The shows have been a great success for Lifesure, as a result our stand size has been increasing, the stand design has improved and even more freebies are being handed out to the public. Our staff for the show are hand-picked Lifesure customer service employees, who will enjoy a brief change of scene and the opportunity to chat with customers face to face rather than on the telephone.
As usual, we will be offering a daily prize draw to customers willing to enter by simply filling in a short form with details of their caravan or motorhome. The daily prize is to win free insurance for your caravan or motorhome for a whole year, to commence from your next renewal date if already insured. Since we started attending these shows Lifesure has given away eighteen free annual insurance policies, as well as key rings, toys, sweets and ever handy bottle openers. Free insurance quotes for caravans and motorhomes are available to all as well as expert advice from our friendly staff.

We look forward to seeing you at our stand, N67 near the atrium. Enjoy the show!

Sir Ian Botham himself is taking part in the walk, planning to complete the one hundred and fifty mile journey on foot over ten days. Yorkshire based Swift Caravans have teamed up with the Caravan Club to provide a very useful form of sponsorship for the sporting legend; the provision of a motorhome from Swift’s AutoCruise Alto range for the duration of the walk. Sir Ian Botham will use the motorhome as accommodation as he travels through ten major UK cities. London, Cambridge, Norwich, Cardiff, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow will all receive a visit from Beefy himself as he treks between the extremities of the island.

Sir Ian Botham has expressed his gratitude to both Swift Caravans and The Caravan Club, saying “On behalf of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, I would like to thank Swift Group for their continued support, as we enter our twenty eighth year of Beefy’s Great British Walk. I will not stop walking until every child with blood cancer survives, and the provision of a support vehicle for the walk, plus The Caravan Club’s dedication and support throughout the year, is very much appreciated.”  Advance sponsorship of over £22,000 has already been pledged in the run up to the Great British Walk

For more information on Lifesure’s highly competitive Caravan Insurance, call us for a free quote on 01480 402 460.

The 2012 Caravan and Motorhome Show in Manchester, which ended last week, again proved the popularity of this type of family holiday, with one manufacturer in particular leaving very satisfied with their results. Swift Caravans have reported more than £4 million in sales during the event alone. This is more than double their previous sales figures.

Touring caravans and motorhomes were the order of the day as the East Yorkshire-based business netted a very healthy average of one million pounds in sales per day of the Caravan and Motorhome Show. Swift Caravans have named their lightweight and reasonably priced tourers as their stars of the show. These tourers accounted for £2.5 million of the £4 million taken during the event. Motorhome sales were also pretty impressive, increasing by 135 per cent to £1.65 million.

Swift Caravans’ Sprite and Sprite Lite ranges were on display at the Manchester event, alongside six brand new models in the Challenger Sport and Sterling Eccles Swift Ranges. Swift Caravans’ Commercial Director, Nick Page, advised that the entire production batch of 2012 models was sold during the 4 day exhibition. “By giving people products that are more cost effective, better designed and in the case of our tourers, lighter and easier to tow with smaller cars, we are seeing some very positive results.”

For a full breakdown of Lifesure’s Caravan Insurance, call us for a free quote today on 01480 402 460.

Although caravanning may not be everyone’s first thought when it comes to planning their ideal holiday, it’s time to shake off those old-fashioned images of rickety caravans and rainy weather. Things have changed a lot over the past few decades and significant investment has been made to enable families to have a great time while “staycationing”; otherwise known as holidaying in the UK.

Some caravan parks have a massive entertainment budget, in excess of over one million pounds in some cases. The Bunn Leisure Complex in Selsey, West Sussex is a triple-award winner and including the title of Holiday Park of the Year at the Annual Beautiful South Tourism Awards 2011. Bunn have extensive plans in place for the next three years to make their park even better, including improved sea defences and the creation of their very own sandy beach.

This is also good news for private static caravan owners such as Saja Holidays, who offer their own caravans for hire at Bunn. Speaking on this topic, Steve Cooper of Saja Holidays said “We looked long and hard at the available market before we invested in a static caravan which we could offer for hire, and Bunn Leisures West Sands holiday village really did tick all the boxes for the right location to site it”. “What this means is that Saja can offer strong value for money holiday breaks with peak season charges of only £400.00 for the week, in the knowledge that our guests know they are getting a fantasic return for their money due to the massive investments Bunn Leisure have made.”

For more information on how much Lifesure could save you on your Caravan Insurance, call us today, or visit our online quote engine – our number is 01480 402 460.

Caravan check list

Make sure your caravan or trailer is properly serviced and fit to be on the road. This is especially important if it’s been left standing for most of the year.

