Table of contents for February 2025 in Practical Caravan

This is the time of year when we’re all thinking about the season ahead, and that definitely includes us here at PC. We were talking about this in the office recently, and that inspired the feature on p14 – we’ve compiled our aims, tips and plans for 2025, which we hope will inspire you! We’d love to hear about what you’re planning – whether it’s a trip to shores far away or that DIY project you’ve been meaning to tackle for months, we’d really like to know. You can email us at letters@practicalcaravan.com. Also this issue, we’ve brought you a full round-up of our Practical Caravan Awards 2025. Yes, there are some amazing new caravans, but we have something for every budget, particularly in accessories – find out more on…

Q WHY ARE TOWING LIMITS SO LOW? I would like to raise an issue with a vehicle I was about to buy, having had two previous versions of this car – it is the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe. Its maximum towing capacity is 1110kg, so most caravans will be beyond it, even as an unladen weight. It would be good for Practical Caravan to do a feature on this problem. Lee Oliver David Motton replies… I have written before about the low towing limits of the Santa Fe (issue 485). It’s surprising Hyundai would seemingly be prepared to abandon the caravanning market, given that the Santa Fe has been a popular tow car for so many years. Hyundai’s sister company, Kia, has also reduced the towing limits of the latest…

Pembrokeshire, in South Wales, is a place of stunning landscapes, remarkable coastlines and simply amazing views. There’s so much to see in this ideal touring destination. It took us six hours to reach Windmill Hill Caravan Park, in Pembroke, so their friendly greeting and generous pitch were most welcome after the long drive. After a quick set-up, we went to get some groceries and take a look around Pembroke. This charming little town has a castle, a medieval parish church, and a gorgeous delicatessen, full of speciality foods, artisan cheeses and tasty fresh produce. Pembroke Castle Next morning, we went to Pembroke Castle to see a 15th-century living history group re-enacting displays of medieval warfare. There was a little encampment, with colourful tents, and ‘medieval’ folk cooking on open fires…

Lakeview Paddock CS Grafham Water, Church Road, Huntingdon PE28 0BB › 07731 770 465 › www.campingand caravanningclub.co.uk Open 1 April to 31 October Pitches 5 Charges (pitch+2+hook-up) From £15 to £35 This quiet little CS is the ideal base for exploring Grafham Water and the beautiful area around Huntingdon. Although the site is small, it doesn’t feel crowded, and you get a warm welcome. It benefits from a fairly new shower and toilet block. Both are clean and well-maintained.…

WHAT’S ON 5 July 2025 Great Glencoe Challenge Get your walking boots on for a 26.2-mile trek in some of Scotland’s finest scenery, from Glencoe to Ben Nevis. Entry fee £115 per person, in three instalments. Ⓦ ptarmiganevents.co.uk/the-great-glencoe-challenge Watch out for… Glencoe Folk Museum reopening Set in 19th-century heather-thatched cottages and with a focus on the history of the area and its people, Glencoe Folk Museum was closed for redevelopment during 2024. Building is scheduled to start in spring 2025; the museum is due to reopen in the following October. › glencoemuseum.com PLACES TO STAY Invercoe Caravan & Motorhome Park This lochside touring park on the banks of Loch Leven near Glencoe has pitches with hook-up, as well as cottages and lodges. The dog-friendly campsite also provides a children’s play…

WHEN TO GO We took a four-night break in early September 2024, but the weather was a bit unreliable by then. Be sure to pack your all-weather gear and suitable footwear, and there’s still plenty to enjoy, whatever the weather! FIND OUT MORE Visit Colyton and Coly Valley › colyton.co.uk The website has a list of good places for food and drink, and there are a couple of circular walking routes that you can download of you find yourself with a spare hour or so. Seaton Tramway › tram.co.uk Visit Seaton › seaton.gov.uk/welcome-to-seaton Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site › jurassiccoast.org Visit Beer › visitdevon.co.uk/explore/cities-towns-and-villages/beer Visit Sidmouth › visitdevon.co.uk/sidmouth Blue Plaque Trail Map › visitdevon.co.uk./sidmouth/visitor-information/maps-and-guides/bule-plaque-trail-map Stuart Line Cruises › stuartlinecruises.co.uk FOOD AND DRINK The Garden Shop, Colyton › colytongardenshop.co.uk The Harbour…

