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2023 Premier Parks collection announced
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Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary in 2023, the highquality campsites group, Premier Parks, has revealed the 100 premium campsites that will make up the collection for next season.
The group was set up by the Caravan and MMM magazine teams to provide readers with a choice of the best campsites across the UK and Northern Ireland. Each Premier Park is inspected by a team member to ensure visitors can enjoy campsites offering top facilities and great pitches in popular locations. The group offers everything from large holiday parks with every facility, to adults-only hideaways and coastal havens.
During the selection process, factors taken into account include a great location, a neat and tidy site and facilities of a high standard. The overall ‘feel’ of the site and whether it would be recommended is also considered.
The full list of the 100 Premier Parks for the 2023 season can be viewed now W premier-parks.co.uk
Caravan and motorhome manufacturer, Bailey of Bristol, is celebrating its diamond anniversary this year.
In 1947, Martin Bailey built his first caravan from his garage, selling it for £200 at the Ashton Gate market. A year later, he founded F G Bailey Ltd, which developed rapidly through the 1950s, eventually moving to its present site at South Liberty Lane in 1960.
In 1977, the company was purchased by brothers, Patrick and Stephen Howard, and Bailey Caravans Ltd has remained under the Howard family’s ownership ever since.
Today, the manufacturer sits firmly as one of the UK’s favourite caravan brands, accounting for one in three new caravan sales, and in 2011 also entered the motorhome market, as well as expanding into new export markets as far afield as New Zealand and South Korea.
Bailey says the key to its 75-year success – and its group annual turnover of more than £130 million – is the people who work there – the manufacturer employs over 500 local people across its three Bristol sites, and many have worked for Bailey for a long time (the average length of service, according to the manufacturer, is 10 years).
In an effort to provide a clear path for career progression and retain its talented staff, Bailey recently made a number of positive changes for its employees, including the introduction of a new grading structure for its Operations Team and improvements to its employee benefits package, including full maternity pay for 24 weeks. Bailey Managing Director, Nick Howard, says, “We are tremendously proud to be the UK’s longest established leisure vehicle manufacturer and would like to thank everybody in the extended ‘Bailey family,’ which includes our customers, retailers, supplier partners and, of course, our employees, for the part they have played in making us the nation’s favourite leisure vehicle brand”.
B a i l e y c e l e b r a t e s 7 5 y e a r s
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CONTENTS
August 2022
ocking out in cornwall
welsh weekender wild in wiltshir
20 28
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Buying Yor First Caravan 2022
QUESTIONS & answers Our expert Lee Davey is here to help, so if you’re left scratching your head, drop him a line
wonky woes
QDoes my fridge need to be level to work? I've seen several people mention this on social media, and. although it's been OK each time we've been away in the caravan, I'm concerned that it'll fail to work on a future trip.
ACaravan fridges like to be level when used on gas. As a general rule, the fridge should be OK if the caravan feels level when sitting in the lounge or sleeping on the bed(s). That said, a spirit level only costs a few pounds (or a spirit level app can be found on the App Store for free) and will remove any doubt. It will ensure that sinks and shower trays drain correctly. As a side note, it's a good idea to run the fridge on gas periodically to ensure the system works before relying on it during an offgrid trip.
safe and secure
QWe've just bought a caravan, and I wondered if you could recommend any security products to keep it safe?
AThe first security requirements to consider are those specified by your insurance company. These are usually, but not always, a hitch lock and a wheel clamp. Once the caravan is secured as per insurance requirements, other products, such as corner steady locks, intruder alarms, and tracking devices, are available. Recent tracker success stories include a caravan that was recovered in 90 minutes, and, although I'm not sure which tracker was fitted to that particular caravan, Phantom is a favourite within the industry. Costs can soon add up and it may be worth exploring tracking devices if you have an expensive caravan. When purchasing security products, approved products usually attract insurance discounts, and, although they can be pricier, the cost will be worth it.
bewildered by bungee cords
QThis could be the strangest question you've ever received, but I wondered what the bungee cords on my Wastemaster are for?
AFear not; this isn't a strange question at all, as the bungee cords have bewildered many people! They hold your toilet cassette in place, making transporting it to the chemical disposal point easier. Before wheels and extendable handles were fitted to toilet cassettes, many caravanners could be seen taking the cassette and the Wastemaster to the relevant emptying points.
got a query?
Our expert team is happy to answer your questions whether they relate to touring or towing, DIY or disasters! Whatever it is that's been causing you bother or making you scratch your head, we are on hand to help!
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Email your tech questions and pictures to caravan@warnersgroup.co.uk or, if you prefer to post, write to QUESTIONS & ANSWERS, Caravan Magazine, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH
on or off?
QI'm getting confused with our caravan's gas system. I'm trying to pinpoint why gas isn't reaching the cooker, and I wondered if the gas taps (pictured) are on or off?
AThe gas taps in the photo are all on. Is gas reaching the fridge and heater? If not, the regulator is a fairly common component to fail and will stop gas from reaching every gas-powered appliance. If everything else works, has your cooker got a cover-mounted switch? My mother-in-law had a similar issue on her caravan, and the hob cover was fitted with a switch that stopped the burners from being lit with the lid down. Keep me updated on your progress so we can look at the next steps to take if the tips above fail to remedy the problem.
towing times explained
QWe're planning a trip to France next year, and I wondered what the best way to calculate journey times is? We've found that times suggested by Google Maps tend to be optimistic when towing a caravan in the UK!
AViaMichelin is what you need, with access available via the website or app. When inputting directions, tick the 'caravan' box, and Via Michelin will automatically calculate a route time when towing. It is surprisingly accurate, and we used it to plot a recent tour of Europe with the kids. Or if you have a caravan-friendly, a sat-nav such as the Avtex Tourer, is another alternative to calculate the route more accurately.
better battery health
QWe're looking to buy a new leisure battery, and a friend suggested we buy a car battery as they are cheaper. They're both 12V, and I wondered if it'll be OK?
AAt a pinch, a car battery can be used short term, but they are designed to operate in a different way to a leisure battery. This answer could fill the Q&A pages, so I'll keep it brief. Car batteries are designed to deliver a burst of energy in a short space of time, whereas a leisure battery delivers controlled energy over a longer period. Although they are both 12v and look similar from the outside, the internals are very different and allow each battery type to do the job it was designed for. The additional cost is a worthwhile investment.
The great gas debate
QWhen staying at a campsite recently, our neighbour had Safefill gas installed in his caravan. He said it was cheaper, and I wondered if it's a viable alternative to Calor? Also, will our fridge, cooker and heating work the same?
ASafefill is a refillable bottle. When Calor bottles are empty, they can be exchanged for a full bottle at any Calor retailer, but, with Safefill, the bottles can be refilled at any service station with an LPG point. LPG gas is propane – a gas that's ideal for yearround use – and the same as red Calor bottles. Refillable bottles from Safefill and Gaslow can be expensive compared to Calor bottles. Still, refill costs are significantly cheaper, and with Calor supply ending the moment you leave the UK, they are a great way of ensuring a gas supply in Europe. I recently paid £36.99 for a 6kg Calor propane (ouch!), with a friend quoting a refill cost for just £6.
