Caravan holidays for most folks will have passed their best for now this year – and what a year it has been.
But in that somewhat tumultuous year, caravans, campervans, and caravanning generally have been given something of a boost. Thanks to it being the perfect way to manage an outing or holiday without necessarily travelling all that far from home – while maintaining social distance from the rest of the world.
So, here are just a few of the latest snippets of caravan news to bring us all up to date.
Sales of camper vans soar more than 150% since first lockdown
The surge of interest in caravans, campervans, and motorhomes was highlighted in a story in the Daily Mail last month which reported that the sales of campervans and motorhomes had rocketed by more than 150% since the period of first national lockdown back in March.
Not only have sales soared, but a survey revealed that 71% of people thinking of taking a holiday this Christmas would consider renting a luxury caravan or motorhome (a so-called “glampervan”).
Nearly a third of those surveyed (32%) claimed that they would be prepared to pay as much as £1,000 to rent such a luxury caravan or motorhome.
Some of the motorhomes falling into that category come equipped with luxuries such as pressure showers, full kitchens, smart televisions, sound systems – and, sometimes, even hot-tubs. Little wonder, therefore, that they can sell for £50,000 to £100,000.
Meanwhile, the founder of caravan and camping website CaravanCloud told the Express newspaper earlier this month that, following their experiences of recent lockdown under the pandemic, increasing numbers of young people are attracted to the possibility of owning a caravan. Whereas the average age of the motorhome or caravan buyer had once been 50 to 70 years old, the majority are now aged just 30 to 50.
The south west is the caravanning capital UK
It’s official – the south west is the caravanning capital of the UK.
Confirmation came by way of the Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News. They cited the AA Camping and Caravanning Guide for 2021 which put Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, in the top five counties in the UK for campsites accredited by the AA.
The counties were graded according to the number of campsites each hosted – with 86 in Cornwall, 59 in Devon, 39 in Dorset, and 30 in Somerset. Only North Yorkshire – boasting a total of 46 sites – smuggled its way into the top five.
Those campsites awarded the AA’s coveted Platinum Pennant were again all mostly situated in the southwest, with Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, and Somerset gaining the most Platinum Pennants.
Eat a chocolate bar to keep warm in your caravan
Owning a caravan gives you a perfect opportunity for enjoying some of the natural beauties of Britain – even in the dead of winter.
The problems might begin to sneak in once the sun has gone down and temperatures begin to plummet for the night. Even with the best mobile heating systems in the world, caravans are notoriously difficult to heat. Warding off the cold and chills might present a challenge.
There are fairly traditional ways of finding some extra warmth, of course. A good sleeping bag, an extra pair of socks, and still more layers of jumpers – shedding the layers if you then begin to get too hot.
A novel suggestion made by contributors to an online forum reported by the Express newspaper recently was simply to make sure to have something to eat – a calorie-rich chocolate bar, for example – before turning in for the night. As the body burns off those extra calories while you sleep, said one writer, that metabolic process itself helps to generate additional heat.