Back for the fourth year running in their current format, our annual Practical Caravan Awards – this year held in association with The Insurance Emporium (theinsuranceemporium.co.uk) – feature the best caravans, tow cars and accessories on the market. With 16 prestigious awards up for grabs, we’ve included 10 caravan awards that cover a range of budgets, sizes and types. We also have a very special category for the best Green Initiative in Caravanning. All shortlisted caravan entries must be new or revised for the 2025 season. We have categories featuring those must-carry accessories, too. Now you just need to find out the winners! You can also visit our website to see all of the shortlisted products for our 2025 awards. www.practicalcaravan.com/AWARDS Meet the judges Our expert team – who form…

Caravans are warm in winter As I write, it’s just above freezing outside. Tomorrow, I’ll be picking up a caravan for a towing test. I’ve just received a message from a non-caravanning friend: “You’re not staying in the caravan, are you? Wrap up warm if you are!” Perhaps I should tell her that I’d be just as warm in a modern caravan as in my house, if not more so. It’s one of those misconceptions that people have when they’ve never been caravanning. Many years ago, I stayed in a tourer on the edge of the Arctic Circle in Finland, in the depths of winter. I struggled to sleep because I was too hot, such was the power of the heating! MOTTY motty@practicalcaravan.com Tow car editor DAVID MOTTON is a…

Nissan Juke (2010-2019) Arguably, the Nissan Juke was the first small SUV that people bought because of its looks alone. It was like nothing else, with lights almost atop the bonnet, and secondary lights lower down. Its interior was styled like a motorbike, apparently. However, beware that space is limited in the rear. It has an odd towing arrangement, too – the towball is at an angle and off-centre. Renault Captur (2013-2019) As with all of these vehicles, the Renault Captur is not one to choose if you have anything other than small caravan, because it has a maximum towing limit of 900kg. If that works for you, the Captur is a stylish SUV with plenty of space up front and a sliding rear bench to maximise space or load…

You can pick up a domestic fridge for a little over £100, but caravan fridges are a completely different story – they’re pricey, even when you buy secondhand. Here’s why. The first clue is in the name: three-way caravan fridge. These appliances are designed to be incredibly versatile, functioning wherever you park your caravan, no matter what power source you’ve got available. Caravans use absorption fridges, which rely on heat to power a chemical cooling process. They are extremely quiet because there are no moving parts, and they can run without electricity, making them perfect for off-grid adventures. But they are less energy-efficient than compressor fridges and can struggle in very hot conditions, unless there’s plenty of airflow to the cooling element at the back – that’s why caravans have…

Six Second Scribbles In this fast-paced, family-friendly game, you have just 60 seconds to draw 10 prompts on your card before swapping with another player to decipher each other’s scribbles! Great for rainy days. Price £14.99 Web gamelygames.com Reversible Sherpa Lined Car Seat Cover Spruce up your tow car with this universal seat cover. Easy to fit, the elasticated cover in bright Sherpa fleece has a waterproof, stain-resistant reverse. Price £35 Web saltrock.com Solo Stove Mesa Cosy up to this smoke-free tabletop fire pit, designed in ceramic and stainless steel with a wood-fuelled burner, which is produced in five smart colours and includes a heat-proof stand. Price £104.99 Web solostove.com Kitchen Academy Cookware Set This attractive eight-piece cookware set includes two sizes of frying pan and a saucepan and lid…

WHEN TO GO Summer is the best time of all, because you’ll want to enjoy Pembrokeshire’s spectacular coastline and beaches. WAY TO GO We followed the M4 to South Wales and crossed the bridge over the Severn to Newport. The M4 continues through South Wales until it turns into the A48 on the road to Carmarthen. We followed the A48, which became the A40 as we passed Carmarthen. The A40 becomes the A477 at St Clears. We continued on the A477 to Upper Nash, then took the left turn to Pembroke, onto the A4075. We passed through Pembroke town centre, picking up the B4319 toward Maidenwells, and turned right less than a mile down that road, to Windmill Hill Caravan Park. FOOD AND DRINK The Old Kings Arms Hotel ›…

WHEN TO GO We toured in the autumn, when the weather was a bit unreliable. For all those outdoor activities and nature reserves, summer would probably be best. WAY TO GO We followed the A421 from Woburn to Roxton, then picked up the A1 North to Buckden. At Buckden, we took the B661 towards Grafham Water, then turned right at the signpost to Grafham campsites. Lakeview Paddock CS is two miles further along the road, on the right. FOOD AND DRINK The Grafham Trout › thegrafhamtrout.co.uk Cinnamon Restaurant › cinnamonhuntingdon.co.uk We were self-catering during our stay, but these two venues were clearly popular choices. FIND OUT MORE Visit Cambridgeshire › visiteastofengland.com/see-do/cambridgeshire Grafham Water › anglianwaterparks.co.uk/grafham-water Grafham Water Centre › grafham-water-centre.co.uk Hinchingbrooke Country Park › huntingdonshire.gov.uk/hinchingbrookecountrypark Houghton Mill › nationaltrust.org.uk Visit…

