parkhomes, outdoor clothing and accessories whilst providing a great family day out.

Show visitors will be able to experience a live and dynamic demonstration of Land Rover’s patented Tow Assist technology on the multi-award winning Discovery 4.

All those attending the Boat & Caravan Show on 25th, 26th and 27th February will gain FREE entry to The Outdoor Leisure Show, the UK’s newest consumer Spring show, catering to individuals, groups and families who enjoy spending time in the great outdoors.

Mitsubishi Motors, which have been attending the Boat & Caravan Show for over ten years, will be presenting their award-winning L200 and revised Pajero with its increased towing capacity, power and torque, as well as reduced

Birmingham’s Boating Bonanza

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onsidered by the boating fraternity as the ‘friendly’ boat show, attracting thousands of visitors new to boating, The Boat & Caravan Show will be displaying over 250 boats in a dedicated Hall, sponsored by the British Marine Federation (BMF).

With boats to suit all budgets ranging from sports boats, rigid inflatables, sailing dinghies, jet bikes, river boats, canoes, kayaks, traditional narrow boats and offshore cruisers, the Hall’s centrepiece will be the Suzuki Power Pool - a must for all thrill-seekers!

The pool will feature sixteen boats including four Suzuki Beneteaus as well as ribs and fishers from exhibitors Ribcraft, Walton

Marine, Warrior Boats, Hockley Marine, Fairweather, Monarch Rib and Ash Marine.

Popular brands featured will include Ribcraft, Jeanneau, Marlin, Warrior Boats, Cabin, Solent Fisher, Monarch, and Fastfisher.

Additionally, the show includes the popular Inland Waterways area enabling visitors to step on board the finest canal boats and river cruisers and to learn more about the UK’s miles of inland waterways.

Exhibitors include The New & Used Boat Co, Oxfordshire Narrowboats and Sea Otter.

The leading brands of canoes and kayaks for kids and adults will also be on offer from Desperate Measures, Johnson Outdoors and Brookbank. Experts will be providing advice on how to get started in this enjoyable family activity or give it a try on the indoor

pool where free canoe and kayak sessions will be on offer.

Visitors will also find great boating holiday destinations in the UK and Europe, the opportunity to hire boats with special show deals and the chance to buy a whole range of accessories from chandlery and engines to wetsuits.

Andy Gibb, the Boat & Caravan Show’s Exhibition Director comments: “The show, now in its 50th year, has gained an enviable reputation of giving those new to boating a real flavour of the joys and advantages of owning a boat. It is so much more than a boating event as it celebrates everything positive about the Great Outdoors including the latest caravans, motorhomes, holiday homes, park homes and lodges.”

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

43

Campervanning 1 en :d i a e M oyag V

Setting out in the Ford Transit Dethleff Fortero

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ong, County Mayo famous for its 12th Century Cross, Ashford Castle and, of course, the primary setting for John Ford’s ‘Quiet Man’ movie is also an ideal location for a caravan or campervan holiday. Nestled behind the walls of Ashford Castle and near the shores of Lough Corrib is the Cong Caravan & Camping Park which was operated at that time by Gerry Collins and his wife Margaret. The facility is now owned by Martin Ruane. It was here that the Sweeney family recorded their maiden voyage on board their new 5-berth Ford Transit Dethleff Fortero 2.4 TDCi. Prior to settling into its new environment, a successful attempt was made to enter the imposing entrance gates of Ashford Castle to take in the atmosphere of the visiting Canonball Run. It did however take some persuasion to pass the security man on the gate as he strongly stated in the finest Dublin accent, “No campers allowed in here.” After spending an enjoyable and interesting time paying homage to one of the finest collection of luxury and performance cars in Ireland we drove round by the Abbey and over the Dry Canal Bridge to the townland of Lisloughrey and onto the Quay Road where a warm welcome from the Collins family awaited.

Honoured with ‘Best Maintained Park’ in the 2008 Failte Ireland/Irish Caravan & Camping Council Park Awards, Cong Caravan & Camping Park has 40 pitches spread over 1.2 hectares and is open all year round. During the Summer months BBQ stands are provided. Rates average from €23 to €30 for 2 adults and 2 children and one unit. Extra charges are levied at €1 for a shower to €5 to park a car.

which brought out a broad smile when seen by our two young boys. They spent hours there! For the adults there is the opportunity to view nightly showings of the ‘Quiet Man’ and ‘Un Taxi Mauve’ films.

There is also hostel accommodation, a small shop and a laundrette as well as a TV room and Internet services on site. The location is also a fisherman’s paradise with rods and boats available and a plentiful supply of lake and rivers nearby.

Underground streams, caves, towering forests, stone circles, cairns, castles, lake cruises and superb scenery ensure that the location is an ideal base for touring Connemara, Galway and Westport. That weekend a Regional Caravan and Camping Club had a gathering and I noted that Donagheys of Letterkenny had supplied the majority of the campervans parked up, four of them wearing 2010 registrations – including ours!

We got a nice sheltered pitch on the top tier of the split-level facility surrounded by well-trimmed spruce trees. Along by the tree trunks were a series of plug-ins but the water connections were across the way on the other side of the lane. Around by the main building is a big playground 44 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

The journey from home in Claremorris to Cong was indeed short compared to the long drive from Donagheys in Letterkenny, County Donegal the previous day. The handshake to finalise the deal was not done until a comprehensive demonstration by one of Donaghey’s salesmen was given.

Having the experience of using two other types of campervans over the Summer helped us to configure the right specification to meet our needs. One priority was that it had to have a double lounge. And with this German built Dethleff Fortero, the U-shaped seating area surrounding a large table (that collapses to provide the base for a rather large bed area) was perfect to give the lads their own playing area when required!

Dethleff coachwork was recommended to us by a number of experts and users, so we were happy to see this brand name on its body when first viewed. Another plus was that this 3.5 tonne GVW Transit had twin-wheels, which offers better stability when out on the open road. Although the twin gas cylinders infringe into the garage area, there is still ample space for storing everything. All in all, the marriage of the coachbuilder and commercial vehicle manufacturer is a tidy affair, although one has to be conscious of its width, the rear overhang and resulting overhang. Filling the water tanks and emptying the waste

Campervanning 1

water toilet tanks are conveniently placed for quick turn around.

Inside, the open space as one looks to the lounge area is inviting and with little adjustment in swivelling the driver and passenger seats around to the centre table, meal times or TV viewing are comfortable experiences. The 3 ring cooker, (that has a glass cover when not in use) with xpelair and the oven/grill caters for any cooking request, while the large fridge with separate deep freeze provides enough provision storage for long adventures. One has to admire the designers of these units as somehow they manage to fit so many deep but not intrusive storage areas.

A further example of this creativity is to be seen in the toilet area. When you open the door you have the toilet and wash-hand basin and some shelving in the corner.

Where’s the shower I hear you ask? Along by the left wall there’s a large button to press in which releases the back panel in full to reveal the shower unit. While ingenious, the standing area, is that of the toilet and washhand basin so having a shower with your flip flops is recommended. Ventilation around is excellent with a centre mounted sunroof and when required both warm and cool air can be circulated from the numerous floor mounted vents. This is operated by a simple to use set of switches, fitted to the wall in the back lounge. Mentioning that area or more appropriately that arena, there is enough space there for 8 people seating comfortably and with the table lowered and cushions re-positioned, 4 people could sleep soundly on it. For privacy, clip on curtains are provided for the front windscreen and side windows.

Our boys have the over-cab bed, as it’s

roomy, has its own window and best of all has a removable ladder to climb into the den.

A safety net is thankfully provided to prevent any serious injury when the wrestling matches start.

c) any other equipment or fittings as may be prescribed.”

For adde d comfort and convenience a number of extras were fitted before taking delivery.

One of the first things ordered was a full size spare wheel and tyre as with the modern day trend is that only a puncture repair kit is provided. That said item is one of my pet hates but more about that elsewhere! To free up garage space, a four-bike rack was installed as was an awning, which practically goes along the full length of the body. We got the 14” TV (with manually operated dish) which slots nicely into its own unit, while one of the driver’s aids fitted was a reversing camera – highly recommended.

Although, not a great barbeque fan, we did have a gas point fitted – bring on the sunny days!

Another important piece of administration to do is to sign and send on the Manufacturers Guarantee Form back to Dethleffs, as in this case the two-year warranty cover will not be honoured. Provided an annual inspection (through the dealer) is undertaken, Dethleffs cover against water ingress for up to 6 years.

When it came to the paperwork Donagheys had thankfully done most of the documentation so all that was required was the necessary signing of the Motorcaravan Declaration Form (to be obtained at your local Motor Tax Office) which has to be done before the vehicle can be taxed (at the Motorcaravan rate of €88 per annum). The new owner must confirm that the vehicle in question complies with the following description under the Local Government Act 1998 – “motor caravans, being vehicles which are shown to the satisfaction of the Revenue Commissioners to be designed, constructed or adapted to provide temporary living accommodation which has an interior height of not less than 1.8 metres when measured in such a manner as may be approved by the Revenue Commissioners and, in respect of which vehicles, such design, construction or adaptation incorporates the following permanently fitted equipment:a) a sink unit b) cooking equipment of not less than a hob with 2 rings or such other cooking equipment as may be prescribed and

Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - jarlath@fleet.ie

During that time also, negotiations with various insurance companies ensued. The deal was done with Dolmen Insurance Brokers, Dublin, which offered the best Comprehensive cover. Dolmen act on behalf of AXA Insurance Ltd. They also provide a policy document booklet, which advises on the actual cover and conditions.