Before you depart on your journey, you are advised to check the following:

1. Make sure that all your caravan signalling lights are work correctly when your cupeled to your towing vehicle (especially if you’ve changed vehicles since you last took your caravan out on the road). During the trip recheck as the coupling might have deteriorated.
2. Check all your wheel nuts are tightened to the manufactures recommended specification.
3. Ensure all tyre pressure’s are correct, you should also ensure that the tyres are in good condition (they can quickly deteriorate if not properly maintained or left static for long periods of time).
4. Recheck the caravan tyre pressure during the trip to ensure they are in good order.
5. Also check that your towing vehicle tyres are pressurised to the level recommended in your owners handbook.
6. When you first start towing the caravan undertake one or two test stops to check your brakes are working properly. During the trip check that the brakes and the bearings are not overheating (you can compare them to your car brakes).
7. Take time to ensure the coupling is securely hitched, use the jockey wheel to raise the towing vehicle by approximately an inch to ensure the coupling is correct.
8. Remove or swivel the jockey wheel and lock into it’s traveling position and then check the coupling is level and at the correct height.
9. If your caravan has a coupling with internal friction pads, then ensure the towball is clean, dry and free of grease. The coupling connection should be checked after the first 5 miles and then at subsequent stops.
10. Check safety chains are in good condition and correctly connected. Recheck the safety chain during the trip.
11. Check the hand brake of the caravan has released correctly following a long stand.
12. Check that the roll out awning is locked in the traveling position.
13. Check all exterior and interior lights are working, you don’t want to arrive on a site at night to find out your lights have an issue!
14. Ensure gas cylinders are correctly secured and turned off before travelling, and that your load is correctly secured.
15. Carbon Monoxide safety checks of propane burning appliances, Yellow flames with coach heaters, stoves, ovens, and water heaters usually indicate a lack of oxygen. If you have a carbon monoxide detector then put fresh batteries in for the start of the season.
16. Check all windows and roof lights are closed and secure.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, if you think the list could be improved please contact us and suggest your improvement.

Check your Insurance documents

Take the time to go over your insurance documents; ensuring your policy is still adequate & up to date. It’s surprising how many people forget to renew/ update their caravan insurance after a long winter. Here at Lifesure, we offer:

• Up to 40% Discount!
• Use by family and friends (age 30 or older), provided no hiring charges are made.
• 180 days European cover. as standard!
• Caravan repatriation from EU countries, as standard!
• Legal Plus provides a hire caravan (up to 14 days) if your caravan is unusable following an accident.

We’d be delighted to provide you with a free quotation & see how much we could save you this summer.

This luxury micro-lodge is suitable for a variety of uses, including a camping pod, hotel room, portable events accommodation and a garden room. One of the key benefits of the Lodg-et is its versatility – it can be moved from site to site or positioned permanently. A purpose-designed, wheel-less version is available for permanent fixture.

Built to the highest standards with a built-in shower and WC (chemical toilet where services are not available), the Lodg-et can comfortably accommodate up to four people. The pod can be easily hooked up to electricity and accessibility requirements can be catered for by contacting the manufacturer.

Designed to fit in with the current trend for Glamping amongst other uses, the Lodg-et is packed full of features. Purchasers can choose from a selection of exterior finishes and benefit from a steel tile roof, double-glazed PVCu windows, excellent insulation, bunk beds, under-bed storage, double bed settee, built-in shower and toilet room, safety deposit box in the wardrobe, TV table, electric heating, a variety of lighting, curtains and 73 litre water storage. The water heater is powered by a combination of electricity and LPG.

Tingdene will be officially unveiling the Lodg-et Camping Pod at the Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show but brochures and pricing are available now direct from the manufacturer.

For more information on Lifesure’s Static Caravan Insurance, call us on 01480 402 460.

Paul di Resta is actually a Caravan Club member himself and is proud to be the guest of honour at the 25^th anniversary celebrations. The four day long show will take place at Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) from 2^nd to 5^th February.  Di Resta is not the first Formula 1 star to perform the ribbon-cutting task, fellow Scot David Coulthard did the honours in 2011. Caravan Club marketing director, Lawrence Bates, explains the link between F1 and caravans, “Caravans and motorhomes are a huge part of the F1 scene, with them being used by drivers to allow them to stay track-side, and by F1 fans to allow them to follow their favourite sport around the world and stay up close to the action.

Those who plan to attend the exhibition are in for a treat this year. Over one hundred and fifty companies will be displaying their wares to the attendees, with special events including one of the first showings of Eterniti Caravan’s new luxury slide-out tourers. As well as the event being kicked off by a Scottish sportsman, Fife-based East Neuk Caravans will be taking advantage of the occasion to unveil their brand new Fifer Pod.

The Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show will be in the SECC from 2^nd to 5^th February, as mentioned above. If you would like to attend, tickets cost £7 for adults, £6 for seniors and those under 16 are free of charge.

