A bunch of five
Around this time of year many campsite guides are published, all vying for our hard-earned cash. Just how do you choose the right one, though? It's bound to be difficult when there is such a bewildering array on offer.
We've always had success with Alan Rogers Guides. It has produced five updated guides to help you on your tours at home and in Europe.
I've chosen two of the firms own guides this year: Britain and Ireland and France, as these are our most common destinations. Information is presented in a clear, easy-to-read format and each site is regularly inspected by a practising motorcaravanner. The important bit is that no site can buy its way into the guide. If it doesn't come up to scratch – then tough. Perhaps it's this integrity that makes the guides so reliable.
Another three books are produced in France but only one is aimed specifically at Francophiles. All are really useful for the serious meanderer: two we've used before; and one comes highly recommended by several motor-caravanning friends.
First, there is the authoritative Le Guide Officiel 2005 Camping et Caravanning which claims to feature 10,700 campsites in France, which is (apparently) all of them. I'm not counting them, so we'll have to take their word on this. Second, there is the useful Le Guide Officiel 2005 Aires de Services Camping-Car. This lists all the aires in Europe at which one can spend the night (old hands should skip the next paragraph).
For the rookie European traveller, it's essential to explain that aires de services are usually
(but not exclusively) a kind of upmarket
lay-by
at which motorcaravanners can spend one night en route to somewhere else. On placing a few euros into a service bollard, you have access to fresh drinking water, waste water, toilet dump points, and 230V hook-up. They are not campsites, merely very cheap stop-overs.
A minority of aires run by local authorities are not part of a lay-by. Instead, these are self-contained, purpose-built, hardstandings in an area of outstanding natural beauty,
or in the centre of a village or town. A few of these allow up to four consecutive nights' stay before having to move on.
Finally, France Passion is a guide to those farms, vineyards and pensions (lodging houses) that allow a few motorhomes to stay on a basic-facility site on their land (a kind of French CL, or ‘hideaway' site.) These are likely to be in the heart of rural France where one can experience the true passion of French life.
Personally, I have not tried this scheme but those that have, use it year after year. It is only likely to appeal to those who like away-from-it-all type holidays.
All five guides we've reviewed here are supplied
by Alan Rogers Guides.
Be safe, be seen
Let me tell you a story… a close friend of former Fraud Squad detective, Tom Craig, was involved in a serious accident when his car skidded of the road three years ago.
He survived the accident only to be knocked down by another vehicle as he walked back along the unlit road in
an attempt to get help. He was killed instantly.
During the investigation, the driver said that he could not see the pedestrian. Tom's friend had become a statistic
– one of the 3400 people killed on UK roads every year.
Tom worked through his grief by doing something practical in his friend's memory. He designed and manufactured a range of high-visibility jackets and waistcoats to wear in such a situation. The range is sold by his company ICU-UCMe.
These garments are not the cheapest I've seen, but out of the many which have flooded into the market they are, in my opinion, the best made I've come across so far. Only high quality materials are used which is very important when considering the purchase of such a garment. The reasons for this are two-fold. First, the specification exceeds the requirements of the relevant British and European standards. Second, they will stand up to frequent use.
Not planning on breaking down that often, or running off the road daily? Of course not, but only a fool wouldn't wear it when out hiking, cycling, piloting a mobility scooter or marshalling a club rally. Your life may depend on it.
If you're venturing into mainland Europe, such a garment is compulsory in many countries and one should be carried for each occupant of your motorhome.
A guide price is around £9 for a single waistcoat. Or, you can buy packs which contain combinations of garments, and offer a saving.
Some of you may have seen Tom at the extremely successful ‘Practically Everything Theatre' sponsored by Practical Motorhome and held at this year's National Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Leisure show, held at the National Exhibition and Conference Centre last February.
You'll find details in the information box (opposite). The accompanying photo (left) shows a badly-behaved mongrel – and Pip, our dog.
Negative progress
Here is another example (above) of a delightful ‘Americanism' from a few years ago when a famous motorhome manufacturer replaced a
one-piece roof on their outgoing model (which never leaked) with one that had two, full-width, joins on it at the lowest points. You really couldn't make it up!
Heath Robinson
The waste tank on our previous motorcaravan was mounted towards the rear of the 'van, and had an extension hose attached to it to make emptying it easier. It stored neatly out of way into a purpose-built clip.
Unfortunately, the latter could not be utilised after
we had a towbar fitted. As a temporary measure, I used one of Pip's spare dog collars to stop the hose from dragging along the ground, and firmly resolved to find a better solution over the next weekend. Some 46,000 miles later it's still there, of course.
A conversation with the inspector during the previous MoT test went like this.
Inspector: "That's a neat solution."
JB: "What's a neat solution?"
Inspector: "Using a dog collar to support that pipe."
JB: "Oh heck!"
Inspector: "What's the matter?"
JB: "Where's me bloomin' dog gorn?"
I don't know whether my feeble attempts at humour were partly responsible for the eventual outcome, but I don't think so, because the 'van failed on a worn power steering rack.
All change...
She's arrived! Our new-to-us motorcaravan is here at last.
In a previous ‘Travellin' Man' column I hinted at what it might be.
Because the new arrival will have to double as our car (deep pockets and short arms again!) we didn't want anything much over 6.10m (20ft). This is because that is the maximum length which can be squeezed onto a parking space (and only then if the bit behind the rear wheels can overhang a grass verge, or similar).
I wanted to buy British in
an effort to support fellow countrymen and women. Furthermore, it had to be from a manufacturer with excellent after-sales service and spares availability (this ruled out some lovely 'vans) and, finally, not on a Sevel chassis. This was mainly because I wrecked my back as a young man lifting car engines without a hoist and, as a result, I'm now super-fussy about my driving position. If the driver's seat height was any higher in the Sevel, you'd require oxygen.
The effect of this is that I'm always stooping to see out of the windscreen and this, along with the offset pedals, means that my spine is continually twisted, giving me grief after about ten miles. My soulmate, Flora (‘Management'), keeps wittering on about how men have a lower threshold of pain than women, but we blokes endure real suffering without a hint of complaint, don't we?
So, did you guess correctly? It's a Ford Transit-based Auto-Sleeper Pollensa. It's not new, but it's not yet two years old and has less than 7000 miles on the clock.
We always name our motorcaravans, and this one will be ‘Fenland Drifter'.
It is carrying our cherished registration YCE 615T, so if you see us on site do come over for a cuppa and a chat. We'd love to see you.
If anyone is interested in buying our previous 'van (‘Fenland Princess', also an Auto-Sleeper, but on a
VW LT), we part-exchanged her at our regular dealer, Motorland Leisure Vehicles, Croft Hill, near Leicester.
Happy motorcaravanning!
Gentleman Jack Bancroft |