General information such as what to do after an accident as well as the rules and regulations of driving in Spain.

Back to the vehicle and how it drives. The trip down to Mayo from the tip of Donegal gave us an immediate insight. Power from the 2.4 litre TDCi was impressive with plenty of torque to climb steep hills. Wind noise was minimal even though the wing mirrors stretch out a bit to cover along the bodywork, which extends out from the original width of the Transit Cab. A well ratioed 6-speed gearbox ensures that the engine unit is never laboured. And as previously stated, its overall handling is very steady, mainly thanks to the twin-rear wheels.

As our time aboard this new holiday home increases over the next number of months, we will have a progress report in the Summer edition of Caravan Cruise Ireland.

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

45

Campervanning 2

HYMER EXSIS-i 562 –

The Compact A-Class Motorhome

A

-Class vehicles are widely regarded as the ultimate in motorhomes, their purposebuilt from-the-ground-up designs offering the greatest flexibility and fewest restrictions when it comes to layout options.

The problem for many people that would otherwise be tempted by this type of motorhome is the majority tend to be of the larger variety. Many require upgraded licences to drive, and their size and lack of maneuverability can put off potential customers.

This is where the Hymer EXSIS-i family of motorhomes will appeal. The most compact range of A-Class vehicles offered by the leading German manufacturer, crucially all three models in the range weigh in under 3.5 tonnes, meaning they can be driven on a regular driving licence.

Donaghey Motorhomes of Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland’s sole distributors of Hymer vehicles kindly supplied our test vehicle, a late 2008 EXSIS-i 562 model. With just under 7,000 miles on the clock, it was as new, without a sign of wear and tear.

The 562 is the largest of the EXSIS-I range, measuring 6.73 metres in length and 2.14 metres wide (the smaller 482 and 512 models are 5.71 and 6.14 metres long respectively). It is a 4/5 berth motorhome, with fixed twin beds at the rear, and a drop-down double bed over the driving compartment. The table can be inverted to create a fifth sleeping area if needed.

Externally the EXSIS-i bears a close family resemblance to the larger A-Class motorhomes in the Hymer family, looking very much like a sized down S-Class. Indeed other than the Ford logo on the wheels there is little to identify that the Hymer has a Ford Transit flat floorplan chassis underpinning it.

One fault we would note on right hand drive models is that with no off-side passenger door, the only access points to the vehicle are from the right side of the vehicle via the driver or cabin doors. It raises a concern about access in an accident or even if the vehicle is blocked in on the driver’s side. It’s a problem that doesn’t arise on left hand drive models where the driver’s door is on the opposite side to the cabin door. It’s also worth noting that this is a far from unique problem to Hymer motorhomes.

Climb into the driving seat and if you have driven a Ford Transit, the layout will be familiar, if, thanks to the generous use of wood-effect finishing, somewhat more opulent than the average load-lugging work-horse. The five-speed gearbox linked to the front wheel driven engine is column mounted and doesn’t impact access to the cabin – a criticism of earlier Transit models used as a basis for motorhomes. A reversing camera is located to the driver’s right side

On the right hand side of the vehicle are the driver, cabin and storage space access doors, with the fuel tank, fresh water and waste container access points all on the left side. Large mirrors combined with the generous glass area provide for excellent all-round visibility.

46 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

– a useful addition considering the Hymer has a reasonable rear overhang.

Power comes from a 2.2 litre TDCi diesel engine developing 130 PS. It delivers plenty of power on the move, making it easy to keep up with traffic, or to overtake slow moving vehicles without drama. On the downside, we found that it had a tendency to stall easily on take-off, requiring a healthy (if amateurish sounding) dollop of revs to ensure get-away. With 310 Nm of torque available this is more down to the engine management set-up than any lack of power, something that has largely been addressed with the introduction of the new 140PS engine on more recent models.

On the road we found the Hymer handled with assurance, proving agile and easy to pilot even on narrow and twisty roads.

Equally on poorly surfaced roads there were impressively few rattles from behind in the living quarters, proof of the quality of build in the vehicle.

Campervanning 2

not included which does limit the amount of in-situ cooking options available.

Opposite is the well designed bathroom featuring a sink unit that opens out to close off the toilet and create a comfortable shower space. At the rear of the passenger area is a fixed twin bed area that can also be converted into a generously proportioned double bed.

Interior Layout The living quarters of the EXSIS-I 562 had to be accessed from the cabin or directly from outside via the dedicated door. On opening the door, three switches can be reached from the outside, one to lower the door step, one for the emergency lights which come on even if the van isn’t hooked up to auxiliary power, and another for the main lights.

A twin seat bench (complete with seat-belts) and table are offset to the right as you enter with another seat on the right of the vehicle.

The two driving seats swivel around to form a seating/dining area for up to five people.

A television is mounted above the right hand seat. Above the driving area is a spring mounted double bed which is clipped onto the roof when not in use.

Immediately to the left of the door is the kitchen area comprising a sink and a two-ring gas stove. Underneath are storage cupboards and a fridge with freezer compartment. As is often the case with European built motorhomes rather more so than UK models, an oven and/or grill is

There is plenty of storage space available, in particular two large compartments under the sleeping area, while overhead cupboards and shelves will meet the needs of most families. There is also a useful boot (garage) compartment large enough to accommodate bicycles while the spare wheel can be easily accessed from within.

On the downside, the slightly narrower width of this motorhome compared to most A-Class models (the 562 loses 21 cm in width compared to the next up in size) means the interior space can feel slightly cramped with a number of people on board. Although it can in theory sleep up to five, we feel this vehicle would be best suited to a couple with perhaps one or two small children, rather than a full sized growing family.

Conclusion If you are in the market for a compact yet reasonably spacious motorhome, the Hymer EXSIS-I 562 should definitely be on your shortlist of vehicles to check out. It is a well designed and solidly put together unit that feels it can put up with years of wear and tear and still come up smiling. On-road manners are excellent, and most drivers will find the Hymer easy to manoeuver even in built-up areas. If size alone was what was putting you off looking for an A-Class motorhome, this could be the vehicle for you.

Text & Photos: Cathal Doyle - cathal@fleet.ie

Hymer EXSIS-i 562 As Tested:(supplied by Donaghey Motorhomes)

2008 Ford Transit Hymer Exsis-i 562 - 5 Berth Year

2008

Mileage

6908mls

Engine

2.2TDCI

Steering

RHD

Length/Width

6.73/2.14mts

Transmission

Manual

Specifications Include: 3 Ring Hob Cassette Toilet/Swivel Seat/ Electronic Shower 3-Way Fridge Water Heater Blow Air Heating EH Heating Cab Air-Conditioning CD/Radio TV TV Aerial TV Bracket Radio Speakers in living area 2 Extra Seat belts in rear 2 Swivel Seats Cab Upholstery Same as Living Area ABS Drivers Airbag/ Passenger Airbag Power Steering Pull Down Bed Loose Fitting Carpet Large Sunroof Wood Effect in Cab Dark Wood Electric Windows Blinds Fly Screens Cruise Control 3 Single Beds Ibiza Trim Fly Screen Door Heated Mirrors Electric Electric Step Colour Coded Front Bumper Rear View Camera Awning Awning Light Exterior Access Door to Storage locker

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

47

Sleepovers Teapot Lane – Camping but not as you know it!

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beaches, is pet friendly, has BBQ facilities and two self-catering kitchens, it is yuppicamping at its best!

estling under the gigantic shadow of Ben Bulben, Teapot Lane Luxury Camp has made the headlines far and wide from interviews on RTE Radio 1’s ‘Mind Your Business’ to being voted among Europe’s top 10 luxury campsites

by The Observer newspaper.

Rates range from €160 for a two night weekend stay for 2-3 people. Prices include fuel for the stove, tea/coffee, home made salad dressings and condiments.

Holistic therapies are also provided if desired.

Following a growing trend that has taken off in the UK and Continental Europe, Glam Camping (Glamping) has come to North West Ireland! With 3 Yurts – luxury hand crafted tents with king sized beds and pot-bellied stoves – on the vast site that also features two beautifully restored 19th century cottages and acres of woodland. And being located within a couple of miles of four stunning sandy

Situated in Tawney, North Leitrim, Teapot Lane offers a unique holiday experience.

Less than 10 minutes from Bundoran, County Donegal it started out as a dream of simple country living that has realised into a luxury eco-retreat.

Apres Ski with Wicked Campers!

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icked Campers (www. wickedcampers.co.uk) is now of fering a budget snow special to Spain’s southernmost ski resort, Granada, where visitors can easily hit the coast of nearby Costa del Sol on the same day. Prices for van hire, hostel accommodation, ski pass and equipment hire start from as little as €147 per person, based on two nights.

one driver (over 25) that includes 24-hour roadside assistance. Flights are not included.

Granada is just 2 hours drive from Malaga and as Spain’s top location for winter sports, the Sierra Nevada offers the best snow and the longest season in the country. Better still, with its close proximity to the coast, Wicked Campers can ski in the morning and sunbathe on the beach in the afternoon on the same day. The season runs from December through to April.

