We went along to the 2013 Scottish Caravan, Motorhome & Holiday Home Show at the SECC in Glasgow. It is an excellent show which takes place annually in February.
The large halls of the SECC exhibition space are filled with 100s of caravans, motorhomes, tents, holiday homes, trailer tents & accessories as well as all sorts of other exhibitors who would be of interest to campers and caravanners ! If you are thinking of buying a motorhome or caravan, for example, then these shows are a great chance to speak to some of the best companies from all over the UK.
We had a look in a new model of caravan for this year, the
Bailey Pegasus GT65, which is being launched as part of a year of celebrations for the Bailey company’s 65th anniversary.
These caravans are lighter, with an Alu-Tech construction. Here are two interior photographs from one of the Pegasus models being sold by
Duncans.
You can see the stylish curved locker doors and the skylight.
We particularly liked the soft furnishings design in the model shown !
They have six sockets and a nice kitchen area.
There are a variety of models of the Pegasus GT65, including the single axle models 2-berth Genoa with end washroom, two 4-berth versions and the Ancona 6-berth version.
There is a also a twin axle Bologna 4-berth fixed double bed with end washroom.
If you are thinking of buying a caravan there is lots to consider ! Caravans appear to be a slightly more economic option than a motorhome and they also have the flexibility that you can leave them at a campsite and use your car to travel around during the day.
However, we then had a look around some motorhomes including this
Eldiss 6 Berth motorhome. This 6 berth style has a double bed above the driver's cab in order to find room for everyone ! You will also see models such as this converted Peugeot motorhome shown to the left, which has a sliding door to allow for more use of space.
In various caravans and motorhomes, we spotted some innovative design features which make great use of space, such as a "wet room" style bathroom with a flexible door which allows the same room to be either used as a shower or small cloakroom style toilet with w.c. and wash hand basin (see photograph to the right).
There was also another one where a door could be used as the door for the bedroom or the bathroom. And we liked the idea of an opening skylight in the shower rooms so there would be no condensation build up.
We then spotted a hi-tech
Hymer motorhome which appeared to have a cockpit computer ! No doubt this is satellite navigation on a large scale ! Or is this just where they store the television ?!
I know the Hymer motorhomes are very popular and certainly on campsites they always stand out to us as looking well designed.
The one shown here is an example, we think, of a
30 foot motorhome, i.e. fabulously spacious but you might find them quite large to drive, particularly if you are thinking of driving down any small French country lanes ! But perhaps if you plan your route carefully then these would be a great option to give you loads of space when camping.
And then there are the smaller van conversions, often with raised roofs, which probably would appeal more to couples rather than families, although no doubt you could have tented awnings coming out from them to add some more space. These VW vans shown here are from the
Lakeland Motorhome Centre. These are a slightly more economic option than the larger motorhomes and may also prove to be more flexible to drive.
And we also spotted this excellent Opus trailer tent, also from Lakeland Motorhome Centre. These can be slightly easier to pull than a caravan apparently, and this model had a small kitchen area and room for two people to sleep at either end. You will also spot on the photograph that you can double your space by adding an awning out the side.
So again, this is an idea to consider. The material this trailer tent is built with is stronger than normal tent fabric and draught proof as well.
So, if you are thinking of buying or even hiring a motorhome etc., then try to get along to one of these excellent shows. Shows take place throughout the summer all over the UK. And you can also talk to specialist caravan insurers and accessory manufacturers etc. Camping can become a whole new world of retail therapy!! (see our other blog post coming up very soon about some of the innovative and unusual accessories we spotted at the show !)
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