‘The beach at Seaton is part of the famous Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site’ Over many years of touring and camping in the UK, we have often made use of local buses to get around rather than driving, but I can’t remember ever having travelled on an electric tram before our trip to the glorious Axe estuary in East Devon. The journey was inevitably a little slower, but for us, much of the joy of any touring holiday is gaining new experiences and seeing parts of the UK that we wouldn’t otherwise manage to get to. That is certainly true of a trip on the dog-friendly Seaton Tramway. Colourful narrow-gauge electric trams run three miles through the Axe Valley from Seaton to Colyton, taking about 25 minutes each way. The…

Just keep on caravanning! Knaus Tabbert may be one of the biggest caravan manufacturers in the world, but it is to be hoped the difficulties it currently faces (see right) are not a sign of trouble to come in the industry as a whole. Signals over the summer suggested there was still a fair amount of stock to shift on dealers’ forecourts. But there is clearly a lot of enthusiasm in the industry, as can be seen in the really excellent caravans and accessories that we’ve recognised in our Practical Caravan Awards this month, which you can read about starting on p55. With products this good, we must be in for a bright future. PETER peter.baber@futurenet.com Reviews editor PETER BABER is a hugely experienced caravanner who enjoys touring whenever he…

Damp – it’s only a little word, but it’s one that can strike fear and trepidation into any caravan owner. Once it has taken hold in your tourer, it can be joined by the equally dreaded mould and mildew. Step inside your caravan, and you could be met by an unpleasant musty odour, or you might notice staining on an interior wall panel. But thankfully, there are some simple steps that you can take to avoid having to deal with those very unwelcome problems. The starting point, of course, is to do everything you can to make sure that your vehicle remains well ventilated at all times. That will certainly be a good way to prevent damp from finding its way inside your caravan. But in addition to this, the…

‘A stabiliser can make the difference between dangerous snaking and a minor wobble’ Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of Practical Caravan, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances and skill level. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. You should check that any van warranty will not be affected before proceeding with DIY…

Abbotts View Alpacas CL Abbotts View Farm, Moat Lane, Aston Abbotts, Aylesbury HP22 4NF › camc.com (Club members only) Prices From £20 (solar electricity free for non-cooking/heating use) Ashleigh Lakes 45 Broadgate, Whaplode Drove, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE12 0TN › 01406 330 666 › ashleighlakes.co.uk Prices From £15 per night Dropped Anchor Sea View Camping Trewavas Lane, Breage, Helston TR13 9QB › droppedanchor.co.uk Prices From £17 per night Gwern Gof Uchaf Campsite Capel Curig, Betws-y-Coed, Snowdonia LL24 0EU › 01690 720 294 › tryfanwales.co.uk Prices From £20 per night Hall Farm Brisley CL Hall Farm, Church Street, Brisley NR20 5AA › camc.com (Club members only) Prices From £26 per night Hooks House Farm Campsite Robin Hood’s Bay, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO22 4PE › 01947 880 283 › hookshousefarm.co.uk Prices From £12…

Join us as we take a look back at vintage issues of Practical Caravan FEBRUARY 2002 Something for everyone A packed cover with a bundle of pick-and-mix holiday destinations – ranging from golfing in Ireland to ascending the Alps. We also had a trio of rally vans on test and great escapes in Country Antrim. Plus, the chance to win an Avondale Dart! Land’s End The area of Finistère in Brittany was the subject of this extensive report by writer Rosemary Boyce, who toured off the beaten track to explore Brittany’s ‘Coast of Legends’ Wish you were here We love hearing about your touring adventures, and this regular feature included reports about readers’ travels all across the globe (but mostly from Blighty). Why not send in your own postcard report?…

Star Letter Caravan parking blues We read with interest Motty’s column about parking with a caravan at motorway services (issue 483). We have often pulled in at services en route to our holiday destination, only to find all the spaces available for car and caravan taken up by cars and vans, leaving us to take up two car parking spaces, which isn’t ideal – car and caravan spaces are usually designed and located at a point in the car park for you to be able to leave your space with ease. The bays are always clearly marked ‘Caravans Only’, but people seem to have scant regard for this. On one visit to a well-known services, being unable to park, we took photos of the offending cars and vans and emailed…