The price is based on five people sharing a multi-seater van over three days from Malaga with insurance for

Bunk Campers provide the ideal Self-Drive holiday

C

ame across Bunk Campers while looking up what facilities were available for campervans/caravans at the annual Electric Picnic Festival.

Belfast based Bunk Campers offer budget campervan rental from its Belfast Headquarters and Dublin depot. Owned and run by Keith and Louise – two serious campervan enthusiasts, they got their inspiration to establish the company from various trips to Australia and New Zealand.

Set up in 2007, Bunk Campers now offer a selection of modern, bright and compact 2 and 4 berth campers, professionally converted and built to suit Irish road and weather conditions!

first-timers has rental rates from €60 per day (low season). Then there’s the 4-berth Ranger and Vista, which have the added comforts of a WC and shower, rates from €85 in the low season.

More details on www.bunkcampers.com.

The 2-berth Roadie Campervan, ideal for 48 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Text: Jarlath Sweeney - jarlath@fleet.ie

Awards 1

Mannix Point Caravan & Camping Park named 'Park of the Year'

A Mannix Point, County Kerry - Park of the Year 2010

t the annual Irish Caravan & Camping Council Awards held in Dublin, Mannix Point Caravan & Camping Park, Cahirciveen was named Park of the Year 2010. Two other overnight facility providers in Kerry also won Awards – Woodlands Park, Tralee was named Best Inland Park and Glenross Caravan & Camping Park, Glenbeigh was named Best Coastal Park. Glenross was last year’s Park of the Year Award winner.

The Awards presented in conjunction with Failte Ireland to registered Irish Caravan & Camping Parks in Ireland, are consumer orientated with visitors completing an online survey rating their holiday in Ireland and their stay in any of the 100 registered parks.

Approximately 2,500 visitors were surveyed from June to October.

This is the sixth year in a row that a Park from Kerry has won the award. Previous winners include Glenross in 2009, Mannix Point in 2008, Fleming’s White Bridge in 2006 and 2007 and Woodlands, Tralee in 2005.

Nore Valley, County Kilkenny – Best Environmentally Friendly Park

Belleek Park, County Mayo – Best Maintained

Ballinacourty House, County Tipperary – Best Family Friendly Park

Mr. Jimmy Deenihan, T.D. presented the awards on the night. Other award winners included; Ballinacourty House, County Tipperary – Best Family Friendly Park, Glen of Aherlow, County Tipperary – Best Welcome, Belleek Park, County Mayo – Best Maintained and Nore Valley, County Kilkenny – Best Environmentally Friendly Park.

Motorhomes to exactly match your needs

We supply and fit a full range of accessories for all our motorhomes. We are Irish agents for Reimo and Movera Motorhomes Accessories and guarantee the highest quality products. Cara Motor Homes offer a full selection of motor homes available for rental.

• Annual habitation check and service • Accessory supply and fitting/repair • Fully equipped workshop We are agents for the following;

Cara Motorhomes - For Sales, Service and Rentals Ballywilliam, Rathkeale, Co. Limerick

Tel: +353 (0)69 64400 Fax: +353 (0)69 63937 Email: info@caramotorhomes.ie Web: www.caramotorhomes.ie Mark Fielding, IBEC; Niamh Darcy, Irish Caravan & Camping Council and Tony Lenehen, Failte Ireland

Photo Credits: Tracey Cripps and Niamh Darcy

Office Opening Times: Tuesday - Saturday 9.30am - 6pm Open late evenings & Sundays by appointment

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

49

Mobile Homing

MOBILE HOMES – Express that Freedom!

I

n recent years owning a mobile home in Ireland has become fashionable for many families looking for a coastal retreat. Kenneally Caravans based in Cork City is one of the premier suppliers of new and used mobile homes to the East, South and Southwest of Ireland.

The Key word to owning your own mobile home is “FREEDOM”. The freedom to choose your location. The freedom to come and go as many times as you want between 6-8 months of the year. The freedom to do what you want, when you want to do it on your family holidays.

Here in Ireland we have many excellent well run Holiday Parks, situated in stunning parts of the country. From the East to the West coast we have fabulous walks, great beaches and wonderful restaurants. We cannot guarantee the weather here but mobile homes have the option of double glazing and central heating to keep you ‘as snug as a bug in a rug’.

There are many brands of mobile homes and the market leaders in both the UK

These pleasures just cannot be experienced on an annual holiday abroad.

Let’s face it, we all would like and need more than a couple of weeks holiday a year. We live in stressful times and to be able to just get away from that phone, breath fresh air and totally relax even for a weekend is a must for today’s living.

When you own your own mobile holiday home, it is just that. A second home, a place you can keep your personal belongings and make it your home from home. A sanctuary you can retreat to with or without family and friends. A place you could recoup to after an illness or spend more time in after you retire. A safe place you can take your children and grandchildren to.

50 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

and Ireland are Willerby and BK. To view both of these extensive ranges visit us at Kenneally Caravans. We supply mobile homes to many exclusive holiday parks throughout Munster and Leinster and would be more than happy to assist and advise anyone enquiring about mobile homes in these areas. In this tough economic climate every Euro counts and therefore you need the sound advice from experts who have your best interest at heart. Kenneally’s can guide you

Mobile Homing

through the steps of purchasing a holiday home allowing you the opportunity to have family memories you will treasure forever.

Five Key Points that a Dealer will help you with: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Choosing a location. Your dealer will have an extensive knowledge of the Parks in your area, travel distance and facilities on and around the Parks. Do you want peace and quiet or lots of activities for your children?

They will discuss the size of home that will suit you and meet your family’s needs.

Most dealers will have on their books a good selection of second hand mobile homes as well as new.

Therefore your budget needs will be met.

Insurance. They will either have an affiliation with or can advise you where to get good insurance cover.

Peace of mind is paramount.

A dealer will always be on the end of the phone to help you with any maintenance queries or general enquiries.

For friendly advice please do not hesitate to contact Kenneally Caravans on Telephone 021-4542478 Main Bandon Road, Bishopstown, Cork. Web address www.kenneallyholidayhomes.ie Happy Holidays! www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

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Launch Pad 1

Cyril Johnston Leisure launches Bentley Motorhomes in Ireland

O

ne of Ireland’s best-known motorhome dealers is launching a brand new range of motorhomes to the Irish market. Belfast based Cyril Johnston Leisure already has many satisfied customers as the sole Irish agent for the popular Chausson Motorhomes brand, as well as offering an extensive selection of used motorhomes. Now the company is offering customers further choice with the addition of Yorkshire based Bentley Motorhomes to its lineup.

It may be a new brand, but the people behind Bentley Motorhomes have years of experience in the trade, having previously manufactured the Autocruise Motorhome prior to that company being taken over by the Swift Group in 2007. Now founders Gordon and Richard Bentley and John Cockburn are back with a new range of slimline campervans that aim to provide the space and comfort of a standard coach-built motorhome within

the footprint of a panel van.

Built on a Renault Tr af ic chassis , the two berth Artisan range of slimline coachbuilt motorhomes come in three different model layouts – Ochre, Indigo, Cobalt – and are specifically designed to go places that other motorhomes won’t fit. Thanks to a width of just 6’10” (2075mm), the Artisan family is ideal for negotiating narrow country lanes and crowded urban areas, and will easily fit in most driveways. “The Bentley has a narrow cab, but with straight walls there is no compromise on interior space,” says David Johnston, Cyril Johnston Leisure.

Cyril Johnston Leisure is part of Cyril Johnston & Co. Ltd which has sixty years of business behind it. As well as motorhomes, the company is a major agent for marine equipment as well as lawn and garden products, amenity materials, loaders and all-terrain vehicles.

A Winning

Combination

W NE CHAUSSON & BENTLEY MOTORHOMES >> > Used Motorhomes >> Service Facilities Available >> Finance Options Available >> Experienced Technicians Onsite

>> Part Exchange Considered

Ballynahinch Rd, Carryduff, Belfast, BT8 8DJ Tel: +44 (0)28 9081 3121 Fax: +44 (0)28 9081 2131 Web: www.cyriljohnston.co.uk E-mail: sales@cyriljohnston.co.uk

52 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Text: Cathal Doyle - cathal@fleet.ie

PAT HORAN MOTORS LTD. THE CAMPER CENTRE OF IRELAND QUALITY NEW AND USED CAMPERS AGLISH,BORRISOKANE, CO. TIPPERARY, IRELAND.

All our campers are sold retail with full warranty.

We will always trade them back.

Phone: 067 21123 Mob: 087 2557348 www.pathoranmotors.com

NOW FRANKIA DEALER FOR IRELAND NOW ELDDIS DEALER FOR IRELAND

NEW FOR 2011

THE MATRIX

THE CORAL

THE SPORT

FOR UP-TO-DATE DETAILS ON OUR STOCK CHECK OUT OUR NEW LOOK WEB SITE WWW.PATHORANMOTORS.COM

Mike Brown Caravans & Mobile Homes New & Used • Mobile Homes • Motorhomes • Tourers Swift Distributor 2011 models on display

NEW ADVENTURE ACTIVITY CENTRE OPENING IN 2011 - 10% DISCOUNT FOR CAMPERS ONLY! FAMILY CAMPERS’ SPECIAL: 3 NIGHTS CAMPING + ANNUAL FAMILY PIRATE PASS FOR €265! info@westporthouse.ie www.WestportHouse.ie 098 27766.

