Using your Motorhome, Campervan or Caravan in 2022 and Award Winners at the NEC Show

It was great to be at a very busy successful Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show last month at the NEC, Birmingham.

Lots of Leisure Vehicles were sold, albeit a lot for delivery in 2023, but also this was the first visit to an NEC Show for a large number of people who had bought their first ever ‘van during the last couple of years or were indeed looking forward to delivery in the coming months of their shiny new purchase.

Talking to a lot of ‘newbie’ Motorhome or Campervan owners common themes often came up :-

“Where is it best to go”- “Where to camp” – “Sites are all booked up” – “Where can we wild camp” – “Shall we do the NC500” and more in the same vain

There are so many ways to use your truly Mobile Home (not the ones on Caravn Parks that go nowhere)

Here are some of the Many Options of where to stay:

• Large Commercial Caravan Parks – Usually in good tourist areas. Most have entertainment complexes, swimming pools, shops, facilities for children etc. But they are often more geared up for statics rather than tourers, heavily booked up at peak times, have small pitches and can be very expensive.

• Commercial Caravan and Campsites (with none or a few statics) – Also often in good tourist areas, geared up for touring caravans and motorhomes – heavily booked up at peak times, better pitches and can be expensive.

• Club Sites run by The Camping & Caravanning Club or The Caravan & Motorhome Club – Very well landscaped, quality pitches, very clean and well maintained toilet blocks, occasionally with other facilities. Variable and often better pricing particularly of you are Club member. Good off season rates and some Senior citizens discounts.

• Certified Locations (CLs) and Certified Sites (CSs) – Small maximum five units, independently owned and found on farms, at leisure centres, behind pubs or similar. You will need to be a member of either of the two big clubs or indeed The Motor Caravanners’ Club who also have many CLs in their handbook. Generally quiet sites, many with electric hook up and good value. 1,000s of sites between the three clubs throughout the UK.

About the main National Clubs, their Sites and CLs/CSs Here

• Brit Stops – A network of over 1,100 hosts with overnight stopovers available for Free for Campervan and Motorhome owners. These are spread across the UK and Ireland.
  The majority are pubs, but there are also vineyards, leisure centre and more. All you need to do is purchase an annually updated comprehensive detailed book once a year for just £28. Then when you stopover thank your host by buying a drink or two and maybe something to eat

Find out more about Brit Stops HERE

• Smartphone Apps and Facebook groups such as ‘Search for Sites’, ‘Park4night’, ‘Caramaps’ and many more. Not necessarily checked properly like Brit Stops but can be useful.

• Motorhome and Caravan Regional Trade Shows – Generally long weekends taking place on agricultural and county showgrounds with vehicles for sale and many accessories. Usually evening entertainment and good value camping. Very often you can camp there for up to seven nights.

Show Details are HERE

• Rallies organised by the three major clubs organised on a regional basis throughout the year – Cost effective and a good way to meet friendly fellow campers

• Rallies organised by the brand Owners Clubs, such as Auto-Trail, Bailey, Swift etc. Similar to the rallies organised by the big national clubs.

• Music Festivals like Upton Blues, Cropredy or Glastonbudget, County Shows, Retrofestival, Steam Rallies and many other events held on Showgrounds. Almost all have good value camping available and there is lots of entertainment on.

• Dealership weekend events – Many of the larger dealerships will put on events to entice you to browse their mew models. It is not compulsory to buy!
  Often there is some entertainment and most have camping available.

Dealers and More are HERE

• Across Europe Aires (even a few in the UK) there are overnight stops for just a few € with some limited facilities.
• Weddings, Parties, Family Occasions, Christmas, New Year – take your ‘van along, stay overnight, make a weekend of it!

• Wild Camping – In a way there is no such thing. Every bit of land in the UK belongs to someone.
  If you consider this you need to seek permission from the land owner AND leave no trace that you have been there.

A Useful Podcast is HERE

So, there are a few ideas of how to use your Leisure vehicle this year!
Have I missed any?
If so let me know.

At the Birmingham Show…………….

The Approved Workshop Scheme held their annual
Workshop of the Year Awards on the first day of the Show.

Here is a link to the winners

It is very much worth having a Habitation Check (and preferably a service) on your motorhome or caravan every year. Particularly if you have not used it since last summer.
This time of year, coming up to Easter the engineers are very busy, so well worth booking your local engineer Now

Find your Local fixed or mobile workshop HERE

The Motorhome & Campervan Design Awards

The Awards took place at the Show after judging by an expert panel with large posters appearing on dealer and manufacturer stands on the second day of the Show.

A couple of notable winners:

• New from Auto-Sleepers, the Ford Air Campervan

• The first ever win for Rimor with their Ford Evo 77 plus exclusively available from M and C Ltd in Hull

Here, you will find details of All the winners