Care to catch the tail end of a late Indian Summer? Autumn can be one of the most comforting, relaxing, and alluring seasons of the year.
As you hitch up your caravan or load up the motorhome, here are some of the news items and other interesting stuff you may not want to miss before winter’s layover ..
Skydream launches a new species of caravan
Making its appearance at the recent Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf, Germany, Skydream is billed as the caravan of the future.
Described with great fanfare by PR Newswire on the 30th of August, the new Skydream is said to represent a complete break from the conventional “white box-shaped vehicle”. Instead, the company’s vision of the future in “caravanning” features:
- a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery – rated from 45kWh to 85kWh;
- a solar charging system – capable of 1100W to 2200W;
- reverse charging capability;
- smart driving assistance features including technology that aids body stability and dynamics so that swaying of the vehicle during travel is suppressed;
- an integrated intelligent control system from which you can control the door locks, lighting, air conditioning, other equipment and mobile apps all by voice commands.
Traditional caravans are a thing of the past, says Skydream, as it launches a new leisure vehicle that is set to “shake up the era”.
Caravan racing at Silverstone and other memories
From a glimpse of the future to a nostalgic look at caravans and motorhomes of their golden age in the 1960s and 70s – Autocar magazine recently reminded us when caravan racing was all the rage at Silverstone race rack in 1973.
The forerunner was a British Caravan Road Rally that featured hill climbs, speed towing, tests of braking and distance judgement.
Reminiscing about the caravan’s heyday in the UK, the article recalled that some 3,000 caravans a year were made in the UK during the 1950s. By 1972, output rocketed to more than 67,000 caravans built annually.
It recalled the time when the first national caravan show was held at Earls Court in 1959 – with no fewer than 46 manufacturers along with 86 suppliers, service providers, and traders welcomed the throng of visitors.
Do I need to register my caravan in Europe 2025?
If you’ve been used to taking your caravan with you to Europe, be certain not to be caught out by new rules that that came into effect on the 26th of August and apply to towed trailers.
If your caravan is more than 750kg, you are now required to register it in advance of your journey to or through practically any European country, according to official guidance on the government website.
To tow such a caravan in Europe, registration will require that the trailer has its own separate registration plate (that is, different to the towing vehicle’s plate) and that you keep with you the caravan’s registration document ready to show foreign authorities when requested.
Although registration is required throughout almost the whole of Europe, exceptions are made if you are towing only in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Cyprus, or Malta.
Your first registration will cost £26; £21 for a new certificate for a registered keeper; and £10 for a lost or mislaid replacement certificate.
Every UK Caravan and Motorhome Club site earns Green Tourism Gold
The Caravan and Motorhome Club has secured for every one of its member sites the highest level of accreditation by the Green Tourism organisation, according to a recent posting by Out and About Live.
Green Tourism’s Gold award for sustainability has gone to more than 150 of the Club’s sites and even its headquarters building.
Gold awards are given only when the highest standards of sustainability and environmental management have been demonstrated.