00 s r 1 ome e v ‘O ile H ck’ b to Mo in s

Telephone: 045 874446 Contact Gerard: 086 8220730

Johnstown, Naas, County Kildare. (just off Exit 8 on the N7) Web: www.mikebrowncaravans.com Email: mikebrowncaravans@eircom.net

Attractions Dalkey Castle, County Dublin Explore, Examine, Experience are the three words that best describe the tourist attraction that is Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre situated South of Dublin City on the coast road near Dun Laoghaire.

Visitors are invited to a Living History Theatre Performance which runs every half hour 6 days a week. This features either Medieval or Tudor characters depending on the season. You will hear about The Archer who guards the Castle; the Barber Surgeon who keeps all trimmed or the Cook's delicious recipes.

A guided walk can also be included in the package, which reveals the stories behind Dalkey’s streetscape and ancient history. For those with a literary interest Flann O’Brien, Hugh Leonard, Maeve Binchy all have links to the area.

Opening Times: Open six days a week, all year (closed every Tuesday).

Admission: €6 Adult, €5 Concession. €4 Child, €16 Family. Living History performance included in Admission price.

Fota Wildlife Park, County Cork Safari in the South – that’s Fota Wildlife Park in Carrigtwohill, County Cork. Set on 70 acres on the beautiful Fota Island in the heart of Cork Harbour, the Park cannot be compared to an ordinary zoo as here one can come face-to-face with free roaming animals and birds from all over the World. Each visit is sure to bring its own fantastic memories.

Facilities on-site include a tour-train, children’s play area and activity camps, 4x4 safari plus picnic area and toilets. Ample parking for caravans and motorhomes charged at €3. Admission prices range from €13.50 (adults) to €9 for children over 2 years of age. Family ticket @ €56.00 covers 2 adults and 4 children.

Fota Wildlife Park is run by the Zoological Society of Ireland and is a non-profit organisation that has charitable status. Check out www.fotawildlife.ie 54 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

See page 69 for a chance to win Family Tickets to Fota Wildlife Park Text: Jarlath Sweeney - jarlath@fleet.ie

Attractions Cliffs of Moher The Cliffs of Moher was nominated as Ireland’s New 7 Wonders of Nature 2011. With an exciting new Interpretive Centre and revised arrangements for coach parking, 2011 promises to be the best ever year for one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions. The Cliffs are 214m high and stretch for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the Western Seaboard of County Clare.

Atlantic Edge is the name of the new Visitor Experience, which is sunken into the contours of the land and covered by the grass hillside. Outside over 600 metres of pathway and viewing platforms along the cliff edge allow the visitor to enjoy a spectacular and healthy cliff walk. Caravans and campervans can be accommodated for day visits in the car park across the road from the main entrance. Prices start from €6 for adults. Children (under 16) are free. Further information on www.cliffsofmoher.ie

Kylemore Abbey, County Galway Probably one of the most featured scenic photographs from the West of Ireland used worldwide is Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Gardens to give this historic place its full title, was once a thriving boarding school for girls run by the Benedictine nuns.

Built by Mitchell Henry for his wife Margaret, and completed in the late 1800’s, it also features a stunning Gothic Church, Walled Gardens and a hydro-electric generator, which has been in operation since 1890!

Visitors can walk around the magnificent woodlands or gardens or take a look at the restored rooms of the Abbey. To relax, the tearooms, café and craft shop are well worth a visit.

Tickets can be purchased on line at www.kylemoretourism.ie

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

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Attractions Trinity College Library, Dublin Ireland’s largest library is situated at Trinity College, Dublin and dates back to 1592. Today over 5 million printed volumes reflect over 400 years of academic development. It’s most famous manuscript The Book of Kells attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

An official student-guided walking tour of the historic campus of Trinity College is also available. The tour operates on a scheduled basis daily from mid-May to the end of September. Priced at €10 it includes admission to the Old Library and The Book of Kells exhibition.

Other attractions include the Science Gallery, the Douglas Hyde Gallery, which displays Irish and International contemporary art and the Samuel Beckett Theatre. More details on www. bookofkells.ie

Westport House Adventure Activity Centre There are more reasons than ever to take your camper or caravan West this year with the opening of a new attraction at Westport House in County Mayo.

A brand new Adventure Activity Centre will offer a range of attractions for all ages. Activities include on-land entertainments such as laser clay pigeon shooting, archery, and orienteering, while for the nautically minded, the lake in the grounds plays host to paddle boarding, kayaking and learning sailing basics. More adventurous types can sample laser combat, shooting down a 270 metre Zip Wire, or Zorbing – rolling down a hill in an orb, the latest craze from New Zealand.

That’s all in addition to the established Pirate Adventure Park which offers a host of family oriented activities including Thrills 'n' Chills rides, Swan Pedalo Boats, the Westport House Express, Pitch 'n' Putt, tennis, table-tennis and fishing, and a Pirates Playground. There are also a number of special events taking place during the year including an Easter Sunday Egg Hunt.

For those looking to learn more about the beautiful 18th Century Westport House, two new tours will take place daily during high season, the first a family-friendly guide aimed at children which explores the history of pirates and the connection between Grace O’Malley and Westport House. The second tour provides a history of the main characters of the Browne family, owners of the house.

Long a favourite with campers, Westport House Caravan & Camping Park is an ideal location for exploring the beautiful West with attractions such as Connemara, the Aran Islands and Achill, all within easily accessible distance. Fully equipped, the camp-site is continually being developed with a new on-site shop for 2011, while WiFi is now available to visitors.

Cathal Doyle 56 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Waterways 1 Waterways Ireland and the Future of Europe’s Inland Waterways 50 European waterway professionals to Ireland’s inland waterways and will include workshops, master classes and a site visit.

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aterways Ireland will host the fourth Waterways Forward Interregional Meeting in September 2011. Waterways Forward brings together 17 partner organisations from 11 EU countries plus Norway and Serbia led by Stichting Recreatietoervaart Nederland (Dutch Recreational Waterways Foundation) to work co-operatively on issues around inland waterway management and development.

The two day event will introduce over

Waterways Forward is a European Union INTERREG IVC programme. It aims to improve the management of regional inland waterway corridors for recreational boating and amenity use through an integrated, sustainable and participatory approach, taking account of the multi-functional role of our waterways.

Previous meetings were held in the Netherlands and Italy with the 3rd Interregional meeting organised in Spain on 19 to 21 January 2011.

The project began in 2010 with the development of a regional analysis in each partner area in relation to the themes of Governance and Environment & Climate Change. This work has now been completed and the results of the analyses are being brought together in a Synthesis Report, which will inform how the Thematic Groups organise their work in the next two years of the project. The €2.8m project runs from 2010 – 2012. Waterways Ireland was involved in the preparation of the funding application and the approved implementation plan and is actively involved in its delivery.

Grand Canal Dredging Continues

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April 2010.

ater ways Ireland has recommenced further dredging of the Grand Canal in inner city Dublin in January and continues to the end of April. The work is necessary to keep the canal navigable for a large range of boats and follows on from previous dredging completed in Winter 2009/10. To facilitate this operation the Grand Canal will be closed to navigation during that period between Lock C4, Circular Line (Baggot St.), and Lock 1, Main Line (Suir Rd.).

The dredging will involve the removal of sediment deposits from the central navigation channel of the canals and the clearance of rubbish. Traffic Management Plans agreed with Dublin City Council, have been designed to keep disruption to a minimum. Cleaning the Grand Canal

The work will involve the use of excavating machinery working within the canal property.

An engineer will be in attendance full time for the duration of the contract to ensure that issues which arise are dealt with in a prompt and efficient manner. He can be contacted on Tel +353 (0)87 177 8563.

will be carried out from Lock 4 (Mespil Rd/ Baggot St.) to the turning circle at Portobello Harbour (Rathmines Rd.), while dredging from Grand Canal Basin to Lock 4 was carried out between November 2009 and

Extensive discussions have taken place with National Parks and Wildlife Service on measures to minimise the impact of these essential maintenance works on the sensitive habitats established within the canals. All material removed from the canals will be transported to licensed disposal facilities.

Smooth Flow on the Grand Canal

T

he water supply feeding the Grand Canal from the Milltown Supply has been restored to full flow, following recent maintenance works by Waterways Ireland. Sections of bank in a 1.5 km stretch of the supply from the Hangman’s Arch Bridge, Milltown, to the source of the water in Pollardstown Fen had sunk over the years. Bushes and trees growing in the banks also hindered the flow of the water impairing the effectiveness of Waterways Ireland weed cutting machinery.

Repairs to the bank, including increasing the bank height in certain areas were core to the maintenance scheme, as was the removal of overhanging trees and 58

National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Environment was undertaken before, during and after the works.

Access to the bank has now been restored for walking and fishermen alike.

bushes. The clay material for the bank repairs was brought by a muck barge to the affected areas and placed in position on the bank by a hydraulic machine. The Milltown Supply is a SAC (Special Area Of Conservation) and consultation with the

CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Over the Winter, Waterways Ireland once again implemented a maintenance programme on the Barrow Navigation and Barrow Line of the Grand Canal.

These include dredging approximately 2.5kms of the canal above Glenaree Lock, clearing of the track way from Ardreigh Lock to Levitstown Lock (4kms) and trackway repairs from Clashganna Lock to Ballykeenan Lock.

