Posts Tagged ‘caravan accessories’

Autumn Fair in Newark

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Motor home and caravan enthusiasts should be getting ready for the UK motor home and caravan fair to be held at Newark Showground, in Nottinghamshire.

The event will take place on the weekend of September 4th and 5th and is a must for caravanners all over Britain. This year the fair promises to be bigger and better than ever before, with trade stands selling everything the camper could wish to buy.

There will be two giant indoor exhibition halls as well as an outdoor section. A craft fair will also be on site.

New and used caravans, accessories, essentials and spares will top the list for many, but there is a whole lot more on offer.

Water and waste systems, towing equipment and reversing aids will prove popular buys, and for inside the van, stands will provide opportunities to buy cleaning agents, refrigeration, cooking and other kitchen requirements. Assorted gadgets and portable satellite systems will also be available for the discerning customer.

Outdoor clothing stands will attract plenty of attention with the autumn and winter months approaching, and sales of outdoor furniture should attract discounts now the summer is behind us.

Just looking at the above list makes one realise how much valuable equipment is tied up in a caravan, providing a compelling reason to secure caravan insurance.

Day tickets for the show are £5 for adults (if pre-booked) and children under 14 go free. Fido the dog is welcome so long as he is kept on a lead at all times. For tourers wishing to make a weekend of it, a pre-booked weekend ticket costs £35 (this covers two adults) pay on the day costs £45. The camping is on-site, and the booking fee includes admittance to top class entertainment on both Friday and Saturday evening. All camp facilities come with the booking fee.

For those wanting to take a stroll around Newark town, there is a complimentary shuttle bus service at the weekend. Newark certainly has enough interest to pass a pleasant morning exploring. The historic market place and Newark Castle are both worth seeing. The gardens in the castle are very pretty and the ruined walls of the castle create a perfect backdrop for the herbaceous borders and trees.

Disabled badge holders with weekend passes will have a dedicated part of the site allocated to them, and there will be a disabled car park for day visitors.

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Posted in Accessories, Caravan, Caravan Insurance, Festivals, Motor Caravan, Motorhome | 1 Comment »

Caravan Entertainment System

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Holidaying is all about getting yourself into the ideal environment for enjoyment and relaxation.  For many, caravanning provides a means to escape the noise, bustle and impositions of day to day life.

Your perfect environment, however, may well include other forms of entertainment such as music, TV and radio.  Just because you choose to go on holiday with your caravan does not mean that you have to leave these luxuries behind.  In fact, if you are the kind of person who needs the crispest sound quality and the highest definition of picture, you may well be able to kit out your caravan to suit your needs.

Even if you have already got a television set up in your caravan, you might have to reconsider its set up as the UK approaches the date of complete switchover to Digital Signal (after which analogue receivers will no longer function.)

If you want to ensure that you don’t miss that episode of ‘Strictly’ while you’re away, there are a number of options available to you.  Firstly, you’ll need to get yourself a receiver.  The primary options are to fit an aerial or install a satellite dish.  Either option has both free and subscription services available through them – so you’ll be able to choose a package that suits your needs.  Many specialist caravan engineers will be able to install kit in a secure and functional manner.  Bear in mind, however, that you might well need to adjust the direction of your dish or aerial on location, according to the origin of the signal.

If using sky, or if you’ve got an old-model television, you’ll then need a digibox to translate the digital signal into information that is readable by your TV.  An alternative option recently available is to use a laptop connector for your incoming digital signal.  Using a laptop, you’ll be able to record TV directly for later viewing – ideal if you fancy making the most of the sun rather than cooping up indoors for your favourite show.

Finally, you’ll need the screen itself!  Recent advances in digital technology provide some ideal solutions for caravans.  Not only can you purchase extremely thin screens which take up minimal space, but viewing angles are wide, and images appear clear in even the brightest of conditions.  Consider installing a mounted unit to save space.  You can even install screens which fold down/out from ceilings and walls for perfect positioning.

