I had a fabulous but exhausting day at the Camping, Caravan and Motorhome Show today. As usual, this exhibition at the NEC does not disappoint. I was able to see all the brand new 2018 models and check out what’s trendy in camping and caravanning, while entering a new world of outdoor adventure! There is so much going on at the show over this week. There are driving experiences, towing and driving lessons, rock climbing, dog agility training, bush-craft, cooking, quizzes and prize giveaways, and celebrity interviews. And this just scratches the surface. If you are interested in buying a caravan, motorhome, or tent, or are a seasoned camper-head – you need to go.
What Took My Eye?
The show is spread over five halls and it is a struggle to get around in a day. But here are some of the things that took my fancy…
The ‘riveted’ Airstream caravans, sold by Swift in the UK, are fabulous and very well built. I love them and even got a tour of the Colorado – their biggest UK model.
Our caravan, Betsy, is a Bailey Pegasus 546, so I always like to visit Bailey at this show. They were showcasing some of their Pegasus GT70 models. I like the new concept of the open plan front-end with improved visibility; the Ancona and Madrid being my favourite.
I have always liked Bailey motorhomes and the Autograph 79-6 and the Advance 76-4 were particularly nice. One day … It’s my dream 🙂
Go-Pod tear drop caravans are great. They showed a very smart camouflage-painted pod caravan, which they hope to sell at the show. I imagine there will be a LOT of interest in it.
T&B also displayed a tear drop caravan – theirs had bright orange trim and was very eye catching. These small vans are perfect for couples – and they can be pulled by most small family cars.
An innovation that really stood out as I walked around were the electric mopeds from Torrot. Their lightweight Muvi motor scooter can go 40 miles on a charged battery (takes 4 hours to charge from empty). Some of their models carry two batteries, increasing the range to 80 miles. This is the future, I’m sure of it!
Camping Equipment
I fell in love with the new range of inflatable awnings from Kampa, as you do! Our awning died at the end of last season, so I was interested to see what innovations have occurred since we last awning-shopped. Kampa have an all year-round heavy-duty model … I liked this a lot.
For the dogs, I loved the doggy bag. Here you can put a wet or muddy dog in a bag and dry or clean them off with little mess – at last, you should see Izzy and Jack after a beach walk and swim!
For campers there were PeggyPegs screw-in tent pegs for hard ground. These look fantastic if you have ever struggled to bang tent pegs in (yup, been there).
I was also impressed by the systems for refilling your own caravan/motorhome gas bottles such as Safefill and Gasit from Autogas LPG at filling stations.
Round Up
This Show is well worth attending, if only to get advice and just window shop! You can see pretty much the whole range of new 2018 caravans, motorhomes, tents and equipment. So go and do some research to see what you like. It’s a valuable and fun day out, before you make a big investment.
The Camping, Caravan and Motorhome Show runs until 25 February, at the NEC near Birmingham. Tickets are available from here. Or tickets can be purchased on the day.