Waterways 1 Upgrading Work on Shannon Navigation at Knockvicar

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aterways Ireland, as part of a planned pro gramme of improvement works, has installed a floating Weir Boom across the weir at Clarendon Lock, Knockvicar on the Shannon Navigation.

Installing the 20m boom was initiated with assembly of the boom off-site in Rooskey. In early December, the drilling for the piles was facilitated by floating a piling rig to the site on pontoons. Piles are required to hold the Weir Boom in place.

The boom was then floated to the site and secured in place. The works cost approximately â‚Ź55,000.

lock gate replacement and upgraded lockhouse facilities, which have been completed by Waterways Ireland in recent years.

Installation of the boom improves the amenity at Knockvicar in addition to

The Weir Boom is a preventative measure installed by Waterways Ireland to protect boaters and their craft from being drawn over the weir. Space has been left to allow for the passage of canoeists. There will be no environmental impacts on fish or other wildlife from the installation or operation of the Weir Boom.

Waterways Ireland offers Engineering Insights

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aterways Ireland hosted a series of site visits on the 16 February, on Ireland’s navigable waterways as part of Engineers Week 2011. A total of eight site visits were arranged on the Erne System, Grand Canal, Lower Bann, Royal Canal, Shannon Navigation and ShannonErne Waterway.

Engineers Week was a week long programme of nationwide events to celebrate the world of engineering in Ireland. It proved to be an ideal opportunity to highlight the range of

work undertaken by the engineering staff of Waterways Ireland. Waterways Ireland employs civil and mechanical engineers and technicians on a range of projects on all seven navigations managed by the organisation.

Projects included navigation operation, maintenance and development, structural design, project m a n a g e m e nt , fleet management, development and maintenance of electrohydraulically operated lock gates and accompanying a smart card system and much more.

Site visits involved a visit to a project that is underway or has been recently completed for a visit. Led by the Senior Engineer, who currently is, or has managed the project, the visit included a tour of the site and explanations of the background to the development of the navigable waterway and the impact the engineering works will make.

Works at Shannon Harbour Continue Despite Weather Conditions

T

he freezing weather conditions in December and the resultant freeze of the harbour have caused only a minimal delay to the completion of the demolition works at the Trans-Shipment Shed at Shannon Harbour.

Plans to remove the steel stanchions from the harbour bed had to be abandoned until the ice had cleared and contractors could safely access the stanchions

with underwater cutting equipment.

Originally due to finish Christmas week, demolition works are now complete and the contractors have taken delivery of the replacement pressed metal cladding for the adjoining shed this week. The removal of the shed will free the harbour of navigation obstructions and provide increased mooring spaces for boat users in the area.

The removal of the asbestos panels from the adjoining shed will also eliminate any potential health and safety risks posed by the dilapidated cladding panels. When the project is complete it will enhance the area and give a fresher look to the harbour side.

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

59

Waterways 2

Interview with Sarah Singleton, Brand Manager, Emerald Star & Le Boat with Gerry Murphy

W

GM: The tourist industry has been highlighted as one of the most important sectors for Ireland’s recovery from recession.

Is Emerald Star involved in any discussions or plans to expand tourism in your specialist area?

SS: No, but we do work closely with Waterways Ireland and Failte Ireland by keeping an eye on what they are doing and supporting them in whatever way we can. We work closely with all the tourism bodies to make the most of any websites, campaigns etc. We attend the Dublin Holiday World Show where we help out and keep a presence there each year.

ith an increasing emphasis on holidaying at home, cruising the Shannon-Erne waterways remains one of the key cornerstones of the tourist industry in the North West, the West, Midlands and the Mid West of Ireland. Emerald Star, the biggest boat hire operation on the ShannonErne waterways is offering customers from home and abroad much more for 2011.

Sarah Singleton is the Brand Manager for Emerald Star and sister company Le Boat and she recently spoke with Gerry Murphy on what’s on offer this season on Ireland’s longest river.

increasingly popular in Ireland and we will be concentrating more and more on them.

GM: We all know that 2010 was a difficult year, have you any special deals for 2011?

GM: What are the demographics of your customers base in Ireland?

SS: Recognising that it is difficult at the moment, we are concentrating on shorter breaks and helping people get away. For customers who don’t want the cost of a full week’s holiday we offer great deals on short breaks. There will also have many more short-break offers throughout the year. These types of holidays are

SS: Generally boating holidays in Ireland are taken up by Irish people but we do see other nationalities coming to Ireland particularly British and Germans. German people love coming to Ireland for their fishing and boating holidays but generally Ireland is loved most by the Irish themselves and the British.

GM: How have bookings been so far for 2011?

SS: Thankfully, they’re looking really good at the moment. We track our booking yearon-year to see what is working better. This year we can already see that short breaks are proving popular. We are aware that the economy is in such a bad state but people still want to have a holiday which we can provide.

GM: Are boating holidays on the Shannon very much standard or is there any other development with the opening of other canals?

SS: Our standard packages which we offer are generally seven, ten or 14 day breaks on the various boats. They remain the same.

We have over 60 different types of boats in our fleet on the Shannon at one time. There are various sizes in the fleet from 2-berth to much larger so there is something there to suit whatever the size of the group and to suit every pocket or every budget.

GM: Have the number of boats increased or decreased in recent years?

SS: The number of boats in Ireland have come down in recent times. What we do is look at where we have the biggest demand from year to year and we move boats in and out of an area depending on that demand. But with 60 boats in Ireland we still have the largest fleet of boats of any of our destinations, so we have and still have plenty of boats available.

GM: I hear that you have a number of new boats coming on stream in other areas; will some of these eventually come to Ireland?

SS: Possibly yes. We do have a new range of boats that we are launching this year.

These are the LeBoat 1500 Series. These are primarily much larger boats suitable for the waters of Italy, France and Germany where the waterways are much wider and better able to take this type of boat. This is start of whole new program for a new fleet and we will be looking to improve the fleet in all our locations over the years to come.

We continue to upgrade the fleet though.

As boats get older we remove them and sell them. We have an ongoing boat sales

60 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Waterways 2

program so that if you want to buy a boat we may have something to suit. So as we remove older boats including these from Ireland we replenish our fleet with new boats.

GM: What are the major costs for customers?

SS: There is obviously the cost of hiring the boat itself for up to ten people or a little as two. On top of that you have fuel costs just as you would if you hire a car and insurance so that if there is damage done to the boat that is covered.

GM: Are you optimistic about the year ahead for Emerald Star in Ireland?

SS: Yes, we are always looking to encourage new people to try out boating in Ireland and that’s why we are going to the Dublin Holiday World Show again this year. We will be doing a number of discount and special offers throughout the year to help people try boating for the first time. We work with the ferry companies, the airline companies and every route that we can find to attract people on to the rivers and lakes of Ireland and we are very hopeful that this year will be a good year for that.

vineyards and the gastronomic Languedoc countryside, so if people do have the budget to spend and they want to go on holidays with us we can offer them plenty of choice in Europe on www.leboat.net. But we also find that when Irish people do go boating in Europe, when they meet other boating enthusiasts they are the brilliant ambassadors for the Irish waterways and for influencing people to come on boating holidays in Ireland.

GM: What is the relationship between Le Boat and Emerald Star?

SS: Le Boat is a sister company. We are all part of TUI Travel PLC and as Emerald Star is such a strong brand in Ireland we still operate in Ireland as Emerald Star. It is now affiliated with Le Boat.

GM: Does that mean that it is easier to book a holiday on the Shannon through Le Boat and Emerald Star?

SS: We still have the Emerald Star website, www.emeraldstar.ie but customers outside Ireland who would like to have the same type of holiday can also book through www. leboat.net or customers can book a holiday

in Europe or the UK through that website too. We are all part of the same family.

Emerald Star has three bases on the ShannonErne waterways. Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrim, the gateway to both the north and south Shannon cruising region, is a major boating centre and thriving town.

Its old-fashioned narrow streets, diversity of shops and traditional Irish nightlife make this a perfect place to start your holiday.

From Portumna in County Galway, travellers can enjoy the delights of Lough Derg, one of Ireland’s finest lakes. Easy access to Lough Ree and the entire Shannon waterway is also possible. Portumna’s broad streets and majestic parades of shops and houses are an obvious reminder of the town’s Georgian past.

The County of Cavan, it is said, has 365 lakes, one for every day of the year and Belturbet is perfectly placed to cruise just some of this myriad of waterways. Belturbet is also well served by bars and restaurants, while golf, walking tours and fishing are popular activities that are well catered for. Further north, Upper Lough Erne offers clear waters and impressive scenery, dotted with many islands, coves and inlets.

GM: Are you also trying to attract Irish people to go on boating holidays abroad?

SS: Definitely. Irish people who go on boating holidays abroad tend to go to the South of France to an area called the Canal du Midi which takes you on a wonderful journey through the heart of the Text: Gerry Murphy - gerrym@fleet.ie

www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

61

Awards 2

Skoda Superb secures hat-trick of wins at The Caravan Club Tow Car of the Year Awards 2011 was really interesting to see which towcars were the best and what their capabilities were,” commented Graham (pictured).

“U

nbeatable,” that’s the general opinion of the judging panel when announcing The Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI as the Caravan Club’s Tow Car of the Year 2011 Awards.

