The sensational Sandhurst
Credit where credit's due. In
a previous feature I criticised Auto-Sleepers for not launching its VW coachbuilt sooner. At long last it has arrived and, to be fair, it was worth
the wait. Running on
an Al-Ko extended chassis, the Sandhurst features a separate end washroom with a spacious walk-in shower.
Auto-Sleepers now seems to be back on track following the release of some rather underwhelming models around the time of its merger with SeA. It launched three cracking coachbuilts at the recent Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show at the Birmingham NEC.
I didn't have time for an in-depth examination of the Sandhurst but my first impressions were that it's sensational. The pictures above show that as well as a sleek exterior shape and ergonomic floorplan, Auto-Sleepers has decked out the interior with high-quality fixtures and fittings. Go on, see for yourself.
Thanks ACCEO
On behalf of all the motorcaravanners who enjoy rallying, I would like to thank the hard-working committee members of the Association
of Caravan and Camping Exempted Organisations (ACCEO) for making such activities possible. Formed in 1985, it's a large family of more than 200 camping, caravan and motorhome clubs. And this caring family organisation does far more than just organise. Keen and capable volunteers foster the growth of clubs, give advice and help, and raise awareness of various motorcaravanning issues.
Exhibitions organiser Jean Groves explained to me that for a club's weekend rallies and holiday meets to take place, the club must have a Certificate of Exemption to stage an event on unlicensed land. The ACCEO liaises with government departments and local authorities on behalf of member clubs and supports them all, regardless of size.
ACCEO is experienced
at representing all types of campers against the might
of unsympathetic government, and local authority, legislation. If it were not for the positive input and diplomatic negotiation that ACCEO contributes, I'm not sure that there would be any rallies whatsoever in national parks.
So, next time you are at a national indoor motorhome show, why not pop along to
their stand to find out more? Non-affiliated clubs may also wish to contact ACCEO direct (see information panel, page 78). Thanks again, ACCEO, the Bancroft tribe love rallying!
Fantastic plastic
Fiat's current Ducato – which is soon to be updated – is the single most popular chassis
on which motorhomes are constructed. Add to this the extremely similar Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Relay and you have three 'van's which form the lion's share of the European motorhome market.
But the new Ducato isn't here yet. It is likely, although not certain, that panel van conversions of the new Ducato will appear first, followed
by overcab and low-profile coachbuilts on the chassis-cab and finally A-class models which use the chassis cowl.
Let us hope that some of the more adventurous motorhome companies design something really new instead of just transferring current designs onto the new chassis.
Of course, that's easy for armchair critics to say but rather harder for manufacturers to actually achieve. The eye-wateringly high development costs of
all-new body shells, coupled with low-volume sales (when compared to cars) make manufacturers wary of being adventurous. Add in a rather conservative customer base and it's easy to see why any changes are incremental.
I wonder, though, if making more use of a greater range of materials might provide a partial solution? Polyester is one such material that is suitable for making complex shapes, relatively cheaply. The picture (above, right) shows
a Seitz concept motorhome manufactured a few years ago. Despite a lot of interest in the material, I believe it is only Le Voyageur that sells a significant number of polyester-bodied motorhomes in the UK. These days the majority of manufacturers tend to use GRP and/or aluminium, as they did 30 years ago.
In contrast, the automobile industry is testing many different materials for prototypes, not just
for concept vehicles.
My spies tell me that a moulded material made from flax looks promising. It is strong, flexible, recyclable and, importantly, environmentally friendly to make.
The full ramblings can be found in the July 06 issue of Practical Motorhome
Happy motorhoming!
Jack Bancroft |