Once you’ve sorted your viewing, you might want to consider how to maximising your listening pleasure.  Few caravan layouts easily suit surround sound installation, although yours might.  A fantastic alternative is ‘virtual surround sound’ provided by a central system.  You’ll certainly notice the difference with one of these systems when setting that crucial holiday mood.

Of course, while kitting out your caravan with expensive electrical equipment could really enhance your holiday, it also becomes an attractive prospect for thieves.  Keep a close eye on your entertainment equipment, and if possible tuck everything out of sight while you are out.  In addition to taking extra security precautions, make sure you have taken out Caravan Insurance to cover your prized possessions.

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Making the Most of your Fridge

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Gone are the days when the only culinary options available to you on a caravan holiday came from a tin.  The campers in the site next to you might still be limited to beans and bread, but the mod-cons of your caravan should help you live a comparative life of luxury.

Central to this culinary luxury is your fridge.  Modern caravans usually come with a fridge as standard, and there may even be a variety of options and sizes for you to choose from.  Even if your caravan doesn’t have a fridge, they are cheap to buy and easy to install.

With this fridge, you’ll be able to keep crisp veg, safely stored meat and even chilled drinks to enjoy during your holiday.

As with all life’s little luxuries, though, keeping your fridge operational and well require a bit of thought.  This effort should, however, be rewarded in the longevity of the fridge and temperature of its contents.

A common fault which users run into – and one that can be difficult to diagnose or solve – is tipping the fridge on an angle.  When you park up your caravan, if you inadvertently position the caravan on an angle, the fridge could begin to work at a lower than standard capacity, or stop working altogether.  It is important to keep the fridge flat when parked up.

Remember that all fridges take some time to cool down.  If you are transferring food from your fridge at home, make sure the caravan fridge has been turned on for at least 12hours prior to moving the food, otherwise the temperature could fall below a safe or pleasant level.

If you’re pushed for time, don’t panic – there’s a simple solution!  To aid your fridge in the cooling process, pack it with items from your freezer as you leave.  This way, the frozen items will help cool the fridge and then defrost themselves by the time you arrive.  A perfect idea for stocking up the fridge for a BBQ on arrival.

Overloading your fridge can result in the entire contents of your fridge failing to reach a good temperature.  Whilst it might be tempting to fill every available space with cans of beer, it might be better to stagger your use of the fridge so that its contents fills properly.  Remember, however, that items such as meat, cooked rice and dairy products can cause health risks if left out in a hot caravan for too long.  Another alternative is to use a coolbag or coolbox, some of which even plug into the mains directly to keep all the drinks and snacks cool during the day.

Once your holiday’s over, don’t forget to turn off the fridge.  Leaving the door wide open will allow air to circulate though and prevent any build ups of mould.

If you take good care of your caravan fridge, you should be living a life of luxury in no time.  Who knows?: You might even feel a spark of generosity and offer your tent-dwelling neighbours a cool glass of white wine.

To make sure that you have an ultimately chilled and luxurious holiday, set your mind at rest by taking out Caravan Insurance before you go.

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Posted in Accessories, Advice & Information, Caravan, Caravan Cooking, Insurance | No Comments »

Essential Caravan Accessories

Friday, July 16th, 2010

The great simplicity about taking your caravan on a holiday comes through the ease of packing.  At the furthest extreme, you might even be able to leave your caravan fully packed up with a whole stock of kitchenware, clothes and toiletries; all you need for a holiday without having to pack up at all.  Even if you need to stock up with a few bits and bobs before you go, it’s still possible to leave a large amount in the caravan when it’s not in use.

The great annoyance about taking your caravan on holiday is that, once at the campsite, you will invariably find yourself missing certain items.  Frustratingly, whilst many campsites sell various necessities, you can often find yourself far away from towns which would sell what you need.