The 28th annual running of this competition analysed the performance levels of 35 entrants in a variety of situations and their practicality as a caravanning family car.

Held, as in previous years, at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, Class wins were secured by the Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI, Fiat Doblò 2.0 MultiJet, Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI, Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI and Mercedes-Benz L350 CDI Estate, while the Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 DID and the Range Rover Sport TDV6 won the All-Wheel-Drive categories.

“The Superb is fast becoming something of a Caravan Club Towcar of the Year legend, this being its third overall win.

In Estate form, Superb adds yet another

This year the 35 cars were divided into five price classes and two All-Wheel-Drive categories (under 1800 kgs and over 1800 kgs); on the basis that anyone thinking about buying a new car for towing will first consider their budget.

The competing cars were scrutineered to make sure they conformed to the exact specification declared on the entry documentation. Track tests, using six expert drivers, assessed each car’s towing ability as well as acceleration, braking and the ability to cope with demanding hill starts. Another team of four ‘caravanability’ judges made a careful assessment of each entrant’s usability in terms of everyday caravanning. For example, would it carry a set of awning poles and does one have to get on their hands and knees to connect the caravan electrics?

Special guest, former downhill skier and Ski Sunday and Winter Olympics TV presenter, Graham Bell, attended the testing regime at Millbrook and then presented the Class awards to representatives from the winning manufactures at the Awards ceremony.

“It was great to see how thoroughly the cars were put through their paces and tested at Millbrook. It’s been fun to be involved with the Competition; caravans are familiar sights at sporting events so it

All caravans used during testing were supplied by Bailey of Bristol and loaded to 85% of the relevant car’s kerbweight. Noseweights were set at the car manufacturer’s recommended limit, 5-7% of the caravan’s running weight or the maximum stipulated weight for the caravan coupling head, whichever was lowest. An Al-Ko representative ensured that the brakes were adjusted, wheels were kept tight and that all undergear properly fitted.

string to its already well-strung bow, to bring even greater versatility to its excellent performance and dynamic abilities,” stated Grenville Chamberlain, Caravan Club Chairman.

The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year 2011 - Skoda Superb Estate Elegance 2.0 TDI Steps off the line with vigour, its light, forgiving clutch is smoothing for any driver bungling to let the gearshift pass through its gate at the flick of a finger.

Up steep hills and down steep dales the car never gives cause for concern – it goes where it’s aimed and obediently stays there.

Agile, fun, satisfying. A very worthy winner. It was one of the most closely fought Classes in recent memory, with the Ford Mondeo Estate snapping at the Superb’s towbar!

62 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Awards 2 The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year 2011 – Class Winners: Judges’ Comments:-

Fiat Doblò 2.0 MultiJet From a lively standing start the Doblò’s performance felt strong with good stability. The judges had a good time threading the Doblò around the hill route. It stopped and pulled away on the hill well, too. The compact MPV easily swallows a full load making it ideal for caravanners.

Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI The Skoda Fabia Elegance boasts impressive pulling power from rest, and it hardly twitched on Millbrook’s high-speed ‘Bowl’ below 75 mph. On the demanding hill route its steering was quick, accurate and placed the outfit just where it was aimed.

Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2 Di-D Styling is unmistakably SUV, and encompasses a nicely-appointed and practical interior. It pulls away smartly with a set of smooth shifts. Perfect for caravanners, there is space to spare for any caravanning gear, very generous noseweight and no movement at all when hitched. Truly a nicely-rounded package.

Text: Rob Van Dieten - rob@fleet.ie

Volkswagen Golf Match 2.0 TDI On the hill circuit last year’s champion, the Golf cut through the hairpins and off-camber downhill bends like it was on a rollercoaster’s rails. The ride manages to be controlled yet compliant in just about the right amounts, while steering is well weighted, nicely geared and accurate. A slick gearshift and smoothlyengaging clutch combines with an efficient handbrake to make hill stops and starts additional plus points.

Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI Estate Very impressive. The E350 makes short work of the hill route and even rocketed up the hills that stunted most other competitors.

Conveniently, the Mercedes-Benz has a knob in the boot that makes the towbar magically appear when turned – brilliant.

Uniquely, the socket sits in the neck of the towball for unrivalled ease of connectivity. Add an electrically-operated tailgate, cavernous storage potential, 84kg noseweight and cracking towing data, and the E-Class is a more-than-deserving class winner.

Range Rover Sport TDV6 How do you persuade over 2.5-tonnes of 4x4, plus caravan, to perform like a sports grand tourer? Answer: 3.0-litres of pokey diesel mated to a pretty handy six-speed auto box and some useful suspension trickery, not forgetting 4WD by the 4WD experts.

The Range Rover made pimples of hills it stopped and drove off again, just as it would on the flat. Highly commendable. www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

63

Launch Pad 2

Hamburg is well worth a visit … especially in a Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo!

Hamburg, ranked amongst the most beautiful cities in the heart of Europe evolved from Hammaburg, which was founded in the 9th century between the Rivers Alster and Elbe, and it quickly developed into an important trading centre.

The Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo Campervan is based on the long-wheel base Viano with a front-opening pop-up roof.

F

or the International Press launch of the new Mercedes-Benz Vito and Viano light commercial and passenger transport vehicles, the German city of Hamburg and its surroundings was chosen for the diverse test drives. From the buzzing Elbe metropolis to the idyllic Outer Alster Lake District to the elegant Blankense Villa there is plenty to do and see in the ‘Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg’. And what better way to take it all in is with the Viano Marco Polo campervan.

Developed alongside the recently revised Mercedes-Benz Vito and Viano with collaboration from conversion specialists Westfalia, the Viano Marco Polo also benefits from a number of new features.

Manufactured in left-hand drive form initially, the established layout incorporating a generously sized kitchenette and cupboard unit on the left (in the direction of travel) has been retained. Its unique movable seating system featuring electrically adjustable individual seats (together with inflatable side bolsters) along with new surface finishes and trims, bring a quality feel and appearance to this new generation of the compact campervan from MercedesBenz.

On the model driven the 3.0 V6 CDI, the optional wood flooring, similar to that of luxury yachts, not only enhances the rear of the recreational vehicle but is also hardwearing, easy-to-clean and requires little care. The bright and energy efficient LED lamps in the living area which replaces the previous fluorescent lamps, illuminate the interior quicker while the bed extension, which forms a head section over the luggage

area can now be raised in stages with the aid of a strap and a support. A second reading lamp now comes as standard on the units fitted with the optional roof bed.

In the driver’s area, the gear lever and switchgear have been changed and an additional 12v socket installed. A lockable valuables compartment is now also included.

The V6 Euro 5 engine in the 3.0 CDI version produces 224hp and 440Nm of torque in BlueEfficiency form, features an ECO start/ stop function, battery management, tyres with less rolling-resistance and gear shift indicator that all combine to reduce fuel consumption. However, for the best return try the new generation 2.2 CDI 4 cylinder in-line unit, with the 163hp power option mated to a newly developed 6-speed manual gearbox.

New Marco Polo impresses with a completely new chassis concept. The new chassis defines a new standard in-ride comfort and driving safety in its class. On the journey over to Segelverein Wedel Sailing Club for the picturesque photo-shoot everything about the combined Mercedes-Benz/ Westfalia effort is top class. We also took in a trip to Falkenstein Nature Reserve in the Blankenese region where you will also find the Falkenstein Doll Museum along with beautiful views over the Elbe.

Just 10 minutes from the A7 motorway Bahrenfeld exit, golf fans will delight in one of the most challenging courses in Germany. With the future of Westfalia secure following the takeover from the administration by the French Rapido Group, Caravan Cruise Ireland looks forward to spending more time in the Marco Polo during the Summer.

64 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

In a charter signed by Emperor Barbarossa in 1189, the city was granted the privilege of levying customs duties on the Elbe and the ‘Stapelrecht’, the right to put logs transported on the river up for sale there. In 1510 it became a Free Imperial City. Thanks to its seaport with easy access to the North Sea, Hamburg also quickly assumed an important role in the medieval Hanseatic League. Both these roles are reflected to this day in the name: Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

Covering an area of 755 km2 with a population of 1.7 million, the green Elbe metropolis is the most populated city in Germany after Berlin and ranks as one of the most important industrial areas in the country. Around 13,000 sea ships from all over the world sail into the second-largest container Port in the world. It is not without reason that the City, approximately 100 km from the North Sea coast, has been given the epithet ‘Gateway to the World’. It is a transportation and trading hub and the most significant location for foreign trade in the Federal Republic of Germany.

However, the Hanseatic City does not only rate as an economic region. The city state also attaches great importance to art and culture. Hamburg is the thirdlargest centre for musicals after New York and London and its numerous theatres, museums and art galleries, its state opera house and a colourful club scene makes it a sheer cultural delight.

Hamburg’s inhabitants love the atmosphere of the big City and the maritime flair of their town, characterised by an abundance of lakes, rivers and canals. The 2,500 bridges extending over the waterways of the metropolis make it the City with the greatest number of bridges in Europe. Moreover, the numerous parks and gardens entice its citizens to unwind, while thousands of tourists are attracted to a multitude of sights and the distinctive attitude towards life in the far North.

