Disappearing sites 'Down Under'?
The survival of some Aussie campsites is under threat. At least, they are according to a report on some lengthy research undertaken by Dr Richard Reed, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, and a chartered surveyor to boot. Sites in Australia are as varied as the country itself. His rationale for making such a statement (if I understand it correctly) goes along these lines.
Sites are under a kind of two-pronged attack, and the smaller ones seem to be more vulnerable. First, some touring-only sites do not use the land efficiently and therefore provide a relatively low return on the capital invested in them.
Second, many sites which were built for the boom in caravanning around 30 years ago are becoming run down, and have an increasing number of permanent residents, often in unsuitable caravans, holiday homes and motorcaravans that don't 'motor' anymore.
Apparently, there is an overheated market for land for development in some areas of Australia, and therefore a high level of demand for the space that these sites occupy. Their position is often desirable to retail developers because they are frequently on a main road, or to residential developers if they are in a scenic position.
Many site closures would obviously affect motorcaravanners in Australia but would also force those that live permanently on such sites to move on to the property ladder, putting upward pressure on house prices.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, partly because an increasing number of Practical Motorhome readers are taking fly/drive motorcaravanning holidays in this beautiful country, and partly because we need to keep an eye on the development and changes of land use of the touring sites in our own backyard back here in Blighty - as the old saying goes, forewarned is forearmed.
In my own particular corner of Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, we have lost
two touring campsites to residential development this year and yet planning permission on a potential replacement was refused.
Fenland Drifter
"Very well," is the answer .. in case you were wondering how we are getting on with our new 'van. This month we'll have a quick squint around the exterior and a 'Cook's Tour' of the interior.
Planned for the future is a mini-series covering the accessories we've added, looking at how, why, how much and whether they have lived up to expectations. It's often the little things that make the difference between an acceptably comfortable motorcaravan and one that is a perfect fit - Oh! Suits you, Sir... and Madam.
It's important to take an informed look at motorcaravan accessories, because many manufacturers would have you believe that fitting such-and-such will radically improve your motorcaravanning lifestyle, whereas in most cases, any improvement is only likely to be incremental.
My late father started a lifetime's camping, caravanning and motorcaravanning in 1928 and he always asked anyone trying to flog him any accessory just how the said 'essential accessory' would make motorcaravanning more enjoyable, or safer, or cheaper, or
the jackpot; all three at the same time. He rarely received a satisfactory answer.
On the other hand, everybody has their own favourites, which they feel they just can't do without. One person's luxury item is another person's essential 'must-have'.
Add to the above the phenomenon of 'Spec Drift,' and the situation becomes less black and white. It's only three decades ago when available extras such as electric lighting (instead of gas), double glazing (in place of glass windows streaming with condensation), flush toilets (we used to have a bucket-and-chuck-it enamel Racasan toilet) and flued heaters were all luxury extras.
Now all are standard specification in most motorhomes. As time progresses, people expect more and more features as standard - hence the term 'Spec Drift'.
We certainly don't aim to tell you what you should or shouldn't have fitted to your motorhome that would be pompous and arrogant in the extreme. Instead, we'll look
at some of the most common add-ons and give you our opinion as experienced motorcaravanners and as folk who have actually parted with our hard-earned dosh to buy the accessory in the first place.
We'll be looking at burglar alarms, wind-out awnings, swivelling cab seats, bike racks, towbars, insulated cab window covers, and reversing cameras and monitors.
Looking at trim around the rim
Our previous Medallion and our new Pollensa are both Auto-Sleepers, but the Pollensa is different in its construction.
The Medallion was a moulded GRP monocoque, whereas the Pollensa uses GRP-clad, bonded, sandwich walls with moulded overcab, roof and end panels. The Pollensa isn't as curvaceous, but it does look fresh and modern and has the advantages of a lighter weight construction, better insulation and a lower retail price.
Starting at the driver's door and walking clockwise, we find the Truma water heater flue, 230V hook-up socket and fresh water filler, all south of the cab. At the far rear on the nearside, there is the toilet cassette access door, with its water filler for the flush tank above it.
The moulded rear panel is well made and adds interest and relief to an otherwise fairly slab-sided design.
The nearside has the entrance door, with non-opening window, towards the rear.
Moving forwards, we find the fridge vents, exterior access door to under-settee storage and the door to the gas cylinder compartment (it holds two 6kg Calor Propane bottles, or similar, but they are a tight fit). Hiding in the passenger-side B-pillar is the fuel filler, which we were hoping not to get too familiar with.
Leading on from what we've just been talking about (namely 'Spec Drift') how many of these do you remember on motorcaravans even 20 years ago? GRP? Certainly not. Water heater? Flushing cassette toilet? Maybe. It's amazing how things have moved on.
Cooks tour
Inside the Pollensa, the basic layout is very similar to the Medallion, though the settee and Pullman dinette have changed sides. This layout works best for us in a coachbuilt motorcaravan of around six metres in length. Remember, our motorcaravans have to do double duty - that is, they have to be used 'as a car' and also be hospitable for mob-handed motorcaravanning.
Crucially, if anyone does choose to come away with us in 'Fenland Drifter', there are two fully-belted, forward-facing, rear passenger seats with high backs and head restraints, and an overcab bed which can be used by those more generously proportioned than racing snakes.
The somnolent 'downstairs' has a choice of two single beds or a gargantuan double which takes up the entire width of the 'van.
The well laid-out rear kitchen has a slot-in domestic-style cooker offering a four-burner hob, grill, thermostatically-controlled oven and a saucepan store. All burners have electronic ignition and flame-failure devices. A hinged glass top is also provided, which, while being attractive (and useful as work surface when the cooker isn't being used), does bounce up and down rather alarmingly en route. A strategically-placed bungee strap soon
had it tamed. Adjacent is a coloured sink
with drainer and a monobloc mixer tap.
Behind the tambour doors lurks a cupboard with slide-out plinth for the television, below which is the cocktail cabinet. Contained in the base unit is a three-way electronic-ignition Dometic fridge with full-width freezer compartment.
The only real criticism we have with the kitchen concerns the drawers and slide-out storage units... there are none!
The light and airy corner washroom has a vanity basin with taps, a shower with separate monobloc mixer tap, some moulded cupboards and wait for it a manual flush Thetford cassette toilet. I'm not so lazy that I can't push a lever to flush the toilet, but it looks incongruous in what is otherwise a very well-equipped 'van.
The original owner had specified a 230V upgrade for the space heating system, which is most welcome. Mains operation of the water heater comes as standard, as does the 'mine's-bigger-than-yours' Heki rooflight.
Breaking the rules at Kingsbury ..
Well, 'they' did break club rules, but 'they' also had the warden's permission and ultimately his blessing.
My partner, Flora, and I were staying at the Camping and Caravanning Club's hugely attractive Kingsbury Water Park site, not far from Brum, deep in some real countryside. Anyway, I was just about to go for a walk around the attractive lake complex when a monster vehicle came in 'the out', if you know what I mean.
You've guessed it, the only way this leviathan could enter was through the exit. I've seen some big fifth-wheel motorcaravans in my time, but one with over half-a-dozen toilets?
All right, then it wasn't a motorcaravan at all, but one half of the new pre-fabricated facility block being delivered. The other half arrived a little later, and in less time than it takes the builder we use to put nine sugars in his tea and complain about his back, these guys had put both halves together to produce a weatherproof, functioning building - amazing.
When I returned to the site a few months later, it was as though the building had always been there. Perhaps motorcaravans should be made this way?
See you next month!
Jack Bancroft |