Working out the essential selection of items to take with you in your caravan is an important process.  If you intend to leave your caravan stocked while not in use, this can make sure that you have happy holidays for many years to come, and avoid ever having to worry about ‘forgetting your toothbrush’.

So what are some of those essential items that you may well miss off your list when stocking up the caravan?

- Take along a good set of tools, repair kits and replacement parts for any breakables.  Whether your caravan is new or old, something is bound to go wrong at some point, and you will regret not packing these essentials if you find yourself unable to make urgent repairs.  Duck Tape is fantastic for quick, cosmetic repairs.  Obviously, all serious damage needs to be properly inspected and repaired by a professional, but having a ‘mechanical first response’ kit can be a huge help.

- A torch, and spare batteries.  Electrical failures or necessary night time excursions are bound to crop up at some point.  Make sure your torch is working, and keep it in an easy-to-find location (because you’ll probably need to find it in the dark.)

- Stock up on toiletries.  You’ll always need things like toothpaste, deodorants and soaps, and you’ll be annoyed if you run out.  It’s much easier to keep a full stock inside the caravan, rather than having to transfer everything each holiday.

- Kitchen utensils can be bought in full sets from many supermarkets and large stores.  Stocking up on a full set of crockery, cutlery and utensils makes sure that you know exactly what’s there, and you’ll be free to cook in comfort.

- Use some storage boxes.  Get stackable ones so that you can keep them with minimal impact on the space of the caravan.  Boxes are handy for keeping everything clean and dry, taking food out on day trips, or even storing muddy clothes to keep them from messing up the interior.

- Dust-Buster mini vacuum cleaners are a great addition to any caravan.  They take up minimal space, but allow you to clean the entire caravan quickly and easily.  They are hand-help, and even allow you to reach tricky confined areas.

A well-stocked caravan makes for a simple and enjoyable holiday.  Whilst it may cost a bit to fill up the caravan to start with, it will save you time, money and aggravation in the future.  Of course, a fully-stocked caravan is one you want to keep safe and protected.  Make sure that you’ve got Caravan Insurance to keep your caravan protected.

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Caravan Toys

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Following on from our post about how to make a long summer full of caravan trips more appealing to your little ones, here are some lovely little caravan toys to keep them interested at home when they’ve caught the bug! There are obvious choices like Barbie and other favourite toys which you’re likely to find have a caravan play set. These can be really nice if your children are extremely fond of a particular toy. There are also more original offerings on the market though – here are our three favourites…

First up, a tiny toy 1973 Kovap Retro caravan with opening doors and interior décor, available through Caravanstyle.com (http://www.caravanstyle.com/shop_caravan.html). This is a charming little toy that would look just as good as a unique desk toy as in a child’s room. This is also sourced from my new favourite website. Despite the name, not all of their products are caravan themed – they mainly sell retro home ware. Well worth a look, if only for their beautiful blog – http://blog.caravanstyle.com/

Another lovely little find is this caravan birdhouse, available from Firebox.com – http://www.firebox.com/product/1571/Caravan-Birdhouse?via=cat&aff=512&awc=550_1272992624_7001e78de9e44fa9213882380e22ae9a. This is a charmingly rustic little birdhouse, which will help you preserve the local wildlife, introduce your kids to ornithology and remind everyone of your favourite hobby, all at the same time! Perhaps for older children, you could explain migration patterns, and how birds migrating is basically just like humans caravanning… or perhaps that’s stretching the metaphor too far. Firebox also stock various camping and caravanning accessories elsewhere on their website.

A caravan birdhouse in a tree

A caravan birdhouse in a tree

Finally, to encourage good saving habits and plant the concept of saving up for the holidays, there’s this caravan money box – http://www.sendaclock.co.uk/allclocks/children~s-money-boxes-1/classic-caravan-money-box/r48415*d*7c.html . This is a lovely little decorative money box that adults might enjoy using as well, as the caravanning pub fund!

Remember – one big advantage of toy caravans is that you don’t need caravan insurance for them!

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