Text: Rob Van Dieten - rob@fleet.ie

BOD Vehicle Support Services

Block 526 Grants Hill, Greenogue Bs. Pk., Rathcoole, Co. Dublin, Ireland Tel: 01 429 7600 Fax: 01 429 7640 Email: info@bodvss.ie

• Official Fiat Motorhome/Campervan repair and maintenance service providers for Ireland

• Largest Fiat Commercial Dealership in Ireland • Check our website for special price deals in Fiat Commercial Sales • Now available very competitively priced parts for all makes of Commercial Vehicles • Sole Irish distributor for Iveco Aftersales: Nationwide coverage • 24/7 Emergency support: Call – 087 2554970

www.bodvss.ie

67 MOIRA ROAD | HILLSBOROUGH | CO.DOWN

TEL: 028 9268 2220 • FINANCE • ACCESSORIES • REPAIRS

• SALES • HIRE • SERVICE

www.savillemotorhomes.com

Launch Pad 3 Bailey Pegasus II: Coming to a Show near you!

T

he arrival of the second generation Pegasus models feature designs that incorporate the existing strengths of their predecessors, whilst at the same time enhancing both the desirability and affordability of this award-winning range.

Available in a choice of popular layouts, all models are constructed with the technically advanced Alu-Tech body shell which is insulated to Grade III classification of EN1645-I, allowing all year round use, and coming with a market-leading 10-Year integrity guarantee to provide owners with long term peace of mind.

Inside, Italian styled furniture in contemporary new Bailey ‘walnut’ wood veneer, combines with a choice of two

All of which makes the new Pegasus the complete caravan and one which, thanks to the Bailey trademark value for money package, is now available for considerably less than you might think.

A full web site containing everything you need to know about the new model range, including 360 degree product tours of each of the five layouts, goes live on 18 February at www.baileypegasus-s2.co.uk luxurious Belgian fabric soft furnishing options, supplied with a full complement of bolster and scatter cushions, to give interiors the ultimate blend of style and comfort. Models are extremely well specified and come packed with the home comforts owners will need for a relaxing and enjoyable holiday.

This stylish new range will debut at the Boat and Caravan Show (Stands 5130 & 5120, Hall 5) Tuesday 22 / Sunday 27 February.

Display models will be arriving on Retailer sites shortly afterwards.

EzyBoat @Boot Duesseldorf 2011

B

oot Duesseldorf 2011, Europe’s largest consumer boat show was enriched with the premiere of the EzyBoat. The British manufactured folding 4.4m fibreglass craft was one of the highlights in Hall 10.

With the EzyBoat there is no need to separate the trailer from the boat. The wheels can be retracted into the boat with a simple push of a lever once the craft is afloat. What’s more, the EzyBoat folds in half, making it very easy to tow behind any size car and easy to store in a garage or parking space.

Demonstrations of its functionality and easy operation were offered to everyone who was curious to find out more. EzyBoat Ltd has recently teamed up with Yamaha Motor UK to market the boat across the British Isles. The Dorset based firm is in the process of building up its dealer network and welcomes enquiries from interested retailers as well as international distributors,

attract new entrants into the boating world, and at the same time it offers a fantastic alternative for existing boaters.

Suddenly anyone can own a boat without having to worry about storage space and costs, about having to tow a big trailer, or about a complicated launch procedure.”

whether they are already active in the marine business yet or not.

The boats are built on the South Coast of England near Poole, using the highest quality fibreglass and stainless steel components. With considerable production capacity available the boats can be built and delivered with minimal lead time.

EzyBoat’s CEO Sascha Giest explains: “The EzyBoat aims to break down barriers and

Weighing just 250kg the EzyBoat is a light but strong and spacious craft and can carry up to 4 adults. With a choice of outboard engines up to 25hp it can be used as a motor boat for fishing and cruising. In addition, adding the optional sailing kit the same EzyBoat turns into an easy to use but well performing sailing dinghy. Thanks to the integration of the trailer into the boat it takes less than 5 minutes to launch it. All metalwork is well protected to enable its use in salt water.

See www.ezyboat.com for more information.

New Sats from Aertec

A

automatic satellite system. It can be set up in a few minutes without any tools and comes complete with all cables and a protective storage bag.

Camos CSA 10 Plus is a low cost portable

The fully automatic Camos CSA 1450S is for use when parked and is fully enclosed giving wind and weather protection. An extended coverage area is provided thanks to its fully automatic skew adjustment by GPS. This is the first Dome dish to feature automatic skew

ertec, the Trim, County Meath based specialists in mobile entertainment for mobile people, is one of Ireland’s leading suppliers and installers of a wide variety of Satellite, TV and Audio systems for the leisure and commercial markets since the early 1990’s. For the 2011 season, Aertec introduces some exciting new products from Camos and Oyster.

66 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

adjustment.

Sat Dome 50 This new range of products is from Oyster, the leaders in mobile satellite reception. Models will be available for Caravans, Motorhomes and Boats.

Aertec can be contacted at info@aertec. net or phone 046 9450546

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email: info@abbey-caravans.com View our stock online @ www.abbey-caravans.com

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MOAT FARM

RIVERSDALE

North Beach

Barge Holidays

Caravan & Camping Park

Caravan & Camping Park

Ballinamore Co. Leitrim

Donard, County Wicklow.

North Beach, Rush, Co. Dublin

ICC/Fáilte Ireland Award 2009 Best Maintained Park

Tel: 071 9644122 Email: info@riversdalebargeholidays.com www.riversdalebargeholidays.com • Riversdale Barge Holidays.

• Boat Building.

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• Farm Guesthouse & Leisure Centre at base.

Tel. 045 404727 Fax: 045 404727 e-mail: moatfarm@ireland.com • TRANQUIL RURAL SETTING • ONE MINUTE STROLL FROM VILLAGE • IDEAL FOR RELAXING OR BASE FOR TOURING • WELCOMING AND UNSPOILED BY INTRUSIVE COMMERCIALISATION • EASY REACH OF DUBLIN & ROSSLARE Little Gem for the discerning Caravaner & Camper

Carrowkeel

Nagles Doolin Camping & Caravan Park

Camping & Caravan Park Ballyvary Castlebar Co. Mayo

www.carrowkeelpark.ie mail@carrowkeelpark.ie Tel: 094-9031 264

Doolin, Co. Clare

Pitches: 99 Area: 4 Hectares

BELLEEK PARK CARAVAN AND CAMPING BALLINA, CO. MAYO.

OPEN: 1 April - 30 September No. of pitches: 64 Area: 4.5 acres

Adare

Camping & Caravan Park Adare, Co. Limerick Prop: Hugh & Marie Doherty Tel: 061 395376 / 087 2791525

Tel: 065 7074458 Email: ken@doolincamping.com Web: www.doolincamping.com

Open: 11th March - 15th October

Tel: +353 (0)1 8437131 e-mail: info@northbeach.ie www.northbeach.ie

email: dohertycampingadare@eircom.net

www.adarecamping.com

OPEN:: 1st Apr - 30th Sept Pre-book Oct - Mar For a relaxing holiday in the heart of Co. Mayo.

Ideally located for touring, walking, cycling & fishing Clubhouse with regular music sessions (in high season)

DINGLE, CO. KERRY

CAMPING & CARAVAN PARK Campail Teach an Aragail Gallarus, G Ga all all llar aru uss, B Ba Baile aiille le na na n nGall, Gall Ga ll, Dingle, Ding Di ngle le, C Co Co. o. Kerr K Ke Kerry errry

4 Star Award Winning Touring Park.

Tel: 06 066 0 66 9155143 91 9 15514 55143 55 14 43 / 086 086 8191942 08 81 8 19 91 194 942 Email: info iinfo@dingleactivities.ie in nfo fo@d @din ngl gle ea ac cttiv tiv ivit vit itie ess..iie e Web: w www.dingleactivities.ie ww..d ww diin ng gllea eact ctiv ivit itiie itie es. s.ie ie

Apartments and Mobile Homes for rent.

Only 10 Min outside of Dingle Town.

Kids Free During Off Peak Months. t

Tel. 096 71533 e-mail: lenahan@belleekpark.com www.belleekpark.com

Take Ta T ake ke tthe he R he R559 55 55 59 9 tto oB Baile aaiile le aan n FFh Fheirtearaigh, heeiirt rteea ara ara raig igh, h, FFollow ollllo o ow ssigns si ig gn ns for for Ca fo C aamp mp m paaiil Teach Teaac Te Teac cch h an an A raagga raga ail il C amp am piing ng.

Campail Aragail Camping.

Lo L oca cati cati tion on 3 00m from 00 ffrro om mG aalllaru laru la rus O Or raatto orryy..

Location 300m Gallarus Oratory.

G.P.S: N N52 52 5 2 10.383’ 10.3 10 383 83’ W 83’ W10 10 1 0 2 21.348’ 1..34 1 348 8’’ OPEN: A April prriill 1 p 1st sstt - SSept ept 2 ep 20 20th 0 0th th Pitches: 4 th 42 2

Caravan & Tents for hire.

No. of pitches: 28 Area: 2 Hectares o o GPS N52.5386 W8.79277

Keel Sandybanks Caravan & Camping Park Keel, Achill Island, Co. Mayo.

Ideal base for a relaxing break. Located on a 3 mile blue flag beach. Pubs, shops, restaurants all within walking distance.