When your Caravan Insurance is due to be renewed, call us at Lifesure on 01480 402 460.

Discover Leisure – the previous owners of the site, went into administration in October 2011, and sold the site to Mr. Chris Lowe, the co-owner and M.D. of Kimberley Caravans & Motorhomes, who runs the company with his father Michael. Their Nottinghamshire based firm was set up in the 1970s with a high turnover and sparkling reputation.

Chris Lowe explained that the reputation of the Darlington site had been the tipping point for the pair, an opportunity they would hate to miss: “We have been looking to expand for a couple of years and this is the best opportunity. We were aware of its history. Before it was Discover Leisure it was Barrons and when it was Barrons it had a brilliant reputation and it was very busy. We are looking to recover that atmosphere and level of customer service. We know that the branch has many loyal customers, going back to when it was part of Barons, who will appreciate the care and attention of a family-run business.”

When considering the employment levels on the site, Chris was determined to improve the previous figure: “It has been difficult to know how many to start with. When we open in February we will be employing 25 people, but as the business becomes established again we hope to build that number up quite quickly. In terms of looking after customers you need more staff rather than fewer staff. The site employed 100 in its heyday, but is a matter of seeing how long it takes to get to that level of success.

“Our experience is that the industry as a whole is very strong and I think the North-East is a very strong area for caravans and motor homes. The economy is tough at the moment but from our experience, both through our existing site and our attendance at national exhibitions, we know caravanning is booming.”

For more information on Lifesure’s fantastic Caravan Insurance policy, call us today for more information or a free quote, on 01480 402 460.

The temporary pitches at Mr. Thompson’s Glororum caravan park near Bamburgh, are now being updated to form 42 modern touring caravan pitches, with the prospect of this radical re-vamping drawing in more caravanners.

Thanks to the current economy, travelling abroad is far less popular than it has been in previous years, meaning that UK businesses are thankfully greeting more holidaymakers travelling within our own Country. Northumberland during the summer months sees a vast increase in popularity as the wave of caravanners, drawn by the natural beauty and the mystique of the north, flock there in their thousands to enjoy a different type of holiday.

Glororum Caravan Park has views of the coast, an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ and Bamburgh Castle. Nigel Thompson, the owner and manager of the site, who works with wife Sandra, explained that: “Glororum has to have one of the best locations of any caravan park in the North East and we are keen to create facilities which match its unbeatable surroundings.

“The improvements mean we will have one of the best sites for touring caravans, which play an important part in north Northumberland’s tourist trade. This is helping to create a much needed tourist resource which will attract more visitors and their spending power into the area.”

Both caravan owners and visitors will benefit from the improved facilities coming on line at the park, which is also close to the historic island of Lindisfarne, miles of sandy beaches and country walks.Our investment in Glororum will certainly enhance the visitor experience and stay quality for existing owners at the park. We are keen to bring  new caravanners into the area, who in turn bring valuable extra spend and trade into the local economy.

“We want to create a synergy with other tourist accommodation providers, businesses and attractions in the area to contribute towards the area’s visitor draw while being mindful of conserving what is an incredible part of the world.”

For more information on Lifesure’s Caravan Insurance, call us today for a free quote on 01480 402 460.

The woman appeared unhurt by the incident, with the man suffering slight breathing difficulty after smoke inhalation. He was cared for by the ambulance whilst the fire crews extinguished the blaze. Thankfully the fire has been deemed to not have been started deliberately and therefore no further investigations will be undertaken.

This was not the only fire of the week in the area, as  Naze Marine Holiday Park in Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze were also subject to a fire earlier that morning: At approximately 3.45am, four fire crews from Frinton and Clacton attended the scene where three mobile homes had caught fire. Two caravans 100 yards apart from each other had both been consumed by the flames, with several others close by were damaged.

Fortunately the caravans were vacant at the time and the fire was soon brought under control and extinguished. A joint police and fire service investigation will be carried out into the cause of a fire as its origins are suspicious.

A spokeswoman for the holiday park explained the situation: “At 3.30am on Monday 19 December there was an incident at Naze Marine Holiday Park in Essex. Two fires were started, resulting in the damage of five caravans. Four stock caravans and one long-term unoccupied staff caravan. No one was injured; all staff and visitors are safe.

“The Park Resorts staff handled the situation safely, calmly and effectively as the firelighters and police stepped in. The caravans have been contained ready for a thorough police investigation. Park Resorts’ staff are now working closely with local police to understand the cause of the incident and (the police) are looking to question anyone who may have any further information on how the fires started. The incident will have no impact on operations on park, so it is business as usual.”

For more information about our highly competitive Caravan Insurance cover, call us at Lifesure today for a free quote on 01480 402 460, or  why not try out our free online quote engine?