’Tis the season… Happy new year! Now seems as good a time as any to talk about plans for 2025, and you can find out about some of the PC team’s ambitions and top tips for the year ahead in our ‘25 for 2025’ feature (p14). One of the suggestions made in the article is to consider taking out a seasonal pitch. We’d love to explore this more extensively in the magazine, so if you are a regular seasonal pitcher, do get in touch and let us know where you go and why you like it. Hopefully, we can include you in an upcoming feature. Be sure to send a few photos of you, your car and your caravan. Email letters@practicalcaravan.com. While some of you will be out and about…

Grafham is a pretty little village beside a glorious reservoir, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. We visited for a short break, taking in charming countryside, enjoying waterside walks and spotting wildlife. When we arrived at our site in Grafham, Lakeview Paddock, a Camping & Caravanning Club CS, the owner soon found us a pitch and left us to set up. He’s had spacious new showers installed, which we found a treat during our stay. We had a relaxing lunch at the caravan, then went out to explore in the afternoon. The forecast promised sunshine and we were hopeful the sun would appear. Ploughing forward We set off on foot from the site, heading across a freshly ploughed field towards the reservoir. With muddy boots and feeling ready for a challenge, we…

‘Glencoe is a place of majestic mountains, stunning hiking trails, fertile gullies and bubbling rivers’ THE VALLEY of Glencoe, in the Highlands of Scotland, is rightly considered one of the most scenic parts of the UK. It was formed by volcanic activity and glacier movement in the last Ice Age and is a place of majestic mountains, stunning hiking trails, Highland cattle, fertile gullies and bubbling rivers, most notably the valley’s namesake, the River Coe. Visitors come for the walking and the wild landscapes, and to appreciate the historical and cultural importance of the area. This was the scene of one of Scotland’s most infamous events, the Glencoe Massacre in 1692, when members of Clan Campbell killed members of Clan MacDonald under orders from William III. Here, and at nearby…

Axmouth Caravan and Camping Site Church Street, Axmouth, Devon EX12 4AF › 01297 24707 what3words ///landlords.reflected.upstairs Open 15 March to 15 October Pitches 86 Charges From £12 There are two good pubs within a very short walk, which both serve decent food, and the local bus, which will take you to Lyme Regis in around 20 minutes, stops close to the site. Alternatively, it is possible to take a scenic walk through the Undercliffs National Nature Reserve to reach Lyme Regis, a distance of around seven miles. There’s a detailed outline of the first part of the route here: › www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/81 Note that the access road to the site is best approached from the Seaton end, along the estuary, otherwise the turn-in is rather tight.…

Knaus Tabbert reviews management strategy New leader aims to focus on sustainability KNAUS TABBERT’S NEW boss has brought in “transformation” consultants and a new chief financial officer, as the German brand deals with falling sales and an investigation that has seen it dismiss two board members. Wim de Pundert, who came in as chief executive in mid-November, said he and new CFO Radim Ševčik would now “do our utmost to implement a sustainable strategy to strengthen our market position with a strong focus on robust profitability”. Mr de Pundert was already a significant shareholder in the firm, which manufactures Knaus, Weinsberg and T@B caravans. He has appointed FTI-Andersch to carry out an independent business review of the company. Knaus Tabbert is also organising a series of face-to-face meetings with its…

Family-friendly vans kickstart the season Chatting to a dealer the other day, I got the distinct impression that the forecourts were quiet, which is not surprising – the Christmas period sees almost all big-ticket purchases, such as leisure vehicles, slowing to a virtual standstill. So what will the start of the 2025 season look like? In the used van market, it’s the family sector that usually gets things going. Dealerships will be looking to spot the first green shoots of returning activity by mid-January. Meantime, roll on spring! ANDY practical.caravan@futurenet.com ANDY JENKINSON is a caravan expert and historian – he loves pre-owned and classic tourers! ANDY’S PICKS OF THE MONTH 1 Out of this world 2013 Lunar Quasar 460/2 Tucked away in a corner on the forecourt, this is a great…

Get your van ready to go off-grid! Many of us enjoy using electric hook-up when we’re staying in our tourers, but there’s something incredibly liberating about caravanning away from mains power. It means you can choose small campsites with confidence, and stay at festivals in complete comfort. But how do you go about getting ready for off-grid touring? Fortunately, we’re on hand with expert advice – just check out John Sootheran’s article (p88) and you’ll be all set for an off-grid 2025! Also this issue, former PC editor Nigel Donnelly continues revamping his 1998 Bailey, Penny. This month, he visits a caravan breaker in search of a new fridge – find out more on p92. practical.caravan@futurenet.com OUR TECH EXPERTS include (left to right) John Sootheran, former PC editor Nigel Donnelly…