How to Find us:

Camac Valley Tourist Caravan & Camping Park Green G Gr ree een en IIs Isle sle le L Link in in nk kR Rd Rd, d, Na N Naas a aa as a sR Rd, d,, D d Dublin ubli ub liin n 22 22

Dublin’s Dub Du D ub ubli llin in in’s n’’s s Premier Pre Pr P rre emi mie mie ier Camping ier Cam ampin amp ing ng Site ng Siitte S e situated sit si s iittu uat ua a atte ed d jus jjust ju ust 2 us 25 5m minutes inu iin nu n utte tes es e s fr ffrom rom om th the th he ec ci city ity ty c ce cen centre e en ntre tre re wi w with itth hP Pub Pu Public ub ubl ubllic liiic c Transport Trrra T Transp Tra ansp ns n sp sport orrrtt a o att ou o our ur d door....113 oo oor oo orr.. ......1 ... ..11 1 11 13 h hard ard a ar rd rd stand stta st sta and nd pitches pit p ittche ch c hes and he and nd connections, co con c o on nn nec ne e ec cttio tiio ion ns ns, s, s, grass gra g gr ra ras ss s camping ca c cam a am mp piiin pin ng areas, arre rea ea ea as, s, Children’s s, Chi Ch Chi hilld ldr dre dr en’ en n n’’s Playground Pla P la ay yg ygr grro g oun ou un un nd d and a an nd n d within wiiitth wit w hiiin hin n easy eas ea sy y reach re rea re ea eac ac ch h of Clondalkin and Tallaght Town of C Cl Clo llonda nda nd dalki lk kiin a k nd Ta nd Tal T alllag a la la ag ght ht T Tow To ow o wn Centres.

Cen C Ce en e ntre tres. tr rre es s..

t. +353 1 4640644 reservations@camacvalley.com www.camacvalley.com 68 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

Tel: 098 43211 Web: www.achillcamping.com Email: info@achillcamping.com Open 22 April to 13 Sept.

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Ballybrittas Motorhomes Ballybrittas, Portlaoise, Co. Laois.

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MOTORHOMES • USED • PARTS

• RENTALS • SERVICE

Tel: 057 8626479 Email: patkeoghcarsales@eircom.net Web: www.ballybrittasmotorhomes.ie

Buckleys ys Caravans y St. Josephs Ro Road oad Mallow Co. Cork

Tel: 022 22157 7 Fax: 022 43364 64 Email: info@buckleyscaravans.ie Web: www.buckleyscaravans.ie

Open Tue - Sat 10 - 5 • Fully stocked accessories shop • New & Used Caravans in stock

Irish distributors for Bailey & Adria Caravans

Carra

Caravan & Camping Park Belcarra, Castlebar, Co.Mayo.

• Secluded village campsite.

• Supermarket, delicatessen, pubs, pre-booked evening meals (200m).

• Trad. sessions “Flukies” Fridays. Bring an instrument!

• Castlebar (8km) • Campervans €14.

• GPS 53o47’59” N 9o12’58” W

Tel: +353 (0) 94 9032054 Web: www.horsedrawncaravan.com

The first choice for your second home

P. Duggan Caravans Sales Hire Transport

PDC

For Sale Large Selection of quality new and used 2,3 bedroom 10ft and 12ft wide, mobile homes and static caravans.

Central Heating & Double Glazing All leading makes available.

Tel: 0044 2887 758430 Mob: 0044 7831 176511 www.pduggancaravans.com 116 Aughnagar Road, Cappagh, Dungannon, BT70 2PP

Bann Caravans Scarva Road, Banbridge, County Down.

Tel: 048 40669020 / 079200 16634 email: sales@banncaravans.co.uk web: www.banncaravans.co.uk

COMPETITION TIME...COMPETITION TIME...COMPETITION TIME Win Family Tickets to Fota Wildlife Park Fota Wildlife Park is set on 70 acres on the scenic Fota Island in the heart of Cork Harbour only 15 minutes from Cork City (top 10 in the best cities to visit in the Lonely Planet guide’s ‘Best in Travel 2010’).

The Park is not like an ordinary Zoo; here you can come face to face with free roaming animals and birds from all parts of the World. So whether it’s a kangaroo that hops in front of you or a ring tailed lemur which jumps down from a tree, each visit is sure to bring its own fantastic memories.

Caravan Cruise Ireland Magazine in association with Fota Wildlife Park is giving away two Family Passes (2 Adults & 2 Children – children under 3 free of charge). All you have to do is send your name, address, telephone number and email address to info@ caravancruise.ie and you could be the winner of one of two prizes worth €44 each. www.caravancruise.ie | SPRING 2011

69

Open View

So much for ‘the customer is always right’

T

here we were, coming down from Donegal on the N15 in our campervan when we came upon a fellow camper stranded on the side of the road with a puncture. He had tried to use the liquid based repair kit provided but to no avail. As it was raining heavily and late in the afternoon I suggested we call the AA Roadside Rescue Service.

Being a full member (on the double) for decades, I never had to use the service until then and thankfully so as the ‘service’ was not up to the mark. Upon calling the 1800 number and outlining the details, the receptionist said that a local recovery service provider would be along inside 30 minutes.

In the meantime we took off the studs on the flat wheel but failed to get the wheel off. It was firmly stuck. Then came along three men in a Toyota HiAce Van belonging to a local tyre centre. Collectively they looked at the wheel and said, “We don’t have a replacement wheel for that.” Having brought with them two spare wheels – one 16”, the other 17” which made no sense as we had told the AA that the wheels fitted to this camper were 18”. As the rain continued to pour down, the anguish on the face of my fellow camper was plain to be seen, especially when he heard the next comment from the leader of the three. “That’s it,” he said, “there is no more we can do for you.”

“What do you mean?” I replied. “Well,” he said, “it’s not a mechanical breakdown, the fact that your man has no spare wheel

is his problem, not mine.” “What about the Roadside Rescue?” I asked. Again he was direct in reply, “we only get €56 from the AA for this callout, so it does not cover a roadside recovery service.” “That’s unbelievable,” said my new friend as the anguish turned to annoyance. “So you are going to leave us here in the middle of nowhere.” Silence for a while. “OK, so,” he said. “You, follow me to the Tyre Centre and we will try and repair the puncture.”

We agreed. Before then the wheel had to come off and with brute force aided by a thick plank, ‘the boys’ released the wheel as both of us cringed with the unnecessary damage to the beautiful alloy wheel. That issue took some explaining to the vehicle supplier later. So I followed ‘the boys’ to the local Tyre Centre, paid €10 to get two bungs put in to seal the hole (caused by a nail) as the first attempt failed. No offer was made to return to the scene to put the wheel back on by the AA contracted team.

We did it ourselves and gladly got back on the road (after a quick change of clothes as we were soaked to the skin).

A few days passed and emails of complaint were sent to the AA. A representative of the company replied to state he was appalled at the way we were treated and would investigate the matter. Two weeks later, he phoned to totally contradict my recording of what happened. He began by saying that their customer satisfaction record is very high and did not believe that this was the way we responded to with the appointed/

authorised call-out service provider. He denied that the Recovery Service was not offered and that the wheel was damaged by us – we don’t carry 2ft x 6” planks in our campers everyday! Furthermore, he mentioned that the refitting of the wheel onto the camper was also offered.

What was most annoying was that this AA representative had the audacity to say that my Membership Card was complimentary, but I put him straight that it came with the business package that I have with my credit card. Whether I pay them directly or not, I am a member and should not have been treated in this way. So much ‘for the customer always being right’!

AA Roadside Rescue costs €116 per year, with Rescue Plus an additional €70. According to its spokesperson, the Automobile Association handle on average 140,000 roadside rescues per year. Its policy is to prevent a tow-in as 80% of the fault repairs are fixed on the spot. The Rescue Plus Policy ensures that members are never stranded and that is covered in a number of ways: recovery vehicle, replacement car, overnight accommodation/alternative transport expenses. None of the latter was offered to us at any time.

So the advice is check what your membership covers before being left in the lurch in the middle of nowhere.

Motorway Service Stations set the standard

W

e had to wait quite a while due to political wranglings before we got Service Stations on some of our motorway networks. The new one on the M6/M4, has been visited by us on numerous occasions. Notice that the Burger King section always has a queue of 3-6 people while the open A-Café has a smoother flow of customers obviously preferring the speed of the waiter and self-service areas. Their 9-piece all-day breakfast with complimentary Irish Times @ €8.95 is good value. Across the way is the Costa Coffee Shop where a 2-price policy exists – it’s more expensive to eat in than take-away – up to 60c each on a coffee and muffin for example. Hopefully, there is nothing to stop you from taking the cheaper paper cup option and still have it in the seating area or does a

Lounge versus Bar scenario exist?

Run by Applegreen but built in association with Pierce Construction (now in receivership) and Top Fuels, I hear that their diesel sales have exceeded all expectations (despite its high price), which keeps the Retail Shop also on site very busy.

Couldn’t help but smile when witnessing members of our older generation looking for the hand towels in the toilets. There’s only the Dyson type driers that you put your hands into, which hadn’t been noticed by our senior folk. Just put a sign up to explain please.

Finally for us campers there’s no

70 CARAVAN CRUISE IRELAND | SPRING 2011

dedicated parking with plug-ins (for a quick charge-up while there) although gas cylinders will be in stock soon.

Still, these facilities take the boredom out of driving the motorways!

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